“The Coronation of Edward VII” - Short Documentary

I was surprised to find when Dean Duncan said that the short “The Coronation of Edward VII” by George Melies was actually a reenactment of that event. It was pretty realistic considering the manner that it was portrayed. People reverently watching as this individual is crowned. The setting adds more to this “reality”. Everything around looks like the perfect place for all this to come together in a ceremony that requires a lot of thought just like the making of this film. Every detail seemed carefully thought of to create the scene. It is a fictional piece based on an actual event. A documentation of history with the use of actors and taking advantage of the space they are in to execute it successfully. When I saw this I thought about whether I had seen films that have shown something to be true but really isn’t the case.  I think that with documentary filmmakers can have the tendency of showing something that does not present another view or that can portray it in a way they see fit to what they think is right. No matter how true or untrue a position is there should be balance. Presenting both sides of the issue can be tricky but it can definitely be done. I appreciate the footage for what it is worth. Yet, it would have been nice to know that it was real. I think that it does well in portraying it all as if we were there witnessing that very moment. If I can picture it it would have been close to what representation Melies had.

"Cars Sliding and Crashing in Bountiful" - Short Documentary

The person filming would not be aware that their footage would reach the millionth mark on Youtube. That probably wasn’t the reason why they documented what they did. Simply they wanted to capture it ‘cause it was entertaining being in the position they were and not at the drivers seat or out in the streets. There were many close calls, but for some there were not as lucky. I seriously thought things were going to be worse than what was shown. I could totally feel the anxieties of people watching before their eyes what is happening. I felt that I was close to the action, as if I was there with the filmmaker. The filmmaker even warns people that are close to danger from getting out of the way of a car that is almost about to go into them.  This adds more to that effect.   Sure, the video is not the best of quality but the material definitely is. It is amazing to see how people try to maneuver their cars so they stay safe. Sometimes it works, but other times they can’t fight Mother Nature.  People sometimes don’t have a choice but to brave it out in a place like this.  The filmmaker had patience to be outside in the cold and just keep recording what was happening. I’m sure this person wasn’t an actual filmmaker but with the use of any kind of camera goes to show that anyone can document a piece of history from any place and nowadays that is easier to be viewed with the help of the internet and sites like Youtube.