As I started thinking about how I wanted to edit the Food Co-op film, and the story I wanted to tell, I started to think about my goals as a filmmaker, and how I can make a film that will effectively suit the needs of my subject. Simply, I had to consider whether of not I want to create a film that was an objective description of the Co-op and Upstate New York farms, or if I want to make the film more meaningful, and approach the editing from the standpoint of a subjective activist, advocating for one particular cause of another.
Obviously, I have very little experience editing a film from the standpoint of an activist. However, I decided to investigate this notion of the use of documentary film for social change.
There is a concept called the “Participant Index”, coined by the production company, Participant Media. The Participant Index is a means by which to measure the emotional responses of an audience, and determine whether or not the film led the viewers to take an action of some sort. Some documentary films, such as “Fed Up” or “Blackfish” prompt widespread, immediate action, where as Lucy Walker’s recent film, “The Lions Den,”may be heart-wrenching, but does not prompt widespread social activism. Overall, I want to spend more time investigating this concept, and what it takes to make a film that inspires action.
Here is a link to an article detailing some of these concepts: http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-downside-of-measuring-the-social-impact-of-documentary-films-20140801
