Participatory Documentary and the City_Final Report

The productions chosen for the research.
Hollow
Elaine McMillion, US
Participatory Projects
Spectacle, London
The recent emergence and accessibility of new media
technologies brings with it new opportunities for professions
not traditionally associated with media production. The
potentials for the use of documentary practice in urban
research and design projects goes much further than the
traditionally formatted video production.
HighRise
NFB, Canada
In-Situ
ARTE, France
Les Communes des Paris
Simon Buisson, France
This research project examines this potential, from both an
aesthetic and working process viewpoints. The work looks
at five participatory and interactive films that focus on urban
issues. From this analysis it establishes working methods for
how documentary practice could be integrated into urban
research and design projects.
We will see how interactive and participatory documentaries
are not only about the final finished product. They are as much
about designing a storytelling process that engages with the
voices of people, their communities and the places they live in.
This process can often become a catalyst that empowers and
engages the communities involved. While online interactive
documentaries can encourage this participation by combining
a range of media; photography, maps, soundscapes and data
visualisations into one compelling experience for the viewer.