: The filmmaker is a character (e.g., Morgan Spurlock or Michael Moore).

The Cinematic Essay: Argumenative Writing and Documentary Film

Modern documentaries are moving past simple DVD "making-of" extras to become standalone pieces of investigative journalism and art.

We want to believe in the magic of movies. We want to think that Star Wars was conjured by geniuses in a silent room. But we also love the reality: that stormtrooper helmets were made of melted plastic, that scripts were lost in taxis, and that A-list actors threw tantrums over craft services. This genre validates a secret suspicion we all hold: