Description

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The first book to trace the rise of documentaries as mainstream entertainment. When did documentaries get glamorous? Documentary Superstars looks at the history of documentaries and traces their transition from hands-off to in your face. Exclusive interviews with Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, Errol Morris, George Clooney, Sacha Baron Cohen, Morgan Freeman, Al Gore, and more of the biggest names in the field show the impact of the documentary style on mainstream movies and on our society. From cinema verite to the inserted narrator, from the “balanced” point of view to the charismatic commentator (a la Fahrenheit 9/11), to the documentarian starring in his own narrative (as in Supersize Me) to filmmakers’ innovative use of cameos, pseudocameos, and archival footage, and much more, Documentary Superstars examines the way in which this evolving art form has changed—and changed us. • Newfound box-office clout makes documentaries big business • Interviews with Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, Al Gore, Sacha Baron Cohen, more • Includes career advice for new documentary filmmakers

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

About the Author

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Marsha McCreadie, a film critic and author, has written four books on film. Her articles appear in Variety, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. A professor of documentary filmmaking at Fordham University, she lives in New York City.

Praise For…

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Praise for Documentary Superstars: How Today’s Filmmakers Are Reinventing the Form

“A lively, well researched, and informative book that raises all the right questions about documentaries of the past as well as those of the present. The "Tips and Tricks of the Trade" section will be particularly useful to beginning filmmakers. This book is highly recommended.”–Philippe Perebinossoff, Radio Television and Film Department, California State University, Fullerton

“I reach for my revolver when I see documentaries referred to as 'docs', but with such enthralling interviews and fascinating revelations, I forgive everything.”–Kevin Brownlow, film historian and filmmaker

“Documentary Superstars' sparkling exuberance, wit, and wisdom–qualities all too rarely combined in studies of this type–make this a must-read for students and lay readers alike.... McCreadie fearlessly tackles new generations of imagemakers busily refining and redefining documentary forms on screens, on the Web, and on reality television.... I'm sure my students will love reading it every bit as much as McCreadie has obviously loved writing it.”–John C. Tibbetts, Associate Professor of Film, University of Kansas

“Reading about important documentary filmmaking is easy—if you pick up the new page-turner by Marsha McCreadie. Documentary Superstars is conversationally written and informally organized, but this easy-to-read book takes on a difficult task: McCreadie wants to know how the revered doc filmmakers of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s (wittingly or unwittingly) laid the groundwork for today’s blockbuster ‘star/auteurs’.” --Lisa Mills, Documentary magazine

"It is the latest in a series of McCreadie's books on the filmmaking scene . . . both brilliant and acerbic, sometimes at the same time." --The Notre Dame Review of Books