[csaa-forum] CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: The Bloomsbury Handbook to Global Contemporary Documentary (deadline: 23/02/24)

[Antonio Traverso]

Call for abstracts:

Please email chapter abstracts between 300-500 words to:

levi.dean at nottingham.edu.cn 

by Friday 23rd February 2024. 

Abstracts should be sent in word or PDF format, and should include the following information:

· Chapter title

· Your name

· Your affiliation

· Bio (100 words)

We will notify you of the outcome by Monday 4th March 2024. If selected for publication, the full chapter will be due on Monday 1st July 2024. The proposed length of each chapter will be 7000 words maximum (inclusive of in-text references).


Questions surrounding documentary’s legitimacy for representing the “real” can be traced back to the release of Nanook of the North (1922) given the film’s advancement of fictional techniques to tell a more compelling story. However, as Ian Mcdonald (2007) argues, documentary as a credible form of “cinematic” entertainment began to take shape in the 1990s with the success of Michael Moore. This saw the increasing utilisation of fictional techniques by documentaries all over the globe to secure box office success. The blurring between fiction and non-fiction within documentary has only been amplified by the exponential developments of transnational streaming platforms. In a bid for platforms to secure global viewership, documentary as entertainment has only become even more important (Ioardache, Raats & Mombaerts, 2022). It is reasonable to postulate that this has led to an overwhelming number of documentaries placing entertainment before truth. The implications this has on documentary being considered as a credible and valid channel for representing reality raises ethical concerns, which needs to be addressed. It becomes difficult to address this gap because what precisely is meant by the terms “fictional,” “cinematic,” “character” and “story” led within the context of documentary is nebulous. We seek to fill this void through an approach that meets global scholars with expertise in storytelling, documentary, and relevant disciplines at the confluence to better understand and articulate ongoing trends. This will facilitate more diverse scholarly work and equip students with relevant concepts that they can advance as a critical lens to improve their understanding of issues and debates specific to global documentary storytelling.

Potential topics that you may wish to cover (but not limited to):

· Character and characterisation in global documentary

· Dramatic arc in global documentary

· Narrative structure and global documentary

· Narrative conventions in global documentary

· Documentary storytelling in the age of transnational streaming platforms

· Documentary storytelling in interactive and VR documentary

· Documentary storytelling and global south

· Eco-documentary storytelling and Anthropocene

· Emotional engagement in global documentary storytelling

· Documentary storytelling and entertainment

The above list is far from exhaustive, so you are more than welcome to contribute an additional topic within the context of Global Contemporary Documentary.

This proposed volume has received provisional support from Bloomsbury.




References:

Iordache, C., & Raats, T., & Mombaerts, S. (2022). The Netflix Original documentary, explained: global investment patterns in documentary films and series. Studies in Documentary Film. DOI: 10.1080/17503280.2022.2109099

McDonald, I. (2007). Situating the Sport Documentary. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 31(3), pp. 208-225.


Editor Biographies:

Dr. Levi Dean is currently an Assistant Professor in Communications and Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, and is the module convenor of Documentary and Reality, as well as Storytelling and Video Production. He is also the Director of Audio-Visual Technology.

Dr. Zhaoyu Zhu is a Teaching Fellow in Communication and Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. He received the Katherine Singer Kovacs Essay Award from the Society of Cinema and Media Studies in 2022.

Dr Vikrant Kishore is Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham and Honorary Fellow of Deakin University, Australia. He has authored and edited books on Indian cinema, and worked with media channels including Zee News, ABC, and Channel 7. Kishore is a board member of the Australia India Film Council.

Dr Thomas William Whyke is an Assistant Professor in the School of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. 
Dr Richard Frenneaux serves as Assistant Professor of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China - transitioning from a successful career in the music industry. Achievements include being the principal songwriter for UK charting band, Red Light Company, and earning a gold record as songwriter and record producer.