Impactful Storytelling and Social Advocacy in Documentary Filmmaking: Studies of Documentary Impact Methods

Impactful documentaries often provide ideas, inform messages, and inspire positive actions among society. These documentaries aim to persuade society in support of a social issue that is raised by many non-profit organizations to compel social change. Comparative research is used to decipher the similarities and differences between two methods, which are documentary impact methods that are researched by HotDocs and Center for Media and Social Impact (CMSI) of American University. The data collection technique uses observation, literature study, focus group discussion which are carried out both online and offline. The results in this study showed that both advocacy documentary approaches are driven by impact campaigns, especially using websites to evaluate its impact. CMSI methods appeared to be different in terms of impact categories, CMSI methods focused on capturing a spectrum of impact from individual to public interest to institutional impacts. Also, CMSI provides comprehensive assessments with specific rubrics. That brings consequences which will take a longer process of research, documentary production and impact evaluation. To conclude, both use mixed methods and have its own capacities to allow growth and impacts. This comparison will bring a level of awareness for Asian filmmakers especially who closely work with non-profit organizations to create stories based on impact values thus documentary storytelling has possibilities to change certain attitudes and behaviors among society.