The key terms/phrases that stood out to me from reading Kirsten Johnson’s Director Statement were ‘total attention’ and ‘impact reputation.’. ‘Total attention’ stood out to me because it emphasizes the importance of being fully committed to the documentary–that each part of the process demands our undivided focus. ‘Impact reputation’ stood out to me because it reminded me that the work of the person holding (or in control of) the camera is very serious work. The way the camera shoots its subject will have an impact on how viewers perceive/interact with them. Therefore, the cameraperson (or documentarian) has a responsibility to work hard to represent its subject justly.
