Non-fiction production studies: A methodology for researching the experiences of participating in non-fiction media productions

This paper discusses a method to research participant experiences and contributions in non-fiction projects, relying on visual methods. Due to a proliferation of non-fiction formats, both in numbers and variety, there is a growing demand for ‘ordinary’ people to be represented on various screens. At the same time, a growing number of people present themselves and others through social media. In past research, interviews have been used to collect information on the experience of participants in documentary projects (see Nash 2009; Sanders 2012). However, this method has a number of disadvantages, such as its retrospective nature and its reliance on memory. Given those, and the possibilities visual methods offer, I will argue for using raw material alongside the finished film and interviews to research participant experiences and perspectives in non-fiction media productions.