directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost

SUMMARY

Months after his photo appeared on the August 2007 issue of "The New York Sun" newspaper, New York ballet photographer Yaniv “Nev” Schulman receives a package containing a replica painting of it. He contacts the painter, 8 year old Abby from Ishpeming, Michigan, and begins developing a close pen-pal relationship with her and taking photographs solely for her to paint. While Schulman’s brother, Ariel “Rel”, starts documenting their virtual interaction, Nev befriends Abby's family via Facebook, including her gorgeous 19 year old half sister Megan Faccio. When Nev and Megan become romantically involved and start to exchange personal information along with her originally written song recordings, Nev, Rel, and friend & business partner Henry Joost go deeper into the family’s background only to discover a shocking revelation.

types of mode

WHY PArticipatory mode

• use of footage (screen recordings)
• use of stills (nev's paintings & abby's paintings)
• use of long takes (in vlog-like manner)
• dir. Rel Schulman as well took part in the events

WHY OBservational mode

• 3-person crew
• monitoring events (up-close & from afar)
• genuine events are documented 
• little intervention in course of events

why performative mode

• very personal recount
• more subjective topic
• invokes suspense & shock onto audience

FILM context

Untitled Slide

• released in 2010
• produced by Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
• directed by Ariel "Rel" Schulman & Henry Joost
• starring Yaniv "Nev" Schulman
• inspired TV series "Catfish"

DIRECTORS' INTENTION

henry joost in campus moviefest interview: “[Ariel & I] are compulsive chroniclers…we always keep little cameras on us”

19:22

CITATIONS

• Burton, Alex. "Documentary Form." Web log post. Collaborative Documentary Workshop Porto 09. Alex Burton, 19 June 2009. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
• Childress, Sarah. "Six Principal Modes of Documentary Filmmaking." Web log post. Meridian Stories. Meridian Stories, 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
• Paintings Behind the Movie 'Catfish' Dir. ABC News Network. Perf. Yaniv "Nev" Schulman and ABC News Crew. Paintings Behind the Movie 'Catfish' ABC News Network, 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
• Catfish Interview W/ Nev, Rel & Henry. Dir. Abe Mohammadione. Perf. Yaniv "Nev" Schulman, Ariel "Rel" Schulman, and Henry Joost.YouTube. Campus MovieFest, 27 Jan. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.
• Catfish. Dir. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. Perf. Yaniv "Nev" Schulman, Ariel "Rel" Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman, Abby. Rogue Pictures, 2010. Putlocker. Putlocker, 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.