For many documentarians their opinion on the credit issue hinges upon audience perception: how puzzling it is for viewers to see the credit. Mr. Berlinger ranks it as “incredibly” so, while Mr. Curry said it may be a little confusing. The concern is that when audience members notice a writing credit, they may think that the dialogue spoken by subjects has been scripted and is therefore not genuine. If a documentary has been written, it suggests that the film could be more artifice than fact based.

Tags: Broadcasting, Documentary, Factual