Documentary Reflection

Documentaries about musicians serve to tell a story about who they are and what their career generates. The documentary titled, Beware of Mr. Baker shows us the timeline of a drummer named Ginger Baker, and his constant fallout with music and the world. As for Lil Peep: Everybody’s Everything, the documentary portrays the late rapper Lil Peep, his attempt to change the genre of rap, and the life of those around him. Both documentaries had a similar take on framing in their interviews. The behind-the-scenes story captures parallel film shots, different narratives of the subjects, and the archives that explored more than the music. 

In both documentaries, they included interviews framed in medium shots that displayed nonverbal cues in facial and hand movements. One example in Beware of Mr. Baker was when bandmate Jack Bruce talked about his experience with being part of Ginger Baker’s life. Being in focus to Jack Bruce in the shot, compliments his point-of-view and his feelings towards Ginger. Similarly, in Everybody’s Everything, identical shots are seen when those close to Lil Peep are interviewed, such as his mom. The medium shot here shows her body language as she tells about the birth of Gustav and how he became Lil Peep. When compared, they both displayed effective frameworks to the positioning to the speakers. 

In contrast, the way the subjects were tied in, made for two different tellings of a story. In Everybody’s Everything, the highs and lows in Lil Peep’s career were told by his grandfather. While the subject, Lil Peep himself, is not physically present in the documentary, his grandfather shares letters of advice between the two. This draws us emotionally closer to who he was as a family member and musician before his passing. Ginger Baker on the other hand, felt biased as a subject when he gave input on relationships with his band, drug abuse, and how settling his life was. Everybody’s Everything made for a genuinely touching storyline whereas Ginger Baker’s documentary, felt out of place with the direction of what he said and what others said about him.

The two documentaries made visual enhancements that contributed to my analysis. The archived media in both documentaries conveyed an important message to the viewers. The use of digital illustrations replaced graphic moments like Ginger Baker’s addiction to heroin to not be too disturbing than if it was actually filmed. The recordings and photos of life outside the music, really captured the rapid evolution of a man who simply tried to be his honest self. In Lil Peep’s documentary, it presented childhood recordings, onstage presence, and his battle with drugs. In this case, addiction taking his life painted an alarming image to the current state of rap. Altogether, each compilation of moments paved the way for a theme greater than their art. 

In conclusion, the documentaries shared more commonalities than differences. The ability to share perspectives from interviewees, unique storytelling, and compiling sources of media, made their legacies enlightening and spread messages that will last forever.