Abstract
NHK’s production methods of TV documentaries have been significantly influenced by the following four stages of technological evolution: 1) adoption of 16mm film as a recording medium in the pioneer days of television, 2) spread of synchronized sound recording technique during the period from the late 60s to the early 70s, 3) conversion from film to video tape recording for location shooting from the late 70s to early 80s, and 4) progress in digitalization throughout the production process since the mid-80s. Each of these technological developments were groundbreaking in terms of creating a technological environment that all those involved in the production of TV documentaries at NHK could rely on over more than a decade and leading to the establishment of production methods fitting for each environment.This article overviews the major TV documentaries presented by NHK during the period from 1953, when the television broadcasting officially started, to 2018 and looks into the mid- to long-term evolution of documentary production methods, focusing on technological environment. Based on the findings from the research, the over-60-year history of NHK TV documentaries were divided into four periods.
