Documentaries

The purpose of a documentary is to document i.e report with evidence something that has actually happened

It can show this by using actuality footage or reconstructions. Documentaries typically use a narrators voiceover to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants themselves with the occasional interjection by the narrator.

The term documentary was coined by filmmaker John Grierson in 1926 to describe a film made about life on a south sea island. He defined documentary as the creative treatment of actuality. (on reality)

Documentaries are not just about facts. Instead facts are used to create socially critical arguments, thereby inviting the audience to draw conclusions.

Types of DocumentariesFully Narrated; Voiceover is used top make sense of the visuals and dominates their meaning e.g natural history documentaries

Fly On The Wall; The cameras films the subjects without interference e.g 24 Hours in A&E

The Mixed Documentary; Uses a combination of interview, observation and narration

Self Reflective; The subjects of the documentary acknowledges the presence of the camera and often speak directly to the filmmaker. They draw attention to the film-makers role on construction a view of reality.

DocuDrama; Reconstructions’ a rein-actment of events as they are supposed to have actually happened

DocuSoaps; These programmes follow the daily lives of particular individuals wthin an organisation e.g Airline/ The Cruise

Features of a Documentary

John Corner stated that their are 5 different elements to a documentary:

1. Observation- The programme makers pretend that the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part in the events. It places the audience as an ‘eye witness’ to the events.

2. The Interview- TV documentaries rely on interviews. The interviewee addresses the unseen interviewer rather than the audience, Interviews are intercut with images of observation to what they are talking about.

3. Dramatisation- All documentaries use a sense of drama throughout the observation element.

4. Mise-en-scene- Documentary makers carefully compose shots so that they contain images they want the audience to see.

5. Exposition- the line of argument. The way the argument ‘unfolds’.

GatekeepingGatekeeping is about he selection and rejection of information .

Gate

Gatekeeper i.e producers

Sheep= facts

Types of Narrative Structure

Open vs. Closed

Questions left unanswered

Has loose ends(Soap Operas)

All questions answeredNo loose ends

(Finding Nemo)

Single Strand vs. Multistrand

One narrative thread

One story line

More than one narrative threadSometimes these do converge but

not always.

Linear vs. Non Linear

Follow chronological order

(order of time)

Doesn't follow time order

Use of flashbacks and flash forwards

Circular Narrative

At the end of the narrative it has gone full circle returning to the beginning