Presentation 2: Documentary Form / CategoriesPresentation 2: Documentary Form / Categories

The documentary…• The Scot John Grierson (1898-1972) is regarded as the

founder of the documentary movement in Britain.• Grierson's principles of documentary were that cinema's

potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the "original" actor and "original" scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials "thus taken from the raw" can be more real than the acted article

• Grierson defined documentary as “the creative treatment of actuality”.

• Q. What is meant by actuality?• Q. Think of the phrase ‘creative treatment’. List ways in

which documentary makers can treat real events in a creative manner.

• Q. Is it possible to capture the ‘real’ world on film?• Q. Do you think it is ethical to stage real events in a

documentary?

Documentary Theories (1)According to Michael Rabiger in his book ‘Directing the

Documentary’ (published by Focal Press, 1992) there are three types of documentary.

1. Those produced to give a definite message to the audience and therefore only give a one-sided view of the subject. These programmes are usually produced by an advertiser or a political group.

2. Both sides of a story are given equal coverage in the telling of a story to an audience that needs to be educated and entertained.

3. Programmes made to show the complexities of human life whereby the audience is engaged in making difficult judgements about the programme-makers’ quest for truth in portraying a real life situation.

Which of the above definitions is the most accurate in describing “Supersize Me?”

Documentary Theories (2)Bill Nichols (2001) suggests 4 aspects to documentary definitions:• Institutions/organisations which define

programme/film as documentary• Communities of filmmakers who choose to

represent the historical world• Body of texts with its own conventions• Constituency of viewers who want to know about

the real world and who recognise the reality/representation duality

Documentary Theories (3)Nichols (2001) 6 documentary modes:• Poetic: associational• Expository: ‘voice-of-God’• Observational: ‘fly-on-the-wall’• Interactive/Participative• Reflexive mode: questions its own ‘truth’• Performative: emphasises subjective feelings

Which of the above definitions is the most accurate in describing “Supersize Me?”

Categorising DocumentaryHow do we categorise documentaries?• Purpose: propaganda, social activism,

education, observation, analysis, insight, aesthetics, drama, reflexivity, entertainment, profit, …

• Subject: war, concert, nature, …• Style: compilation, cinema verité (direct or

observational cinema), …• Authored: e.g. Nick Broomfield, Michael

Moore, Morgan SpurlockDiscuss:

What is the purpose of Supersize Me?

Documentary conventions/styleDocumentary uses a set of conventions

which signify ‘realism’ (the documentary ‘look’):

• Archive footage and photographs• ‘Talking heads’• Jiggly camera• Location shooting and sound• Voiceover narration (‘voice-of-God’)• Real people (may use actors in re-

enactments)• Documentary editing which makes an

argument

Form and Genre

Form of “Supersize Me”: Documentary feature film

Genre of “Supersize Me”: Documentary? What kind of documentary?

Discuss!

Tone

What is the tone of Supersize Me?

Objective or subjective?Serious or Comic/satirical/mocking?Formal or informal?Etc...

Discuss!