Documentary Techniques

There are 3 types of documentary;
- Compilation film - archive image or news reel
- interview/talking heads - people talking
- direct cinema - event recorded as it happens, little interference

Documentarys need good characters, tension and a point of view to be successful. They often use interviews and video footage.

Modern docments are often more visual as this appeals more to the audience.
Documentarys use parrallels to connect the audience with the characters, setting or a situation.

- Narration,aka voice of god, this enables audiences to understand the plot, documentarys usually use a voice that is recognisable, this is because the audience are more likely to trust the information that is being provided. they are traditionally done by males however this has began to change recently.

- Lighting, documentarys use natural lighting.

- Camera Work, handheld camera is most common, shakey shots make it more authentic and creates intimacy between the audience and the film.

- Editing, is a vital component , documentarys rely heavily on editing, e.g fade outs, fade in, dissolve and wipe. During the edit the producer selects, orders and places images in to a sequence to make it understandable.

- Diegetic Sound, Sound is actually there during filming
- Non diegetic sound, added in the edit, (Narrator). Documentarys rely on this so the auience responds in a certain way.

Documentarys are used to inform the publis and express an opinion, and also to illustrate the truth.

Current affairs

Current Affair programmes are mid way between documentaries and the news, they are journalist led programmes and there main aims are to address news and political agendas in a greater depth. They are often 5-15 minutes in length.

Their emphasis is on investigation, looking at political scandals and are organised around a journalistic report. Arguing a case or proving it wrong.

The reporter could be infront of the screen or as a voice over.
examples include, Channel 4's 'Dispatches' , Tonight with Trevor McDonald and BBC 2's News Night

Reality

Reality tv is where real events take place, it is often referred to as infotainment, as it is a combination of entertainment and useful information.
Reality tv are like magazine programmes e.g. police, camera, action.

It is a mix of raw authentic material with a seriousness of an information programme.
Hand held cameras are often used for reality programmes and require surveilance and observation.

They used to be based around emergency services but has now widened to ordinary people.