Introduction to Documentaries

Purpose; to document something that has happened
- showing actual footage or reconstruction
- Narrators voiceover/ participants anchor meaning

examples of documentaries include;

Planet Earth, Human Spiderman, BB, Man Who Jumps of Buildings

Features;
Made up of an observation
- People not noticing the camera is there and is ignored by the people taking part.

Interview;
Most important part of a documentary
- Show opinions and views on a subject
- Documentarys rely on interviews

Dramatisation
All documentaries use a sense of drama, through observation and reconstructions

Mise-en-scene
Carefully construct each shot
- costume, scene, lighting etc.

Exposition
line of argument in a documentary
- what is the purpose of the documentary

Documntaries are focused around problem/crisis

There are various different types of documentaries, they are shown below;

Fully Narrated - Off screen voiceover, voice over makes sense of the situation, they are experts on the footage shown which dominates the purpose & meaning (nature) of the documentary.

Fly on the Wall - Camera is there but unseen & ignored
- Captures things on set cameras wouldn't
- Real events, they are not staged
- No commentary/ voiceover
- The audience owns the conclusion

Mixed - uses combination of interviews and narration to advance argument
- Narrator in front of camera

Self Reflective - Subject featured acknowledges camera and talks to programme maker

Docudrama - reinactment of events as if it's happening/ happened
- fictional story to reinforce realism - using documentary techniques

Docusoap - film follows people's lives.
- learn about the person involved

Gate Keeper - selection/ rejection of info by editors of the documentary
- editer, director, producer etc.

Documentaries may contain;

- Visuals - Archive footage, street scenes, close ups to suggest emotion and meaning
- Interviews - Held anywhere (Mis-en-scene effects meaning), factual/ emotional questions
- Voxpops - Street interview - collect snippets of people in the street (public), they are all asked the same question - general agreement/ diverse opions

Narratives

Open - No answers are given thereore no conclusion is made and the audience make their own mind up

Closed - All answers given, there is a definite outcome

Single Story - One story/ one plot throughout

Non Linear - Info given in non chronological order, time is disrupted, flashbacks

Linear - Chronological - All told in order of events, beginning, middle and end

Circular - documentary is a circular format - question asked at beginning, information is then given and the same question i asked at the end

Documetaries rely on a traditional narrative

A beginning - shows the most dramatic footage, question is askedm, shows conflicting views

A middle - examines isues, peoples opinions and the conflict is strengthened

An end - Exposition - documentaries use this to answer the question, no doubt for the audience and they could take action