genre analysis
DESCRIPTION
A2 MEDIATRANSCRIPT
The purpose of a documentary is to document specific subjects
A documentary must inform and educate its audience on specific content
Documentaries are also produced to entertain the audience whilst documenting
Usually they are subject specific on certain topics
There are many different genres of documentaries for different outcomes on the certain topic
The term documentary was defined originally in the 1930’s by John Grierson as “A creative treatment of actuality”
Introduction toDocumentary
Observation
Interviews
Mise-en-scene
Features Of A Documentary
Dramatization
Exposition
ObservationThis feature of a documentary follows the idea of the audience being the eyewitness as the camera
are unseen. Indirect address like speech overheard is common in this feature as the media
product is filmed to make its audience the observers.
A lot of different documentaries tend to feature reconstructions of
certain situations the topic they are investigating relate to. This allows for a dramatized product for the audience to consume which is
important for a successful documentary.
Dramatizations
InterviewsThis is a key feature of a documentary as it allows
the producer of the media product to include diverse opinions on the topic they are investigating from different people in the documentary. This is important as it allows the final product to have a
range of views on the subject allowing all sides of every argument
to illustrate a non-bias result.
Mise-en-scene is often broken down into 6 sections; Costume,
Lighting, Actors (Body Language/Expressions), Make
Up/Hair, Props and Setting (Location). This allows the
producer of a documentary to construct a successful product
using all visuals aspects.
Mise-en-scene
ExpositionThis is the line of argument in a documentary. This feature is either indirectly addressed to
the audience or directly addressed to them. It is an essential feature for any type of
documentary to illustrate the subject it is focussing on.
Types Of Documentaries
Fly On The WallThis is where the camera is
unseen or ignored. This type of documentation illustrates
events with realism and very little or no narration. The
camera is unobtrusive and is used to allow the audience to
come up with their own conclusion.
Fully NarratedThis is were there is a
narrator talking throughout the entire
duration of the documentary to convey
the argument and to help the situation to be
understood. The voice of god is commonly used.
DocudramaThis features a reconstruction of a
certain events to dramatize the media product for their audience, this gives viewers an idea of the
atmosphere and the feelings surrounding that event.
MixedThis type of documentation uses a
combination of interviews, observation and narration. They also include archive footage of a certain events for content. The
narrator in a mixed documentary links everything together and
discusses the exposition.
Self ReflectiveThis type of documentary is
where the person in the scene knows that the
camera is following them and sometimes even talks
directly to the camera breaking the fourth wall Docusoap
This type of documentary follows the lives of
individuals, and is set within one community.
Docusoaps are often long running , as they focus on
each character individually.