The purpose of a documentary is to report with evidence of something that has happened

Ways Documentaries can do this is by using actual footageof what they are documentingon, for example in this clip 9/11

Documentaries can also use reconstruction to try and re-tell past events many historic documentaries use thistechnique

Types of documentaries

Fully narrated – A voiceover is used to make sense of visuals and dominates there meanings for example planet earth.

Fly on the wall- The Camera’s film the subject without interference = for example 24 hours in A&E

Mixed- Uses a combinationof interview, observation andnarration for example Being Liverpool

Docusoaps- These programmes followdaily lives of particular individuals within a organisation

Docudrama- Re-enactment ofevents as they are suppose tohave actually happened

Features of a documentary John Corner five central elements of a documentary

Observation- The programmemakes pretend that the camerais un-seen or ignored by the people taking part in events.

Interview- TV documentaries rely oninterviews, the interviewee address the unseen interviewer rather than the audience. Interviews are interact with images or observation to illustrate what they are talking about.

Dramatisation- All documentaries use a sense of drama throughout the observationment.

Mise-en-scene- Documentary makes carefully compose shotsso that they contain the imageswant the audiences they wantthe audience to see.

Exposition- the lineof arguements theway the arguementunfolds.