History and Purpose of Documentaries

A documentary is a form of film or television programme that provides factual information that can be used through picture evidence or interview. A documentary aims to document, inform and educate.

The purpose of a documentary is to explain past events, interview people from the evens/time/place, to get a better understanding of a topic and to entertain.

John Grierson defined the term documentary as “The creative treatment of actuality” in the 1930’s before TV had been created.

Features of Documentaries

Observational

Programme makers usually pretend that the camera is unseen.

The footage is often used to illustrate or provide evidence for the film makers exposition.Documentary follows the

person around to observe the events that happen in their life.

Usually no interviews.

Interview

Set up in a particular format

The interviewee is usually an expert in something they are talking about, either a witness or relevant in another way.

Interviewee responds to the interviewer not the audience.

Usually the question isn’t heard on screen and has been cut out.Usually cut-

away to observational footage or archive footage that fits with what the interviewer is saying.

Dramatization Observation element of dramatization seems to occur naturally in front of the camera.

Audience is the witness in the dramatic events.

Actually constructed/set-up footage.

Re-enacted footage of an actual event that happened.

Mise en scene

Shots are carefully composed to contain what they want the audience to see. E.g the setting the interview takes place.

The lighting used is carefully selected.

Framing is kept in mind.

Visual Style. People starring in the documentary may wear certain types of clothing to convey a stereotype or tell you something about the interviewee.

What’s in the documentary, through setting, clothing they are wearing, lighting etc.

Exposition

What the documentary is saying (Narrative). There is a line of argument.

It can be direct or indirect.

Observational documentaries could be criticised for not having enough exposition in it.

The narrative of the documentary.

Types of Documentaries.

Self- Reflexive

The people know that the camera is there and often stop to talk to it.

Camera follows a person or group of people around.

Sometimes the film maker makes an appearance in their own production.

Self reflexive documentaries often have the film maker acknowledge their presence in front of the camera.

Usually used in experimental documentaries.

DocudramaA docudrama features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It’s classed a documentary because it really happened.

Representations of actual historical events

Focus on the facts of actual events

Avoids overt commentary.

Clearly no link in-between the film makers opinion and facts.

History – Linked to literature texts.

Fly on the wallA fly on the wall documentary is when the camera crew works as unobtrusively as possible. It is common for the subjects in the documentary to be interviewed.

Fly on the wall style was influenced by direct cinema in the USA and cinema verite in France.It is a purely observational documentary.

Subject aren’t asked questions during the documentary

Reflective of real life.

Realistic documentaries

Docusoap

The Hawthorne effect can be relative to this documentary as it proved that people change their behaviour when they are being watched on camera.

A docusoap is when the documentary makers film people in a particular occupation or location over a period of time.

Certain career paths or locations are documented

Unscripted.

Reflect the real jobs.

Fully Narrated

Often used in nature documentaries and referred to as ‘the voice of god’.

Fully narrated documentaries mean there is a voice over the documentary commentating on what is happening in the programme.

Often uses direct address to convey exposition and anchors the meaning so there is a visual sense of authority

Everything based around the visuals.

People take what they hear as the truth.

MixedA mixed documentary is a combination of interviews, observations, actual footage from different events, archive material and narration.

Often uses narration.

Interviews

Archive material.

Real footage.

Narrator often links the story together. This advances the narrative.

A lot of the more modern documentaries are mixed.