HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENTARY

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

v Nanook of the North (1922) follows the life on an Inuk is

generally accepted as the first feature length documentary with a

narration and a focus on the indigenous as the hero (ethnographic)

v Critically acclaimed Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin (1925) also

employs documentary elements

v The newsreel convention was also invented in this time period, and

were sometimes staged (such as with most war footage)

PROPAGANDA ERA

v  The Nazi Triumph of the Will (1935) used striking visuals in order to

promote the Nazi regime and is a powerful propaganda film

v  The Leftist documentary Misere au Borinage (1933) also employed

striking visuals (children in a slum house) in order to further a anti-

capitalist message

v  Frank Capra’s ‘Why we fight’ (1942-1944) is also used in order to

convince the American masses of World War II and Americas

involvement

NEW WAVE

v  Armstrong circle theater (1951-1963) is one of the first docudramas,

often dramatizing real life events such as Communism in Russia

v  The Candid Eye (1958) aired in Canada and helped inspire the Cinema

Verite movement combining lack of a voice over, small camera crews and

quieter and more mobile cameras

v  Primary (1960) used all of these techniques to show a more genuine

reaction to Kennedy’s election campaign

MODERN DOCUMENTARIES

v New genre that sees a much more successful box office (such as

Supersize me (2004)) and are cheaper than dramatic documentaries

usually being more subjective

v This coupled with the rise of TV documentaries has also birthed

reality TV, with series like Big Brother (1999) or The Survivor (1997)

HOW WILL THIS APPLY TO MY DOCUMENTARY

v  Several of the codes and conventions that are relevant to these time

periods will be evident in my documentary. Such as the Newsreel, which

will be useful when in show stock footage to couple with the voice over.

The striking visuals will also be useful in my documentary to further a

point. A small camera crew and a easy to carry camera will also be used to

get better angles. The documentary is also reliant on subjectivity and

forming a argument, so the modern documentary will also be useful in

making my documentary.