Presented To:

Sir Ahmed Sheikh

Difference Between Documentary &

Feature Film

Difference b/w Documentary & Feature Film

Feature films and documentaries are the part of the living history of cinematography thy grow, mature and change with the time. Feature films are different from documentaries in style, content and even in audience.

Documentary is to visualize some real life event in a movie form. It mean to propagate the reality among the audience. Credibility is key in documentary.

Feature film is subjective and clearly indicated that the story line and characters are purely work of fiction and resemblance to any character living and dead.

Difference

Feature film shows the fictional story to the viewers. It can have songs, fight and special animations.

Escape vs. Reality

The main reason to make the feature film is to entertain the audience. In other words to give people “an escape”. Feature films can be very informative.

The main reason to make the documentary is to inform the audience. Documentary makers certainly want to engage and captivate their audience.

Escape vs. Reality

Key difference between the documentary and feature film is in the film maker’s motivation.

Key Difference

One of the biggest differences between feature films and documentaries is the purpose for creation.

The main push behind feature films is to entertain their audiences, while documentaries seek to inform. While feature films also can strive to inform the public, the cinematic intention is to pull the viewer in and entertain him for about two hours.

Documentaries sometime strive to reveal an injustice or educate the public about one and are social vehicles for informing the masses.

Entertainment Vs Information

Feature films are largely fictional, although they may be based on real events and/or people with "creative license" taken by the director and screenwriters. Genres range from comedy, action and western to romance, crime and horror, as well as a variety of others.

Documentaries are nonfiction films that take little, if any, creative license with the content. These films may take on issues such as the dangers of fast food or uncovering political injustices and big-business corruption.

Genre

Fiction Non-Fiction

Not real Real

Story talk. Fact talk

Read to enjoy. Read to learn

Read in order. Read in any order

Illustrations. Photos, charts, graphs

Beginning, mid & end. Table of contents

Characters, setting. Index, glossary, bold, words, labels

Problems, solution. True information directions.

Feature films are mostly fiction, sometimes total fantasy. Some may be based on real events or people. But the director and screen writer will be adding drama and impact with their creative license. It include comedy, music, action and western, romance, crime, horror and science fiction.

Fact or Fiction

Documentaries are non-fiction films. Directors and writers help structure the film, rather than creating characters or taking liberties with the fact of the story. Documentaries can make on social, political, and economic issues, or profile a person, place or thing.

Feature films take care in introducing complex characters and spinning an intricate story line over a running time up to three hours. There’s an ebb and flow to the action, with carefully timed and structured mini climaxes and dramatic highlights. The scripted story, characters and actions all are pointed in the same direction, leading the viewer through events with a sense of beginning, middle, dramatic climax and end.

Format

In documentaries, often the action leads the way. People do not have scripted words to say or scenes to enact. Hand held cameras might be the only way to follow the story. Even the director does not always know what happens next. Documentary makers often says that discovery and surprise is a big part of their job.

Feature films tend to have smoother transitions and steady camera action, while documentaries have rawer footage from cameras often carried on

the filmmaker's shoulders. A documentary may see a cameraman chasing

a subject on foot, resulting in bumpy footage, while a feature film would employ booms and lifts to change the angles and focus of scenes smoothly.

Camera Action

Production Cost

Feature films can cost millions, even hundreds of millions. A top feature film often has its “money on the screen’, lush cinematography, gorgeous actors and actresses, big bang special effects with large and talented production teams in the background.

Documentaries are usually less expensive to make than feature films, with less elaborate production frills. Documentaries can cost much less with small crew, single camera setup and few if any paid talent.

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