Documentary genre

The purpose of a documentary is to document, reporting with

evidence something that has happened.

It can be shown by using actual footage or reconstructions.

It can use a narrators voiceover to anchor the meaning or rely on the

participants themselves with the odd interaction with the unseen

narrator.

Types of documentary

- Fully Narrated : An off-screen voiceover is used to make sense of the

visuals and dominates their meaning. E.g. Natural History Documentaries.

- Fly on the wall : Has its roots in a cinema venue. The camera is set up to

hidden, people are unaware of their being filmed. Shows the truth as

participants are unaware of the camera.

- Mixed : Using a combination of interviews, observational and narration to

advance the argument or narrative.

- Self-reflexive : when subjects of the documentary acknowledge the

presence of the camera and often speak directly to the documentary maker.

- Docu-Drama : A re-enactment of events as there have supposed to have

happened.

- docu-Soap : Recent development. They follow the daily lives of particular

individuals within an organisation combines a documentary and a soap

opera.

The celebrity presenter is a recent development in a post digital age. They

attract audiences.

Features of documentaries

John Corner-university of Liverpool

-observation : most documentaries contain sequences of observation. The

programme makes pretend that the camera is unseen. Places the audience

in the position of an observer or an eye witness to audiences.

-Interview : Documentaries rely on interviews. The interviewer is either seen

or unseen.

-Mise-en-scene : All the shots are carefully composed so that they only

contain images they want the audience to see.

-dramatisation : Documentaries use a sense of drama in observational

element. Sometimes dramatic reconstruction is used.

-exposition : The line of argument in a documentary. Exposition is made up

of description combined with commentary.

Even when actuality footage s used, people are directed and sets are

organised, so there is still a high level of construction taking place.

Documentaries do not necessary contain analysis. They may just be

descriptive and may leave it to the audience to reach conclusions.

Types of narrative structure Open (Loose ends/unanswered questions)

Closed (there are no loose ends)

Linear (Chronological order)

Non-linear (Doesn't follow the order)

Single strand (One narrative thread)

Multi-strand (More than one narrative thread. Sometimes these threrads

overlap or combine)

Circular (the end and the beginning are the same point)