Documentary genre and theories

Documentary genre;

The purpose of a documentary is to document. I.e., to report with evidence something that has actually happened. It can show us by using actuality footage or reconstruction. It can us a narrators voice over to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants themselves with the occasional interjection by an unseen narrator.

Features of a document;

John Corner; University of Liverpool.

There are 5 central elements of documents.

1)      Observation – ignoring the camera (this places the audience in the role of the eye witness) e.g. one born every minute

2)      Interviews – TV documentaries rely on interviews (interviewees are filmed to either the left or right of the frame and look off centre) e.g. Marilyn Manson interview

3)      Dramatisation – a sense of drama through the observational element.

4)      Mise en scene – careful composition of shots that the documentary makers want the audience to see. E.g. Police mans hat in front of him

5)      Exposition – the line of argument in a documentary, e.g. ‘what is the documentary saying’ develop story and narrative.

Types of documentary;

1)      Fully narrated – the voiceover is used to make sense of visuals and dominate their meanings. E.g. Natural History





 

 

2)      Fly on the wall – unaware of camera. Influenced by ‘cinema verite’ – offers true or real pictures of the events, as if people are aware the camera are there they may act differently. E.g. One born every minute  

 

3)      Mixed – using a combination of interviews, observations and narration. E.g. Lara croft

4)      Self-reflexive – the participants acknowledge the presence of the camera and often speak directly to the documentary maker. E.g. Ross Kemp on gangs
 

 

5)      Docudrama – A re-enactment of events. E.g. Hillsborough

6)      Docusoap – Following the daily lives of particular individuals. E.g. Airline

Themes;

What is the underline issue being discussed?

Archive material;

Footage or material from another source. Something the documentary makers did not film themselves. E.g. A music video, footage from the news

Graphics;

This is text that is on screen at any point during the documentary. for example, name and relevance to the topic.

Theories;

Open vs. closed – Open is when questions are left unanswered, e.g. lose ends are not tied up by the time the documentary finishes. Closed is when there are no loose ends. There is a clear resolution with no questions asked.

Linear vs. Non-linear; Linear is when a text follows chronological order, e.g. It Follows the Order of time. However non-linear is the opposite, it does not follow chronological order. E.g. Flashbacks are shown or flash forwards.

Single strand vs. Multi-strand; Single strand is when there is only one narrative thread, whereas with multi strand there is more than one narrative thread. These often converge throughout the narrative.