This document discusses different types and features of documentaries. It outlines several types of documentaries including fully narrated, fly on the wall, mixed, self-reflexive, drama documentary, and docusoap. Key features of documentaries discussed are observation, interview, dramatization, mise-en-scene, and exposition. The document also covers different narrative structures for documentaries such as open vs closed, linear vs non-linear, and single strand vs multi-strand.

1. Documentaries
The purpose of a documentary is to document i.e. To report
with evidence something that has actually happened. It can
show this by using ACTUALITY FOOTAGE or reconstructions

2. Types Of Documentaries
•Fully Narrated – an off screen voiceover is used to make sense of the visuals and
dominates their meaning.
•Fly on the wall – cinema verite – real life snapshot of behaviour – the camera records
subjects without interference and the viewers come you their own conclusion.
•Mixed documentary – uses a combination of interview, observation, narration and
archive material. E.g. 911 documentaries.
•Self-reflexive – when the subjects of the doc acknowledges the presence of the camera
and often speaks directly to the documentary maker.
•Drama documentary – a re-enactment of events as they are supposed to have
happened.
•Docusoap – combines elements of the doc and soap opera genres e.g. Airline, the
cruise, driving school, the hotel. Revolves around the same ‘characters’ in each episode.

3. Features Of A Documentary
•Observation – the ‘unseen’ observation places the audience in the roll of the eye
witness to the realities portrayed. The subjects do not acknowledge the camera.
•Interview – TV docs rely on interviews. The speaker does not acknowledge the camera
i.e. They act on the interviewer not the audience.
•Dramatisation – all docs use a sense on drama throughout the observations element.
They seem to occur naturally in front of the camera.
•Mise-en-scene – doc makers carefully compose docs so they contain images they want
the audience to see.
•Exposition – the lines of argument in a documentary. The expostions is what the doc is
saying.

4. Types Of Narrative Structure
Open VS. Closed
•Loose ends that need
tying up, unanswered
questions e.g. Soap opera
•No loose ends or
unanswered questions
Linear VS. Non-Linear
•Follows chronological
order, follows time order
•Doesn’t follow
chronological order e.g.
use of flashbacks or flash
forwards
Single Strand VS. Multi-Strand
•One narrative thread •More than one narrative
thread. These often
converges or overlap