The document discusses 6 different types of documentaries that could be used for a project: poetic, expository, participatory, observational, reflexive, and performative. It decides that an expository style would best fit the idea of documenting existing expository products. Researching existing documentaries provided inspiration for interview styles, use of b-roll footage, and topics to explore like privacy issues on the internet and how much personal data is really shared online.
2. The 6 Different Types Of Documentaries.
There are 6 different types of documentaries that I could possibly do for this product.
These are:
1. Poetic mode: A poetic documentary eschews linear continuity in favour of mood,
tone, or the juxtaposition of imagery. Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia is an example of a
poetic documentary that focuses on visuals and artistic style to help reveal an inner
truth.
2. Expository mode: Expository documentaries set up a specific point of view or
argument about a subject and often feature “voice of God” style voice-over.
For expository documentaries, the cinematographer is responsible for collecting
footage that supports and strengthens the spoken argument of the film, including
stock footage, archival footage, b-roll, or re-enactments of historical events.
3. Participatory mode: Participatory documentaries are defined by the interaction
between the documentary filmmakers and their subject. Therefore, a
cinematographer is equally responsible for capturing the interviewer as he is the
interviewee. Participatory documentaries, also known as interactive documentaries,
often present the filmmaker’s version of the truth as “the” truth, focusing on direct
engagement with subjects and capturing real emotional responses and interactions.
3. The 6 Different Types Of Documentaries.
4. Observational mode: A style of documentary embraced by the cinema verité movement, observational
documentaries attempt to discover the ultimate truth of their subject by acting as a fly-on-the-wall—in
other words, observing the subject’s real-life without interrupting. Cinematographers on observational
documentaries will often be asked to be as unobtrusive as possible in order to capture their subjects in a
raw, unguarded state.
5. Reflexive mode: Reflexive documentaries focus on the relationship between the filmmaker and the
audience. Since the subject matter is often the process of documentary filmmaking itself, a
cinematographer will shoot behind-the-scenes style footage of the entire film production process,
including editing, interviewing, and post-production.
6. Performative mode: Performative documentaries focus on the filmmaker’s involvement with their
subject, using his or her personal experience or relationship with the subject as a jumping-off point for
exploring larger, subjective truths about politics, history, or groups of people. A cinematographer is
often asked to capture the documentary production process, as well as intimate footage that illustrates
the direct and often personal relationship between filmmaker and subject.
After researching and assessing the different types of documentaries, I have decided that the I will want to
research expository styled existing products. This is because this style will fit the idea of my documentary
better. I also find that this style of documentary interests me more which will allow me to use myself as a
form of primary research due to knowing who that I will come under my primary audience.
Finally, this style of documentary includes stock footage and b-roll which both is easy for me to get and it
also allows me to break up scenes and subtopics with small transitions shots. I can also use these shots for
4. Released dangers and secret of the
internet.
Over years there have been many disasters on the internet such as hacked
social media and websites.
Hacked social medias:
Event- Facebook's Twitter and Instagram accounts hacked
Group- OurMine
Date- February the 7th 2020
Event- #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Group- Anonymous
Data- May the 28Th 2020
5. Released dangers and secret of the
internet.These two groups hacked into different kinds of services on the internet. The
group ’OurMine’ hacked into both Facebook, twitter and Instagram account,
allowing them to steal people's personal data and causing all three to temporally
shut down costing them thousands. This is one of the big dangers I see on social
media. The group quoted on Facebooks account ‘Hi we are Our Mine. Well, even
Facebook is hackable but at least its security is better than twitters’. This was a
taunt which allowed people to know that they have been hacked.
The group anonymous hacked in a different sort of way. They hacked and
gathered information about the killing of George Floyd and used this to
blackmail/ threaten the police that they will release the video that they have. This
is a different type of hack but is still the same that there where able to hack and
gather information from people's phones/social media about the subject.
These two subjects are the type of information that I would want to discover in
my project. This is because I find it interesting and important for people to know
about.
6. The power of privacy is a documentary about modern threats
to privacy. It briefly covers the history of privacy, showing
how we got to the present day, in terms of technology and
human behaviour. I really like this documentary for many
reasons. Firstly the topic, I find it to be really interesting and
something that lots of people either don’t know about or don’t take any interest in. I like their
style of the way they set different task out in different points. Such as being online stalked,
hacked and trying to get leaked documents back. I also like their style of telling us al of this
before the documentary start. This grips the audience from the start. This would be something
that I try to have in my documentary to make it interesting and descriptive at the start to hook
the audience and inform them from the get go. This documentary uses different forms of
visuals. They use animated cartoon to illustrate what they are saying this is creative and a easy
way to show what they are saying without having to film or set up in a location. They also use lot
of interviews to get information from people. If possible I will want to try get some interviews,
either public or set up. I like their style of having interviews pre set up as they look a lot more
professional. This way, I they can also plan what will happen in the interview. Lastly, with the
interview pre set up, they can decide on different angles for the cameras to be set up in. The
combination of these two types of footages work well together to separate different scenes and
topics. It breaks the video up and keeps the audience focused on what’s being said. The last
type of footage they have is b-roll which they insert on top of voiceovers and in between shots
Existing Product- The Power Of Privacy
7. The Netflix documentary ‘The Great Hack’ focuses on social
media and the data that your building up. It focuses on the
privacy that people actually have online and how all you online
movements make a database about yourself. I like this
documentary as it makes you think about what data people could get about you if any
of your social medias got hacked into. I like this documentary’s style of being factual
tell people information such as personal data being more valuable than oil. This is the
kind of data I would want to tell people in my documentary as then it is an eye opener
and will make people rethink how much of there data they put online. This documentary
has a mix of interviews, b-roll and still which work well together. I like this style as it
keeps the focus on what is important. They include narration which I find makes it more
interesting so there isn’t lots of face to camera scenes and so that they can use b-roll
to add illustrations to match what they are saying. I'm looking at this documentary as it
shows me things that I didn’t know about the internet. It gives me information of how
people can get your information and what is most at risk. They also use a mix of
interviews and voice overs, which is a convention that I will try use as it helps to break
up the video.
Existing Product- The Great Hack
8. The documentary ‘Terms And Conditions May Apply ’ focuses
on things that you accept online that you don’t necessarily
know about. Terms And Conditions May Apply examines the
cost of so-called 'free' services and the continuing
disappearance of online privacy. People may think they know
what they give up when they click 'I Agree' on companies like Facebook and Google.
This part of information for my documentary would be a big part that I would want to
focus on as you could be agreeing to anything. For this I could set up a Facebook, read
the terms and conditions to see if there is anything you wouldn’t normally want anyone
to have access to. This kind of documentary takes my interest more as it has some
humour elements to it which break up the documentary from the serious parts, helping
the audience to keep entertained, focused and educated. Finally, I chose this product to
research as it is firstly an easily accessible documentary on YouTube, which is what I
intend. It is also clear what it is on about and their illustrations are creative and
engaging. They also use a mix of interviews and voice overs, which is a convention that
I will try use as it helps to break up the video.
Existing Product- Terms And Conditions
May Apply
9. The documentary ‘The effects of social media’ is a short documentary
focusing on how social media has effects the lives of the maker of
the short documentary and people that he interview. This creator
uses a different type of interview style. As this is a less professional
product the creator doesn’t have as much equipment. They use lots of interviews with
only one angle. This is simple but effective, this gives the person being interview a
specific angle to look towards. This documentary has a style where you can hear them
ask a question to the first person then have an overlay where all the people answer it
one after another. This is a style and convention that I really like and works well. I have
chosen this documentary specifically because it is short. This allowed me to see how
other creators got all their information into the documentary in a short space of time. I
also chose this short documentary as they have also used techniques and styles which I
find interesting and that give me inspiration to collaborate into my product. Finally, I
chose this documentary as it is the closets form of product that I will be making. The
other documentary's I have researched are long or in series for Netflix or national
television, whereas this is short and for YouTube which is what I will be aiming for mine
which will allow me to see how they have portrayed it and set it out.
Existing Product- The Effects Of Social
Media
10. Research summary:
In summary, I have researched products that are mainly all about the internet,
social medias and the dangers that they are hiding in plane site. I feel that this is
a interesting and important topic that I would love to explore into more.
Researching these products I have been able to gather new ideas for subtopics
to research into, different things to include such as b-roll. I have also realised
which style of interview interview. I would prefer the interview to be set up with
different camera angle than to be in public. This is so that the interview is more
controlled and that I know the people I am interviewing a bit more.
The most/all of the existing products use interviews in some way or form. This
is done via a voice over/call or a face to face interview. This a big inspiration for
my product. This will be a key part which I can use to ask people a chosen
question to get information to inform or build data for a point.
11. Research summary:
I have also learnt about the dangers that the internet have. Having to much
information about yourself creates a social databank about yourself. This is built
up of anything you do online such as Facebook and Instagram posts, YouTube
videos, online reviews and many more. If someone hacked into your data bank
then they can steal all of this data about you. From this they can start profiling
you to sell to other hackers.
Peoples online personal data has been ranked more valuable then oil. This is
shocking to say as oil is one of the worlds most valuable resources. Personally I
find this to be uncomfortable to know that my information is out there making
people money and being built in a data bank
12. Bibliography:
• BBC (2020) Our Mine - Website
• Carrie budge(2016) The Power of Privacy- Documentary
• Cullen Hoback (2013) Terms and conditions may apply- Documentary
• Jezza Visuals (2019) The effects of social media- Short documentary
• Karim Amer (2019) The Great Hack – Documentary
• Master Class (2020) 6 Different Types Of Documentaries –Website
• Wikipedia (2020) Anonymous- Website.
Editor's Notes
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t exist because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Write down a summary of the key things you have learned in this research, that will help you with your project. Short sentences and bullet points are acceptable.
Write down a summary of the key things you have learned in this research, that will help you with your project. Short sentences and bullet points are acceptable.