Analysis of the Styles of documentary

1. STYLES OF DOCUMENTARY A2 Media Studies

2. OBSERVATIONAL – WHAT IS IT?
This is an observant and unobtrusive method of filming, generally
performed by a two man film crew who use shoulder mounted
cameras to allow mobility when following an interviewee.
This method allows the person being filmed to forget about the
cameras presence so they can come to any conclusion they my
deduce. This ultimately lets the audience get a better sense of how
they really feel without being pressured.
Originally conducted by American theorist Bill Nichols who believed
that the camera should follow the main subject whilst maintaining a
perceptive notion.

3. WHAT THEY INCLUDE
Within this style of documentary it integrates use of long takes to
allow the audience to follow an in depth storyline. Also there is no
post production editing such as; music, scene arrangement and
narration.
The equipment used tends to be of an informal manner: handheld
cameras.

4. EXAMPLES
Children Underground- 2001https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--
v4tUFOQYs
- Shot over a year which shows use of observant styling.
- Intimately captures the story of homeless Romanian children in
hard hitting fashion.
- Made a social an political statement as crew were criticised for not
helping the children.
- Realistic and natural.
- Long takes used to show the despair of the children + No post
production elements incorporated to highlight the bluntness. Setting
is foreign to how the different lifestyles. Also there are multiple close
ups to add a personal sense.

5. War Photographer 2001-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pPxqWe7j1U
- Follows riots in Jakarta with James Nachtwey in post war Kosovo.
- Graphic and grotesque images included to shock audience.
Steadicam mounted on documenter so the audience sees from his
perspective as he transverses through various terrains.
- Journalistic ethics present as it includes locational aspects
highlighting the immersion of the interviewer.

6. EXPOSITORY

7. WHAT IS IT?
This style aims to educate and inform and can be said to be showing
an accurate representation of the subject. It is one of the classic
modes of documentary and includes emphasis of non fiction verbal
commentary + argumentative ideals.
They generally expose a person or a topic.
Plus it is also well known for having a narrator who gives a voiceover
that goes alongside various inserted frames.
They typically include biographical or historical content.

8. EXAMPLE
Americas Most Wanted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAK8Cd4t0WA
- Relies on verbal commentary and argumentative logic to make its
strong case for awareness of global warming.
- Establishing shots used to show various environments which ties in
with the theme of diverse terrains. (setting)
- Voiceover which talks in a formal and sophisticated manner to
inform the audience of statistics and facts and also to emphasise the
seriousness of the topic.
- Inserts used when showing graphs and scales which offer legitimate
content.

9. REFLECTIVE

10. WHAT IS IT?
This style arose from a desire to make the conventions of
representations themselves more evident and to challenge general
ideologies.
The film maker is a prominent aspect as they are in front of the
camera and provide a narrative. This style is commonly associated
with experimental genres in which the production of the documentary
is just as vital as the content.
Louis Theroux is the model example of a film maker who uses this
method, by creating controversial and immersive TV he is the central
focus as the audience sees him all of the time and he is apart of the
text as much as the main subject. Despite this the interviewer still
appears slightly detached from the content regardless of them taking
part in activated within the documentary they appear impartial to the
text to remind the audience they are purely there for factual gain.

11. TYPICALITY'S OF THE STYLE
Reflective documentaries tend to be more truthful and reliable as a
source of information and they show events exactly how they happen
to show no evidence of editing bias such as; sound effects, jump cuts
etc.
As a result of the narrators involvement, the audiences opinions are
impacted by the ones of the narrators own. This is because the film
maker addresses them specifically and directly.
This style of documentary focuses predominantly on how they are
filmed rather than the events and people, this is so to expose the
conventions of documentary representations. The effect of this is that
it challenges the documentary's apparent ability to reveal the truth.

12. EXAMPLE
Nick Broomfield ’Driving me crazy’-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaYOE4On_KQ
- Nick is clearly a huge part of the content as he and his film crew are
visible throughout.
Most of the documentary is focused on the making rather than the
actual content which links back to the overall styling.
- There are a variety of two shots as Nick converses with people
adding a conversational and informal sense.
Also there is use of close up on people coincided with the voiceover
of nick highlighting his constant involvement.