2. Direct Cinema
Cinema Verite
No narrator
Style of European film-making
Fly on the wall documentary
Hand held camera to convey life
realistically
It is left to the audience to draw
their own conclusions from the
topic
Approach in a direct contrast to
the tradition on an ‘Authored
Documentary’, where a clear
opinion of an individual is shown
Rules:
No interviews, rehearsals or
staged events
No commentary
Producer’s opinions should be
expressed
Includes interviews
Institutional
Documentaries
Fly on the wall style
Often informative
No film lights
One of the most popular types
of documentaries
No dissolved edits
Can be humorous
Minimal manipulation or
intervention
Sometimes critical of where the
documentary is filmed
3. Docusoaps
Drama Documentaries
Fast editing
Focus on a main social Issue
Multi-strand narratives
Scripted and acted
Often part of a series, each
episode usually ends on a
cliff-hanger
Emphasis on entertainment
rather that instruction
Prominent voice over
Focus on everyday problems
Theatrical
Documentaries
Often released in cinemas
Scripted and authored
Can include interviews
Mockumentaries
Documentaries that parody the drama
Public Affairs
Documentaries
Some examples include
Panorama, Watchdog and Dispatches
Public service broadcasting channels
Normally investigate or explore
current affairs issues
Can often be polemical, meaning they
have a clear stand, definite argument
and little opposing evidence, which
draws attention to a perceived wrong
