A2 Media Studies

1. AaronBangar
Expository
A verytraditional formof documentaryinwhichanunseenspeakerperformsavoiceover
commentarythatliterallyexplainsthe imagesthatwe are seeing.Itisthe formoftenassociatedwith
wildlife orhistoricdocumentaries,inwhichthe viewermightfeel inneedof informationaboutwhat
theyare seeing.The audience isnotparticularly‘empowered’bythiskindof approach,findingitself
ina subordinate role listeningtothe versionof eventsthatthe filmmakerschoose toprioritise. This
isusedto tell the audience keyfactsinwhichtheymaynotknow and backgroundinformationin
whichpeople mayfindinterestingandoverall makingthe documentaryprofessional and
entertaining. Expositorydocumentariesare documentariesthatexposeapersonor a topic.
Expositorydocumentariesare wellknownforhavingnarratorstalkingoverthe video.
The main conventionsof Expositorydocumentaries
 Narrator
 Rhetorical Question
 Facts
 Opinion
 Persuasive Techniques
Observational
Thistype of documentaryisveryunique anddifferentcomparedtootherdocumentariesastheyare
usuallyfilmedinreal life time.Alsothe celebritiesorpeopletheyfilmare usingadirectaddresstype
of soundspeakingtousif we are actuallytheirandspeakingtothem.Forexample teencribsin a
example of Observationaldocumentary’s asthe cameramenfollow the people revealingtheirhouse
to us.Some of the techniquesusedare asfollows
 Editing– The speedingupof clipsto helpthe boringpartsto be speededuptoemphasise
the good partsof the house inthe show.
 Sound– Musicmakesit more interestingtowatch
 CameraShots – Long shotsusedto show everything
Thistype of style isveryeffective asitallowspeople tosee the insightof adifferentlifestyletotheir
and live itwiththemsuchas showslike 16 and pregnanttellsthe audience life pregnantandlife
havingthe babyafterthe pregnancy.
Interactive
Interactive type of documentary isatype of documentaryinwhichthe presenterisgivinga
interview withapersonrelatedtothe subject.Thisisa goodand effectivewayof askingpeople
informationaboutacertainsubjectforexample drugdealingsome presentershave spokentodrug
dealerswhoare expertsinthe topic.Sometimesmanypresentersare notafraidof askingpersonal
questions.Manyof the people interviewedare opentothe questionsandsaystuff thatare not
appropriate suchas a gang memberhaskilledover20people inthe past5 years. Thismay be a way
that individualsinafilmcanmake theirowncase,but it isalsoa mode thatcan act to undermine the
interviewees,makingthemlookfoolishordeluded.Theirinterpretationof eventsorpersonal

2. AaronBangar
account may be renderedtoseemtrustworthyoruntrustworthydependingonthe contextof
surroundingshotsorthe nature of the statementsbeingmade intheirownright.
Reflective
In a reflectivestyle of documentary,the filmmakeracknowledgestheirpresence infrontof the
camera andsometimesprovidesanarrative tothe documentary. The reflective style of
documentaryisusuallyassociatedwithexperimental documentaries,where the viewerisjustas
interestedabouthowthe filmisconstructedastheyare the actual content.Reflective
documentariestendtobe the mosttrustful,astheyalwaysfocusonthe realism,andtry to show
thingsexactlyastheyhappen,withouteditingandspecial effects.Howeverasthe filmmakes
narratesand addressesthe audience specifically,viewer’sopinionare swayedbythose of the
documentarymaker.
It’sa veryeffective andunique wayof presentingadocumentaryasit allowsyoutofeel youare
there withthe interviewer.Manyexamplescome tomindsuchas LouisTheroux whohas beenin
highlevel prisonsandinterviewedhighlevelcriminals.Furthermore itmakesthe documentaryvery
realisticandlittle editingisusedasmostof the time diegeticsoundisusedtolistentobothpeople
inthe interviewormultiple people surroundingthe areaat the time.