1. Documentary genre
The purpose of a documentary is to document, reporting with
evidence something that has happened.
It can be shown by using actual footage or reconstructions.
It can use a narrators voiceover to anchor the meaning or rely on the
participants themselves with the odd interaction with the unseen
narrator.
2. Types of documentary
- Fully Narrated : An off-screen voiceover is used to make sense of the
visuals and dominates their meaning. E.g. Natural History Documentaries.
- Fly on the wall : Has its roots in a cinema venue. The camera is set up to
hidden, people are unaware of their being filmed. Shows the truth as
participants are unaware of the camera.
- Mixed : Using a combination of interviews, observational and narration to
advance the argument or narrative.
- Self-reflexive : when subjects of the documentary acknowledge the
presence of the camera and often speak directly to the documentary maker.
- Docu-Drama : A re-enactment of events as there have supposed to have
happened.
- docu-Soap : Recent development. They follow the daily lives of particular
individuals within an organisation combines a documentary and a soap
opera.
The celebrity presenter is a recent development in a post digital age. They
attract audiences.
3. Features of documentaries
John Corner-university of Liverpool
-observation : most documentaries contain sequences of observation. The
programme makes pretend that the camera is unseen. Places the audience
in the position of an observer or an eye witness to audiences.
-Interview : Documentaries rely on interviews. The interviewer is either seen
or unseen.
-Mise-en-scene : All the shots are carefully composed so that they only
contain images they want the audience to see.
-dramatisation : Documentaries use a sense of drama in observational
element. Sometimes dramatic reconstruction is used.
-exposition : The line of argument in a documentary. Exposition is made up
of description combined with commentary.
Even when actuality footage s used, people are directed and sets are
organised, so there is still a high level of construction taking place.
Documentaries do not necessary contain analysis. They may just be
descriptive and may leave it to the audience to reach conclusions.
4. Types of narrative structure
Open (Loose ends/unanswered questions)
Closed (there are no loose ends)
Linear (Chronological order)
Non-linear (Doesn't follow the order)
Single strand (One narrative thread)
Multi-strand (More than one narrative thread. Sometimes these threrads
overlap or combine)
Circular (the end and the beginning are the same point)
