The theory of a documentary

1. THEORY OF A
DOCUMENTARY
Kirsty Mitchell

2. DOCUMENTARY- THE AIM
The aim of a documentary is for you to report something that is
real and you can provide evidence to back it up. Real life
footage and reconstructions of events are used so that the
audience can explore what the interviewee is saying. Most
documentaries are based on Cultural, Historical, Political or
religious issues. Real evidence is not always available so
reconstructions are used from past events as documentaries are
based on fact.

3. FIVE ELEMENTS OF A
DOCUMENTARY
John Corner was a professor at the University of Liverpool. He
believed that there is 5 central elements to documentaries. These 5
elements are:
1. Observation 2. Interview 3. Dramatisation
4. Mise en Scene 5. Exposition

4. OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS
Observation: Most documentaries use observation. For example in the
truth about magaluf observation is used a lot showing how people
act being on holiday and getting drunk. This is usually done by
placing the camera as if it is unseen.
Interviews: All documentaries include an interview. Interviews are
used to support or contrast the over all topic. The film maker can
decide if they want to have the interview as one or if they want to cut
it into different parts.

5. DRAMATISATION, MISE EN SCENE
AND EXPOSITION
Dramatisation: This kind of documentary is when it needs to have
some kind of drama in it to make it interesting for the viewer.
Mise-en-scene: This is when props and costumes are used to look
natural and not just put there on purpose and should be massively
symbolic.
Exposition: This is when the theme of the documentary is explored.
This can be approached in many different ways such as an interview.

6. JOHN GRIERSON
John Grierson came up with the term documentary in 1926.
John shot real situations with real people who where is a real
environment and all of his documentaries were more focused on
fact unlike old style documentaries that had a sense of
persuasion.
John Grierson said that the term documentary stands for ‘The
creativity of actuality’. There has been many arguments that are
concerned with the creativity used in a documentary. Many
people think it should be factual and that is the purpose of a
documentary.

7. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Fly on the wall: This is where the camera becomes invisible whilst following people
in the course of their daily lives.
Drama documentary: This type of documentary re-creates an event using actual
facts and real events from the story.
Fully Narrated: This were direct mode of address is used. This is done through
voiceovers and is used on documentaries about things such as animal explaining
to the audience what is happening on the screen.
Mixed: This type of documentary uses different techniques to produce a detailed
documentary. It uses a combination of interviews and observations.
Docudrama: Lastly for this documentary uses facts to make a fictional narrative
that are made up of re-enactments. These kinds of documentaries are very
popular.

8. DOCUMENTARY CONVENTIONS
Intercutting/Parallel Editing:
This is when someone shows images or clips relating to what they are
talking about. For example in the documentary the truth about
magaluf when the presenter is talking about things that go on such
as drunk people who can barely control themselves they will show
clips of really drunk people whilst she is talking about it.
Hand Held Camera:
This is used to make the audience feel as though they are there for
example in the documentary the truth about magaluf when the
presenter is running after a group of girls the camera is hand held
because it runs with her making us feel like we are running with
them.

9. DOCUMENTARY CONVENTIONS
Use of Establishing Shot and Close Up:
A close up would be used to show someone emotions for example if it was a sad
scene to show how someone was feeling the would do a close up of someone's
face who is crying to show there emotion to the audience. Then an establishing
shot would be used to se the scene for example a funeral parlour.
Surveillance:
This is to show peoples natural reactions and how they act without knowing
people are watching them. For example in the truth about magaluf they video
people across beaches and in bars to see what they get up to which shows there
actions whilst drunk without them knowing.
Selective editing:
This helps to put the message across that you want by selecting certain scenes to
put into your documentary and to pick shots to make the audience feel a certain
way.

10. DISNEYFICATION
Steven Barnett said that documentaries were meant to be factual not
made for entertainment. Over time documentaries have taken on
elements of feature films and have become more entertaining, more
emotional and use a narrative structure. Steven Barnett believes that
this lessens their value because how can a documentary be factual if
it is entertaining.