various features and types of documentaries

1. Post Title Feature and Types of
Documentaries

2. Features of Documentaries
1. Observation
2. Interview
3. Dramatisation
4. Mise-en-scene
5. Exposition

3. Observation
• Fly On The Wall) - putting the
audience in a role of eyewitness
where the camera appears to be
unseen. Indirect address to the
audiences i.e. speech overheard
is a common factor of this en-
scene observation.

4. Interview
• Television documentaries use
interviews to make a contrast
between observation
sequences and are structured
in 2 ways: either intercut
fragments of observation or a
completely uninterrupted
sequence.

5. Dramatisation
• Even though all
documentaries use a sense
of drama, it is specifically
used to portray people and
events the film maker cannot
gain access to in real life.
These sequences are said to
be based on fact.

6. Mise-en-scene
• Literally what the directors
and producers put into the
frame, so for example
lighting and props in
interviews.

7. Exposition
• Simply means the line of argument in a
documentary which is what the doc' is
'saying'. Sequences that lead the audience
to make their own conclusions.

8. Types of documentaries
1.Fully Narrated
2.Fly on the wall
3.Mixed
4.Self reflective
5.Docu-drama
6.Docu-soap

9. Fully narrated
• Direct address documentaries use of the screen
voiceover to convey the exposition. The narrator
seems authoritative about the topic allowing them to
make sense of visuals. A.k.a 'Voice of God'

10. Fly on the wall
• Rely almost totally on observation, as the cameras
are left to record without interference and viewers
come to their own conclusions.

11. Mixed
• Uses a combination of interview, observation and
narration to advance the argument. Narrator is
within the frame and this style is most common in
news reporting.

12. Self reflective
• The subjects of a documentary acknowledge the
presence of the camera and speaks directly to the
film maker. Makes a point of drawing attention the
film maker to create a view of reality.

13. Docu-drama
• A reenactment of events as they are supposed to of
happened. Fictional narrative is combined with
elements of the exposition, however critics claim
that docu-dramas will only ever deliver fiction.

14. Docu-soap
• A phenomenon of recent years which follow the daily
lives of particular people. E.g. 'Airport'. Many dispute
whether these are real documentaries in any sense.

15. Current Affairs
• These are different from documentaries. Journalist
based programmes that aim to address news in more
depth. Differences include the pressure of deadlines,
i.e. documentaries may take several months to
create, therefore allowing them to be a lot more in
depth, where as Current Affairs must have new
stories daily, so each story will only be examined in 5-
10 minute slots. Audience is a varied one for current
affairs, i.e many watch for pleasure as well as
information.