Direct cinema documentaries simply record events as they unfold without narration, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions. They use fly-on-the-wall techniques to provide insight into places like schools. These documentaries have become more popular but recent years have seen a rise in docusoaps that follow individuals and emphasize entertainment over information.

2. The camera is unseen/ignored and simply records the events that are unfolding. There is often no narration with these
types of documentaries – this leaves the audience to reach their own conclusions. They use direct cinema techniques to
give a fly-on-the-wall insight to the day-to-day workings of places such as schools and is often used in reality t.v
programmes such as Big Brother. It is an extremely popular genre which is often informative, humorous and sometimes
critical in the way in which these places are represented. These types of documentaries have been giving way to the
popular docusoap documentaries in recent years – examples of this type of documentary would be My Big Fat Gypsy
Wedding. They are also known as institutional documentaries. Example: “Don’t Look Back” (1965) d. D A Pennebaker.
Direct Cinema Rules of Direct Cinema Cinema Verite
Style of documentary produces in the
1960s.
Documentaries were not to include
interviews.
Style of European film making in the early
1960s
Came about as a result of the availability
of cheap, portable lightweight cameras.
There were to be no rehearsals prior to
filming.
Similar to direct cinema but CV believed
that the film makers opinions should be
expressed.
Aimed at objectivity, no narrator, just a
fly-on-the-wall representation of real life
events as they occur.
No dissolve edits or film lights to be
used.
Linked to Social Realist tradition in film.
Direct contrast to the tradition of the
‘Authorised Documentary’, which is the
opinion of an individual.
None of the events in the documentary
are meant to be staged.

3. These types of documentaries follow the lives of
specific individuals, usually in a specific type of
occupation. As deduced from the name, a docusoap is
a mix between a documentary and a soap.
Common characteristics of a docusoap would be:
• Emphasis on entertainment rather than instruction
• Based around personalities who often ‘play up’ to
the camera and often become celebrities
themselves through this. Voice-over is usually
performed by a well-known actor.
• Focus on everyday lives and problems rather than
underlying social issues.
• Selective editing: some scenes are known to have
been set-up.
Video Diaries Theatrical Documentaries
Descended from direct cinema – seen
by audiences as reliable and truthful as
the subject is filming.
Film documentaries released in the
cinema.
An off shoot of this are the
documentaries which use surveillance
technology as entertainment, with
audiences enjoying the voyeuristic
nature such as Cops with Cameras.
Is a tradition of cinematic
documentaries to be about pop stars or
sport. E.g. “In Bed With Madonna”.
New trend for provocative film
documentaries, fronted by a narrator –
a famous example of this would be the
highest grossing documentary ever:
Fahrenheit 9:11 d. Michael Moore.
These are a return to the concept of the
‘Authorised Documentary’, where the
piece is clearly scripted and presented
as the point of view of an individual.

4. Docudrama
A re-enactment of events as though they have actually happened. A
mixture of a docusoap and a docudrama are often scripted but are
presented as being “reality t.v” – examples of this are shows such as The
Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea – these programmes are depicted
as being real life but are often scripted in order to entertain, have a script
to keep viewers on edge. They take ordinary, common experiences and
look at it through the eyes of the public. Are called docu-soaps because
they are similar to soap operas in terms of:
• Fast editing
• Multi-strand narratives
• Part of a series and often end in a cliff-hanger.
Drama Documentaries
These are documentaries exploring a social issue or
drawing attention to a miscarriage of justice but are
scripted and acted dramas. Notable examples include
‘Hillsborough’ – which is referring to the injustice that
families of the 92 lives tragically lost when Liverpool
played Sheffield Wednesday still face to this day with
ongoing court allegations being made again the police
officers who policed the game that day.
Mockumentary
These types of documentary use the documentary format for:
• Parodying the genre
• Parodying an area of life
• Parodying both
Examples of Mockumentaries would be films such as Borat that
star comedians in leading roles and often aim to, as the name
suggests – Mock for entertainment purposes and often, use
stereotypes for comedy.
Fully narrated/Mixed
As the name suggests, a fully narrated documentary is one in which there is a
voiceover present which helps the audience have a better understanding of
what is going on and often uses direct address in order to make the audience
feel more engaged within the documentary. The audience of fully narrated
documentaries often take everything the narrator is saying as the truth as
they use the “voice of God”
Mixed documentaries are a mixture of interviews, observation and narration
used to help advance the argument that the documentary-maker is trying to
make. There are often images used within this type of documentary in order
to help engage the audience and to create a form of excitement around the
documentary.