Documentaries aim to document and educate about real life. They began in 1895 with short, unedited films by the Lumiere Brothers. In the 1920s, Nanook of the North used creative interpretations to make factual films more dramatic. Later documentaries emphasized poetic elements and direct cinema aimed to present events unmediated. Key documentary techniques include observation footage, interviews, dramatization, mise-en-scene, exposition, and different types like fully narrated, fly on the wall, and mixed formats.

1. Documentaries
Documentaries

2. Documentaries
Purpose of a Documentary
★ The purpose of a Documentary
is to document aspects of reality
and maintaining a historical
record. Documentaries are
based on true facts as they are
based on real life situations.
Documentaries also have to
Inform, Educate, and Entertain
but the most important ones is
Inform and Educate.

3. Documentaries
History of Documentaries
1895
The year that documentary began, The
first films were invented by the Lumiere
brothers. They created a camera which
couldonly hold 50 feet worth of film, the
films were very short and unedited. These
were called ‘Actualities’. An example of this
would be a train pulling into the station
which was their most famous film.
Lumiere Brothers

4. Documentaries
1922
A documentary that began was called
Nanook of the North which was made
by Robert Flaherty, but the word
‘Documentary’was invented by John
Grierson to describe this type of film.
Th film Nanook was the first feature
length factual film and the first to use
‘the creative interpretation of reality’.
This means that in this film Robert
Flahery had staged most scene for
the camera in order to make the film
more dramatic and enjoyable for the
audience.

5. Documentaries
1930s
John Grierson went on to head of the
film unit in england
and he became a major exponent of
this poetic realist approach to
documentary. Nightmail began as an
international film about a mail train,
however the filming and editing
emphasised poetic elements of the
film form such as movement, rhythm,
light, sound.John Grierson

6. Documentaries
1950s-1960s
The next development of documentaries
was called ‘Direct Cinemas’, it began in
the United States of America. Its aim was
to present social and political events
directly, in an unmediated so people
thought that the footage is record exactly
as the events happen, without the use of
a film maker. Cameras also developed
which allowed them to be hand held. so
this meant that the recording could be
more spontaneous.

7. Documentaries
Features of a Documentary
Observation
Most Documentaries contains
sequences of observation
An observation is where it is filmed in
a way that suggests the camera is unseen or
ignored by the actors.
Audience feel as though they are witness events
and provides evidence for the exposition.
Observes events that
happen in their life.
Equipment can be informal
e.g. Hand-held camerasUsually not interviews are included
and there is no voice overs.
Examples of Observation Documentaries
★ 16 and pregnant
★ Teen Mom

8. Documentaries
Interviews
Usually set up in a particular
format.
The interviewee is questioned and
responds to the interviewer which
can be seen or unseen rather than
directly to the audience.
Cutaways are used during interviews
to show other footage that illustrates the points
that are made, Interviews are usually with experts or
people relevant to the subject

9. Documentaries
Dramatisation
It is used in the observational footage by adding
an element of dramatic events.
Some documentaries use this to
portray people and events
that the producer can’t access in
real life.

10. Documentaries
Mise-en-Scene
Shots are carefully composed to
contain images that they want
the audience to see,
Particular angles, shot sizes may create
different
meanings and effects to allow the audience
to access information
Interviews may be filmed during a particular setting
and lighting to create an understanding and meaning.

11. Documentaries
Exposition
The line of argument in
a documentary
It is essentially what the documentary is
saying.
Some expositions are direct
and some are indirect.

12. Documentaries
Types Of Documentary
★ Fully Narrated- It includes direct mode of address and has an off
screen voice over which could have a dominate meaning of image. This
type of documentary is most frequently used in nature documentaries
and the voice over is normally called the voice of God. It ancures the
visuals audience is seeing, it is parallel and has sense of authority.
★ Fly on the wall- This type of documentary relies on observation as it
has very little narration and relies heavily on editing, with huge amounts
of footage and they cut it down. There is no interviews.
★ Mixed Documentaries- This type has a combination of interviews,
observations and narration with elements of participation.

13. Documentaries
★ Self Reflective- In this type of documentary the audience sees
the presenter or the narrator, and they acknowledge the
camera.
★ Docusoap- This type of documentary follows the lives of
individuals.
★ Docudrama- This type of documentary is events that have
been constructed and is rein acted e.g. crimwatch