This document defines and describes various documentary film techniques. It begins by explaining that a documentary aims to document and inform about real events or topics. It then discusses different styles including drama documentaries which recreate events, fly-on-the-wall which observes without interference, docusoaps which follow people over time with some scripting, fully narrated which uses voiceover to explain visuals, and mixed/self-reflexive styles which incorporate different elements like interviews and narration. The document also covers documentary techniques like interviews, dramatization, and mise-en-scene which frames shots effectively to guide the audience.

1. Documentaries
By Kate Constable

2. Introduction
A documentary is used to DOCUMENT some aspects of
reality. Documentary has been described as a ‘film making
practice, a cinematic tradition and mode of audience
reception”
The purposes of a documentary are to: Document, inform,
educate, entertain, sometimes controversial, factual, topic
based/argument/point to make.
The word documentary was founded by a guy called John
Grieson. He worked for the GPO, general post office. John
defined the term ‘Documentary’ to be the creative
treatment of actuality.

3. Drama documentary (Docudrama)
• Genre of radio and television programming and feature film that features
dramatized re-enactments of actual events
• Reconstruction of a certain event as though they have just happened, this gives the
audience an idea of the atmosphere and the feelings surrounding that event
A docudrama, in which historical fidelity is the keynote, is generally distinguished
from a film merely "based on true events",

4. Fly on the wall
• Used in filmmaking and TV production, this name came from
the fact that events are seen candidly (observing)
The Fly on the Wall type of documentary is rooted in the wave of
Cinema Verite (France) and Direct cinema (USA) movements, which
aimed to take documentary making back to its roots, with limited
interference.
No
commentaries
No narration,
No interviews
No archive
footage
Subjects don’t acknowledge the camera

5. Docusoap
• A documentary following people in a particular
occupation or location over a period of time.
•Docusoaps was a term of derision used by journalists who saw this
brand of factual television. “The seriousness of documentary with
the frivolity of soaps”
More footage is
scripted, edited
and voice over
commentary and
stages scenarios.
Combination of two
genres:
Documentaries and
soap operas.
Docusoap is also a
combination of fact
and fiction

6. Fully narrated
• Documentary with a voice over, helps the audience
gain a better understanding of what's going on.
Voice over: Authoritive voice.
‘Voice of god’
narration
Uses direct address-
EXPOSITON
Anchors the visuals

7. Mixed
• Combination of interviews, observations, narration, actuality
and archive material. Helps advance the argument the
director is trying to put forward
Voice over used to anchor Creative and varied camera work
Conventional interview set upsNarrator in a mixed documentary links everything
together and advances the narrative.

8. Self reflexive
• Subject acknowledges the camera and knows it’s there.
Self reflexive documentaries have been criticised as being confusing to an
audience as they can be said to be drawing attention to themselves for publicity.

9. Interview
• Interview set up in a particular way
• Usually experts in the topic
• Relevant people
• Interviewee responds to just the question but not to the
interviewer
• Usually the question isn’t heard on screen.
• Cut away to observative/archive footage.
•Programme makes the camera pretend the camera is
unseen/ignored by the people events.
•Footage used to illustrate/provide evidence.

10. •Seem to occur naturally in front of the camera
•Audience witnessing dramatic events
•Actually constructed/set up footage based on facts
•Actors
Dramatisation
•All shots carefully composed to contain what they want the audience
to see
•Setting for interview
•Lighting used in shots
•Shots are framed effective
Mise en scene
Expostion
•Lines up the argument
•Direct or indirect mode of address- what the documentary is saying.