This document discusses the key elements and conventions of documentary filmmaking. It will focus on creating a documentary about cyberbullying using the expository documentary mode. Expository documentaries use a voiceover narration to directly address the audience and explain or comment on images. They aim to inform audiences about topics they are unfamiliar with. The cyberbullying documentary will use a voice-of-god narrator and images to persuade bullies to stop and victims to get help. The document also provides background on important documentary theorists like John Grierson and Bill Nichols.

2. What is a Documentary?
 A factual film or programme about the real world
For us this will be CYBERBULLYING, a real world issue
 Conventionally a documentary will be the following;
We will do these ones !!!!! Because
all documentaries are Non- Fiction
Non- Fiction
and we plan to inform our target
audience about the effects of cyber
About the real world
bullying and what can be done to
Unstaged
stop it. Also it will be about the real
world as this is what happens in the
Informative and Educational
real world and the interviews we
Based on Observation rather than Intervention wish to do will be Unstaged because
people will be telling us their views
and we will be observing.

3. Subjectivity or Objectivity
SubjectivityObjectivity
•
Subjectivity is when your opinion
will show through in the
documentary and the general
opinion or stereotype
1. We believe we will be swayed more
to being subjective when making
this documentary as our view on
the topic is that something needs to
happen about it to make it stop.
However some people may say it is
a big fuss over nothing so there are
other views on the topic.
Objectivity is when you explore both
sides of an argument in the
documentary and not just one side.
1. However it could be said that we will
be Objective as we will look at the
effects of cyber bullying and why
people do it. So we are technically
looking at both sides of an
argument. However one aide clearly
is in favor.

4. Modes of Documentary
1. Expository Documentary
2. Observational Documentary
Our
Documentary
will fall under
this category.
3. Participatory Documentary
4. Reflexive Documentary
5. Performative Documentary

5. Bill Nicholas
•Identifier of the modes of address- ALL 6 OF THEM
•Key theorist when discussing Documentaries
•Born – 1942
•Discovered theory at San Francisco University
•Stella Bruzzi2000criticsedNichols for suggesting that Documentary makers
have aimed for the 'perfect representation of the real’ and would fail in this
impossible aim, thus undermining the documentary form.
•She said that‘all types of documentary have existed at different times’
And have often, mixed styles. ‘What is the point of worrying about authenticity’
She sees documentary as contributing to meaning about real world events.

6. Development of Modes
 Nicholas identifies the modes as developing
chronologically.
 They develop because of new technologies, institutions
and audience.
 They can often be divided into 2 groups;
GROUP A
GROUP B
-Expository
- Participatory
-Observational
-Reflexive
-Performative

7. Expository Documentary
 This type of documentary is probably the most familiar to
audiences and tends to be seen more on TV rather than in
cinemas.
 It may include the following
Voiceover narration
Commenting on the images
Explaining what is happening in a direct address to the audience
AIM = To inform the audience about a happening or a thing
which they are not familiar with in our case it will be
CYBERBULLYING

8. Expository Conventions
1. Voiceover addresses the audience directly and is the
dominant convention
2. The voiceover may be a VOICE OF GOD commentator (
heard but not seen ) or VOICE OF AUTHORITY
commentator ( seen and heard)- usually an expert in the
field. We have chosen to use the VOICE OF GOD as we
believe this is most suitable for our topic.

9. Expository Conventions
3. Images are used to illustrate the voiceover
4. Direct relationship between voiceover and images shown
5. Editing is used for continuity, to link together the images
supporting the argument put forward by the voiceover
6. A variety of footage, interviews, stills and archive
material are assembled to support the argument.
7. There is an attempt to persuade the audience on a
viewpoint, in our case we are persuading the bullies to
stop and the bullied to contact the NSPCC.

10. John Grierson
-Although only making one film John was a film maker
-His theory on documentaries has greatly influenced what we
still understand to be its nature.
-He defined documentary as “ an instrument of information, education and
propaganda”. He believed that documentaries could heavily influence peoples
opinions on a situation.
-He defined the ideology of social integration as “good propaganda” and ideologies
that promoted social division as “ propaganda of the devil”.
-He believed it could be used to engage citizens in the workings of their country, in
democracy.

11. The End