Direct Cinema originated in the late 1950s as a documentary genre focused on capturing reality without mediation. Prior documentaries were limited by equipment and a desire to educate viewers through editing. Direct Cinema films used handheld cameras for increased realism and often included interviews to directly represent reality. It aimed to question the relationship between filmed reality and actual reality.

1. Laura Boucher
DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH
INCLUDING STYLES AND
INSPIRATIONS

2. Direct Cinema is a documentary genre that originated between 1958 and 1962 in North
America, principally in the Canadian province of Quebec and the United States. Similar in
many respects to the the cinéma vérité genre, It was characterized initially by filmmakers'
desire to directly capture and represent it truthfully, and to question the relationsreality
hip of reality with cinema.
Documentaries prior to the 1960s were heavily mediated by the limitations of the
equipment available and the desire of documentary-makers to ’educate’ via editing
and narratiuve construction. This tension was at the center of Direct Cinema and
resulted in its formal style and methodology.
DIRECT CINEMA

3. • a movie that shows ordinary people in actual activities without being
controlled by a director.
• The camera is handheld this therefore increases realism
• Film makers are often expressed throughout the documentary
• Often uses lots of interviews.
CINEMA VERITE

4. • Follows a fly on the wall approach
• Mostly informative documentary's
• A popular type of documentary
• Often easy relatable as places of work are explored.
• An example of an institutional documentary includes ‘Airline’ we watched
this as part of our research in class. This enabled us to explore and
understand this type of documentary in more detail.
INSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTARY

5. • Docusoaps could be defined as "programs about ordinary people and
events, made by professionals to entertain as well as instruct".
• Easy to relate to because they are 'real'
• Makes viewers feel better about themselves?
• Exciting and involving
• Inspiring because they connect directly to viewers
• Influences may include: Documentary, Soap, Social Drama (eg. Ken
Loach), Docudrama, Cinema Realiste (eg. Godard), NeoRealism.
• Examples: The Real World, Rescue 911, Cops, Airport, The Dating Story.
The Wedding Show and Driving School Police, Camera Action, Scariest
Police Chases 5 and The Dumbest Criminals Ever are also docusoaps of a
more sensationalist nature.
DOCUSOAPS

6. • Probably the most traditional of documentary formats ‘panorama’
• Usually shown by public service broadcasting channels: BBC, Channel 4.
These documentaries often explore: current affairs and current issues
• Can be biased/polemical- drawing attention to situations, can be perceived
wrong and can have a significant impact.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DOCUMENTARIES

7. • Video diaries are adapted from direct cinema
• They often realistic, reliable and truthful
• They are filmed themselves so increased realism
VIDEO DIARIES

8. • Primarily focus on social issues
• Scripted
• Based on true stories however dramatized
DRAMA DOCUMENTARIES

9. • These are presented in the cinema.
• Often about celebrities- pop stars/film stars
• Authored documentary
• Clearly scripted
THEATRICAL DOCUMENTARIES

10. • Mockumentaries are often presented as historical documentaries, with b
roll and talking heads discussing past events, or as cinéma vérité pieces
following people as they go through various events. Though the precise
origins of the genre are not known, examples emerged during the 1950s,
when archival film footage became relatively easy to locate
• Often parodying an area of life
MOCKUMENTARIES