A2 Media Studies.

1. GENRE
ANALYSIS
BY FAYE RIDER

2. PURPOSE OF DOCUMENTARIES
The purpose of documentaries can be
easily described and analysed from
simply even watching one.
Documentaries are informative,
Factual, have a narrative, they are
generally non-fictional and the main
purpose is to document data/ facts/an
event or an opinion or view.
Documentaries are also engaging to
viewers and educate viewers, by
making the education aspect of
documentaries entertaining, then
therefore a successful documentary is
created.
It also involves real people, events,
topics, cultures, opinions (exposition)
which is the overall line of argument.

3. HISTORY OF DOCUMENTARIES
John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February
1972) was a pioneering Scottish documentary
maker, often considered the father of British
and Canadian documentary film.
He defined the term ‘documentary’
as “the creative treatment of
actuality”
Grierson's emerging and outspoken
film philosophies caught the
attention of New York film critics at
the time. He was asked to write
criticism for the New York Sun. At
the Sun, Grierson wrote articles on
film aesthetics and audience
reception, and developed broad
contacts in the film world.
Grierson's emphasis on realism—
he was intolerant of artistic
pretension—had a profound long-
term influence on Canadian film.
"Art is not a mirror," he said, "but a
hammer. It is a weapon in our
hands to see and say what is good
and right and beautiful."
Nevertheless, Grierson did not believe that documentary film is a
mere public report of the activities of daily life. "For me," he said,
"it is something more magical. It is a visual art which can convey
a sense of beauty about the ordinary world."
From 1946 to 1948 he was the
director of mass communications at
UNESCO, and from 1948 to 1950 he
was controller of films at Britain's
Central Office of Information. During
the 1950s he worked at Southall
Studios in West London.
From 1957 to 1967 Grierson hosted a successful
weekly television program on Scottish television,
This Wonderful World, which showed excerpts from
outstanding documentaries. In 1957 he received a
special Canadian Film Award.

4. Observation:-
The makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people
taking part in the event.
The camera becomes the eye witness, this to create realistic effect and
more professional outcomes for the documentary
Mise en scene:-
Consider mise en scene ensuring that this allows the drama
to unfold.
Also used to advance the arguement.
The mise en scene is always relevant to the subject of the
documentary. Use of green screens and locations to help
relate to documentary puropse aim.
Interview:-
Can contrast with the observations shown.
Pictures dubbed over the interview to make sense and anchor
meaning.
Vox pops; generate diverse views and opinions. The technique
consists of street interviews of the general public with each person
being asked the same question. The answers are then strung together
in a fast sequence. They are good for suggesting a general agreement
or else the opposite of diversity opinion.
Exposition:-
Made up of description and combined with commentary.
It can be plain or direct, indirect or hidden.
The narrator may minipulate the audience's opinion
Dramatisation:-
Audience is an eyewitness to the dramatic events.
Drama appears to take place naturally in front of the camera.
Some form of reconstruction; this should always be based on facts.
FEATURES OF A
DOCUMENTARY

5. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Fly on the Wall
“Is a style of documentary making, it is made by filming people as
they do the things they normally do. The camera’s go unnoticed by
the subject of the film  Observation”
Technical style/codes
• lots of long uninterrupted tracking shots (greater sense of
realism)
• high shooting ratio (film shot compared to film on screen)
• normally 10 :1 fly on the wall could be as high as 40:1
• This means that narrative is constructed largely in edit
suite
• Use of hand held camera, jump cuts and rough zooming
• (Adds greater sense of realism)
Some examples of fly on the wall documentaries are…
•Cops
•Deadliest Catch
•Survivor
•Dynamo: Magician Impossible

6. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Docu-soap
“A documentary following people in a particular
occupation or location over a period of time”.
A docu-soap is a documentary that follows the
lives or real people in their day to day lives and
allows us as an audience to see live or a certain
way for them in their perspective.
The subject is aware of the camera’s and may
sometimes be more bias and fake/ exaggerate
circumstances for a more dramatic effect and
effect the realistic side of the documentary.
Well known examples of docu-soaps are...
• Vet School and Vets In Practice
• Airport — workers at London Heathrow
• Airline — EasyJet workers

7. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Docudrama
“Is a re-enactment of real life events as they happened,
for example the Hillsbourgh disaster documentary.
However though docu-dramas claim to reveal the truth,
they cannot reveal the exact truth.”
The docu-dramas include lots of
narration, interviews, accounts of
happenings from real people,
pan’s/zoom’s to allow audiences to get
a true picture of the real/ location in
which the events etc. is happening,
handheld camera’s for real footage, not
all re-enacted/ only re-enacted if we
only have a vague idea of the truth and
we piece together information and
produce our idea of the truth. Back
drops and suitable/ relatable back drops
when interviewing people.

8. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Self-reflexive
“Within a self reflexive documentary, the
documentary maker talks to the camera to
try to draw the attention of the audience/
make a point.”

9. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Fully Narrated
Has a voice over the documentary to help the
audience gain understanding of the visually
directed address, it also allows the audience
to gain full understanding of the visuals and if
the documentary is of an unknown or new
place that the audience has never witnessed,
it allows the audience to be fully educated and
have a greater understanding.

10. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
Mixed
“Uses a combination of interviews, observation
and narration to help to advance the argument
the creator is making or express views of
people on a certain event/ person etc.”
By using varied media platforms to display the
views within the documentary, audiences are
more likely to be convinced/ persuaded to think
in a certain way etc. as its not just 1 person
within the documentary and it has interviews,
visuals of locations etc. to back up the
understanding and educate as well and inform
and also document the event etc.