The document traces the evolution of documentaries from their origins in 1895 to modern times. It discusses early actuality films from 1895 showing real events. In 1922, Nanook of the North was released, which was the first feature-length documentary and established conventions like staging events. Direct cinema emerged in the 1950s-60s aiming to directly present events without mediation. At the same time, cinema verite developed in France using techniques like handheld cameras and location filming to seem more realistic. Mockumentaries have existed since the 1960s but became more common in the 1980s, using documentary styles and codes to trick audiences into thinking the content is factual when it is not.

1. Track The Popularity Of
Documentaries
Jade Reeson

2. 1895
• The ‘Lumieres Brothers’ created the first moving films, of which the most
popular was ‘L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat’, translated into
English as ‘The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station’. The 50 second silent
film fascinated it’s audiences for the simple fact they were able to see the
detail of movement captured through a film camera for the very first time.
• These short clips were known as ‘Actualities’, they were called ‘Actualities’
because the footage that was captured was real life events that were
happening around them.

3. 1922
• We then move on to see the creation of ‘Nanook Of The North’. It’s creator
Robert Flaherty and also one of the main features of this documentary
based this film on his family and The Canadian Artic. Flaherty was
massively criticized however for creating and staging events within his
documentaries. This was done though to dramatize the events that took
place to make the documentary exciting and gripping to it’s audiences –
this is a common theme in todays documentaries.
• The word ‘Documentary’ was created by John Grierson to describe
Flaherty’s film. Nanook was the first feature length Factual film and
Grierson described this production as ‘the creative interpretation of
reality’.

4. 1936
• In the 1930’s Grierson went on and became a major exponent of poetic-
realist approach to documentaries. Nightmail (1936) was an international
film made about the mail train from London to Edinburgh. Grierson was
highly criticized for this film as it focused more on its poetic
elements, such as; movement, rhythm, lighting and sound rather than
focusing on the social and political elements – making machinery favored
over human beings.

5. 1950’s-1960’s
• The next major development of documentaries was called ‘Direct Cinema’.
This began in The United States Of America. It’s aim was to present social
and political events directly, in an unmediated so it was presumed that the
footage is recorded exactly as the events happen, without any need of a
film-maker.
• Camera’s also developed in this time, allowing them to be hand held
making the recording more spontaneous.

6. 1950’s-1960’s
• Whilst Direct Cinema was being developed, at the same time a similar sort
of development was being created in France called Cinema Verite
(‘Cinema Truth’). This was a way of filming real life situations in natural
settings.
• Cinema Verite uses; handheld camera’s, natural lighting, location filming
and direct sound.
• Cinema Verite techniques make the film seem more realistic and truthful
to it’s audiences.

7. From as early as the 1960’s
• Mockumentaries were about as early as the 1960’s however wasn’t really
seen until the 1980’s. Mockumentaries take the typical codes and
conventions of documentaries to make the audiences think that it is
factual when it actually isn’t.
• Because it is so easy to fake the codes and conventions of a documentary
it often makes it’s audiences question whether we can trust the
documentary style.