This document discusses the documentary genre. It defines documentaries as films that document real people and events. While documentaries aim to be factual, filmmakers still direct footage and structure films for coherence and interest. John Grierson first used the term "documentary" in 1926 to describe creative treatments of reality. There are typically five features of documentaries: observation of real events, interviews, dramatization, composition of shots, and exposition of an argument. The document then lists six types of documentaries: fully narrated, fly on the wall, mixed, self-reflexive, docudrama, and docusoap. Examples are provided for each type.

1. THE DOCUMENTARY
GENRE
Vicki Kelly

2. Documentary Definition.
◦ The purpose of a documentary is to document. I.e. to report with evidence something that
has actually happened.
◦ It can show this by using actuality footage or reconstruction. Even when filming actuality
footage people are still directing and sets are organised so there is still a high level of
construction taking place.
◦ A good documentary should be about the topic and not the style of presentation.
However, the content alone, without any intervention from the producers, would seldom
be good enough to make the documentary coherent let alone interesting.
◦ To give a product a sense of pace and structure they draw on many of the characteristics
of fiction in their use of camera angles, framing, lighting and editing.

3. John Grierson
◦ John Grierson was the first person to use the term ‘documentary’. He used the
term when describing his film ‘South Sea Island’ in 1926. He described
documentaries as “the creative treatment of actuality.”

4. 5 Features Of A Documentary:
John Corner was a lecturer at the University Of Liverpool. He claimed that “there are 5
central elements of a documentary.”
1. observation:
Usually the programme makers pretend that
the camera is unseen or ignored by the
people taking part in the event. This unseen
observation places the people taking part in
a role of eye witness to the reality portrayed.
2. Interview: The interviewee is questioned
and addressed by the interviewer not the
audience.
3. Dramatisation: All documentaries use a
sense of drama through the observation
element. The audience is an eyewitness
to dramatic events.
4. Mise-en-scene: Documentary makers
carefully compose shots so that they
contain the images that they want the
audience to see.
5. Exposition: The line of argument in a
documentary. What the documentary is
“saying”. Corner believes that the
exposition in a documentary may be
either plain and direct or indirect and
hidden, it always exists never the less.

5. Types Of Documentary.
1. Fully narrated: An off scene voice over conveys the exposition. The voice over is used to make
sense of visuals and dominates their meaning. Often is referred to as the “voice of god”.
2. Fly on the wall: The cameras are left to record the subject without interference. It draws on
the French cinema vertiė.
3. Mixed documentary: uses a combination of interview, observation, actuality, archive and
narration in the exposition.
4. Self-reflexive: When the subject of a documentary acknowledge the presence of a camera
and often speak directly to the film maker.
5. Docudrama: A re-enactment of events as they are supposed to have actually happened.
6. Docusoap: A documentary that follows the daily lives of particular individuals usually within
designated occupation. For example, common characters shown over each episode and
story lines left on a cliff hanger for the next episode.

6. Fully Narrated: Shark

7. Fly On The Wall: 24 Hours in A&E

8. Mixed Documentary: Chalkie Davies

9. Self Reflexive: Teen Mom

10. Docudrama: Kings and Queens Of England

11. Docusoap- Benefits Street