This document describes several types of documentaries: - Fly on the wall documentaries observe everyday events without narration or interference to allow audiences to form their own opinions. - Direct cinema documentaries from the 1960s aimed for objectivity without narration or staged scenes to also allow audience interpretation. - Cinema verite documentaries from the 1960s used handheld cameras to seem lifelike but included filmmaker opinions through propaganda and interviews unlike direct cinema. - Docusoaps follow individuals' lives like reality TV but are less realistic and use setup scenes and cliffhangers for entertainment over social issues.

1. TYPES OF DOCUMENTARIES

2. FLY ON THE WALL
The camera is often unnoticed or ignored, so that as events happen they can be recorded. This
type of documentary doesn't often have any narration so the audience are often left to make
their own judgements and opinions for themselves. To get a day-to-day view on airports and
hospitals, a technique of direct cinema such a fly on the wall is used to achieve this. This is often a
very popular genre which entertains yet informs the audience any maybe even criticises of the
represented work places.

3. DIRECT CINEMA
This style of documentary was produced in the 1960’s; this was because of the audio visual equipment
which was portable and cheap. This tried to achieve no objectivity, as it had no narrator or made up
scenes it is real life people doing real life activities, thus allowing the audience to make up their own
opinion on the events displayed. Authored documentary is the opinion of an induvial person which
creates a direct contrast to the traditional documentary type.
The rules of direct cinema are:
- Interviews were not allowed to be included.
- There were no rehearsals before filming.
- No commentary or any staged acts.
- No lights for filming
- No dissolving edits to be used.

4. CINEMA VERTITE
This was used in the 1960’s and was a European film making technique which uses styles such as
hand held cameras to make sure that the documentary gave of a life like and realistic feel. Unlike
direct cinema in cinema vertite the filmmaker opinion is often voiced by using thing such as
propaganda and interviews which direct cinema is not allowed to use.
Examples of this are:
“Don’t look Back”1968- D A Pennebaker
“Gimme Shelter” 1970- Albert and David Myles

5. DOCUSOAP
These often follow the lives of individuals, who often have designated occupations. An example of this
is the programme ‘Driving School’ which reached 12.45 million viewers.
- These are made for viewing pleasure and entertainment rather than reality.
- People often act fake or play up to the camera’s often using famous celebrities or people who are
made to act to certain things to make entertainment.
- Does not normally cover any serious topics like social issues and mainly focuses on everyday
problems.
- Some scenes are purposely set up, and do not contain any reality in whatsoever.
These are often similar to a soaps because of the features they use:
-Fast paced editing.
-Creating a cliff-hanger so that viewers want to watch what is going to be happening next week.
-More than one main narrative (multi-strand narrative)

6. DRAMA DOCUMENTARIES
These documentaries raise the audiences attention to a disturbance of justice or social issues,
and are scripted and rehearsed. These can also be filmed following particular people such as
‘Ghandi’.
Examples of this are films such as:
-Hillsborough 1977
-Roots 1977

7. VIDEO DIARIES
This originates from direct cinema and is seen as truthful and honest by an audience, as the film
maker is producing it themselves. When using surveillance technology for entertainment
(infotainment) this is called and off-shoot. This creates a voyeuristic nature, examples of this are
programmes such as: Cops with cameras and Police camera action.

8. THEATRICAL DOCUMENTARIES
 These documentaries are released straight into cinemas.
 These type of documentaries normally star celebrities or famous people such as ‘Never Say
Never’ starring Justin Bieber.
 Provocative film documentaries have become increasingly popular, this is when a
characteristic narrator also appears on the screen, for example Supersize Me by Morgan
Spurlock.
 Authorised documentaries are making there way back, this is when the documentary is
scripted and purely made to display the viewpoint of one particular person.

9. MOCKUMENTARY
Using the documentary format for comic effect or either:
- Parodying the genre
- Parodying an area of life
- Or a combination of both