The document describes 7 types of documentaries: fully narrated, fly on the wall, mixed, self reflective, docudrama, docusoaps, and reality TV. It provides details on each type, including common styles, examples, and key characteristics to distinguish them.

1. • Fully Narrated
• Fly On The Wall
• Mixed
• Self Reflective
• Docudrama
• Docusoaps
• Reality TV

2. 
 A fully narrated documentary has a direct mode of
address. An off screen voice over will be added to
make sense of the visuals, convey the exposition and
dominate what is happening.
 In many documentaries, this is referred to as ‘the
voice of God’.
 This type of documentary can be found in many
science and nature documentaries, such as David
Attenborough’s natural history documentaries.
Fully Narrated

3. 
 Fly on the wall documentaries are when the camera is unseen
or ignored and simply records the unfolding events. These
types of documentaries rely on entirely observations.
 Fly on the wall documentaries consist of almost no narration,
allowing the audience to watch events as if they are eye-
witnesses and actually there.
 The camera will be unobtrusive to the action taking place and
will allow the audience to create their own conclusions.
 These documentaries appear to portray reality and be ‘truthful’.
Nevertheless, these types of documentaries are heavily edited,
meaning that the documentary may only show a version of the
truth.
 These types of documentaries are often found in police and
A&E documentaries, such as ‘Cops’ and ‘24 Hours in A&E’.
Fly On The Wall

4. 
 Mixed documentaries use a combination of
interviews, observations, actuality footage, archive
material and narration to help advance the
argument.
 In this type of documentary, the narrator will bond
the story together, helping it to progress.
 A lot of modern documentaries have adopted this
particular style of documentary. It is commonly
featured in documentaries about music, film etc.
Mixed

5. 
 A self reflective documentary is where the camera
will follow a person, or group of people around. The
person or people taking part will often acknowledge
the camera by frequently speaking to it.
 This type of documentary tends to lose it
importance; it becomes more about the host than the
topic.
 Some examples of self reflective documentaries may
include, ‘Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents’ and ‘Ross
Kemp on Gangs’.
Self Reflective

6. 
 Docudramas are documentaries which feature re-
enactments of events based upon fact with fictional
narrative.
 The re-enactments of events will be exactly like the
original event that happened.
 These types of documentaries do not film ‘actuality’ and
therefore are the most likely to be misleading.
 A great example of a docudrama would be BBC’s
‘Crimewatch’, a show where re-enactments of crimes are
created (using actors) to help solve the crimes by
portraying exactly what happened.
Docudrama

7. 
 A docusoaps is a hybrid genre and is observational.
 They originated in the UK in the 1990’s and have become increasingly
popular over the past 10 years; many people like that it is a real life soap
opra.
 These types of documentaries are often long running and follow the daily
lives of individuals or groups of people (often within a company or
organisation). Docusoaps do not explore topics or arguments and instead
allow people to look into the life of other people.
 They will tend to follow a central protagonist which the audience will get to
know well throughout the series.
 These types of documentaries do not follow a storyline or feature actors,
therefore making them low cost production.
 Some people consider TV shows such as ‘Jersey Shore’ and ‘The Only Way is
Essex’ as docusoaps, however this is often said to be untrue; these shows are
scripted and therefore are not ‘reality’.
 Some examples of docusoaps may include shows such as ‘One Born Every
Minute’, ‘My Big Fat Gyspy Wedding’ and ‘Educating Yorkshire’.
Docusoaps

8. 
 Reality TV began between 1989 and 1999.
 Reality TV is factual; it is real life drama.
 It is known as ‘infotainment’, meaning a combination of
information and entertainment.
 Reality TV is primarily produced for entertainment
purposes, however at the same time conveys information.
 Reality TV can be a mixture of authentic and commercial
material.
 It often consists of the use of camcorder, surveillance,
observation and commentary.
 Some examples of reality TV include shows such as ‘An
American Family’, ‘True Life’ and ‘Airport’ (UK).
Reality TV

10. 
Open vs. Closed
 The question of
the documentary
is left
unanswered and
has loop ends
 All questions
throughout the
documentary are
answered and
there are no loop
ends

11. 
Single Strand vs. Multi-strand
 There is only one
narrative
thread/storyline
 There is more than
one narrative
thread. Sometimes
the narrative
threads converge.

12. 
Linear vs. Non-linear
 Follows a
chronological
order
 Does not follow
time order – use
of flashbacks
and flash
forwards