Documentaries can take various forms and serve different purposes. They aim to both document information to inform audiences as well as entertain them. There are six main types of documentaries: docudrama, which reenacts real events; fly on the wall, which observes without participants' awareness; mixed, combining elements like interviews; fully narrated, using voiceover; docusoap, following people's lives; and self-reflexive, acknowledging the filmmaking process. Examples are provided for each type.

1. TYPES OF
DOCUMENTARIES AND
GENRE ANALYSIS
A DOCUMENTARY’S MAIN PURPOSE IS TO
DOCUMENT INFORMATION AND INFORM
AS WELL AS ENTERTAIN.

2. DOCUMENTARY
The term ‘documentary’ was defined by a man called John
Grierson. He was a documentary maker in the 30’s and
defined the term document as “the creative treatment of
actuality”. This means taking real events and happens and
editing it in a creative way to present it to others.

3. The key elements of a documentary can be broken down into
5 areas, these being the following:
- Observation
- Interview
- Dramatisation
- Mise-en-scene
- Exposition
FEATURES OF A DOCUMENTARY

4. Most documentaries include observation by making the
camera unseen. This is where the camera is not shown and
also the camera is ignored by anyone featured in the
documentary.
It also gives the audience a feel of witnessing, points
them as an onlooker providing evidence to them about
the subject.

5. Questions
and
answers
The interviewer
can be either
seen or unseen
Interviewee is
normally an expert
of the topic or
someone relevant to
the situation
Normally a close
up or a medium
close up shot
In line with
the rule of
thirds
The interviewee
normally speaks off
camera (not direct
mode of address)

6. DRAMATISATION
Observational
footage is
used
An element of
drama is
added to the
events
To portray
people and
situations that
the audience
can’t access

7. MISE EN
SCENE
It is carefully
composed
To display to the
audience what
they want them to
see
Using particular
angles and shot
sizes to create
different
meanings and
effects
Setting and lighting
is also used to
create an
understanding for
the audience

8. EXPOSITION
The line of
argument
within a
documentary
To get what it
is saying
across to the
audience
It can be
either direct
or indirect

9. THERE ARE 6 TYPES OF
DOCUMENTARY
Docudrama
Fly on the
Wall
Mixed
Fully
Narrated
Docusoap
Self
Reflexive

10. Docudrama Fly on the Wall Mixed
Re-enactments on real
happenings and real
events.
However it is
dramatized and staged.
It is based on known
historical events.
An unnoticed onlooker of
situations.
Direct cinema and
cinema verité-movements
of
documentary film
making from the USA
and France.
These movements
purely observe.
A mixture of all of the
different types of
documentary.
Including voice overs,
interviews and archive
footage.

11. Fully Narrated Self Reflexive Docusoap
A voice over giving an
opinion or a
commentary.
It can be known as “the
voice of God” as the
person can not be seen
just heard.
It can give a sense of
authority and
knowledge.
Self awareness of being
filmed.
The film maker is
acknowledged by those
being filmed.
A documentary following
people in a particular
occupation or location
over time.
Shown through a
mixture of observation,
interviews and
sometimes voiceover.

12. EXAMPLES OF THESE
TYPES:
Docudrama- Myra Hindley: The Untold Story
We can tell this is a docudrama from the synopsis on Demand 5
describing it as a 'part dramatised documentary', we can also see
through reconstructions of events that they have been added and
dramatised to piece together the story being told.
Mixed- Slaughtered At The Murder Hotel
The clip that is the trailer for this documentary shows us that it is
mixed as the trailer includes a voice-over and archive footage. A
screenshot of the documentary also shows that it includes
interviews with people relevant to the topic.
Docusoap- One Born Every Minute
This is a docusoap as it follows the journey of real peoples lives or
situations. This can be shown through screen grabs taken from the
show of a before and after shot of a couple and a baby.

13. MORE EXAMPLES:
Self Reflexive- Britain's Hidden Homeless
This is a self reflexive documentary and can be shown through the self
awareness of the documentary maker and acknowledgement of the
camera as well as being followed on a journey or throughout a situation.
Fly On The Wall- Gogglebox
This is a fly on the wall documentary as those being filmed do not
acknowledge the cameras and they are being fully observed on their
reactions and discussions to television shows.
Fully Narrated- David Attenborough's Rise of Animals: Triumph of
the Vertebrates
This is a fully narrated documentary as a voice-over is present
throughout, informing the audience in more detail what is going on.