This document discusses the requirements for a Year 13 coursework assignment to create the opening of a TV documentary, including a radio trailer and newspaper advert. It provides background information on documentaries, outlining their purpose to document real events or issues. The key elements of documentaries are discussed, including observation techniques, interviews, dramatization, mise-en-scene, and exposition. Finally, different types of documentaries are described such as fully narrated, fly on the wall, mixed, self-reflexive, and docu-dramas.

1. Year 13 coursework
Post 1 – Brief – The aim of this piece of coursework is to create the opening 5 minutes of a TV
documentary a radio trailer to support it and a newspaper advert. The work will be completed in
groups of 3.
Post 2 – Genre theories and concepts –
What is a documentary?
John Grierson came up with the term documentary in 1926. The purpose of documentaries is to
document something that has actually happened it can be shown using literal footage or
reconstruction. It can use a narrators voice over to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants
themselves with perhaps an occasional interjection by the narrator documentaries are not just
about facts instead facts can be used to create socially critical arguments inviting the audience to
draw their own conclusions.
Central to documentary is that is focuses on and questions actual people and events, often in a
social context, placing the audience in a position to form an opinion about who or what we are
saying. Documentaries purport to present factual information about the world. We understand what
we are seeing is a documentary as it is often flagged up as such using on screen labels e.g. persons
name and job title. This leads the audience to believe that the people and avents actually exist and
that the information being conveyed is correct.
Features of documentaries – there are 5 central elements of the documentary according to John
Carner from the universe Liverpool.
These are: observation (fly on the wall – putting the audience in a rule of eye witnesses where the
camera appears to be on seen. Indirect address to the audiences i.e. speech over heard is a common
factor of this em-sing observation.
Interview – television documentaries use interview to make a contrast between observation
sequences and are structured in 2 ways: either intercut fragments of observation or a completely on
interrupted sequence.
Dramatisation – even though all documentaries use a sense of drama, it is specifically used to
portray people and events the film maker cannon gain access to in real life. These sequences are said
to be based on fact.
Mise en scene – literally what the directors and producers put into the frame, so for example lighting
and props in interviews.
Exposition – simply means the line of argument in a documentary which is what the doc is saying.
Sequences that lead the audience to make their own conclusions.
Types of documentaries – there are at least 6 types that include:
Fully narrated – direct address documentaries use an off screen voice over to convey the exposition.
Voice over is used to make sense of the visuals and dominates there meaning. The narrator often

2. gives such an impression of authority about the topic that critics have dubbed the style “the voice of
god documentary”.
Fly on the wall – these documentaries rely almost totally on observation. There is no commentary or
narration: the cameras are left to record the subject without interference and viewers come to their
own conclusions.
Mixed – many documentaries use a combination of interview observation and narration to advance
the argument. In contrast to the voice of god style, the narration is often from within the frame (and
therefore the action). Narration from within the scene is also the style adopted in modern news
reporting. The journalist speaks to the camera and then pictures of the action continue the piece of
his or her voice.
Self reflexive – when the subjects of a documentary acknowledge the presence of the camera and
often speak directly to the film maker this style is said to be self reflexive. These documentaries
make a point of drawing attention to the film maker’s role in constructing review of reality.
Docu-drama – a Docu drama is a re-enactment of events that is supposed to actually happen. In this
style, the elements of argument and exposition are combined with those of the fictional narrative.
The resulting story is then said to be “based on fact”. The format is particular popular with TV
companies and many striking example have succeeded in vividly recreating dramatic and often tragic
events e.g. Hillsborough (ITV 1996). Critics say that Docu dramas claim to represent the truth but can
only hope to deliver fiction in passing themselves of as reality they are best misleading and at worst
positively dangerous in their inevitable partiality.