A2 Media Coursework

2. EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY:
• DOCUMENTARIES THAT EXPOSE A TOPIC OR A PERSON.
• THEY ARE WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING A COMMENTATOR, SOMEONE TALKING OVER IMAGES OR VIDEOS AND
EXPLAINING THE STORY.
• THE MAIN CONVENTIONS ARE THAT IT HAS A COMMENTATOR, RHETORICAL QUESTIONS, FACTS, OPINIONS, AND
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES.
• THEY ARE USUALLY SHOWN ON CHANNEL FOUR AND THEY CONSIST OF BIOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL OR ABOUT AN EVENT.

3. EXAMPLES OF EXPOSITORY
DOCUMENTARIES:
• EXAMPLES OF EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARIES ARE AMERICA'S MOST WANTED,ROSS KEMP ON GANGS
AND MANY OTHER DOCUMENTARIES THAT INVOLVE INTERVIEWS THAT SUPPORT THE TOPIC THE
DOCUMENTARY IS ON.

4. OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES:
• THIS MODE OF DOCUMENTARIES IS ALSO KNOWN AS ‘FLY OF THE WALL’ TYPES OF DOCUMENTARIES.
• THEY APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN FILMED IN ‘REAL TIME’, AS IF THE CAMERAHAS HAPPENED UPON EVENTS
WHILE THOSE INVOLVED ARE SEEMINGLY UNAWARE OF THE FILMING GOINGON.
• THE FILMMAKERS CORRESPONDINGLY ATTEMPT NOT TO INTERFERE IN WHAT IS UNDERWAY.
• WE DO NOT HEAR THEIR QUESTIONS AND WE DO NOT SEE THEM.
• THERE IS NO VOICEOVER TELLING US WHAT TO THINK OR WHAT CONCLUSIONS WE SHOULD DRAW.

5. EXAMPLES OF OBSERVATIONAL
DOCUMENTARIES:
• OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES ARE PROGRAMMES SUCH AS MADE IN CHELSEA, TOWIE, AND BIG
BROTHER AND MANY OTHER REALITYTV DOCUMENTARIES.

6. REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY:
• THIS STYLE OF DOCUMENTARY IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARIES. THIS IS
WHERE THE FILMMAKERS ARE INTRIGUED IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING AFILM, ALSO OF HOW REALITY
CAN BE MADE INTO A DOCUMENTARY WHICH CAN BE ACTUAL CONTENT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY. THIS
MODE OF DOCUMENTARY CAN MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE CAMERA PEOPLE.

7. EXAMPLES OF REFLECTIVE
DOCUMENTARIES:
• LOUIS THEROUX HAS MANY DOCUMENTARIES WHERE HE USES THE TECHNIQUEOF REFLECTIVE, HIS
DOCUMENTARIES ARE CALLED: ‘LOUIS THEROUX'S WEIRD WEEKENDS’, AND ‘WHEN LOUIS MET…’
• NICK BROOMFIELD ALSO HAS MADE REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARIES USING A SMALL CAMERA CREW, AND
SOMETIMES ON HIS OWN SO THAT WE AS AN AUDIENCE GET A PERSONAL VIEW FROM NICK’S POINT OF
VIEW DURING THE DOCUMENTARY.

8. INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY:
• IN THIS MODE OF DOCUMENTARY, THE PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY TEND TO LEAVE OR EDIT OUT
THE QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE INTERVIEWS OFTHE DOCUMENTARY. THIS MAY BE A WAY THAT
PEOPLE IN THE DOCUMENTARY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN CASE, BUT IT IS ALSO A MODE THAT CAN ACT TO
UNDERMINE THE INTERVIEWEES, MAKING THEM LOOK FOOLISH ORDELUDED.

9. EXAMPLES OF INTERACTIVE
DOCUMENTARIES:
• AMERICA’S MOST WANTED IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARIES AND THIS IS BECAUSE
THE INTERVIEWER IS HEARD ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND SO IS THE INTERVIEWEE RESPONDING TO THE
QUESTION. IN THIS DOCUMENTARY THE INTERVIEWEES WOULDN’T BE MADEA FOOL OUT OF BECAUSE
THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER AS THEY MAY BE TELLING THE STORY OF HOWTHEY LOST THEIR LOVES ONES
OR EXPLAINING A MURDER CASE.