Documentary Notes

Documentaries

Purpose of a documentary is to document an event using evidence. Actual footage or reconstructions can be used. A voice over is added to explain the meaning of the documentary. There are so many types of documentaries which could be truth or fictitious. Each documentary should be questioned by the viewer.

John Corner 1995- 'What distinguishes documentary is the portrayal of the recorded sounds and images of actuality' - giving a factual account of an event sometimes it can be partly staged- actors for example can be used to make the audience feel a certain way.

Documentaries have a high level of construction, they can be descriptive and leave the viewer to decide their own opinion. Most documentaries lead to one side to make sense, for example documentaries about the 9/11 disaster will be constructed to make the viewer feel sorry for people.

John Grierson first coined the term documentary in 1926, 'the definite treatment of actuality'. Television was not invented at the time, making documentaries for cinema audiences. This was showing people an insight to other peoples lives. Two examples of this would be 'Housing problems 1935' and 'Coal face 1935'. During the war times, documentaries used to make people feel good and there was a normal government based interest.

When considering the scheduling of a documentary it is very important. What comes on before and afterwards is vital as it would influence the viewer. They sometimes command a prime time slot as they become more popular, an example of this would be 'panorama'. Documentaries also tend to be emotional and sensational to gain a bias opinion. On the other hand a different point of view can be shown, this showing a balanced opinion leaving the audience to make up their own mind. British documentaries in particular are known for their investigative journalism.

The Creative treatment of actuality

This is the measure of how creative and authentic the documentary is. It is impossible to capture all evens in their actual state, therefore some parts will be faked. Even when capturing a raw event, angles used to film make it somehow faked. Something in every documentary has to be real, although at the same time trying to make you feel something.

Diane Tammes- film maker -'Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing the film. I mean its your truth that you're seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen.'

Current affairs-

These programmes are half way between a documentary and the news, they are usually about 30 minutes long, if they were any longer it would be more of a traditional documentary. Social problems and weighty issues are discussed throughout which appeals to a broader audience. These programmes also have a shorter deadline as they have to move fast as the events are topical, where as documentaries can take months to film. Current affairs programmes aim to provide info-tainment. An example of this would be 'Dispatches'

Central elements of Documentary

Following the ideas of John Corner, there are said to be 5 features of a documentary-

Observation- usually the makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part of the event.

Interview- this can contrast with the observation. Pictures are sometimes dubbed over the interview. There could be two different interviews, a full flowing interview or placing the interview in segments.

Dramatisation- all documentaries have this. The audience is an eye witness to the events and the drama has to take place naturally.

Mise en scene- this allows the drama to unfold and advances the argument of exposition.

Exposition- this is the line of argument. This is what the documentary is trying to say, this could be plain direct, indirect or hidden. This manipulates the audience and documentaries that are faked by relying on observation are said to have a weak exposition.

Documentaries in the past have resulted in change of laws and legislation's. This was the case for Ken Loach's 'Cathy Come Home (BBC 1966)', this resulted in improved conditions for homeless people. This shows the impact that documentaries can have on people. The makers however rarely question the deeper organisation and fairness of society.

A documentary represents the transformed world. It would be the first programme to be cut if a channel is low on money. Winning documentary issues are sex, law & order and violence. 

There are 3 processes to consider in a documentary, these consist of:

-the people it is aimed at

-the people in the documentary

-the reaction of audience after viewing

They are usually about people who are unable to defend themselves, known as victims of society. Human beings are therefore used as evidence.

When a documentary is fully narrated, this is an off screen voice over known as 'The voice of God'. This shows that the theories of the documentary are not questioned.

The 'fly on the wall' theory is a type of cinema verite, this is almost observational as there is no commentary and the camera affects the behaviour of the subjects. The process of the editing then creates meaning.

The mixed approach of interview and observation is in contrast to the voice of god as it often adapts a modern news reporting style, the journalist also speaks to the camera.

The self reflective style is where the subject acknowledges the presence of the camera and speaks directly to the filmmaker. People then talk to the filmmaker behind the camera and this can be seen as confusing.

When considering a docudrama, this is a re-enactment of events as they are based on the truth. An example of this would be 'Hillsborough 1996' which is said to represent the truth but only sometimes delivers fiction, this can be misleading and dangerous.

A docusoap on the other hand is a phenomenon of recent years which follows daily lives of people in a range of different jobs. For example airports and cruise liners. Many people dispute these to be real however they are of a low cost and very popular although being highly staged.

Disnefication is the term for a docusoap type of documentary for dumbing down the real issues of documentary and choosing to win ratings with friendly topics, this has been put to blame by Steven Barnett.