Transcript of The documentary genre.pptx
- 1. THE DOCUMENTARY GENRE Vicki Kelly
- 2. Documentary Definition. The purpose of a documentary is to
document. I.e. to report with evidence something that has actually
happened. It can show this by using actuality footage or
reconstruction. Even when filming actuality footage people are
still directing and sets are organised so there is still a high
level of construction taking place. A good documentary should be
about the topic and not the style of presentation. However, the
content alone, without any intervention from the producers, would
seldom be good enough to make the documentary coherent let alone
interesting. To give a product a sense of pace and structure they
draw on many of the characteristics of fiction in their use of
camera angles, framing, lighting and editing.
- 3. John Grierson John Grierson was the first person to use the
term documentary. He used the term when describing his film South
Sea Island in 1926. He described documentaries as the creative
treatment of actuality.
- 4. 5 Features Of A Documentary: John Corner was a lecturer at
the University Of Liverpool. He claimed that there are 5 central
elements of a documentary. 1. observation: Usually the programme
makers pretend that the camera is unseen or ignored by the people
taking part in the event. This unseen observation places the people
taking part in a role of eye witness to the reality portrayed. 2.
Interview: The interviewee is questioned and addressed by the
interviewer not the audience. 3. Dramatisation: All documentaries
use a sense of drama through the observation element. The audience
is an eyewitness to dramatic events. 4. Mise-en-scene: Documentary
makers carefully compose shots so that they contain the images that
they want the audience to see. 5. Exposition: The line of argument
in a documentary. What the documentary is saying. Corner believes
that the exposition in a documentary may be either plain and direct
or indirect and hidden, it always exists never the less.
- 5. Types Of Documentary. 1. Fully narrated: An off scene voice
over conveys the exposition. The voice over is used to make sense
of visuals and dominates their meaning. Often is referred to as the
voice of god. 2. Fly on the wall: The cameras are left to record
the subject without interference. It draws on the French cinema
verti. 3. Mixed documentary: uses a combination of interview,
observation, actuality, archive and narration in the exposition. 4.
Self-reflexive: When the subject of a documentary acknowledge the
presence of a camera and often speak directly to the film maker. 5.
Docudrama: A re-enactment of events as they are supposed to have
actually happened. 6. Docusoap: A documentary that follows the
daily lives of particular individuals usually within designated
occupation. For example, common characters shown over each episode
and story lines left on a cliff hanger for the next episode.
- 6. Fully Narrated: Shark
- 7. Fly On The Wall: 24 Hours in A&E
- 8. Mixed Documentary: Chalkie Davies
- 9. Self Reflexive: Teen Mom
- 10. Docudrama: Kings and Queens Of England
- 11. Docusoap- Benefits Street