Introduction to Documentary- My note taking

These are just general notes on the types of documentary's.

What is a documentary?

• Focuses on actual people and events.
• Forms an opinion for the audience.
• Factual information about the world.
• On-screen labels e.g. peoples names and job title.
• Audience then believe the people and actual events exist.

Number of devices are used:

• Record events as they actually occur;
• Information may be presented using aids, such as charts and maps;
• Some events may be staged for the camera (Reconstruction)
• Crew: one camera operator and one sound person- so they can remain mobile while filming.

Documentary techniques

3 types of documentary

• Compilation film- Film made up of archive images such as newspapers and footage.
• Interview or ‘Talking Heads’- Testimonies recorded about people, events or social movements.
• Direct Cinema- Event recorded ‘as it happens’ with minimal interference from film- maker.
• Often use a narrative.
• Good characters, tension and p.o.v.
• Can be planned or improvised.
• Voice over.
• Interviews.
• Observe.
• Use found footage or music.
• Modern docus less scripted than predecessors and appear more observational.
• Results audience- position of voyeur (somebody watching someone else).
• Docus use parallelism.
• Asking audience to draw parallels between characters, settings and situations.

Narration

• Docus usually feature narrator.
• Narrator enables audience to receive plot information.
• Non- character narrator – Voice of God, anonymous
• Tells the audience the story.
• Formal voice overs often well known people to connect to the audience.
• Voice over’s tend to be male.
• However recent docus (aimed at teens) are often woman.

Lighting

• Originates naturally from the environment being filmed.
• Feature film-makers may use light to manipulate the image.
• Often use what lighting is available, or necessary.

Camera Work

• Most commonly used hand-held.
• Removing need for tripod and dolly.
• Shaky shots make it seem more ‘authentic’ and ‘real’.

Editing

• Virtual component that docu’s rely on.

Several types of editing available:

• Fade out- When an image gradually darkens into blackness.
• Fade in- The opposite of the above and so the image lightens from blackness.
• Dissolve- When the end of the shot briefly superimposed with the beginning of the next.
• Wipe- When a shot is replaced by another using a line which moves across the screen.

• Editing is a way of interpreting an event in an understandable form.
• During editing process that material is selected, ordered and place into a sequence.
• Other words ‘Mediated’.

Sound

• Diegetic sound (sound from the source).
• Non- Diegetic (outside the docu soundtrack).
• Docu’s rely heavily on non-Diegetic sound.
• Social vehicle for informing public opinion.

Documentary Genre/ Styles

Expository – (Very common)

• Voice of god narration- directly addresses the audience.
• Anchors a meaning to the images.
• Images used to illustrate what the narrators saying.
• Voice over seems more objective and honest.
• Docu’s usually centred around a problem that needs solving.

Observational (Often-known as fly on the wall)- Voyeuristic

• Lightweight camera equipment allows crew’s to film right where the action takes place.
• Observational tends to avoid voice –over’s.
• Indirect address to the audience.
• Nothing gets cut or edited out.

E.g. Big Brother!

Docusoaps

• Follows a group of people.
• Hugely popular hybrid.
• Based on institutions.
• Light weight camera equipment.
• Becomes part of a story.
• Soap like structure.
• Relationships between characters.
• If characters play up to camera, we know it as a particular style.

Reality TV

• Factual television.
• TV schedules, factual programming increased between 1989 and 1999, often in prime-time and pre and post- watershed slots. Mainly at the expense of sitcoms, game shows and quizzes.
• Popularity used to describe programmes that use ‘ordinary’ people filmed in a first person or confessional style.
• Reality TV – characterised by – Camcorder, surveillance or observational camera work;
• First person or eye-witness testimony.
• Studio or to-camera links and commentary from presenters.

Interactive

• Not as popular.
• E.g. Cribs
• Makes the audience think its truthful.
• Docu acknowledgement the presence of the camera and crew.
• Docu maker talks directly to her/his subject.
• Audience constantly reminded of the existent of the multi viewpoints in contrast to voice of god.
• Audience may read this as honest cos there is no attempt to disguise camera or crew.
• Interviewer sets the agenda by asking ‘loaded’ questions and choosing who to interview.

Drama- Documentary

• Docudrama- A fictional story that uses the techniques of docu to reinforce its claim for realism.
• Dramadoc- A docu reconstruction of actual events using techniques taken from fiction cinema.

Current Affairs

• Going into detail
• Discussing something current > news night and political issues.

Documentary Dilemmas

• Docu footage is rarely broadcast unedited.