Introduction to Documentary
Documentaries focus on and question people and events often in a social context making the audience form an opinion about it.
- They present factual information about the world.
- Documentaries use on-screen labels.
Devices used:
- Recorded events as they atually occur
- Information presents using visual aids, charts, maps etc.
- Events stages for the camera when neccessary.
Three types of documentary:
- Compilation film-film is made up of an assembly of archive images such as newsreel and footage.
- Interview/'talking heads'-testimoniesare recorded about people, events or social movements.
- Direct cinema-where an event is recorded 'as it happens', with minimal intereference from the film-maker.
Documentary techniques:
- Narrative form-telling us a story with characters, tension, and a point of view, using improvisation. Modern situations consist of Big Brother.
- Parallelism-asking the audience to draw parallels between characters, settings and situations.
- Narration-helps the audience receive plot information.
- Authoritative voice-Audience listens to a voice they already know, and trust. Normally documentaris use male voices, but recently, specifically with the younger audience, documentaires have introduced the female voice-over.
LIGHTING
The source of lighting in a documentary usually originates naturally from the environment being filmed. Unlike a feature film-maker using additional and manipulated light.
CAMERA WORK
Hand-held camera work is the most commonly used in a documentary, removing the need for a tripod or dolly, using their body for support. This creates a subjective point of view aiming at an intimacy between the audience and the film.
EDITNG
- Fade-out-image darkens into blackness gradually.
- Fade-in-image lightens from blackness gradually.
- Dissolve-end of the shot is briefly superimposed with the beginning of the next.
- Wipe-a shot is replaced by another using a line moving across the screen.
Material is selected, ordered and placed into a sequential form ('Mediated').
SOUND
- Diegetic sound-comes from within the documentary
- Non-digetic sound-comes from outside the film/documentary e.g a soundtrack or narrator.
Documentary Genres/styles
Expository- 'Voice-of-god' narration directly addressing the viewer. The voice-over anchors the meaning of the images being shown, which are used to illustrate what the narrator is saying and can appear to make the voice-over seen more objective nd honest. They are usually centred arund a problem that needs solving.
Observational ('fly-on-the-wall')
The style began with the 'direct cinema' techniques, where by a lightweight camera equipment allowed crews to film right where the action was taking place creating dramatic excitement.
Observational narrative avoids voice-over or commntary and the camera is as unobtrusive as possible.
Techniques used:
- Indirect address to the audience
- Diegetic sound (including music)
- Relatively long takes, demonstrating nothing has been edited out.
- Observational documentaries tend to focus on specific individuals, often durin a crisis or drama.
- Events often unfolded infront of the camera and the film-makers have no knowledge of the outcome.
- The style dominates television documentaries.
Docucoaps
Docusoaps are a hugely popular hybrid; a long-running documentary series that follows a group of characters chosen for their quirkiness and entertainment value. Their prioritisation of entertainment over social commentary, sets them apart from their predecessors.
They were made possible by lightweight camea equipment.
They have an episodic, soap-like structure, with several interweaving plot lines, involving different characters, which tend to be given about three minutes of air time before moving on to the next. There is a relationship btween characters, film makers and the audience that was new in the history of documentary.
Reality TV
-characterised by a high degree of hybridisation between different programme types.
-factual programming increased between 1989 and 1999, mainly at the expense of sitcoms, game shows and quizzes.
Reality TV is characterised by:
- Camcorder, surveillance or observational camera work
- First person or eye-witness testimony
- Studio or to-camera links and commentary from presenters.
Interactive
The style acknowledges the presence of the camera and crew. It allows the film-maker to speak directly to her/his subjects in the form on an interview mainly, meaning that the focus is on the exchange of information rather than the creation of an objective view.
Drama-documentary
-reconstruction and re-enactments are as old as documentary itself. Drama documentaries arouse much debate because unless based on transcripts, they are even more open to bias and interpretation than other forms of documentaries.
'docudrama'-fictional story that uses techniques of documentary to reinforce its claim for realism.
'dramadoc'-documentary reconstruction of actual events using techniques taken from fiction cinema.
The purpose and effect of the techniques used is more important than the labelling.
Current Affairs
-journalist-led programmes whose aim is to address the news and the political agenda in greater depth than the news bulletins allow. Programmes are organised around a journalist report.
Documentary Dilemmas
-Documentary footage is rarely broadcaste unedited.
-The relationship between programme makers and their subjects varies: they can be reporting on their subjects, investigating them, or observing them.
-Editing is another area of difficulty because any documentary can only be a representation of a particular subject.
Factual accuracy is vital for current affairs documentaries: responsibility to the audienceoutweights responsibility to the subjects of the programme.
BBC and ITC guidelines affect the final edit of any programme.
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