The purpose of a documentary is to document an event which has to have evidence to support it. Documentarys can have real footage filmed by the person producing the document and reconstructed footage as well as archive footage. Reconstructed footage and voiceovers can be added to add meaning. Documentarys can also be problematic as some resemble elements of truth where as others are not as truthfull. As a media student we should question this because it is very important.
John corner 1995 said " What distinguishes documentary is the portrayel of the recorded sounds of images of actuality"
It does not mean give actual footage all the time. They can use actors to play a certain character. For example in history olden times actors would be needed to play characters who are not alive now. So the actors would not be the same characters as they would of been in the past.
Documentaries are constucted. They do not have to have analysis it can be simply descriptive and leave the viewer to there own opinion. This is because documentarys should not be biased and poeple are entitled to there own thoughts and opinions.
Documentary was defined in the 1930's by a man named John Grierson and his team helped him also.
When shedualing a documentary positioning is very tricky this is because what is shown before and after is very vital in a documentary. Most documentarys offer a balanced view point but others in modern days are very biased British documentaries are renowned for their investigative journalism. This apposed what the goverment or the society are suggesting. Many documentarys today give a one sided view on a situation aand make you feel for one side.
The creative treatment of actuality
How creatiive should a documentary be?
Some of a documentary is fake for example characters and camera angles can be used effectively but can be not real.
A film maker names Dianne Tamnes said " Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing a film. I mean its your truth that your seeing. Everybody who makes a film is puttin their own truth on the screen" This means that documentarys are not all truthfull and you yourself are what makes it truthfull by the end of the documentary.
There have been a lot of debates about documentarys as many people do not agree with eachother. This is because everybody has there own opinions on documentarys. Some people may agree and like them while others will disagree and not like them at all.
Their is a range of six genres in documentarys
Documentarys are not just about facts they are about sound and recorded images etc. This causes critical arguments because this is were the word truth becomes involved.
If it is under 30 mintues it can not be classed as a dacumentaryand if it is over 30 minutes it is a documentary. This is because they have to be long to get enough detail and facts, archive footage and real footage to make it a good documentary.
There are 5 central features to a documentary.
- Observation- becomes an eyewitness on the event and pretends the camera is hidden.
- Mise en scene- Tells the story and advances the arguments.
- Interviews- Pictures may be over the interview, inbetween segment interviews and full flowing interviews
- exposition- the line of argument. what is your documentary saying?
- dramatisation- audience is an eyewitness to the dramatic event.
- reconstruction- a take place based on facts.
When it comes to mice en scene in documentarys this is a very important part to make a documentary work well. The background reinforces the content of te interview or it is relevent tp the interviewee, providing more information about them in the terms of occupation or personal environmentAnother importance in a documenary is the positioning of the interviewer. If the interviewee is on the right side of the frame, the interviewer should be postioned on the left side of the camera. If the interviewee is on the left side of the frame the interviewer is postioned on the right side of the camera.
Documentaries can take many months to plan and make. The public feel like they have a right to know what is happening. That is the whole point of a documentary to gain authority.
Dennis O'rourke said " It is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary can be unproblematic representation of reality and truth can be conveiently dispensed and recieved like valium"
Documentarys represent the transformed world. If money is tight documentarys will be cut as they are not that popular. rating winner issues are, Sex, war and order and violence. controversial ones are not popular with television because it may affend advertisers. Documenaties are made to make the audience feel something. If they did not do this there would be no point.
There are many types of documentaries.
Direct mode of address- Nature programmes, voice of god ver authoritve speach as if its true.
Fly on the wall- Cinema virtie. a style of film that looks like a documentary, observational. editing creates meaning and camera effects behaviour of the subject.
Mixed- Most popular, interviews, observations, narrative and voice overs.
Docudrama- reanactment of events as they are supposed to happen based on fact for exaple hillsborough 1996- only ever hoped to delever fiction. they can be dangerous and misleading.
docusoaps- phenomoneon of recent years, jobs in society, airports, cruise liners etc. these are very popular and cost hardly anything to be filmed.
Disneyfication- which dumbs things down.
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