Documentary

DocumentaryA movie, television or radio programme that provides a factual record or report

1.consisting of or based on official documents

2.using pictures or interviews with people involved in real events to provide a factual report on a particular subject.

Types of documentaries

1. Docusoaps: it’s a hybrid genre, following individuals or groups of people (generally with a central protagonist) These are popular as they are like soap operas e.g.

2. Reality TV: factual TV giving you useful information in the form of entertainment, mixing authentic material with serious information and commercial content

3. Fly on the wall: Camera is unseen and people ignore it, in order to record unscripted events e.g.

4. Mixed: A combination of actual footage, interviews, observation and archive material. The narrator links the story together e.g. The Inconvenient Truth

5. Self reflective: Camera follows person/people around but people know the camera is there and talk to it e.g. Bigbrother

6. Docudrama: A reconstruction of something that has happened to show the events occurring e.g.

7. Fully narrated: Narrator is involved the whole way through and dominate what is occurring e.g. Catfish

What makes a good documentary?• The most important element to consider is to have a story

that will inform, evoke and educate• Good production• Engaging characters• Good factual research• Good order and well organised piece so it is easy to

follow• http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/what-makes-a-

good-documentary/10155.html

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTIs9fvkUA

• Following Karl Pilkington as the main character, as he is sent to random locations with set tasks to complete

• This allows the viewer to feel engaged as there is a main protagonist who the viewer follows and enjoys

• This can be considered self reflected as Karl is aware of the camera and responds to it, as well as mixed as during his adventures he conducts interviews and takes actual footage following his actions.

• The camera is centrally focused on Karl and takes footage according to what he sees, as well as conducting mini-interviews with Karl himself with his thoughts

• The voice over is also conducted by Karl as it follows his thoughts on issues, although the majority of the sound is diegetic with little being actual voice overs.

Top documentaries

• Hoop dreams: Steve James• The thin blue line: Errol Morris• Bowling for columbine: Michael Moore• An inconvenient truth: Al Gore• Super size me: Morgan Spurlock• Gray gardens: Albert Maysles• Fahrenheight 9/11: Michael Moore