Research

RESEARCHBY THOMAS PAYNE

EXPOSITORY-

• THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES A PERSON OR A TOPIC, IT IS A CLASSIC FORM OF DOCUMENTARY AND IS ONE OF THE MAIN FOUR. EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARIES ARE WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING A COMMENTATOR TALKING OVER THE PICTURES OR VIDEOS AND EXPLAINING THE STORY. FOR EXAMPLE AMERICA’S MOST WANTED.

THE MAIN CONVENTIONS OF THIS TECHNIQUE IS:

• •A NARRATOR

• •RHETORICAL QUESTION

• •FACTS

• •OPINIONS

• •PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

• IN EVERY EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY YOU WILL SEE THESE TECHNIQUES BEING USED, ESPECIALLY A NARRATOR.

• IN THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY, THE NARRATOR IS BEING SPECIFICALLY TO THE AUDIENCE, I ASKED FIVE PEOPLE NOT INCLUDING MYSELF, ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY, WHILE I ENJOY THEM, BECAUSE I LEARN WHISTLE WATCHING, PEOPLE I ASKED DISAGREED WITH ME, ONE PERSON SAID “ITS IRRITATING, WHILE WATCHING THE PROGRAM I WANT TO WATCH NOT LISTEN”, ANOTHER PERSON SAID “THE NARRATOR IS INSULTING ON SOME LEVELS TO THE AUDIENCE AS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DOCUMENTARY THERE IS LITTLE OR NO ROOM TO THING FOR MYSELF”.

OBSERVATIONAL

• THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY FOLLOWS THE PROTAGONIST AROUND, TO OBSERVE THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR LIFE. THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED FOR THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY CAN BE INFORMAL, SUCH AS THE USE OF HAND HELD CAMERAS, FOR LONG TAKES TO BE USED. FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE PROGRAM ‘MTV TEEN CRIBS’ IS A OBSERVATIONAL TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY. MTV TEEN CRIBS IS A REALITY TV/DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRING ON MTV. THE BASIS OF THE SHOW FEATURES TOURS OF HOUSES AND MANSIONS OF VERY WEALTHY FAMILIES AND TEENAGERS. THIS SHOW CLASSES AS OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS THE TEENAGERS/PROTAGONIST AROUND AS THEY DO A TOUR OF THEIR HOUSE. THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON ALL OF THE WEALTHY ITEMS AND FURNITURE THAT IS INSIDE THE HOUSE AS WELL AS OUTSIDE. INTERVIEWS AREN’T INCLUDED BUT THE TEENAGERS OR PARENTS DO TALK ABOUT THE HOUSE WHILST THEY’RE DOING THE TOUR OF THE HOUSE

THE TECHNIQUES THAT OBSERVATIONAL USE IS:

• •EDITING- THE SPEEDING UP OF CLIPS HELPS TO SHOW THE LESS INTERESTING PARTS OF THE HOUSE QUICKLY AND EMPHASIS THE GOOD PARTS OF THE HOUSE WHEN THE SPEED RETURNS TO NORMAL.

• •SOUND- MUSIC MAKES IT MORE INTERESTING TO WATCH

• •CAMERA SHOTS- LONG TAKES USED TO SHOW EVERYTHING

• OTHER EXAMPLES OF OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES ARE 16 AND PREGNANT, TEEN MOM, BIG BROTHER AND JERSEY SHORE.

• IN MY OPINION, OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY, I ENJOY THE WAY ITS PRESENTED AND I PERSONALLY ENJOY THE TECHNIQUES THEY DO TO MAKE THE SHOW BETTER.

REFLECTIVE

• IN A REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY, THE FILM MAKER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR PRESENCE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND PROVIDES A NARRATIVE TO THE DOCUMENTARY.

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• THE REFLECTIVE STYLE OF DOCUMENTARY IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARIES, WHERE THE VIEWER IS JUST AS INTERESTED ABOUT HOW THE FILM IS CONSTRUCTED AS THEY ARE THE ACTUAL CONTENT.

• THE REFLECTIVE MODE ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONSTRUCTED NATURE OF DOCUMENTARY AND FLAUNTS IT -

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• CONVEYING TO PEOPLE THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY “TRUTH” BUT A RECONSTRUCTION OF IT – “A” TRUTH, NOT “THE” TRUTH.

CODES & CONVENTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENTARY ARE:

• •BORROWS TECHNIQUES FROM FICTION FILM FOR AN EMOTIONAL, SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE.

• •EMPHASIZES THE EXPRESSIVE NATURE OF FILM; ANTI-REALIST TECHNIQUES E.G. RE-ENACTMENTS, EXPRESSIVE LIGHTING, DRAMATIC MUSIC.

• •VOICEOVER (WHEN PRESENT) IS LIKELY TO BE QUESTIONING AND UNCERTAIN RATHER THAN AUTHORITATIVE.

• •RELIANCE ON SUGGESTION RATHER THAN FACT.

• TWO BIG DIRECTORS OF THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY ARE LOUIS THEROUX AND NICK BROOMFIELD, BOTH THESE MEN ARE KNOWN FOR REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARY. THE WAY THEY BOTH ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE IS THEY “EMPHASIS ON THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN FILMS AND VIEWER RATHER THAN FILM MAKER AND SUBJECT”.

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• REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARIES TEND TO BE THE MOST TRUTHFUL, AS THEY ALWAYS FOCUS ON REALISM, AND TRY TO SHOW THINGS EXACTLY AS THEY HAPPEN, WITHOUT EDITING OR SPECIAL EFFECTS. HOWEVER, AS THE FILM MAKER NARRATES AND ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE SPECIFICALLY, VIEWER’S OPINIONS ARE SWAYED BY THOSE OF THE DOCUMENTARY MAKER.

INTERACTIVE/PARTICIPATORY-

• THIS MODE IS LINKED WITH REFLEXIVE BECAUSE THEY BOTH INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE WAY IN WHICH DOCUMENTARIES REPRESENT IT. REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARY REVEAL HOW DOCUMENTARIES ARE PRODUCED AS REPRESENTATIONS BASED ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANIPULATION OF THE IMAGE. THE PERFORMATIVITY DOCUMENTARY TAKES THIS IDEA FURTHER, EXPLICITLY CHALLENGING THE IDEA OF DOCUMENTARY TRUTH, EMPHASIZING INSTEAD THE PROCESS OF FILM LANGUAGE ITSELF.

CODES & CONVENTIONS:

• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER (AND CREW) INTERACTS WITH THE SUBJECT.

• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE DOCUMENTARY.

• •THE DOCUMENTARY IS OFTEN SHAPED INTO THE NARRATIVE OF AN INVESTIGATION OR SEARCH, POSSIBLY WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION.

• •THE AUDIENCE IS ADDRESSED IN AN EMOTIONAL AND DIRECT WAY.

• •SUBJECT MATTER OFTEN CONCERNS IDENTITY (GENDER, SEXUALITY) – RATHER THAN ‘FACTUAL’ TOPICS

• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER (AND CREW) INTERACTS WITH THE SUBJECT.

• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE DOCUMENTARY.

• •THE DOCUMENTARY IS OFTEN SHAPED INTO THE NARRATIVE OF AN INVESTIGATION OR SEARCH, POSSIBLY WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION.

• •THE AUDIENCE IS ADDRESSED IN AN EMOTIONAL AND DIRECT WAY.

• •SUBJECT MATTER OFTEN CONCERNS IDENTITY (GENDER, SEXUALITY) – RATHER THAN ‘FACTUAL’ TOPICS