Theories and concepts of Documentaries
John Grierson came up with the term Documentary in 1926. The purpose of a Documentary is to document something that has happened. A Documentary shows actual footage or reconstruction. It uses a narrators voice over to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants themselves with occasional interjection by the narrator. Documentaries are not just about facts, instead facts can be used to create socially critical arguments inviting the audience to draw their own conclusions.
Features of Documentaries
There are 5 central elements of a Documentary. According to John Corner from the university of Liverpool these are : Observation, Interview, Dramatisation, Mise en scene and exposition.
Observation
Otherwise known as the “fly on the wall” this is used in most documentaries and the programme makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part, this places the audience in the role of an eyewitness. this works as witness evidence for the documentary producers argument. There are various techniques for example, indirect address to the audience i.e speech overheard. Relatively long takes demonstrating nothing has been cut of edited out. Observational documentaries are just as biased and subjective as any other form of documentaries as the director can make editing choices.
Interview
Television documentaries rely on interviews which can be used to make a contrast to make observation sequences . The interviewer is either seen or unseen. The speaker is questioned and addresses the interviewer and not the audience. Sometimes pictures are dubbed over in support of what the speak has said. Interviews are structured in two ways. inter cut fragments of observation and other material or allow the interview to run interrupted.
Dramatisation
All documentaries use a sense of drama through the observation element. The audience is an eye witness to the event. Some documentaries use dramatisation to portray people and events that the film maker can not get access to in real life these fictional sequences are fact.
Mise-en-scene
Simply refers to things put into the shot. Documentary makers carefully compose the shots so they contain the images the audience want to you and are used to advance the argument of exposition.
Exposition
exposition is simply the line of argument in a document it can be made up of description combined with commentary. The exposition is what the documentary is "saying". The exposition can either be plain and direct or indirect and hidden but always exists. The narrator leaves the audience to make their own decisions by showing them sequences.
These highly observational documentaries contain strong evidence but have a weak exposition.
Types of documentaries
There are at least 6 types which include: fully narrated, fly on the wall, mixed, self reflexive, docu-drama and docu-soaps
Fully Narrated
Direct address documentaries use off the screen voice over to convey the exposition. The voice over is used to make sense of the visuals and dominates there meaning, for example a Nature documentary narrators such as David Attenborough. This makes the narrator seem authoritative about the topic. Critics have dubbed this style as "the voice of god".
Fly on the wall
This type of documentary relays almost totally on observation, no commentary or cameras left to focus, no interference and viewers come to their own conclusions.
Mixed
This uses a combination of interview and observation and narration to advance the argument. In contrast to the voice of god style narration is often in the frame.
Self reflexive
When the subjects of a documentary acknowledges the presence of camera. Often speak directly to the film maker. This type of documentary makes a point of drawing attention of the film makers role in constructing a view of reality.
Docu-drama
This is a re-enactment of events as they're supposed to have happened in this style the elements of the argument and exposition are combined with fictional narrative for example J.F.K documentary. Critics claim that docu-drama's claim to represent the truth but can only hope to ever deliver fiction.
docu-soap
This has become a phenomenon over the recent years and has been the explosion of programmes that follow the daily lives of a particular individual within a designated occupation for example Airport or Our soldiers. Many dispute these documentaries as they seek after all not to explore topics so much as to eavesdrop on them.
Current Affairs
These are different to documentaries instead these are journalist based programmes aimed to express news and political gender. Emphasis is mainly on the investigated and the political seeking out atrocity and political scandal. The differences between currant affairs and documentaries is that current affairs focus on the pressure of deadlines and view of the audience where as documentaries take months to produce. Current affair producers must have at least several stories available each night in which a topic can be explored is determined by the amount of time available . Documentaries have an hour to explore one topic because they go in depth in that topic. Audiences are varied for current affairs as many watch just for pleasure and information more than documentaries they aim to provide info-tainment.
Music and sound effects
sound is effective in producing an emotional response in the audience.
Lighting
This is used to try to achieve realism and authenticity, poor lighting is one of the first things to give this away.
Construction of reality
Construction of reality is asking yourself is the programme bias or does it have a certain spin on things from what it sends out this can be done by what is known as gate keeping. gate keeping is the selection and rejection of information by editors, directors and producers.
Visuals
This is what we see on the screen and can include archive footage for example street scenes open country side or close ups of faces used to intend meaning.
Vox Popps
These are straight interviews done anywhere with the general public. Each person is asked the same question and the answers are strung together in a fast sequence which is good to suggest a general agreement or disagreement with something.
Scripting and Structuring Documentaries
Narrative conventionsDocumentaries rely heavily on different conventions of a narrative. There is a definitive narrative e.g beginning, middle and end. also there is a strong focus on characters and conflict. others include music, special settings and lighting.
The Beginning
This needs to capture audiences attention as soon as possible with a central question of the documentary can be posed at the beginning in an intriguing way e.g most dramatic piece of footage.
The Middle
This is the complication stage which needs to be the most compelling and often examines issue in human terms the focus on people and their opinions which strengthens the conflict.
The End
This makes the exposition fully apparent by the reflection stage.
Conflict
This can be between people and different; beliefs goals circumstances or ambitions. It can also be within the individual with surroundings or between generations or social class. This is often shown through several stages and allows documentaries to use a narrative technique of complication and tension.
Sense of Movement
This can add strength to the narrative elements. According to documentary maker Michael Rabiger this can take three forms. first form its physical movement e.g change of job or city. Form two is movement in time represented e.g growth of a child. Form three is the psychological chance e.g prisoner adjusting to life after prison.
Narrative Structure
Open = The audience is left to make their own mind up at the end
Closed = there is a definitive outcome and ending.
Single strand = There is only one main plot throughout.
Multi-strand = there are many different subplots which interweave.
Linear = this is in chronological order i.e beginning middle and end
Non linear = not in chronological order
Circular = there is a question at the start which is revisited at the end.
