THEORY OF DOCUMENTARI

ES

THE AIMTo report something real with evidence.

Often, they contain actual footage and/or reconstructions of events and situations which support

the film makes account.

Narration is included to anchor the meaning behind the documentary and sometimes this narrator is unseen.

Documentaries are frequently defined as ‘problematic’.

Documentaries must be real but unfortunately real evidence can’t always be used and therefore

reconstructions of events must be created in order to give the audience a visual portrayal of evidence.

All reconstructions have to be based on fact but they don’t have to contain an analysis of the event.

Reconstructions often cover a wide range of documentaries including politics, history, sociology,

religion and culture.

THE BALANCE OF CREATIVITYAs documentaries have become more popular, there

have been a range of arguments regarding the creative aspect about them.

Many issues surrounding authenticity arise, as the more creative the documentary is, the more it runs

away from focus. It must be ensured that the correct balance of

creativity is maintained. Often the accuracy of reconstructions are disputed as

people act differently when they are on camera, therefore arguably the recording can’t be branded as

reality.

ACCORDING TO FILM MAKERS

As regards to the argument about creativity, many film makers state that reconstruction is inevitable, mainly down to the fact that not everything can be captured as it happens.

‘I think that the truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing a film. I

mean it’s your truth that you’re seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen’ – Diane Tammes, Film

Maker.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENTOver the years documentaries have developed so much so that

now the term documentary covers so many different production methods.

Some argue it should be replaced with the term ‘non-fiction programme’.

Despite disagreeing on the styles and terms of a documentary, many people do have common beliefs when it comes to what a

documentary is and what it should contain:

• Recorded sound – actual reality / experiences

• Not just facts – socially critical arguments, also inviting the audience to draw their own conclusions

‘Documentaries present facts about a subject using real events, people places then creatively interpret all comments on those

realities and people’s concerns’ – Peter Mayeux

FIVE ESSENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS

John Corner, a documentary makers and professor at the University of Liverpool, stated five central elements to documentaries:

Observation – usually it is pretended that the camera is unseen, therefore the audience are placed as an eye witness. Observations are used as evidence for interviews, but they have

been criticised for showing participants of objects and not subjects.

Interview – documentaries rely on interviews as they are used to support or contrast the observation. The interviewer can be seen or unseen and pictures are often inserted alongside

in order to anchor meaning and make the interviews more interesting. Interviews can just simply run as one or be cut and edited with other material.

Dramatisation – done through the observational element. It creates a sense of conflict and builds up arguments. The audience is placed as an eye witness. The events are based on fact.

Mise-en-scene – used to construct reality and is extremely important and must be relevant to the documentary. It includes elements such as set, props, costumes, make up, lighting and

colour.

Exposition – reveals what argument is being explored (the topic of the documentary), which is done through description and commentary. Exposition can be obvious, direct, indirect or

hidden. Documentaries can also leave it up to the audience to make up their own mind as to where they stand, as regards an argument.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

These are midway between documentaries and the news, an effective

example being panorama. Current affairs go more in depth about what is happening on the news and are

important for exploring weighty issues and social development.

They tend follow expository conventions and discuss very controversial and high

profile topics.

TRUTH AND REALITYIt is critical that the film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary can be unproblematic representation of reality

and that the truth can be conventionally dispensed and revealed like Valium’ – Dennis O’Rouke

Documentaries are real, though they have elements of fiction, such as scripted voice overs.

The most popular documentaries are the ones that look at topics such as sex, violence and law and order; the most

watched documentary is US Violence In America. Controversial documentaries are not popular with TV as it is

difficult to get advertisements to be played around it, as companies don’t want to be associated with controversial

topics. Normally documentaries aim to tell the stories of society’s victims. Human beings are used as evidence and lives are

exploited and exposed.

PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOWDocumentaries aim to work on this, for instance sharing information that the government aren’t

openly saying to the public. They expect the audience to notice there is a

problem, and then propose a solution. The intention is to alert people to the fact that

something needs to change, in the hope that the audience may then go out and do something

STEVE BARNETT’S THEORY: ‘DISNEYFICITON'

Barnett looked at the need for television to broadcast things that win ratings instead of programmes / documentaries that actually

deal with serious subjects. He suggested that documentaries have

been ‘dumbed down’ as audiences have become used to such broadcasts.

There have been claims that this shows TV to be cheap and being more concerned

with ratings, rather than expressing useful or important information.

CONVENTIONSDocumentaries rely heavily on narrative conventions and have

a definite beginning middle and end, as well as focusing strongly on conflict.

Non diegetic music and sound effects make them more interesting.

Beginning – lays out the central question for the documentary and shows some action footage or quick clips of interviews.

Middle – it becomes more complicated and will examine the issue in more detail. Different opinions are voiced and the

argument becomes strengthened. A range of different arguments are put forward which often created complication

and conflicting evidence.End – the exposition is made fully apparent. The complications

are often solved so there is no doubt for the audience.Overall, to create a good documentary, the film maker must

have knowledge of their chosen subject and discuss and plan techniques and content.