Documentary Mini Task
A documentary is a piece of visual entertainment that is
used to inform people on specific subjects and topics. The dictionary
definition for documentary is using pictures or interviews with people in real
events to provide a factual report on a particular subject.[1]
An expository documentary speaks directly to the viewer
often in the form of an authoritative commentary using voiceover or titles
proposing a strong argument and point of view to persuade the viewer. An
example of an expository documentary is ‘Americas Most Wanted’. This is an
expository documentary as it begins with a presenter introducing the topic. It
contains a series of secondary pictures showing the person who is the focus of
the documentary. There is also an interview with local police to support the
topic of the documentary. This makes it an expository documentary as it speaks
directly to the viewer to try and persuade them to be in favour of the topic.
An observational documentary is where unobtrusive
observation of the subject is the director’s aim. An example of an
observational documentary that is very prominent in today’s society is Big
Brother. This is an observational documentary because it begins with a personal
talk between a housemate and ‘big brother’. There are then unedited clips of
the housemates going about their daily lives. This makes it an observational
documentary because it is not interfering with the contestant’s lives and is
just watching them go about their lives in an unobtrusive way.
The key features of an interactive documentary is firstly
that the audience is addressed directly and there is usually a voice over. An
example of an interactive documentary is Hollow which explores the dangerous
futures that the rural areas of America face. This is an interactive
documentary because it allows the audience to scroll through certain features
and go through the information at their own pace allowing them to control the
story.
A reflexive documentary is where the film maker acknowledges
their presence in front of the camera and provides a narrative to the
documentary. A popular example of a reflexive documentary film maker is Louis
Theroux. This is because he is usually always in front of the camera and only
does informal interviews. He often takes part in the activities that he and his
crew are filming but remains impartial and detached.
]The key features of a performative is the dramatizations of
the events that the documentary is focusing on. It uses actors to act out the
certain events within a documentary. It uses voiceovers to explain what is
going on and uses soundtracks and sound effects to add suspense to the
dramatization. An example of a performative is 'Tongues Untied which is about the rights and struggles of black gay men in America. This is a performative documentary because it uses actors to represent people protecting themselves from the pain that is inflicted upon them. It also uses an actor for facial expressions of pain with a voiceover that includes motivational phrases that relate to the rights for black gay men in America. Dramatisations are used in documentaries to physically show viewers what happened. This can often have a stronger effect on viewers in comparison to someone telling them about it because they can see it for themselves which in turn makes it a lot more real and further emphasizes that these are genuine problems that are being portrayed.
In conclusion as a film maker I believe that the best way to get to the audience is have a strong point to finish the documentary. This is because when viewers are just being presented facts and opinions often the hard hitting point of the documentary is lot among it all. Therefore if the documentary puts focus on the main point at the end of the documentary it is more likely to stay in the viewers mind which will make them think about it more.
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