What Is A Documentary?

Central to a documentary is the focus on and questions, actual

people and events, often in a social context, placing the
audience in a position to form an opinion about who or what we
are seeing. The term documentary was coined by John Grierson
in 1926. The purpose of a documentary is to document
something that has actually happened. It can be shown using
actual footage or reconstruction. It can use a narrator’s voice
over to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants
themselves, perhaps with occasional interjection by the narrator.
 Documentary is a medium that combines audio and visual
media (TV) or audio (Radio) to convey information to the
audience.
 Documentary contains information sourced facts
collected through research and delivered by various
methods.
 The contents of the TV and radio documentary -
information obtained through interviews, observation,
narration, experiences, adventures, research and reading.
 The contents presented aims to provide exposure,
explanation, and debate about the advantages and
benefits of a documentary shown to the target audience
 Deal with news and information, and
frequently opinion. It relates current or
historical events or idea. It can be academic,
cultural, or even abstract, without apparent
connection to any contemporary or major
issue or concern
 Documentaries provide information and

present a point of view. A good documentary

can have profound influence on social,
political, economy developments and even on
legislation in a city, region or country
Features Of Documentaries
Observation (fly on the wall)
-Programme Makers observe the action
-Pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part
-Unseen observation put the audience in the role of eye witnesses
-Indirect address to the audience

Interview
-Interviews can be used to make a contrast with the observation
sequences
-The interviewer is wither seen or unseen
-The interviewee addresses the interviewer not the audience
-Sometimes pictures are dubbed over the speaker, in support of
what has been said
-Interviews can be structured in two ways, either to be run fully or
there are cuts in between.
Dramatisation
-Although documentaries use a sense of drama, this feature is
specifically used to portray people and events, the maker of
documentary/producer can not gain access to in real life. These
sequences are based on fact.

Mise-en-scene
-What the directors and producers. Put in the scene e.g. Lights and
propps in interviews.

Exposition
-The line of argument in a documentary
Types Of Documentaries
There are 6 different types:

Fully narrated
-Direct address documentaries
-Use an off screen voiceover to convey the exposition
-Voiceover helps to make sense over pictures
-Dominates the meaning
-Narrator often gives sense of authority about the topic
-Critics have called the style “voice of god“

Fly On The Wall

-Rely totally on observation
-No commentation or narration
-Cameras left to record people with viewer making their own
conclusion
 Mixed Documentary
-Uses combination of interview, observation and narration to advance the
argument
-Narration is often from within the frame (most commonly seen on the news)

Self reflexive
-The subjects of the documentary maker acknowledge the presence of a
camera and speaks directly to the documentary maker.
-This style makes a point of drawing attention to the documentary maker role
in constructing a view of reality

Docudrama
-A reinactment of events as they are supposed to have happened
-In this style the elements of argument and exposition are combined with
those of fictional narrative. Basically stories based on fact.

Docusoap
-A phenomenon of recent years which follow the daily lives of particular
induviduals with a designated job (airport)
-Many dispute that they are documentaries in any aspect
Current Affairs
-These are different from documentaries, they are journalist based, they
aim to address news in more depth. For example, Panorama.
-The differences are that they include the pressure of deadlines and they
have to be up to date
Structure
Relies heavily on traditional conventions of narratives. In other words,
there is a beginning, middle and end. Strong focus on character and
conflict. Other conventions of narrative forms are also used including
music, special settings and lighting.

Beginning – The central question is posed. Alternatively the most

dramatic piece of action footage, or some quick interview cuts in
conflict with each other can get audience attention

Middle – Known as complication stage, often examines the issue on

human terms, with a focus on people and opinions. Conflict is
strengthened to provide blockages for the fulfilment of the exposition.
All complications must support the exposition.

End – Makes exposition fully apparent by the resolution stage, the

audience has no doubt what the programme is saying.
Conflict
-Can be between people with different beliefs, goals, circumstances
or ambitions. It can be within an induvidual surroundings, generations
or social classes.
-Conflict must be shown in action. Usually some kind of
confrontation, for the camera. Often it develops through stages

Sense of movement
Add strengths to the narratives of the documentary, there are three
types:
-Physical e.g. change of location
-Movement in time e.g. Change in season
-Psychological changes e.g. Ex prison adjusting to outside world

Music and SFX

Sound is effective in producing an emotional response

Lighting
To achieve realism and authenticity you must ensure good lighting is
used. Poor lighting gives it ways.
Construction of reality
When you watch a documentary you need to ask not just what they
are showing but also question what they are not showing you. This
could be due to bias or preference along with the selection and
rejection of information gate keeping.

Visuals
What we see in the screen included with achieve footage stock
materials are useed to support the intended meaning.
 Narrative Structure
Open – Audience left to make up their own mind

Closed – Definitive ending and outcome

Single strand – Only one main plot throughout

Multistrand – More than one main plot they can cross over

Linear – In Chronological order

Non linear – Is not in an order

Circular – Question at the start is revisited at the end. Circular can tie in
with open.

Voxpops – Short or the ‘Voice of the people’, consists of street interview

of public, each person asked the same questions, the answers are
strung together in fast sequence. These are good for suggesting either
a general argument or opposition
Form of Documentary
 History
 Geography
 Biography
 Science & wanderer
 Ethnography
 Investigation
 Corporate
 Profile
 Social
 Journalism
Approach writing documentary
scripts

 Basic principles of documentary scriptwriting

similar programs in the form of acting.
 Preliminary steps that must be taken is to

write the first draft of the script before

publication made. Next write the script after
filming and editing done.
The initial steps of writing and publishing
documentary:

1. Get and define the idea shaped

 Documentary film is not fictitious
 Documentary work is not 100% based on

experience
 Documentary work is also not 100% drama
 Documentary work based on function

element
 2. Documentary work function

• Materials research - to examine the record of

an event then learn something from the
event. Example: a documentary ethnography,
archeology and history.
• Educational materials and information
materials - to record an event that ever
happened. Example: a documentary
biography, corporate or profile.
• Documentary - development, education and
propaganda.
• Documentary as a tool to explain the events
that will occur.
3. Think and brood idea
 Goals
 The most effective approach
 Method to quickly, accurately and efficiently
to get the material.

4. Proposal preparation
 Documentary title
 The purpose of the documentary
 The goal of the documentary
 Synopsis
Description of the script
Guidelines documentary script writing

 Documentary (TV=audio + visual),

(Radio=audio)
 Must have research element before writing

the scripts and produce documentary