Research Notes on Documentaries
So a 'Documentary' is a document off an event being recording with evidence attached to it to make sense of what is being said in the document and can have 'Actual Footage' being used. In Documentaries they can use 'Reconstructions' of events that have happened to give more in depth meaning to what is being said. Plus there can be a 'Voice-Over' in the Documentary explain what is being shown on the screen to the audience watching. However over the years the definition of 'Documentary' has become 'Problematic'. Numerous of documentaries resemble elements of the truth but can have elements that a fictitious from facts from an interviewee. As the viewers watch those types of documentaries, it leads to questions of realism in the documentary. Documentaries are distinguished by a portrayal of records and sound and images of actuality.
"JOHN CORNER" 1995
"giving a factual account of an event does not always means giving actual footage, some documentaries are partly staged, using actors and sets to evoke feelings for audience."
In most documentaries there are HIGH LEVELS of 'Reconstruction' used in them. Documentaries don't necessarily have to be about 'analysis' on a subject, but can be 'descriptive' which gives the viewer to decide on their own opinion.
The Documentary was define by:
"JOHN GRIERSON" & and his team GPO "General Post Office" in t 1930s
The definition was that a documentary is 'a creative treatment of actuality'.
YouTube - Housing Problems 1935 needed
YouTube - Coal Face 1935 needed
In the 1930s documentaries were used to target cinema audience since TVs weren't invented yet. These documentaries were used then to boost morale at war times which did have government investment in the documentaries.
Also scheduling a documentary is important and very tricky because you have make sure you get viewers so you have to get the prime time slots of the audience so that get viewers. In documentaries they tend to use emotional stories to get the audiences attention. As well as offering balanced opinions in the subject of the documentary sot hat the viewers can make up their own minds. Documentaries are more renowned for their investigative journalism which usually opposes the government. Within documentaries how creative should they be? and how important is 'Authenticity'? But it is impossible to catch every actual event in their raw states, therefore some elements are faked. So that means that some creative roles are taken to help reconstruct scenes from an interviewee point of view.
"Diane Tammes, Film Maker"
"She says that everyone who makes a film is putting their own truth on the screen that they have therefore researched"
However they are arguments over a 'True Documentary'. That's because there are sub-genres that fit the tern documentary. There must be:
: elements of recorded images
: sounds of actual reality
: Not just Facts
: Social critical opinions that can provoke the audience
You see 'Current Affair Programmes' are half way between a 'Documentary' and the 'News'. Deep analysis of an issue, can range to a couple of minutes, but to 30 Minutes or longer is in the more traditional length of a documentary. Weity issues and social problems will be discussed, and sensible issue to the broader audience.
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John Corner say that there are five 'Central Elements' of a documentary and they are:
. Observation
. Mise-En-Scene
. Interview
. Exposition
. Dramatization
OBSERVATION
Most Documentaries contain observation where the programme makers pretend the camera isn't there or it is unseen. In which case the camera is the eye-witness.
INTERVIEW
This relies on having one on one interviews that has pictures dubbing over what interviewee is saying to make sense of what is being said and anchoring the meanings. Interviews are used in two ways:
1. A Full Flowing Interview
2. Place interview in segments in between elements of observation
DRAMATIZATION
All documentaries use drama to give more meaning to what is being said. This dramatization makes it look like the audience is an eye-witness to the dramatic events taking place. When recording the drama it has to take place naturally in front on the camera. Drama can take form of reconstruction, but should be based on facts.
MISE-EN-SCENE
Documentaries have to really consider the mise-en-scene to ensure that it allows the drama to unfold. Mise-en-Scene is also used to advance the argument of exposition
EXPOSITION
This is the line of argument that is made up of description, combined with commentary. Which can be plain or direct, indirect or hidden. Then it can have the Narrator telling the audience what to think, though it may be done by observational sequences. However it always has the observational sequence from one side of someone point of view.
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But with current affair programmes they have a shorter deadline than documentaries because documentaries take months to complete. CAP are more into providing to infor-tainment. In which the public have the right to know what the documentaries are made for and why. Documentaries usually gain much authority from connections they have with the 'Democratic Process'.
This was the case for Ken Looachs
Documentary - Cathy come Home BBC 1966 video needed)
This documentary helped make improvements of the homeless. However documentaries rarely question the deeper organization and fairness of society. Plus,
"it is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that documentaries can be an unproblematic representation of reality and the truth that can be conventionally dispensed and received like Valium." - 'Dennis O'Rourke'
This can have ideas of reality and truth conflicting at times that can attract counter claims of lies. In which 'Corner' believes evidence rather than truth would help with this problem. That were he stated that recording technologies can trace physical world. Traces can be used as evidence of actuality or reality. So evidence can support the exposition. Sometimes only one side of the story is played out with the witness that fights for one side of the story to be told. Which shows documentaries representing the transformed world.
Also when it comes down to it documentaries are the first shows to get cancelled if commercial channels find money. The documents that are a winner with the public are:
. Sex
So a 'Documentary' is a document off an event being recording with evidence attached to it to make sense of what is being said in the document and can have 'Actual Footage' being used. In Documentaries they can use 'Reconstructions' of events that have happened to give more in depth meaning to what is being said. Plus there can be a 'Voice-Over' in the Documentary explain what is being shown on the screen to the audience watching. However over the years the definition of 'Documentary' has become 'Problematic'. Numerous of documentaries resemble elements of the truth but can have elements that a fictitious from facts from an interviewee. As the viewers watch those types of documentaries, it leads to questions of realism in the documentary. Documentaries are distinguished by a portrayal of records and sound and images of actuality.
"JOHN CORNER" 1995
"giving a factual account of an event does not always means giving actual footage, some documentaries are partly staged, using actors and sets to evoke feelings for audience."
In most documentaries there are HIGH LEVELS of 'Reconstruction' used in them. Documentaries don't necessarily have to be about 'analysis' on a subject, but can be 'descriptive' which gives the viewer to decide on their own opinion.
The Documentary was define by:
"JOHN GRIERSON" & and his team GPO "General Post Office" in t 1930s
The definition was that a documentary is 'a creative treatment of actuality'.
YouTube - Housing Problems 1935 needed
YouTube - Coal Face 1935 needed
In the 1930s documentaries were used to target cinema audience since TVs weren't invented yet. These documentaries were used then to boost morale at war times which did have government investment in the documentaries.
Also scheduling a documentary is important and very tricky because you have make sure you get viewers so you have to get the prime time slots of the audience so that get viewers. In documentaries they tend to use emotional stories to get the audiences attention. As well as offering balanced opinions in the subject of the documentary sot hat the viewers can make up their own minds. Documentaries are more renowned for their investigative journalism which usually opposes the government. Within documentaries how creative should they be? and how important is 'Authenticity'? But it is impossible to catch every actual event in their raw states, therefore some elements are faked. So that means that some creative roles are taken to help reconstruct scenes from an interviewee point of view.
"Diane Tammes, Film Maker"
"She says that everyone who makes a film is putting their own truth on the screen that they have therefore researched"
However they are arguments over a 'True Documentary'. That's because there are sub-genres that fit the tern documentary. There must be:
: elements of recorded images
: sounds of actual reality
: Not just Facts
: Social critical opinions that can provoke the audience
You see 'Current Affair Programmes' are half way between a 'Documentary' and the 'News'. Deep analysis of an issue, can range to a couple of minutes, but to 30 Minutes or longer is in the more traditional length of a documentary. Weity issues and social problems will be discussed, and sensible issue to the broader audience.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Corner say that there are five 'Central Elements' of a documentary and they are:
. Observation
. Mise-En-Scene
. Interview
. Exposition
. Dramatization
OBSERVATION
Most Documentaries contain observation where the programme makers pretend the camera isn't there or it is unseen. In which case the camera is the eye-witness.
INTERVIEW
This relies on having one on one interviews that has pictures dubbing over what interviewee is saying to make sense of what is being said and anchoring the meanings. Interviews are used in two ways:
1. A Full Flowing Interview
2. Place interview in segments in between elements of observation
DRAMATIZATION
All documentaries use drama to give more meaning to what is being said. This dramatization makes it look like the audience is an eye-witness to the dramatic events taking place. When recording the drama it has to take place naturally in front on the camera. Drama can take form of reconstruction, but should be based on facts.
MISE-EN-SCENE
Documentaries have to really consider the mise-en-scene to ensure that it allows the drama to unfold. Mise-en-Scene is also used to advance the argument of exposition
EXPOSITION
This is the line of argument that is made up of description, combined with commentary. Which can be plain or direct, indirect or hidden. Then it can have the Narrator telling the audience what to think, though it may be done by observational sequences. However it always has the observational sequence from one side of someone point of view.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But with current affair programmes they have a shorter deadline than documentaries because documentaries take months to complete. CAP are more into providing to infor-tainment. In which the public have the right to know what the documentaries are made for and why. Documentaries usually gain much authority from connections they have with the 'Democratic Process'.
This was the case for Ken Looachs
Documentary - Cathy come Home BBC 1966 video needed)
This documentary helped make improvements of the homeless. However documentaries rarely question the deeper organization and fairness of society. Plus,
"it is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that documentaries can be an unproblematic representation of reality and the truth that can be conventionally dispensed and received like Valium." - 'Dennis O'Rourke'
This can have ideas of reality and truth conflicting at times that can attract counter claims of lies. In which 'Corner' believes evidence rather than truth would help with this problem. That were he stated that recording technologies can trace physical world. Traces can be used as evidence of actuality or reality. So evidence can support the exposition. Sometimes only one side of the story is played out with the witness that fights for one side of the story to be told. Which shows documentaries representing the transformed world.
Also when it comes down to it documentaries are the first shows to get cancelled if commercial channels find money. The documents that are a winner with the public are:
. Sex
. Violence
. Law & Order
But controversial documentaries are not popular with the TV networks as they may offend advertisers. That makes a documentary a three-way process, of what people in the doc its aimed at, people who are in it and the reactions from audience after watching the documentary. Documentaries about society victims for example and they side with the victim to protect their side. In those doc's they will use humans as evidence in exposition like big brother for example, but the controversial doc can have people complain about whats on TV and say why its wrong.
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Types of Documentaries:
FULLY NARRATED
This type of documentary has a direct mode of address which is an off screen voice over, that makes sense of visuals. Example of this is a nature documentaries. The voice over usually has a sense of authority - "Voice of God".
FLY ON THE WALL
Draw on cinema but mostly observational documentary that has no commentary or narration, its just the cameras left to record subjects without interface. sometimes the camera will uncover something chilling. Also the camera affects behavior of the subjects. To create meaning to this type of documentary depends of the process of editing.
MIXED
Mixture of observational and narrative to advance the exposition. Which gives contrast of the God voice of narration which often adopts a modern news reporting style. Also has the 'Journalist' speaking too.
SELF REFLECTIVE
This one is where the person acknowledges the presence of the camera and speaks directly to the film-maker, talking to the interviewer who is behind the camera. Critics say this is a confusing way to do a documentary because it makes the documentary look more about the film-maker than the subject it meant to be about.
DOCUDRAMA
(get a video) hillsbrough documentary )
This is a Reinactment of events that are based on the truth. has style-elements of argument and exposition are combined with fictional narrative, with the story based on facts.
DOCUSOAPS
Its a phenomenon of recent years where it follows daily lives of people in a range of different jobs or positions in society. E.g. airports, cruise liners, however there are disputes that if these doc's are actuality documentaries. But they are very popular and cheap to create.
DISNEYFICATION
Steven Barnett has blamed the docusoaps for dumbing down the real issues of documentaries and choosing to win ratings and with ratings friendly topics.
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Planning Our Doc
.Topic is important
. Use influences from your own lives from your own experiences
. Choose manageable topics
. Newspapers, magazines, notice boards and check what you can document
. Try and have some knowledge on your chosen topic
. Try not to have any emotional attachments to subject
VISUALS
Got to think about what can be shown, what will be your evidence to back up your opinions, get action based pictures or static ones. Make sure to use archive footage.
INTERVIEWS
Can hold the interviews anywhere you like but try to make sure the settings affect the meanings of the documentary to the viewers. Plus home interview can make the interviewee feel more comfortable in their own environment, when doing it outside make the interview more anonymous. Sometimes unusual settings can add drama. Make sure to start off with factual questions then move to questions that need more details.
VOX POPS
These can and must be used as a light and humerus interviews, they can give a sense of relief from the hard facts. Example street interviews of the general public.
NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS
Have to have a clear beginning, middle and end with the central questions being ask at the beginning of the documentary with some dramatic footage at the beginning.
The middle should be complicated and mostly compelling and should focus on the peoples opinion. Then present a blockage to leave the viewer more interested to find out more.
The end should make the exposition completely apparent with some sort of a resolution
Make sure there is conflict in different peoples views and beliefs and highlight the conflicts with narrative conventions.
CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF DOCUMENTARIES
. Observations
. Relevant Cutaways
. Interviews
. Evidence
. Conflict in the Middle of Documentary
. Archive Footage
. Resolution at End of documentary
. Natural Interview Sounds
. Beginning of DOC - Fun, Fast Paced Editing to Attract Audiences to Watch
. Questions asked at beginning of Documentary
. Vox Pops
. Close Ups of people of Importance
. High angle shots of town, cities etc.. (Establishing Shots)
. Relevant Backgrounds in Interviews
. Static Cameras used
. Simple Graphics introducing Interviewee - only shown up to 1 - 3 seconds
. Sound Effects of Relevance to documentary theme e.g Tomb Raider documentary sound from the game being used
. Background Music to build an atmosphere to the documentary
. Narration - "The Voice of God"
. Eye line the third away down in framing of the interviews
. Always have cutaways
. Interviewee needs to be on one side of the screen looking past the camera
. Some documentaries use fades
. Lighting coming from behind the camera
. Voice Over used
. Exposition made clear
. Use reconstruction to help emphasizes whats being said
. SFX used
. Location Shots
. Mise en Scene - made relevant
. Variety of interviews are used
. Natural Sound
. Variety of Camera Angles
. The Editing is Appropriate to the documentary Running Order
. Opening Titles at the beginning
. No questions heard in the interviews
. The interviewee names pops up first to verify interviewee
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