Research into Documentary Genre

A documentary is a ‘construction of reality’, seeming as documentaries are edited they can therefore portray there footage in any way also they pick out the most interesting/important parts (gate keeping – Section and rejection of information)


Types of Documentary

• Fully narrated
Off screen voice over to make sence of visuals & anchor the meaning of the footage.
(E.g. Natural History)
• Fly on the wall
Origins in cinema verity (truth), camera is unobtrusive & filming real life.
(E.g. Katie Price/Peter Andre Documentaries)
• Mixed
Combination of interview, observation & narration to advance the narrative.
• Self reflective
When the subjects of documentary acknowledge presence of camera.
• Docudrama
Re-enactment/reconstruction of events as they are supposed to have happened.
• Docusoap
Most recent form of documentary, follows group of people & shows there daily lives.
(E.g. Airline, Driving School, Ratcatcher)


Types of Narrative Structure

• Open vs. Closed

Open - There are loose ends and unanswered questions, this leaves the audience to make up there own minds
Closed - All loose ends are tied up, no questions remaining in audiences mind

• Single Strand vs. Multi Strand

Single Strand - One narrative running throughout
Multi Strand - More than one narrative that sometimes crosses over or converge

• Linear vs. Non Linear

Linear - Follows chronological order (time order)
Non Linear - Does not follow order of time (e.g. flashback)

• Circular Narrative

Poses questions at beginning, gives information then ends with the same question and leaves it to the audience to make up own mind. Often gives two sides of an argument.

Question → Information / Evidence → Back to Question…