Introduction

The purpose of a documentary is to document an event with evidence. Actual footage can be used and reconstructions can be added. Narration can also be good to gel the documentary together.
A documentary is numerous amounts of documented events that sometimes resemble elements of truth.

What distinguishes a documentary is the portrayal of the recorded sound and images of actuality

- John Corner, Liverpool University 1995

There is a high level of construction in any documentary and it doesn't have to be analysis it can be descriptive and leave the audience to decide their own opinion.

Documentaries were defined by John Grierson and his team of GPO (General Post Office) in the 1930's.
 

Documentary definition - The creative treatment of actuality.













In 1935 Alberto Cavalcanti directed the documentary 'Coal Face' which delved into the life of a simple coal worker however it was important because of it's critical social comment (noting for example the accidental rates in mines). In these times documentaries were made for cinema goers and the idea was to give people a glimpse into the lives of other people showing the country at work.



Documentaries were later used to boost morale in war times and would normally have government invested interest. They were also used to persuade people to certain points of view with techniques such as subliminal messaging sometimes used.

Scheduling a documentary can be tricky as the channel have to be careful of the programs they put on before or after it how ever certain documentaries such as panorama can obtain a prime time slot.

There is usually emotion in documentaries to try and encourage bias opinions however it has been suggested that the best documentaries are the ones that let the audience make uo their own minds on the topic.

British documentaries are renowned for investigative journalism that often aposes the will of the government.

The creative treatment of actuality

Authenticity is important in a documentary and the more creative it is the more fictitious it is. It is impossible to capture all of the events raw and even the ones that are are still not completely truthful because the camera crew has taken control of how the event has been filmed and edited so you may see things from a completely different perspective.

'Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing a film. I mean it's the truth you're seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen'

- Dianne Tammes, Film Maker

Many people argue over what a true documentary is as over the years many sub-genres have developed however despite these arguments all documentary makers  agree there must be sound, recorded image and actual reality.

Current affairs programmes are halfway between documentary and the news. They are never longer than 30 minutes or it becomes a documentary and they find it much easier to make prime time slots.

Central elements of documentaries

According to John Corner of Liverpool University there are five central features:

• Obeservation
• Mise-en-scene
• Interview
• Exposition
• Dramatisation

Observation - Usually program makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part in an event. The camera becomes the eye witness.

Interview - They rely on interviews and can contrast with observation. Pictures dubbed over the interview can anchor meaning to what is said. These can be a full flow interview or placed in segments.

Mise-en-scene - Allows drama to unfold. Mise-en-scene can also be used to argue the point of exposition and must be considered.

Exposition - Exposition is a line of argument made up of description and combined with commentaries. It can be plain, direct, indirect or hidden. Documentaries that rely on observation are said to be weak in exposition.

Dramatisation - All documentaries use it. The audience become eye witnesses to dramatic events. The drama appears to take place naturally in front of the camera and can sometimes take place in reconstruction. It should always be  based on facts.



Current affairs programs are about infotainment and are on a shorter deadline as appose to documentaries which can take months to make.

Documentaries resulted in improved conditions for the homeless

Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home was filmed in a drama documentary style and is about a young couple Cathy and Reg who are evicted along with their children after Reg is injured at work. It tackled issues that were then not comonly discussed in the media such as homelessness, unemployment and a mother's right to keep her children. It helped raise the profile of the issue of homelessness and may have influenced British law and public opinion regarding these issues at the time.

Ken Loach

Documentary makers rarely question the deeper organisation and fairness of society.

It is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary can be unproblematic unrepresntation of reality and the truth can be convieniently dispensed and recieved like valium.

Dannis O'Rourke

Ideas of truth and reality can conflict at times and they can sometimes attract counter claims of lies. John Corner believes evidence rather than truth would help this. He states that recording traces of the physical world can be used as evidence of actuality. Sometimes only one side of the story is slowed.

Documentaries  represent a transformed world and are the first programmes to be cut if money is tight. rating winners include sex, law and order or violence. Documentaries that are controversial are not popular with the networks as they may offend advertisers.

There is a three way process to documentaries:

• Who it is aimed at
• Who is in it
• The audience

They are often about society's victims and use humans as evidence. Big Brother could loosely be connected to this type as it is camera's observing people however everything is set up which is why it is only loosely connected.

Types of documentary

• Fully narrated - this has a direct address and uses a voiceover to convey exposition. This narrator will act as the 'voice of god' knowing all that happens including the eventual outcome.
• Fly on the wall - This comes from cinema verite and relies on observation. Cameras are left to record without interference which makes the editing very important as it creates meaning.
• Mixed - This is the type of documentary we will be making and is a combination of observation, and narrative interview (which contrasts the 'hand of god') and represents objective reality and not just selective construction
• Self reflective - In this type you see the journalist in it. It draws attention to the film maker as they talk to the camera directly. Critics say this can be confusing and that it can be more about the presenter than the topic itself.
• Docudrama - Reenactment of events e.g. Hillsborough 1996. It looks like a drama but it's based on truth. Critics say they claim to represent truth but can only hope to produce fiction. They also say at best it's misleading at worst it's dangerous.
• Docusoap - These follow the occupations/lives of people e.g. Airport, Katie Price. It's not really exploring more like eavesdropping however they are popular and cheap to make. They also originate from the UK.
• Disneyfaction - This is a theory by Steve Barnett the watering down of a genre is disneyfacation. This basically when the content of a show is watered down to make it more peopular. He says ot is happening to all British TV because rating winning shows will always win over hard hitting ones.

The narrative of a documentary is important. The beggining should set the documentary up and all of it's questions and provide a dramatic hook to keep the viewer interested. It should be quick paced. The middles should examine issues and strengthen the conflict providing a disequilibrium. In the end the disposition should be made fully apparent.