The forms of documentary

What is a documentary?

A documentary is a piece of film in which the objective is to portray true to life events through commonly unscripted speech and upon a neutral basis of opinion. There are five differing styles of documentation each with their own insights, benefits and flaws.

Expository Documentary

All expository documentaries contain a voice over of sorts. The voice over is directly linked to the scenes on screen but the person that is speaking tends to not be present on location. The voice over is recorded after the film so the words spoken are scripted and therefore have the potential to manipulate feelings and attitudes towards the subject. Another way in which expository documentaries can manipulate views is through shot types and camera angles, when these two things are combined with editing then scenes can appear more fast paced, dangerous and also interesting. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it keeps things upbeat and keeps the viewers attention, however the accuracy of the subject can be put to question. Although the people onscreen are legitimate workers for instance they may have to repeat an action or say something again and so forth things become scripted and workers become actors. If the cameras presence is know then people will completely change the way in which they act, it's in our nature as humans to either hide or change since we want to be perceived in a different way to how we actually are. Not everything about expository documentaries is negative though, for entertainment purposes they work extremely well, especially for example nature documentaries. Nature documentaries are excellent at showing us what we know about certain species and since they are not camera shy then what we see is generally true to life, recently though wildlife documentaries have come under questioning since some scenes are falsified or exaggerated for effect. Example: Planet Earth, In the clip below we are introduced to many of the practises of an Expositary style documentary with Attenborough narrating non-diegetically what is happening within the scene in detail, the close ups help us to see just how the cordyceps affect the insects of the forests with intricate detail.

Observational Documentary

Observational documentaries are those in which the cameras presence is unknown to those around it and is used to catch true life depictions of everyday people and events. Other than the real people doing real activities there is no interaction between the producers and the audience. Observational documentaries focus on things that actually are not present such as commentary on what is actually happening, this allows the audience to decide for themselves what they think of the events and people contained therein since the media is presented in a neutral way with no judgement passed. A problem with observational documentaries is that unless you hide the cameras without permissions of the people involved (illegal) or if you get people to sign releases then for a period of time if not always they will be aware of the presence of a camera and perhaps not act in the way in which they usually would. Example: Knuckle, Below we are shown a trailer for knuckle which is an observational documentary on the lives of bare knuckle irish travellers, although the action is played up like a film trailer we can see within the scenes themselves very much follow the traditions of being observational. The point of this documentary is to give outsiders an inside look on the usually hidden lives of gypsy fighting.

Interactive Documentary

Interactive documentaries are the sorts in which the film maker or individual investigator is directly involved with the camera either behind or in front of it. Either the cameras presence is known, in which case people will act differently, or unknown via hidden cameras located in places such as glasses or tie etc; which could cause legality issues in which most cases are resolved by image or voice blurring. Since the film maker is present within the production then they are more than likely going to voice their opinions and so the overall outlook on the subject in question becomes biased, also the way in which the documentary is presented and edited can be used to further side you with the person that is in front of the camera. Although this is true it is often argued that it is what you are seeing that matters most, not the smaller details. Example: Welcome to pine point, Although not entirely obvious from its trailer welcome to pine pint is certainly an interactive documentary, it follows a 30 something year old as he revisits his old hometown of pine point only to discover the place has barely changed at all since many years ago. Throughout his journey we hear stories of his past relived through his narration as well as video that accompanies what he is talking about, almost like a POV. It has a distinctive way of presenting itself with child like depictions that accompany the camerawork for example the interior of a car is drawn when he is traveling around the town.

Reflexive Documentary

Reflexive documentaries are particularly interesting in the way in which they are produced. The film maker constantly is trying to reveal the usual aspects we would expect to see in other documentary formats and the audience is targeted directly. Reflexive documentaries hold a sense of experimentation throughout and this can become a negative thing if the production is unfamiliar and unlikable, but on the flip side there is room for expansion of techniques through successfully implemented experiments. Based on everyday life but to the extent that the content only provides the foundations of the piece as a whole, the person infront of the camera leads the documentary by giving interveiws as well as expresses personal opinion. Example: Louis Theroux- Law and Disorder in Philadelphia, in this snippet below we are join Louis as he rides with in a police car in an attempt to see just how dangerous working the beat is. The perpertrator first spotted tries to take off and run and while running attempts to draw a pistol, this type of documentary just shows how dangerous it really  is and provides great insight into the police forces job which is the overall aim of a reflexive documentary

Performative Documentary

As the name suggests performative documentaries are based on the way in which the content is conveyed rather than what the content actually is. The audience can easily become absorbed within the film due to the constant use of hyperbole both within the dramatizations and also the soundtrack. The overall aim of performative documentaries is to stylize the subject in a way that is interesting visually as opposed to intellectually. The use of re-enactments function to provide an insight onto how the subject could have unfolded in a true to life event whether it be an accident or a crime. The exaggeration is used not only to entertain and identify but also to empathize with for example the victim of the situation. Example: The thin blue line, in the trailer below you can see just how played up the whole scene is, with varying camera shots, the use of actors and the use of soundtrack we can immediately tell we are in the scenes of a performative documentary.

Conclusion

At the core of each of the 5 types of documentaries there is this element of true life events and although sometimes thoughts and feelings can be manipulated somewhere within the production there is a certain truth that can be either excavated and speculated on or can be taken with a pinch of salt. I personally believe that all types of documentaries are valid and those that are exaggerated are presented in that way to keep the audience engaged. Most people would prefer these sorts and if they are looking to research the subject specifically then they would soon realise that some of the information relayed has not so much been falsified but has been presented to entertain and not to provide accurate and by the book facts and would adjust their knowledge and understanding accordingly.