Documentary is hard to define because of the vaired sub genres that fit the catagory. There are lots of different events documented and giving factual accounts of an event doesn't always mean its giving actual footage etc. reconstruction is used within deocumentaries using actors and staged prompts and props to re-create and add emotion to episodes giving a bias and staged view which is why they should be never taken at face value and we should always quesiton them how much is real ? Contraversially all documentary makers agree that that there must be true elements through recored image and sounds of reality rather than just facts.
"what distinguishes documentary is the potrayal of the recoreded sound and images of actuality." -John Corner 1945.
Constructions are used aslo within documentaries. A documetnary can be highly despcriptive and leaving an open ending to its audience to therefor form their own opinoin. However todays made dociemtnaries tent to draw people to one side of the argument without an analysis at the end.
The creative treatment of actuality.
Scheduling programs especially with slotting of other programs for example between popular soaps like corrination St. Paranorma is a well known and one most popular shows that command prime time slots on television
Griersons idea through documentaries were to give pepople insite into to other peoples lives. Housing problems, 1935 and coal face, 1935 were staged and made for audiences to watch in cinemas as a new and up coming thing and used as a way to boost morals during the wars.
Biritsh journalists were know for the negative image they created over politicians etc and things like picking inteveiwees were incredible important as they were used the the interviews advantage staged to give the desired outcome with emtotional or sensational effects on the audiences.
" creative treament of actuality"
Authenticity is vital- It is impossible to capture all events so scenes are staged but they should stay factual and through secondary rsources.
"Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing the film. I mean its your truth yours seeing. Everybody who makes a film by putting their own truth on the screen." - Dianne Tammes, film maker.
The sub genres of documentay is so varied now through creative involvement and is a controversially to agree what makes a documentary as they all include aspects of the truth.
" Current affairs programs."
Current affairs programs sensenationalise issues and create socially critical arguments. They are half way between news and documentaries according to their time slottings usually as they are classed more as a documentary with a longer viewing time than around 30 minutes as curent affairs tend to be shorter.
John Corner established 5 central elemtns to feature in a documetnary;
Observation. Most use pretned cameras which are ignored or unseen. The camera acts as an eyewitness to the situations ans gives a realistic look on documentaries.
Mise-en-scene.Backgound and colour both used to create meaning and used carefully and specifically to provoke reaction wiht audience and used to advance the argument of exposition.
Interview. Imagery is used dubbed over the interview to link back to meaning and used in most invertiew except when using authoritive figures such as the queen or primminister it is unlikely they will be tacken off the screen. intervies are used in two different types of ways; full flowing with no imagery used inbetween and then placing the interview in segments in between.
exposition.this is the line of arguemtn as it puts across what is trying to be said. They are descriptive and commentry combined with vioces overs to add meaning to the documentary.Documentaries rerlying on observation tend to have weak exposition.
Current affairs programs will have a shorter deadline as they are based on more recent events as are listed or shown within the events happening having more meaning and have more inpact on the public.It is info-tainments and made in the interest of public rights. Many current affairs programs have led to riots and changes in laws and legisltions for example "Cathy Come Home- 1996, BBC" which increased living coniditions for the homeless at the time.
"types of documentaries".
'fully narrated'. This used a direct use of addressing the audience and using voice over gives it authority like a god figure sounding very factual.
'Fly on the wall.' This uses no narratives but used as observation without interfeirance however knkowing the camera is their can demand characteristics.
'mixed.' This takes on a more modern vioce over like a broadcaster and uses a mixture of narrative and observation.
'self reflective.' This is were they are aware of the camera and often soeaks directly to the maker and maybe asked questions with the camera behind them.
'docudrama.' Arguments and exposition are combined with staged event purposefully to draw the audience to a one sided, bias arguemtns for example the hillborough disaster documentary which blamed the police force.
'docusoaps.' A cheaper way to produce documentaries which follow people in their lives in society and work like airports and cruise liners.
It would be argued if these genres would be classed as documentaries because as they may be real it involves a lot of staging for entertainment; the people know they are being filmed after signing consent papers saying so.
'Disney fication.' - using rating friendly topics to get ratings Steven Bennett describes and dumming down the real issues of doumentaries.
'Planning a documentary.'
On planning a documentary, the topic should be chosen carefully, it should show elements of experience and influences from our own lives. It should also relate to our audience with everyday experiences.
It is important that we have an understanding of and the topic is managable.
Visual.
Visually, there needs to archive footage for support aswel as reconstruction for dramatisation and to keep our audience interested and consider how everything should be shown.
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