Documentarys.

Documentary:-the definition of a documentary is problematic. Numerous amount of documented elements essentially they may be fictitious or partly staged.

A documentary is used to document evidence which uses actual footage, reconstructions to create meaning and also a voice over. A high level of construction usually takes place and documentaries don’t always give the answer away they let the audience decided which will also make them want to watch till the end to find out what happens. An important factor of a documentary is where you place them on screen; this is usually part of the rule of thirds, alternating which side the person sits on each side so that your audience do not get bored.
‘What distinguishes documentary is the portrayal of the recorded sounds and images of actuality’ John Corner.

Documentaries were defined by John Grierson in the 1930s and he first coined the term in 1926. The definition is the creative treatment of actuality.
Housing problems 1935.

This is a glimpse into people’s lives and showing the country at work, documentaries were used to boot morale war times and normally they would have a government investigation.

The creative treatment of actualitythe authenticity is important, it’s also important to capture all of the evens in their raw state because some elements will be faked. The film crew take creative control over how it is filmed.

“Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing the film. I mean it’s your truth that your seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen”. This quote came from Dianne Tammes who is a film maker.
Many people argue over the truth of the documentary and so there a now a range of subgenres that fit into the term documentary, despite all the arguments there are elements of recorded images, sounds of actual reality that need to be included.
Current affair programmes are half way between a documentary and the news. When we look at them in detail we see that the current affairs programme is a documentary and is out of date.

John Corner of Liverpool University- 5 Central features to a documentary:--Observation.
This is where the camera is unseen and or ignored by the people who are part of the documentary, and so the camera becomes the eye witness.

-Mise en scene.This is what’s in the background when people are being interviewed and where about things are filmed, props people are using, costumes, and we control the mise-en-scene. Mise en scene also helps to advance the argument or exposition.
-Interview.Documentaries rely on interviews and this can make a contrast between the observations. Pictures are often dubbed over the interview to make sense and plant the meaning to what is being said. Voxpox is a voice over of the people, and we ask them the same question, placing the interview in segments.
-Exposition.Exposition is what we are trying to say to the audience and it’s the line of the argument. The ways in which exposition can be are plain, direct, indirect or hidden. The observational sequence may tell the audience what to think.

-Dramatisation.This makes the documentary have a sense of drama so that it keeps the audience engages and following, this is usually in the form of an interview or observation based on facts and it’s a form of reconstruction.

A documentary usually takes three of four moths to create.

Current Affair programmes are aiming to provide info-tainment.

‘It is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary can be unproblematic representation of reality and truth can be conveniently dispensed and received like valium’. The quote was said by Dennis O’Rourke.

Documentary represents the transformed world and the first programmes to be at of commercial channels find money tight. Documentaries that are rating winners would indicate the issues of:
-sex
-Law and Order.
-Violence
Documentaries are a three way process, the people who the documentary is aimed at, the people who are in the documentary, the reaction of the audience and they are often about societies victims.

Types of Documentaries.
Fully Narrated:- This is where there is a voice over to convey exposition and the voice over could also be seen as the “voice of God”.

Fly On the Wall:-Cinema verite, this type of documentary relies totally on observation, there is no commentary, they use recorded subjects without interference and the editing creates a meaning (how the things are chosen and the order).

Mixed Documentary:- A mixed documentary is a mixture of a lot of different things, you can watch and also listen to the voice over to get an idea of what is about, and what’s happening. They contain interviews, the argument is advanced and the subjects speak to the camera. A mixed documentary represents objective reality and not just selective construction.

Self Reflective:- this is where the narrator is on screen talking to the camera and so we focus on the film maker, this brings attention to role construction reality and critics say this makes it confusing. In the type of documentary the role becomes self publicised and there is then a subject loss

Docudrama:- docudrama is a re enactment of events based on facts. Critics say that this can only hope to truth but delivers fiction.

Docusoaps:-

this is most commonly watched as someone’s life unfolding. This type originated in the UK and is very popular with channels because they don’t cost a lot to make, no cast, not many crew members and there is no studio needed.

Disneyfication:-this is Steve Barnett’s theory and is the dumming down the qualification, makes it look better, the focus is soffend and rating friendly domestics.