MODES OF DOCUMENTARIES

BY SHANNON SLOYAN

EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY:• DOCUMENTARIES THAT EXPOSE A TOPIC OR A PERSON.

• THEY ARE WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING A COMMENTATOR, SOMEONE TALKING OVER IMAGES OR VIDEOS AND EXPLAINING THE STORY.

• THE MAIN CONVENTIONS ARE THAT IT HAS A COMMENTATOR, RHETORICAL QUESTIONS, FACTS, OPINIONS, AND PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES.

• THEY ARE USUALLY SHOWN ON CHANNEL FOUR AND THEY CONSIST OF BIOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL OR ABOUT AN EVENT.

EXAMPLES OF EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARIES:

• EXAMPLES OF EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARIES ARE AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, ROSS KEMP ON GANGS AND MANY OTHER DOCUMENTARIES THAT INVOLVE INTERVIEWS THAT SUPPORT THE TOPIC THE DOCUMENTARY IS ON.

OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES:• THIS MODE OF DOCUMENTARIES IS ALSO KNOWN AS ‘FLY OF THE WALL’

TYPES OF DOCUMENTARIES. • THEY APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN FILMED IN ‘REAL TIME’, AS IF THE CAMERA HAS

HAPPENED UPON EVENTS WHILE THOSE INVOLVED ARE SEEMINGLY UNAWARE OF THE FILMING GOING ON.• THE FILMMAKERS CORRESPONDINGLY ATTEMPT NOT TO INTERFERE IN WHAT

IS UNDERWAY.• WE DO NOT HEAR THEIR QUESTIONS AND WE DO NOT SEE THEM.• THERE IS NO VOICEOVER TELLING US WHAT TO THINK OR WHAT

CONCLUSIONS WE SHOULD DRAW.

EXAMPLES OF OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES:

• OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES ARE PROGRAMMES SUCH AS MADE IN CHELSEA, TOWIE, AND BIG BROTHER AND MANY OTHER REALITY TV DOCUMENTARIES.

REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY:

• THIS STYLE OF DOCUMENTARY IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARIES. THIS IS WHERE THE FILMMAKERS ARE INTRIGUED IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A FILM, ALSO OF HOW REALITY CAN BE MADE INTO A DOCUMENTARY WHICH CAN BE ACTUAL CONTENT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY. THIS MODE OF DOCUMENTARY CAN MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE CAMERA PEOPLE.

EXAMPLES OF REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARIES:

• LOUIS THEROUX HAS MANY DOCUMENTARIES WHERE HE USES THE TECHNIQUE OF REFLECTIVE, HIS DOCUMENTARIES ARE CALLED: ‘LOUIS THEROUX'S WEIRD WEEKENDS’, AND ‘WHEN LOUIS MET…’• NICK BROOMFIELD ALSO HAS MADE REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARIES USING A

SMALL CAMERA CREW, AND SOMETIMES ON HIS OWN SO THAT WE AS AN AUDIENCE GET A PERSONAL VIEW FROM NICK’S POINT OF VIEW DURING THE DOCUMENTARY.

INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY:

• IN THIS MODE OF DOCUMENTARY, THE PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY TEND TO LEAVE OR EDIT OUT THE QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE INTERVIEWS OF THE DOCUMENTARY. THIS MAY BE A WAY THAT PEOPLE IN THE DOCUMENTARY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN CASE, BUT IT IS ALSO A MODE THAT CAN ACT TO UNDERMINE THE INTERVIEWEES, MAKING THEM LOOK FOOLISH OR DELUDED.

EXAMPLES OF INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARIES:

• AMERICA’S MOST WANTED IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARIES AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE INTERVIEWER IS HEARD ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND SO IS THE INTERVIEWEE RESPONDING TO THE QUESTION. IN THIS DOCUMENTARY THE INTERVIEWEES WOULDN’T BE MADE A FOOL OUT OF BECAUSE THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER AS THEY MAY BE TELLING THE STORY OF HOW THEY LOST THEIR LOVES ONES OR EXPLAINING A MURDER CASE.