GENRE

ANALYSIS
SAFI AHMED
INTRODUCTION
Documentary is a genre
which has been around
since pre-1900s but
were often short films
coined actuality films
and the term
documentary was not
established till 1926. As
documentary
John Grierson
(1926) defined
the term
documentary
as the
creative
treatment of
actuality.
OBSERVATIONAL
This type of documentary is usually
where the documentary
maker/camera man follows the
subject/s around to observe the
events taking place. There is usually
no interviews or voice overs, the
documentary makers are silent
throughout and are only there to
observe.
E.G. MTV Cribs
The equipment they use can be
formal such as using hand-held
cameras to add to the reality
factor of the documentary by
presenting it as amateur, raw,
uncut, unedited footage.
INTERVIEW
Usually when being interviewed,
the interviewer creates an
environment to reflect the
interviewee and their views, for
example for a professor they may
use bookcases behind them.
Another technique used is leaving
around 10-15ft behind the
interviewee to remove all shadows.
Also in the interview the
interviewee must be taking up
around 1/3 of the screen and also
the questions asked MUST be
open ended as it allows the
interview to flow continuously.
CUTAWAYS
Cutaways are still
shots between
footage, there are
2 main types of
cutaways: Story
telling shots &
Emotional
cutaways.
Story telling shots these allow
you tell your story without always
using a narrator, for example
Welcome to signs indicate
where the events are taking place.
Emotional cutaways These
allow the documentary makers
to convey emotions without
having to use a narrator.
Cutaways are often common in interviews
which always relates to the subject the
interviewee is discussing.
ARCHIVE
Archive material is pre-existing footage, news reports, old
photos, etc. that has happened before the documentary is
made, it is usually used as a historical reference and linked
with the subject of the documentary. The reality the archive
material provides gives the documentary more of a realistic
feel to it, so the viewers are more
invested in the subject of the
documentary.
Archive material is usually used
to give reality to the subject for
the audiences purpose.
PROCESS FOOTAGE
This is showing the filming of the documentary within the
documentary. This is done through directors that may
choose to get involved on screen. Directors and/ or
narrators, such as Michael Moore, may use this technique to
convey their feelings of
the subject they are
discussing, and lead the
audience to agreeing with
his viewpoint.