The document discusses the evolution of documentaries from simple entertainment to tools for education and social change. It notes that John Grierson pioneered using documentaries to educate masses in the 1920s, inspired by Soviet propaganda films. This marked the beginning of documentaries being used to intentionally influence audiences rather than just entertain. World War II saw both sides heavily use documentaries as propaganda, and the genre has continued evolving to more subtly manipulate viewers through advanced technology and distribution methods.

1. Evolution of
Documentary
Penney

2. Objectives
 Film began with a simple objective,
entertainment.
 Media desired only to show not to inform.
 During the 20’s, Grierson changed this,
desiring to educate and socially impact the
masses, thus changing film into something
morally constructive to society.

3. Influences
 Battleship Potemkin was a great influence for
Grierson’s desire for this change, the Soviet
government’s control of, and educational
values of film allowing for this greater unified
purpose. This was a great inspiration for
Grierson, and soon attempted to emulate this
change himself.

4. First Age of Documentary
 Pre-Grierson, the entertainment industry
focused more heavily on simple aesthetics'.
 However, after Grierson embraced the ideal of
educational film, the trend was easily picked
up, and marked the advent of a much more
convenient and accessible medium of
information sharing.
 This can be seen as a ‘pure’ age of
documentary.

5. 2 World War and Documentary
nd
 The birth of the Second World War had a
massive impact on documentary, as it was the
advent of propaganda being used in such a
medium.
 This tactic was employed heavily by both
sides of the conflict, one of the most famous
being the Nazi parties, Triumph des Willens
which was a large draw of Nazi support.

6. Constant evolution
 Since the war, documentary has continued to
be used in such a way as to affect and
manipulate the viewers into acting or thinking
differently.
 As technology advanced so did this level of
control, with techniques such as subliminal
messaging being introduced to quickly and
effectively impact audiences, in addition to
societies increasing media dependancy.

7. Social Impacts
 Documentary has an advantage over other
forms of visual media when it comes to
highlighting social issues.
 This comes from it’s portrayal of anything
from poverty, to minority groups whilst
appearing un-biased, factual and genuine.
 This garners empathy from viewers without
the documenter/s having to relinquish the
advantage of staging all the action shown.

8. Distribution
 The increasing access to shared media via television
and internet birthed new opportunities for
documentary as they could now be marketed to
worldwide audiences at any of time of the day.
 This allows for more freedom of influence to the
minds of the worlds media consumers, feeding our
media dependency and promoting documentary as a
recognised, legitimate form of research and
information gathering.