A2 media studies

1. Theory of
Documentary
Ruby
McGann

2. What is Documentary ?
To document (or report) a topic,
backing it up with evidence. This is
done through actual footage and
reconstructions.

3. John Corner (95)
‘What distinguishes
documentary is the
portrayal of the
recorded sounds
and images of
actuality’
‘Documentaries contain real life footage which means that they are not fictional however
some types of footage can be staged which means the exposition is less true and valid.’

4. • Documentaries can be problematic as peoples perception of what is and isnt a
documentary varies- When it goes onto film it bares some resemblance to the truth
but in reality is fictional.
• Documentaries can deal with Political, Historical, Social, Religious, Artistic and Cultural
phenomenons.
• There is conflict between two broad aspects of documentary
Documentary
of art
Documentary
of Reportage

5. John Grierson
• In the 1930s John Grierson coined the principles of documentary
making
• He made the first documentaries (for cinema) which captured real life
situations and gave people a glimpse into the lives of others
• These documentaries aimed to show the country at work,
establishing a sense of national identity and therefore offering an
insight into complex and different ways of lives
• His documentaries had elements of persuasion with a moral boosting
feel
• Despite this real life portrayal, the pieces were very staged and
constructed, taking away from the realistic theme.

6. John Grierson's documentaries
Coal Face was made in 1935 and
focuses on the coal industry, and
the processes used for extracting
and treating coal, representing the
working life of the people within
this industry also. Watch Coal Face
Housing Problems was made in
1935 and highlights the social
problem of poor housing, and its
solution in the slum clearance
programme and the rebuilding of
new homes for these people.
Watch Housing Problems

7. ‘Documentary is ‘the creative treatment of actuality(or reality)’
-John Grierson
• Arguments have raged ever since over how
creative the treatment should be, so, the more
creative a documentary is, the more questionable
the truth.
• Many film makers would agree that all film is fake
and it is impossible to capture raw events
• Reconstruction is inevitable meaning that the
piece becomes creative. The reality is bound to be
influenced by camera, crew, lighting etc.

8. Dianne Taimes
‘Everybody who
makes a film puts
their own truth on
screen’

9. Over the years documentary has
evolved, making it harder to
distinguish what a documentary
actually is, many even dispute
whether they should even be called
documentaries, with suggestions
such as Non Fiction Programmes.
But despite the importance of
achieve material and first hand
accounts, Documentaries are not
just about facts, they allow the
creation of social critical arguments,
inviting audiences to draw personal
conclusions.
CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES
Current Affair programmes are half way between Documentaries and
News Programmes- for example: Newsnight, Channel 4 Dispatches and
Crimewatch.
They are important as they discuss weighty issues which are current in
society and may be avoided in other formats.
A key example of a current affairs programme is Trevor Macdonald on
Steven Lawrence which aired in 2012 on Tonight. He was accused of
sensationalisation, much like many current affairs programmes.

10. Central Elements of
Documentary
John Corner suggested that there is 5 Central Elements of Documentary
1.Observation
2.Interview
3.Dramatisation
4.Mise En Scene
5.Exposition
Documentary makers will
often focus on one more
than another but will most
likely combine all elements
into their work.

11. Observation
Most documentaries will include
Observations. Usually the camera is treated
as idol and therefore ignored by the people
taking part. This places the audience as
eyewitnesses. Observations are also used as
evidence for interviews. They can be criticised
for treating participants as objects rather
than subjects. For example: One Born Every
Minute

12. Interview
Documentaries rely on interviews which are
used to support or contrast the observation.
The interviewer can be seen or unseen and
pictures are often played or dubbed over,
such as cutaways, to anchor meaning and
make the interviews more interesting. The
interviews can be fragmented throughout or
ran through in their entirety. The choice is
between Intercutting and uninteruption.

13. Dramatisation
All documentaries use a sense of drama to
build a dramatic experience so to heighten
audience involvement This is done through
observation. It is used to create a sense of
conflict and build up the arguments. It also
allows the documentary to refer to the
artistic element as it exaggerates and
sensationalises the subject of the
documentary, however it has to be based on
fact.

14. Mise en Scene
This is created by carefully placing things in
the shot, giving the audience what they want
to see and enhancing the exposition. This is
used in documentaries to construct reality.
Mise en scene must be relevant and easily fit
with the theme of the documentary . This
includes factors such as: Costume; Set;
Makeup; Backdrop and Lighting.

15. Exposition
This is the line of argument, revealing the
subject that is being explored in the
documentary. This is achieved through
description and commentary and can be
Plain, Direct, Indirect or Hidden. It will always
be one of these. The exposition relies heavily
on observations and the narrator tells the
audience what to think- however
documentaries can also leave it up to the
audience to make up their own minds.
Observation provides strong evidence and
weak exposition and vice versa.

16. Denis O’Roarke
‘It is critical that film makers be rid
of the fantasy that documentary
can be an unproblematic
representation of reality and that
truth can be conveniently
dispensed and received like
Valium.’

17. • People have struggled with the idea of truth and reality and people can come forward
with counter claims. John Corner suggested that ‘It is better using evidence rather
than truth’. Using recorded technology produces only traces of physical work-
Evidence or Actuality.
• Experts can be used in documentaries to support a certain view. For example- In
Kenny Rogers ‘Cards on the Table’ His manager is interviewed, offering an expert
insight on Kenny's career.
Documentaries are created out
of the actual or real but are still
scripted/edited. It is a transformed
world and a separate version of the truth.

18. Documentaries are not good ratings boosters and
are the first to be cut If money is tight.
• Because of this, documentaries aim to appeal to the general public
interest- Mainly Sex, Violence and Law and Order. The Highest ever
peaking documentary was broadcast in the US and was called ‘Violence in
America’.
• Documentaries are controversial which is not
popular with television channels and deters
companies from paying for advertisement slots with
the fear of putting off potential audiences.

19. Complex relationships are built between the people
featured in the documentary, the producers and the
audience. It is important to cater to the publics right to
know, the rights of individuals and audience reaction.
Documentaries use human beings as evidence in Exposition, exploiting and
exposing life, but with the best of intentions. Sometimes documentaries
cause problems because of this.
As the publics right to know is usually of most focus, audience preference is
sometimes ignored, producers make assumptions of the audience.