characteristics_of_a_documentary

1. Please copy into the Class Notes
section of your notebook.

2.  Definition: An informational documentary is a non-
fiction film without actors. Typically, it is a journalistic
record of an event, person, place or phenomenon. Its
purpose is to convey factual data.
 An effective documentary should be…
 Compelling ‰
 Based on facts.
 Has a point of view, but does not try to persuade… or does it?
 Entertaining ‰
 Engages the audience with a variety of media, such as
narration, text, interviews, photographs, dramatizations, or
music. ‰
 Holds audience interest.
 Based on facts ‰
 Uses and cites data from reliable sources. ‰
 Does not rely on rumors or unsupported opinions.

3. What makes a documentary
a documentary???

4.  Putting the audience in a role of eyewitness
where the camera appears to be unseen.
Indirect address to the audiences, i.e. speech
overheard is a common factor of this en-scene
observation.

5.  Use interviews to make a contrast between
observation sequences.
 Structured in two ways:
 Intercut fragments of observations
 Completely uninterrupted sequence

6.  Even though all documentaries use a sense of
drama, it is specifically used to portray people
and events the filmmaker cannot gain access to
in real life (this is not so much the case with
Making a Murderer).
 These sequences are said to be based on fact.

7.  Literally what the director(s) and producer(s)
put into the frame.
 For example, lighting and props in an
interview.

8.  The line of argument which is what the film is
saying.
 Sequences that lead the audience to make their
own conclusions.

9. Documentary
vs.
“Mockumentary”