Genre Analysis: Types of Documentaries

Narratives

Documentaries may contain:

·         Visuals: intended to suggest a meaning or emotion of the particular theme.

·         Interviews: mise-en-scene effects the meaning – can contain factual/emotional questions.

·         Voxpops: a street interview of the general public – being asked the same question – answers strung together in a fast sequence, used to show general agreement of diversity of opinions

·         Open: where no answers have been given – no conclusion – the audience are left to make up their own minds.

·         Closed: definite outcome/ending – a conclusion is already made.

·         Single-stranded: one theme throughout the whole documentary.

·         Non-linear: no chronological order of information is given out (flashbacks)

·         Linear: documentary told in chronological order with a beginning, middle and end.

·         Circle: question is asked at the beginning – then revised/revisited at the end.

Types of documentaries

·         Fully narrated/Expository: an off screen voiceover, makes sense of the footage, tells the audience the meaning of the images.

·         Fly on the wall/Observational: the camera is there but unseen/ignored – simply records real-time events, allows viewers to come up with their own conclusion.

·         Mixed: uses combination of features, advancing the argument (narrator can usually be seen in front of the camera)

·         Self-Reflective: subject of documentary talks to camera.

·         Docudrama: re-enactment of the event as though its happened/happening – fictional story: uses techniques of documentary to enforce realisation.

·         Docusoap: programme follows the lives of individuals – audience get to know the characters.

·         Gate Keeper: selection and rejection of information by the editors

·         Open: where no answers have been given – no conclusion – the audience are left to make up their own minds.

·         Closed: definite outcome/ending – a conclusion is already made.

·         Single-stranded: one theme throughout the whole documentary.

·         Non-linear: no chronological order of information is given out (flashbacks)

·         Linear: documentary told in chronological order with a beginning, middle and end.

·         Circle: question is asked at the beginning – then revised/revisited at the end.