Documentary Mini-Task

Documentary

A documentary is an actual story based on fact from the knowledge and information collected e.g. BBC news, wild animals' lives, interviews.  The media often represent these topics by making them into  TV programs e.g. Sundown and Jeremy Kyle. The format of moving images must not have wording set up by telling the interviwee what to say, this is naturally formed and shows truthful images and their life story. From the media representation a documentary would be described as ''film making practice'' 

( Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film).

Bill Nichols stated that there are 5 different types of documentary.  I will explain about each.

Firstly, Expository Documentaries, Expository Documentary is a documentary that expose the way a person views on certain subject. Expository documentary is well known with the voice over technique, the commentator talks you through the story, explaining through the video/images. The commentator usually tells you about the history and events that happened in a place or to the person. One of the examples for this type documentary is Life in the jungle, this is a documentary about animals with the commentator talking you through the story.

Life in the jungle
 

 

Observational documentaries

Observational documentary is the scene that is made by following with the camera around an object/person to see what is happening to that object or person. This type of documentary usually doesn't have interviews or voice overs so the long talk technique is used; therefore to keep the audiences interested. The movement of the camera can be informal such as hand-held, this documentary also has other techniques used such as the film maker being hidden from the audience (not in the scene) none- judgemental.  

One of the examples for this type of documentary is Teen Cribs, this show's on the MTV. This documentary is based on the house tour of wealthy families, celebrities and millionaires. This documentary is class as an observational documentary because the scene  follows teenagers around the house and focuses on the wealthy items and furniture. Interviews are not included but the teenager's parent does talk about the house while their children and the camera team do the tour. The main technique used is the clip speed up, to help to show the less interesting item's or while their walking through the household and then the speed comes back to normal emphasising the interesting/wealthy items. Background music is also a technique used to make the scene even more interesting.

Teens Cribs

Interactive documentaries

This is the documentary that exposes certain objects or stories by the film maker using the evidence that is based on the primary data collected from the interview. This could draw out the specific comments and responses from those who are filmed. Interactive documentary allows people to express their opinion, view and the reasons why they believe in something could be added. At the same time, the film maker may add a contrary opinion to offer the audience/viewer a balanced view. Sometimes the film maker is the main character in the scene; this is to focus on the main point. The film maker could appear in the scene to ask the interviewee questions to collect the indepth data. This could  be both formal or informal (the film maker and the interviewee share the same space in the scene), so, the audience can see them interacting with one another. There are other ways where the film maker stayed off the screen. This meanws the audience may not hear the questions and all the audience see is the interviewee answering the questions to someone beyond the frame. The real meaning of the interactive documentary is to show the process of the interaction. The effect of this type of documentary is that the audience can see what the question does to the interviewee. The best effect of this is to see the argument and opinion that the film maker and the interviewee are showing to support their point of view, offering the audience the balanced argument.
As this is an argument and interview type of documentary, some people may not want to show their identity so release and permission can highly affect this form of documentary. As this is an interview type, personal information may be included but it may be hard to access. This means, if the person tells the film maker the reason from their point of view but they do not allow this to be presented into the media form, it could become a big problem on the true reflection as the media form are not able to describe fully to the audience. Also, this must not include brand names or any logo (without permission), this also includes any other illegal type of items e.g. drugs or guns. As the professional film maker if we do not strictly follow the rules of ''release and permission'' we could be taken to court by the interviewee and lose a lot of money especially when the film would also be banned (as we spend money to make the film but not allow to sell to any company).
One example for this type of documentary is Bowling for Columbine - Tiros em Columbine (2002).
This scene is one of the best scenes to describe interactive documentary including; techniques, the way it has been edited and the way the film maker introduces this subjects.
Bowling for Columbine - Tiros em Columbine (2002)

Reflexive documentaries

Reflexive documentary is the documentary that show the presenter in front of the camera. This suggests the audience through the film based on the presenter's knowledge and method used. This usually is associated with experimental documentary where the presenter has an interest in the subject that they are presenting/experimenting on like the viewer. The film maker usually talks to the camera or the people they are interviewing in front of the camera; the camera crew are usually next to the film maker most of the time to keep the interest of the audience and to be able to hear what the person that the film maker is interviewing is saying. This type of documentary is the most trustful out of all as they always focus on the realism e.g. show things exactly the way it happens without special effects and editing. One of the best techniques used in this documentary is that the viewer's opinion is persuaded by the film maker without them even realising.



Nick Broomfiled

One of the well known reflexive documentary makers is ''Nick Broomfiled''. Nick usually films with a small camera crew, often just  himself and the camera man, this makes this documentary seem very personal. Sometimes he even shows the camera team in the scene which is typical in reflexive styles. He also has a very interesting representing style which makes him the best known for this type of documentary.






Louis Theroux

One of the reflexive documentary  makers who's well known for controversial methods that are used in his reflexive documentary film is ''Louis Theroux''. Louis normally uses his interview method to get to the emotions of the person that he's interviewing. The way he talks, his opinion and his expression are the techniques used to control the situation he's in and to make people feel more comfortable with him. Sometimes he even takes part in the activities that he's interviewing to get the true picture.
Reflexive documentary style can engage the audience/viewer to feel like they are in the same situation and facing the same problem as the presenter. This techniques usually links situations between the film maker and the viewer instead of the film maker and subject.

Racial segregation in San Quentin prison by Louis Theroux

Performative documentaries

Performative documentary usually is a very personal media text type of documentary. This also can be very emotional, for example a story from people who have been kidnapped, raped or any other abuse, (unconventional) and not willing to identify their identity. This type of documentary usually blurs the interviewee's face or has the person facing opposite the camera so the audience doesn't know who they are. This often is poetic and/or experimental; this is to pass on the emotion and trying to put the audience in the same situation as the interviewee. This is also often showing a lot of experimental scenes, which mean they are showing of lot of things that might have happened e.g. people die by geting shot in the head. The film maker will make up a model situation of what has happened by looking at CCTV camera , interviewing people around there and taking a further development, while they develop the situation they are showing on the scene.
In this type of documentary. dramatics are normally used therefore to get to people emotional and make the audience feel the way the person feels. The information from an individual often is supported by opinion and the way they feel e.g when the interviwee says "I feel I am struggling and could not breath" etc.
One of the great and interesting examples I've found is ''Aliens ; The Great Deception (Documentary)''  |This scene is an experiment about whether aliens are real; usually this type of documentary is colllecting the data from the believer; this includes information, their experience and the reasons why they think aliens are real. Some of the scenes have been made up by the data collected from the true believer to keep the audience interested . However, the experimentor usually uses high technical experimenting techniques e.g. involves experts for specific investigation e.g. a doctor. When it comes to Aliens which is hard to believe, the experts usually have the other side of the story, (they not saying that they are right , they only say what it could be).


Aliens ; The Great Deception (Documentary)

Conclusion

Each type of documentary film has different techniques used therefore to expose the truth to an audience. However in every documentary there is one person who is in the scene who will have the most connection and power with the audience. What I find particularly interesting in documentary films is the role truth plays in documentaries and how this shapes the different forms of documentary with different ways of representing itself. However, while we analyse any type of documentary there are 4 big questions for the audience to be looking at; how good does the film maker's inference the interviewee to say 100% truth?, is the film maker provocative?, does the film maker let the interviewee put their case fully? and How does the film maker make it sound/look like at the finish?

Permission/contract

Before the camera team starts to film in any place they will need permission from the owner, (private) but if filming in a public or government environment they will have to ask the permission from loco's authority; this is known as ''Location release''. Location release is a form of document that gives the permission to an indivisual to film in that location.
To legally film an individual will need a permission from the person you are filming (age of 18+), The document that is used for this is an Adult Release. On the other hand if you are filming a target under 18 you will need to use the Minor Release (needed to be sign from their parent).
However, when it's in  the "public interest" like celebrities or certain documetaries, you don't need permission to film e.g. Justin Beber, Micheal Jackson and documentary programmes like Paranorma which are based on the use of hidden cameras targeting those who treated others badly e.g. care homes and hospitals. There are other cases where you don't need the permission to film the target, because it's been set as a law of broadcasting which includes 10 people or more.