Documentary mini-task

A documentary is the use of facts, figures, re-enactments, interviews and actual footage to depict and explain events or people. There are many different formats in which a documentary can be made, such as reflexive and observational. The different formats allow situations to be portrayed in unique ways to suit different audiences.

Expository Documentary

An expository documentary contains a voice over that gives facts and arguments about the videos or images that are shown. Opinions are rarely given by the voice over, therefore the film is more objective and allows the audience to make their own opinions and views. An example of this would be 'Earth Underwater' which gives shows the effect that sea levels rising, will have on the Earth in the coming years. The intent of this documentary is to inform the public of the dangers that global warming could have if it carries on the way it is at the moment. This kind of documentary includes interviews and statistics from specialists and experts in order to give it more evidence and support for the topic.




Observational Documentary

An observational documentary attempts to produce a 'slice of life' and give a direct representation of the situations that are recorded. As well as this, the director does not get involved in the situations and lets them play out naturally. This allows the film to be very objective as no opinions from the producer and filmmaker are given, and leaves the events and people to portray themselves for the audience to interpret. An example of this form of documentary would be 'Armadillo'. This film follows the events of the Afghanistan war, through the eyes of two soldiers. There is very minimal voice over, that only happens when still images are shown or when the war footage or soldier interviews aren't happening. This documentary shows the harsh conditions and brutality of war through the soldier's perspective, which is the most objective standpoint a war documentary can have. Despite this, the film could be seen as biased due to the fact it is only from the point of view of Danish soldiers and not the others.

Interactive Documentary

An interactive documentary is the polar opposite of a linear one. This type of documentary allows people to direct their own path through the story and information through various choices scattered throughout. They use many multimedia components such as video, audio and text but don't use a voice over. This allows the information to be non-opinionated and somewhat more objective as nobody is saying one side of the story although the actual documentary you're navigating through could be set up from one side of the argument and therefore be biased. In the documentary 'Journey to the End of Coal' allows you to direct yourself through coal mines and other such dangerous areas in China through the eyes of a journalist trying to uncover the truth. This perspective could be biased, because reporters are usually looking for one side of the story to make the most interesting article.

Reflexive Documentary

A reflexive documentary is one of which where the director is directly involved in front of the camera and gives a narration throughout. An example of this would be 'Louis Theroux and The Nazis' directed by Louis Theroux. In this documentary Louis is constantly in front of the camera and often gives narration at different times. Opinions and views are a big part of the reflexive genre of documentaries and are expressed a lot throughout this documentary by many different people such as Louis himself as well as the people he interviews about the Nazi culture. Usually, there are only the director and a camera man on set to film and make the episode. Another example of a director that does this is Nick Broomfield. These types of documentaries tend to be more truthful as they focus on realism and first hand experience to get answers.



Performative Documentary

Performative documentaries show an emotional response to the world. They are very personal, unconventional and might include reenactments of events designed to make us experience what it would be like for us to have a certain perspective on the world that is not usually our own. An example of this kind of documentary is 'Supersize Me' in which it shows the transformation of a mans body after only eating unhealthy food for a month. This shows the human side of an experiment like this and reveals the trouble it can cause, hoping to encourage or shock the viewer into eating healthier to avoid the health risks show throughout. Dramatisations are often used to achieve this and are visual representations to go along with the facts and figures that are dished out to the audience. They are very effective in portraying a message to those watching and really show what is happening in detail.




Conclusion
 My philosophy for documentary film making is divided. Depending on the genre, they should be as unbiased as possible to ensure that the audience can get a view of both sides and make a fair decision on what their personal opinion is on the topic of said documentary.

I do believe that the director has somewhat of an obligation to give the audience the truth, but the truth is not always available due to many different opinions and restrictions stopping them from uncovering it. If the director has a certain amount o truth, then it can be shown, but opinions and other views are always going to be expressed in many genres of documentaries so the 100% truth will never truly be shared on any topic.