Documentary mini - task.

Documentary mini - task.

The different types of documentaries are,

Expository Documentaries: it is emphasises verbal commentary- often using a narrator it also addresses the spectator directly, with titles or voices that propose a perspective, advance an argument or recount history. This is most associated with television news programming.  In the example of ‘City of Gold’ it has a voice over of the film maker talking about his town where he and his dad lived. In the documentary it has some historical event and describes the life of the goldmines. In the town where the filmmaker lived it shows the day to day lives of people. This documentary is quite interesting because it was filmed during the 1950s-1960s when Gold was priceless.

Observational Documentaries: these typically have no voice-over commentary, no supplementary music or sounds, no intertitles, no historical reenactments, no behavior repeated for the camera and no interviews. Social actors behave as if no filmmakers were there.  In the example of In the Room with JFK, some of these points are contradicted as you can hear footsteps and the door opening abut also the voice over. The film maker is narrating the documentary and is observing the President’s talk during a meeting. The narrator is telling the story of JFK’s daily life.

Participatory Documentaries: Involves an interview between the film maker and subject. This addresses the audience through voice-over commentary. It also involves input from the film maker and social actors.

Reflexive Documentaries The viewer is the focus of the attention and speaks about more issues than the historical world. The documentary sets out to be persuasive while giving two sides to the story.  It makes you question your own morals, you know what’s right and wrong but sometimes you want to follow the social media.

Poetic documentaries: stresses the lyrical, rhythmic and emotional aspect of the historical world also sacrifices films conventions. For example continuity editing and a situated time and space, to explore association between images, objects and patterns. .In the example of Jonis Iven’s Regen (1929) film it starts off all dark and gloomy and with use of music reflecting the imagery and then picks up and becomes lighter at the shimmering water scene. My mood changes at this point and picks me up. Next it goes to boats and workplaces and the music livens up which matches the industrial scenes. Towards the end of the film it goes dark and gloomy and then livens up again. Listening to the music works better than listening to words because it is more meaningful.

Performative Documentaries. Is showing emotional scenes to get people to feel sensitivity and hurt. For example the London Terror Attacks, where dozens of people died, making me feel devastated and sorry for all of those who lost family and friends. People question things like the police said they knew the terrorist, and were watching him for a while, but they didn’t do anything to stop him. If this news item was to be made into a documentary it would have someone interviewing people and talking directly to the camera.  

I think documentaries are about showing the audience things and making it clearer and easier to understand things. but also i think documentaries are very useful because it can also help people or things like charities they make a little documentaries to get people to help. 

(https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/6-types-of-documentary-film/)