The Five Modes of Documentary

The Five Modes Of Documentary Typical Conventions

Examples of documentaries that we have seen in class & their modes:

• Expository -  London Can Take It

• Observational -  Listen To Britain,  Something Great, 

• Participatory (interactive) -  Brixton Beach, Micheal Moore

• Reflexive -  Camoflauge,  Man On Wire

• Performative - Grizzly Man

Viewers drop for Seven Days

These are recent articles about the decline of popularity for the docu-soap:

The painful reality: no one is watching "Seven Days"   - The Independent

Viewers ditch "Seven Days"     - The Daily Mail

Comparison between 'London Can Take It' & 'Listen To Britain'

We've been studying 2 propaganda documentaries made during the Blitz of WW2.



London Can Take It

• Has a voiceover
• Clear propaganda message spoken
• Not alot of background sound  - diegetic
• Taken to different locations by voiceover

Listen To Britain

• No voiceover
• Obvious unspoken message - not so obvious hidden mesage
• Sound throughout - diegetic / non diegetic
• Transitions to different locations using sound
• Mixture of language  / music  (german song being played)

Used in both

• Document of actuality footage (black and white)
• Chronological order
• Morale boosting   (including song at end)
• Shown to audiences in cinema
• Made by Humphrey Jennings
• People being filmed aren't aware of camera  (except one child in London Can Take It)
• Some form of 'harmony'
• Patriotic - proud to be British  / proud of the country

Camoflauge

Another example of short documentary called Camoflauge, featured on BBC's iPlayer in short films & documentaries.

The documentary shows how schizophrena in parents affects the children.

Features of documentary:

• Real subject / real people's voices used
• Reconstruction  - no actuality footage
• Live action - dramatic
• Expressionist, distortion of imagery
• Drawings and animation, digital composition
• Reflexive documentary

Man On Wire

As another example of a documentary, we watched a docu-film called Man on Wire.
These are my notes about the film:


British film made in 2008
Funded by the UK film council / National lottery
Co-produced by Discovery Channel
Featured on BBC's documentary 'Storyville'
Global audience
Many prizes won, including: BAFTA and Sundance

Reflexive documentary - reflects on itself
Genre: Thriller / Crime, including tension
"Heist" movie
Play on ideas of terrorism

Actuality footage / archive

Music structures the mood of the scenes

Mixed identity
      - mainly French but also including American and Australian

Complex narrative - 3 timescales
Narrative progression

Messages & Values  - asperational

Art cinema audience as well as global

Nostalgia for American audiences of Twin Towers
    - Gives new images of World Trade Center
    - Remebering how it was and forgetting the tragedy
    - Uplifting expirence

Imagery used

Reclaiming the memory of the tower  - using the new tower to reconstruct the old