The Wikipedia definition for a documentary is "a nonfictional motion picture intended to document some aspects of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record”. Documentaries have developed their own filmmaking style, sub-genres and are an important part of filmmaking and the pursuit of truth.
The documentary research for this unit is contextual. I wanted to learn about some basics about the documentary genre and what techniques and codes actually make a documentary and are associated with them. Hence the filming techniques that I have sourced below. This will also guide me in deciding what I want to include in my own documentary about the French New Wave and how I want to present it in post.
Poetic Documentaires
Poetic documentaries focus on images and experiences, use loose narratives, are abstarct and experimental in content. The aim is to evoke a mood or feeling rather than a truth that is told through a traditional linear narrative. They are a sub-genre of documentary filmmaking that use avant garde techniques to prove a point by giving the audience an emotional perspective through cinematic storytelling. The aim is to move away from the objective reality of a situation and to reveal the truth that can only be communicated poetically through emphasised visuals and an ambiguous narrative. French wave films are very poetic and philosophical already so i would really like to simply play clips from different films and let them speak for themselves so my viewers can get an idea of what the new wave was about.
Performative Documentaries
Performative documentaries focus on and emphasis the the filmmakers' involvement with his or her subject, their personal experience or relationship with the subject as a starting point for exploring larger, subjective truths about politics, history, or groups of people. The filmmaker drives the action of the film by speaking to the subjects and asking questions. Performative documentary styles are personal and share the experiences and feelings of the filmmaker to get an emotional response from the audience and highlight the theme/meaning of the documentary.
Observational Documentaries
Observational documentaries are exactly what they sound aim to simply observe the world around them. Observational documentaries attempt to give voice to all sides of an issue by offering audiences firsthand access to some of the subject’s most important (and often private) moments. The observational style has been very influential over time, and you can often find filmmakers using it in other film genres to create a sense of realness and truth. It presents life as it unfolds and it lets the veiwer make make their own conclusions frrom the film. One of my favourite documenatries that I class as observational is 'Paris is burning' it's very influential and explores ballroom culture in new york, while touching on topics of race, gender expression and poverty.
Expository Documentaries
Expository documentaries set up a specific point of view or argument about a subject and a narrator often speaks directly to the viewer, emphasizing the relationship between the images presented on-screen and offering verbal commentary. The images serve to illustrate what is being said by the narrator. Expository documentaries emphasise objectivity to support an argument and they usually focus on social problems within the world.
Participatory Documentaries
A subgenre of documentary filmaking that includes the filmaker within the films narrative and they interact with the other films subjects. It can be as minor as filmmakers giving participants cues and asking questions from behind the camera or directly influencing the narrative.
Reflexive documentary
Focus on the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience, similair to performarive and participatory documentaries. Viewers to reflect on their perceptions and re-analyze their ideas of truth, the reflexive documentary exposes the documentary-making process. Reflexive documentaries will often show the camera or production crew to call attention to the conventions of filmmaking, and present self-awareness. The subject matter is often the process of documentary filmmaking itself.
Voice-over- Commentary by a filmaker or narrator spoken while the camera is filming or added to the sountrack in post production to supprt whatever is being veiwed. The veower is offered information and explenations.
Archival footage- Archival, or stock footage, is material obtained from a film library or archive and inserted into a documentary to show historical events or to add detail without the need for additional filming.
Reenactment- Reconstructed, artificial scenes of an event involving actors. It is used to give the veiwer factual information and a sense of realism, as if they are watching the event play out in front of them.
Direct and Indirect Interviews- The interview is a common documentary technique. It allows people being filmed to speak directly about events, prompted by the questions asked by the filmmaker. An interview may take place on screen, or off screen, on a different set. The documentary maker’s views are mutually shared by another person or source. From what may be a one-hour interview, clips of only a few minutes are shown.
Montage- Convey's a meaning visually by putting images and clips in a specific order. Montages in documentaries can be linke dwiht what characters and interveeis are saying, the visual representation of thier thoughts helps guide the veiwer. A voice over can also be used to support a montage.
Exposition- Occurs at the beginning of a documentary or film to introduce important information and themes that the viewer needs to know to understand the film, it gives us our first impression. Sometimes a dramatic clip will be played before a documentary starts to catch our attention. Expostion serves as a pre veiwe to the rest of the documentary.
Wallpaper Technique- Is linked to using archival footage. Sometimes when a documentary needs to convey abstract information, usually by narration because concepts and ideas are not physical. The screen cannot be left blank, so footage and visuals that are linked to the narration are played over it. For example if someone is filming a documentary about their opinion on deforestation, you could use footage of forests.
Actuality- The term for raw footage and real life events, no scripts or actors. Some documentaries are not pure actuality because they use reenactments, narration, scripted questions for interviews etc. I mentioned 'Paris is Burning' earlier, a documentary that was mostly observational and pure in actaulity, recording events that were playing out in reality.
Article title: Poetic Mode
Website title: Documentary
URL: https://epowdocumentary.wordpress.com/documentary-modes/poeticmode/
Accessed: 14/03/21
Article title: Guide to poetic documentaries
Website title: Masterclass
URL: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-poetic-documentaries#the-origins-of-poetic-documentary
Published: 08/11/20
Accessed: 14/03/21
Article title: Understanding Performative Documentary Mode
Website title: Masterclass
URL: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/understanding-performative-documentary-mode#what-is-performative-documentary
Published: 08/11/20
Accessed: 14/03/21
Article title: Documentary film techniques
Website title: Whsd.net
URL: https://www.whsd.net/userfiles/1441/Classes/54973/DOCUMENTARY%20FILM%20TECHNIQUESx.pdf
Accessed: 14/03/21
Article title: International School History - Documentary Film Making in the History Classroom
Website title: Internationalschoolhistory.net
URL: http://www.internationalschoolhistory.net/documentary/guide.htm
Accessed: 14/03/21