Documentary Mini Task

DOCUMENTARY ‘MINI-
TASK’
BTEC Creative Media Production
Garrod, Ben (55117)

55117@eastnorfolk.ac.uk
Ben Garrod, 55117 Documentary ‘Mini-Task’
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Expository Documentaries ............................................................................................................. 2
Observational Documentaries ....................................................................................................... 2
Web Documentaries ....................................................................................................................... 3
Participatory/Interactive Documentaries ...................................................................................... 3
Access and Privacy ........................................................................................................................ 3
Reflexive Documentaries ............................................................................................................... 4
Performative Documentaries ......................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................... 4
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Introduction
A documentary is a non-fictional film that aims to capture reality or convey a viewpoint. They
are often used to educate or provide a historical record. Documentaries have evolved to be
longer and to cover a wider variety of topics, largely thanks to advances in technology and
film making methods. As documentaries are factual films, they are often used in educational
institutions as a learning tool. Generally, documentaries are between 30 minutes to 2 hours
in length, with the exception of social-media oriented ‘mini-documentaries.’
There are several different types of documentaries, which will be discussed in the
proceeding sections.
Expository Documentaries
Expository documentaries aim to educate and explain. For example, they may discuss
issues, events, and places. The format was developed by Bill Nichols and has become the
most popular type of documentary. Generally, a voice over accompanies the video, to
provide a recount or perspective. A ‘Voice of God’ voiceover is often used; this is an
impartial, deep-voiced male narration. A point of view or argument is often conveyed through
expository documentaries, with the narrative often being opinionated. The video generally
accompanies and supports the audio storyline.
An example of an expository documentary is “The Blue Planet”, a documentary series

presented by David Attenborough and produced by the BBC, exploring the planet’s oceans. In
each episode, different marine animals are captured and explored, many of which had not
previously been filmed. The first series was released in October 2001 and took almost five
years to make, with almost 200 filming locations. It won several awards, including Emmys
and BAFTAs for its cinematography and music.
Observational Documentaries
Observational documentaries capture a view of the world, showing it to the viewer as it is.
There is generally no narration; all dialogue is part of the action. Therefore, the viewer can
draw their own conclusions, as there is no bias represented. The narrative of an
observational documentary is solely defined by how the editor chooses to compile the
footage of ‘real-life.’
An example of an observational documentary is “High School”, directed by Frederick

Wiseman. This documentary captures the daily lives of students at Northeast High School,
observing student and teacher interactions. It gives the watcher a ‘fly on the wall’
perspective, simply allowing the viewer to observe.
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Web Documentaries
An interactive documentary, also known as a ‘web documentary’ is a non-linear production

that uses web elements to provide multiple pathways to the viewer. For example, the viewer
may see an introduction to the documentary, followed by a list of links which navigate to
different topics. This enables the user to engage with the documentary and view the
sections that interest them most. Videos, images and audio are all used in this multimedia
experience.
An example of an interactive documentary is “Becoming Human.” This documentary

explores the “story of our origins”. It begins with an introduction, asking “what is it that
makes us human?” The user can navigate through the different sections of the documentary
and discover answers to the questions posed in the introduction. Most of the content in this
documentary is a slideshow of images with a voiceover.
Participatory Documentaries
A participatory documentary includes the filmmaker as part of the film. The filmmaker’s role
can include asking questions, influencing the narrative, or discussing contextual points. The
effect of the filmmaker’s presence can range from minimal to vital. The viewer experiences
the film from the filmmaker’s perspective, which potentially introduces bias and a one-sided
opinion.
Directed by Jeff Gibbs, the Planet of the Humans is an example of a participatory

documentary. It explores climate change, fossil fuels, pollution and how humans have
impacted the word.
Access and Privacy
In order to film at a location, access and permission must be obtained. This can pose a
wealth of difficulties for a filmmaker and may ultimately prevent a location from being used.
In terms of access, some locations may not be viable for filming due to restrictions (e.g. for
governmental reasons.) An example of this would be in places where there is a war/conflict;
a documentary maker may not be able to gain access without special clearance.
To maintain privacy, all people starring in a film must sign a talent release, agreeing that they
are happy for their feature to be published. This can become a logistical difficulty when
managing several extras.
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Reflexive Documentaries
A reflexive documentary includes the filmmaker within the film, creating a relationship
between the filmmaker and the audience. Unlike participatory documentaries, reflexive
documentaries only explore the subject matter around them (people and places), rather than
exploring an outside subject. The filmmaker may pose questions to the subjects and will
generally approach matters with a non-biased view. The interviewer may look to challenge
opinions, but rarely gives their own.
An example of a reflexive documentary is ‘Louis and the Nazis’, created by British

documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux. This documentary explores the beliefs of a group of
American Nazis, centred around Tom Metzger, who was hailed the “most dangerous racist in
America.” Louis Theroux’s style of asking searching, non-biased questions, makes for a very
honest depiction of the belief of white-supremacists and Nazis in America.
Performative Documentaries
A performative documentary focuses on the filmmaker’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

This makes the documentary more subjective, as some points are opinionated. The
filmmaker appears at the forefront of the film, guiding the viewer. The filmmaker’s input
allows for a greater sense of ‘what it’s like to be there’ – some films make use of behind the
scenes footage to reinforce this.
Fahrenheit 9/11 is an example of a performative documentary, written by the filmmaker

Michael Moore. This documentary criticises the George Bush presidency, in particular the
war in Iraq. This generated lots of controversy, which demonstrates the opinionated nature
of performative documentaries.
Dramatizations and re-enactments are often used in performative documentaries. These are
used to give the viewer context for the content being discussed. Although these can be
useful to increase the viewer’s engagement, they can manipulate the truth and become
‘overdone.’ For example, a dramatization of a murder may have inaccuracies that falsely
inform the viewer.
Conclusion
Personally, my favourite documentary type is reflexive. Presenting a non-biased view, with

searching questions allows for the viewer to construct their own opinions. The commentary
and questioning provided by the filmmaker creates a more engaging experience in
comparison to observational documentaries; I believe that some interviewing is necessary to
understand and develop opinions on the content. The filmmaker does, in my opinion, have a
contract with the viewer to present the non-opinionated truth. Clouding fact with opinion has
the danger of creating a film that aims to create a singular belief.
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DOCUMENTARY ‘MINI-

Garrod, Ben (55117)

An example of an expository documentary is “The Blue Planet”, a documentary series

An example of an observational documentary is “High School”, directed by Frederick

An interactive documentary, also known as a ‘web documentary’ is a non-linear production

An example of an interactive documentary is “Becoming Human.” This documentary

Directed by Jeff Gibbs, the Planet of the Humans is an example of a participatory

Access and Privacy

An example of a reflexive documentary is ‘Louis and the Nazis’, created by British

A performative documentary focuses on the filmmaker’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is an example of a performative documentary, written by the filmmaker

Personally, my favourite documentary type is reflexive. Presenting a non-biased view, with

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