A documentary film is a nonfictional, motion picture intended to document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record. These documentaries are powerful, shocking, heartbreaking, and intense, and each will expand the horizons of the viewers open to learning more about the world. Characteristics and deficiencies the reflexive questions documentary form, defamiliarize the other modes too abstract, loses sight of actual issues the poetic reassembles fragments of the world poetically lack of specificity, too abstract the performative stresses subjective aspects. Tries to demonstrate to the spectator how film images are constructed. Expository documentaries are said by most to be the most familiar documentary out of all documentaries. Based on or recreating an actual event, era, life story, that purports to be factually accurate. Our categories are roughly derived from the categories of documentary theorist bill nichols see, e. Takes readers along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to.
It also opens into the history of documentaries while referencing bill nichols classic text introduction to documentary, where he outlines the six modes or subgenres or types of documentaries. A documentary is a movie, television or radio program that provides a factual record or report. Nov 18, 2011 a short documentary about documentaries by calum henderson. Still one of many routes that aspiring directors take en route to their first feature film, documentary filmmaking is now. While theres a lot of variation within, these are the six main categories of the genre in which all documentary films can be cast. The 30 best food documentaries that you can watch right. The study of the documentary genre is a complex area and it is often difficult to define a middle ground that is free of criticism. Documentary films history and vocabulary vocabulary. In social studies, for example, this project aligns with at least three of our state standards for grades 912. A documentary is a movie that attempts to portray reality or part of reality, facts, and anything nonfiction. Typically address the spectators directly through an onscreen commentator or. Nov 14, 2016 3 most common types of documentaries today by kevin knoblock duration. As well as attempting to define a historical context and possible. The reflexive documentary the filmmaker exposes to the spectator the conventions of documentary representation, with the effect of challenging the documentarys apparent ability to reveal the truth.
Theses kinds of documentaries are detailed and are knowledge based followed along by research to inform and educate its viewers. He identifies six genres or types of documentaries. Typically address the spectators directly through an onscreen. In this regard, bill nicholass classic book, titled as introduction to documentary can be mentioned. Pdf on jan 1, 2008, juan francisco salazar and others published the. Documentaries about other interesting people include the 2009 academy awardwinning film man on wire about french tightrope walker philippe petit and his incredibly dangerous highwire walk far above the streets of new york, and werner herzogs documentary grizzly man about a man who. Typically more selfconsciously stylized and aestheticized than expository films. Photojournalism can also be considered a form of documentary. Documentaries are classified according to the techniques used in filming. They can make the audience think and send powerful messages across to them. Overall, making documentaries is the complex process of creating documentary projects that refers to what people do with media devices, content, form, and production strategies in order to address the creative, ethical, and conceptual problems and choices that arise as they make documentaries. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the media and what it means.
Since most of the titles on docuseek2 are documentaries, our genre listing digs deeper into the documentary field to provide a sense as to what kind of documentary the film is. Types of documentaries poetic poetic documentary is a transformation of historical material into a more abstract, lyrical form the poetic mode moved away from continuity editing and instead organized images of the material world by means of associations and patterns, both in terms of time and space. These kinds of documentaries can contain graphics, illustrations and charts to add to its content. Cooked a netflix documentary worksheets for all four episodes water, air, fire, earth. Overall, making documentaries is the complex process of creating documentary projects that refers to what people do with media devices, content, form, and production strategies in order to address the creative, ethical, and conceptual problems and choices that. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Videomaker is always looking for talented, qualified writers. When it comes to documentaries in particular, there are a few more things to be kept in. Ive watched two documentaries recently,one is hearts of darkness. Films can bring audiences inside stories and communities that they might not otherwise be familiar with, provoke dialogue and inspire people to take action.
Takes readers along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling. It aims to create a specific mood and tone rather than to provide the viewer with information. Modes of documentary bill nichols bill nichols in introduction to documentary notes six types of modes of documentary expository, poetic, observational, participatory, performative, reflexive nichols 2001 looked at history of documentary and identified 6 distinct modes from expository to performative see below. Documentaries on injustice include paradise lost and murder on a sunday morning, an academy awardwinning film about a 15yearold boy who was sent to trial for a murder he didnt commit. Elucidated in this entertainism excerpt are the types of documentary. Poetic reflexive and performative iconistic and narrative films of fiction defines genre, but documentaries are categorized by the way they were shot.
The rule of thirds is a technique of dividing the frame up into a 3x3 grid, splitting. A practice of filmmaking that deals with actual and factual and usually contemporary issues, institutions, and people. Films that try to persuade us of the importance of issues like injustice are called expository documentaries. Makes the whole process of filmmaking known to the spectator. In 2010s introduction to documentary, film educator and documentary consultant bill nichols distilled the types of documentaries down to six styles. First seen in the 1920s, poetic documentaries are very much what they sound like.
The different modes are a way of determining the common concepts and themes of the various documentary styles, devised by american documentary theorist bill nichols. Students use social studies stories worth telling 5 a guide to creating studentled documentaries. Sure, this premise similarly mirrors the concepts of several other documentaries on this list, but chefs table. Each episode is about an hour in length or about 1 class period and each worksheet is. We are in the process of providing useful genre information for the films on docuseek2. A different positioning of shots conveys different ideas to the viewer. Documentary california state university, northridge. How to write a documentary script page 6 of 52 film emphasizes and emotionalizes. The wikipedia defines documentary as a non fictional motion picture with the purpose of documenting some aspects of reality, intended to maintain a historical record.
Documentaries are based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality documentaries come in several forms. You cant have more of one without giving up an equal amount. Its origin is linked to the emergence of artistic avantgardes in cinema. Types and styles of documentaries documentary modes. A very short introduction patricia aufderheide very short introductions. Also, read up on what film scholars and movie critics have to say about how these films are constructed.
Study documentaries of all styles and genres to inspire your own work as nonfiction storyteller. Based on or recreating an actual event, era, life story, that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements. Documentaries are based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. Bill nichols in introduction to documentary notes six types of modes of documentary expository, poetic, observational, participatory, performative, reflexive nichols 2001 looked at history of documentary and identified 6 distinct modes from expository to performative see below. How 3 types of the documentary genre are made videomaker.
Types of documentaries expository, observational, participatory, poetic, reflexive and performative 2. The voiceover addresses the spectator directly, offering. Films allow us to do this through authentic stories, often across difference. Starring calum henderson, camerawork by luke reid and nathan rowan. It uses only voiceover narration and a combination of archival media and created media still images and video. Web documentary, utilizing interactive and nonlinear webbased story telling. If time allows, or with older students, continue the discussion by exploring what types of people appeared e. The best documentaries illuminate the human experience. There are 6 different suggested modes of documentary. We explore the different types and share characteristics and examples of. Expository observational participatory dramatic some documentaries are hybrids of the above, or include features of different types most of the films well view in this study group are. Often make liberal use of interviews, broll, and archival footage. Introducing documentaries vocabulary dialogue conversations that take place between subjects in a film or subjects and the filmmaker factual attempting to relay information that is accurate about something real or actual. Modes of documentary bill nichols bill nichols in introduction to documentary notes six types of modes of documentary expository, poetic, observational, participatory, performative, reflexive.
Documentary research involves the use of texts and documents as source materials. Documentary has been described as a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries. Netflixs new documentary series gives viewers an insiders look behind the kitchen doors of some of the worlds top chefs. Types of documentaries identified by bill nichols expository poetic observational reflexive interactive performative the expository documentary an authoritative voiceover commentary combined with a series of images that aim to be descriptive and informative. Tend to be lyrical rather than didactic, poetic rather than argumentative. The six primary types of documentaries the expository mode. For example, a montage containing a negative theme followed by a positive theme may give the viewer the idea that the positive theme is the main theme of the montage. While nichols discussion of modes does progress chronologically with the order of their appearance in practice, documentary film often returns to themes and devices from previous modes.
A dvd documentary is a documentary film of indeterminate length that has been produced with the sole intent of releasing it for direct sale to the public on dvds, as different from a documentary being made and released first on television or on a cinema screen a. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Learn about 3 of the more commonly known types of the documentary genre. Traditional documentary covers a person or event from the past. What interests me about these two films are the intimacy the camera brought me,the intimacy between me and the characters,the intimacy between me and the truth. Though this short summary gives the impression of a linear chronology and of an implicit evolution toward greater complexity and selfawareness. Films can evoke diff erent kinds of reactions in the audience, from grief to anger.
Trailer for 20,000 days on earth, a film in which musician nick cave talks about his life and work. Traditional documentaries with interviews as above but with the addition of interviews to document the topic. The expository mode is the most familiar of the six types of documentaries. Visit,easily the best visual extensions of the greatest band ever. You might also ask if anyone is interested in watching the entire film from which the clip is taken, make the film available, and offer individual students an opportunity to.
Montages in documentaries are usually linked with words that characters say. Mar 09, 2014 since most of the titles on docuseek2 are documentaries, our genre listing digs deeper into the documentary field to provide a sense as to what kind of documentary the film is. Trailer for werner herzogs truecrime documentary into the abyss. Brief introduction to documentaries there are four generallyaccepted typesformats of documentary films. The documentary genre of film is a woven part of cinematic history.