Types of Documentaries

Types of Documentaries

1. Fully Narrated

   • Voice overs are used to convey the exposition of the documentary.
   • Direct Address is used to help viewers understand the exposition and visuals
   • The voice over is authoritative which creates the reference of the 'Voice of God'
   • An example of this type of documentary is David Attenborough's Africa.

2. Fly on the Wall

   • 'Observational'
     • First used in 1960s with lightweight cameras to catch the action taking place.
     • Sometimes a voice over is used but it is often avoided to create the effect of realism.
     • The documentary is unstaged meaning that the film makers don't know the outcome. This lets the audience come up with a conclusion by themselves
     • An example of this documentary is Channel 4's Tattoo Fixers.
     • An example of this type of documentary is Channel 4's Educating Yorkshire.

3. Mixed

   • This is a combonation of interviews, observation and narration
   • Within a mixed documentary, as the journalist talks, visuals continue over the screen
   • An example of this type of documentary is Supersize Me.

4. Self Reflexive

   • The subjects of the documentary acknowledges the camera and speaks to the film maker thus creating a sense of reality
   • However, it has been judged as confusing for some audience making it less popular
   • An example of this documentary is BBC's Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends.

5. Docu-drama

   • Re-enactments are used to create a better sense of what happened at historical events
   • An example of this documentary is United 93.

6. Docu-Soap

   • This entails follows someone's life wherever they go so you get to know the characters of the documentary
   • It can be argued that it isn't really a documentary
   • An example of this documentary is E4's Tattoo Fixers.

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