Characteristics of a Documentary Please copy into the Class Notes section of your notebook.

What is a documentary? Definition: An informational documentary is a non-fiction film without actors. Typically, it is a journalistic record of an event, person, place or phenomenon. Its purpose is to convey factual data. An effective documentary should be… Compelling ‰ Based on facts. Has a point of view, but does not try to persuade… or does it? Entertaining ‰ Engages the audience with a variety of media, such as narration, text, interviews, photographs, dramatizations, or music. ‰ Holds audience interest. Based on facts ‰ Uses and cites data from reliable sources. ‰ Does not rely on rumors or unsupported opinions.

What makes a documentary a documentary???

Observation (fly on the wall): Putting the audience in a role of eyewitness where the camera appears to be unseen. Indirect address to the audiences, i.e. speech overheard is a common factor of this en-scene observation.

Interview: Use interviews to make a contrast between observation sequences. Structured in two ways: Intercut fragments of observations Completely uninterrupted sequence

Dramatization: Even though all documentaries use a sense of drama, it is specifically used to portray people and events the filmmaker cannot gain access to in real life (this is not so much the case with Making a Murderer). These sequences are said to be based on fact.

Mise-en-Scene Literally what the director(s) and producer(s) put into the frame. For example, lighting and props in an interview.

Exposition: The line of argument which is what the film is saying. Sequences that lead the audience to make their own conclusions.

Documentary vs. “Mockumentary”