documentary

The intention of a documentary is basically to document a significant event in history. The definition of a documentary is a problem as there is not one category, to be a documentary there must be evidence. You should always see actual footage in a documentary however reconstructions can be used if actual footage isn’t available. At present there are numerous accounts of documentaries, some of these display elements of the truth. This in documentaries is used for in-between cuts also dubbing pictures over a voice speaking there are different types of narration in documentaries for example fully narrated documentaries will usually be seen on nature documentaries.

‘Giving a factual account of an event does not always need to include actual footage, as some documentaries are staged, using actors and sets to evoke meaning and feelings for the audience’.- John corner 1995.

It is important to realise that in a documentary a high level of construction takes place and a lot is staged from the way the interview is too told how to sit or the where the interview is filmed is all thought about.

A documentary does not always have to analytical it can also be descriptive. John Greierson in the 1930’s first defined the documentary ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ he made them with his team at GPO his documentaries were made to watch in the cinemas one of his documentaries was ‘housing problems’ however the people he interviewed weren’t very authentic although they did have housing issues they were putting on posh accents making the documentary not have elements of the truth.



In Britain many documentaries during war time were used to boost morale and they were funded by the government. In the past documentaries have led to change is laws and legislations as documentaries are all about the viewers right to know the truth , this was the case for Ken Loach’s documentary in 1966 ‘ Cathy come home ‘ this caused uproar and led laws to change surrounding homelessness.


The schedule of a documentary is vital however the positioning is tricky. You need to ensure that the programs before and after will be relevant. Panorama is documentaries with a prime time slot, documentaries that are controversial are not popular with TV as they may offend advertisers and this is were the money comes from. Some documentaries may be sensational or emotional however documentaries that are rating winners would be about sex, violence and law and order.

In all documentaries authenticity is important. It is not possible to detain all events in their natural state therefore some elements will be fake. Many people argue over the true documentary and question how creative a documentary should be.

Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing the film. I mean it’s your truth that you’re seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on to screen.
Diane Tammes, Film maker.

Documentaries are naturally biased however descriptive documentaries can leave viewers to make there own opinion.
Current affair programmes are on shorter deadlines that documentaries because they are topical about things that have just happened in the news, they are a mixture between the news and a documentary. They offer a deep analysis of the news for example Trevor McDonald tonight also they can run from 3 minutes to thirty minutes.