Task A:
5 Modes of Documentaries
1. Poetic Mode
The poetic mode of documentary was first seen in the 1920's as a reaction to conventional cinema movements. The documentary style features many of the techniques and ideas shown in Russian montage cinema. It uses these techniques to distant away from traditional continuity editing and rather instead creates meaning for an audience by linking together patterns of images, creating associations for an audience. The poetic mode chooses to rather distance itself from its subject instead of having well known and established characters seen in other modes of documentaries. This is shown in documentary Night Mail; the postal workers featured in this films are not introduced to the audience or even given names as a form of identity. We purely see the characters through there work and we do not witness any emotive scenes with them but instead of emotion portrayed by characters its created by the poetry that matches speed with the train and personifies it. The poetic mode focuses on codes which emphasize tonal or rhythmic qualities, descriptive passages, visual associations and formal organisation. It's also seen in mood, tone and texture. The key features used in poetic documentaries are montage, striking imagery and the focus on mood rather than story.
2. Expository Mode
Documentaries under the expository mode speak directly to the viewer, often in the form of an authoritative commentary employing voice-over or titles, proposing a strong argument and point of view. These types of films try to persuade the viewer and are rhetorical. Often the voice-over is a strong male voice and the commentary sounds 'objective' and 'omniscient'. Images are often not paramount; they exist to advance the argument. The rhetoric insistently presses upon us to read the images in a certain fashion. Historical documentaries in this mode deliver an unproblematic and ‘objective’ account and interpretation of past events. Some examples of expository documentaries are TV shows and films like America's Most Wanted, Frozen Planet and The Civil War (1990.)
3. Observational Mode
Observational documentaries attempt to simply and spontaneously observe lived life with a minimum of intervention. Filmmakers who worked in this sub-genre often saw the poetic mode as too 'abstract' and the expository mode as too 'didactic'. The first ever observational documentary was created in the 1960's which was helped with the technological developments like the mobile lightweight cameras and portable sound recording equipment for synchronized sound. Observational mode avoids voice-over commentary, post-synchronized dialogue and music, or re-enactments. These types of film are aimed for immediacy, intimacy, and revelation of individual human character in ordinary life situations. Some examples of observational documentaries include Armadillo (2010), Big Brother and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.
4. Reflexive Mode
The reflexive mode considers the quality of documentary itself and focuses on the actual filmmaker making the film, de-mystifying its processes and considering its implications. In Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera (1929,) for example, he features footage of his brother and wife in the process of shooting footage and editing, respectively. The goal in including these images was, “to aid the audience in their understanding of the process of construction in film so that they could develop a sophisticated and critical attitude.” (Ruby 2005) Mitchell Block’s ...No Lies (1974,) functioned in a notably different manner, as it reflexively and critically questioned the observational mode, commenting on observational techniques and their capacity for capturing authentic truths. In this way, the reflexive mode of documentary often functions as its own regulatory board, policing ethical and technical boundaries within documentary film itself. Other examples of reflexive documentaries consist of Catfish.
5. Performative Mode
Performative documentaries show subjective experience and emotional response to the world. They are strongly personal, unconventional, perhaps poetic and/or experimental, and might include hypothetical enactments of events designed to make us experience what it might be like for us to possess a certain specific perspective on the world that is not our own, e.g. that of black, gay men in Marlon Riggs’s Tongues Untied (1989) or Jenny Livingston’s Paris Is Burning (1991). This sub-genre might also lend itself to certain groups (e.g. women, ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, etc) to ‘speak about themselves.’ Often, a battery of techniques, many borrowed from fiction or avant-garde films, are used. Performative documentaries often link up personal accounts or experiences with larger political or historical realities.
Conventions of News Programmes
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network.
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. This department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation. It generates around 120 hours of radio and television output each day, also including online news coverage. The service maintains 45 foreign news bureaux and has correspondents in almost every country. The department's annual budget is £350 million and has a staff of 3,500 (2,000 being journalists). Through the BBC English Regions, BBC News has regional centres across England as well as national news centres in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. All regions and nations produce their own local news programmes and other current affairs and sport programmes.
The news report I watched and identified the codes and conventions with was Thursday 2nd October 2014 episode of BBC News at 10pm.
Appearance:
The presenter of the news broadcaster is dressed extremely smartly and his whole appearance is sharp and neat. He's wearing a suit which fits with the professional feel of the programme. He looks well groomed which shows that he takes pride in his appearance which personifies with how BBC is represented; its a big company and at the top of its game so only the smartest people are used as the face of the corporation. The news presenter looks reliable and trustworthy which is essential for this role of presenting as there job is to inform the general public with local and worldwide news. The presenter is also exceptionally well spoken which makes him more professional and someone who the audience would want to listen to.
Presenters:
There is one main presenter throughout the 30 minute news broadcasting, who discusses every different story which is shown, he often switches over to a news reporter which is at the location to add more depth to stories. There are only two other presenters throughout the news show which is the sports presenter who discusses sport stories in the sport slot, the other presenter is the weather person who discusses today's weather and the next days.
Footage:
Throughout the news broadcast, footage from multiple different stories were shown. Each article the news presenter discussed moments after in the background was footage which related to the story. One example of this was when the presenter spoke about the heartbreaking murder of 14 year old Alice Gross, video footage from the crime scene was shown in the background.
Camera Angles:
Multiple different camera angles were used in the 30 minute news broadcast. It started with a close up angle focusing on the presenters facial expressions as he started reporting on the main headline. Throughout the angles would change from close up, mid close ups and long angle shots which creates a good variety and makes it more interesting and exciting. As the audience would lose interest if everything was in the same angle for the whole programme. It also changes depending on what is actually happening in the show; when theirs an interview the clip starts with a long angle which shows the whole studio to the audience and then it goes to a mid close up shot. The camera angles look sharp professional which is done through the use of a tripod; all professional TV or film companies use tripods.
Graphics:
Graphics are used throughout news broadcasts as a way of adding the professional element to the programme. Graphics are shown on screens in the background when the presenter is discussing a story and the cameraman often zooms into the graphics onto the screen whilst the presenter is talking as the voice over or a reporter from the story on the screen is the voice over. Graphics will always be used in news broadcasting as they are an essential element to sharing news. Graphics are also used to show weather and sport, with the weather person speaking to a graphic screen which shows the weather for the next few days in the background.
Lighting:
Lighting used in news broadcasting is very strong and sharp lighting which focuses on the facial expressions of the presenter. Every flaw is shown which is why presenters and reporters will always be wearing a lot of stage make up so there flaws aren't on show but also to make them look alive and healthy as people are more likely to be listen and be interested in a presenter who visually looks good.
Interviews & Reporters:
The 10pm news broadcasting doesn't have many interviews live from the studio as its the end of the day which usually shows the most important parts of the days news stories. However when the presenter started discussing a story which had more detail to be shown the show went to a different location were either a news reporter or somebody who had a significant involvement started discussing the story in more depth. The reporters were equally dressed and looked smart like the presenter; either wearing a suit or smart clothing and having well groomed appearance.
12 Year Old Lifer - Channel 4 Documentary
In April 2010, in the small town of Enchanted Hills in Indiana, 12 year-old Paul Gingerich helped his friend, 15-year-old Colt Lundy, shoot and kill Colt’s stepfather. The shocking murder of Philip Danner was carried out by two middle-class boys with no prior criminal records. The story of the crime is one that has both gripped and baffled the whole of America. With unprecedented access to both boys, their families, and the ongoing court case, this True stories film offers an extraordinary insight into the crime and its aftermath. It also allows the key players in the case to give poignant and candid interviews telling their side of the story. After plotting the crime in the local playground after school, Paul and Colt shot Phillip multiple times. They then stole his car, fled the scene and were eventually picked up by the police after travelling 200 miles. To this day there is no known motive for the crime. Despite their ages, both Paul and Colt were tried and sentenced as adults, and are each serving 30 years. At 12, Paul is one of the youngest children in American history to be waived adult court. Colt was sent straight to a maximum security adult prison and will be transferred to the adult wing when he turns 18. Paul’s family is waging a controversial and historic appeal for him to be re-tried as a juvenile, meaning that he could avoid being sent to adult prison and remain in a juvenile detention facility.
The documentary was first broadcast on Thursday 2nd of May 2013 and has a duration time of 52 minutes.
The main themes in the documentary:
Family disputes
Teenage crime
Prison life
Teenagers being impressionable on others
Children/ teenagers growing up/ living in prison
Code and Conventions of the documentary
Actuality:
Actuality footage is used throughout 12 Year Old Lifer, because the documentary is aimed at telling the audience a story the use of just interviews wouldn't be as interesting and understanding, so the filmmaker chose to use actuality footage makes it more realistic and believable. An example of this in 12 Year Old Lifer was the cut in between interviews which showed shots of locations related to the documentary like play grounds which symbolize how young the murderers actually are and also how they planned the unthinkable murder in an actual playground.
Voice over:
The voice over on 12 Year Old Lifer is a mix from the narrator and the interviewees. The documentary starts with the narrator discussing the crime and the background of the two youths. Its usually common for documentaries to start with a narrator summarizing the topic otherwise the audience wouldn't understand previous events if it went straight into interviews it also makes the documentary flow better. The other voice overs used in the documentary are from the interviewees, rather then just the interviews being visually shown in a way of the camera on the interviewee talking straight to the camera. In 12 Year Old Lifer the filmmaker uses what the interviewees are saying as the voice over and whilst this is happening what the interviewees are saying is shown visually on the screen. For example when the parents of Paul are talking about their sons life before his sentence, footage from his past like his school, his old home was shown whilst the parents were the voice over.
Direct and Indirect Interviews:
Interviews are used throughout 12 Year Old Lifer to add depth and back up the documentary. It also allows the key players in the case to give poignant and candid interviews telling their side of the story. A range of people are interviewed which makes it more interesting as it has plenty of sides to the story and makes it genuinely more interesting as its not an hour worth of facts or voice over which could be slightly tedious. Some of the people interviewed are the criminals who committed the crime, police officers involved in the case, family members of the victims and felons, people involved in the court case ect. With all these ranges of interviews it makes a big variety of opinions and comments; the documentary is less bias as theirs no favorited side. The documentary also showed a change of interviews; some of the interviews from the murderers Paul and Colt were recorded when they first committed the crime and then interviews from present day which showed the audience the contrast from when they were young to when they were older; also shows their developments, gain of maturity and responsibility. The interviews from family members were very heart felt and touching, they were sharing personal details about them which made the audience feel more touched and spoken directly to. An example of this was when the victim Paul Gingerich's children were discussing the life and personality of the father and husband; a very personal and touching moment.
Archival footage:
Archival footage was used in 12 Year Old Lifer as a way of showing the real life footage from the case. One example of archival footage used was when the two teenagers were arrested and taken into prison in handcuffs this footage was used to show the audience how young the two boys were when they were arrested it also was good way to visually shock the audience as sometimes pictures just aren't enough. Footage from the crime scene was also used, making the documentary very good as it's bringing realness and reliability to it.
Camera Angles:
The camera angles used in 12 Year Old Lifer are typical to crime style documentary, it was recorded in a way which felt real and not overly produced although it had a lot of good information and professional techniques. The documentary was recorded in a professional style but not completely set up, nothing was crazily staged apart from the interviews. The angles in the interview changed to the people who were being interviewed, the interviews with the police officers used camera angles which were straight on, style like a one on one conversation. However that was different with the interviews of victims and felons family members, the camera angles used were medium shots on a high angle style which makes the objects seem small, unharmful and innocent which is what the filmmaker wants them to be portrayed as because the audience are supposed to feel sorry for these people. The camera angles used when interviewing the two criminals were close up low angle shots to make them seem intimidating and daunting. Also the close up style shot focuses on their facial expressions allowing the audience to really understand what they are saying.
Montage:
12 Year Old Life used the technique of montage through telling the background of the shocking crime, then showing Paul the youngest murderers side of the story and then in the final part showing the second murderer and step son of the victim Colt's side of the argument. the documentary was shown in a sequence and then in between other details were told. The documentary started with the police officer on the crime and the family of the victim discussing what events actually took place, which gave the audience awareness of what the actual documentary was about. The second part focused on 12 year old Paul's involvement in the murder and his family are fighting for justice as they believe he was unfairly tarnished with the same brush as Colt and they haven't took the fact he was influenced to do it. Interviews with the police, Paul and his family all were used as techniques to back up Paul's argument. Due to the documentary not being biased they also showed the other side of the argument in the final part of the programme which focused on Colt and his unfair prejudgment. The filmmakers visited Colt and allowed him to justice his decisions and why he actually did it. In between the three main parts of the documentary other information was shown like the victims life, focused on how young the teens actually were and how it become a worldwide news shocker.
Task B:
The aim for this essay is to analyse documentaries and news programming, looking into detail at the purpose of documentaries/news programming, the exceptions from these forms of film and finally the difference between both of these highly successful filming styles.
A film/television documentary is defined as a genre of film which is a non-fictional motion picture that in some aspect documents and captures reality. Documentaries are often created to reveal an interesting, unusual or even unknown angle of a topic or situation. Mostly trying to create a genuine and frank view on something which hasn't been manipulated in a positive or negative way, documentaries try to be as honest and real as possible which regularly causes controversy and debate. Documentary filmmakers are often motivated to make their films because they feel a particular story or viewpoint is not being (adequately) covered by mainstream media. Sheila Curran Bernard, Author of Documentary Storytelling defines documentaries as "Documentaries bring viewers into new worlds and experiences through the presentation of factual information about real people, places, and events, generally -- but not always -- portrayed through the use of actual images and artifacts. But factuality alone does not define documentary films; it's what the filmmaker does with those factual elements, weaving them into an overall narrative that strives to be as compelling as it is truthful and is often greater than the sum of its parts.". Documentaries can be disturbing, ironic, absurd, funny, poignant, inspirational, amusing and shocking. Its a genre of film making that uses film and video scenes, photographs and/or sound of real people and real events which when edited together creates a particular story, viewpoint, message or experience. Documentaries are usually around half an hour to 2 hours long which fits within traditional television schedule or theatrical release. Filmmakers usually have four main tools to create documentaries which include camcorders, video editing computers, video editing software and gear list. There are thousands of popular and famous documentaries in the world, some examples are Benefit Street, Frozen Planet, and 12 Year Old Lifer.
The purpose of a documentary is to allow filmmakers to have an attempt to change or improve society in some way or form through their documentaries. The main goal is to bring attention to certain situations and help with injustice, the aim is that their films will help galvanize the masses to demand change. An example of a documentary which was created to improve society or cause people to change opinions is Manhunt (director Greg Barker, 2013) it focuses on the CIA’s twenty year search for Osama Bin Laden from the time when his disturbing messages first began arriving via video to his death in May 2011. Documentaries often are created to simply entertain or please the audience in some way, which are called human interest stories, a documentary example of this is The Only Way Is Essex or Made In Chelsea, both structured reality shows aimed at a young audience. Other purposes of documentaries is to profile people, in a form which is simply showing and the allowing the audience to get understanding of somebody; these documentaries aren't bias or judgmental and they called observational films. An example of this type of documentary is Big Brother, which is a reality game show style documentary. Other purposes is to attempt to reveal a hidden truth or mystery like "Danny Dyer - I Believe In UFO'S" or to educate the audience for example "The Planets" which is a made for television documentary series that explores in depth the planets that make up our solar system. Finally another purpose for documentaries is filmmakers may have fascinations with family life and wanting to share the quirkiness of their family's story. So the purpose may be to reveal some truth about society through their family's story but not necessarily to change society rather to reveal and enlighten. An example of documentary like this is The Short Game which is a Netflix film about young golf prodigies and there families.
Audiences react to documentaries in multiple different ways some include the following. Lighthearted and happy documentaries cause a pleasant and slightly unchanged reaction, documentaries about pets or family life which have a positive theme doesn't cause a changing audience reaction as these types of documentaries are simply time fillers which are watched maybe in an evening with family and friends. People won't particularly have a strong reaction as they aren't created to cause that type of reaction, they aren't hard hitting or controversial so the audience won't be inspired, angered or educated by the documentaries. Lighthearted and happy documentaries usually are the style of comedies which are created to essentially make people feel consent and cause a joyful reaction; they slightly take away from the harsh reality of the real world and are watched as a form of escapism for an hour or how ever long the documentaries is. An example of a documentary which causes this reaction is "Too Cute!" which is about coming-of-age stories of puppies and kittens from special litters as they "grow from helpless fur balls to rambunctious young animals". Other documentaries cause a variety of strong emotions which make the audience cry, laugh, anger and even inspire. Strong emotion documentaries are created to cause inspiration and move the audience in some deep and meaningful way. These documentaries are made to get the audience reacting whether its a sad or happy reaction, after you watch these type of documentaries you will remember them and be left feeling like you've changed your opinion on the topic, in a form it does educate the audience but focuses more on creating a powerful reaction. A good example of an emotive documentary is "The Bridge" which is a humble film that follows filmmakers as they capture the last moments of desperation and sorrow on The Golden Gate Bridge as people attempt to end their lives through jumping of the infamous bridge. One of the most heartbreaking moments in the whole documentary is when Gene (a suicidal man) falls backwards off the bridge whilst the voiceover (the mans friend) narrates "maybe he just wanted to fly.". Other documentaries cause audiences to react in an inspired way and force the viewers to make an action and change in behaviour. These documentaries often are very hard-hitting and straight away make you feel as if you need to do something about the topic and be apart of a change. They are very powerful when it comes to inspiring people, one documentary which I have watched in the past which causes this reaction is "Bridegroom". This film documents the story of Shane Bitney Crone and his boyfriend Tom Bridegroom. Tom falls from the roof of their apartment and suffers fatal injuries, Shane narrates throughout the film about how the limitations on same-sex marriage kept him from fully grieving and from protecting the life the two had built together. This documentary really inspires you to make a change and reevaluate thoughts on same-sex marriage and love is love; people should be allowed to marry a person of the same sex regardless of current laws and other peoples views. Some documentaries creates sudden surprises and keeps the audience in awe and amazement, they also keep people guessing from what happened. These type of documentaries create a high spirits and show amazing surprises which they already wouldn't of been aware of. Exit Through The Gift Shop is an art documentary telling the story of how French shopkeeper, addicted to filming, sniffed the trail of underground street artists and ended up in the world of Bansky. He creates a surprising twist by turning the camera arround to turn the young Frenchman into a street artist himself, and uses the film to create his own documentary. It shows the birth of street art, its message and reception in the world at large. Some documentaries can create audiences being left questioning how to actually react, they are created to allow the viewers to make up their own conclusions so the reactions are based on their thoughts on the documentary. Morgan Spurlock's '"Super Size Me" is a case in point of this as its not bias to one opinion, it allows you to react as you wish. Further more reactions created are strong opinions and beliefs, they are mostly always controversial and bold state opinions. They often can be bias and aren't created to please the audience; they may or may not agree with the documentaries but will be so drawn in by the controversial points they will be sucked in till the end. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" is an example of this. Finally some documentaries are created to cause an educational reaction, after you watch them you will feel more educated on the topic. "Blackfish" is an example of en educational reaction film which is a documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Things expected to be seen in a documentary are as follows. Usually documentaries will have some form of a voice-over to allow the audience to get understanding of the documentary and also tell the story of the films topic. Voice-overs are important as without them the audience would be slightly lost and unaware of whats actually happening. The voice-over usually has some form of authority which encourages the audience to believe they have some kind of specialist knowledge on the topic. Also voice-overs are used to share strong opinions and persuade the audience and make them pay attention to certain topics. Filmmakers like Nick Broomfields and Michael Moore both do voice-overs like this. Real footage of events are also expected to be seen in documentaries, because these types of films are branded "non fiction", its essential to use real footage to back up statements, make it more reliable and believable. All events portrayed to the audience are seen to be real and and the use of real footage events make it a reliable and good type of documentary. However the footage which is often shown in documentaries are not always genuine. Alternations through editing and voice-overs can manipulate and affect the reality of the footage. Technically of realism is expected to be seen in documentaries as well through natural sound and lighting, this was used greatly in Nick Broomfields "Biggie and Tupac". In the documentary which examines the unsolved murders of the two famous rapper, Broomfields purposely "runs out of music" during the film which adds a less serious element and symbolic to the deaths of the successful musicians; the music ending represents the ending of good RnB/hiphop music. Archive footage/stills are additionally expected in documentaries as they add authenticity and further information which the filmmakers may be unable to obtain themselves. Nearly every documentary will have some form of interviews, whether its from experts, people who have first hand knowledge or people who are actually involved with the topic. They are used to authenticate the views and opinions expressed in the documentaries. Interviews add a different element to them as it gives a different argument from just the filmmakers, it also can sometimes make the documentaries less bias.
The main purpose of television News Programmes are to inform the audience about breaking and relevant world news. If news programmes weren't relevant or around it would be very hard for people to be informed with whats actually happening around the world as news programmes are so easy to make people aware of world news simply at the touch of a button. People can easily catch up on news programmes as they vary from 1-2 minute long to half an hour and hour so everyone has spare moments during the day to catch up on it thats why the purpose for news programmes is to inform audiences everyday with news. Other purposes of television news programmes is to inform audiences about world breaking news, when news reporters get informed about breaking news they straight away report back to the audience through a news programmes which makes the audience constantly aware of whats happening, if they weren't around people would struggle more with knowing whats actually happening. Television news programmes are very important and they have an equally important purpose, although there are news radio bulletin, world news website and social media which shares new stories, the most important would be television news programmes as they are aimed and cater for everyone. Whether its aimed at young teenagers or older people, everyone will be able to relate and be informed with news programmes as they don't have a specific audience. A purpose is to gain a larger audience, often news programmes gain a wider watch when more shocking or harrowing news stories are shown as more people are wanting to watch it which is my one purpose is to gain a bigger audience and watching. Another purpose is to satisfy a wider audience as news programmes have a range of different stories shown on the programme slot so it caters for everyone from young or old. Finally one of the last purposes is to broadcast information in different mediums.
Some of the things you expect to seen in a news programme are studio news reporters. The job of a studio news reporters is to gather news and information to keep the public informed about important events. They obtain their information through a number of sources. These may include personal interviews, contacts, wire services (news transmitted via satellite dishes), news briefings, and question-and-answer periods. Every news programme will have a studio news reporter and it wouldn't be a news show without one. Example of famous news reporters who have featured on news programmes like BBC World News, Channel 4 News and 5 News are Mary Nightingale and Richard Baker. Actuality footage are also always seen in news programme, they are used for the audience to gain more information, make the stories more reliable and also visually more entertaining. Eyewitnesses are an essential part of news programmes and they are mostly always used in the news. When stories are diverted to the location the news reporter on the seen often speaks to eye witnesses to gain first hand information, makes it seen more real as its being told by someone who witnessed it and also adds an engaging factor; because its not a constant story after story from a studio reporter. Links to the studio are used, studio news reporters constantly switch over to other people in and out of the studio. Also mode of address to the viewers are expected to be seen in news programmes. Finally interviews are constantly apart of the news, they can be interviews from a range of different people including experts, the general public, celebrities and witnesses to the stories. Interviews are very important in news programmes as they add a more engaging and exciting element to the news as without them it could slightly tedious and more like radio news bulletin.
News programmes and documentaries are very different in multiple ways. News programmes main duty is to inform the audience with 100% factual news stories which have zero bias elements and purely inform the public with local and world wide news which could interest and/or affect them. Whereas documentaries; although they are mean't to be completely non fictional can be manipulated by the filmmaker to have favoritism to a certain topic. They also can show part of a issue whereas a news programme (when telling a story) has to give the audience as much information as possible and it all has to be the complete truth. A news report also covers multiple current issues or stories which have come back into public interest whereas a documentary is a wider commentary and can document issues that have been around for several years, even decades. A documentary also doesn't have to have any specific public interest; it can be about a controversial issue rather then something which would interest the audience. Like news programmes tend to have a range of different stories that would engage different audience ages. Another difference between documentaries and news programmes is that documentaries usually go into more detail on a subject which have previously been reported in a news story. Documentaries tend to go into extensive detail and even discuss different topics based around the original issue, for example if a crashed plane was reported in a news programme, a documentary would be later made to bring light to air travel safety rather then the actual plane crash. Sometimes they news programmes and documentaries overlap, for example reporters might take a while investigating, say recruitment of child soldiers in Africa and reveal the full extend of this as a documentary; which might be regarded as a revelation of news not previously broadcast.
The purpose of a documentary is to allow filmmakers to have an attempt to change or improve society in some way or form through their documentaries. The main goal is to bring attention to certain situations and help with injustice, the aim is that their films will help galvanize the masses to demand change. An example of a documentary which was created to improve society or cause people to change opinions is Manhunt (director Greg Barker, 2013) it focuses on the CIA’s twenty year search for Osama Bin Laden from the time when his disturbing messages first began arriving via video to his death in May 2011. Documentaries often are created to simply entertain or please the audience in some way, which are called human interest stories, a documentary example of this is The Only Way Is Essex or Made In Chelsea, both structured reality shows aimed at a young audience. Other purposes of documentaries is to profile people, in a form which is simply showing and the allowing the audience to get understanding of somebody; these documentaries aren't bias or judgmental and they called observational films. An example of this type of documentary is Big Brother, which is a reality game show style documentary. Other purposes is to attempt to reveal a hidden truth or mystery like "Danny Dyer - I Believe In UFO'S" or to educate the audience for example "The Planets" which is a made for television documentary series that explores in depth the planets that make up our solar system. Finally another purpose for documentaries is filmmakers may have fascinations with family life and wanting to share the quirkiness of their family's story. So the purpose may be to reveal some truth about society through their family's story but not necessarily to change society rather to reveal and enlighten. An example of documentary like this is The Short Game which is a Netflix film about young golf prodigies and there families.
Audiences react to documentaries in multiple different ways some include the following. Lighthearted and happy documentaries cause a pleasant and slightly unchanged reaction, documentaries about pets or family life which have a positive theme doesn't cause a changing audience reaction as these types of documentaries are simply time fillers which are watched maybe in an evening with family and friends. People won't particularly have a strong reaction as they aren't created to cause that type of reaction, they aren't hard hitting or controversial so the audience won't be inspired, angered or educated by the documentaries. Lighthearted and happy documentaries usually are the style of comedies which are created to essentially make people feel consent and cause a joyful reaction; they slightly take away from the harsh reality of the real world and are watched as a form of escapism for an hour or how ever long the documentaries is. An example of a documentary which causes this reaction is "Too Cute!" which is about coming-of-age stories of puppies and kittens from special litters as they "grow from helpless fur balls to rambunctious young animals". Other documentaries cause a variety of strong emotions which make the audience cry, laugh, anger and even inspire. Strong emotion documentaries are created to cause inspiration and move the audience in some deep and meaningful way. These documentaries are made to get the audience reacting whether its a sad or happy reaction, after you watch these type of documentaries you will remember them and be left feeling like you've changed your opinion on the topic, in a form it does educate the audience but focuses more on creating a powerful reaction. A good example of an emotive documentary is "The Bridge" which is a humble film that follows filmmakers as they capture the last moments of desperation and sorrow on The Golden Gate Bridge as people attempt to end their lives through jumping of the infamous bridge. One of the most heartbreaking moments in the whole documentary is when Gene (a suicidal man) falls backwards off the bridge whilst the voiceover (the mans friend) narrates "maybe he just wanted to fly.". Other documentaries cause audiences to react in an inspired way and force the viewers to make an action and change in behaviour. These documentaries often are very hard-hitting and straight away make you feel as if you need to do something about the topic and be apart of a change. They are very powerful when it comes to inspiring people, one documentary which I have watched in the past which causes this reaction is "Bridegroom". This film documents the story of Shane Bitney Crone and his boyfriend Tom Bridegroom. Tom falls from the roof of their apartment and suffers fatal injuries, Shane narrates throughout the film about how the limitations on same-sex marriage kept him from fully grieving and from protecting the life the two had built together. This documentary really inspires you to make a change and reevaluate thoughts on same-sex marriage and love is love; people should be allowed to marry a person of the same sex regardless of current laws and other peoples views. Some documentaries creates sudden surprises and keeps the audience in awe and amazement, they also keep people guessing from what happened. These type of documentaries create a high spirits and show amazing surprises which they already wouldn't of been aware of. Exit Through The Gift Shop is an art documentary telling the story of how French shopkeeper, addicted to filming, sniffed the trail of underground street artists and ended up in the world of Bansky. He creates a surprising twist by turning the camera arround to turn the young Frenchman into a street artist himself, and uses the film to create his own documentary. It shows the birth of street art, its message and reception in the world at large. Some documentaries can create audiences being left questioning how to actually react, they are created to allow the viewers to make up their own conclusions so the reactions are based on their thoughts on the documentary. Morgan Spurlock's '"Super Size Me" is a case in point of this as its not bias to one opinion, it allows you to react as you wish. Further more reactions created are strong opinions and beliefs, they are mostly always controversial and bold state opinions. They often can be bias and aren't created to please the audience; they may or may not agree with the documentaries but will be so drawn in by the controversial points they will be sucked in till the end. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" is an example of this. Finally some documentaries are created to cause an educational reaction, after you watch them you will feel more educated on the topic. "Blackfish" is an example of en educational reaction film which is a documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
