Documentary modes

Documentary mode are different styles of documentary. There 6 different styles that a documentary can be these are:

Expository- This is where a voice over is used, it is also known as "voice of God" this is used in a lot of wildlife documentaries.

Reflexive- This is where the audience only gets told a version of the truth. It doesn't give you all of the information so that you believe the maker.

Performance- This mode is were the documentary maker is the main person in the documentary to create a emotional link with the audience like in "Supersize Me" the maker uses himself in the experiment of only eating fast-food everyday.

Observational- This is where the documentary maker has no control with what happens creating a "fly on the wall" effect. It try's to capture the world as real as possible but people will always act differently if they know they are being filmed.

Interactive- This is where the maker, presenter or subjects to take part in events.

Documentary "Realities" - Performance

A documentary maker can manipulate how a person in represented in the documentary, to get the audience to agree with the makers P.O.V. The maker can make a person to come across how they want by making someone appear stupid or bad. They can also make people appear stereotypical they do this for you to have a opinion on the person because if someone comes across as stupid or saying all teenagers take drugs and want to fight people you are less likely to listen to what they say so you are more likely to agree with what the documentary maker which why the maker does it because they want you to believe their point.  

Documentary "Realities" - Editing

Not every thing you see in documentaries is the truth. You only see what the documentary makers want you to see they do this to get their point across more. They manipulate what they have filmed during editing to make you see it more from their point of view (P.O.V) as they can change interviews to make   the interviewees say what they want to support or contrast their point, they also only use the footage to make you believe their point. Point of view or P.O.V is were the documentary maker shows you what they see and how they see they use this to help you understand and believe the point they want to get across and to make you agree with what they are saying like in Secret millionaire they only show the run down part of where it is being filmed to make the area look bad and so it looks like they are helping more, they also manipulate it during editing.

All documentaries are constructed and planned to get the shots that are needed to back the point the documentary maker in trying to make. Archive footage is used to set up the story and to give you background information on what the documentary is about so you understand the point that the documentary maker is trying to be told. They can also re-construct some events to get the shots that they want so you can see more.      

Documentary Conventions, Explained

Conventions are how we recognize what we are watching so know how to react and so we know what to except when watching the TV show or film. The main convention that are used in documentaries are:

Interview- are used to give you the view of someone that was involved in the story or issue so you understand how they feel and to get personal opinions they cut to B-role to back or explain what they are saying.

Voice over/Presenter- are there to explain to you what's going on or what is going to happen, also to keep the audience interested so everyone understands what point they are trying to get across.

Use of Experts- are used to back what is being said and so it is more believable.

Music- is used to help you feel how the director want you to feel, it is also used to keep the pace of the documentary going which the audience stay interested.

Poor sound/lighting-this is used so everything looks real and not stage but most documentary's are. it also make it more believable.  

Hand held camera- they use this to make it feel like your in the conversation not just watching this will you feel more involved in what going on. It is also so used to make it look more real and not staged.           

What is a factual programme?

Factual programes are one of the biggest areas of television output. It  provides an extensive range of opportunities and professional roles within the media industry.

A factual programme is a non-fiction TV show or film, the biggest type of factual programme is documentary. Some other types of factual programmes are panel show like Mock the Week and 8 out of 10 cats these are made for entertainment they are set out with a presenter that is usually a comedian along with team captains and then some celebrity guests, mocumentrys are filmed as real documentaries   to make the audience believe that it is real by using all the codes and convention of documentary but are staged.

A documentary is a TV show or a film that focuses on issue or a story, to present alternative views and inform, educate as well as entertain you. Entertainment is used to the audience interested to watch the documentary. Documentary is one of the oldest forms of cinema and television and still one of the most important. The purpose of a documentary is to get the views of the director across so you also believe what they so, also another propose is to bring a issue to your attention so it can people can help or so it can be fixed. 

There are many different genres of documentary some of these are Wildlife, Chat shows, Education and  Makeover all have their own codes and conventions but all have the same basic codes and conventions.