Product Rsearch- Analysing types of Doccumentaries

The Expository mode- “Streetdancer” (Josephine Baker)
-Interview used to move point on
- Sound bridge used between location shots and interview to introduce the interview. This works as we hear the voice before we see the person but we expect to see it therefore are prepared. This also works other way where maybe diegetic noise comes over interviewee which then prepares use for next shot ie noise of car then see image of street.
-Voice of narrator heard throughout

Although I do not wish to make an expository mode documentary, there are numerous conventions I can take from this documentary such as voice over. However I would employ a voice over from my participants rather than myself. The use of sound bridges that are used in “streetdancer” may also translate nicely into my documentary. The editing is simple and doesn’t take away from the content which is crucial to a documentary as you want audience to focus on issues raised.

The Observational mode- “Clown Children”
- Establishing shots showing the hustle and bustle of the city, Audience shown busy main road, it illustrates uninterrupted everyday life as there isn’t much editing.
- Over this is diegetic sounds of birds and transport (city sounds) which builds creating true representation of this environment.
- Children shown getting ready (putting on face paint), although camera close to them they ignore it in order to illustrate that this is their normal routine.
-Only see face full on through shot of mirror- building on idea that camera isn’t there.
-Continuously returns to close up of traffic lights that continue to change this is important as creates idea that city isn’t stopping we are simply dipping into their world.

I really liked the feel of this documentary as the shots gave the piece an authentic feel. The participants ignoring the cameras presence worked well and this is something I would like to transfer into my own documentary. There are many abstract shots within this documentary which are achieved through extreme close-up, playing with focus and iris shutter speed, also altering the lighting. I thought this style of shots worked well as it was visually interesting and didn’t enable audience to be passive they had to interact with images. This style of filming mirrors styles from other genre which made the documentary interesting and appeal to wider audience. I think parts of this doc were reconstructed however is filmed as the participants would acknowledge camera otherwise. However its filmed so doesn’t seem so.

The interactive mode- “my kid could paint that”
- The documentary starts with the film maker and follows his journey.
- Child shown playing with camera functions
- Child and interviewer shown sitting together as he shows her how to use camera and they test the microphone together.
- The camera switches from the camera man to the view from camera.

The good thing about this style of documentary is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. The process and product isn’t hidden of perfected, which allows the audience not only to enjoy the issues raised but appreciate the process. The shots explicitly show the documentary maker interacting with participant; I do not wish to be featured in my documentary as I want the focus to be on subject. I also think that the time allowed is too small to shows the making of the doc; either I make as small doc that will be simply be about the making process or will featured in a snippet of a larger doc but ultimately take away from overall issue.

Ethnographic film- nail parlour
- Voice over of many voices all talking about same topic. Shows what they have in common.
- Repeatedly closer shots of nail varnish, all same just closer.
- Lots of fades used between shots of the same topic
- Many shots that come in and out of focus of the topic.
- Most shots were reconstructed as were extreme close ups of items and not actually of people.

I like the use of numerous voice over’s in the beginning of this documentary, it almost becomes a sound scape of different views. This is a successful opening of the documentary as the audience don’t know what the participants are referring to but the snippets of words and phrases draws them in as they want to know more. The extreme close ups and jump zooms are visual interesting while complimenting the voice over. However if you don’t have such a direct focus as this doc does I am not sure if it would work.

I t was extremely useful to examine different styles documentaries as it made the conventions of each of them clear. I also think it was very helpful for me to see what I like from each and begin to think about how I could apply them to my own documentary.