Websters dictionary defines documentary as consisting of documents. According to websters dictionary, documentary consists of written down documents. Stock footage is often images of cities and landmarks, historical events of importance or images of the natural landscape and wildlife. The wikipedia defines documentary as a non fictional motion picture with the purpose of documenting some aspects of reality, intended to maintain a historical record. Nov, 2019 there exist many different types of documentary credit and it is important to understand not only the differences between each type, but also to appreciate the circumstances in which each could be used. The following list explains more about the different styles you. The first is the document information dictionary, a set of keyvalue fields such as author, title, subject, creation and update dates. Pdf a stuy on the reconsideration of the documentary film. There is no attempt at portraying any reality except the reality of the performance. The different modes are a way of determining the common concepts and themes of the various documentary styles, devised by american documentary theorist bill nichols. This film was very informative to its audience and even though it may at some point have seemed like a lecture in my opinion it was one geared to educate and inform the audience. In 2010s introduction to documentary, film educator and documentary consultant bill nichols distilled the types of documentaries down to six styles. A dvd documentary is a documentary film of indeterminate length that has been produced with the sole intent of releasing it for direct sale to the public on dvds, as different from a documentary being made and released first on television or on a cinema screen a. Since most of the titles on docuseek2 are documentaries, our genre listing digs deeper into the documentary field to provide a sense as to what kind of documentary the film is.
In this article, we will discuss the six styles or modes nichols wrote able. Planning your documentary film is essential because you want to make sure you have all the information needed before you start filming. An introduction to documentary research documentary research, serving as both a complement to and extension of biographical inquiry, takes on different meanings in the field of education. Mar 09, 2014 we are in the process of providing useful genre information for the films on docuseek2. South africas documentary film industry and to assess how the nations. We explore the different types and share characteristics and examples of. How 3 types of the documentary genre are made videomaker.
The book charts the evolution of the documentary from screen art to core television genre, its metamorphosis into many different types of factual tv programmes and its current emergence in forms of new media. Film types and formats exposure index color balance recommended filterfor daylightuse ndfilter suggestion suitabilityfor. Starring calum henderson, camerawork by luke reid and nathan rowan. How to write a documentary script page 7 of 52 forever so a documentary, in this day and age, must always provide credible information and sources to put a suspicious audience at ease. Originthe styles of documentary or documentary modes weredeveloped by american theorist bill nichols. Provided for unrestricted use by the tibetan and himalayan library.
Types of documentary credit a comprehensive guide new. In recent years, although a number of social research. Modes of documentary production, for example, identify major. Types and styles of documentaries salisbury university.
This is associated with the classic documentary, and based on illustrating an argument using images. Bowen, document analysis as a qualitative research method 37 effects of the qualitative researchers presence in the field in terms of behaviours, attitudes, and feelings. Poetic participatory expository reflexive observational performative. Webster defines documentary as a movie or television program that tells the facts about actual people and events. The film is still produced in such a way as to look and feel like a documentary. The types of shots and what they mean cinematography techniques. James curtis, making sense of documentary photography, page 5 who took the photograph. The documentary handbook is a critical introduction to the documentary. Filmmakers are often drawn to documentary modes of representation. Pdf document analysis as a qualitative research method.
Documentary is a factual program that presents facts and information. Chapter 6 proposes to answer the question what types of documen tary film are. Bill nichols 6 modes of documentary liftoff global network. Types of software twocolumn notesbefore you begin, create a table that has 2 columns and about 14 rows. Events must be unstaged, independent of cinema, nonfiction staged to film. In one sense, documentary research becomes synonymous with archival research and addresses issues related to the role and use of documents and public and. A short documentary about documentaries by calum henderson. Also, for those outside of north america or who have a portable device, and who want or need to read in another format, search for a free converter which will convert from pdf into whatever format. This brief approximation does not use a linear chronology, but is instead essentially based on the description of the modes suggested by bill nichols in. The documentary genre of film is a woven part of cinematic history.
Documentary mode is a conceptual scheme developed by american documentary theorist bill nichols that seeks to distinguish particular traits and conventions of various documentary film styles. Using graphics and charts to engage the views in a visual of. Nichols identifies six different documentary modes in his schema. Modes of documentary bill nichols bill nichols in introduction to documentary notes six types of modes of documentary expository, poetic, observational, participatory, performative, reflexive nichols 2001 looked at history of documentary and identified 6 distinct modes from expository to performative see below.
We explore the different types and share characteristics and examples of each. The form is also referred to as cinema verite, direct cinema or flyonthewall documentary. This guide will cover nine of the most commonly encountered types of documentary credits. Pdf files can have file attachments which processors may access and open or save to a local filesystem. A stuy on the reconsideration of the documentary film types. There are few different types of documentaries such as expository, observational, fly on the wall, interactive, reflective, poetic and dramatised. Observational documentary is probably the most analyzed mode of all the types of documentaries. More precisely, each mode deploys the resources of narrative and realism differently, making from common ingredients different types of text with distinctive ethical issues, textual structures, and viewer expec tations. Documentaries can be split into six different forms. Types of documentaries are classified according to filming techniques.
The cable channels, lowcost digital production and easytodistribute dvds, the internet and its nexttonothing costs of dissemination. Types and styles of documentaries the expository mode. It also opens into the history of documentaries while referencing bill nichols classic text introduction to documentary, where he outlines the six modes or subgenres or types of documentaries. Every subject and issue is specif ic and is showcased on f ilm in its own. Lets take a closer look at the different types of shots and how they can set the tone for a scene. This paper explores the documentary research method dsm in social research and aims to provide a general understanding of the dsm as well as specific tools for its successful implementation.
As well as attempting to define a historical context and possible. Nov 14, 2016 two video examples of each type of documentary film. There are different styles and ways to present information in a documentary. The following has been inspired by bill nichols books introduction to documentary 2001 and representing reality 1991. When youve done your research and you have all the information about your topic you need, you can structure your info film in a way that captures the attention and interest of your. Expository docs are heavily researched and are sometimes referred to as essay films because they aim to educate and explain things events, issues, ways of life, worlds and exotic settings we know little about. The style you choose for your digital film should depend on the way you think the information should be presented and the style you think would best suit the audience youre aiming at. The goal of this dissertation is to examine the process of racial transformation within. A documentary photographer is an historical actor bent upon communicating a message to an audience. What can happen if its not installed correctly cbc marketplace duration. If we are to determine the meaning of a documentary photograph we must begin by establishing the historical context for both the image and its creator. Pdf readerviewer is necessary to readview pdf files. Download free adobe pdf readerviewer here id unclick mcafee offer prior to downloading.
Also called stock footage, this is film or video that can be used in other film productions. It is a rhetorical rather than an aesthetic mode, aimed. Nov 18, 2011 a short documentary about documentaries by calum henderson. As you read, write down each type of software as it is discussed. There are 6 different suggested modes of documentary. The content is planned even scripted and rehearsed beforehand. We see this type of documentary in one of the films we viewed earlier in the semester shored up. In the right column, write a brief description of the software. However, lets first define what a documentary actually is before we get into the types of documentaries. While theres a lot of variation within, these are the six main categories of the genre in which all documentary films can be cast. A mode of documentary film developed in the 1980s which simply documents a performance of some kind.