Dramatisation Style Example

This crash like said in the title was one of the deadliest plane crashes which ultimately made it a tragic event with 583 people dying. The research that has been conducted, the archive footage and interviews all make this documentary needs within the narration. From the start there is archive footage that then leads into reconstructions of the key situations in which this tragedy happened, with this there is added sound effects from the plane noises to the reconstruction of the crash which adds a dramatic affect to what is being seen keeping the viewer watching. First female interviewee talks about her day and how it had started which cuts back to the dramatised reconstruction to give examples and understanding of her situation.

YouTube. (2019). DEADLIEST Plane Crash In History Documentary. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La6mNWbOXMc&t=1071s [Accessed 12 Oct. 2019].

Dramatisation Style Documentary

Dramatisation documentaries are mainly about publicised, covered issues or events that have ended up in tragedy. Within the documentaries there are many witness accounts which are then used further when recreating the issue as accurately to the tragic event. A lot of the time there will be at least two, three or four interviews with professionals or those acting within the film/documentary. In many cases this form of documentary can become more of a film/TV drama series based on the information giving then the filmed examples in which are relevant.

The codes and conventions are wide ranged. So to start with there will be professional reconstruction of situations which ranges from the way in which the subject matter is filmed to the way in which the film/documentary is edited from the interviews filmed to the relevant acting scenes. The whole of the narrative of this style is written from extensive research from there it will lead to pre-arranged interviews and then start to look at if there is any archive footage lying around, asking for permission to use the film also being important. All camera is professionally shot but within the work there will be a wide range of camera shots and angles that allows the editor can make it ‘film like’ within it’s final cut. Like first mentioned the film/documentary will swap between expert interviews and then cut back into the dramatised reconstruction which makes it important that there is formal ‘expert interviews’.

The sounds that are mainly used within this documentary style speech, dialogue, applied sound effects and ambiance which are Diegetic sounds. On the other hand the other sounds used are non Diegetic which include sounds such as soundtracks, synchronised and asynchronised dialogue (dialogue starts of screen), sound effects for dramatic effects and voice over narrative.

 

Interactive Style Example

The Idiot Abroad always starts with the film maker interacting with other subjects that are arranging the tasks and scenarios for the film maker to complete. Within the documentary the camera is mainly handheld moving between medium shots  to show more of his body language rather than his facial expressions of each situation. In other cases it is to show a closer view of what they are looking at and then the conversation that follows, close ups are usually of the many facial expressions that he pulls during the documentary. At around four minutes there is a POV shot that allows you to see what Karl sees when a person comes round the corner with all the equipment that he has, more so when the equipment is being explained to him before trying to walk up the snow.

Within the first ten minutes there is a wide range in which the interview goes. Some are informal interviews where Karl speaks to the other people within the documentary. He asks his own questions based on what he is observing, this can be seen at around 9 minutes fifteen seconds where he asks about the use of the toilet when there a little place in which one could be fitted. The use of wallpaper shots are done when waking up before he starts talking to the camera which is this case was used as a cutaway of the night before to when he does wake up. Around eleven minutes the camera is set up on a tripod to try and get a good wallpaper shot with the sun rising and beaming slightly on the snow. These cutaway shots carry on what Karl is saying within a voice-over to make the audience stays a little more interested instead of it being a little bit boring of just seeing the same spaces.

In some cases the cameras are being used at multiple different angles so that the video matches the things being said which maintains the continuity of this documentary. The particular sounds of that matches the codes and conventions are that there are voices, not just the documentary maker but also the subjects so that the documentary maker knows where to go but also for a little moan. Other sounds like cars or wind and so on is sound that has been recorded from location shoots and soundtrack music when there is cutaways if there is no speaking and some with speaking.

YouTube. (2019). An Idiot Abroad S02E04: Whale Watching. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=009N9ZSQEqc [Accessed 2 Oct. 2019].

Interactive Style Documentary

In a way this documentary style is similar to the performative style but this one concentrates more on the ‘film maker’ with the subjects at hand. It involves more prearranged tasks and scenarios which makes the documentary more fun, less of a serious tone and message with entertaining parts. Then finally the use of audio is varied to create tone and feel to the documentary while a voice-over can be used sometimes to inform the audience.

The codes and conventions for this documentary style a little bit different to the other documentary style codes and conventions. The reason for this is because the film makers are visible and also interact with the the subject which typically means the shots come from someone holding the camera (MS, POV). There are mainly Q&A’s and interviews that are used within this style but these particular ones informal or ‘on the run’, during editing that allows the producer of the documentary to add a voice-over if needed. Typically the shots that are mainly used are wallpaper, multiple camera set ups to maintain continuity, cutaway shots that lead into the next scenes (LS) and establishing shots that are on Tripods.

Like the other styles there are two different styles of audio that each documentary has. So to start with the audio comes from the scenes, voices and ambiance noises that come from the locations the film is shot which are the diegetic noises for this style. The non diegetic noises in this style is that there is more use of music/soundtracks and there is use of synchronised sound effects.

Performative Style Example

The link further below is called “The Truth About Calories” and I’m going to talk about what makes this a performative documentary style based on the codes and conventions talked about in the previous blog. To start with the film maker is involved from the start to influence where the documentary is going, using a different range of camera shots (Medium, close up and POV). Within the first ten minutes there has been a mix of pre-arranged and spur of the moment interviews, while most camera shots are handheld which gives additional feeling and tone that also accompanies with close ups of food that he narrates over. The whole time addressing the camera full on with the amount of calories in each and everything we eat or any other meals we don’t realise could be so good for us.

During the documentary there is a wide range of soundtracks based on the thing that is being recorded. For example, certain close ups of food that is being tested at around eleven minutes, further more when the foods is put into the machines to a kind of powder form of the food which is to train and gain pace on a clip that might seem a little long. Sounds that are used in this documentary is the use of machines of the background or sounds of leaves rustling when trying to take a potato out of the ground. Possible use of Foley sound of a computer sound on less calories than what the label says or when handling plastic packaging which gives emphasis on what is being said. A lot of the video is narrated with a voice-over to support the clips on screen or inform on what they are planning to do with the food or what they are trying to find out. This documentary helping in making people think twice about what we eat and what we believe to be because of big companies telling us what is in certain things.

Bbc.co.uk. (2019). BBC iPlayer – The Truth About… – 2. Calories. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05nhyt8/the-truth-about-2-calories [Accessed 11 Oct. 2019].

 

 

Performative Style Documentary

Performative documentaries have a more emotional and social media impact based on the subject at hand. Within this documentary style the film maker is subjective in the documentary, from there the film maker is able to influence the direction of the way in which the film is going from interviews to the events that are taking place which evidently depends on the topic. The sounds involved with this documentary include dialogue, ambiance from locations, synchronised sounds which is involved with diegetic sounds. On the other hand non diegetic sounds included in this style is the use of soundtracks to create pace, Foley sound to add emphasis and voice-over to support.

The codes and conventions are kind of similar to the expository style to start with. Starting with establishing and wallpaper shots which again is accompanied by voice-over narration. The camera work having a mix from medium shot which is another way to show information but is also shows a closer look of the action, close up which shows more of the expressions side of the faces, pov shots, handheld shots and reaction shots which gives the film additional feeling and tone. The performative style is a direct address by the film maker, with this the film is a mixture between pre-arranged interviews and with this also including ‘spur of the moment’ interviews.

 

Expository Style Example

The Billion Pound Hotel is an expository style documentary because from the start there is a narration but with that there is instantly facts, figures and stats stated about this hotel with the use of wallpaper shots to cover up the screen while the person narrates. For example, at around thirty seconds he continues to narrate from what looks to be a vox pop and says “standing over 1,000 feet tall and costing an estimated 1 billion pound to build” before leading to the many exquisite videos/short clips off the rooms that are available. Over the course of the documentary you can see that in each part filmed it had to be carefully thought out so that the narration fits the video on screen, so when filming each detail that fits the narration has to be deeply considered.

There is a wide range of footage, interviews of many workers and what they have to face which can sometimes be odd, archive filming material and finally showing the skills in which the profession needs. The interviews of each of the different workers are directed to the camera in some way in each shot then used to cutaway from then continuing the narration with the interviewee. Within the interview areas there is a slight soundtrack in the background, in some cutaways there is recorded sounds with a camera almost archived films and sound effects. In the end this documentary informs people on this subject with all these different codes and conventions stated.

YouTube. (2019). The Billion Pound Hotel. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-3LB9ou-a4 [Accessed 4 Oct. 2019].

Expository Style Documentary

Expository documentaries are known to be ‘talking heads’ which includes facts, figures and stats that include some narration within the film/documentary. While doing this it informs audiences on the topic, typically would be watched if trying to gain information on that topic. The sounds that are mainly used within this documentary includes sound recordings with camera so for example traffic which is on the diegetic sound of things. Furthermore the non diegetic sounds includes voice-overs, sound effects, soundtracks/scores and parallel sound.

The codes and conventions of expository documentaries are mainly pretty simple but overall takes a lot of planning. This practical side of this style requires establishing, mastering and wallpaper shots which means a shot being used to fill the screen while the narrator is talking. Main style within this documentary is the way it is based of the interview and it’s direct piece to camera address which means it will require a lot planning like previously said but also includes having to plan out narrative considerations. From there the videos and images produced will be used to illustrate and then to further that a voice-over that accompanies but to achieve this within the documentary the more important part is the production stages. So to do this there will have to be a variety of footage, interviews, skills and archive material.