Documentary mini task

Types of documentaries

Expository documentary

An expository documentary is a film which includes an authoritative voice over (commentary) along side a sequence of images to be descriptive and also informative.




This Africa series is made by David Attenborough. The clip above is episode 2. A substantial amount of David Attenborough's work is nature and animal based, during this clip we hear a commentary of David talking the audience through what is happening during the series of clips.
The sequence of clips relates to what David is telling us about. This is because Attenborough talks specifically about the particular wildlife which is shown in the frame. However only half way through the documentary is when we see David Attenborough, but this is isn't consistent all of the way through the documentary. I think that this is a good example of an expository documentary because it shows a sequence of images to describe what David is talking about along with his voiceover to inform us on his knowledge and understanding. I personally think that this format is very truthful because David's voiceover is very authoritative which immediately leads us to trust what he is educating us on.


Reflexive documentary

This type of documentary is designed to focus more upon how the people in the documentary are filmed in the production rather than the events involved in the production and what the people in the documentary are doing. This documentary typically is used to 'expose the truth'.




I think that this is an appropriate clip for a reflexive documentary because Banksy films and is filmed in a very creative way. Despite that Banksy was able to stay anonymous for such a long time and is still anonymous. This documentary focuses more on how the documentary is filmed rather than the events what may occur. There is a sequence of different clips such as the artists creating their piece.
After watching the famous Banksy artist talk to the camera we see clips of him and his family. I think that this is a good example of a reflexive documentary because the way that Bansky is filmed in a creative way using different shots and different things in different shots rather then having the same things in each frame. I think that this documentary is very truthful, it shows the famous anonymous artist with his family with him opening taking about his work which he is happy to share.

Interactive documentary

In an interactive documentary, the film maker's presence is obvious, the film maker interacts with others who are involved with the documentary. The way the film maker interacts with the others in the production is interviews or joining them in multiple activities or just following them during the course of one or two days.




I think that this is an interactive documentary because the film makers presence is made evident as he is conversing with the other person involved. The documentary focuses on the film makers reactions to his antics and it also focuses on how the other person reacts to Louis interacting and joining with what he is doing. The film maker is conversing in the form of an interview, this is usual in an interactive documentary because it gives information and it is the typical way to interact. I think that this is a good example of an interactive documentary because the film maker is interacting and has involvement with the main person in the production. Again, I think that this documentary is only truthful to an extent however more than the performative documentary stated below, this is because the other man involved talking to Louis may not be himself during production, therefore may not exposing the entire truth.

Performative documentary

This type of documentary takes the attention away from the usual events of the world such as serious or maybe depressive events which would be more like an observational documentary and more towards the passionate and creative dimension of a film production. This type is usually made with re-enactments of past events.




I think that this is suitable for a peformative documentary because it isn't in the everyday routine that we see or read about something such as Auschwitz. I feel as though that this documentary focuses on the more creative dimension of film making. I think that this is a good example of a performative documentary because it is just visiting Auschwitz, re-enacting past events which don't exist and we don't hear or see about in our later reality. I think that this is truthful to some extent because it is what happened in the past but us as an audience don't know that because we weren't present at this event, we trust them to inform us with what happened during the time of Auschwitz.

Observational documentary

An observational documentary is trying to convey a 'slice of life', in the documentary it just simply documents something what hasn't been scripted or staged. This could be filming a convocation or filing someone during one day to see what they do. The film maker isn't shown in this type of documentary so they aren't made evident.




This is an observational documentary because the film maker isn't shown in the documentary so they aren't made evident at all. They have conveyed a natural part of life, it just won't be a part of life for everyone. In this documentary there is no commentary during, it is just the events of what happened in the hospital and the patients and doctors talking, so we know that it hasn't been manipulated or staged in any way. I think that this is a good example of a observational documentary because the film maker isn't made evident, it is just filming people as to what they are doing instead of giving them a script to follow, I feel as though that it is the only truthful way to convey anything, it is the only truthful way to convey anything, it has no manipulation and no scripts. It what we come across at some point in reality.


Personally, the observational documentary format is my favourite because it is the most truthful format as it has no scripts and it is not staged at all. It conveys todays society and reality in the best visual representation it could possibly be in along with informing and educating the audience.