These are not to be mistaken for Nichols 6 Modes (Expository, Observational, Participatory, Reflexive, Performative and Poetic), which I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog. I am using a variety of these in my piece to construct my narrative and message. These modes, are defined with reference to documentary techniques rather than subject matter like their feature film counterparts.
Types of documentary are more like sub-genres of documentary and have a great breadth and depth from direct (fly on the wall) cinema to docu soaps about airports for example through to reality TV and shows like Big Brother. the two types or sub-genres that interest me for my current piece though are drama documentary and docu drama.
The Global Warmning piece I am creating is a move away from my last piece where the creativity was in the marriage of aesthetic style and ideology. The creativity in the Global Warmning piece is in the content and the storytelling less on the creative aesthetics and stylistics. What will be more important is the mimicry and use of the codes and conventions of the modes to create pieces that feel like types of documentary that the audience are familiar with.
The Global Warmning piece is going the a fictionalised piece but it will be grounded in fact. I am creating imaginary characters, narrative and events but these will be grounded in fact and interlaced with real events and characters referenced throughout. It will be a combination of pieces of filmed content to build this multimedia narrative including a TV News package, possibly online Vlogs and an interview to tell the story in unison.
So I am working in the realm of a hybrid of the docu-drama which uses documentary form to tell an invented but plausible story and drama-documentary which is based on real events but uses conventional fictional forms (scripts, actors, narrative and structure) to tell the story. I need the audience to feel that the documentaries are right so an excellent understanding of the form is essential. I decided to look again at the documentary modes and to see how I could use them in the construct of my Global Warmning piece.
Below I have outlined the codes and conventions of these two types of documentary to help me understand how to utilze and mirror their codes and conventions in my work
DRAMA DOCUMENTARY
Definition: A dramatised television programme or film based on real events. They use documentary techniques and interviews alongside narrative techniques such as re-enactments. They are basically a documentary with some use of fictional film storytelling techniques.
- Dramatic Documentary
- Uses conventional documentary techniques (interviews etc..)
- Combines these techniques with narrative techniques, such as reconstructions to engage and attract its audience.
- These techniques can help the documentary deliver its message
- Verisimilitude is incredibly important to make the reconstructions look authentic.
Examples of drama documentary include Touching the Void (Kevin MacDonald, 2003), and very recently Tower (Keith Maitland 2016)
DOCU-DRAMA
- Documentary Style Drama
- Technically a narrative piece of cinema but shot in the style of a documentary
- Can use the same conventions as a documentary film (hand-held camera work, interviews etc…)
- Verisimilitude is key to create a realistic environment for the film.
Examples of doc drama include Battle of the Algiers (Gillo Pnotcorvo, 1966) All the Presidents Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976), Cathy Come Home (Ken Loach, 1966) and very recently Spotlight (Thomas McCarthy, 2015)
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