Documentary Mini Task

              A documentary is a slice of real life presented in various different formats. I would define a documentary as a look into different subjects people may want to know more information about.

An expository documentary is a documentary which shows peoples everyday lives with a voice over to guide use through. The key features of expository documentaries are voice overs which directly addresses the audience on what is happening, rhetorical questions, facts, opinions and persuasive techniques. My own example of this is a documentary called 'An inconvenient truth' which is about former USA's Vice president Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming. This is a good example because it has obvious key features of an expository documentaries. 

An observational documentary is a documentary observing unfolding events. The key features of observational documentaries are that the filmmaker/ director is hidden from the audience,it is more centered on what is not shown , presents a transparent record of an event and the audiences decide what to think overall meaning this documentary format is impartial(unbiased/no opinion provided). An example of an observational documentary is one called 'Boxing Gym' which explores the world of a boxing gym in Austin, Texas. I think this is a good example because it has all the key features an observational documentary would have. 
An interactive documentary is a documentary which draws the filmed people and events into direct contact with the film maker. The key features of interactive documentaries are that the filmmaker’s presence is evident, there is interaction with the interviewees, the presenter and also the audience, arguments are usually presented and this documentary format is usually criticized for misrepresentation. An example of an interactive documentary is one called ‘Aileen: Life and Death of a serial killer' which follows the life of a highway prostitute who was executed in 2002 for murdering seven men in the state of Florida. This is a good example of an interactive documentary because there are interviews and the film maker is present through out. Access and Privacy can affect a production because if there is a place you want to use or a person you want to interview then you need to get written permissions like talent releases and location releases. If you are not allowed these permission or don’t acquire them then you will have to pick different people and places which may lead to you changing the production completely.

A reflexive documentary is a documentary which focuses on how the people and events are filmed and the film maker provides a narrative for the documentary. The key features of reflexive documentaries are that the filmmaker trys to show the  hidden conventions of documentary to the audience and the shots are usually of everyday life. An example of a reflexive documentary is one called ‘The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in Universe'  which is the filmed version of the one-woman stage show. This is a great example of a reflexive documentary because it shows all of the examples a perfect reflexive documentary would show. 

A perfomative documentary focuses more on the dimension of film. The key features of performative documentaries are that they represent the world indirectly, the documentary maker interacts with the subject, the documentary is often shaped into the narrative of an investigation and soundtracks help to include the audience into the what is going on. An example of a performative documentary is one called ‘The Fog of War' which is a documentary film about the life and times of former U.S. Secretary of Defense of Robert S. McNamara. This is a good example of a performative documentary because it shows again the key features of a performative documentary.  In a performative documentary the use of re-enactments and dramatizations are used to show the viewers what really happens so they can visualize what is/was going on. The implications of using re-enactments and dramatizations is that the audience may be confused as to whether or not the clip is real or a re-enactment so therefore the filmmakers need to ensure they make it clear to their viewers that the clip is either a real clip or a re-enactment/dramatization.

My documentary film making philosophy is to show the real truth behind foster care and show how it affects one person’s life. I feel that overall a documentarist does need to present their viewer the truth. I feel that a documentary is supposed to be a very factual truthful unbiased piece therefor if the truth is not shown then it detracts from the meaning of the piece quite a lot.