Unit 10: Factual Programme Production Techniques

Documentary Filmmaking Project

Any film practice that has its subject persons, events or situations that exist outside the film in the real world.

Information - To inform

Education - To educate

Entertainment - To entertain

6 Modes of Documentary:

Expository

Inform the audience about a place, an event. Usually develops an argument. Use a 'Voice-or-God' narration. Continuity editing. Varied footage, interviews. Persuading the audience of a particular point of view. Solving a puzzle.

Reflexive & Performative

Shows everything - the crew are often featured to focus on the relationship between the filmmaker and viewer. Questioning VoiceOver. Suggestion then fact.
Filmmakers involvement with the subject. Shows the intimate footage of a personal relationship between the host and the subject. Shaped into a narrative. Identity rather than factual topics.

Observational

Watching the action play out. Fly on the wall. Long takes, hand-held camera. Immersive. Slice of life. No voice over. No interviews.

Interactive/Participatory

Interaction between filmmaker and subject is recorded. Informal interviews. Honesty of witnesses. Use of archive material - stills, news footage/headlines, letters. Hand-held. Voiceover.

Poetic

Subjective interpretations. Associations and patterns.

My Interests:

Ballet
Doctor Who
Minecraft
Crochet
Ukulele
Cameras
My dogs, Denver & Larry

My Plan:

1. Stockton Council Library Bus

An observation documentary that shows the library bus, the people that work there and the services they provide. Steve Whitehouse (my dad) works on the library bus and travels all over Stockton-on-Tees. He hands out books to people that may have difficultly getting to a physical library. He also goes into care homes to do workshops with people who have dementia. I would go in and film them doing their job.

2. Ballet

I have been in classical ballet training for 12 years, I have completed all the Royal Academy of Dance Exams. However I have never performed a piece of dance repertoire on pointe before. So, I am going to learn the Cupid solo from the ballet Don Quixote and perform it on pointe in the theatre at college!

The Making Of The Doc

Task 1: Research

What dance am I going to do?

I have watched lots of different ballets, of different difficulties and lengths. I won't be able to dance on pointe at the moment, due to the fact that I have worn out my pointe shoes!

Top Ballets to choose from: