Factual programming can be referred to as anything that falls under non-fiction filming. There are also many subdivisions in the documentary genre as the the truth is told from perspective.
A documentary is:
- A programme that relays information across to a viewing audience
- An artistic representation of actuality/reality
- Informing about the world in an entertaining form.
The following can be considered as genres in documentary style films/programmes:
- Fact-Ent
- Docu-Soap
- Reality TV
- Social affairs
- Scientific
- Historical
One must always put into consideration their target audience when developing ideas for the documentary and do the research. What is distinctive on television? What's everyone watching? What's in? Look for demand and create to satisfy need. In addition, more attention should be paid to content. You should be able to sell your idea/programme based on the subject matter alone.
Things to consider when creating your DOC Idea:
Who is your film for?
Remain impartial/unbiased
Accurate information
Audience behaviour and expectation
Channel demographic
Multi platform viewing
Time
Access
Perspective
Documentaries started to surface in Britain in the late 1930's with productions like Listen to Britain and Coal Face. Little Britain was referred to as authentic truth by it's spectators. With no commentary/Scripting, it was the first artistic piece to display life in it's actual self in Britain.
The first ever form of documentary film was started by the Lumiere Brothers who first made a camera in 1895 that could only hold 50 feet of film stock hence making their films very short. Although actuality programmes have been around for some time they emerged as we know them today in 1922 with Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North. It was the first feature film of it's time to present actuality in an artistic and entertaining form. A fellow pioneer of the documentary genre Grierson directed nightmail in 1936. It was a documentary focused on the train transporting mail from London to Edinburgh. Twenty odd years later, and the documentary genre has seen drastic, new and exciting changes. In the 50s/60s, a new movement recognised as direct cinema took the united states by storm. It was a new style that gave the impression that events happened as they were without the interference of a camera man or crew. Handheld filming also became popular within this time frame as it gave a feeling of spontaneity to the footage. At this time in France, Cinema Verité was emerging as well, this filming style aimed to be as realistic as possible by keeping everything natural. I.e. lighting, sounds, locations etc. Cinema Verité favoured handheld filming as it created the realistic feel especially for physical movements in front of the camera.
0 comments:
Post a Comment