The Documentary
Documentary texts are supposedly those which aim to document reality, attempting truthfulness in their depiction of people, places and events. However, the process of mediation means that this is something of an oxymoron, it being impossible to re-present reality without constructing a narrative that may be fictional in places. Certainly, any images that are edited cannot claim to be wholly factual, they are the result of choices made by the photographer on the other end of the lens. Nonetheless, it is widely accepted that categories of media texts can be classed as non-fiction, that their aim is to reveal a version of reality that is less filtered and reconstructed than in a fiction text.
The documentary genre has a range of purposes, from the simple selection and recording of events (a snapshot or unedited holiday video) to a text that attempts to persuade the audience into a specific set of opinions (Bowling For Columbine). Audiences must identify that purpose early on and will therefore decode documentary texts differently to fictional narratives.
Now that the definition of documentary is clearer, how does one "read" a documentary? What codes are embedded into the production and how are they then translated by the viewer? It is important to remember that although one of the purposes of the documentary is to present reality, it is constructed and can only be a representation of reality. By using specific techniques to form the production, documentary film makers can make their footage seem like the absolute truth and control to a large extent how the film is received by the viewer.
The documentary genre has a range of purposes, from the simple selection and recording of events (a snapshot or unedited holiday video) to a text that attempts to persuade the audience into a specific set of opinions (Bowling For Columbine). Audiences must identify that purpose early on and will therefore decode documentary texts differently to fictional narratives.
Now that the definition of documentary is clearer, how does one "read" a documentary? What codes are embedded into the production and how are they then translated by the viewer? It is important to remember that although one of the purposes of the documentary is to present reality, it is constructed and can only be a representation of reality. By using specific techniques to form the production, documentary film makers can make their footage seem like the absolute truth and control to a large extent how the film is received by the viewer.