The Art of Documentary Film
Defining the four categories of fact-based cinema
From silent, black and white pictures recorded using analog film reels to digital, high definition films projected using three-dimensional technology, cinematography has greatly evolved over the decades.
Merriam-Webster defines documentary film as “fact-based film that depicts actual events and persons.” Documentaries communicate information about a variety of nonfiction subject matter including educational topics, journalism, social commentaries, personal expressions, and even propaganda.
According to the authors of Art and Fear, David Bayles and Ted Orland, “the history of art is also the history of technology.”
Consequently, the documentary film genre has been heavily shaped and influenced by technological advancements since the initial invention of motion pictures; it is both a science and an art that requires in-depth technological knowledge and immense creativity to execute successfully.
In A Journey Through Documentary Film, author Luke Dormehl divides this genre into four sub-categories: essayistic, participatory, poetic-experimental and fly-on-the-wall.
Essayistic documentaries are carefully constructed narrative films that present a “clear, flowing argument designed to convince the viewer” by using rhetorical discourse to provide information about a particular subject and/or historical event. Many educational documentaries use this structure.
Participatory documentaries are films that “revolve around the interactions of the documentary film-maker(s) with the subject of their film. Dormehl states, “the presence of the film-maker as an on-screen character allows him/her to express more subjective emotive reactions to subject than in other modes of documentary.” Films made by Michael Moore largely fall into this category.
Poetic-Experimental films are “lyrical and impressionistic in their characterization of the world, placing more emphasis on imagery and aesthetics than in conveying factual information.” This genre emerged during the 1920s as a reaction to traditional cinematic forms and continues to thrive in fine art and independent film communities.
Fly-on-the-wall documentaries are considered the purest and most journalistic in academic circles. Most often shot on location, these movies aim to present an “unfettered view of events as they actually occurred.” This category includes news, current events, and other subjects presented only to objectively inform viewers of factual information.
In the words of Bayles and Orland, “decisive works of art participate directly in the fabric of history surrounding their maker.”
The most effective documentary films observe, confront, represent, and respond to conditions that exist in the contemporary world. They aim to shed light and give meaning to subjects and issues that reside in shadows of misunderstanding.
“Wanting to be understood is a basic need-an affirmation of the humanity you share with everyone around you.” — Bayles and Orland, Art and Fear
Documentaries have the power and potential to reach worldwide audiences through the internet and social media, inspire action and activism, and ultimately, help motivate people to create a better, more educated world.
Sources
- Bayles, David and Ted Orland. Art and Fear. Santa Cruz: Image Continuum, 1993.
- Dormehl, Luke. A Journey Through Documentary Film. Harpenden: Kamera, 2012.
- “Documentary.” Merriam-Webster. 11 Sept., 2019. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/documentary
