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Exploratory documentary

Joe Hayes

THE EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY


The expository mode emphasizes the impression of objectivity and well-supported argument. The voice-over commentary seems literally above the fray; it has the capacity to judge actions in the historical world without being caught up in them. The professional commentators official tone, like the authoritative manner of news anchors and reporters, strives to build a sense of credibility from qualities such as distance, neutrality, disinterest, or omniscience.

Codes and conventions for Expository what is generally in these documentaries


Interviews Voice-over (either voice-of-God or voice-of-authority) Archive still and film Spoken word is more important than the image - image is there to support argument Evidentiary editing Music Addresses viewer directly Informing logic Observation footage possible Illustrative graphic & animations Dramatic reconstruction Interties or captions impression of objectivity or well-supported argument Good for conveying information or mobilizing support

THE EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY

Examples
Can We Make a Star on Earth?
Brian Cox from Manchester University discuses the possibility of making a star here on earth, a process known as nuclear fusion. Creating fusion on Earth was done a lot of times, in the explosion of a hydrogen bomb, however it is an uncontrolled process , therefore extremely destructive, controlled fusion is a different story all together. If successful, a controlled nuclear fusion would solve most of our energy problems as it provides massive quantities of energy from an extremely cheap and abundant fuel, hydrogen. Brian Cox is the new genius of the modern age and with this knowledge he has produced a lot of exploratory documentary particularly on Space and the Solar System. These documentaries teach the audience about what is out there and answers questions they may have about the subject in hand, this is exploratory documentary.

THE EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY

Examples
The most well known exploratory documentary is Planet Earth commentated by David Attenborough. His works has been the greatest wildlife documentaries party due to his memorising voice and also due to the award winning footage that takes months and years to capture.

INTERACTIVE OR PARTICIPATORY DOCUMENTARY


'Emphasizes the interaction between filmmaker and subject. Filming takes place by means of interviews or other forms of even more direct involvemtn. Often coupled with archival footage to examine historical issues, e.g. Kurt and Courtney (1998), Chronicle of a Summer (1960), When Louis Theroux Met . . . series.' 'The researcher goes into the field, participates in the lives of others, gains a corporeal or visceral feel for what life in a given context is like, and then reflects on this experience'

Interactive or participatory documentary Example


Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man's quest to get superhigh, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use. - Written by Anonymous

This documentary explores how marijuana effects the human body at middle age and fits into the interactive or participatory documentary because of how the comedian is the presenter and involved in the experiment.

REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY
Reflexive Mode: calls attention to the assumptions and conventions that govern documentary filmmaking. Increases our awareness of the constructedness of the film's representation of reality. 'the processes of negotiation between filmmaker and viewer become the focus of attention for the reflexive mode . . . we now attend to the filmmaker's engagement with us, speaking not only about the historical world but about the problems and issue of representing it as well.' 'The reflexive mode is the most self-conscious and self-questioning mode of representation . . . Reflexive documentary sets out to readjust the assumptions and expectations of the audience, not add new knowledge to existing categories . . . (it) relies on techniques that jar us, . . . "alienation effects" . . . or "making strange".

Reflective documentary examples


A great example of this type of documentary is the modern day take of the great world war from the British view marking the centaury anniversary from when it began.
The documentary gives the facts of the war and explains what happened from many points of view and all the different aspects of it, such as the actual battle information and the effects of the war the was felt at home in England because of the air raid attracts and the loss of men that were sent to fight including the family ancestors that are alive today.

PERFORMATIVE DOCUMENTARY
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer is a documentary on the famous first American serial killer. Aileen Wuornos has been called America's first female serial killer, but that's not exactly accurate. She wasn't the first. However, she's among the few murderous females who seemed to act like a true predator, targeting strangers rather than someone closer to home, and using a gun to murder them. Wuornos has been the subject of countless books, articles, and movies even an opera and while awaiting her execution on death row, she claimed in August 2001 that she wanted it to be done and over with. She had killed people and deserved to die, she stated. "I have hate crawling through my system." She said that were she released, she would kill again, and that she had robbed and killed her victims in the first degree. However, that hasn't always been her story. On a documentary made for A&E's American Justice, footage of her indicates that her mood changes from one moment to the next, and while she might admit to killing her seven male victims, she claimed during her confession and trial that it was in self-defense. Yet the pattern and the background of some of the victims indicates otherwise. This documentary tells her story and gives all the facts about the death row sentence and Aileens confessions. This allows the viewer to make their own judgments about the killer although you can tell that the director of the documentary liked and pitted her.

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