History:- What is Documentary in film?!

History of Documentary

The very first documentary would be news articles, records of current events or travelogues without any real storytelling. First attempts at filmaking documentary would be by filmakers such as the Lumiere Brothers who had documented literal actualities such as factory workers leaving the factory or people entering the train station.

La Sortie de usines Lumière (1894)

This would be considered as one of the first documentaries made in 1894, but the earliest surviving recorded film (shot by Louis Aime Augustin Le Prince in Leeds, England in October 1888): Roundhay Garden Scene (filmed 14th October 1888) and the traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (filmed late October 1888). The original film was shot at 12 frames per second and lasts 2 seconds. Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge was filmed in Leeds, England in late October 1888, at 20 frames per second.

 

'Roundhay Garden Scene' (1888)                                             'Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge' (1888)

I believe a documentary is a document of events or happenings in reality which shares truth. Whether it is from a photo, painting or film. A documentary can be expressed and shown in different ways, from actual to re-enactments to abstract. In film the filmaker can express the documentary in different modes.
1. Expository
2. Poetic
3. Participatory(Interactive)/Performative
4. Reflexive
5. Observational

Expository - Where you hear voiceover commentary which explains images that we see, such as wildlife and historical documentaries. This usually help inform the audience about what they are seeing or something related to.

'Grizzly bears fighting wolves in the wild' - Wildlife documentary

Poetic - This style of documentary is artistically creative where characters and events could be underdeveloped in favour of creating moods or tones. Usually with no real continuity and unrelated shots linked together. For example Joris Ivens 'Regen' (1929) which us translated to Rain, but it never rains in the film.

'Regen' (1929) - Joris Ivens

Observational - Usually known as 'Fly on the wall' which appear in real time where audience watches events that take place unfold. Filmakers would be unaware to what is going to happen whilst filming and they do not interfere with events taking place. Often made without commentary, voiceovers, re-enactments or anything to suggest a conclusion telling the audience what to think. Any dialogue would come from the person involved in the documentary itself. The audience will usually draw a conclusion for themselves.

'More than a sport' - Alyssa Patel

Interactive/performative - Commonly used in documentaries. Sequences include interviews where the interviewer can either be left out or kept in. Interviews are a technique that filmakers could engage with the interviewee which could suggest one sided opinions to them to say. The downside to this is the documentary outcome could become unbalanced and intrusive especially if we want to find out the truth. Sometimes the audience follows an investigator, although this investigator is searching for the truth, this is another way the filmaker can lead the audience towards their perspective of the truth.

'The secret life of the cat' - BBC 2 Horizon