What is a documentary film?
Documentary films constitute for a broad category of non fictional motion picture films which are intended to capture a sense and aspect of reality which is used for a variety of purposes the main purposes being to instruct or maintain a historical record. Originally documentaries were shot on the only medium available but now documentaries are video and digital productions that can be either direct to video or made as a television program or certain documentaries can be released in major cinemas. Documentary is described by many as a cinematic tradition and a filmaking practise and because of this it is continually evolving with very little boundaries.
Cinema Verite
Cinema Verite was dependent on some technical advances in order to exist such as light , quiet and reliable cameras and portable sync sound. Cinema verite can be seen as a reaction against studio based film production constraints .The filmakers were taking advantage of the advances in technology which allowed smaller , handheld cameras and schronised sound to film events as they actually happened on location.Films such as Primary and Crisis behind a presidential commitment, both prouced by a man named Robert Drew and Don't look back by D.A .Pennebaker are all deemed frequently as Cinema Verite films.Fundamentals of this style of film making include following a person during a crisis with a handheld , moving camera to capture personal reactions. Sit down interviews are never a feauture and the shooting ratio is very high and often reaches 80 to one and from that editors make and sculpt a film. The editors of this movemnt are often forgotten a few of them being Werner Nold and Muffie Myers along with Charlotte Zwerin , Susan Foemke and Ellen Howde but their input was actually extremely vital that often they were given co-directer credits.
Source of info = wiki documentary
History on documentariesThe Gpo produced alot of documentaries. The Gpo used to control telephones and the general post office film division. This was in order to explain and promote work of the post office . Early goverment videos informed people about what the post office. The Gpo self served themselves in order to promote a good thing. Now they are trying to privatise it. An example of a video put out by the Gpo is the fairy on the phone which advertised industrial Britain. In 1931 John Griersom became new director of the Gpo and he made alot of the conventions of what documentary has grown to be known for. For example what a documentary should look like.
Steps needed to analyse a documentary
What TV channel it is broadcast on ?
What is the title of the documentary?
What type of documentary is it ?
Historical-The rise and fall of the Egyptiann empire
Biographical - The life of Sir Stanley Williams
Investigative - The truth behind disappearance of Madeline Mcann
Artistic- The work of Van Gogh
Wildlife- The anatomy of the blue whale
Political- The new Labour years ,
Drama documentaries- Margaret Thatcher
Reality - Keeping up with the Kardasians
Celebrity- David Beckams new tattoo
Scripted reality - TOWIE, The Hills
What style of documentary is it ?
Narrative structure- linear/non
Editing - fast slow , dissolves , fades ,superimposing
Voice overs- narration , register , tone , mode
Archive footage- type , style , place , period of time
Graphics - pie charts , images
Text- captions , subtitles , banners ex
What is the subject matter /content of the documentary?
What are the messages and meanings behind the documentary - what is it trying to communicate to the audience?
The voice over then precedes this with a montage of behind the scenes footage of the prison such as the prisoners moving throughout the prison. Surprisingly this creates a calm atmosphere and mood . This is because the music playing is soft and gentle. This creates the impression that this is a documentary not actually about a prison. This may have been used to unnerve the audience in order to mirror the unease and danger in the prison. Therefore this implies that documentary music has to mirror the mood greatly in order to be successful . Just a minute in the screen cuts to the opening title which is extremely graphic. This is because it is a picture of bars going across Louis looking up to heaven ,it is an animated title. This signifies the message behind the documentary already. This is that these prisoners are not free and as far from heaven as possible due to their criminal acts. This also varies greatly to "A very British Gangster" whose titles were much more dramatic signifying that there are many ways to present documentary titles successfully to the audience. 
The message very early on is that the prison is very dangerous. This is because Louis needs protection as he is shown putting on a bullet proof vest that will protect him and his major organs before he goes into the prison. This builds up suspense as it makes you think ,will something terrible happen?Which in turn leaves you glued to the screen in case such a thing does happen. The style is hand held here in order to show unease and the reality of what Louis is actually going into . Plus the camera team can not take all their equipment in as they are entering a danger zone therefore if something was to go wrong ,you have to be quick to get out. The voice over continues and talks of the conditions in the prison which is 23 hours a day locked up behind bars .This shows the documentary aims to educate us on a certain level. Louis also talks about what gassing is and the audience finds out it is a liquid substance of any kind. This is a normal convention of a documentary as it is informing you of different offences out there. The music starts again as the documentary progresses onto a different topic which is life outside the cell. The screen fades to black as a new day is signified and the opening of the beginning of the documentary ends.
