Film Styles
Documentary Film styles range from use of only original archival footage in compilation films to dramatic reenactments that illustrate events for which no archival footage exists. Here you'll read about the elements of style that determine a documentary film's credibility and influence its impact.
Documentary Film Styles: An Overview
Doc filmmakers use varied techniques, resources and aesthetics to tell their subjects' stories. Understanding their choices isn't essential to enjoying their films, but it makes you a savvier, more sophisticated moviegoer. Having reference points and terminology on the tip of your tongue makes your contributions to post-screening debates much smarter. And, it is fun to know this stuff.
Doc filmmakers use varied techniques, resources and aesthetics to tell their subjects' stories. Understanding their choices isn't essential to enjoying their films, but it makes you a savvier, more sophisticated moviegoer. Having reference points and terminology on the tip of your tongue makes your contributions to post-screening debates much smarter. And, it is fun to know this stuff.
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité, also known as Direct Cinema, is a predominant style of documentary filmmaking that entails use of hand held cameras to record true events in as uncensored a way as possible. The style is characterized by there being little evidence of the filmmaker's presence. Nor is there extensive use of voice over narration. Viewers should feel like eyewitnesses to events shown in the film.
Cinéma vérité, also known as Direct Cinema, is a predominant style of documentary filmmaking that entails use of hand held cameras to record true events in as uncensored a way as possible. The style is characterized by there being little evidence of the filmmaker's presence. Nor is there extensive use of voice over narration. Viewers should feel like eyewitnesses to events shown in the film.
Kino-Pravda
Created by Dziga Vertov and several colleagues, Kino-Pravda (Film Truth, in Russian) was a series of fourteen newsreel-like documentaries that revealed 1920s daily life and current events in hyper-realistic detail.
Created by Dziga Vertov and several colleagues, Kino-Pravda (Film Truth, in Russian) was a series of fourteen newsreel-like documentaries that revealed 1920s daily life and current events in hyper-realistic detail.
Newsreels
Before television news existed, newsreels were moviegoers' source of information about current events ranging from elections, coronations and wars to sports, finance and fashion. Newsreels were compilation documentaries, with short subject segments covering specific topics. Voice over narration that frequently boosted editorial points of view resembled propaganda.
Before television news existed, newsreels were moviegoers' source of information about current events ranging from elections, coronations and wars to sports, finance and fashion. Newsreels were compilation documentaries, with short subject segments covering specific topics. Voice over narration that frequently boosted editorial points of view resembled propaganda.
Political Cinema
Not all documentary films are objective. During times of war and other and other periods of social stress, film--both documentary and narrative--is often used as propaganda. This is, of course, the opposite of Cinéma vérité.
Not all documentary films are objective. During times of war and other and other periods of social stress, film--both documentary and narrative--is often used as propaganda. This is, of course, the opposite of Cinéma vérité.