What is a documentary?
A documentary is an audiovisual work, whether cinematic or televised, in which different topics and real events are presented for educational and pedagogical purposes.
Making a documentary doesn’t only involve learning; the work can also be more aesthetic and seek to make a greater impact through cinematic techniques.
Types of documentary
When it comes to classifying documentaries, there are two strands of classification worth highlighting: documentaries by their form and documentaries by their theme.
Types of documentary by their form
“Form” is the how it’s told — that is, how the documentary is made in terms of audiovisual and screenwriting techniques.
Newsreel documentary
This is the kind that tries to recount the events of something specific in “real time”. For the documentary-maker, this type of audiovisual production has the problem of new facts or news emerging that force changes to both the script and the making of the documentary.
Historical documentary
These are the ones in which a visit to the past is made from the present. The documentary-maker will rely on archive footage, testimonies and interviews for their narrative.
If you’re interested in historical documentaries, we recommend reading this article that recommends some documentaries of this type!
Testimonial documentary
A testimonial documentary is a type of documentary film that features interviews with real people who have first-hand experience of the film’s subject.
These films often focus on stories of survival or redemption, and usually aim to raise awareness of important social issues. Although testimonial documentaries can be powerful tools for change, they also have the potential to be manipulative or exploitative.
For this reason, it’s important that viewers approach these films with a critical eye. However, when they’re done well, testimonial documentaries can be moving and enlightening experiences that promote empathy and understanding.
Biographical documentary
A biographical documentary is a type of documentary film that tells the story of a person’s life.
Unlike a traditional documentary, which may focus on a specific event or topic, a biographical documentary tells the story of an individual person, tracing their life from birth to death. The film may include interviews with family and friends, as well as archive footage and photographs.
Although biographical documentaries are usually about famous people, they can also be about ordinary people whose stories deserve to be told. Whatever the subject, a biographical documentary is an intimate and personal look at someone’s life.
We recommend this article about the best biographical documentaries in history.
Docudrama
A docudrama is a film or television programme that presents factual information about a real person, event or topic.
Unlike documentaries, which aim to be an objective portrait of events, docudramas usually use re-enactments and dramatised scenes to tell their story. Although this can make the programme more entertaining, it can also give rise to accusations of bias and misinformation.
Nevertheless, docudramas remain popular with audiences, who are often drawn to the personal stories at the core of these productions.
Photo-documentary
An audiovisual work composed mainly of static photographs. They can be either a collection of photographs over the years or studio photographs taken explicitly for that work.
Types of documentary by their theme
Documentaries can be classified by the theme the work deals with; below we explain the different types of documentary according to their themes:
Social criticism documentary
Documentaries of this type contain an implicit criticism of present-day society. They expose social problems such as migration and inequalities based on race, sex, status or thought, and so on.
Politically focused documentary
This type of theme usually goes hand in hand with the previous one, since a documentary of a political nature is rarely made without generating social criticism or analysis. They are two interrelated points, which is why documentaries of this type will always retain a certain aura of social criticism.
Scientifically focused documentary
In this type of documentary, what prevails is scientific and technological outreach — that is, they are pedagogical documentaries that intend to bring science and advances closer to the viewer.
Ethnobiographically focused documentary
Finally, this theme also refers to the way these documentaries are made. These works tell the stories or lives of certain people, but in the same place where the stories being told grew or developed.
Characteristics of a documentary
Documentaries are an informative audiovisual form of expression, in principle, that tries to share information through a cinematic production.
There are certain characteristics that determine the documentary label, such as:
Informative character
The main characteristic of documentaries is the information they contain and their intent when sharing it. Not all documentaries seek perfect communication of the information, but they must contain it.
Persuasive character
The ultimate intent of a documentary that tries to share information is, in essence, to persuade the viewer and create in them the ideas and concepts the documentary seeks to convey. This generates opinion and criticism in the viewer regarding the subject dealt with in the work.
Narrator
Another typical characteristic of a documentary is the appearance of a narrator or voice-over, who will guide us through the documentary and its development.
Interviews and testimonies
One of the most typical and widely used tools in documentary film is interviews and testimonies. These tools serve to give validity to the information presented, as well as being a more entertaining form of expression.
Demonstrable facts
Not all works of this type contain demonstrable and verified facts, but it’s one of the key points for the documentary to have credibility.
Conclusion
Documentaries are audiovisual works, cinematic or not, with an informative and persuasive character.
There are different types of documentary, themes and forms of expression when making one, but the basic characteristics are shared by all works of this kind.
If you want to know more about documentaries, how to make them and documentary research, don’t hesitate to keep browsing our blog.