Documentary

A category of non-fiction motion pictures to document an aspect of reality. (Primarily for purposes of instruction or a maintaining historical record)

Codes and Conventions

• A voice over (Usually authoritative)
• Real/genuine footage of events
• Genuine (natural/unaltered) lighting and sound 
• Achieved footage or still images
• Interviews (With someone who is concerned with the documentary)
• Simple, brief text (Titles, dates, etc)
• Non-diegetic sound (Could be music fitting to the topic)

Styles of Documentaries

1. Observationalist: Observing lived life with a minimum amount of intervention
2. Expository: Speaks directly to the viewer, with a strong point of view or argument. They are rhetorical and try to persuade the viewer.
3. Poetic: 
4. Participatory: Believes it's impossible for the act of film-making not to influence or alter the event being filmed.
5. Reflexive: Draw attention to their own constructedness and the fact that they are representations.
6. Performative: Stresses subjective experience and an emotional response to the world.