Documentary Research + Existing Product Analysis

Documentary Research

What is a Documentary?
A documentary is a non-fiction film or series which is used to document reality mainly for instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record. 

6 types of documentaries: 

1) Poetic – this type of documentary uses avant-garde (experimental/unorthodox) techniques to create a certain mood or feeling rather than prove a point through a traditional linear narrative structure. 

2) Expository – this type of documentary is used to set up a specific point of view or argument about a subject, a narrator would often speak directly to the viewer, to emphasize the relationship between the images presented on-screen. 

3) Participatory - in this type of documentary the filmmaker is included in the film's narrative and directly interacts with the film's subjects. 

4) Reflexive – this type of documentary is similar to participatory documentaries as they often include the filmmaker within the film. However, unlike participatory, most creators of reflexive documentaries make no attempt to explore an outside subject. They focus solely on themselves and the act of making the film. 

5) Observational – this type of documentary aims to record realistic, everyday life without intrusion. Often referred to as direct cinema, or fly-on-the-wall filmmaking. observational documentary exists on a spectrum between poetic documentary and expository documentary. 

6)Performative - this type of documentary focuses on the filmmakers' involvement with their subject, using their personal experience or relationship with the subject as a jumping-off point for exploring larger, subjective truths about the subject

Which will be most useful to me 

My documentary would be a participatory as I would be conducting interviews and talking to other people involved in the documentary as well as being involved in the documentary's general narrative. However, it would also have observational elements as I plan to include footage from their day-to-day life and different events which I would not be involved with which will be shown in cutaways and during voice over sections. 

Existing Product Analysis

Existing Product 1

                       https://youtu.be/135bv6GhD2M

This documentary started with J Cole (the creator of the documentary) talking to one of his collaborators (21 savage) about the album he was making (the off season), this automatically gives an idea of how the documentary is going to be presented as well as the general topic of the documentary. I think this is a subtle but effective way to open the documentary as it instantly tells the viewer what the documentary is about without directly stating it. The next thing I noticed was the cutaways, not only were there cutaways between the 2 people talking (J Cole and 21 savage) but also cutaways to Cole hanging out with his friends which directly linked to the subject of the conversation, this being about his partying distracting him from his music, this is again effective as it keeps the viewer engaged while still staying relevant and on topic.

The next key point of the documentary is the introduction of chapters, cementing the fact that the part of the documentary before that was simply an introduction. It cuts to a clip of  Cole at the airport (assumingly going to a recording session). The logos of both 'Dreamville' and 'The Off Season' flash up like how a production company logo would flash up at the beginning of a film which I thought was a nice touch. This is then followed by text on the screen which reads 'Chapter 1: Comfort is the Enemy'. The introduction of chapters suggests that there will be multiple parts and points of focus within the documentary, the short but descriptive title is also very effective as its simple but give a good idea of what the chapter is going to be about, thin this case being "too" comfortable with his music and how it is making it difficult for him to improve upon it.

The next thing that caught my attention is the sound design. There is the inclusion of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound, you can often see people talking on screen (which is diegetic sound) but there are also many cutaways where a voiceover would still be heard (which is non-diegetic sound). The first point of the documentary where diegetic sound was used was the introduction of chapter 1, this was the first point of the documentary where there was no speaking at all but there was just the sound of wind, the car and the plane. I think this was effective because it really puts emphasis on the location they are in suggesting the importance of travel. When the voiceover begins this sound does not disappear it is only lowered so the voiceover can be heard better but the sounds of the airport are still included, this is the first time in the documentary that diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used together.

The final point of this documentary I wanna talk about is that, despite it being a documentary on music, their are a lot of non music related footage. This includes simple things like walking through the streets, travelling, shopping, sports and general day to day life. I think this is an interesting thing to include in the documentary as it takes you away from the music and general premise of the documentary. I think this was a very effective but possibly unrecognized technique as it keeps the viewer engaged, keeps topics fresh and gives insight into making music and how music fits into their daily life.

This is a Participatory documentary, as J Cole (the narrator) is included in the film's narrative and directly interacts with the film's subjects. However I feel there are elements from other types of documentaries, these being: expository, observational and performative. I think it has expository elements as J Cole often spoke directly to the viewer, emphasizing his personal experiences in relation to the documentary. I also think it has observational elements because, although the narrator is interacting with the film, there are clips of footage that present him going about his every day life which I feel gives the observational type of "fly on the wall" effect. Finally, I think this documentary also has performative elements as J Cole has direct involvement with his subject and uses his personal experience or relationship with the subject as a way to further explore the subject.

This documentary is uncensored and evolves a lot of swearing, this will be something I will have to consider in creating my documentary as I would have to censor any bad language used in my recording of the documentary.

Existing Product 2

                       https://youtu.be/poLP_3Iu3xg

This documentary opens up with the logos of the series 'Who Am I' and the production company 'Flight Life Films' I feel this is a good way to initially open the documentary before getting into the actual documentary part of it as it advertises the companies involved and gives the viewer a few seconds to focus on the film rather than just getting straight into it. Thus is also done with most big film productions you would usually see. There is also music playing in the background while the logos are being shown which I will talk about in more detail in my next paragraph.

Similarly to the last short documentary I looked at (Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary) the sound design is a big part of this documentary. However, unlike the previous documentary I looked at, this documentary doesn't include any diegetic (on screen) sound. Rather than using the contrast between diegetic and non-diegetic sound to create emphasis on certain topics (like the last documentary) this one uses background music, voiceovers, and on one occasion a vocal effect to create an overall dramatic feel. In the very beginning, the the logos are showing, music instantly kicks in with a slow, sad and dramatic sounding piano tune. This automatically sets the tone for the documentary implying it will be touching on important subjects and demands the viewers attention. then accompanied by a voiceover in a serious tone over dramatic shots and cuts to further intensify the seriousness of the documentary. Finally, a vocal effect is used at a certain point of the documentary (an echo), this is used when J Cole (the narrator) is talking about the struggles of the community and the conversation ends with him saying that he is trying to find a solution. The echo is put on the word 'solution' emphasising that it is J Cole's main priority is to find a solution for these struggles. I think I could use music and voiceovers to enhance my documentary and maybe even try and incorporate a vocal effect on certain topics if I feel it is necessary.

Another part of the documentary that I would like to highlight is that the narrator (J Cole.) is speaking directly to the viewer throughout the duration of the documentary, this gives it a very personal feel and further grabs the viewers attention. This documentary overall is about struggle and a social divide (especially around social classes). He refers to this social divide as "the system" which is a direct link to the title of the documentary. He then links the social divide to music and creativity, talking about how different backgrounds and struggles can build a different way of being creative and understanding that creativity, also talking about how it can tell a story and give insight on someone's life and the struggles they have faced. Although this is not as relevant to the type of documentary I am trying to create it is an interesting concept which is very attention grabbing which could be used in later projects, with a more serious tone, I might be involved in, the idea of linking music to other subjects is also interesting and I might be able to incorporate that into this project by touching on cause and effect of the music that will be featured in this documentary.

Finally, I would like to talk about the visuals used in this documentary. All the clips used in the documentary are very focused and personal, showing a lot of emotion in each scene, these clips are all captured in a "fly on the wall" sort of style where there is no interruption or interaction with what is going on from the director or any of the other crew involved. The cuts between each clip vary between sudden cuts and slow fade-out fade-in style cuts which is all done in time this the music. I think this is very effective as it keeps the documentary personal and attention grabbing. The last thing I noticed was that all of the clips also have a dark blue-tinted filter which makes the documentary feel more gritty and bleak further adding to the seriousness of the documentary.

This is an expository documentary as it is used to set up a specific point of view about the subject and J Cole (the narrator) would often speak directly to the viewer to emphasize his point of view. However I feel there are elements from other types of documentaries, these being: poetic, observational, and performative. I think it has poetic elements as, although the documentary sill makes its main points in a linear and traditional way, it also portrays emotion in a unique way by the use of the sound design and visual effects. I also think it has observational elements because the clips used in this documentary have no interruptions or interactions with what is going on from the director or any of the other crew involved, creating the previously mentioned "fly on the wall" effect. Finally, I think this documentary also has performative elements as J Cole has direct involvement with his subject and uses his personal experience or relationship with the subject as a way to further explore the subject.