Factual Documentary Blog

Accuracy:

Accuracy within factual programming is vital when broadcasting anything that will be shown to a global audience. It is essential that the facts given to the public are the truth and there must be no risk of misleading the audience. It is also vital to be aware of the legal issues attached to broadcasting before revealing the programme to the public, for example defamation.

It is key that the audience only get told about what it is they are seeing on the screen and not for the presenter to give their own opinions on the subject. For example, when BBC News have a headline on the day of the broadcast, it is vital that they only broadcast the truth about what has happened and they must not give their opinion on the matter. Research is vital when it comes to accuracy as the more you know about a story, the more you are able to tell the public about it.


Impartiality:

Impartiality in factual programming covers things such as prejudice and discrimination against things like race, gender, social groups, hair colour etc. For example, if a News company had a headline about 40 year old single mums and the outline of the story was that middle aged single women will be unemployed and die by the age of 50 there would be a public uproar as this is discriminating a section of society and prejudicing a social group.

Before broadcasting a documentary, the producers have to think really hard about if anything they have said will offend or discriminate anyone. It is very important that broadcasters again do not share their own views but also they must not be biased. If they are biased at any time they run the risk of defaming someone or a specific social group.


Privacy:

If a news organisation want to do a report and make a short clip about a headline, it is vital that they do not use any photographs of the person or their family without consent. It is very important that the subject knows what it is that will be aired on television. Privacy is a human right and failure to abide by the law can result in very bad consequences.

It is very important that you do not invade anybody's privacy by using their personal information. You must not use any information about where the subject lives, who their family is, bank details etc. on the programme.


Bias:

Bias means that a person has a one-sided view on someone or something. When making a documentary you must not have a one sided view on whatever it is you are documenting. Also, being bias can link in with impartiality as you could have an opinion towards someone which is negative. This could result in other viewers agreeing with you and this could harm the subject, even if it is not true.

For example, if a news reporter was doing a story on Arsenal winning the FA Cup final, if they were an Arsenal fan they would have a biased view on the story. They could say 'Arsenal deserved to win the game as they are the best team in England'. This statement is not true because they did not win the Premier League it is just a biased view on the team as he supports them


Opinion:

It is vital that a presenter does not share their own opinion on air as this again could affect whatever it is that they share their opinion on. Also, it is unprofessional to share an opinion when you are live on air as what you are saying is not the truth.

The reason why it is dangerous when someone gives their opinion on the television, especially news programmes, is because the audience have trust in you. This means if a presenter says something negative then the audience are likely to agree with what they say as they are watching a professional on the screen, reading the news.

A good example of this is if a news reporter said something as drastic as 'This man deserved to be shot as he looks like a criminal'. Although this is quite far-fetched, it is still a biased opinion of someone and if the public see this then they also could agree with the reporter, even if the person who was shot was completely innocent.


A great example of factual programming is the news. The company themselves have a contract or certain aspects that they must reach regarding telling the truth and giving only factual information.  

Expository:

 

Expository documentaries target the viewer and speak directly towards them. They often have a one-sided point of view on a topic and the aim is to try and persuade the viewer into agreeing with their opinion. The documentary can be subjective, and often argumentative, stating rhetorical questions and logical facts.

A good example of a Expository documentary is BBC's Top Gear. The show is presented by 3 middle aged men, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The show is a car show where the presenters test out the latest cars and give their opinion to the viewer on what they like and dislike about the car.

The reason why the show is such a good example of an expository documentary is because there are 3 presenters on the show, all testing out the same car and giving their opinions on the car overall. This can be a very good watch for the audience as the 3 do not always agree, and often there can be some light conflict and confrontation on the show.

This video is a perfect example of Jeremy Clarkson expressing his opinion on the Lamborghini Murcielago. As well as stating facts about the car, for example the size of the engine, 0-60 time etc. Clarkson also gives his own mixed opinion on the car. Ultimately, he is attempting to make the audience agree with his opinion on the car. The fact that he has driven and tested the car fully makes it slightly easier for the viewers to agree with him as the majority of people watching have never even seen the car, let alone driven it. This gives Jeremy Clarkson the upper hand, and he is able to be the more powerful presenter on this particular car. It gives him the chance to express his feelings over any of the other presenters, allowing him the chance to swing the viewers in his favour.

Observational:

Observational documentaries are very un-biased. They state only the truth and facts about things. The programme is very objective and is to do with the world and how they observe life. The documentary has no presenter and often has voiceovers and a suitable song to go with the footage.

A great example of an Observational documentary is David Attenborough's Planet Earth. The program is about wildlife and states facts about the animals. Attenborough will often show a clip of an animal and create a short story of what is happening for the viewer. For example, there will be a 5 minute clip about a lion stalking its prey with a cub next to it. David Attenborough will then tell the audience why the lion is hunting and give various other facts about both the lions and the prey.

This video demonstrates perfectly how David Attenborough only states facts about what is happening on the screen. He says things like 'The strike from a Great White only lasts a few seconds'. This is nothing but the truth, making everything he says factual. Also, note how the music is timed perfectly with the footage and matches well with what is on the screen. As the shark strikes the music gets louder and more scary. Also, the footage is slowed down dramatically. Some of the footage is super super super slow motion. This is an effective technique as it gives the viewers more of a spectacle as appose to just watching a shark jump out of the water.

Reflexive:

Reflexive documentaries often rely more on suggestion that fact. I mean this because they will often use things like dramatic music and artsy video footage. The reason that they do this is to attempt to get the audience more interested in the production of the video, rather than the information within it.

The aim is to get the audience more involved and keep them interested by showing them a 'better' version of the story that actually happened. A good example of this is 'the programme 'Crimewatch'. This programme is about different stories that people have been through involving crime. Virtually every single story is re enacted. This is done for two reaasons. Firstly, it keeps the audience interested as they will always make it look a lot more dramatic thatn it probably was. And secondly because they may not even have the footage of the crime happening, therefore they have to create something for the viewers to see. 

Creating a video of a crime and making it a lot more dramatic for viewers to see is clever. If the video is really realistic and makes the audience believe it is real makes them want to watch the programme again. In this video it is a story about a murder. The story is then re enacted by actors to give the audience a better idea of what has happened. It is a lot more interesting to watch something as appose to listening to someone explain it. This is why reconstructions of an event are so effective.

Performative:

A performative documentary is when the cast and crew are involved in the footage also. Often there will be shots throughout the documentary of the crew and presenter interviewing a subject for example. The reason that people use this technique is to maike the audience believe that whatever it is they are doing the programme about is real. The general thought process of the person watching the programme is along the lines of 'it must be real because i can see the cast and crew recording the subject in a real place with real people'.

The documentary itself will take a casuaol and direct approach to the audience. Again, they do this to make the audience believe it is real however they also do it to try and gain the viewers trust. This is achieved by the presenter talking directly to the camera in a calming way whilst he is doing an interview with someone.

A very good example of this is Bear Grylls. Most people think that what he is doing is fake and they are right to believe this as you can't see what happens off set. He could stay in a tent or even a hotel. However, they have released a programme Called 'Bear Grylls: behind the scenes'. The programme shows what the crew have to do and they are asked about some of the things that he does on the show. They say things like 'I can't believe he eats what he eats, it is disgusting'. This then makes the audience believe that what he does is in fact real as it is coming from someone who has seen it first hand.

This video shows Bear Grylls eating nasty things when he is out filming. It also has interviews with his crew and they get asked about their experiences on the show. This again makes the audience believe that the things he is eating are real.



Participatory / Interactive:

This is when a famous figure does a documentary on a subject and is the main presenter. The reason that they do this is because it makes the audience want to watch them on the show, and ultimately makes them want to watch the show. It is a very effective technique for programme makers as the money they have to spend on the celebrity coming on to the show, they will get back because more people will end up watching the show.

A good example of this is if Ant and Dec starting presenting a new show for ITV that no-one had heard of before. If people hear that Ant and Dec are presenting a new show they are more likely to watch it as appose to a random presenter because they are both very well known and respected.

Some news channels have two or more elements of the above codes and conventions. This means that a programme could be both Observational and Expository, for example.

A prime example of both an expository and observational news company who only state facts and not opinions is BBC News. BBC News is a Global news company that broadcasts the up to date news across the entire world. As BBC News has so many viewers, it is vital that the show stays professional at all times and also only portrays facts and not opinions.

The professionalism is also portrayed in how the presenters sit at their desk. A massive clue to formality and professionalism is what the presenters wear and how they speak. 

This picture highlights the formality and professionalism that presenters have as they are dressed very smartly and are positioned perfectly in the center of the shot. Little things like these make the all-important difference in broadcasting. People want to see a well-put together programme, which features good presenters and looks very professional.

  

Another important piece of presenting is engaging with the audience. Having two smartly dressed presenters talking to the audience directly allows the audience to engage fully and listen to what the presenters are saying. Also, having the presenters sit at a desk in front of a window showing other employees working outside the studio also gives the viewer peace of mind. It shows that the other workers are hard at work trying to get the viewer the most up to date news possible.

There are no real voiceovers on the news, except from little sections where they are doing a report on a certain subject. This is effective because it gets the audience’s attention more than just a presenter on the screen over and over again. Having this time where it is switched up keeps the audience interested, therefore keeping more viewers daily. Also, news reports will have small interviews with people involved in the topic. This gives the viewer another person's view on the matter and again is aimed at making the show more interesting. 

This video highlights what I have just stated and is a good example to use;