Year 9 Media Arts · Making Media — Produce and Present · 10m read

Documentary Making

Documentaries tell real stories — but they are still constructed. Making one teaches research, interviewing and ethics.

Learning objective: Plan and produce a short documentary.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can identify documentary modes.
• I can conduct interviews and gather B-roll.
• I can construct a balanced documentary.

Documentaries are telescopes on reality. A telescope shows something real — but only the part you point it at, at the magnification you choose. Documentaries show real life, shaped by what the maker chooses to show.

Real stories

DOCUMENTARY MODES:
• Expository (voice-of-God narration), observational (fly-on-the-wall), participatory (filmmaker involved), reflexive.

ELEMENTS:
• Interviews, B-roll (supporting footage), archival material, narration, music.

INTERVIEWING:
• Prepare open questions; frame using the rule of thirds; good audio.

ETHICS:
• Consent, accuracy, fairness, avoiding misleading edits.

| Mode (Bill Nichols) | Features | Example style |
|---|---|---|
| Expository | Voice-over narration explains | Nature documentaries |
| Observational | Fly-on-the-wall, no narration | Reality-style following subjects |
| Participatory | Filmmaker interacts on camera | Michael Moore style |
| Reflexive | Shows the filmmaking process | Questions documentary itself |
| Performative | Personal, emotional | Filmmaker's own story |
| Poetic | Images and mood over facts | Visual essays |

Key ideas at a glance

• Documentaries are constructed: Choices shape truth.
• Check sources: Evidence and experts.
• Ethics matter: Consent and fairness.
• Recognise bias: Whose voice is missing?

Worked example (Medium)

Why use B-roll?

1. Purpose. Illustrates what interviewees say.
2. Effect. Keeps visuals interesting and hides edits.

Answer: It illustrates content and smooths edits.

Worked example (Hard)

Plan a short participatory documentary on single-use plastic.

1. Presence. Filmmaker tries to go a week without plastic on camera.
2. Interviews. Shop owner, scientist, classmates.
3. B-roll. Plastic in bins, beaches.
4. Message. Personal challenge reveals how hard it is.

Answer: Filmmaker's challenge plus interviews and B-roll.

Common mistakes

• Editing quotes out of context Misleading and unethical. Fix: Preserve meaning.
• Thinking documentaries are neutral Misses construction. Fix: Analyse selection, editing and music.

Reconstruction and ethics

Some documentaries use reconstructions — actors re-enacting events. Ethical documentaries clearly label these.

Editing can also change meaning — cutting an answer to a different question would misrepresent someone. Responsible filmmakers maintain trust with subjects and audiences.

Practice questions

1. Supporting footage cut into interviews is:

   1. B-roll
   2. A-roll
   3. Credits
   4. Foley

   (1 marks)

2. What is observational documentary?

   (2 marks)

3. A fly-on-the-wall documentary is:

   1. Expository
   2. Observational
   3. Participatory
   4. Poetic

   (1 marks)

4. Voice-over narration explaining facts is typical of:

   1. Expository mode
   2. Observational mode
   3. Reflexive mode
   4. Animation

   (1 marks)

5. Explain one way a documentary can be biased.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Documentary modes.
• Interviews and B-roll.
• Ethical construction.
• Documentaries are constructed truths.