Documentary means different things to different people. A documentary aims to be concerned with truthful reporting. Documentaries have a reputation for being serious, reliable and objective in their reporting, with a commitment to truthfulness. There are documentary programmes with elements of comedy, or drama, and the modern documentary uses elements from entertainment programming to attract an audience and be entertaining.

The British...

1. Where does the word documentary come from?

2. When and by whom was it brought to England?

3. What does the word documentary mean in French?

4. How did John Grierson later define the term documentary?

5. Who are the two people supposed to have made the first non-fiction films?

6. What were these types of films called?

7. How many reels of film did the Life of Villa use?

8. How did the documentary film begin to be used during the...

1. I watch documentaries to widen my horizons. I feel I’m learning more about the world in which I live.

2. Documentaries are a welcome relief from the endless round of games and quiz shows which seem to dominate the schedules nowadays.

3. What I expect from a documentary is that it will tackle issues in greater depth than a news or current affairs programme ever could.

4. Some of these programmes are really quite exciting. You can get very...

With reference to both the Versace and the Spice Girls Documentaries, how do these texts offer the audience a sense of ‘true documentary’?

This essay will involve a comparison of the two post 1990 texts that we have studied. You must write in full sentences, comparing the two, and offering an argument towards the initial question .

Follow each step to write the perfect essay. It is up to you to add in the detail.

1. Introduce the essay. Say...

Evaluating “Bowling for Columbine”

Intervention

• Does Moore mostly act in observational or proactive mode?
• Why does he do this? To what effect?

Representation

• How careful is Moore in avoiding stereotypes?
• Is he careful or deliberate in his use of visual conventions and imagery?
• In whose interests is he operating? How do we know?

Inflection

• How does Moore use: a) Editing, b) Filmic style, to create meaning?

Narrative

• Does the narrative...

Century Films

Century Films create innovative, hard-hitting documentaries and dramas for all the major UK broadcasters, with sales to many international channels. Their work is distinctive, challenging and inventive - and above all, compelling.

They are renowned for producing award-winning work that gives a fresh angle on difficult subjects.

By applying an innovative approach to our films, they push the boundaries of documentary and drama...

Michael Moore Essay Frame on ‘Bowling for Columbine’

Comparative Documentary Essay Frame

Documentary Discussion Points

History of Documentary Quiz

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