Student’s Lesson

Purpose of a Documentary

Every documentary maker has a purpose in mind. The following have all been purposes for certain documentaries. Which do you think is the most valid reason for a documentary? Again, rank them in order of validity.

Are there any you would eliminate? If so, which one(s)?

Purpose	Validity ranking 1–8
To inform
To attack a perspective
To persuade
To entertain
To educate
To defend a perspective
To critique
To observe real life

If you had a documentary made about you, how could people find out about your life and who you are?

Who would speak for you?
What might they say?
What proof would they use?
How consistent would the characterisation be?
How would you organise the stories of you? (chronological/linear, circular, fragmented, flashback, by relationships, by ideas)

To fill in this form as an activity PDF download the activity PDF from Expectations of documentaries.

NEXT:
REPRESENTING THE ARTIST / REPRESENTATION OF A PERSON

Teacher’s Notes

Next Section: REPRESENTING THE ARTIST

OR:
To explore the practicalities of making documentaries continue with:
CREATING TEXTS / MAKING THE DOCUMENTARY

The idea of documentary relates to the methods of historians who rely on written documents and manuscripts as primary sources of evidence. Using all the tools of filmmaking: camera, sound, actors, images and words, documentaries create a sense of authenticity within the narrative form.