The 7 types of documentaries

1. TYPES OF
DOCUMENTARIES
There are 7 types of documentaries;
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Docusoaps
Reality TV
Fly On The Wall
Mixed
Self Reflective
Docudrama
Fully Narrated

2. Docusoaps
A docusoap is a hybrid genre and is observational. It’s a long running documentary series
which follows an individual or group of people for example Educating Yorkshire or Airport
Docusoaps started in the 1990s and was popular amongst the public as they liked that it
was real life drama
Docusoaps always follow a central protagonist so the audience will get to know this
character well throughout the series

3. Reality TV
Reality TV is factual as it is real life drama. It became popular between 1989 and 1999
this type of TV is used primarily for entertainment but at the same time transmits
information
This is a mix of genuine and commercial material and has use of camcorder, observation,
surveillance and commentary

4. Fly On The Wall
A fly on the wall documentary is where the camera remains unseen and the subjects of
the documentary are unaware that they are being filmed
The narrator links the story together and this advances the narrative
Modern documentaries are increasingly being mixed.

5. Mixed
A mixed documentary is a combination of interviews, observation, actuality footage,
archive material and narration
The narrator bonds the story together and helps it to progress
A lot of modern documentaries adopt this style of documentary

6. Self Reflective
This type of documentary is when a camera follows a person or group of people around.
The person/people acknowledge the camera often and frequently speak to the camera an
example of this would be Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents or Reggie Yates Extreme
South America

7. Docudrama
A docudrama is a reconstruction of an event that has actually occurred
They show events that happened at a time
Examples of this would be Band Of Brothers and 12 Years A Slave

8. Fully Narrated
This is where the narrator talks of what is being seen on the screen for the whole
documentary
It is used to convey the exposition and is used to make sense of what people see. They
dominate what is happening
An example of this would be one of David Attenborough's many wildlife documentarys