Extraordinary People:

Extraordinary People is a channel five series documentary, following the lives of unique individuals, with either a medical condition or an unusual ability.

The programme explores their lives and their achievements. Each hour long episode follows their day to day activites, painting a picture for the viewer of the routines they undertake due to their illnesses/conditions, and how they have perhaps overcome their difficulties.

It is a touching and moving documentary which would be classed as Observational as it chronologically follows each person, but most importantly it is styled as Poetic as it documents topics of human interest.

I have watched many episodes of the series shown on Channel Five. They are certainly interesting as they do follow bizzarre conditions which seem so extraordinary to the viewer.

It is a rather positive for the audience and is a documentary which doesn't exactly target a specific age group as lots of people watch the programme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iELWqpWJxi8

Planet Earth:

The original BBC Version of Planet Earth was narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Alastair Forthergill, where the series comprises of eleven episodes, featuring a global overview of a different habitat on Earth.

This type of documentary would be styled as a hybrid of genres:

Observative/Poetic/Reflexive and also Expository.

It is aimed at a wide audience as it is of high interest to many viewers. From young children to the elderly, it would cater to all interests as it shows an indepth but easily understood overview of our planet.

Mark Dolan:

Mark Dolan is an English writer, comedian and presenter.

He is well known from his Channel Four show 'Balls Of Steel', however, recently he has been involved in a new project/documentary known as 'The World's... And Me'.

He explores the remarkable worlds of some incredible people (Poetic/Observational/Reflexive/Expository).

• The World's Smallest Man And Me
• The World's Tallest Woman And Me
• The World's Fastest Pet And Me
• The World's Hairiest Person And Me
• The World's Cleverest Child And Me
• The World's Most Enhanced Woman And Me
• The World's Strongest Child And Me
• The World's Biggest Child And Me
• The World's Most Identical Twins And Me
• The World's Fattest Families And Me
• The World's Richest Teenage And Me
• The World's Strangest Plastic Surgery And Me
  
  
  

Fearne Cotton Looking At Pro Ana:

I watched a documentary called Fearne Cotton Looking At Pro Ana recently.

This is a poetic/observational/Reflexive Documentary which delves into the lives of anorexics struggling with their condition and their dependence on the online support system known as Pro-Ana, which disturbingly blogs rapid weight loss.

Fearne undercovers the life-threats from anorexia and talks to people dealing with the condition, families who have lost people to the disorder, a woman who creates and relies on her pro-ana website and finally trials some of these dangerous tips to see the profound effects they will have on her health.

This documentary is aimed at young adults and teenagers. Documentaries such as these are so crucial as they are warnings to people of the risks one to do to themselves if they are not careful. It is also a useful documentary for parents who may have concerns for the health of their child. I myself had not even heard of these Pro Ana websites before watching the documentary and it just shows how naive people can be to such an issue and how easily accessible it is to strugglers without anyone knowing.

This is a good documentary to look at and analyse as I was thinking of pretending to trial a certain way of living in my documentary to see the profound effects it may have on my living.

Fearne Cotton Meets...

This is a observational and poetic styled documentary aimed at a teenage/young adult age group.

I watched the series of this documentary last year and it was really interesting as it catered to the needs of my target age and delved into the lives of celebrities, so that the viewer could understand them as an individual, stripping away the media's perception and influence.

She is now pre-production of a new series, hoping to follow the lives of yet more celebrity icons.

In the last series she followed the lives of people such as:

• Paris Hilton
• Alesha Dixon
• Peaches Geldof

This was a reflexive documentary as Fearne was seen on camera as well as narrating the dialogue, however, it was importantly observational as she followed their lives of the celebrities, documenting their journey as the story unfolded.

Morgan Spurlock:

Morgan Spurlock is an American Documentary Film-Maker, Television Producer & Screenwriter commonly well-known for his blockbuster, Academy Award Nominated documentary 'Super Size Me'. He self- tested eating nothing but McDonalds three times a day, every day for 30 days, to demonstrate the negative effects fast food has on ones health.

Such documentaries would be regarded as Poetic, Observational and Reflexive as it is of human interest, Spurlock's presense is acknowledged by the viewer and finally, it the events unfold as the story continues.

His second documentary was: 'Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden' exploring the fight against terrorism, with a view from both sides. However, unlike his first documentary, this recieved rather negative reviews.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Spurlock#Where_in_the_World_is_Osama_Bin_Laden.3F

Louis Theroux:

Louis Theroux, a British/American broadcaster, who is well known for his documentaries:

Louis Theroux's weird weekends (1998 - 2000)

• He followed mostly American subcultures like survivalists, black nationalists, white supremacists and porn stars, often living amongst or close to the people involved.


• This falls under the genre or type named 'Reflexive' as he seen on camera as well as creating the documentary itself.
  
  

When Louis Met... (2000-2002)

• He accompanied a different British celebrity in each programme as they went about their day to day business. He interviewed them about their experiences and lifestyles in their own usual environments. He mimicked the lifestyles of Sir Jimmy Savile, Tory MP Neil Hamilton and Max Clifford.


• This would fall under the genre of poetic as it constructed to suit the needs of the audience, playing towards their human interests. However, it is also an observational documentary as it follows a person's journey as events unravel.

He has also done special shows for BBC 2 such as:

• Louis Theroux: Under the Knife - following patients undergoing plastic surgery


• Louis Theroux: Gambling In Vegas - investigating high rollers and those who manage the Las Vegas casinos.


• The Most Hated Family In America - following the members of a highly controversial Westboro Baptist Church and their strong family community, infamous for their anti-homosexual beliefs.


• A Place For Paedophiles - where he visited a hospital in California where they attempt to rehabilitate sex offenders.


• The City Addicted To Crystal Meph - documenting the numerous drug addictions.

Here is a link to his documentary The Most Hated Family In America:

I watched this documentary recently and it was extremely disturbing and controversial. However, it was documented through the use of Louis Theroux's on-screen opinions and debates to be rather light hearted, in an attempt to satify it's viewers so as not to be too depressing or heavy, which reinstates it as a poetic documentary, catering to the needs of the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOrz5k0jWdU

Michael Moore:

Michael Moore is an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator.

• Bowling for Columbine
• Fahrenheit 9/11
• Sicko
• A Love Story

These are four of the top eight most grossing documentaries of all time.

Fahrenheit 9/11 examines America in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, having a profoundly devastating effect worldwide. It was awarded the Palme d'Or, the top honour at the Cannes Film Festival and was the first documented film to win the prize since 1956.


Sicko was a film documentary formed around the American Health Care System. It is currently ranked the third highest grossing documentary of all time and received an Academy Award Nomination for 'Best Documentary Feature'.


Bowling For Columbine was a film documentary (2002) which probed the culture of guns and violence in the United States, initially beginning at the crux of the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999. It won the Anniversary Prize in 2002 at the Cannes Film Festival, France's Cesar Award as best foreign film and finally an Academy Award for best Feature Document.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moore

Nick Broomfield

Nick Broomfield is an English Documentary Film-Maker who works with a minimal crew of around two to three people in a distinctive style.



He was awarded the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution To Documentary.

It is Nick's reflexive film making style - a film being about the making of it as much about it's subject - that he is well known. He draws similarities concerning his styles of work to Louis Theroux and Morgan Spurlock who have all adopted the same techniques in their current Blockbuster hit documentaries.

Documentaries by Broomfield:

• Driving Me Crazy
• The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe
• Kurt & Courtney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Broomfield

Kurt & Courtney: Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EvqHeVXkQ

A Level: Introduction to Documentary: Advanced Portfolio:

For the next and final year of A Level media, we are researching and creating our own documentaries, which can be on whatever we choose.

We are researching well known documentarists such as Nick Broomfield, Michael Moore and Louis Theroux, the variety of stories they have retold, the different audiences they have targeted, how conventional their documentaries seem and finally the different purposes their documentaries have created.

PURPOSES:
Documentaries are created to either:

• Record, reveal or preserve


• Persuade or promote


• Analyse or interrogate


• Express views or opinions
  

There are four types of documentaries

• Reflexive


• Poetic


• Observational


• Expository
  

1. Reflexive: In which the film maker acknowledges their presence - they are in front of the camera & give some narrative guidance.


2. Poetic: In which an artistic narrative is constructed - sometimes the topic is more human interest rather than current affairs led.


3. Observational: Being there as events unfold these documentaries tend to follow a person or event & document their journey as an important events occur.


4. Expository: An analysis & expository of a person or topic - for example Michael Moore exposes society to forms or political corruption.