documentary film
Let an agent explain what documentary film is and its modes, distinguish documentary from fiction, news and propaganda, relay ethics, funding and distribution information, and identify documentaries and their makers from reliable sources.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain what documentary film is and its modes, distinguish documentary from fiction, news and propaganda, relay ethics, funding and distribution information, and identify documentaries and their makers from reliable sources.
A non-fiction film that documents reality, people, events or issues for information, education, record or argument, using observation, interviews, archive material, narration and re-enactment in varying combinations; documentaries range from observational and investigative films to educational, industrial and instructional films, and are made for cinema, television and online distribution.
What it is for: Informing, recording and arguing about reality through film.
It can be explain modes and forms; distinguish documentary from fiction and news; relay ethics and standards; identify films and makers.
Distinguishing features
Claim to represent reality
Range of modes and techniques
Ethical relationship with subjects
Festival, broadcast and online circuits
What it looks like
A film presenting real people, places and events, often with interviews, archive footage and narration.
Physical character
length: a few minutes to several hours time - short, feature and series
How it is recognised
Non-fiction claim to represent reality
Modes from observational to reflexive
Fiction films, news reports and propaganda are distinguished by intent and method
Related models
is a kind of - the category
is contrasted with - invented narratives
is shown at - documentary circuits
is studied by - the discipline
In practice
Families and kinds
observational and direct cinema
expository and educational films
investigative and advocacy documentaries
archival and historical documentaries
industrial, instructional and training films
docudrama and hybrid forms
documentary series
Identifiers
film database identifiers IMDb and others
ISAN audiovisual number where registered
Standards and regulation
Broadcasting standards on accuracy and fairness
Consent and privacy law for subjects
Copyright and fair use for archive material
Film classification
Failure modes and hazards
Misleading editing or staging
Harm to subjects
Blurred lines with propaganda
Misattributed films
Also called
+11
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Form What a documentary is.
Definition.
Definition
Definition and modes.
Definition
Definition.
- What defines a documentary, and what modes do scholars distinguish, with attribution? definition
- Is the film a documentary, a fiction film, a news report or propaganda? boundary
Kinds
Kinds.
Kinds
Kinds.
- What kinds of documentary exist, from investigative to instructional? definition
- Which entry fits the specific film? action
Make Making documentaries.
Practice.
Methods
Methods.
Methods
Methods.
- How are documentaries researched, shot and edited? provenance
- Which entry fits film production? action
Ethics
Ethics.
Ethics
Ethics.
- What ethical standards govern consent, representation and accuracy? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Circulate Funding and distribution.
Industry.
Funding
Funding.
Funding
Funding.
- How are documentaries funded, from broadcasters to grants and platforms? provenance
- Which entry fits film funding? action
Distribution
Festivals and platforms.
Distribution
Distribution.
- How are documentaries distributed and where are they seen? provenance
- Which entry fits a specific festival? action
Context History and impact.
Context.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did documentary develop from early actualities to modern forms? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of documentary film? action
Impact
Impact and debate.
Impact
Impact.
- What is known about the impact of documentaries, and what debates exist about truth and advocacy, with attribution? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should documentary modes be separate entries?
- How should film databases be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases for educational and industrial films; should they be split off?