4 ms·

What type of documentary doesn't have a narrative?

by crysin 8y ago

pessimizer 8y ago
People are still fooled by cinema verité and think documentaries (and news) somehow pop into existence by themselves, rather than through people laboring over transcripts of interview dialog and arranging them into a narrative order - and then seeking out further interviews and footage in order to fill the holes in that narrative. So the type of documentary that doesn't have a narrative is the type of documentary that simply reflects the truth (as I see it.)
- jandrese 8y ago
  But even then the documentarian has to decide what to include and what not to include. Obviously you can't have for example a Civil War documentary that is the raw truth of each person involved told in realtime. It would be 11 billion years long. I don't see how any documentary can match your standard.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  > So the type of documentary that doesn't have a narrative is the type of documentary that simply reflects the truth (as I see it.) What you're asking for is an omniscient live-stream of events. Any even where someone felt it was worth making a documentary about will be one where there's a narrative. Can you provide an example of a narrative free documentary?
maxxxxx 8y ago
When I watch PBS Frontline I definitely feel I get more information. Obviously there is opinion too but I find it much better researched and thought out.
Zimahl 8y ago
'Jesus Camp' doesn't have any narration, it only shows a glimpse of the religious kids camps. It's completely left up to the viewer to think the the camps are crazy or awesome. It's brilliantly done. I don't remember if there was narration or not, but 'Word Wars', about competitive Scrabble, doesn't take a side (there's no side to take, really). It simply shows the competitors and the kind of zany world they live in.
- thirdsun 8y ago
  I don't want to question your examples, but lack of spoken narration doesn't automatically lead to an unbiased documentary. It's pretty easy to build a narrative just through visuals, by selectively showing certain aspects and ignoring others.

What type of documentary doesn't have a narrative?

by crysin 8y ago

What type of documentary doesn't have a narrative?

People are still fooled by cinema verité and think documentaries (and news) somehow pop into existence by themselves, rather than through people laboring over transcripts of interview dialog and arranging them into a narrative order - and then seeking out further interviews and footage in order to fill the holes in that narrative. So the type of documentary that doesn't have a narrative is the type of documentary that simply reflects the truth (as I see it.)

jandrese 8y ago
But even then the documentarian has to decide what to include and what not to include. Obviously you can't have for example a Civil War documentary that is the raw truth of each person involved told in realtime. It would be 11 billion years long. I don't see how any documentary can match your standard.
SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
> So the type of documentary that doesn't have a narrative is the type of documentary that simply reflects the truth (as I see it.) What you're asking for is an omniscient live-stream of events. Any even where someone felt it was worth making a documentary about will be one where there's a narrative. Can you provide an example of a narrative free documentary?

maxxxxx 8y ago

When I watch PBS Frontline I definitely feel I get more information. Obviously there is opinion too but I find it much better researched and thought out.

Zimahl 8y ago

'Jesus Camp' doesn't have any narration, it only shows a glimpse of the religious kids camps. It's completely left up to the viewer to think the the camps are crazy or awesome. It's brilliantly done. I don't remember if there was narration or not, but 'Word Wars', about competitive Scrabble, doesn't take a side (there's no side to take, really). It simply shows the competitors and the kind of zany world they live in.

thirdsun 8y ago
I don't want to question your examples, but lack of spoken narration doesn't automatically lead to an unbiased documentary. It's pretty easy to build a narrative just through visuals, by selectively showing certain aspects and ignoring others.