Documentary Film

What Is A Documentary Film About?
The documentary film is less about filming screen actors as they act out a script and is more about capturing the essence of something in particular and explaining and exploring it in detail through the art of film. The documentary is made to record a specific subject which is watched for informational purposes rather than for the entertainment purposes which a dramatic or comedic film would be watched for. Documentaries do entertain an audience as all well made media should, but the entertainment comes through in the quality and creativity of the camera work and the interestingness of the footage which is used to explain the intended point. At the beginning of the 1900s the documentary was used by a scientist to better display his findings. By 1920 the popular documentaries were called Travelogues. These Travelogues were an opportunity to display motion picture film in vivid color. Motion picture color was new at the time and the scenic footage could be turned away from black and white using Prizmacolor.

Why Is It Called A Documentary?
The name documentary is derived from the word document and was not actually used until the year 1926. Before the word documentary was used to describe this type of film it was called an actuality film. The documentary film uses documents and discussion in place of the script and character dialogue which is used in a movie. The documentary seeks to clarify the point by only including non fictional elements and sticking with facts and truths.

What Sorts Of Things Are Documented?
Documentaries are usually made about people and events and include factual names, dates, times and locations. This can encompass almost any type of event in history which involves people. Documentaries can be about specific iconic figures in history such as Benjamin Franklin or Andy Warhol. These documentaries about people are more about what these people did over the course of their lives. Documentaries can also be about specific events and incorporate people as well such as the documentary Man On Wire about one mans daring walk across a tightrope between the twin towers, or Heima which is about an Icelandic band Sigur Ros and their tour through Iceland. Documentaries can be about current political issues such as climate change, laws, war, and peace and they can be about current people such as politicians, artists and fashion designers.