How documentaries mark themselves out from fiction: a genre-based approach

Assessments of the truthfulness or otherwise documentaries are best understood as genre conventions which vary historically. Genre shared between audiences, filmmakers and institutions. Beliefs about acceptable use fictional techniques in documentary storytelling, particularly television, subject to occasional public controversies. The move from photographic digital processes underlay one such controversy at end last century. This was case around so-called ‘docu-soaps’ on but doubts filming meant that many developed new approaches. result is both professional beliefs practices have changed. Where once observational seen bedrock authenticity, newer approaches a growing emphasis assessment ‘documentation’ past events. They frequently gather interrogate footage other visual information very diverse sources. evidence explicit attempts reconstruct those