What is a "Documentary?" Pt.1

                                                                              

We're going to be taking a deep dive into what makes a documentary a documentary. Which, as we write this, we're realizing it's not as easy to put to words as it is to know one when you see one.

 In the broadest sense of the word, a documentary is any audio/visual media meant to document an occasion or to inform the viewer on a given subject. That much we can say for certain. There are as many ways to achieve this end as there are subjects to inform the viewer about, and the objective truth is not always the aim. So let's take a look at a few types of documentaries so we can start to get closer to the heart of what makes a documentary a documentary. 

First up:

Nature Documentaries.

 The great great grand of all documentaries; the first purpose made nature documentaries came about at relatively the same time. Disney pioneered the nature programme with its True-Life Adventure series, at about the same time BBC started airing a little show called Zoo Quest, (with a little known host David Attenborough ) the first underwater film Sesto Continente was made, and Jacques Cousteau came up quickly behind with, The Silent World, which was the first underwater film shot in color. But, when we get down to the nitty-gritty of it, most all the others were a one-off affair. David Attenborough quickly characterized what it was that made a nature series compelling, while also pioneering the style and vocabulary of the nature documentary host. His expert narration and ability to get in front of the camera to draw the viewer in with both personal anecdotes and trivia on the given subject, cannot be downplayed in the least. At the helm of BBC2, he pioneered the use of color in television broadcasting with the first color broadcast of Wimbledon and the purpose-made-to-showcase-color, Award-Winning, groundbreaking series, Civilisation, but it mostly was so his viewers could see the awesome color of the wild world around them. His groundbreaking series, Life on Earth (sometimes simply shortened to: Life ) in the late seventies, cemented his place atop the heap as THE nature documentarian, preeminent naturalist of the 20/21st centuries and guilt-tripping grandfather to all. 

  What first started as a way to bring the natural world into focus and into the homes of viewers across the world, nature documentaries spawned a complete industry devoted to that end. I, for one, could not be happier about that. A simple look at how many broadcasting giants now have their own "natural science" departments speaks loads to their popularity and importance. Wildlife documentaries have documented species in places that need protecting, highlighted how the natural world affects your everyday modern existence, documented never before seen behaviours that change our understanding of a species, and brought the love of the wild world to entire generations that now venerate nature instead of looking at it solely as a resource for exploiting. In that way, the importance of nature documentaries in our modern lives cannot be understated.

  Criticism as to what is actually "natural" about nature documentaries has been leveled against documentary filmmakers since their inception. But here's the thing, nature documentaries have to create a compelling narrative in order to keep people watching. Sure, a pride of lions may not hunt for two days, preferring to rest in the shade and conserve calories, but who'd want to watch that in real time? Not even the filmmakers, that's who. There's an expectation that what you're watching isn't going to bore you to death, so liberties must be taken. Otherwise those very same critics would be shouting "Stupid lazy-layabout lions! What are we keeping them around for, anyway? WHO EXACTLY is paying for their Zebra meals, eh?" 

  So what more can we say about nature documentaries? Did I state that their importance cannot be understated? If I didn't, then let me state this:

 They're super-duper important.