Subject In Documentaries

The aim of making a documentary varies from film to film but film makers generally want to make something people will want to watch. This means most documentaries have a narrative, a posed question and a conclusion. For instance, My New Brain explores the story of a boy who's recovering from a brain injury and documents his journey showing a significant difference in his character at the end of the film in comparason to how he was at the beginning. Winnebago Man also follows the same structure, the theme this time being an outtake sensation that the film maker goes in search of. In order to keep the audience captivated, Winnebago Man starts with an interview with Jack Rebney, the star of the outtake video who they are looking for. This keeps the audience interested because even when the voice over questions if Jack will be found, we remember the interview from the beginning. The man in this video is very interesting because of his unpredictable and brash personality, this also poses questions throughout the film because we don't know what he is going to do next. The portrait painted of him at the beginning also becomes questionable as he seems to redeem himself at points in the film, this is what keeps us watching. My New Brain similarly follows the journey of a person, this time documenting his progress after a brain injury. This keeps us watching because, straight away, it tells us about the accident and immediately shows us who Simon was, who he is now and who he wants to become, giving the film purpose. It is also a detailed insight into his own life.

The Winnebago Man:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tmhc8/Storyville_20102011_YouTube_Hero_The_Winnebago_Man

My New Brain:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-new-brain