FORMAT, STYLE, TONE & USP
Bill Nichols is an American theorist who has studied documentaries and has developed six different modes within his book, 'Introduction to Documentary'. The six different modes consist of: poetic, performative, reflexive, expository, observational and participatory.
After studying each mode, I will be focusing on creating an expository documentary that highlights the facts and figures of gambling, as well as showing emotion through the diverse opinions of the gambling experts being interviewed. I will experiment with the expected 'voice of God' narration that can also be employed to narrate the film.
Initially, I wanted to create a docudrama where the documentary segment is complimented with a fictionalised re-creation of genuine events. However, after necessary research, I have decided to create a stylised docufiction that combines the elements of an expository documentary with a fictional segment that will ultimately show the addiction of gambling from multiple perspectives.
'Fire at Sea' is a 2016 docufiction that explores the desperation of migrants that are hoping for a new life in Sicily as they move from Africa and the Middle East. This example is filmed in a way where there is no narrative throughout, as the story and journey is shown through fictionalised and non-fictional events. Although my focus remains on creating a docufiction, this may change during the production and editing process into a docudrama in order to heighten the focus of creating awareness.
The combination of a hybrid documentary will effectively be the unique selling point of my short film as there is not a docufiction on the market that highlights the addiction of gambling. The film will follow the format of an expository documentary whilst also showing the addiction from a fictional point of view. The tone will remain serious throughout in order to create the necessary awareness on the addiction of gambling.