Exit Through The Gift Shop: Documentary Analysis

1. Thesis

Different types of documentaries as a reflection of the different methods a presenter can use to communicate the intended message of a documentary. Under this classification, different documentary types have been related to either being subjective or objective. Documentaries classified as expository, interactive or reflexive have always been considered to be subjective in nature, while observational documentaries have always been described as objective. While these distinctions that help differentiate each documentary have merit, the outright classification can provide an inaccurate idea that documentaries classified as being objective provide a more realistic presentation of the subject matter compared to documentaries classified

As previously mentioned, a defining attribute of a documentary in the minds of audiences is that it is based on real events that happened to other people like them. However, there is a tendency for filmmakers to become selective and choose only what parts of the documentary make it to the final editing process that fit with their own ideas or beliefs, making these documentaries closer to film and movies (Mueller, 2015). The documentary Exit through the Gift Shop is an example on how the veracity of the portrayed events in a documentary can affect the perception of its audience. On its release, the documentary received criticism of being fabricated or fake as there are some question surrounding how Guetta, one of the main characters, suddenly became an artist overnight (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013). The idea that events in documentary are manufactured immediately make sit more subjective as it is possible that the film that made the editing are only those that creator chose to as a reflection of his/her personal beliefs (Bernard, 2011). Even if the overall theme has a positive message, a documentary loses objectivity if only select events are filmed and