Fly on the wall: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Style of documentary-making}} |
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[[File:Highscreen Black Box Connect as CCTV.jpg|thumb|A camera up on a wall recording what is happening in the room]] |
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| ⚫ | '''Fly on the wall''' is a style of [[documentary]]-making used in [[filmmaking|film]] and [[television production]]. The name derived from the idea that events are seen [[Candid photography|candidly]], as a [[fly]] on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, the camera crew works as unobtrusively as possible; however, it is also common for participants to be interviewed, often by an off-camera voice.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/698785/|title=BFI Screenonline: 'Fly on the Wall' TV}}</ref> |
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Decades before [[Reality television|structured reality]] shows became popular, the [[BBC News (TV channel)|BBC]] had broadcast fly-on-the-wall film ''[[Royal Family (film)|Royal Family]]'' (a 1969 documentary produced in association with ITV),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/royal-family-documentary-history-queen-elizabeth-ii/|title='Royal Family': the fly-on-the-wall documentary the Palace doesn't want you to see|website=HistoryExtra}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300217438/royal-family-documentary-banned-by-the-queen-resurfaces-online-50-years-later|title=Royal family documentary 'banned' by the Queen resurfaces online 50 years later|date=January 29, 2021|website=Stuff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/banned-royal-family-documentary-1969-19724259|title=Banned Royal family documentary from 1969 resurfaces on Youtube|first=Neil|last=Shaw|date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> while 1974's ''[[The Family (1974 TV series)|The Family]]'', is said to be the earliest example of a reality TV docusoap on the [[BBC News (TV channel)|BBC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0168rq5|title=BBC - History of the BBC, April 1974 - The Family - the first 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary|website=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/april/the-family/|title=The Family first episode|website=bbc.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/the-family-says-goodbye-4249487|title=The family says goodbye|first=Laura|last=Miller|date=August 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wilkinses-reading-where-are-they-now-1082290.html|title=The Wilkinses of Reading: Where Are They Now?|date=October 23, 2011|website=The Independent}}</ref> In 1978 the BBC aired [[Living_in_the_Past_(TV_series)|Living in the Past]] recreating a [[British Iron Age]] settlement. In the late 1990s, [[Chris Terrill|Chris Terrill's]] docusoap series ''[[The Cruise (1998 TV series)|The Cruise]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000x8m5/the-cruise|title=The Cruise|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000x8m4|title=BBC One - The Cruise, Let the Dream Begin|website=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000x8m5|title=BBC One - The Cruise|website=BBC}}</ref> made a star of singer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jane-mcdonald-mn0000641575/biography|title=Jane McDonald | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}</ref> and TV personality [[Jane McDonald]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4871/jane-mcdonald/|title=Jane McDonald | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.joingocruiseandtravel.co.uk/cruise-news/new-series-of-cruising-with-jane-mcdonald-to-start-this-friday|title=New series of Cruising with Jane McDonald to start this Friday | GoCruise & Travel Franchise|website=www.joingocruiseandtravel.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jane-mcdonald.com/biography|title=Biography}}</ref> while Welsh cleaner Maureen Rees<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/search-mo-driving-school-welsh-15587132|title=In search of Mo from Driving School|first=David|last=Owens|date=December 23, 2018|website=WalesOnline}}</ref> became popular after her appearances on BBC One's<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/june/driving-school/|title=Driving School|website=bbc.com}}</ref> ''[[Driving School]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4031/maureen-rees/|title=MAUREEN REES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | '''Fly |
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Other British examples include ''[[Dynamo: Magician Impossible]] and Channel 4's '' ''[[Educating...]]'' series, while in the United States popular examples include ''[[American Factory]], [[Cops (TV series)|Cops]]'', ''[[Deadliest Catch]]'', ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]]'' and ''[[Weiner (film)|Weiner]]'', a film about a political sex scandal which developed during a mayoral election in New York.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/30/anthony-weiner-sexting-scandal-new-york-documentary|title=Weiner – how a film about a political sex scandal suddenly got more intimate | Weiner | The Guardian|newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 June 2016 |last1=Barnes |first1=Henry }}</ref> |
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Examples include ''[[Cops (TV series)|Cops]]'', ''[[Deadliest Catch]]'', ''[[Survivor (TV series)|Survivor]]'', ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]]'', ''[[Dynamo: Magician Impossible]]'' and ''[[Weiner (film)|Weiner]].'' |
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The format has also been spoofed, notably in 2001 [[BBC]] comedy ''[[The Office (UK TV series)|The Office]]'', based at a paper merchant in [[Slough]].<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/698785/ BFI Screenonline: 'Fly on the Wall' TV<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Cinéma vérité]] |
* [[Cinéma vérité]] |
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*[[Direct |
* [[Direct cinema]] |
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*[[Reality television]] |
* [[Reality television]] |
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*[[Television documentary]] |
* [[Television documentary]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Latest revision as of 09:57, 13 July 2024
Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in film and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, the camera crew works as unobtrusively as possible; however, it is also common for participants to be interviewed, often by an off-camera voice.[1]
Decades before structured reality shows became popular, the BBC had broadcast fly-on-the-wall film Royal Family (a 1969 documentary produced in association with ITV),[2][3][4] while 1974's The Family, is said to be the earliest example of a reality TV docusoap on the BBC.[5][6][7][8] In 1978 the BBC aired Living in the Past recreating a British Iron Age settlement. In the late 1990s, Chris Terrill's docusoap series The Cruise[9][10][11] made a star of singer[12] and TV personality Jane McDonald,[13][14][15] while Welsh cleaner Maureen Rees[16] became popular after her appearances on BBC One's[17] Driving School.[18]
Other British examples include Dynamo: Magician Impossible and Channel 4's Educating... series, while in the United States popular examples include American Factory, Cops, Deadliest Catch, Big Brother and Weiner, a film about a political sex scandal which developed during a mayoral election in New York.[19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "BFI Screenonline: 'Fly on the Wall' TV".
- ^ "'Royal Family': the fly-on-the-wall documentary the Palace doesn't want you to see". HistoryExtra.
- ^ "Royal family documentary 'banned' by the Queen resurfaces online 50 years later". Stuff. January 29, 2021.
- ^ Shaw, Neil (January 29, 2021). "Banned Royal family documentary from 1969 resurfaces on Youtube".
- ^ "BBC - History of the BBC, April 1974 - The Family - the first 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary". BBC.
- ^ "The Family first episode". bbc.com.
- ^ Miller, Laura (August 18, 2008). "The family says goodbye".
- ^ "The Wilkinses of Reading: Where Are They Now?". The Independent. October 23, 2011.
- ^ "The Cruise" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "BBC One - The Cruise, Let the Dream Begin". BBC.
- ^ "BBC One - The Cruise". BBC.
- ^ "Jane McDonald | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Jane McDonald | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ "New series of Cruising with Jane McDonald to start this Friday | GoCruise & Travel Franchise". www.joingocruiseandtravel.co.uk.
- ^ "Biography".
- ^ Owens, David (December 23, 2018). "In search of Mo from Driving School". WalesOnline.
- ^ "Driving School". bbc.com.
- ^ "MAUREEN REES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
- ^ Barnes, Henry (30 June 2016). "Weiner – how a film about a political sex scandal suddenly got more intimate | Weiner | The Guardian". The Guardian.
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