Fiction or documentary?

There are many differences in the key aspects of film form between fiction films and documentary films. This table lists those differences.

Fiction Films:

Mise-en-scene is real or ‘fake’ to create the film.

Characters are real or invented purely for the film but are mostly played by actors.

Equipment is hidden from the audience to create the film.

Filmmaker is a director who is in charge of the creative process but not in the film.

Narrative follows people in the film, can be changed to suit the filmmakers wants.

The audience will accept the reality of the film, fiction or not. These films want to attract the broadest possible audience who want to be entertained.

Fictional film usually has a higher budget than documentary film.

Environment is invented for the film or shot on set but put into fictional context for film. Environment can be real and set in real location too.

Documentary Films:

Mise-en-scene is real and used to create the film.

Characters are usually played by real people, interviewed for their involvement in the subject matter.

Equipment is shown to exhibit the reality of the documentary.

Filmmaker creates the film but can be shown on screen/be part of the film.

The narrative follows real events and must be concise to make the subject matter clear and understandable.

Attract a niche audience who want to learn about a subject band not necessarily be entertained, and know that the film is showing real events.

Documentary film usually has a lower budget than fiction film.

Environment is real in documentary film and used for a specific purpose.