Films: An Informative Speech When

¶ … Films: An Informative Speech

When you go to the video store, you can choose from many titles -- Western films that feature cowboys and outlaws, scary movies that make you jump in your seat, action films that keep you in suspense as you root for the hero. But one kind of film that you might not have considered renting before is the documentary film. Although they may seem boring, documentaries are actually interesting movies that help you learn quite a bit about your topic.

But what is a documentary film? Many think of documentaries as the boring films they were forced to watch in health class. No longer. Documentary films use the elements of cinema to present truthful information on a topic. While documentaries of the past almost always took a neutral viewpoint, today's documentaries may be biased, attempting to persuade audiences to a type of action. These can be especially influential when it comes to campaigning for a cause. Through documentary films, those who want to convince others to save the environment, vote for a particular candidate, or invest in a certain business venture can use appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos, presenting a well-rounded product that will appeal to nearly any audience.

Of course, unbiased documentaries still exist. For instance, viewing films on special channels or television programs, such as Frontline or the History Channel can inform you of a whole host of topics -- from abortion clinics to the ghosts of Gettysburg. These unbiased documentaries have the power to convince audiences to take action just as easily as the biased documentaries do. In fact, one could argue that unbiased documentaries do this even more effectively than biased documentaries because unbiased documentaries simply give you the facts

Regardless of if they're trying to persuade you or just give you some information, documentaries have one thing in common -- they're not boring. Today's documentaries have the qualities of feature films -- cinematography, suspense, captivating personalities, funny parts, and in some cases, special effects. If you want to learn about a topic, but don't have time to read a book on the issue, a documentary can be a valuable resource, as within one to two hours you can gain almost as much understanding as you would from reading a book. In addition, documentaries are wonderful ways to understand topics that are more audio-visual in nature, such as how animals move, mate, hunt, and act. While you could read about a lion pouncing on it's pray in a book, even looking at pictures of the lion, a documentary lets you see the anticipation in the lion's eye and the frightening majesty of the lion as it growls and pounces on its prey. If you can't be with a lion as it pounces, a documentary is the next best option. Finally, watching a documentary is a good way to get informed if you have to make a decision, such as who to vote for. Both biased and unbiased documentaries can give you a good idea of the issues surrounding a particular candidate for office and his or her past actions.