Modes of Documentary

THERE ARE 6 MODES OF DOCUMENTARY:

 EXPOSITORY

 PARTICIPATORY

 PERFORMATIVE

 OBSERVATIONAL

 REFLEXIVE

 POETIC
 Expository

This mode aims to educate and explain things, such as

events, issues, ways of life, worlds and exotic places we
know little about. This is why they are heavily researched
and sometimes referred to as essay films. Normally
include:
 Interviews
 Illustrative visuals
 Some actuality
 Perhaps some graphics & photos
 Narrator (links events/stories/points and explains/
unfold arguments or theories)
 Participatory

In this mode the filmmaker actively engages with the

subject or the situation. “The participatory mode aims for
immediacy and often presents the filmmakers point of
view”
Participatory mode has:
 Interviews dominant (tend to be formal)
 Archival footage
 Location shooting (hand held camera)
 Direct sound recording
 Voiceover (usually the maker of the documentary)
 Documentary maker is visual to the audience
 Performative

This is the opposite to observational as the observation is

made by the filmmaker and focuses on the filmmakers own
involvement with the subject. Events and history is recalled
through the personal experience of the director.
This may include:
 Documentary make and crew interact with the subjects
 Documentary maker makes comments on the process of
making the documentary
 Addresses the audience in an emotional and direct way
 The documentary is often shaped into the narrative of an
investigation or search
 Subject matter often to do with identity (gender, sex)
rather than ‘factual’ subjects
 Observational

This mode of documentary is the most analysed and tries its best for
cinematic realism, one way it does this is by using actuality footage.
The observational mode is a lot easier to film as cameras have become
smaller and more advanced, they also don’t require a crew close to as
big as the past.
This mode includes:
 location shooting
 Handheld cameras
 Long takes are the most popular/”dominate”
 Direct sound recording
 No narrator
 No interviews
 Documentary makers presence is hidden
 Subject pretend they aren’t being filmed
 Reflexive

Reflexive mode makes the audience think and “question

the authenticity of a documentary in general”. The
audience think about the concept and about what actually
makes up the documentary.
Normally has:
 Borrows techniques from fiction film for an emotional,
subjective response;
 Emphasises the expressive nature of film, anti realist
techniques
 Voiceover (when present) is likely to be questioning and
uncertain rather than authorities
 Reliant on suggestion rather than fact
 Poetic

The poetic mode doesn’t argue points but instead

creates a “mood or impression”. Usually emphasizes
cinematic value over content to create visual poetry.
More expressive type of documentary which is shown
through both filming & editing.
This mode includes:
 Documentary maker gives subjective view
 Structure of the documentary doesn’t follow the
common narrative structure
 Types of documentary

 EXPOSITORY

 PARTICIPATORY

 PERFORMATIVE

 OBSERVATIONAL

 REFLEXIVE

 POETIC
 Expository

 This type of documentary is full of narration and

aims to educate the audience about things like;
events, issues, ways of life, worlds and exotic places
we know little about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZf9TUDYmME
 Participatory

 Participatory documentaries involve the director

actively engaging with the subject and situation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v89Fh-LF26Q
 Performative

 This mode of documentary focuses on the

involvement of the director with the subject

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAnCOHCVjyU
 Observational

 Uses actuality footage to achieve the best cinematic

realism, uses hand held cameras and no crew is
required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn24uiAhPpM
 Reflexive

 This type of documentary makes the audience

question the authenticity of the documentary and
what makes it up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwh370KR-24
 Poetic

 An abstract and surreal documentary with no real

structure or meaning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSSqa9RD3mw
 Which mode will we use for our documentary?

For our documentary, we will use a mixed mode of

expositional and participatory:
 By using the expositional mode this will allow us to
address the audience directly. The aim of our
documentary is to educate and explain the topic to the
audience, therefore this follows the expositional mode
structure. We will also be including interviews, graphics,
narration and actuality footage to support our knowledge
which expositional mode documentary's also include.
 Moreover, we will also follow the participatory mode as
this mode welcomes engagement between us and the
subject, which is key for us to do.