This document outlines 6 modes of documentary filmmaking: poetic, expository, observational, participatory, reflexive, and performative. The poetic mode uses subjective interpretations and mood to portray traditional narratives. The expository mode uses narration to explain a film's argument on social issues. Observational documentaries simply observe surroundings without instruction or interference. Participatory documentaries record the encounter between filmmaker and subject. Reflexive documentaries engage with issues of representation and construction. Performative documentaries acknowledge subjective aspects and ideas as part of a context.

1. Modes of
documentary

2. Poetic Mode
 Poetic mode tends toward subjective
interpretations of its subject.
 It creates a particular mood or tone.
 Traditional narrative content.
 Both characters and situations are
undeveloped.

3. Expository Mode
 Narration is a distinct innovation.
 The narration explains the film’s rhetorical
content.
 The footage used for this mode functions
to strengthen the spoken narrative
 ‘Direct address’ social issues assembled
into an argumentative frame.

4. Observational
 It became advanced in 1960s as technology
adapted.
 Camera and lights became smaller, so they were
able to document life in a less instructive manner.
 They tend to simply observe surroundings
 Observational allows viewers to reach whatever
conclusions.
 They proceed with; no music, no interviews and no
arrangements of scenes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ANUMYH07-
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5. Participatory
 The film-maker engages with the situation
they are documenting.
 Encounter between the subject and film-
maker is recorded.

6. Reflexive
 Engages actively with issues of realism
and representation.
 The aim with this mode is to get the
audience to understand the process of
construction film.
 Demonstrates consciousness of the
process of reading documentary.

7. Performative
 Acknowledges the emotional and subjective
aspects of documentary.
 Presents ideas as part of a context.
 Engages the filmmaker to the story but constructs
subjective truths that are significant to the
filmmaker.
 This mode is particularly well-suited to telling the
stories of filmmakers from relegated social groups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2T0UdNaWlo&f
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