Bill Nichols 6 modes

1. Poetic
Poeticdocumentariesfocusmore onvisual language thanausual narrative.Thisisto letthe audience
interpretitintheirownway.Anexample of apoeticdocumentaryisKoyaanisqatsi (1982) by Godfrey
Reggio.Itusestime lapse shotsof the worldto show the impactof civilisationonnature.
Expository
Expositorydocumentariesimpose aspecificpointof view andoftenuse avoice of God narration.The
footage isusedto supportthe pointandto give informationvisually.Theyaimtoinformandsometimes
persuade the viewer.Anexample isthe National Geographicshow SecondsfromDisaster.Ituses
variousdiagramsas well asreal life footage combinedwithnarrationtoexplaineventstothe viewer.
Observational
Observational documentariesshow the worldaroundthemwithoutgivingacertainperspective.This
waythe audience cancome to theirownconclusionsinsteadof beingtoldwhattobelieve.Anexample
isHigh School byFrederick Wiseman.He followsthe subjectswithoutinteractingwiththemlikeaflyon
the wall.
Participatory
Participatorydocumentariesinclude the filmmakerinthe story.Theymightaskquestionsfrombehind
the camera, or theymightstandinfront of the camera and presentthe film.A famousexample is
Chronicle of a Summer(1961) by JeanRouchand Edgar Morin. It ismade up of interviewswithrandom
people whotalktothe interviewernotthe camera,buttheyknew theywere beingfilmed.Itposesan
interestingquestionof whetherpeople change whattheysaywhentheyare beingfilmed.
Reflexive
Thisis a similarstyle toparticipatory,howeverthere isnotnecessarilyanoutside subjectandthe film
mostlyrevolvesaroundthe filmmakerandthe productionitself.LouisTherouxisfamousformaking
these kindsof documentaries,like hisseriesWeirdWeekendswhere he travelstomeetinteresting
people andtalktothem.
Performative
Thisstyle isalsosimilartoparticipatory,butitfocusesonthe filmmakers personal connectiontothe
subject.Anexample of aperformativedocumentaryisSuperSize Me (2004) by Morgan Spurlock.It fits
intothismode because insteadof justinvestigatingthe healtheffectsof fastfood,he doesan
experimenthimself andonlyeatsMcdonaldsfor30 days.