2. Bill Nicholas’ modes of documentary are significant as the
different modes allow for us to recognize the different types of
documentaries, making it much easier to identify all of the
different codes and conventions. This research would be
essential when it comes to making our documentaries. The
importance of this research will be seen later on when shooting
the documentary as we are the able to refer back to the mode
we are creating and check if we have the same codes and
conventions present in our final product.
3. Poetic
Conventions
Lyrical and emotional
Filmic conventions
Artistic
Continuous editing
Audience is shown abstract, subjective representations of reality. This is usually achieved by
through the use of continuous editing throughout the documentary.
Documentary Evidence
Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia (1938) - low camera angles and slow pace editing. Transitions
included a lot of also fading and merging between the images – glorifying the Aryan
athlete's
Camera Shots – Extreme close –ups , long shots close-ups and lot of low angle shots.
Nicholas Regen | Rain (1929) | Joris Ivens - Slow paced editing but very quick transitions,
text on screen at the very beginning with documentary name and background, non-diegetic
music, random collection of videos not necessarily connected Birds eye view shots, close
ups , medium shots.
‘moves away from the ‘objective’ reality of a given situation or people, to grasp at an
inner ‘truth’ that can only be depicted by poetical manipulation’
4. Expository Mode
Conventions
Voice of God narration
Archive footage
Verbal commentary
Interviews
Evidentiary editing
Documentary Evidence
Taxi To The Dark Side:
Archive footage, evidentiary editing to show George W Bush hypocrisy archive footage
from newspapers and news reports. Interviews with the prison guards at the camps.
Voice of God Narration throughout the documentary Frequent use of diegetic music.
5. Participatory Mode
These films usually take the form of a series of interviews or other forms of even
more direct involvement from conversations to provocations.
• Archival footage to examine historical issues
• Range of different interviews with different subjects
• Narration by subject
Documentary evidence
Man on Wire
Small reconstruction scenes
Narration by subject of documentary explaining the historic event/ answers to
interview without audience hearing the questions. Range of different subjects
speaking of own perspective of events
Close up of subjects
Range of archive footage
Subtitles Text on screen showing names of subjects and relationship to main
subject
6. Observational Mode
Used to observe historical events as they happen and can also use the observations of an
unobtrusive camera to create direct engagement with the everyday life of subjects.
Conventions
• No voice overs
• No interviews
• No supplementary music
• Social actors behave as if the camera is not there
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
Vladimir in Titicut Follies
Extreme close ups when subjects are interacting with each other.
Followed By Zoom Outs.
Very Little amounts of cuts between scenes there is more zooming in and out. No
non-diegetic music
No voice overs
Fly on the wall kind of vibe, social actors do not acknowledge the cameras
presence
7. Reflexive Mode
Conventions
This mode, which includes the ‘mockumentary’ format, calls attention to the
assumptions and conventions that govern documentary filmmaking to
increase our awareness of how films construct representations of reality.
Documentary Evidence
Land Without Bread
Transitions – majority is Fade to black
Slow paced transitions/editing Introduction – text on screen at the beginning
Archive footage used (pictures) – at the beginning
Voice of God narration throughout the whole documentary
Non diegetic music throughout the whole documentary
8. Performative mode
Highlights the subjective or expressive aspect of the filmmaker’s own
involvement with a subject.
Conventions
• Reject Objectivity, Favour Emotion
• Non-diegetic music
• No Narration
• Voice- overs
• Archive footage
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
Tongues Untied
Subject was Marlon Riggs who was also the filmmaker
Favours emotion through the use of archive footage showing gay males getting
attacked Voice-over of poetry/ spoken word written by Marlon Riggs.
A lot of close -ups and medium shots Non-diegetic music
