A2 Media - Documentary Mode - Research, Planning and Analysis

1. Gregory McLaney – A2 Media Studies: Unit G324

2. Documentary Mode
 Developed by American documentary theorist, Bill Nichols the
‘Documentary Modes’ are split in to six different types of
documentary:
1. Poetic Mode
2. Expository Mode
3. Observational Mode
4. Participatory Mode
5. Reflexive Mode
6. Performative Mode
 When considering modes of documentaries, all documentaries
can overlap into different modes. And, it is not expected to link
documentaries directly to one mode, they are simply there to
determine styles and significant aspects of documentaries.
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

3. The Poetic Mode – subjective,
artistic expression
 The ‘Poetic Mode’ of documentary making, holds a subjective
interpretation of its topic. Plus, the poetic mode illustrates
little rhetoric content and is perceived as more ‘avant-grande’
(works that are experimental or innovative).
 ‘Their disruption of the coherence of time and space—a
coherence favored by the fiction films of the day—can also be
seen as an element of the modernist counter-model of
cinematic narrative. The ‘real world’—Nichols calls it the
“historical world”—was broken up into fragments and
aesthetically reconstituted using film form.’ – Source:
http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-types-of-
documentary/
 Examples of poetic mode documentaries are: Leni Riefenstahl's
‘Olympia’ (1938) and Robert Flaherty's ‘Man of Aran’ (1934).
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

4. Expository Mode (voice of god)
 The ‘Expository Mode’ of documentary making speaks to the
spectator directly. The voice is of an authoritative perspective
commentating the voice-over; this puts forward a strong point of
view. Additionally, the voice-over may be of an omniscient (voice-of-
god) like position. These commentaries are often objective.
 ‘Images are often not paramount; they exist to advance the
argument. The rhetoric insistently presses upon us to read the images
in a certain fashion. Historical documentaries in this mode deliver an
unproblematic and ‘objective’ account and interpretation of past
events.’ – Source: http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-
types-of-documentary/
 Examples of the expository mode documentaries are: Davis
Guggenheim’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth ‘(2006), John Berger’s ‘Ways of
Seeing’ (1972) and many nature documentaries.
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

5. Observational Mode - window on
the world
 The ‘Observational Mode’ of documentary is not subjective like the poetic mode and is not rhetorical
like the expository mode. But, it is however, simply an observatory means of documentary making,
fly-on-the-wall like. It allows the spectator to view in a purely observational manor with no opinions
being given, leaving the audience to make their own opinions.
 ‘Observational documentaries attempt to simply and spontaneously observe lived life with a
minimum of intervention. Filmmakers who worked in this sub-genre often saw the poetic mode as too
abstract and the expository mode as too didactic.’ – Source:
http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-types-of-documentary/
 ‘Observational (objective) mode is best exemplified by the Cinema Verite or Direct Cinema movement
which emerged in the late 1950s/early 1960s - it attempted to capture (as accurately as possibly)
objective reality with filmmaker as neutral observer. See Fly on the Wall.’
 ‘Codes/conventions - The filmmaker remains hidden behind the camera, ignored by the surrounding
environment he/she neither changes nor influences the actions/events being captured.’
 ‘Since nothing is staged for the camera, the camera rushes about to keep up with the action resulting
in rough, shaky, often amateur-looking footage.’ – Source
http://www.godnose.co.uk/downloads/alevel/documentary/Doc%20Modes%20nichols.pdf
 Examples of the observational documentary mode consist of: Frederick Wiseman’s, ‘Hospital’ (1970) –
fly on the wall, American hospital, Richard Pennebacker's ‘Don't Look Back’ (1967) - records Bob
Dylan's 1965 tour of Britain and recently ‘Big Brother’ (The British TV Show)
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

6. Participatory Mode
 The ‘Participatory Mode’ of documentary filmmaking believes it is evident
that the act of filmmaking will influence and alter the events that are being
captured. The filmmaker in these films adds to the artificiality by participating
in the documentary.
 ‘Not only is the filmmaker part of the film, we also get a sense of how
situations in the film are affected or altered by her presence. Nichols: “The
filmmaker steps out from behind the cloak of voice-over commentary, steps
away from poetic meditation, steps down from a fly-on-the-wall perch, and
becomes a social actor (almost) like any other. (Almost like any other because
the filmmaker retains the camera, and with it, a certain degree of potential
power and control over events.)”’ – Source:
http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-types-of-documentary/
 Examples of the participatory mode of documentary filmmaking consist of:
Vertov’s ‘The Man with a Movie Camera’ (1929), Rouch and Morin’s ‘Chronicle
of a Summer’ (1960) and Morgan Spurlock’s ‘Super Size Me’ (2004).
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

7. Reflexive Mode - awareness of the
process
 The ‘Relfexive Mode’ of documentary filmmaking provokes
attention to its own artificiality. It develops questions around
how authentic the information given is. It almost develops a
self-conscious image within its mode.
 ‘The documentary mode ‘is highly skeptical of ‘realism.’ It may
use Brechtian alienation strategies to jar us, in order to
‘defamiliarize’ what we are seeing and how we are seeing it.’ –
Source: http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-
types-of-documentary/
 Examples of the reflexive mode of documentary filmmaking
are: Jim McBride & L.M. Kit ‘Carson’s David Holzman’s Diary’
(1968), David & Judith MacDougall’s ‘Wedding Camels’ (1980)
and Albert Maysles and David Maysles’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ (1970)
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

8. Performative Mode - filmmaker as
participant
 The ‘Performative Mode’ of documentaries can be confused with the
participatory mode. The true distinction between the two is the
participatory mode develops truths that are self-evident. But, on the
other hand the performative mode portrays the filmmaker to the
story but constructs subjective truths that are important to the
filmmaker directly.
 ‘Performative documentaries stress subjective experience and
emotional response to the world. They are strongly personal,
unconventional, perhaps poetic and/or experimental, and might
include hypothetical enactments of events designed to make us
experience what it might be like for us to possess a certain specific
perspective on the world that is not our own.’ – Source:
http://collaborativedocumentary.wordpress.com/6-types-of-
documentary/
 Examples of performative mode documentary filmmaking are: Alain
Resnais’ ‘Night And Fog’ (1955), Peter Forgacs’ ‘Free Fall’ (1988) and
Danube Exodus (1999)
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324

9. Conclusion
 To conclude, upon researching extensively into
documentary modes, I think whilst creating our
documentary it will directly relate strongly to the
‘Expository Mode’, whilst also linking with other modes
such as ‘Participatory Mode’. Considering this, the
expository mode will be the strongest link which will be
clearly illustrated when watching the documentary in
relation to Bill Nichols’ theory of documentary mode.
Through this mode we can create an authoritative figure
which will be omniscient (god like) and the spectator will
trust the facts and information due to the authoritative
and informed nature. Overall, the research into the
documentary modes has strengthened an understanding
of documentaries and their different styles and through
this I will improve production.
Documentary Modes - Gregory McLaney - A2 Media
Studies: Unit G324