Genres and modes of a documentary

1. Documentary
Genres/Modes
Research
Mirjam Nilsson​

2. Documentary
Modes/Genre
s
In documentary films and videos, we can identify six modes of representation
that function something like sub genres of eh documentary film genre itself:
• Poetic Documentary
• Expository Documentary
• Participatory Documentary
• Observational Documentary
• Reflective Documentary
• Performative Documentary
Each of these sub-genres are able to create different types of emotional
responses from the audience as each genre creates a new point of view for
the audience. They do this by the way the documentary is filmed or edited, as
each sub genre is able to evoke a certain emotion from the audience by the
way they have simply planned it out. Such as poetic is able to evoke an
emotional responses whereas other can give a more logical response.
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3. Poetic Documentary
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Guide to Poetic Documentaries: 4 Examples of Poetic Mode - 2022 -
Expository Documentary
Rather than conveying a point through a traditional linear
narrative structure, poetic documentary utilizes avant-garde
techniques to convey a specific atmosphere or impression.
• Visual rhythm over continuity - Through the use of rhythmic
visuals that convey an abstract and subjective perception of
reality, this gives the spectator an emotional perspective on a
subject. Poetic documentaries are avant-garde in that they
aren't concerned with maintaining continuity from scene to
scene, deviating from traditional editing conventions. Instead,
they want to focus on rhythm, composition, and shot design to
depict a world from a different perspective. ​
• Lack of traditional narrative — Because poetic documentaries
are primarily concerned with evoking a specific mood or
experience, a linear narrative is not required. This means that
characters do not advance as a result of their interactions with
other characters arcs.
• Subjectivity- rather than pushing for an objective, fact-based
truth, poetry films offer a subjective perspective on a subject,
approaching it in a more abstract and experimental manner.
Expository documentaries establish a specific point of view or argument on
a subject, and the narrator often addresses the spectator directly, stressing
the relationship between the pictures on-screen and providing spoken
commentary. Stock video, archival footage, b-roll, or re-enactments of
historical events are all used in expository documentaries to support and
bolster the film's verbal narrative.
• The voice-over is omniscient. The "voice of God" narration is a common
characteristic of expository documentaries. This authoritative voice
accompany the documentary's images, explaining rhetorical material
and interpreting the visuals for the audience to help illustrate the film's
point. The voice-over provides information rather than personal
recollections or subjective experiences in narrative form.
• A "proper" response. Expository documentaries don't give much room for
subjectivity; they want the audience to react to the topic in a certain way.
Rhetorical questions, historical recollections, and interviews, as well as
any other relevant proof, are frequently given to support the film's claims.
• Evidentiary Editing - Editing of evidence. Expository filmmakers utilize
images to support their claims, whereas visuals in poetic mode films are
aimed for emotional or artistic goals. On-screen images are
accompanied by words or commentary that clarify or support them. This
type of editing is also common in news broadcasts.

4. Participatory Documentary
An observational documentary is a type of documentary where the
filmmakers aims to record realistic everyday life without intrusion. This
kind of documentary is also referred to as cinema verité style or fly on
the wall filmmaking, observational documentary mode exists on a
spectrum between documentary and expository documentary.
Characteristics
• Realism and immediacy – observational cinema tells a true story.
To promote a feeling of realism. Observational documentary
follows people or events in real time.
• Little to no voice - since observational documentary filmmakers are
interested in objectivity more than a clear message, they let the
footage to speak the loudest to the audience.
• No re-enactments - while other documentary forms employ actors
re-enacting scenes that the camera didn't capture, an
observational documentary rejects this method as shattering the
realism of the film.
• Long takes – filmmakers are following action as it takes place;
observational documentaries often employ long takes without
editing to further enhance the realism and immerse viewers in the
scene.
A participatory documentary is where the filmmaker is included in the
film's narrative and directly interacts with the film's subjects. In the type
of documentary, the filmmaker may appear in front of the camera
without any subjects around them. This effect of the filmmaker's
presence may be minimal, but it can also hugely impact the story line.
Characteristics
• The filmmaker is a character. In a participatory documentary, the
filmmaker must either be seen or heard at some point in the movie,
giving them a presence that is often as important as the primary
subject.
• The interviewer’s questions are included in the edit. In other
documentary genres, subjects answer interview questions, but the
questions themselves are edited out. In the participatory mode, the
audience is allowed to see or hear the filmmaker asking the
questions. This establishes a clearer relationship between the
filmmaker and the interview subject, while also giving the viewer a
more "behind the scenes" look at how the filmmaker elicited the
subject's responses.
• The viewer is aligned with the filmmaker. The audience experiences
the film through the filmmaker's point of view, allowing them to intuit
how the filmmaker felt in the moment and consider how they might
have reacted in the same situation.
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Observational
Documentary

5. Reflective
documentary
The reflexive documentary mode focuses on the relationship between the
filmmaker and the audience, pushing viewers to reflect on their perceptions
and re analyse their notions of truth. Reflexive mode dose not examine
outside the subject matter – it exposes the making of the documentary
progress. This form of documentary does not attempt to provoke intense
emotional responses from the audience but encourages thoughtful
consideration.
Characteristics
• The reflexive documentary mode is just like the participatory
documentary mode ,which is also referred to as an interactive
documentary, in that they each display involvement of the filmmaker,
and commonly make the cameraman and digital digicam a part of the
film.
• The reflexive documentary mode provides questions and strategies
subjects with uncertainty, imparting a model of reality inside a non-
fiction format. Reflexive documentaries will frequently display the digital
digicam or manufacturing team to name interest to the conventions of
filmmaking, and gift self-focus to dispose of biases approximately the
film`s content material or agenda.
A performative documentary films focus on the filmmakers'
involvements with their subject, using their personal experience or
relationship to the subject as a jumping off point for exploring larger
truths.
Characteristics
• The different modes of documentary filmmaking come with their
own characteristics, although some elements of each may
overlap. Generally, performative documentary filmmaking is more
personal. Performative documentary styles share the experiences
and personal feelings of the filmmaker and rely on a subjective
lens, presenting the truth as relative.
• This non-fiction film style often emphasizes the filmmaker’s
involvement, as they appear as the centrepiece of the film, driving
the action, speaking with subjects, and analysing information. The
filmmaker uses their own feelings and experiences to obtain an
emotional response from the audience and drive forward their
film’s agenda
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Performative
Documentary

6. Which one I will use for
my documentary?
For my documentary I believe I will use the expository approach as I
believe it will be the best form of documentary. I also this will be the
best way to keep the target audience's attention on the documentary
and make them understand what I am saying about the cultural age.
One reason why I chose the expository approach is that I can do an
overlay of audio, "the voice of god" , as this will allow me to explain
the effects of digital technology while showing subject matter on
screen instead of me which would make my target audience lose
interest.
Another reason why I will try and have an expository approach is that
I can use images and clips of videos to prove my point and have
evidence to back up my claims of the impacts of technology has on
our lives and how we relay on it.
I can also create re-enactments of situations which have happened
but also add more informational for the viewers to understand. The
re-enactments will be able to keep their attention as they would want
to know how it all finished.
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