Bill Nichols identified six modes of documentary filmmaking: poetic, expositional, observational, participatory, reflexive, and performative. Each mode has a distinct style of filmmaking. For example, the observational mode aims to capture objective reality without influencing events, while the participatory mode directly engages filmmakers with subjects. However, critics argue that Nichols' modes are not definitive and many documentaries incorporate elements of different modes.

1. Modes of Documentary's

2.  Within documentaries there are many different
elements to consider. Media Theorists try to see if
there are any patterns or simulators, so that they can
narrow them down and put them into groups. Nichols
(2001) found a pattern and put them into six different
modes. Bill Nichols, born in 1945, is American film
critic and theoretician, he is an author producing
books such as “Engaging Cinema” (2010) and
“Introduction to Documentary” (2010). *(1)
Bill Nichols

3.  However he is best know as the founder of
contemporary study of documentary films. He tock
documentary's and made six different modes that
represent six different types of styles of
documentary's. These six modes include, Poetic
(Artistic), Expositional (Fully Narrated), Observational
(Fly-on-the-wall), Participatory (Mixed), Reflexive
(Reflexive), Performative. *(1)
Bill Nichols

4. Poetic Mode (Artistic)
Expiation
 A poetic mode moves away from
the ‘objective’ reality of a given
situation or people to grasp at
an inner ‘truth’ that can only be
grasped by poetical
manipulation codes,- emphasizes
visual associations, tonal or
rhythmic qualities, descriptive
passage, formal favours mood,
and tone and texture.
Examples
 Robert Flaherty’s Man of Aran
(1934)- dramatic framing of
man in harmony with nature.
 Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia
(1934)- shows (Aryan) athletes
during the 1936 Olympia games
(power, beauty)

5. Expositional Mode (Fully Narrated)
Expiation
 Most identify with the
documentary- ‘emphasizes
verbal commentary and
argumentative logic’ often use a
narrator. Assumes a logic
argument and a ‘right’ and
‘proper’ by using a direct
address. Often using a preferred
reading.
Examples
 Work of John Grierson- nature
documentaries.
 David Attenborough- Nature
documentaries e.g. The Living
Planet

6. Observational Mode (Fly-on-the-wall)
Expiation
 This is most exemplified by the
cinema verite or direct cinema,
this emerged in late 1950s/early
60s. They attempted to catch
the objective reality with
filmmaker as neutral observer.
Filmmaker you cannot see and
they don’t influence or changes
the actions and events that are
happening. Nothing is stage,
meaning the camera could be
rough, and shaky compared to
other programmes.
Examples
 Frederick Wiseman- Hospital
(1970)- American Hospital.
 Richard Pennebacker’s- Don’t
Look Back (1967)- Bob Dylan’s
1965 tour of Britain.
 Soho Stories (1996)
 Geri (1999)

7. Participatory Mode (Mixed)
Expiation
 This is were there is direct
engagement between the
filmmaker and the subject(s).
The engagement between the
filmmaker is because of the
events that are being
recorded. The impact with this
on the events that are being
recorded is acknowledge and
celebrated.
Examples
 Films of Michael Moore-
Filmmaker is directly engages
with the material being
addressed, becomes a
character.
 Nick Broomsfield’s- Kurt and
Courtney (1998)
 Living with Michael Jackson
(2004)

8. Reflexive Mode (Reflexive)
Expiation
 This mode acknowledges the
constructed nature of
documentary and flaunts it.
Artifice is exposed, audiences
were made aware of the
editing, sound recording and
many more.
Examples
 Dziga Vertov’s- Man with a
Movie Camera (1929)-
documents the mechanization
of soviet life in late twenties.

9. Performative Mode
Expiation
 This emphasizes the subjective
nature of the documentary and
emotional and social impact,
also acknowledging the
subjective reading of the
audience.
Examples
 Supersize me.

10.  The modes that he has created might not be
definitive but can be used as a categories that reflect
the film genre and alternative approaches within it.
Highly likely that for a particular film their will be at
least two or more modes, one being more dominant
than the others.
 Nichols modes aren't the only theory and is not
definitive. Such as Bruzzi who has her own theory on
Documentary's. As well as Geierson’s Theories and
Bazin’s.
Criticisms of Nichols

11.  Stella Bruzzi (2000) Criticsed Nichols for suggesting that
Doc. makers have aimed for the 'perfect representation of
the real’ and would fail in this impossible aim, thus
undermining the documentary form.
Quotes She said that ‘all types of documentary have existed
at different times’
And have often, mixed styles. ‘What is the point of worrying
about authenticity’
She sees documentary as helping us to understand real life
events. **(2)
Bruzzi Criticism to Nichols

12.  Overall Bills Nichols modes helps to separate and
show the different types of documentary's that we
have today, and also helps us to understand each of
them in their own way.
 However he has created the modes to link to the real
world as they are perfect. Meaning he has not
consider that films/programs could have more than
one of the modes in them. This then states that the
modes are not accurate as they could be.
Conclusion

13.  We have learnt that there are many different types of
documentaries and its hard to make set groups that all the
documentaries can fit into. Learnt about Bill Nichols theory
which would help us to choose what type of mode that we want
to do to produce our documentary, so that our target audience
gets interested and pulled into our documentary. By knowing
our target audience we have to know what the best mode is that
would fit in with them because of their age. The mode that we
are thinking of doing is performative mode, to make everybody
feel involved. However their might be the issue of who might be
in front of camera, and how we are going to produce the rest of
the documentary.
What have we learnt?

14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Nichols*(1)
http://www.godnose.co.uk/downloads/alevel/document
ary/Doc%20Modes%20nichols.pdf **(2)
Websites used