This document outlines 6 different modes or types of documentaries: expository, poetic, observational, participatory, reflective, and performative. For each type, it provides a brief definition and examples to illustrate the key characteristics. The types vary in terms of whether they include voiceovers, involve the filmmaker directly, draw on personal experiences, or aim to elicit reactions from audiences.

1. Modes of Documentaries

2. The different types of Documentaries
 Expository –where there is someone talking
 Poetic- where the audience are free to make
their own mind up about what they are seeing
 Observational – where the audience purely
watches what they are seeing
 Participatory – where the film maker gets
involved
 Reflexive – where the audience are shown the
production crew
 Performative – where the audience are drawn
into giving a reaction

3. Expository Documentary
 This is where something which the audience
may not know anything about they are being
told.
 They are exposing something to the audience
so that the audience know what is being
talked about and can tell others.
 An example of this would be would be a
nature program such as one about birds flying
from one place to another

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkLoDg7e_ns
Expository Documentary
 The example I am going to use is….
 Night mail
 This is a documentary which shows the audience how mail is sent around
the country and in particular land, sea and air
 This was documentary was done in 1935

5. Poetic Documentary
 An poetic documentary is one where the
audience are shown information and they are
given the opportunity to make their own mind
up about what they have saw
 They make their choice from their past
experiences and what they have been brought
up to follow
 This would make the audience think about
:why was that done; what reason did the film
maker have for showing a certain bit of film

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHPNg7YdgY
Poetic Documentary
 The example I am going to use is …
 Baraka
 This was a documentary to showcase the world that we may not see
 This documentary shows the areas where people may not be able to get
to and the culture that they have
 It’s a documentary where words are
not needed, only the camera is
needed to show the story

7. Observational Documentary
 This is a type of documentary where the film
maker gets involved personally to draw on his
or hers past experience
 This is done with programs where people look
at their family trees
 They do not use voiceovers, they are however
shown talking to the audience, although they
are not shown.
 This is more realistic as the screens are what
actual happens not just following of a script.

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BtmFYz_KKsQ&feature=related
Observational Documentary
 The example I am going to use is…
 Big Gypsy wedding
 A documentary which looks into the lives of travels and how they go
about their lives,
 They also look into the weddings and in particular the gypsy way of life

9. Participatory Documentary
 This is similar to observational but instead of
the film marker staying behind the camera,
they are shown in the camera shot, this is
usual though mid shots.
 The filmmaker gets involved with what is
being shown and draws on what the subject
of the film is about

10. Participatory Documentary
 The example I am going to use is…
 Worlds strictest parents
 http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/worlds-
strictest-parents/

11. Reflective Documentary
 This is where the people involved in the
making of the film are shown.
 The audience is made aware of what methods
have been used, this includes the use of
editing and the way that the film has been
constructed

12. http://www.tubeplus.me/player/1978141/Secret
_Millionaire/season_3/episode_5/Jeff_Usner
%3A_San_Antonio%2C_Tx/
Reflective Documentary
 The example I am going to use is…
 The Secret Millionaire
 This is a program

13. Performative Documentary
 This is a type of documentary where the
filmmakers engagement with the audience is
shown to draw a reaction from the audience
to the subject which the film is about.
 They have given personal statements to help
prove their points and lure the audience to
agreeing with the opinions of the film maker.
 Also personal knowledge is drawn on of the
film maker

14. Performative Documentary
 The example I am going to use is…
 Who do you think you are –JK Rowling
 This is a type of documentary were the person it is focused on in that
episode is shown and they reflect on their family tree
 They are shown looking at
archives and talking to people who
may know more about their family
than what they do.