Documentaries claim to show reality but actually show a version of it from a certain point of view. There are three main modes of documentary: expository documentaries guide viewers through material using voiceovers, interviews and footage; interactive documentaries feature the filmmaker who actively engages with the material; and reflexive documentaries play with conventions and do not push a particular position, instead raising questions about objectivity and truth. Most documentaries contain elements of different modes and cannot be easily categorized.

1. Questions and answers on Section B
Do you have to apply all of spectatorships theory?
Where possible try and bring in responses and readings, e.g.
negotiated responses and private self etc.
What does it mean by ‘face value’?
To take something at face value is to believe what is being said
without looking for deeper meanings or hidden agendas.
At the heart of documentaries is the idea that what we see is ‘real’.
We have this expectation of documentaries. They claim to show
reality. They don’t. They show a version of it. Therefore this
suggests a point of view.
What are the modes of documentary I need to know?
Expository are the conventional ways of presenting a
documentary. These use voice-over and have straightforward
show and tell structure (with graphics, interviews, footage) where
the viewer is guided through the material. The Greatest Movie…..
and Senna have elements of this.
But The Greatest…. Is also Interactive because Spurlock becomes
the star in the interactive documentary, and we often see or hear
them. They actively engage with the material. There is no attempt
to hide personal perspectives, and the opinion of the filmmaker will
often be clear from the beginning of the film.
The Imposter though is quite Reflexive. The reflexive documentary
plays with the conventions of all of the previous types. The
filmmaker will not attempt to push a particular position on the
audience. This mode raises interesting points about objectivity,
techniques, realism and ‘truth’.
It’s important to understand that most documentaries have
elements of different modes and are not easily categories. In the
same way it isn’t easy to categorize fictional films in terms of
genre.