This document discusses four main types of documentaries: expository, observational, reflective, and interactive/participatory. Expository documentaries expose a topic through narration and facts. Observational documentaries follow subjects to observe real events. Reflective documentaries acknowledge the filmmaker's role and provide a questioning narrative. Interactive documentaries challenge the idea of truth by emphasizing filmmaking techniques and interactions between filmmaker and subject.

1. RESEARCH
BY THOMAS PAYNE

2. EXPOSITORY-
• THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES A PERSON OR A TOPIC, IT IS
A CLASSIC FORM OF DOCUMENTARY AND IS ONE OF THE MAIN
FOUR. EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARIES ARE WELL KNOWN FOR
HAVING A COMMENTATOR TALKING OVER THE PICTURES OR
VIDEOS AND EXPLAINING THE STORY. FOR EXAMPLE AMERICA’S
MOST WANTED.

3. THE MAIN CONVENTIONS OF THIS
TECHNIQUE IS:
• •A NARRATOR
• •RHETORICAL QUESTION
• •FACTS
• •OPINIONS
• •PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

4. • IN EVERY EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY YOU WILL SEE THESE TECHNIQUES BEING
USED, ESPECIALLY A NARRATOR.
• IN THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY, THE NARRATOR IS BEING SPECIFICALLY TO THE
AUDIENCE, I ASKED FIVE PEOPLE NOT INCLUDING MYSELF, ABOUT HOW THEY
FEEL ABOUT EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY, WHILE I ENJOY THEM, BECAUSE I
LEARN WHISTLE WATCHING, PEOPLE I ASKED DISAGREED WITH ME, ONE PERSON
SAID “ITS IRRITATING, WHILE WATCHING THE PROGRAM I WANT TO WATCH NOT
LISTEN”, ANOTHER PERSON SAID “THE NARRATOR IS INSULTING ON SOME
LEVELS TO THE AUDIENCE AS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DOCUMENTARY THERE
IS LITTLE OR NO ROOM TO THING FOR MYSELF”.

5. OBSERVATIONAL
• THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY FOLLOWS THE PROTAGONIST AROUND, TO OBSERVE
THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR LIFE. THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED FOR THIS
TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY CAN BE INFORMAL, SUCH AS THE USE OF HAND HELD
CAMERAS, FOR LONG TAKES TO BE USED. FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE PROGRAM ‘MTV
TEEN CRIBS’ IS A OBSERVATIONAL TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY. MTV TEEN CRIBS IS A
REALITY TV/DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRING ON MTV. THE BASIS OF
THE SHOW FEATURES TOURS OF HOUSES AND MANSIONS OF VERY WEALTHY
FAMILIES AND TEENAGERS. THIS SHOW CLASSES AS OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS THE TEENAGERS/PROTAGONIST AROUND AS THEY DO A TOUR
OF THEIR HOUSE. THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON ALL OF THE WEALTHY ITEMS AND
FURNITURE THAT IS INSIDE THE HOUSE AS WELL AS OUTSIDE. INTERVIEWS AREN’T
INCLUDED BUT THE TEENAGERS OR PARENTS DO TALK ABOUT THE HOUSE WHILST
THEY’RE DOING THE TOUR OF THE HOUSE

6. THE TECHNIQUES THAT OBSERVATIONAL USE
IS:
• •EDITING- THE SPEEDING UP OF CLIPS HELPS TO SHOW THE LESS INTERESTING
PARTS OF THE HOUSE QUICKLY AND EMPHASIS THE GOOD PARTS OF THE HOUSE
WHEN THE SPEED RETURNS TO NORMAL.
• •SOUND- MUSIC MAKES IT MORE INTERESTING TO WATCH
• •CAMERA SHOTS- LONG TAKES USED TO SHOW EVERYTHING

7. • OTHER EXAMPLES OF OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES ARE 16 AND
PREGNANT, TEEN MOM, BIG BROTHER AND JERSEY SHORE.
• IN MY OPINION, OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TYPES OF
DOCUMENTARY, I ENJOY THE WAY ITS PRESENTED AND I PERSONALLY ENJOY
THE TECHNIQUES THEY DO TO MAKE THE SHOW BETTER.

8. REFLECTIVE
• IN A REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY, THE FILM MAKER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR
PRESENCE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND PROVIDES A NARRATIVE TO THE
DOCUMENTARY.
•
• THE REFLECTIVE STYLE OF DOCUMENTARY IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARIES, WHERE THE VIEWER IS JUST AS INTERESTED
ABOUT HOW THE FILM IS CONSTRUCTED AS THEY ARE THE ACTUAL CONTENT.

9. • THE REFLECTIVE MODE ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONSTRUCTED NATURE OF
DOCUMENTARY AND FLAUNTS IT -
•
• CONVEYING TO PEOPLE THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY “TRUTH” BUT A
RECONSTRUCTION OF IT – “A” TRUTH, NOT “THE” TRUTH.

10. CODES & CONVENTIONS OF THIS
DOCUMENTARY ARE:
• •BORROWS TECHNIQUES FROM FICTION FILM FOR AN EMOTIONAL, SUBJECTIVE
RESPONSE.
• •EMPHASIZES THE EXPRESSIVE NATURE OF FILM; ANTI-REALIST TECHNIQUES
E.G. RE-ENACTMENTS, EXPRESSIVE LIGHTING, DRAMATIC MUSIC.
• •VOICEOVER (WHEN PRESENT) IS LIKELY TO BE QUESTIONING AND UNCERTAIN
RATHER THAN AUTHORITATIVE.
• •RELIANCE ON SUGGESTION RATHER THAN FACT.

11. • TWO BIG DIRECTORS OF THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENTARY ARE LOUIS THEROUX AND
NICK BROOMFIELD, BOTH THESE MEN ARE KNOWN FOR REFLEXIVE
DOCUMENTARY. THE WAY THEY BOTH ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE IS THEY
“EMPHASIS ON THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN FILMS AND VIEWER RATHER THAN
FILM MAKER AND SUBJECT”.
•
• REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARIES TEND TO BE THE MOST TRUTHFUL, AS THEY
ALWAYS FOCUS ON REALISM, AND TRY TO SHOW THINGS EXACTLY AS THEY
HAPPEN, WITHOUT EDITING OR SPECIAL EFFECTS. HOWEVER, AS THE FILM
MAKER NARRATES AND ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE SPECIFICALLY, VIEWER’S
OPINIONS ARE SWAYED BY THOSE OF THE DOCUMENTARY MAKER.

12. INTERACTIVE/PARTICIPATORY-
• THIS MODE IS LINKED WITH REFLEXIVE BECAUSE THEY BOTH INVESTIGATE THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE WAY IN WHICH
DOCUMENTARIES REPRESENT IT. REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARY REVEAL HOW
DOCUMENTARIES ARE PRODUCED AS REPRESENTATIONS BASED ON THE
CONSTRUCTION AND MANIPULATION OF THE IMAGE. THE PERFORMATIVITY
DOCUMENTARY TAKES THIS IDEA FURTHER, EXPLICITLY CHALLENGING THE IDEA
OF DOCUMENTARY TRUTH, EMPHASIZING INSTEAD THE PROCESS OF FILM
LANGUAGE ITSELF.

13. CODES & CONVENTIONS:
• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER (AND CREW) INTERACTS WITH THE SUBJECT.
• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE
DOCUMENTARY.
• •THE DOCUMENTARY IS OFTEN SHAPED INTO THE NARRATIVE OF AN
INVESTIGATION OR SEARCH, POSSIBLY WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION.
• •THE AUDIENCE IS ADDRESSED IN AN EMOTIONAL AND DIRECT WAY.
• •SUBJECT MATTER OFTEN CONCERNS IDENTITY (GENDER, SEXUALITY) – RATHER
THAN ‘FACTUAL’ TOPICS

14. • •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER (AND CREW) INTERACTS WITH THE SUBJECT.
• •DOCUMENTARY-MAKER COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE
DOCUMENTARY.
• •THE DOCUMENTARY IS OFTEN SHAPED INTO THE NARRATIVE OF AN
INVESTIGATION OR SEARCH, POSSIBLY WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION.
• •THE AUDIENCE IS ADDRESSED IN AN EMOTIONAL AND DIRECT WAY.
• •SUBJECT MATTER OFTEN CONCERNS IDENTITY (GENDER, SEXUALITY) – RATHER
THAN ‘FACTUAL’ TOPICS