There are four main types of documentaries: expository, observational, interactive, and reflective. Expository documentaries present a strong opinion through voiceover and commentary. Observational documentaries follow subjects without editing to observe their behavior. Interactive documentaries gather views from people who will be filmed. Reflective documentaries feature the filmmaker reflecting on the filming process and can include nature or supernatural topics.

1. Types of documentaries
Joe Layfield

2. Expository
Expository- These types of documentaries are shown in a unique way compared to other existing
types of documentaries due to the way it addresses the audiences. They speak openly to the
audiences, often in a commanding manner of commentary with a voiceover/titles, suggesting a
strong opinion and argument. For example, the topic area in which expository documentaries can
mostly portray are nature and wildlife. (David Attenborough, Planet Earth)

3. Observational
Observational- The documentary maker follows the subject/character in the documentary around in
different sceneries to observe their behaviour and situation that they are faced with. Sometimes,
these documentaries can be frowned upon due to the technical areas. For example, camerawork can
be hand held, also no editing applied to the documentary therefore is not as appealing to viewers in
the same way that other documentaries are. For instance, medical documentaries can take the
strong form of an observational documentary. (Super-size me)

4. Interactive
Interactive- A documentary created based solely on people’s views. This type of documentary can
take a longer amount of time in the planning stages rather than the creation stages because the
producer of the documentary needs to gather evidence and information of people who are going to
be in the documentary. Although a famous documentary (Bear 71) focussing on the life of a bear
which is clearly a nature and wild life documentary, interactive documentaries mainly specialise in
crime documentaries for example, prison valley. A French documentary which looks into America’s
state Colorado for its prisons.

5. Reflective
Reflective- Better known as ‘experimental documentaries’. Usually in these types of documentaries,
the maker of the documentary is in the filming as they are speaking directly about the filming that is
taking place. (Bear Grylls, Man vs Wild) Nature and wildlife topic of documentary. Also can be
documentaries such as supernatural sorts. (Most haunted) is a popular British documentary that is
currently on our screens.