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Similar to The 6 modes of documentary (20)
The 6 modes of documentary
- 1. As proposed by Bill Nichols
- 2. Documentary Modes The idea of documentary modes was constructed by an American documentary theorist named Bill Nichols. He wished to distinguish between different styles of documentary by using their contrasting conventions and traits. He came up with the idea that there are 6 different documentary modes. Expository, Observational, Performative, Reflexive, Poetic and Participatory.
- 3. Expository This mode is the one which is most associated with a lot of modern documentaries. The primary focus of the documentary is to put forward an argument/opinion to the audience and try to convince them or inform them about a certain topic. The documentary usually consists of a number of sections to an argument which are then backed up by evidence which can be found in the real world. The usual style of expository documentaries is to have a presenter putting forwards the primary points and on screen footage is used as evidence.
- 4. Observational This type of documentary is one which does not involve intruding on whatever you are trying to film. This style of documentary film is all about following natural movement and events without much presenter participation. A lot of voiceover is often used in observational documentary making. Good examples of this style are often nature documentaries.
- 5. Participatory Unlike observational documentaries, this style of documentary is heavily focused on seen presenter participation. This participation can range from interviews to provocations and practical participation. You would not have an unseen presenter in a participatory documentary as they have a heavy focus on the presenter or film maker getting involved in the contents of the documentary.
- 6. Performative This mode of documentary stresses subjective experience and emotional response to the world. They are very personal and may include some hypothetical enactments of events designed to make us experience what it might be like for us to possess a certain specific perspective on the world that is not our own.
- 7. Reflexive This mode acknowledges how a documentary is made and that it is impossible for it to be completely truthful of real life because it gets affected by so many different processes. Such as camera and editing and so it accepts it and will even make these things known to the audience by actually having and showing them in the film itself. It admits to the audience this is not the truth but a reconstructed version of it.
- 8. Poetic Poetic documentaries are more subjective and approach something from a more artistic and creative angle. They try to find an inner or different truth from other documentaries that simply aim to show something as complete and indisputable fact. They rely on things like colour, mood and tones, textures, sounds and rhythmic qualities to display their findings. This mode is quite unconventional and differs greatly from the other documentary modes.