Documentary Modes

"A Documentaries Primary Function Is To Offer The Audience Information And Put Forward An Argument, To Persuade The Audience To Think In A Certain Way, To Do Something To Accept The Argument. It Achieves This By Presenting The Truth Of It's Argument As Self Evident, Unified and Non-Contradictoy"

There are 5 documentary modes which Bill Nicholls has suggested, each in order of how they shape the truth;

1. Expository (voice of God)

This mode is what we most identify with the documentary; it "emphasizes verbal commentary and argumenative logic" often using a narrator.

March Of The Penguins is a clear example of an expository documentary. This is because the show is a nature documentary and most of these are usually always expository. They take an answer and explore that in one way, assuming a logical argument as well as using direct address. March of the penguins uses this as you never see the presenter, but you always hear him in the voice overs. The presenters do not get involved with the penguins.

     However, some would argue that even though this type of documentary doesnt lie or take opinions, it doesnt show the whole truth.

    - The producers choose what parts to record, as well as it was all planned before they went out and filmed it all.

    - They also choose when to cut the shots and what parts to    put together, then to be released.

Some have argued that this documentary have used animation which also has caused debates on whether this is the whole truth.

The use of narrativisation in this document is very important, as without it we wouldn't have a clue what is going on. There is not much dramatisation in this documentary as its real life, animal documentaries dont use 'drama' as there is usually alot there anyway. This documentary is very real, although arguable.

Having only a voice over on this video helps the audience understand what is going on in the video, what the penguins are doing and why, as the penguins can't tell us. Having a well known voice such as Morgan Freeman would make the audience feel relaxed and pay more attention to what he is saying.

  

2. Observational (window on the world)
This mode is one in which is attempts to capture (as accurately as possible) objective reality with the filmmaker as neutral observer. A real example of 'fly on the wall'.

Geri is an example of this type of documentary because, as it explains above, a fly on the wall. This documentary shows the 'roller-coaster' career of the former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell. It follows her with very little involvment from the presenter, which makes it an observational documentary. This documentary involves, however, some candid behind the scenes footage of Geri as well as interviews with her.

This documentary would be a form of realism as the presenters show everything about her, although cuting away and not showing everything they film, it doesnt use narration or make it dramatic.

Observational documentaries show the audience what is going on, with no voice over or narration. This would make the audience think that what they are seeing is 100% rreal, which is what the director would have wanted to do. It would make the audience feel more enganged with the programme, however without narration they might not understand some things that are happening.

3.Interactive/Participatory

Unlike observaional, this mode welcomes direct engagement between the filmmaker and the subject. This means the filmmaker becomes part of the events being recorded.

Bowling For Columbine is a good example of the interactive mode. This is because of the way in which it is filmed. Michael Moore doesnt just choose what bits hes going to film and then films it, he specificaly films himself "behind the scenes" walking into shops, etc etc.  This shows the audience what is actually happening, so it shows us more of the truth.

Although showing signs of bias and opinions, more of the truth comes out when he 'investigates'. Michael Moore's documentaries use some forms of narrativisation as well as realism, however, the use of dramatisation isnt usually present as, documentaries like this one, focus on very serious subjects. The use of reconstructions however, may be present.

Having the director become completely involved with the making of the documentary would help the audience believe that the documentary is real. It makes the documentary seem more believable as we see Michael Moore going step by step explaining what he is going to do. In a way, having him explaining this to us would make the viewer feel more safe, expecially when talking about a subject such as this.

4.Reflexive (awareness of the process)

This mode acknowledges the constructed nature of documentary and flaunts it conveying to people that it is not necessarily "truth" but a reconstruction of it. "A truth but not THE truth."

Biggie and Tupac is a documentary based on the lifes and deaths of both Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. How they went from being close friends to meer enemies. This documentary shows you how the presenter goes form place to place, with his cameras, driving around in the car telling us what they are going to do next and then doing it, asking for people to interview. This makes it a reflexicve documentary as we are aware of the process of how they film the documentary. They use graphics and interviews with family members, archive footage from police tapes aswell as explaining where this came from. People would argue that this is more truthful than the last, because of the explanations of their recordings.

Nick Broomfield uses realismmainly in his documentary as all the facts he is giving are helping to make the documentary more real for the audience.

Again, having the makers explain what is going on would help to make the audience feel safe and would help them to believe that what they are seeing isn't fake or lies. However, as documentaries like this talk about events which happened in the past with people who have passed away, the viewers may feel that the reconstructions in the documentary aren't the actual truth, or the whole truth.

5.Performative (filmmaker as participant)

This mode of documentary emphasizes the dubjective nature of the documentarian as well as acknowledging the subjective reading of the audeince - notions of objectivity are replaced by evocation and affect.

Catfish is an example of a performative documentary. Some would argue whether this documentary is real or acted, however, this documentary has still 're-enacted' the story of what happened. They have used a lot of opinions in this documentary, which also makes it a subjective one, and the facts have been replaced with the idea of steering the audience to take on a certain opinion of one of the 'characters'. It has been filmed and edited in such a way that is emphasizes the emotional and social impact on the audience. It is also a performative documentary as the person who has made and presented this documentary, is one of the main people in it, almost like he his telling the story of what happend.

This is what makes the documentary more dramatised than anything else, it is made to give us a shock ending.

As this type of documentary isnt based on a true story, some people may feel scared about incidents like this. Although the documentary being from someones point of view, this doesnt mean its based on a true story. However, this being the case, some members of the audience may feel threatened by some of the images and information presented in this video.