Explanations of

different modes.

Isobel Truett
POETIC DOCUMENTARIES.
An example of poetic
Poetic documentaries focus on experiences,
documentaries is samsara
images and showing the audience the world
theatrical.
through a different set of eyes. It is very
It is a non verbal
unconventional and experimental in form and
documentary, shot in 100
content. Poetic documentaries create feeling
locations and 25 countries. It
rather than a truth.
shows what is happening
Does not use continuity editing, sacrifices
around the world, and what
sense of the very specific location and place
different cultures do
that continuity creates. It opens up possibility
compared to ours.
of alternative forms of knowledge to
straightforward transfer of knowledge. The
aim is to create an impression or a mood
rather than argue a point. Filmmakers
operating in the poetic mode typically
emphasize cinematic values over content to
create visual poetry. Unlike other
documentaries, mood, tone and affect are
 Expository Documentary

An example of this is Victory

This documentary is where they speak directly to at Sea. This documentary is
the viewer, often in the form of an authoritative about warfare in general
commentary employing voiceover or titles, during WW11, and naval
proposing a strong argument and point of view. It warfare in particular. It was
emphasizes verbal verbal commentary- often using released in 1954.
a narrative. The editing in this kind of
documentary often maintain the continuity of the
spoken argument or perspective- this is called
evidentiary. It is associated with the classic
documentary, and based on illustrating an
argument using images
 This mode allows the director to record reality without
becoming involved in what people were doing when
they were not explicitly looking into the camera. It
enables a different approach to the subject matter and
the directors prioritized a spontaneous and direct
observation of reality. It is the attempt to simply observe
lived life with a minimum of intervention. Equipment
can be informal, such as the use of hand-held cameras.
There are usually no interviews and no voice overs.

An example of this is Teen Cribs. It classes as an

Observational observational documentary because it follows the
documentaries teenagers around as they do a tour of their house.

Participatory
Documentaries
For example is the documentary
called Living with Michael
Jackson. This documentary
begins with Michael Jackson and
Martin Bashir touring the estates
grounds and talk about Michaels
Life.
Believe that it is impossible for the act of
filmmaking to not influence or alter the events
being filmed =. What these films do is emulate the
approach of the anthropologist: participant
observation.
The documentary-maker interacts with the
subject. Interviews dominate but tend to be
informal- known as on the run questioning. These
documentaries consist of long takes and the
voiceover is usually done by documentary-maker.
This includes synchronous sound recording. The
filmmakers impact on events being recorded is
acknowledged.
There is direct engagement between filmmaker
and subject. Not only is the filmmaker part of the
film, we also get a sense of how situations in the
film are affected or altered by her presence.
 Reflexive documentaries dont see themselves
as a transparent window on the world, instead
they draw attention to their own
constructiveness, and the fact that they are
representations.
It borrows techniques from fiction film for an
emotional subjective response.
Emphasises the nature of film; anti-realist
Reflexive Documentary techniques e.g expressive lighting and
dramatic music.
Reliance on suggestion and implied meaning
rather than fact.
Reflexive documentary aids the audience in
An example of this is Nick
their understanding of the process of
Broomfield documentary
construction in film so that they develop a
behind-the-scenes of
sophisticated and critical attitude.
making a musical.
 Performative
Documentary
A performative documentary acknowledges the
emotional and subjective aspects of documentary
and presents ideas as part of a context having
different meanings for different people and are
often autobiographical in nature. The filmmaker
takes part in the documentary as the main subject
who is trying something out for an experiment.
They are part of the filming as well as being the An example of this is Tounges
documentary maker. Being very personal, the United. This film shows footage
performative mode is particularly well-suited to with personal account and
telling the stories of filmmakers from different fiction in an attempt to depict
the specificity of black gay
social groups, offering the chance to air unique
identity.
perspectives without having to argue both sides
of their experiences.