Modes of DocumentaryBy Jamie Gibbins

Expository Voiceover, addresses the audience

directly. Voice of god- heard but not seen. Voice of authority- seen and heard. Editing for continuity. Footage, internet, stills, archive

material. Attempts to persuade audience.

Observatory Location shooting. Long takes and clips dominate. Synchronous sound recording. Documentarian hidden. Subjects act natural.

Reflexive Borrows techniques for fiction film-

subjective response. Emphasises the expressive nature of

film e.g. re-enactments. Voiceover questioning theories and

things said. Implied meaning rather than facts.

Performative Documentary maker interacts with

subject. Often shaped into the narrative of an

investigation. Subject matter often concerns

identity rather than factual topics.

Participatory or Interactive Documentarian interacts with

subject. Informal interviews dominate. Archive material. Location shooting. Long takes. Synchronous sounds. Voiceover usually by documentarian.

Poetic Gives subjective view. Not in typical narrative structure. Mood/tone created. Use of music and sound effects to

create mood. Events under develop. Unrelated shots edited together. Perceived as Avant Garde.