From my first introduction post I posted about the four main (most common) documentary modes.
-Observational
-Reflexive
-Poetic
-Expository
-Expository
After some more research I also stumbled across more types of documentary which have been developed. These were:
-Interactive
-Interactive
-Participatory
-Performative
-Performative
Modes of documentary... Explained:
Observational: Observational films attempt to observe aspects of the world as events unfold. They are sometimes made to make the viewer even think that there is a film crew there at an event. Unlike the subjective content of poetic documentary, or the rhetorical insistence of expositional documentary, observational documentaries tend to simply observe, allowing viewers to reach whatever conclusions they may deduce. The camera, while moving with subjects and staying in the action, remains as unobtrusive as possible, mutely recording events as they happen. Pure observational documentarians proceeded under some bylaws: no music, no interviews, no scene arrangement of any kind, and no narration. The fly-on-the-wall perspective is championed, while editing processes utilize long takes and few cuts.
Observational: Observational films attempt to observe aspects of the world as events unfold. They are sometimes made to make the viewer even think that there is a film crew there at an event. Unlike the subjective content of poetic documentary, or the rhetorical insistence of expositional documentary, observational documentaries tend to simply observe, allowing viewers to reach whatever conclusions they may deduce. The camera, while moving with subjects and staying in the action, remains as unobtrusive as possible, mutely recording events as they happen. Pure observational documentarians proceeded under some bylaws: no music, no interviews, no scene arrangement of any kind, and no narration. The fly-on-the-wall perspective is championed, while editing processes utilize long takes and few cuts.
Reflexive: The reflexive mode considers the quality of documentary itself, de-mystifying its processes and considering its implications. In Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera (1992), for example, he features footage of his brother and wife in the process of shooting footage and editing, respectively. The goal in including these images was, “to aid the audience in their understanding of the process of construction in film so that they could develop a sophisticated and critical attitude.” (Ruby 2005) Mitchell Block’s ... No lies (1974,) functioned in a notably different manner, as it reflexively and critically questioned the observational mode, commenting on observational techniques and their capacity for capturing authentic truths. In this way, the reflexive mode of documentary often functions as its own regulatory board, policing ethical and technical boundaries within documentary film itself.
Expository: Expository mode assembles fragments of today into a more rhetorical than a poetic one. The expository mode addresses the spectator directly, with titles or voices that propose a perspective, advance an argument or recount history. These types of documentary facilitate a generalization and large-scale argumentation. They often display a sense of bias towards their subject matter, commonly involved with political, social, environmental matters.
Poetic: The poetic mode of documentary film tends toward subjective interpretations of its subject(s). Light on rhetoric, documentaries in the poetic mode forsake traditional narrative content: individual characters and events remain undeveloped, in favor of creating a particular mood or tone. This is particularly noticeable in the editing of poetic documentaries, where continuity is of virtually no consequence at all. Rather, poetic editing explores “associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions.”
Performative: The performative mode, often regarded as the most 'honest' of the documentary forms, places emphasis on the film making process itself, often chronicling the documentarist's subjective journey, often including the failures and struggles that may occur during the filming process as part of the final product. The performative documentary maker is no longer the invisible hand and voice behind the camera, but the subject of the films he/she makes.
Participatory: The participatory mode is very similar to the performative. It looks at the participation of the film maker , in addition to the social actors. This films give us the sense of what it is like for the film maker to be in a given situation, and how a situation alters as a result. There is also normally a common encounter between the film maker and the subject; the interview. Interviewing allows the to address people who appear in the film formally, rather than address the audience through commentary.
(The crux of the difference between participatory and performative seems to lie in the fact that where the participatory mode engages the filmmaker to the story but attempts to constructs truths that should be self-evident to anyone, the performative mode engages the filmmaker to the story but constructs subjective truths that are significant to the filmmaker him or herself.)
Poetic: The poetic mode of documentary film tends toward subjective interpretations of its subject(s). Light on rhetoric, documentaries in the poetic mode forsake traditional narrative content: individual characters and events remain undeveloped, in favor of creating a particular mood or tone. This is particularly noticeable in the editing of poetic documentaries, where continuity is of virtually no consequence at all. Rather, poetic editing explores “associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions.”
Performative: The performative mode, often regarded as the most 'honest' of the documentary forms, places emphasis on the film making process itself, often chronicling the documentarist's subjective journey, often including the failures and struggles that may occur during the filming process as part of the final product. The performative documentary maker is no longer the invisible hand and voice behind the camera, but the subject of the films he/she makes.
Participatory: The participatory mode is very similar to the performative. It looks at the participation of the film maker , in addition to the social actors. This films give us the sense of what it is like for the film maker to be in a given situation, and how a situation alters as a result. There is also normally a common encounter between the film maker and the subject; the interview. Interviewing allows the to address people who appear in the film formally, rather than address the audience through commentary.
(The crux of the difference between participatory and performative seems to lie in the fact that where the participatory mode engages the filmmaker to the story but attempts to constructs truths that should be self-evident to anyone, the performative mode engages the filmmaker to the story but constructs subjective truths that are significant to the filmmaker him or herself.)
Interactive: It arose from the availability of same mobile equipment & desire to make
filmmakers perspective more evident. This mode wants to engage with individuals more directly while not reverting to classic exposition interview styles. It allows filmmaker to account for past events via witnesses and experts whom viewer can also see. Archival footage becomes appended to these commentaries to avoid hazards of re-enactment & monolithic claims of voice of god commentary
In class we were asked to create a powerpoint presentation to present to the class. We were allowed to choose a topic of our choice, either a documentary maker or a type of documentary. This is the presentation I put together of Observational documentaries, featuring two other documentary film makers, Chris Terrill and Ross Kemp.
filmmakers perspective more evident. This mode wants to engage with individuals more directly while not reverting to classic exposition interview styles. It allows filmmaker to account for past events via witnesses and experts whom viewer can also see. Archival footage becomes appended to these commentaries to avoid hazards of re-enactment & monolithic claims of voice of god commentary
In class we were asked to create a powerpoint presentation to present to the class. We were allowed to choose a topic of our choice, either a documentary maker or a type of documentary. This is the presentation I put together of Observational documentaries, featuring two other documentary film makers, Chris Terrill and Ross Kemp.
Observational Documentaries - Presentation
I have made a short video of documentaries, a brief montage of what I have researched so far. I have covered all the forms of documentary and included a few examples of these forms. Edited using Sony Vegas Pro 8.0. (You may need to sign into a non-UK youtube account to view, due to copyright regulations on Channel 4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMs3ekr2Nwc
I have made a short video of documentaries, a brief montage of what I have researched so far. I have covered all the forms of documentary and included a few examples of these forms. Edited using Sony Vegas Pro 8.0. (You may need to sign into a non-UK youtube account to view, due to copyright regulations on Channel 4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMs3ekr2Nwc
