Expository Mode - These documentaries tend to have a voice of God or narrator directing the audience, they tend to 'assume a logical argument' and tell the audience what is right so it leaves little room for an audience member to come to their own conclusion about what they're seeing. Nature documentaries and the news are very much based on this way.
Poetic Mode - Poetic documentaries are more subjective and approach something from a more artistic and creative angle and try to find an inner or different truth from those documentaries that aim to show something as complete fact. They rely on things like colour, mood and tones, textures, sounds and rhythmic qualities.
Observational Mode - Is best described as a 'window on the world' or 'fly on the wall', observational documentary is as it says simply observing or watching something or someone. People think that the best way to see something in it's truest form is to just watch it without getting involved or influencing anything. One well known convention of this type of documentary is use of handheld cameras which has a shaky quality to it and makes the footage look raw and like it has just happened - nothing has been staged. Direct Cinema and cinema Verite from the 1950/60's are prime examples of this type of documentary.
Participatory Mode - Opposite to the observational style the participatory normally includes the director or filmmaker in the documentary and they will play quite an integral part by maybe following someone around, asking questions and almost become a part of the subjects life for the duration of the documentary. Rather than not influencing or getting involved with the subject they will directly engage with them/it.
Reflexive Mode - This mode acknowledges how a documentary is made and that it is impossible for it to be an untouched truth so to speak because it gets affected by so many different processes e.g. 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.
Performative Mode - The filmmaker is deeply involved and this type of documentary is usually subjective the filmmaker and the film might depict their personal journey. It does not set out to preach truth or a perspective but acknowledges the emotional and subjective aspects. They might also be autobiographical films.
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