Modes of Documentary

A mode of documentary refers to the type or style in which a documentary is; the purpose of the documentary. Different modes of documentary will serve different purposes or have different techniques in which they achieve their goal to inform or present.

Poetic Documentary
Being one of the most curious modes of documentary, poetic documentaries will use associative or suggestive editing to use a captured mood or emotion about a subject to represent and inform rather than make any explicit statements or arguments. These documentaries do not continuity editing or techniques, such as voice overs, text or graphics; instead they will show 'patterns' within shots and images. Poet documentary is a mode that provokes internal thoughts and questions on a subject through emotion and perhaps a shift in perspective.

Expository Documentary
This mode uses rhetorical questions and techniques in order to draw an audience's attention to and question a point of reality; it exposes an audience to the truth of a matter and encourages them to form their own insights and points of question about it. This mode is mostly found as TV documentaries, using 'voice of God' voice-overs to provide information, connections and to ask questions; a more 'show and tell' method of presentation. Since this mode is designed to speak directly to a viewer, the piece would be edited for the sake of continuity rather than for artistic purposes, to provide communication simultaneously through voice and image.

Observational Documentary
A contrast to the explicit and direct methods of the expository mode, observation documentaries aim to capture the occurrence of natural events, drawing no attention to the existence of the cameras or people working on the documentary. Voice-overs or music may often be avoided since they can remove the sense of capturing natural reality, but often voice-overs are used, or needed, to provide narration of the captured events. The editing of an observational documentary should enhance the impression of real time, rather than jumping from one time frame to another or editing to create a rhythm; time-lapses can be used to show a transition from one time to another if the piece needs to be shortened. 

Reflexive Documentary
A filmmaker will acknowledge their presence in front of a camera, with their role being to actively guide and narrate the documentary; it is one of the more self-aware modes since it doesn't aim to create an illusion of the filmmaker or cameras being absent. This mode will challenge and aim to expose a subject in a new light to audiences.

Participatory/Interactive Documentary
The filmmaker will be the main subject of these documentaries, as they actively get involved in the situation in which they are documenting; this allows them to engage with individuals to a greater extent, differing from the expository style of interviewing. In this mode of documentary, the audience closely follow the journey and encounters of the filmmaker- whatever they see, the audience sees.

Preformative Documentary
In this mode of documentary, the filmmaker's involvement is greatly emphasised since they act as the window of information by reciting or revealing their own experiences; contrasting the expository approach. Preformative documentaries can reveal what impacts living through a certain ordeal or possessing knowledge can have, and attempt to raise questions or challenge beliefs. 

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