Types Of Documentaries

There are 6 types of documentaries:

Expository:

• voiceover addresses audeince directly 
• voiceover could be voice of God 
• images used to illustarte voiceover 
• editing used for continuity-support arguments 
• footage, interviews, stills archive to support arguement 
• attempt to pursuade audeince 

Observational:

• location shooting hand held 
• long takes are dominant 
• synchronous sound recording-on screen 
• no voiceovers 
• no interviews 
• documentary maker's presence is hidden 
• subjects pretend they aren't being filmed 

Reflexive:

• borrows techniques from fiction film for an emotional, subjective response 
• empahsises expressive nature of film 
• voiceover is questioning rather than authoritive 
• reliance on suggestions and implied meaning rather than fact 

Performative:

• borrows techniques from fiction film for an emotional subject response 
• the expressive nature of film is emphasised, anti realist techniques. 
• often sound and lighting is used to create a dramatic effect. 
• voice overs if present is likely to be uncertain to the audience rather than authoritative 
• relies heavily on suggestion and implied meaning rather than real life true fact. 

Participatory:

• Documentary-maker (and crew) interacts with subject
• Interviews dominate but tend to be informal-literally 'on the run' questioning.
• Use of archive material-stills, news footage, newspaper headlines, letters ect.
• Long takes dominate.
• Synchronous (direct) sound recording.
• Voiceover, usually by the documentary-maker.
• Documentary-maker is visible to the audience-intervenes and participates in the action.

Poetic:

• Documentary-maker gives subjective view.
• Not in typical narrative sructure.
• Particular mood/tone is created-enchanced by music.
• Some light rhetoric but not always.
• Events are under-developed and situations can be left unsolved.
• Unrelated shots edited togheter-linked by a mood/music.
• Perceived as Avant-garde (innovative, experimental, pushes boundaries)