Bill Nichols: introduction to Documentary

Conventions and expectations 

of a Documentary

• Non Fiction.
• Un-staged.
• Based on observation.
• Interviews.
• Educational.
• Focus on a certain topic.
• In a documentary movie, it is scripted.

There are different ways to acquire these conventions, and that is through different modes of filming documentaries. 

Expository Mode

Documentary that exposes a person or topic. conventional of this mode is voice overs.

Poetic Mode

Mode of documentary that tends toward subjective interpretations of it's subject.

Participatory Mode

Employs interviews as testimony's from documentary subjects.

Observational Mode

Follow the characters around, like the backstage scene in  "Spinal Tap"

Reflexiv Mode

In a reflexive documentary, the film maker acknowledges their presence in front of the Camera and provides a narrative to the documentary.

Performative Mode 

Documentary Maker interacts with subject. comments on process of making the documentary.