Product Research- Types of Documentaries

The Expository mode
-Interviews used by filmmaker only in support of film’s argument
-Direct relationship between images and voice- over
-A conversational narrative formation
-‘voice of god’ narration directly addressing viewer
-The narrator may also appear as ‘character’ within documentary (such as David Attenborough)

The expository mode would not be relevant for the style of documentary I wish to make. As I am aiming to do a ‘workers profile’ I think the voice of the participants is crucial and certainly more important that a voice of god narrator, the two wouldn’t work successfully.

The Observational mode
-Editing which gives the impression of ‘real’ time
-Relatively long takes connoting that nothing has been ‘cut out’
-Overheard speech which is not directed at camera
-Only diegetic music (originating in the documentary’s world)
-Fly-on-the-wall style presentation (non-interventionist)
-Hand-held camera or zoom lenses used to follow action
-Unobtrusive camera work, appearing to offer a window on the world

I think that the observatory mode could work well with my subject as I want to show john (my participant) in his natural surroundings. I think it is imperative that my documentary highlights his capability in the workplace therefore a fly-on-the-wall style will allows me to achieve this. However I can not afford to have a very long shots and ‘real’ time editing as this only a short documentary.

The Interactive mode
-The filmmaker speaking directly to interviewee
-The acknowledged presence of camera and crew
-Lots of monologues and dialogues
-Editing maintaining logical continuity
-No definite argument enables audience to choose
-Represents many and alternative viewpoints

I do not think that it would be appropriate to have the camera and crew acknowledged in my documentary as I want the focus to be on films issues rather than the filming process. If my documentary was full of monologues it would get boring, take up most of the time allowed and give it an acted feel, whereas I want it to be genuine and real. However I do want there to be no definite argument so that the audience can form there own views on the subject.


The Reflexive mode
-Discuses the problems of making a documentary
-Making explicit the process of representation
-Clearly showing the institutional issues (such as who is funding it)

This mode isn’t relevant to me as it would be an independent documentary made by a student film maker for channel 4’s three minute wonders hence doesn’t need funding. And as this is a short documentary there is no time to show the problems of film making, unless that would be my chosen theme/issue.

The Performative mode
-This is where the ‘maker’ stars in the film and becomes the protagonist, it also has an element of the reflexive mode.

If I was to be featured it would take away from the issue I am examining. I also question weather I would be able to follow my story in a short documentary this may be more relevant if I had chosen to only create a snippet of a documentary.

Ethnographic film
-motivated by the desire to understand the ways of life and perceptive of a culture or sub-culture.
-they focus on a group, or an individual, or object or place that relate to that culture
-They are primarily focused on the human experiences and how people interact with world around them.
-On the whole they have been known to look at diverse and uncommon places in the world, but are very relevant to our culture also.

I do wish to focus on a subculture in society therefore emy documentary could be classed as an ethnographic film. Again I do wish to show how john interacts with his surrounding world more specifically the world of work. However I will be examining within our own culture and not travelling to search for an unusual group as I am restricted in what I can achieve. Although my documentary can be classed as ethnographic film I want to include elements from other genres.