There are 6 different Documentary modes: poetic, expository, observational, performative, reflexive, participatory.

Documentary films approach their subject matter in a variety of ways.

“John Grierson’s definition of documentary filmmaking – ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ – summarises its overarching fallacy. The fallacy being that documentaries often purport to reveal truths, however by the very act of documenting actuality, the director inadvertently alters its ‘truth’.” (Arielle Richards)

What Are Documentary Modes?

In 1991, American film critic and theoretician Bill Nichols proposed that there were six different modes of documentary—poetic, expository, reflexive, observational, performative, and participatory—each containing its own specific characteristics. Each mode is a category that can be boiled down to a few specific elements.

*No Place to Hide (2019) Leibovitch is a short expository documentary which provides an insight into the workings of a Michelin Star kitchen.

Expository documentary definition –

Expository documentaries are created with the intent of showcasing the ‘truth’ about a subject. These often showcase some form of omniscient voice-over and one or more interviewee. In expository documentaries, the cinematographer gathers footage to strengthen and support their ‘truth’, including re-enactments, archival footage, historical events and more.

Throughout this doc It features montages throughout, typically showing them at work, cooking. The documentary as a whole was a blend of rythmic and eliptical montages. These montages are quick and short, representing the fast-paced nature of the kitchen environment of a Michelin Star restaurant. These montages are paired with fast-paced percussion music which can be used to evoke feelings of stress within the audience and reflect the atmosphere being shown. 

 

This documentary was watched in lesson and we discovered the concept of objective and subjective truths within a documentary. We spoke about the fallacy of documentaries and also the manipulation used within shot types and also with music and voiceovers. All documentaries are also biased and cannot be objected and leave an impact on the documentaries audience. A documentary’s aim is also to manipulate and emphasise issues.

“John Grierson’s definition of documentary filmmaking – ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ – summarises its overarching fallacy. The fallacy being that documentaries often purport to reveal truths, however by the very act of documenting actuality, the director inadvertently alters its ‘truth’.”

In the documentary Hanging on, we see all sorts of emotion and the extended metaphor of the people within the documentary “hanging on.”  We experience different emotions and also with the use of archival footage and photos we empahise with the people, we are introduced to a sense of suspense and sadness for these individuals.

www.mediafactory.org.au. (n.d.). – ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ |. [online] Available at: http://www.mediafactory.org.au/arielle-richards/2018/03/05/18-1-the-creative-treatment-of-actuality/.

Distant Effect for Narrative-  Conventions that allow the audience to give them a sense of control, oversight and objectivity.

• lots of voice overs which links to it being distant- omniscient narration
• there is the start of the interview which gives us the sense of distance and context- This is an L-CUT
• Use of archival footage in a split screen-  PARALLEL NARRATIVE- his childhood vs the building of the Twin Towers
• Aerial shot of twin towers construction site- God’s eye view
• 
• reenactments of scenes
• black and white- heavy vignette bleak lighting- (chiaroscuro lighting which is expressionistic)

Present effect for Narrative- Conventions of film language that enhance the audience’s sense of ‘being there’. A subjective experience.

• In the dentist scene we see close up and reaction shots
• With the shot of him and his wife we feel like we are with them and it cuts between the different prospectives (eye line match)
• Music- adds emotion and makes the audience feel present

BOTH

• the interview with his wife is both material into narrative in which we also witness both distant and present

blogs.grammar.sch.gg. (n.d.). Documentary Present / Distant – Film Studies (2023-25). [online] Available at: https://blogs.grammar.sch.gg/filmstudies2325/2023/11/15/documentary-present-distant/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2023].