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Instructions

Bill Nichols’ Six Modes Of Documentary

Write a blog post explaining Bill Nichol’s documentary categories.

Explain and define Bill Nichols’ six modes of documentary.
Give an example of each mode. </aside>

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Expository Mode

Expository Mode (voice of god) — The traditional form, which uses an authoritative voice-over or presenter to address viewers directly and argue a case about history, nature or politics. A good recent example is Al Gore's passionate plea for action against global warming, An Inconvenient Truth (2006).

How we most often think of documentary.
Emphasises verbal commentary and argumentative logic, often using a narrator.
Assumes a logical argument and a "right" and "proper" answer using direct address and offering a preferred meaning.
Most associated with television news programming and nature documentaries. </aside>

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Observational Mode

Observational Mode (window on the world) — Aims to show everyday life as it is, with minimal intrusion by the film-maker or film-making process. Also known as "fly on the wall" films, they're most commonly found on television, but influential film examples include Frederick Wiseman's Titicut Follies (1967), an exposé of the treatment of mental-health patients.

Best exemplified by the Cinema Vérité or Direct Cinema movement which emerged in the late 1950s/early 1960s - it attempted to capture (as accurately as possibly) objective reality with filmmaker as neutral observer.
The filmmaker remains hidden behind the camera, ignored by the surrounding environment. He/she neither changes nor influences the actions/events being captured.
Since nothing is staged for the camera, the camera rushes about to keep up with the action resulting in rough, shaky, sometimes amateur-looking footage. </aside>

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Participatory Mode

Participatory Mode — Features the film-maker as an on- or off-screen presence, who nonetheless retains an objective stance on events. Participants are interviewed as witnesses who testify for or against a particular case, and these films may also use archive footage or reconstructions. The Oscar-winning Man On Wire (2008) demonstrates a creative use of this mode.

Unlike the observational mode, the participatory mode welcomes direct engagement between filmmaker and subject(s) — the filmmaker becomes part of the events being recorded.
The filmmakers' impact on the events being recorded is acknowledged. Indeed, it is often celebrated. </aside>

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Performative Mode

Performative Mode (filmmaker as participant) — Shares similarities with participatory documentaries, but the film-maker appears on-screen and also intervenes directly in events. Interviews are staged and encounters are often dramatic and surprising. The documentary becomes as much about the film-maker as the subject. Michael Moore's films (such as Bowling For Columbine (2002)) are great recent examples.

Emphasises the subjective nature of the documentarian as well as acknowledging the subjective reading of the audience.
Emphasises the emotional and social impact on the audience. </aside>

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Poetic Mode

Poetic Mode (subjective, artistic expression) — May be based on any of the six modes but have strong aesthetic or sensual forms that bring them closer to the feeling of poetry than prose. This mode includes many early documentaries, such as Night Mail (1936) with its rhythmic commentary written by poet WH Auden, or avant-garde films such as Stan Brakhage's Window Water Baby Moving (1959).

Moves away from the "objective" reality of a given situation or people to grasp at an inner "truth" that can only be understood by poetic manipulation.
Emphasises visual associations, tonal or rhythmic qualities, descriptive passages, and formal organisation.
Favours mood, tone and texture. </aside>

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Reflexive Mode

Reflexive Mode (awareness of the process) — These films explicitly comment on their own status as documentaries, through stylistic means (for example, by disrupting conventions such as the voice-over) or by featuring conversations about the nature of documentary truth. See Nick Broomfield's Driving Me Crazy (1988), which is about the film-maker's failed attempts to make a documentary.

Acknowledges the constructed nature of documentary and flaunts it — conveying to the audience that this is not necessarily "truth" but a reconstruction of it — "a" truth, not "the" truth.
The artifice of the documentary is exposed — the audience are made aware of the editing, sound recording, etc. </aside>

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Idea Bucket

Bill Nichols

So, that's all well and good. But whatever you do, don't watch this. It will ruin your life…

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