Documentary Forms

Reflexive- In which the film-maker acknowledges their presence- they are in front of the camera and give some narrative guidance. To aid the audience in their understanding of the process of construction in film so that they could develop a sophisticated and critical attitude.

Poetic- In which an artistic narrative is constructed- sometimes the topic is more human interest rather than current affairs led. This mode of documentary film tends toward subjective interpretations of its subject(s). Light on exaggeration, documentaries in this mode forsake traditional narrative content.

Observational- Being there as events unfold- these documentaries tend to follow a person or event and document their journey as it occurs. The camera remains as unobstructive as possible, allowing the audience to make up their own mind. "new, light equipment made it possible an intimacy of observation new to documentary, and this involved sound as well as image" (Burnouw 1993). The move to lighter 16mm equipment and shoulder mounted cameras allowed documentarians to leave the anchored point of the tripod.

Expository- An analysis and exposition of a person or topic - For example Michael Moore exposes society to forms or political corruption. This mode's emphasis is on rhetorical content, and its goal of persuasion. Narration is a distinct innovation of this type of documentary- it holds the weight of explaining and argueing a film's rhetorical content. This mode collects footage that functions to strengthen the spoken narrative.

Participatory- The participatory mode welcomes direct engagement between film maker and subject(s) - the filmmaker becomes part of the events being recorded. The film maker becomes directly involved with the issue being addressed; he becomes a character in the film; his impact on the events in the film are shown.