Documentaries: the different types (Bill Nichols)

Like film as a whole, documentaries have different categories/genres what they are has been debated by theorists. One theorist Bill Nichols stated that documentaries can be broken down in six types  So for this post i will breakdown Bill Nichols categories.

   Bill Nichols Documentary Mode

• Expository documentaries: Is the name for documentaries that speak directly to the audience via a voice over or titles often to form an authoritative commentary, which propose a point of view and a strong argument. These documentaries are rhetorical and aim to persuade the viewer, they do this by using techniques such as 'the voice of god' which give the commentary a 'objective’ and omniscient feel to it. Images are not as important with expository documentaries unless they advance the argument, due to the documentaries rhetorical nature the images are pressed on the viewers to be read in a certain manner and fashion. Examples are science and nature documentaries.

• Poetic documentaries: Tend to aim towards more subjective interpretations of its subject. Rather than be rhetoric, poetic documentaries usually forsake traditional narrative meaning that individual characters and events go undeveloped due to mood and tone taking priority. This is shown prominently the editing of poetic documentaries as continuity has no real purpose. The editing of poetic documentaries however looks at  "associations and patterns that involve temporal rhythms and spatial juxtapositions." (Nichols 2001). Examples are Joris Ivens’ Rain (1928).

• Observational documentaries: Take a look at life simply and spontaneously with minimum invention. Filmmakers who were part of this sub genre saw Poetic documentaries as too abstract and expository documentaries as too didactic. Observational documentaries tend to allow the viewer to make up their own mind along with their own conclusions. Pure observational documentarians worked under bylaws which means no music, no narration or any interviews, with fly-on-the-wall perspective is championed. Resulting in the footage allowing the viewer to take on a first hand experiences of the subject. Examples include Don't Look Back (D.A. Pennebaker) or Primary (Robert Drew)

•  Participatory documentaries: Take the stance that its impossible for film making not to influence and alter the events being filmed, however what these films do show is the approach of the anthropologist ( participant-observation). By doing this the film maker becomes part of the film we are able to see how the film is changed of affected by their inclusion.  The interaction between the presenter and the subject becomes a critical element in the film. Examples are Michael Moore's films however they can also be classed as Expository documentaries as well.

•  Reflexive documentaries: Reflexive documentary focuses on the quality of the documentary itself as they try to take some of the mystery's away from the process, this is to allow the audience to see the people behind the camera and for the audience to get an understanding of the process that goes into creating the film. The reflexive mode of documentary often functions as its own regulatory board, policing ethical and technical boundaries that the documentary sets for itself. Examples are No Lies (Mitchell Block).

• Performative documentaries: This style looks at subjective experience and the emotional response to the world. These documentaries usually are strongly personal, unconventional, sometimes experimental and/or poetic, with a chance of hypothetical enactments of events to allow us to experience and to have a different perspective on events or truths that should be self evident to the audience. This type of documentary is well suited to telling stories of film makers from marginalized social groups. The most famous filmmaker and example currently working in this documentary type is Michael Moore.