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TYPES OF DOCUMENTARY
POETIC
DOCUMENTARIES
Poetic Documentaries focus on images and experiences. They have loose narratives and aim to show the audience the world through a different set of eyes. They can be experimental and unconventional. They aim to create a feeling rather than truth.
EXPOSITORY
DOCUMENTARIES
Expository Documentaries aim to inform people about a topic. They propose a strong argument and point of view They do this through a narrator 'voice of god'. These documentaries are closest to what people regard as 'documentaries'. These documentaries are rhetorical and aim to persuade people.
OBSERVATIONAL
DOCUMENTARIES
Observational Documentaries aim to observe the world around them. The style gives voice to all sides of an issue. It does this by giving the audience first hand access to the subjects most important information.
PARTICIPATORY
DOCUMENTARIES
Participatory include the filmmaker within the documentary. This could be the filmmaker themselves narrating the documentary or the filmmaker being included in the documentary. Participatory documentaries include elements of observational and expository documentaries.
REFLEXIVE
DOCUMENTARIES
Reflexive documentaries include the filmmaker in the documentary, similar to participatory documentaries. The documentaries make no attempt to explore an outside subject. They instead focus on the filmmaker and the making of the film.
PERFORMATIVE
DOCUMENTARIES
Performative documentaries are an experimental combination of different styles used to stress a subject experience and share a response to the world. They often combine personal experiences of the filmmaker with political and historical issues.
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