Documentary ModesDocumentary Modes

Joe HawkerJoe Hawker

Poetic DocumentaryPoetic Documentary Poetic documentaries typically show excessive amounts of creative Poetic documentaries typically show excessive amounts of creative

camera work and experimental editing (montages) in order to camera work and experimental editing (montages) in order to connect or translate a mood or emotion onto the audience. connect or translate a mood or emotion onto the audience.

Poetic Documentaries often have a style of editing that offers Poetic Documentaries often have a style of editing that offers discontinuity in graphic qualities, violations of the 180 degree rule, discontinuity in graphic qualities, violations of the 180 degree rule, and the creation of impossible spatial matches.and the creation of impossible spatial matches.

This is Sergei Eisenstein’s theory of montage. He states that "A This is Sergei Eisenstein’s theory of montage. He states that "A Dialectic Approach to Film Form" when he noted that montage is Dialectic Approach to Film Form" when he noted that montage is "the nerve of cinema", and that "to determine the nature of "the nerve of cinema", and that "to determine the nature of montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema". montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema".

Soviet montage theory shows an approach to understanding and Soviet montage theory shows an approach to understanding and creating cinema that relies heavily upon editing (creating cinema that relies heavily upon editing (montage is French is French for "putting together").for "putting together").

An example of this that is commonly used in filmic documentaries An example of this that is commonly used in filmic documentaries such as Robert Flaherty’s ‘Nanook of the North’, is juxapostional such as Robert Flaherty’s ‘Nanook of the North’, is juxapostional editing. editing.

This style of editing is the process of showing one thing and This style of editing is the process of showing one thing and another which are unrelated and through combining the two or another which are unrelated and through combining the two or making a sequence, creates a new meaning. making a sequence, creates a new meaning.

Expository DocumentaryExpository Documentary Documentary forefather John Grierson offers an explanation for the move Documentary forefather John Grierson offers an explanation for the move

away from poetic documentary, claiming filmmakers, “got caught up in away from poetic documentary, claiming filmmakers, “got caught up in social propaganda…We got on to the social problems of the world, and we social propaganda…We got on to the social problems of the world, and we ourselves deviated from the poetic line.” (Sussex 1972) The expositional ourselves deviated from the poetic line.” (Sussex 1972) The expositional mode diverges sharply from the poetic mode in terms of visual practice mode diverges sharply from the poetic mode in terms of visual practice and story-telling devices, by virtue of its emphasis on rhetorical content, and story-telling devices, by virtue of its emphasis on rhetorical content, and its goals of information dissemination or persuasion.and its goals of information dissemination or persuasion.

Narration is a distinct innovation of the expositional mode of documentary. Narration is a distinct innovation of the expositional mode of documentary. Initially manifesting as an omnipresent, omniscient, and objective voice Initially manifesting as an omnipresent, omniscient, and objective voice intoned over footage, narration holds the weight of explaining and arguing intoned over footage, narration holds the weight of explaining and arguing a film’s rhetorical content. Where documentary in the poetic mode thrived a film’s rhetorical content. Where documentary in the poetic mode thrived on a filmmaker’s aesthetic and subjective visual interpretation of a subject, on a filmmaker’s aesthetic and subjective visual interpretation of a subject, expositional mode collects footage that functions to strengthen the spoken expositional mode collects footage that functions to strengthen the spoken narrative. This shift in visual tactics gives rise to what Nichols refers to as narrative. This shift in visual tactics gives rise to what Nichols refers to as “evidentiary editing,” a practice in which expositional images “...illustrate, “evidentiary editing,” a practice in which expositional images “...illustrate, illuminate, evoke, or act in counterpoint to what is said…[we] take our cue illuminate, evoke, or act in counterpoint to what is said…[we] take our cue from the commentary and understand the images as evidence or from the commentary and understand the images as evidence or demonstration…” (Nichols 2001) The engagement of rhetoric with demonstration…” (Nichols 2001) The engagement of rhetoric with supporting visual information founded in the expositional mode continues supporting visual information founded in the expositional mode continues today and, indeed, makes up the bulk of documentary product. Film today and, indeed, makes up the bulk of documentary product. Film features, news stories, and various television programs lean heavily on its features, news stories, and various television programs lean heavily on its utility as a device for transferring information.utility as a device for transferring information.