6 Types of Documentary

Poetic documentaries

Poetic Documentaries are non-coherent to the audience. They are usually fragmented and messed with the structure of a typical documentary. These documentaries usually create a reaction.

Expository documentaries

Expository documentaries speak directly to the viewer like a “Voice of God”. There are would be a voice over on the titles to make the piece coherent to the audience. They have a strong argument and point of view. They use a rhetorical to persuade the viewer to believe what the makers of the documentary want the audience to believe. The documentary sounds objective, more neutral and unbiased.

Observational documentaries

Observational documentaries observe life, for example “Big Brother”. First displayed in the 1960’s. Like a “fly on the wall” so the people being filmed don’t talk to the camera but to each other and that makes the film.

Participatory documentaries

Participatory documentaries get the director involved, so they would interview a specialist and be in the film themselves. For example; Louis Theroux and Ross Kemp documentaries.

Reflective documentaries

Reflective documentaries want the audience to think about what the documentary is about. Mostly abstract and post modern and questions reality.

Performative documentaries

Performative documentaries are personal accounts or experiences with larger political or historical realties. They are biased and only show one point of view. They are strongly personal.