Introductory analysis of TV documentaries These are methods in which TV documentaries are categorized, hence the large diversity of different

documentaries Actuality: The filming of real life events/places or people. Exposition: The start of a documentary when something is revealed, often a theme, e.g obesity is a problem in todays society Voiceover: A commentary over the footage, often with direct address to the audience Interviews: Asking questions to people who have something to do with the topic your documentary is about Archival Footage: Found footage, material that cannot be filmed, often used in reconstruction, or major events, e.g. The Hillsborough disaster another key part to any documentary is the mode it is filmed in. Here are all the modes of documentary and their definitions: Poetic: The poetic mode of documentary film tends toward subjective interpretations Expositional mode: The expositional mode moves sharply from the poetic mode in terms of visual practice and story-telling devices, by virtue of using rhetoric (factual information and opinions given by interviewees) and its goals of passing on information and persuading the viewer Observational mode: The camera, while moving with subjects and staying in the action, remains as unobtrusive as possible, mutely recording events as they happen. Pure observational documentarians proceeded under some bylaws: no music, no interviews,no scene arrangement of any kind, and no narration. Reflexive mode: The reflexive mode considers the quality of documentary itself, de-mystifying its processes and considering its implications. Performative Mode: The Performative mode engages the filmmaker in the story creating an almost autobiographical description of subjective truths that are significant to the filmmaker him or herself.