Nichols 1991: Documentary Modes of Representation
Reading Notes:
Observational Mode
- Attempts to observe aspects of the historical world as they happen
typically have no voice-over commentary, no supplementary music or sound, no intertitles, no historical reenactments, no behaviour repeated for the camera and no interviews.
social actors behave as if no filmmakers were there.
-'Window on the World'
The Interactive Mode
-It arose from the availability of some mobile equipment and desire to make filmmakers perspective more evident
-This mode wants to engage with individuals more directly while not reverting to classic exposition interview styles
-It allows the filmmaker to account for past events via witnesses and experts that the viewers can also see
-Archival footage becomes appended o these commentaries to avoid hazards of reenactment and monolithic claims of Voice of God commentary.
Expository Mode
-Nichols refers to this mode as the 'voice of God'.
-This mode is what we identify with documentaries.
-It emphasises verbal commentary- often using a narrator
addresses the spectator directly with titles or voices that propose a perspective, advance an argument or recount history.
-Most associated with Television News programming
-Images become subordinate to the voice-over narration. They serve to illustrate, illuminate or act in counterpoint to what is being said by the author.
Editing in this mode serves to maintain the continuity of the spoken argument or perspective- this is called evidentiary.
Reflexive Mode
-Awareness of the process
- The spectator is the focus of the attention
-Speaks not only about the historical world but about the problems and issues representing
-Documentaries set out to re-adjust the assumptions and expectation of its audience, not add new knowledge to existing categories
-From a formal perspective- reflexivity draws our attention to our assumptions and expectations about the documentary form itself.
-From a political perspective- reflexivity points towards our assumptions and expectations about the world around us.
-Both of these rely on techniques that attempt to jar us, and sever our engagement with the film so we are forced to think about filmmaking as a construct.
-Involves expository mode, the voice of God narration and voiceover.
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