PERFORMATIVE DOCOS

A lot of the documentary work of the film-maker Nick Broomfield uses performative documentary conventions. He appears in and just off screen a lot in his work and his interaction into the journey, investigation into his subject matter. In this type of doco the process of making the film and the journey of the film-maker to get it made are central to the film. A good example of this is the following clip from Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cId3MgHgKpo

This other clip below is from Kurt and Courtney a 1998 documentary film by Nick Broomfield investigating the circumstances surrounding Kurt Cobain 's death, and allegations of Courtney Love 's involvement in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ugWA6EAYSU&feature=related

EXPOSITORY DOCOS

Most nature docos have a lot of expository documentary traits especially the "voice of god" commentators. A good example of this is the work of David Attenborough and below is a link to a clip from Planet Earth an Emmy award winning BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough and produced by Alastair Fothergill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZPhQewYf3c

The Kid Stays In The Picture has a lot of expository documentary traits. Made by Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans (the film shares the same name as Evans's famous 1994 autobiography).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuVTyGzBo2c

PARTICIPATORY DOCOS

The work of the documentary film-maker Michael Moore is a good example of partipatory docos. The following clip is from Bowling For Columbine where he examines the link between America's gun culture and the Columbine school massacre.

http://fliiby.com/file/133755/88a9j1jggj.html

Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me as another good example of a participatory doco. In the film he uses himself as a human guinea pig as he subjects his body to 30 days of nothing but food from McDonalds. It is the ultimate participatory doco in this aspect but along the way uses a variety of other doco modes and techniques to explore the links between fast food and health issues in the USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATYJx3x0nyo

OBSERVATIONAL DOCOS

Etre et Avoir is a strong example of an observational documentary that displays a lot of the charcteristics of this mode of doco. It is a portrait of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from 4 to 11) are educated by a single dedicated teacher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDcqQuoWnFI&feature=related

One Born Every Minute is a doco (still currently running) on Channel 4 that follows in an observational style the ups and downs, staff and patients at a maternity unit.

http://www.youtube.com/show/oneborneveryminute

REFLEXIVE DOCOS

Reflexive docos tend to emphasise the expressive and creative nature of film. They stay away from realism anjd opt for anti-realist techniques often employing cinematic and more avant garde approaches. They fully exploit cinematography, lighting, music and sound as well as lighting to create an emotional, subjective response in the viewer. They leave room for the audience to interpret the infortmation rthemselves more than some other modeas and voice-over are more likely to be questioning and uncertain rather than authoritative and they rely on suggestion more than fact.

The Lives of The Artists doco features freeride snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue in the incredible, untamed wilderness of Greenland before moving on to the World’s ‘most perfect’ wave, a simply awesome force of nature; Teahupoo in Tahiti with big wave surfers Tom Lowe and Fergal Smith, along with photographer Mickey Smith. Finally we get under the skin of an abrasive and dramatic tour across the US with British hardcore punk band Gallows. Three diverse domains, with a collection of seemingly diverse personalities but all united by uncompromising integrity, and a willingness to push and suffer for their art as they search for fulfillment.

http://www.relentlessenergy.com/films/view/lives-of-the-artists

Night Mail was a doco that made good use of reflexive cinematic techniques to tell the story of the journey of a Mail Train from London to Edinburgh. In the clip below it uses poetic verse written and performed by the poet W. H. Auden and music from the classical composer Benjamin Brittento help tell the story and capture the story of the journey. Listen too for the use of sound effects and consider the filmic cinematography.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmciuKsBOi0