Codes and conventions of Documentaries Henry Vines

Expositary Documentary Expository documentaries are ones which expose something or someone. It is one of the main four types. An example of this style would be panorama. It fits into it because its normally about controversial people and tells the viewer the truth about them. It can make the viewer very interested as its normally on controversial topics.

Interactive or Participatory documentary This style of documentary is different to normal styles as it makes the viewer interact with the documentary. An example of this is Superhigh me. Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man's quest to get superhigh, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use.

Reflective Documentary In this style of documentary, the filmmaker acknowledges there presence in front of the camera and provides a narrative for it. An example of this is Biggie and Tupac by Nick Broomfield. It fits into it because he is on screen narrating what happened and interviewing people.

Performative Documentary The emphasis of the filmmaker’s subjective attitude or personal engagement with a subject to evoke audience reaction. Because it is evident that director Davis Guggenheim supports Al Gore's statements about global warming in An Inconvenient Truth, this film may be seen as an example of the performative mode.