6 Modes of Documentary

1. The Expository Mode 

Being the most identifiable mode of documentary, the expository mode uses verbal commentary, also known as the 'voice of god' to evoke a desire to know from the audience. It shows this by portraying real life events, for example David Attenborough's nature documentaries. His documentaries use voice overs to show the audience a glimpse into the animal kingdom. 

2. The Poetic Mode 

Revealing the 'inner truth' of a documentary, the poetic mode represents the artistic, abstract version of documentaries. A subjective depiction of reality is demonstrated through exaggerated imagery and narratives that link to the mood of the documentary. Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia (1938) uses low angle shots to exaggerate the power of the athletes, also  contributed by the sound editing which matched to the beat of the athletes movements. 

3. The Observational Mode 
Observational mode takes on the codes and conventions of direct cinema which is defined by having no direct interference between the camera and the subject being filmed. Hospital (1970) was a famous portrayal of this mode as it was one of the earliest documentaries using new equipment allowing the producer to present a authentic reality to the audience. 

4. The Participatory Mode

Given by the name of the mode, this style of documentary encourages the interaction between the filmmaker and subject. The filmmaker has more of a role in this documentary, setting up the narrative. This is clearly portrayed in Bear Gryll's Man vs. Wild where he takes the audience on a journey with him into the wild, interacting with the camera to teach people what to do in unknown nature related situations. 

5. The Reflexive Mode

Reflexive Mode is all about reconstructing the truth but more specifically ''a'' truth ''the'' truth. This means that it identifies the conventions of a documentary, making the audience aware of editing, sound and recordings. The documentary Girl Rising (2013) follows the stories of different cultured young ladies and their experiences with education but uses actresses to portray these real life stories. 

6. The Performative Mode 

Another give away by the title, this mode defines the way documentaries show a perspective on what it's like to be there, appealing to the emotional and social impacts it may have on an audience. An example of this is the documentary Supersize Me (2004) where director Morgan Spurlock challenges himself to a month's McDonald's diet. This documentary takes viewers on the journey with him, experiencing everything that he does.