Documentary Voice
Docs speak about the world with all the means at their disposal: image, sound...
Docs are representations--not reproduction--of the world
They shape the photographic and sound record to offer
Or to make a case or argue a point about some aspect of the world
The point of view is generally the film director's or the institution or individuals whom the film director is representing
The voice of the documentary is the specific way in which these points of view, arguments or cases are conveyed to us up on the screen.
Documentaries are like other forms of historical or political discourse: It's possible to convey a single topic or a particular argument from a number of different perspectives -- each with its own unique voice or means of representation.
Nichols likens the voice of the documentary with style in some ways -- it's the way in which the director puts his or her unique spin or vision on a topic. He calls voice "Style plus"
The voice of the doc reveals the filmmakers form of social, political, ane emotional engagement with the world...his or her values, world view, ethics, aesthetic sensibilities.
Voice speaks with all the means available to the filmmaker
The voice of the filmmaker can speak to us directly (as in voice over narration and on-screen text) or indirectly through a films structure and construction.
