Direct sound and long takes are used. A paradigm for a performative documentary is Koyaanisqatsi (Regio, 1983). The poetic expressive dimensions of film rather than "objective" representation are accentuated. It strives to symbolize the world indirectly. It induces a mood of fiction film and aims to present material in stylized, even subjective ways.
I have selected the documentary Crumb (Zwigoff, 1994), which is essentially a character study of the controversial underground cartoonist, Robert Crumb. In fact, I have designated a new documentary category: character study. This documentary embodies various characteristics of each of the four basic types of documentary films. It draws from expository, interactive, observational, and performative, combining these four to develop the story. .
The expository element is partially examined when series of family photos or comics appear on screen and Robert Crumb tells the stories behind these photos or early cartoon illustrations. Robert Crumb aims to be descriptive and informative so as to give an understanding to his childhood or his fears or his deep thoughts or his sexual desires or his state of mind. Physically, in certain scenes, Robert Crumb is present, guiding the spectator along the pages of his comic book, although he remains unseen. Music, though mostly unseen, is heard throughout the film. The nondiegetic sound of the antiquated music is heard at times during the film successfully drowning out any nostalgic sigh Robert Crumb makes. The angles used in this film vary from a high angle when the cameraman seems to be standing over a hunched over Robert Crumb who illustrates to oblique angles, which again demonstrate the sweeping motions of Robert Crumb's pen in hand. .
This film lends cooperation to the interactive component in a narrative sense. We never see the director and therefore his presence is not visually prominent. But at times his diegetic offscreen voice can be heard prompting Robert Crumb to continue or asking him a question in a low voice.
