Nichols - The Voice of Documentary

"We may think we hear history or reality speaking to us through a film, but what we actually hear is the voice of the text" pg. 20

• An argument is always provided through narration in documentary to present the director's viewpoint.
• Although it may seem like an unbiased presentation of history, it has been re-presented through the mind of the director

"Observational documentary appears to leave the driving to us" pg. 20

• In an observational documentary the audience are left to make their own decisions on certain arguments, since they are less likely to have been specifically crafted to create a certain tone. 
• Instead they use minimal editing and diegetic sounds in order to create a natural view of reality

Direct address - subjects speak directly to the camera, rather than listening to the narrator.

"Often, film-makers simply choose to interview characters with whom they agree" pg. 26

• This again reinforces the director's ideas even though it seems like it's unbiased
• The editor will remove any answers that don't fit the focus of the narrative