Oration, Interrogation, Conversation: Voices in Documentary Film

Abstract

This thesis examines the deployment of the human voice in documentary film. Although documentaries rely heavily on the spoken word, the area of sound in general and the voice in particular is under-­‐theorised in the literature devoted to documentary studies. This inquiry is based on Bill Nichols’ approach to documentary, which takes as its basis the ways in which documentaries address their audience. The thesis proposes that the expository, participatory and observational modes defined by Nichols can be distinguished chiefly by their use of three distinct types of voice: the direct voice, the indirect voice and the overheard voice. It also draws on the sound theory developed by Michel Chion to analyse the use of sound in fiction films, and applies these concepts to the voice in documentary to examine what Chion calls the audiovisual contract — the interaction between image and sound that produces the cinematic narrative. Using close readings of selected texts, the analysis of documentaries includes discussions of sound recording and editing practice, drawing on the author’s own experience in both these areas, and on the writings of practitioners such as Michael Rabiger. This practical perspective on the production and post-­‐ production of documentaries informs the analysis of finished texts throughout, and emphasises the extent to which the construction of voice tracks remains hidden from audiences and academics, and in many cases remains in the realm of the undiscoverable. The study of the voice types reveals a hierarchy of authority that orders voices in documentary film when different voice types are used in the same work. Voice study offers an avenue of investigation into documentary films that complements and informs the works of Nichols. It is highly instructive in deciphering the filmmaker’s authorial position and the methods used to construct the non-­‐fiction narrative.