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Observational Mode

By Jennifer Merin, About.com

Definition: Emphasizing the documentary filmmaker's engagement in observing the subject's daily life and circumstances and documentinf them with an unobtrusive camera.
Examples: By maintaining the observational mode, the director allowed the subject to forget the presence of the camera and behave more naturally, thereby letting the audience get a better sense of how she really feels about having such an unusual abundance of facial hair.

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