Three ways to read the corpus
Compare a pair
Pick two filmmakers and see their manifesto, Nichols-mode split, radar, and anti-patterns side by side.
See the whole field
The 16×16 proximity matrix shows every pairwise similarity at once, grouped by documentary mode.
Simulate a hybrid
Sequence up to four presets across a timeline and check compatibility at each seam.
Tools
Comparator
Head-to-head comparison of two filmmaker DSPs: manifesto, Nichols-mode distribution, 8-axis radar, shot pace, signature techniques and anti-patterns.
Compare two filmmakers →Proximity Matrix
A 16×16 grid of pairwise style similarity across the full corpus, grouped by Nichols mode, with a click-through detail breakdown per pair.
See the whole field →Constellation
The same pairwise similarity as the Matrix, laid out as a force-directed graph: closer, connected stars read as more alike. A companion view, not a new dataset.
See it as a graph →Blend Simulator
Sequence filmmaker presets across acts of a timeline and get an illustrative compatibility read at each seam, with hard-constraint warnings.
Build a hybrid sequence →Structural Profiles
The sixteen filmmakers as structural configurations: 8-axis snapshot, dominant tendencies, signature techniques, anti-patterns, and a direct route into the Comparator.
Browse the sixteen profiles →The Eight Axes
The reference page for every dimension behind the radar and the matrix: what each axis measures, what it deliberately does not mean, and how to read a radar.
Learn the eight axes →Methodology
Why this corpus, the six Nichols modes explained, a mini-portrait of each filmmaker, the link to Barry Salt's cinemetrics, and the full scope & limitations.
Read the methodology →Reference excerpts
Selected film references and excerpts support close reading of structure, sound, staging, and authorial position.
For closer reading: selected film excerpts are available across Profiles and The Eight Axes.
The six Nichols modes
Every preset in the corpus is classified into one of documentary theory's six canonical modes (Bill Nichols), then deliberately populated with filmmakers who diverge structurally within that mode rather than repeat the same approach.