Documentaries Convention List

In class, we discussed the forms and conventions in documentaries, they are:

1. Sense of realism - established through form such as handheld/natural camera movement, natural lighting, non-scripted footage/material


2. Use of presenter and/or narrator


3. Archival still photographs


4. Archival footage


5. Public interviews  (talking heads)  (usually using two shots, mid shots, close up shots, extreme close up shots to keep the focus on what they are saying......usually in natural settings such as street)


6. Expert interviews  (talking heads)  (usually using two shots, mid shots, close up shots, extreme close up shots to keep the focus on what they are saying......usually in natural settings such as street)


7. Case studies  (specific people the documentary has to follow their story or experiences)  (usually you see footage of them doing something natural  (such as sitting on a bench reading)  and also they are interviewed frequently)


8. Credits  (on screen to identify people's names/roles  - usually with expert or case study)


9. Rule of thirds composition  (usually in establishing shots and interviews) - applying this in composition to make is visually pleasing, also leaves negative space for credits so it won't have to get stuck over bodies/faces etc)


10. Non diegetic background score music to set appropriate mood/atmosphere  (volume control = will be louder to heighten mood (such as excitement) to sustain audience's interest........but lowered when having to focus on something such as dialogue)


11. Cutaways (cut to archival or supporting footage to have variety, keep it interesting so audience isn't just looking at the same footage or someone in front of camera for too long)


12. Sound bridging (usually so voiceover continues over cutaways/footage so it's not just looking at someone talk to camera for too long)


13. Statistics (numbers that help prove a point which make it more believable to audience)
a)  they will be explicit and literally written on a blank screen or blurred screen
b) they will be abstract (shown through graph, chart, diagram or concept - such as a pizza)


14. Quoted material (documents or quotations that again, help prove a point - such as legal papers)
a) they will usually be shown through close ups, extreme close ups involving camera movement to make it interesting (such as ken burns, planning, tilting, tracking etc)


15. Animations (SOMETIMES used as extra features which might be in combination with statistics/quoted material etc.......can do on websites such as goanimate.com)


16. Montage editing  (usually there is no 'linear narrative' like there is in films - time is not sequential......think of the beginning of a TV documentary - they show you pieces of footage from whole series as an introduction and to create enigma so you want to watch the episode and the whole series)