Codes and Conventions

All the documentaries we have looked at are mixed documentaries, each of them has included Interviews with cutaways and archive footage. Various camera angles and a voice over are used to help move the narrative along. Opinions and decisions are normally left up to the viewer but a few mixed documentaries can be biased.

The Codes and Conventions of a documentary:

• Interviews-camera angles are used to show status.
• Voice over(voice of God)
• Cutaways-anchor meaning to a point being made.
• Reconstructions or Dramatisations.
• Archive footage.
• A linear narrative-helps the story to move along.
• Themes relevant to the documentary.
• Audience are often left to make their own opinion or decision on the topic.
• Music bed is often used and is either topical or incidental.
• Extreme close ups show important parts of the documentary.
• Graphics are used introduce who is talking or different segments.
• Non-diegetic and diagetic sound
• Relevant mise-en-scene.
• You don't hear the questions being asked in interviews.
• The subjects don't look into the camera when their talking, either to the side of the camera or to the top.
• Usually have conflicting views in the middle of the documentary to help move it along.
• Fast paced opening or montage to get the audience interested in watching the documentary.
• General rule is that you don't flip a subject from one side to the other.
• Camera angles are used to inflict an opinion e.g low angle on Marilyn Manson to show his power and influence.
• Footage filmed on location e.g the making of Meatloaf's music video.
• Voice of God often leads narrative.
• Graphics used to fir theme e.g Gothic writing for Meatloaf and small white graphics don't detract attention from the subject.
• Graphics often used ti introduce a subject or the next segment in a documentary.
• Green/blue screen and projectors often used to add a background.
• Actual footage.
• Clear expositions are used.
• Vox-pops.
• Match on action.
• Evidence is always used.
• Facts vs opinions to add to the conflict.
• Static camera/.
• A wide variety of camera angles are often used.
• Rule of thirds is used to make the documentary more visually stimulating.
• Dramatisation.
• Montages.
• Experts in a certain field are used.
• Observations.
• Witnesses are used.
• Transitions-these need to be snappy and interesting to keep the audience wanting to watch.
• Not one answer to the question that's been imposed.
• Normally unbiased.
• Variety of interviews.
• Interview is always interrupted-no full flowing interview.
• Graphics are always at the bottom of the screen.
• Clear narrative.
• Interviewee alternates on what side of the screen they appear.
• Tighter shots of more important people.