Codes and conventions of a documentary.

Interviews:
Rule of thirds the conventional method used when framing a shot.
Subject looks of of camera at the crew member of screen asking the
!uestions.
"uestions are omitted in the documentary making the interview full of
only answers.
#ise$en$scene is always relevant either %rofessionally to the subject or to
the documentary to%ic& i.e. in 'he #usic (i) the men from *irgin had the
logo behind them.
+n$screen gra%hics with the subject,s details on& commonly their name
and %rofession.
#edium close u% camera shot from the waist u%.
'he subject,s eyes are a%%ro-imately . of the way u% the screen.
Consecutive interviews often swa% sides subject /0 on right side of the
screen subject /1 on the left side of the screen. *ery rarely in the center
of the shot.
'here,s always an e-%ert being interviewed.
2 range of interviews.
3ootage:
2ctuality footage this is footage that,s actually been 4lmed by
themselves rather than by somebody else i.e. %rimary footage.
'itle se!uence often uses gra%hics and the logo5title is often re%eated
throughout the documentary& e.g. before5after commercial breaks.
2rchive footage stills cli%s from other movies etc shots of letters etc.
*o- 6o%s *o- 6o%uli& 7the voice of the %eo%le, shots of asking members
of the %ublic !uestions and then their answers. 8.g. an interview.
Reconstructions when actors %lay out an event for documentation.
Sound:
9on$diegetic soundtracks often they fade out just before a subject
s%eaks.
Single stranded narrative :sometimes double stranded;.
+ften a male narrative.
<sually linear and chronological.
*oice over anchors meaning of documentary& e.g. voice of =od >
%ersuasion.
Sound efects.
9atural sounds noises heard in the background of interview in natural
settings.
Closed narrative ends solidly.
?owever can end o%en.
8diting:
Cut away often used instead of jum% cuts.
6ace of editing matches the build$u% of documentary.
9o fancy edits i.e. no gra%hic matches etc.
Cut aways are relevant
=eneral:
'here,s always con@ict in documentaries.
=ra%hics are sim%le in most not all documentaries.
'here,s an e-%osition in each documentary& a line of argument.
Relevant title.
Range of camera angles.
3actual.
'here,s always evidence shown in the documentary to %rove their
e-%osition.