In the first weeks of media we watched a number of documentaries, here are the codes and conventions of a documentary;
-Interviewees are filmed in a media shot, medium close up or close up.
-Framed to the left or right of the screen- positioning alternates if more then one interviewee to create variety.
-Framing follows the rule of thirds therefore the eye line is roughly a third of the way down the frame.
-Interviewee looks at the interviewer and not the camera
-Mise end scene- the background reinforces the content of the interview or is relevant to the interviewee providing the viewer more information about them.
-Interviews are never filmed with a light source behind them, its always in front of them.
-Cutaways are edited to break up interviews and reinforce what the documentary is about.
-Questions are edited out to avoid jumps.
-Cutaways are either:
Archive material
Suggested by something said to the interviewer and therefore filmed after the interview
-Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed wth another camera such as extreme close ups of eyes, mouth and hands and used as cutaway.
Archive material
Suggested by something said to the interviewer and therefore filmed after the interview
-Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed wth another camera such as extreme close ups of eyes, mouth and hands and used as cutaway.
Here are two examples of a documentary :
