Conventions of doc[2] media a2

• Interviews are filmed of people who are important to the topic of the documentary.

• They are filmed with a camera on a tripod to make the shot look professional as the camera is not likely to shake.

• The rule of thirds is used in interviews, the interviewee is never placed in the middle of the shot, but to the left or to the right.

• The name of the interviewee is placed in one of the bottom corners of the shot to outline who the person is and what he/she does, without covering up anything important.

• The interviewee will not look directly into the camera, their eyes will be focused to the side of the camera to give the impression that they are taking directly to someone unseen by the camera

• Chroma Key – Blue or Green screens are often used so that images or background that is relevant to the topic can be added in later.

• The mise en scen of the interviewee always reflects their job role or personality, this is to give the audience an understanding into the jobs involved.

• High key lighting is used also so that the audience can see the interviewee clearly.

Documentaries almost always have presenters that give further information on the topic and lead the audience through the documentary.• When on screen the presenter will look directly into the camera as a way to talk to the audience directly.• The presenter will also do voice overs when they do not appear on screen to give further information on what the audience is being shown.• The presenters will also wear clothing that either seems relevant to the documentary, or that fit their personality.

• Most documentaries will feature backstage footage to give the audience an insight into how the topic of the documentary is created.

• This footage is used to enhance the main interview footage and gives extra comprehension and information on the topic of the documentary.

Documentaries will often show stills or photographs of the product being shown on the documentary or of other things that are of relevance to the documentary.• These images illustrate to the audience what is being spoken about in the documentaries and they are often accompanied with voice over footage.• The camera will also pan and zoom in on the images to give the audience a variety of views of the images

In documentaries archive footage is used to show how the topic has changed over time.

• Archive footage shows how the product has adapted to fit the times which also outlines the success of the product as it had lasted so long.

• It is also illustrated to outline historical facts. And to show how much the topic has developed over time

Vox Pops are interviews with ordinary people• They are often filmed with a handheld camera.• Vox Pops are used to show the audience public opinions on the topic of the documentary.

• Documentaries will often include background music during interviews, voice overs etc, the music will go up and down in volume depending on whether there is speaking or not. • Documentaries will also use establishing shots to identify the location being discussed, or to identify important places that are relevant to the documentary.

• Different camera angles are used within documentaries to display different things

• A lot of camera pans (up, down, across) and zooms (in and out) will be used during documentaries to add to the realism and engage with the viewer. For example the camera may zoom in on an important piece of writing on a piece of paper within the documentary.

• A Lot of the editing with documentaries will be straight cuts purely because this makes it more believable for the viewer

• By using straight cuts it also means that the viewer won’t be distracted

All documentaries have a narrative structure and most are closed structures meaning they have a conclusion and the questions are answered at the end of it.