Conventions of
documentaries
Purpose of this presentation is show the conventions of documentaries and my understanding of it.
Rianna Johnson
Short clip from ‘Bowling for Columbine’ to show a method of providing the audience with information in a film documentary.
Still shot showing the main opening of a TV documentary
• The uniform shows equality between all the people
• The superimposed background hints to this being about nature
Youtube video from: Justingrnr9 Still shot from BBC iPlayer
Conventions of documentaries
Archival Footage and Photographs• Demonstrates the points made by the
voiceover• Cheaper than shooting new material• The footage/photos may not have been
shot for the purpose of the documentary but are used to add to the documentary
Talking Heads• People interviewed to
explain or offer opinion of the documentary topic.
Wobbly Camera• To add a realism to
what’s being filmed there is a light camera shake when following action.Real People
• The people interviewed or extras in the documentary are real people not actors. Example, a documentary about Juilet’s in Harlesden you can go to Harlesden and meet the same owner seen in the documentary.
Archival footage Talking heads
Wobbly camera Real people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVSKHq7yA04 – stills taken from youtube channel ‘YungDreem’
Conventions of documentaries
Text• Captions are often
used to inform the audience of who the person or thing is, generally this is done in a white clear font
Set-ups• Re-enactments stage real events that have happened.• Might be done because the footage is needed and wasn’t
filmed.• Set-ups are staging things to show the ‘real’• Example: filming a class and telling them to put up their
hands
Example of text use in Fry’s World
Planet
VoiceoversVoice of God: Commentator that is heard not seenVoice of authority: Seen and heard, usually someone who knows a lot about the topic.
Set ups Text
Images taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir2swCcM1lMVoiceover taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbp-HSXrZuQ&feature=related
Voiceover
Convention
Effect on audience
Archival Footage and Photographs
• Might provide a feeling of nostalgia• Gives an insight to life back then
Talking Heads • Reinforces the point made by the voiceover or recently in the documentary
Real People • Adds realism to the piece.• Builds rapport with the audience & documentary
maker
Wobbly Camera • Makes it seem amateur and real life-like.• Shows there wasn’t a big production team staging
things
Text • Generally written in white in the bottom corner, it introduces the audience to the person on screen
Voiceovers • Provides the audience with a lot more information and is usually said over images or muted video
Set-ups • Provides a clear introduction to a point and gets the main idea across.
Modes of a documentary
Fry's Planet Word (2011)Performative Mode
Documentary maker interacts with the subject
Fry speaks over the subject matter.
Modes of a documentary
Expository:• The ‘normal’
way in which we are used to seeing documentaries
The Swenka’s (2004)–
Observational Mode• No voiceovers – text
on screen• Lots of long shots• No interviews
Example: Twincredibles BBC2
Modes of a documentary
Biggie and Tupac
Participatory/interactive Mode
http://youtu.be/ADdcDHTZfgY - stills from ‘musicspace’ YouTube channel
Formal Interviews
usually dominate the documentary
Archival footage
On location shooting
Voice of authority
Modes of a documentary
Crimewatch (2011)Reflexive Mode
• Voice of God: questions things rather than being certain.
• Presented in a fictional way, story like.
Differences• Same narrator for
similar topics• Voice if GodTV
• Uses the reflexive mode, opening is story like
• Voice of AuthorityFilm
Still shots to show examples
Opening shots fade into one another while the voice of God says “it was the morning of April 20th…” gives it that once upon a time feel
The voice of authority tells us about his life and how his past relates to the documentary. *hindsight
Similarities
•Both have talking heads
Still shots to show examples
Possible reasons why they are used
• This is done to add weight and creditability to the argument • to make it seem that the people
who are talking are relevant • The people seen must know
what they are talking about or they wouldn’t be there.