Codes and Conventions

• Narration leads the documentary
• Archived footage is used that is relevant to the subject
• Observation unfolds the story
• Interviews
• Conflict unfolds the narrative
• Introductions
• Linear Narratives
• Close ups for interviews
• Extreme close ups/ Long shots
• High/Low angles
• Diegetic/Non Diegetic sound
• Cutaways that anchor meaning
• Captions
• Sound effects
• Shot/Reverse shots
• Dissolves
• Green screens
• Ambient sound
• Simple graphics so that the audience is not distracted
• Establishing shots
• Tracking shots
• Cantred angles
• Reconstructions
• Background is relevant to the subject
• Panning shots
• Rule of thirds
• Montages
• Exposition
• Mise en scene is relevant to the subject
• Relevance to subject
• Music bed
• Clear themes
• No light source behind interviewees
• Interviewee does not look directly at the camera
• No questions heard or on the screen during interviews
• Experts used
• Vox pops
• Opening titles
• Interviewee repeats question in a form of an answer
• Based on the truth
• Eye line 3/4 up the screen
• Variety of camera angles
• Clear beginning
• Narrative is clear
• Evidence used
• Clear endings
• Continuity is kept throughout
• Lack of special effects as they are not needed
• Interviews are never whole
• Dramatisation
• Text is in a different corner to the interviewee