Basic conventions of a documentary

A and B roll footage

A good interview has two different types of footage; A-roll footage which is the main

interview with the person. B-roll footage is the extra footage within the documentary (not

part of the interview)

A-roll footage•Interviews with people important to the subject – usually filmed with a camera on a tripod•Interviews are framed using the rule of thirds•The interviewer often does not feature; questions are edited out •Subject looks across the camera at the interviewer, not at the camera •The subjects face is lit from the front – never behind and never in front of a window•Different interviews are filmed using different shot sizes and framing to provide variety (eg, medium shot, head on left, close up, head on right, etc)•Background mise en scene is organised to reflect the topic or personality of the subject•Blue screen/chroma-key may be used to put relevant images behind the subject•Graphics showing the names of the subjects and other relevant information are positioned at the bottom of the screen

B-roll footage• B-roll footage is used to supplement the main interview, edited together between interviews sometimes

in a creative montage• Cutaway shots are inserted into interview footage to illustrate what the subject is talking about• Establishing shots may be used to identify locations where people live of where events are taking place • Archive footage may be used to illustrate historical facts• Still photographs may be used to illustrate what is being spoken about – the camera may pan or zoom

in/out on still photograph• Vox Pops – sound bites of interviews with ordinary people – sometimes filmed with hand held camera • A presenter who speaks to the camera and/or voice over narration delivering a carefully written script –

anchors the meaning of the visual images and guides the viewers understanding of the topic• A non-diagetic musical soundtrack may be used behind the voice-over, and may rise in volume when

there is no voice-over