Basic Conventions of Documentary

•Interviews with people important to the subject- usually finished with 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, not from behind – never in front of a window •Different interviews are filmed using different shot sizes and framing to provide variety (eg. Medium shot, head on the 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

• Cutaway shots are inserted into interview footage to illustrate what the subject is talking about

A non-diegetic musical soundtrack may be used behind the voice-over, and may rise in volume when there is no voice-over

• Establishing shots may be used to indentify locations where people live or where events are taking place.

Presenter/voice-over narrator usually speaks with an authoritative voice.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 viewer’s understanding of the topic

• Still photographs may be used to illustrate what is being spoke about- the camera may or zoom in/out on still photographs.

Archive footage may be used to illustrate historic facts

Vox pops- soundbites of interviews with ordinary people- sometimes filmed with hand held camera