documentary genre theory

 

Documentaries codes and conventions

TV DOCUMENTARIES



Lewis Theroux = investigation

planet earth, planet ape,life,bear grills = wildlife documentaries

undateables,young dumb and living of mum, small teen big world=real life documentaries



the porpoise of a documentary is to document, to report with evidence something that has actually happend.it can show this by using actnality footage or reconstructions.

It can use a narrator’s voice over to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants them self’s with perhaps occasional comments from the unseen narrator.

FLY ON THE WALL!

.example=big brother

.verite

.appears as truthful as possible

CURENT AFAIRS!

.topicality

.in depth looks at a news item

Radio and TV use documentaries allot in their scheduling as their target audience is important and so is the time they schedule the timing

Audience research is also used allot

Documentaries can have all different types e.g. paranorma is serious and formal.

DIFFRENT TEQNIKES

.OBSERVATION

Camera is not Sean the programme makers pretend the cameras unseen e.g. fly on the wall.

.INTERVIEW

They don’t look at the camera; they look at the person their interviewing.

.MISONCENE

Vital, got to have something to do with the topic

.NARRATIVE

Have to build a dramatic story for example defining the beginning middle and end also add contrast to create dramatic conflict.

.EXPOSITION (LINE OF ARGUMENT)

What is it actually saying =make up your own mind

.FULLY NARATED

Voice of god!

.MIXED DOCUMENTARY

-combined interviews

-narration

-found footage

.VOX POP

Street interviews with the general public and you ask them all the same questions to get different views and opinions on things

TOPPIC

.good visuals for example interesting things to see and here

.allow some conflict to see two sides of the argument

.think small and local

.music and sound effects

.lighting

CONSTRUCTION

.chooses camera

.choose lighting

.choose sound

.choose editing later

.choose individuals

.choose situations and locations

FILMING

.could film each question

.cutter ways and cuttings

.variety of camera shots e.g. frame/zoom/frame again