Documentaries: Forms and Conventions

As discussed previously there are many different types of documentaries, all with different topics and different audiences, but the forms and conventions that go into making a documentary are almost always the same. Using my case studies, where I have looked at a range of different documentaries, I will now sum up the forms and conventions of a documentary.

One of the main features of a documentary is the inclusion of a voiceover. Normally, the voiceover will have power over the audience, but it will still be encouraging and engaging for the viewer. The authority presented by the viewer will help make the viewer trust that the narrator knows what they are talking about, an provide a basis walk through of the documentary.

Another convention of documentaries is the use of ‘real’ footage, or reenactments of footage, which help illustrate the ideas spoken about in the documentary. Documentary editors and producers will go to great lengths to make us believe what we are seeing is completely untouched and real, however this is not seen to be true, as in ‘Bowling for Columbine’ it is evident that some scenes were shot multiple times to get the correct camera angles. This can often affect the reality that we as the viewer see. It is always important as a viewer not to take footage we see in documentaries too literally, as it is highly likely to have been edited in some way.  Another problem with reenactments is that they can often lead to stereotyping. An example of this could be a drug Ealing scene where the characters look a certain way, which sets them up as a stereotype, which Is commonly frowned upon.

Perhaps the most used convention across all documentaries is the use of interviews by perceived experts on the topic. The first time any new interviewee is introduced their name and job title is always displayed, to add to their sense of importance. They are commonly used to authenticate the views laid out in the documentary, and it is very rare that they will disagree with the main message of the documentary, usually if they do, they will be disproved in some way. The text displayed to introduce them is another commonly used feature.  Labelling of different scenes and people are often used, this is a cheap way to convey information to the reader without needing an explanation.

The sound in documentaries is also important. Diegetic sound is the most common type in documentaries, as they are non fiction films. However, there is usually a great ear of non diegetic sound that is added during editing which we often hear blended into the real sounds. There is always a reason why music and sound effects have been added, normally to add meanings or connections, for example a sound bridge between scenes. An example of this is in the documentary ‘Supersize me’. The non diegetic childish music largely undermines McDonalds, and gets us a viewer to agree more with the topics. The use if mine-en-scene is also used. For example, an interview with a Doctor not wearing a stethoscope round his neck or a white jacket/suit, may look much less powerful, so mise-en-scene and props are used as visual coding to set out authority.

These are just some of the common codes an conventions found in documentaries, there are many many more that also are included. Writing this essay has led me to feel more confident that we will be able to replicate these forms in our own documentary to make it as real as possible.