CONVENTIONS OF DOCUMENTARIES

A documentary film is one that aims to inform, entertain and educate. A documentary argues a opinions using different voices and perspectives, in order to persuade an audience and create public interest. Conventions in a documentary are used to achieve these aims.

A documentary has narrative conventions which have a definite beginning, middle and end.

The beginning The beginning of a documentary sets out a central question that the film will focus on. Action footage and a quick selection of interview footage is used here to assist the narration that has been set out for the audience. This evokes an interest in the audience, and begins the spark for public enthusiasm.

An example of this is the beginning of the documentary is Supersize Me. Spurlock uses graphics, archival footage and other shots to assist an introduction to the central question. At the end of the first five minutes, Spurlock participates in the documentary and sets out a central question, whilst mentioning the title of the documentary.

The middle The middle of a documentary film is effectively the beginning of the complication; it is where the director or the film maker begins examining the issue using various points of view. More detail is used including voice differences with various opinions and arguments. These conflicting perspectives give the audience something to question. Evidence is used by the director to persuade the audience. For example, interviews, voxpops and archival footage could be included to advise the audience to a point of view.

The example of Supersize Me can be continued here. Spurlock presents us with conflicting views on wanting to keep his McDiet going, opposed to the opinion that it could be fatally unhealthy and he should stop his experiment. He also uses views from members of the public and owners of fast food chains to juxtapose those of health professionals.

The end The end of the documentary film makes the exposition fully apparent; complications are resolved so no doubt is left in the audience. They are persuaded to agree with the opinion and point of view that has been put across by the film maker.

The end of Supersize Me details the conclusion of the issue at hand. Spurlock has exemplified the ongoing issues concerning his McDiet, and therefore how unhealthy fast food can be for you. This is backed up by health professionals views and opinions.

l From this, I have learnt the main narrative construction of a documentary. It has given me ideas for my documentary; for example, about the quick footage and cutaways we

could mediate into the beginning of our documentary. The middle can then include

voxpops and interviews to set out conflicting perspectives, which makes the audience

question the issue.

There are several more conventions that are included in a documentary to evoke more public

interest in the audience, or to persuade them to an opinion.

Exposition This is the narration using rhetoric and factual information to persuade the audience to a point of view. These facts could be given from an interviewee. This is a distinct feature that is used by the expositional mode, which mostly uses images to assist an off-screen voice over. Shots and footage that feature in the documentary are mediated to catch the viewer’s attention by presenting a specific theme. These images are much more persuasive to the viewer than the voice over. The narration is used as a way of explaining and arguing over the persuasive content that is shown to the audience throughout the documentary.

Voice over

This can be off screen or on screen. Off screen voice overs are commonly a feature of the expositional mode, and an on screen voice over is an aspect of the participatory mode. This a commentary or narration given by the film maker whilst footage is being shown. This allows the film maker to directly address the audience, and offer an explanation, opinion or information about the events that are unfolding on screen.

l This has given me more ideas for my documentary. Using exposition would create a more factual basis for my argument, and would be persuaded by an expert interviewee. Using an off screen narrator would also be good to use in my documentary as I can use footage, shots and archival footage to support the voice-over Exposition would be suitable for my documentary as it allows me to mediate the content of the documentary to make it more persuasive. Gate keeping would apply to my documentary as I do not want to include any information which would sway the audience off the point of view that I am attempting to show.

Conflict

Conflict is used throughout documentaries in interviews to give different points of view. These interviews can be given by experts on the topic, or by normal people to express different beliefs that cannot be given by the film maker. This gives a dramatic element to the documentary as these conflicting points of views are sometimes shown through the reconstruction of evidence.

Interviews The interview is a common basis that is used throughout documentaries to persuade the audience to an opinion or point of view. Interviews allow the subjects in the film to express their point of view about events or the topic being expressed. Interviews with experts are sometimes used by the film maker to further persuade the audience to a point of view that has been expressed in the documentary. Voxpops are interviews with the general public and these are sometimes used to give further conflict in the documentary.

From this, I can learn that interviews are used to persuade an audience and convince them of the

film maker's point of view. Using experts for interviews is even more persuasive. Public voxpops

can also build an argument because they give a realistic opinion and the audience may be able to

relate to them more. This tells me about my potential audience because depending on the issue

I decide to focus on for my documentary, the audience needs to be a match to my voxpop

subjects. For example, if we decide to create our documentary on fast food, we need to interview

people outside of the food chains.

Music and sound effects

Sound effects can be used in a documentary film to provoke an emotional response to the viewer. Depending on the tone and pace of the music, the audience can pull connotations from this.

Using sound and music effects in my documentary may be useful because I can use music which links to the topic of my documentary. It also needs to be suitable and relevant to my target audience.

Selection and constructionThis is also known as mediation. The director chooses which shots and footage to use in the documentary film. By doing this, the film is more specific to the theme or topic. Footage can be chosen to fit the audience demographic, the context of the documentary and what point of view or opinion is being shown in that current event. This means that the footage included in my documentary will appeal to my target audience. Mediation will allow me to use footage that will specifically persuade my audience too.

Archival footage Archival/stock footage is put into a documentary to signify a historical event that is linked to the theme which is being discussed in the documentary. This can be used in the film to further explain a topic, or to provide evidence to persuade an audience to an opinion or a point of view. This will be useful in my documentary to assist an off screen narrator and to argue a point of view. For example, if I decide to focus on fast food for my topic, I could show archival footage from the news showing the negatives of it to further persuade my audience.

Inserts and cutaways

These are used to maintain the audience’s interest in the documentary and is a common feature of the expositional mode as the images are directly linked to the event or theme. Clips and footage are shown that are relevant to the topic being discussed by the narrator. The image can be used to expand on the subject at hand. This also links to mediation because it allows the film maker to suit the content to the target audience.

Actuality

This is the term used for footage of real life events, which sometimes can give the ‘fly on the wall’ effect. Actuality is a record of real events, people and situations through footage. This conventional feature of documentaries informs and educates the reader. This can be done through the use of point of view shots and off screen narration. Fly on the wall techniques will be good to use in a documentary because it will represent the target audience, as well maintaining an argument.

Reconstructions

This adds a sense of fiction to a documentary. Artificial scenes of events are acted out based on the information that we know about what happened. These are used to provide factual evidence to aid a documentary and to give the audience a sense of realism. It is shown to the viewer that this reconstruction is not real by the use of techniques and effects; blurring, distortion, lighting effects and changes in shot types and camera angles.

From studying the conventions of documentaries, I have learnt what my film

needs to include to be successful. I now have further ideas of what to include in my

documentary, such as what the narrative structure should be and what techniques to use. This information has also helped me

generate an idea about a potential audience for my documentary. For example, if I use the fly on the wall technique with mediation, it will attract a younger audience who crave to be

entertained.