Date post: | 08-Jul-2015 |
Category: |
Entertainment & Humor |
Upload: | shyrise |
View: | 64 times |
Download: | 0 times |
ResearchCorrie Wheeler
Codes and Conventions of a Documentary
There are different genres of documentaries; codes and conventions may differ slightly depending on this.
Interviews
Voice-over
Soundtrack
Slow motion / fast motion footage
Close-ups and extreme close-ups
Establishing shots
Archive footage
Video diaries
Text and graphics
Juxtaposition
Codes and Conventions of…
a double page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary
Images, usually large and/or multiple and with captions
Columns
Informative content
Date of airing
Synopsis
Rating
Main features tab
a newspaper advertisement on the documentary
Large image showing main feature
Reviews
Large title
Majority printed in colour and high resolution
Channel or company logo
Audience Research
Audience Research
Do you watch documentaries on a regular basis?
Audience Research
What genre of documentary do you most enjoy?
Audience Research
Which channel do you usually watch them on?
Audience Research
How much time do you usually spend on the internet per day?
Audience Research
What do you mostly use the internet for?
Audience Research
Which of these websites do you use on a regular basis?
Audience Research
Do you attend any internet community events?
Audience Research
(a) Have you ever made any friends on the internet? (b) If yes, have you ever met them in person?
History of Documentaries
“a film or television or radio programme that gives facts and information about a subject”.
The first documentary piece was done in 1877 by EadweardMuybridge – a series of sequential images on the way a horse runs
In 1895 Auguste and Louis Lumière made a series of short actuality films
In the 1920s, Nanook of the North was filmed by Flaherty
After the 1920s, documentary films mainly consisted of propaganda e.g. Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will on the Nazi Party
From 1950 to 1970, cinéma vérité was developed where handheld equipment enabled film crews to follow a natural disaster
According to IMDb, the most popular documentary in the US box office was in 2004, named Fahrenheit 9/11. It grossed $119 million (Wikipedia states it grossed more, with $222,446,882), while Jackass grossed $117 million.
We can now watch documentaries on the go due to technological advancements and the internet.
Consideration of Institutional Platforms
BBC Three and Channel 4’s target audience is 16-34 year olds
Both channels air documentaries on controversial topics, such as Horsemeat Banquet (BBC Three) and Crazy about One Direction (Channel 4)
Our documentary would be independent –BBC Three airs documentaries from independent studios like Studio Lambert
Both channels have an on-demand service: BBC iPlayer and 4oD.