Codes and Conventions of Documentaries

• While the interview is taking place there are certain camera angles that are used. The documentary always keeps to these rules that an interview shot is a talking head shot.


• The person being interviewed is normally framed to the left or the right of the screen.
  
• The person being interviewed does not look directly at the camera but looks directly at the interviewer at the same eye level.


• Mise en scene around is always related in some way to the topic of the documentary.


• Interviews are never filmed with a some form of light source behind them because it would make the focus of the shot harder to see.


• The questions being asked are edited out so you only hear the answers.


• Cut away shots used to break up the interview and give the audience some sort of visual stimuli. Another reason is to avoid jump cuts.


• The voice over sounds authorical and enthusiastic about the subject matter, professional documentaries use figure head/celebrity, for example Russel Kane in "Freak Like Me".


• Documentaries use achieve material to add authenticity to the documentary.


• Fitting music to the subject matter enhance what the documentary is trying to get across, For example in "Supersize Me" the childish music undermines mcdonalds.