Codes and conventions are techniques that are used in documentaries. They are several forms of this including.
- Voice overs - A voice over can be used as part of a cutaway sequence or a introduction.
- Interviews - An interview can be used in a structured or semi structured manner.
- Presenters - The presenter/presenters are used to explain information over cutaways.
- Cutaways- Cutaways are used as clip segways between sequences.
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- Semi-structured Interviews -Interviews that can change from formal to informal.
- Structured interviews -Interviews that are strictly formal which use open and closed questions
- Open and closed questions -Open questions offer an opinon while closed questions require a yes or no answer.
- Graphics
- Diagrams
- Camara type/style
- Name Tags
- Background Music
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BBC's Click: BBC's is a magazine style/technology documentary. Which uses several codes and conventions. The show opens with voiceover introduction, this is used because it helps the viewer understand what the show is about. The also use the introduction to show a brief description of what coming up on the program. Interviews are also shown in this documentary, the interviews are in a semi-structured format. BBC's click has several presenters, the main presenter gives an introduction as well as opening and closing topics. The secondary presenters, present the short film within the documentary. Graphics are used in cutaways to give you an idea of the game or software.
Vice: Vice is a Youtube counter-culture style documentary. This documentary uses an informal raw underground technique. This is shown throughout the short film. The documentary is filmed with hand held cameras, this gives you an effect that you are in that location, a fly-in-the-wall stall documentary. Vice also used archive footage, this shows us a first hand observation of the history that the presenter is explaining. During most of the cutaways, the documentary tells us historical and recent facts. Background music is heard thought the documentary, this is used to set the scene and feel of what the audience is viewing. The are interviews between the students and the teachers of the university. The age range gives us different perspectives and helps the show the documentaries diversity.
BBC's Coast: Coast is a BBC geographical magazine documentary. This documentary has a higher budget than most. The program has a narrator throughout the cutaways, the narrators warm Scottish accent gives the show a secluded feeling. The show features interviews with historians and countrymen. The show has three different presenters, the main presenter opens and closes different subjects, the secondary presenters present one of the topic that is shown in the program. This program features background music during the cutaways and diagrams. The music has a adventure feeling to it, this gives the show an identity. The shows sometimes uses archive footage, this gives the viewer a first hand observation of the history which is being described by the presenter.
Channel 5 Born To Kill: Born to kill is a channel 5 reconstitution documentary. This documentary features a narrative but has no real presenter. The show features a lot of cut away and chilling music. This sets a scene as the narrator is describing a crime. The shows introduction starts with a teaser for what coming up on the program, it uses many rhetorical questions to achieve this. The show features structed interviews with witness and investigaters, the interviewer uses open and closed questions. During the reconstuctions the camera uses a wide-angle to give off a cinematic effect. The show has an erire score that matchs the flash imagery, this gives the audeince a feeling of terror which reflectes the theme of the program.
Channel 4's Dispatches: Dispactches is a current affairs documentery which is aired regeraly on channel 4. The documentry covers issues about society, politics, health, religon and the environment. The show features sturctred interviews that use open and closed questions. Cutaways are used inbetween interviews. The music for the background can change depending on the topic, if it was about religon it could use a hyem or a prayer. The program includes a presenter who usally appers throught the documentary, inculding the voice over which is used in the cutaways. The program uses name tags during the interviews, the interviews can be with the gernral public or a educated specasist. The program is filmed in a multi-camara style, this is because it can change shots during interviews and cutaway sequences. The documentary has aired since 1987, making it the second longest running Britsh television documentary series. Just being beaten by BBC's Panorma which first aired in 1953.
Crimewatch: Crimewatch is a long-running crime documentary. This program includeds semi-structerd interviews that can very between open and closed questions. The show features name tag during the interviews. The program features a voice over during the cutaways and CCTV archive footage. Cutaways are used between reconsructions and interviews. There is no background music throughout the show, except the title music. The show has one presenter, he opens and closes each segment of the show. The documentary is filmed in a multi camera style, this is because the show can change shots during interviews, the interviews can from witness to criminal pyscolagists.
