Codes and Conventions of Documentaries

Although most documentaries vary in one way or another, it is usually quite easy to recognise the different techniques that are typical for the style of filmmaking.
The opening 5 minutes of a documentary should, if made well, have the viewer hooked already. A powerful opening will make the audience interested and keep them watching, even if they are not so keen on the subject matter. This is because the central question/subject matter would be introduced and people could start forming their own opinion on the film. The audience are likely to have some idea of what the subject matter of the documentary is because of the channel it is shown on. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a documentary about football on E4, you would expect something focused on celebrity gossip, music or film to be shown.
The music in a documentary can have some effect on how the audience perceives and responds to the film. However, it is important to note that the music should not overpower any of the spoken words in a documentary. This is so that the narrator/presenter is represented as the voice of authority and so that we take what they say as fact. Most documentary filmmakers will address the camera, and therefore the audience, directly. This makes us feel like they are only talking to us, so we are more likely to keep watching what happens.
It is common in documentaries to use archive footage of actual events. Whether this will be effective or not depends on how relevant the footage is to the documentary. If it is pointless archive footage that doesn’t have anything to do with the main subject of the film, it will appear that the filmmaker has been careless when researching the information. Reconstructions can also be used to create a specific impact on the audience, especially if archive footage isn’t available. They are mainly used in documentaries to construct step by step detailing of a crime.
In more recent documentaries, because of the improvements in technology, the filmmaker is able to display graphics, captions, facts and statistics on the screen. Documentaries are designed to shock people into realising the filmmakers point of view. Therefore the titles and information shown on screen will be dramatic/ poignant.
Depending on the subject matter of the documentary, the camera may be handheld to make the viewer feel included in the situation. The camera may also be placed as if it is covert/hidden to make us feel like we are watching something as it naturally happens.
Within the documentary, the narrator/presenter will have to show someone else’s point of view. This can be done in 2 ways. Firstly, a formal interview could be shown. This will give a professional point of view of the situation. The setting of this interview will be an indication of its authenticity e.g. office. Another method of portraying other opinions is through the use of vox pops (voice of the people). These are informal ‘interviews’ with people from the public. They are literally done by going to a public place and asking a random selection of people for their opinion.