Techniques of
documentary realism
There are many different conventions used to make the
audience feel in control of documentaries and that they have expert knowledge. These
conventions are part of the way in which the audience experience feelings of
being both present and distant from events, with the examples below.
Present (enhance
the audiences sense of ‘being there’):
·
Location shooting
·
Interviews with witnesses
·
Filmmakers visible presence
·
Natural lighting
·
Synchronous sound recording
·
Natural lighting
·
Uneven hand held camera
Distant (allow
audience to feel objective about the subject):
·
Expert testimony
·
Voiceover narration
·
Material is shaped into a narrative
·
Use of archive material (stills, news footage)
and research
·
Material is structured into an argument.
Defining modes
of documentary
These modes of documentary are a way of categorising the
different types with conventions and sometimes overlapping conventions.
Expository conventions:
·
Editing is used for continuity, to link together
images that support the argument put forward in the voiceover.
·
The voiceover may either be a ‘heard but not
seen’ commentator or ‘seen and heard’ commentator (usually an expert in the
relevant field).
·
Attempts to persuade the audience of a
particular point of view, often by appealing to logic and the idea of a common sense
response.
·
Images are used to illustrate the voiceover.
·
Voiceover, addresses the audience directly.
·
A variety of footage, interviews, stills,
archive material is assembled to support the argument.
Observational conventions:
·
No interviews
·
Synchronous (direct) sound recording.
·
Location shooting- hand held cameras
·
No voiceover
·
Subjects pretend that they are not being filmed
·
Documentary- maker’s presence is hidden
·
Long takes dominate
Participatory or
interactive conventions:
·
Location shooting; hand held camera
·
Interviews dominate but tend to be informal
·
Documentary-maker is visible to the audience-
intervenes and participates in the action.
·
Long takes dominate
·
Voiceover, usually by the documentary-maker.
·
Use of archive material- stills, news footage,
newspaper headlines, letters etc.
·
Synchronous (direct) sound recording.
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