1. Codes and Conventions of the
documentary drama.

2. • Narrative Structure:
- Open or closed or circular depending on
subject matter
- Linear or non linear
- Nearly all documentaries are single strand

3. • Camerawork:
- Interviews framed to left or right, CU or
MCU, following rule of thirds.
- Handheld cameras used for actuality footage
to react to action
- A variety of shot types are used to entertain
and sustain the audience’s interest
- Pan and zooms used on still images

4. • Mise En Scene:
- Background of interviews – reflects subject
or person
- Chromakey
- Location
- Back drop
- Mise en Scene is used to anchor person to
subject or relevance
- Lighting can be used creatively on interviews

5. • Sound:
- Voiceover – narrator: Standard English, ‘glue that
holds narrative together’. Age and Gender usually
reflects target audience.
- Sets scene
- Introduce topic
- Links items
- Concludes narrative
- Music is used as a bed. (usually relevant to topic or to
heighten emotion)
- All questions edited out
- Background sound or noise kept to minimum
- SFX can be used in re-constructions

6. • Editing:
- Cut (most common edit)
- To not distract from subject matter
- Dissolve can be used, but effects are kept to a
minimum, e.g fast motion, slow motion
- Effects can be used as elliptical editing, such as
fade to black
- Montage
- Can be used to give audience flavour for show
- Can be used to show multiple examples of
archive material

7. • Archive Material:
- Examples:
film/video, TV, newspapers, magazines, photo
s, websites
- Always relevant to subject matter or what is
being said.

8. • Graphics:
- Titles are unique to programme (logos)
- Name of interviewee and relevance
- Anchors who they are??
- Usually opposite side to interviewee
- Top line bigger than bottom
- Simple typography
- Credits scroll and include tribute to archive
material
- Can anchor period of time
- Subtitles where necessary