Task 3 U27 Codes and Conventions

Rosie Blake

This unit is an investigation of documentary conventions and deliveries. I will be

discussing the different ways documentaries operate and give examples to
support my points.
A documentary is way of using pictures, interviews or real footage of people
involved in real events to provide a factual report on a particular subject or thing.
This is most commonly presented as a film or television format.
Google (no date) Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/?ion=1&espv=2#safe=active&q=documentary+definition (Accessed: 19
April 2016).

There are several documentary formats that people will follow, depending on
the content and what the documentary is about. The first one I will be talking
about is Expository.

Expository documentaries aim to expose their topic or person by having

narrator talking over pictures, videos and explaining the story. Conventions youd
expect to see in an expository documentary are; a commentator, rhetorical
questions, facts, opinions and persuasive techniques. Talking specifically to the
audience, engaging them with questions and facts will is appealing and will make
it worth watching as its easier to follow. Another way its appealing to the
audience is because they are often biographical and follow a certain story which
is backed up by plenty of footage, interviews and pictures.
cmackenzie, 4 (2010) Al ameen yusri, 11 July. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/4cmackenzie/expository-documentaries1
(Accessed: 19 April 2016).

An example of an Expository documentary is an early documentary called Night

Mail (1936) that follows a postal trains overnight journey to Scotland in which its
mail is sorted, dropped and delivered.
Name (2011) Expository mode, 1 February. Available at: https://epowdocumentary.wordpress.com/documentarymodes/expository-mode/ (Accessed: 19 April 2016).

bathsideboy (2008) Night mail.

Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JPLHOOtlcnM (Accessed: 19 April

This is expository as it is
informative with an
underlying propagandist
intention, to encourage
the working class of
their own importance in
the industrialised war
and to accept that
theres a relationship
between the voice over

Observational documentaries is where the documentary maker follows the person around
to observe events happening in their life. Conventions youd expect to is the use of informal
equipment for example hand held cameras to make it seem realistic as if you were there. No
voice over is needed as it involves real people so no scripts, this also means no interviews.
As it isnt scripted and doesnt follow a story over a period of time the takes tend to be much
longer, more in depth.
imnevergoingtousethis (2011) Doug Moore, 13 July. Available at:
http://www.slideshare.net/imnevergoingtousethis/observational-documentaries (Accessed: 19 April 2016).

A good example of this is MTVs Teen Cribs. The show follows teenagers and families
around as they give a tour around
their house.
BELIBER JB (2011) Teen cribs. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCm00x6g2vg
(Accessed: 19 April 2016).

Teen
cribs (n
o date)
Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=teen+cribs&safe=active&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE1LDaJzMAhVqAsAKHXQkB-IQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=BAnEqbxFkzLu1M%3A (Accessed: 20 April 2016).

Interactive documentaries are documentaries which draw the filmed people and events into
direct content with the film maker. So this means that the film maker will actually be on
screen for the majority of the time. Conventions youd expect to see from an interactive
styled documentary are people expressing their opinions and views, the film maker may also
intervene with a contrary opinion to make it seem more balanced to the audience. Editing
isnt really cut out even if you hear someone say cut me out or I dont want to be in this.
Many questions will seem quite informal to make it seem like both the film maker and the
interviewee are even and share respect.
Morris, M. and profile, V. my complete (2010) Film and media studies at st Gregorys, Available at:
http://filmandmedialevel3.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/a2-film-studies-interactive-documentary_21.html (Accessed: 20 April 2016).

Jean-Baptiste Dumont (2009) Where is Gary? - trailer. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX9jfp4I-EM (Accessed:
20 April 2016).

An example of an Interactive documentary is

one called Where is Gary? Its about a man
who gives himself ten weeks to find and
track down the con artist that scammed him.
Film maker, Jean- Baptiste Dumont decided
to launch an interactive investigation that
people could follow online where he could
find Gary with the help from the audience.
(no date) Available at: http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/9435/Where-is-Gary (Accessed: 20 April 2016).

Reflexive documentaries are documentaries in which the film maker acknowledges their
presence, which means they are always in front of the camera giving a narrative. This helps
to aid the audience into understanding so they can build an attitude towards the subject
matter. The conventions youd expect to see are a lot of interviews, mostly very informal as
there are no scripts. The documentaries deal with real people so it ties with realism in the
sense that the film makers are taking you into a part of their life. This means that there is
usually not a lot of camera work making it seem more personal.

cheffernan (2010) Donnacha OMaille, 17 October. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/cheffernan/reflexive-documentaries

(Accessed: 22 April 2016).

Dione Traynor (2016) Louis Theroux the most hated family in America. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CJ8UjtLr0Z0 (Accessed: 22 April
2016).

Louis Theroux is notoriously

known for making reflexive
documentarys as he gets
very involved in their life for
the few days hes filming but
also remaining professional
and asking them lots of
questions. Hes mostly on
camera too which makes it
more interactive to watch.

The last style of documentary formats I shall be talking about is Performative. The style of
performative documentaries is to try and address the audience emotionally by
acknowledging the emotional and subjective aspects. Rather than informing the audience
with factual information, its a style that will tug on the heart strings and make people think
and feel. Performative documentaries focus more on peoples lifestyles and the way in which
people lives.
15, laurahillll (2012) Clhart, 14 December. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/laurahillll15/documentary-styles-examples
(Accessed: 25 April 2016).

Tongues United is a good example as is it about a proud lifestyle of a black gay man.
Throughout the documentary there emphasis on power and strength for males standing up

to who they are. This is effective as it

reaches out the audience about how
normal it is and to stop prejudice
against gay black men.

MOCA (2015) Tongues untied. Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ-JBiY8IZo
(Accessed: 25 April 2016).

Moving on to more general documentary styles, Im going to be talking about realism. The
term realism in documentary means that the audience has to feel that they can identify with
the situation. To enhance this, film makers may want to use hand held cameras and selective
music with real time and real locations.
A good example of Realism in documentaries is the series following Ross Kemp on Ross
Kemp on Gangs. On the show, Kemp travels around the world talking to gang members,
locals who have been affected by gang violence etc.
93, guest 798 C. (2008) Girishgk11, 24 September. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/guest798c93/realism-presentation
(Accessed: 25 April 2016).

This fits in to style of realism because it

includes real people, people who are actually
in gangs. Therefor its showing real events
and occurrences of things thats actually
happening around him. There is also a lot of
hand held camera which is technique used
to create realism.

Dramatization is a form of documentary that is seen as bias prejudice. In a TV show,

dramatization is the exaggeration that gets built up within it. Its often quite bad in that it can
lead people to sound really strong over a certain view or opinion and the general narration
has then become over exaggerated.
Micro men was a one-off television show about
the rise of the British home computer market. Its a
docudrama about the rivalry between Sir Clive
Sinclair and Alexander Armstrong. The
documentary is centred on these two main
characters so there is constant conflict.
Micro men (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Men (Accessed: 26 April 2016).

HoraceAndTheSpider (2009) Micro men (formerly syntax era) trailer. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=fGiGrf2YyZE (Accessed: 26 April 2016).

Meanwhile Narrativiation is always seen and heard in a documentary. Its the most effective
way of addressing the audience formally so you can then provide them with information and
act as an anchor to the story. Depending on the documentary, there are different amounts of
Narrativiation but too much can drag on as the typical things you see from them are talking
heads which can are incredibly formal

This is an example of Narrativisation, David

Attenborough is most famous for his narration.
Throughout the series on Africa, Attenborough
voices over the top of the footage. He has very
calming voice but its also engaging enough for
people to continue watching.

Kemp, J. (2011) HD95, 25 November. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/JakeKemp/documentary-conventions (Accessed:

25 April 2016).
Imit Zata (2015) Africa episode 3 Congo with David Attenborough - documentary. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Te9jh-D__Rg (Accessed: 26 April 2016).