Documentary techniques
Documentary Techniques and Conventions
Documentary-specific Techniques
1. Narration
• Definition: A voiceover that guides the audience through the documentary, providing context, commentary, and additional information.
• Purpose: Narration helps to frame the story, clarify complex points, and provide a cohesive structure to the documentary.
2. Exposition
• Definition: The portion of the documentary that provides background information, setting up the context for the audience.
• Purpose: Exposition introduces the topic, setting, and key issues, helping the audience to understand the subject matter.
3. Interviews
• Definition: Footage of people discussing their experiences, opinions, or expertise related to the documentary’s topic.
• Purpose: Interviews add credibility, provide personal insights, and present multiple perspectives on the subject.
4. Archival Footage
• Definition: Previously recorded video or film that is used to provide historical context or evidence.
• Purpose: Archival footage connects the present to the past, offering proof and enhancing the narrative with real events.
5. Bespoke Footage
• Definition: Original video content created specifically for the documentary.
• Purpose: Bespoke footage allows the filmmaker to capture unique moments, conduct specific experiments, or illustrate points in a controlled manner.
6. Montage
• Definition: A sequence of images or clips edited together to condense time, space, and information.
• Purpose: Montages can convey a lot of information quickly, illustrate processes, or create emotional impact through rapid juxtaposition.
7. Re-enactments
• Definition: Actors recreate events based on real-life occurrences to visually represent past events.
• Purpose: Re-enactments help visualize stories or events for which no visual record exists, making abstract or historical events more relatable.
8. Hand-held Camera
• Definition: A filming technique where the camera is held in the hand rather than being mounted on a tripod or other stabilizing device.
• Purpose: This technique often conveys a sense of realism, urgency, or intimacy, immersing the audience in the action.
Documentary-specific Multimodal Conventions
1. Camera Angle and Shot Type
• Definition: The position and framing of the camera during shooting.
• Purpose: Different angles and shot types can influence how the audience perceives the subject, creating a sense of power, vulnerability, or intimacy.
2. Colour & Lighting
• Definition: The use of light and color to create mood, highlight aspects of the scene, or convey symbolic meanings.
• Purpose: Lighting and color can affect the tone and atmosphere of the documentary, enhancing the emotional impact or drawing attention to specific details.
3. Mise-en-scène
• Definition: The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame, including setting, props, actors, and costumes.
• Purpose: Mise-en-scène helps to create a sense of place and time, supporting the narrative and thematic elements of the documentary.
4. Diegetic Audio
• Definition: Sound that originates from within the film’s world, such as dialogue, natural sounds, and sound effects.
• Purpose: Diegetic audio adds to the realism of the documentary, making the audience feel as if they are part of the scene.
5. Non-diegetic Audio
• Definition: Sound that is not part of the film’s world, such as background music, voiceovers, and sound effects added during post-production.
• Purpose: Non-diegetic audio can influence the audience’s emotions, underscore themes, and enhance the storytelling.
6. Object Symbolism
• Definition: The use of objects within the film to represent larger concepts or themes.
• Purpose: Symbolic objects can add layers of meaning, subtly conveying messages and enhancing the documentary’s depth.
Assigning Meaning to Techniques
When analyzing a documentary, it is crucial to consider why specific techniques and conventions were used:
• Narration: Might be used to provide an authoritative voice or to guide the audience through complex information.
• Exposition: Often sets the stage and ensures the audience has the necessary background to understand the documentary’s subject.
• Interviews: Bring authenticity and personal perspectives, making the topic more relatable and credible.
• Archival Footage: Grounds the documentary in reality, connecting past and present.
• Bespoke Footage: Ensures the documentary covers unique angles or specific elements crucial to the narrative.
• Montage: Can quickly convey a progression or build an emotional response.
• Re-enactments: Make abstract or historical events more accessible and engaging.
• Hand-held Camera: Creates a sense of immediacy and involvement.
Documentary Techniques and Conventions
Documentary-specific Techniques
1. Narration
• Definition: A voiceover that guides the audience through the documentary, providing context, commentary, and additional information.
• Purpose: Narration helps to frame the story, clarify complex points, and provide a cohesive structure to the documentary.
2. Exposition
• Definition: The portion of the documentary that provides background information, setting up the context for the audience.
• Purpose: Exposition introduces the topic, setting, and key issues, helping the audience to understand the subject matter.
3. Interviews
• Definition: Footage of people discussing their experiences, opinions, or expertise related to the documentary’s topic.
• Purpose: Interviews add credibility, provide personal insights, and present multiple perspectives on the subject.
4. Archival Footage
• Definition: Previously recorded video or film that is used to provide historical context or evidence.
• Purpose: Archival footage connects the present to the past, offering proof and enhancing the narrative with real events.
5. Bespoke Footage
• Definition: Original video content created specifically for the documentary.
• Purpose: Bespoke footage allows the filmmaker to capture unique moments, conduct specific experiments, or illustrate points in a controlled manner.
6. Montage
• Definition: A sequence of images or clips edited together to condense time, space, and information.
• Purpose: Montages can convey a lot of information quickly, illustrate processes, or create emotional impact through rapid juxtaposition.
7. Re-enactments
• Definition: Actors recreate events based on real-life occurrences to visually represent past events.
• Purpose: Re-enactments help visualize stories or events for which no visual record exists, making abstract or historical events more relatable.
8. Hand-held Camera
• Definition: A filming technique where the camera is held in the hand rather than being mounted on a tripod or other stabilizing device.
• Purpose: This technique often conveys a sense of realism, urgency, or intimacy, immersing the audience in the action.
Documentary-specific Multimodal Conventions
1. Camera Angle and Shot Type
• Definition: The position and framing of the camera during shooting.
• Purpose: Different angles and shot types can influence how the audience perceives the subject, creating a sense of power, vulnerability, or intimacy.
2. Colour & Lighting
• Definition: The use of light and color to create mood, highlight aspects of the scene, or convey symbolic meanings.
• Purpose: Lighting and color can affect the tone and atmosphere of the documentary, enhancing the emotional impact or drawing attention to specific details.
3. Mise-en-scène
• Definition: The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame, including setting, props, actors, and costumes.
• Purpose: Mise-en-scène helps to create a sense of place and time, supporting the narrative and thematic elements of the documentary.
4. Diegetic Audio
• Definition: Sound that originates from within the film’s world, such as dialogue, natural sounds, and sound effects.
• Purpose: Diegetic audio adds to the realism of the documentary, making the audience feel as if they are part of the scene.
5. Non-diegetic Audio
• Definition: Sound that is not part of the film’s world, such as background music, voiceovers, and sound effects added during post-production.
• Purpose: Non-diegetic audio can influence the audience’s emotions, underscore themes, and enhance the storytelling.
6. Object Symbolism
• Definition: The use of objects within the film to represent larger concepts or themes.
• Purpose: Symbolic objects can add layers of meaning, subtly conveying messages and enhancing the documentary’s depth.
Assigning Meaning to Techniques
When analyzing a documentary, it is crucial to consider why specific techniques and conventions were used:
• Narration: Might be used to provide an authoritative voice or to guide the audience through complex information.
• Exposition: Often sets the stage and ensures the audience has the necessary background to understand the documentary’s subject.
• Interviews: Bring authenticity and personal perspectives, making the topic more relatable and credible.
• Archival Footage: Grounds the documentary in reality, connecting past and present.
• Bespoke Footage: Ensures the documentary covers unique angles or specific elements crucial to the narrative.
• Montage: Can quickly convey a progression or build an emotional response.
• Re-enactments: Make abstract or historical events more accessible and engaging.
• Hand-held Camera: Creates a sense of immediacy and involvement.
