2. Cinematography/Camerawork:
• Both documentaries/interviews use the rule of thirds.
• Both also position all interviewee’s to the side of the camera shot and they each look
to the side of the camera when giving answers, avoiding direct address towards the
audience.
• The interviewee will typically never give direct address to the camera, they always
look to the side as if the interviewer is opposite them, to the side of the camera. The
interviewer addresses the interviewee, rather than the camera.
• The interviewee is always positioned to the side of the camera shot, to the left or
right.
• The conventional shots for an interview are usually close ups, medium close ups,
medium shots.
• Big close ups are occasionally used, specifically when emotion is shown.
• Rule of thirds is followed during the interview.
• Camera is typically mounted on top of a tripod, this makes the camera stable and
steady for the viewer’s to enjoy the footage. The camera is typically level with the
interviewee and the interviewee usually looks slightly lower than level of the
camera.
• Shallow/deep focus is occasionally used in interviews, this is to make the viewer’s
concentrate on something in particular, usually the interviewee.
3. Editing:
• Both documentaries/interviews use cutaways and straight cuts to avoid jump cuts and allow the interview to
flow.
• Both also edit out the questions.
• Both use observational and archive footage at times, which relate to what is being said in the background of the
footage.
• All interview questions are edited out so that the interview flows nicely and keeps viewer’s entertained.
• Because of this, the interviewee must ensure they can outline the question in their answer so that the viewer’s
understand what they are talking about.
• Cutaways are regularly used to avoid jump cuts and allow the interview and footage to flow nicely.
• The cutaways are always relevant, and will always correspond with what is being talked about in the
background (from the interview).
• Graphics are superimposed so visible on screen.
4. Mise-En-Scene:
• The background used for the interviews in the ‘Jaws’ and ‘Simpsons’
documentaries are highly relevant, its clear that there is a shark in the
background of the interview, which obviously relates to the film and the topic of
what each interviewee is talking about. In the Simpsons interviews, the
background is also very relevant to the Simpsons, as they include characters in
the background of each interview.
• The mise-en-scene is always carefully considered for an interview. Props are used
to relate to the topic which is being spoke about or to the interviewee
themselves, if they are important to the documentary.
• The interviewee is usually sat level with the camera, towards the right or left of
the screen and rarely sat bang in the middle of the camera.
• The location used for most interviews is either natural (home, library, etc.) or in a
room which shows relevance to what the interviewee is talking about. Interviews
rarely take place outside unless relevant.
• A suitable amount of lighting is typically used for the camera, this is to make the
shot look more interesting and work well with the viewer’s eyes to keep them
interested.
5. Graphics:
• Both use graphics for the interviewee’s relevance to the documentary, only the Simpson’s interviews uses the names of the interviewee’s
in most cases although the Jaws’ interviews do sometimes include the name of the interviewee along with the relevance.
• Most commonly two lines of text, the one on top being the name of the interviewee, and underneath is their relevance to the
documentary.
• The top line’s text is conventially larger than the second line’s text. Name typically bigger than relevance.
• The font used for graphics should in someway correspond to the footage and topic of the documentary. It also must be easy to read, and is
usually a white coloured text. The font used in the Simpson’s interviews looks quite animated which obviously corresponds with the
Simpson’s franchise.
