These documents discuss the key differences between current affairs programs and documentaries, and provide guidance on structuring a documentary narrative. Documentaries take longer to produce than current affairs programs and do not have the same deadline pressures. An effective documentary relies on a clear narrative structure with a beginning, middle, and end, focusing on characters and conflicts. It also uses techniques like music, lighting, movement and visuals to enhance the narrative and elicit emotional responses from audiences.
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Current affairs
1. Current Affairs
These are different to
documentaries and are
journalist based programmes
that aim to address news in
more depth.
2. Differences between
documentaries and
current affairs
• The pressure of deadlines doesn’t apply to
documentaries.
• Documentaries can take months to make
whereas current affairs have to be up to
date.
3. Structuring a
documentary
• They rely heavily on traditional
conventions of narratives
• In other words there is a definite start,
middle and end
• They have strong focus on character and
conflict
• Other conventions of narrative forms are
also used such as music, special setting
and special lighting also
4. The beginning
• The central question can be posed at the
beginning in an intriguing way
• Alternatively the most dramatic piece of
action footage can be there or interview
cuts in conflict with each other can get the
audiences attention at the start.
5. The middle
• This is also known as the complication stage
• It often examines the issue in discussion in
human terms with a strong focus on people and
their opinions
• The conflict is strengthened to provide
blockages for the fulfillment of the exposition
• All complications will most eventually support the
exposition.
6. The end
• This makes the exposition fully apparent
by the end or the resolution stage.
• The audience has no doubt what the
programme is saying.
7. Conflict Stage
• Can be between people with different
beliefs, goals, circumstances or ambition
• This can also be within the individual with
the surrounding or between the
generations and/or social classes
• CONFLICT MUST BE SHOWN IN
ACTION
• Confrontation orchestrated fir the camera
and often develops through stages
8. Sense of movement
• Can add strength to the narrative of the
documentary
• There are three types of movement:
• PHYSICAL: eg. Change of location
• TIME MOVEMENT: eg. Chance of
seasons
• PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES: eg. Ex
prisoner adjusting to the outside world.
9. Music and sound
effects
• Sound is effective in producing an
emotional reaction and response from the
audience
10. Lighting
• To achieve realism and authenticity good
lighting is essential and key
• Professional lighting can give the game
away and take away from the realism
11. Construction of
reality
• When you watch a documentary you need
to ask not just what you are being shown
but what you aren't being shown.
• This could be due to bias or preference
along with a selection and rejection of
information also known as gate keeping.
12. Visuals
• What we see on the screen is the visuals
and includes archive footage
• Stock materials are used to support the
intended meaning
13. Narrative
structure
• Open: audience is left to make its own mind up
at the end
• Closed: definite ending and outcome at the end
is shown
• Single strand: there’s only one main plot
throughout
• Multi strand: more than one narrative and
sometimes its crossed over.
• Linear: its chronological order
14. Narrative
structure
• Non linear: doesn’t follow a chronological order
• Circular: the question at the start is revisited at
the end and circular narratives: can tie in with an
open narrative.
• VOX BOPS: this is short for voice of the people
and consists of street interviews and each
person is asked the same question, and all the
answers are strung together in a short sequence
and its good for suggesting a general agreement
or opposition to a point.