Conventions of Factual Programs and Documentaries

1. Conventions of Factual
Programmes & Documentaries
Jonathan Vianello

2. What is a factual programme?
Factual television is a genre of non-fiction television
Documents actual events and people
Educates/informs or explores a topic/issue or
situation
Contains the use of FACTS or OPINION to justify and
support arguments/information

3. Factual programme conventions
Anchor/Newsreader or Studio Reader
 Is the person who reads out the news
 Is also involved in the researching and writing of the news
(not just a pretty face)
 Will use specific language and should always appear impartial
 Keep eye contact with the camera and appear professional at
all times

5. Field Reporters
 Report from a location outside of the main studio
 Usually called a Correspondent
 Will provide more detail on the story they are reporting
 Spend their time living in the location or close to it in order
to be able to present back to the studio
 Are qualified journalists
 Are sometimes involved in dangerous situations

7. Links to Studio
 Cutting to another TV News studio or location for more information
 More frequent in high end, important stories
 Special witness accounts
 Live interviews

8. Mode of Address to the Viewer
 How is the information communicated to the audience
 Unbiased and impartial
 Tone of voice
 Language used
 Speed of delivery
 Construction of show (Overview of headlines, greeting,
progress into each story, sign off)
 Hard news then soft news
 Domestic vs International
 Local news branch after national news

9. BBC News at 10pm 09/06/14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt_uvf9Xq3M

10. Interviews with Experts & Witnesses
Help support a point or comment in a story
Allows the story to become more real/serious
Important to allow stories to have justification and
standing
Allows different sides of the story to be presented
Can explain difficult issues or topics

11. Actuality footage
Allows viewers ‘to see’ what's happening
Makes stories seem more real
Can allow specific elements of a story to be
understood
Is sometimes the only way to explain a story
Engages the viewer more

12. Documentary Programme Conventions
Hand Held Camera
Realism and truth
Shaky cam
Very common in documentaries
Heighten tension
Allows access to areas/situation and people
easier

13. Narrative Voice Over
Acts as a guide/lead to the documentary
Is sometimes a character from within the
documentary or a known celebrity
Allows certain pieces of information to be explained
Thoughts and feelings can be expressed
Sometimes required in order to help documentary
story progress

14. Louis Theroux in Vegas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNAqNwD8BJ4

15. Vox Pops & Interviews
 Quick insights into peoples’ opinions
 Help gather a range of opinions or outlooks
 Common among community based issues/topics.
 Also known as ‘Talking Heads’

16. Archive Footage & Still Images
 Some documentaries rely on archive footage as the issue/subject/topic is in the
past
 Often brings new light onto evets/people
 Needs permission to be used
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGsczwEKnOI

17. Editing
Editing is vital to the delivery of a documentary
The collision of shots (editing) can change the
meaning of information
Tend to be more creative as technology develops
Cutting can be rough and not so clean, to add
impact
It’s what creates the story

18. Excerpt from ‘Bowling for Columbine’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYApo2d8o_A

19. U27A2
 Consider all the previous slides when discussing the
convention of factual programmes.
 You may use the examples in this presentation within your
discussion
 Try and locate your own examples as well
 To achieve distinction you must explain COMPREHENSIVELY
the convention within factual programmes.