2. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
O Format: Film
O Michael Moore tackles America’s obsession with
firearms in this Oscar-winning documentary that
examines the Columbine High School shootings.
3. Forms and conventions
Handheld camera movement Interviews (talking heads)
Usually mid shots, close up
shots, extreme close up shots to
keep the focus on what they are
saying
Hand-held cameras are used because they
allow greater freedom of motion during
filming.
Also in documentaries they wouldn’t
necessarily used tripods because this
technique is time consuming if needed to do
interviews etc..
4. Forms and conventions
Personal clips Clear voice over
Personal clips make the
documentary more believable to the
audience.
Voice overs are used
commonly in documentaries to
explain information the
audience.
5. Forms and conventions
Archival footage Background music
As well having a voice over, this scene also
includes the form of background music.
Archives gives the illusion of a
more serious or historical
content.
More frequently used to show
older, classical, historical clips.
E.g. Life in the war
6. Negatives of documentary
O Throughout Moore’s documentary, Michael portrays
black male as violent people. Moore shows repeated
clips of making black males appear as the main villains
of crime in America. They are showing mainly the
negatives of black males.
