The document discusses various techniques used in documentary filmmaking, including interviews, voiceovers, montages, and editing. Interviews allow filmed subjects to speak directly about events and give the audience a sense of realism. Montages convey ideas visually through sequencing shots in a specific order. Documentaries also make use of archival footage, reconstructed scenes, soundtracks, camerawork, and narrative structures to engage audiences.

2. • The voice over can be either , spoken while
the camera is filming, or added to the
soundtrack during the production.
• The filmmaker can speak directly to the
viewer, offering information, explanations and
opinions.

3. • The interview allows people being filmed to speak directly
about events asked by the interviewer
• An interview can take place on screen or off screen on a
different set.
• Interviews allow the viewer to gain a sense of realism that
the documentary makers views are mutually shared by
another person or source making it more valid
• Background footage may be used during an on screen
interview to keep the viewer entertained, engaged and also
provide evidence to back what the interviewer is saying or
evidence to what the interviewee is saying.
• Interviews on opposing sides of an issue may also be shown
to give the viewer comprehensive information about a
topic.

4. • A montage sequence conveys ideas visually by putting them in a
specific order in the film.
• Narrative montages involve the planning of sequence of shots used
to indicate changes in time and place within a film.
• Often used in documentaries are Ideational montages which link
actions with words.
• Positioning shots differently conveys different ideas to the viewer.
For example if a montage containing a negative theme followed by
a positive theme may give the viewer the idea that the positive
them is the main theme of the montage.
• Montages in documentaries are usually linked with words that
different people within the documentary’s say.
• Montages allow for a visually presented progression of ideas on the
screen.

5. • Exposition will occur at the beginning of a
documentary. It is important as It introduces the
themes within the documentary and creates the
viewer’s first impression and introduces them to the
content.
• Dramatic segments of the documentary are specially
chosen in order to catch the viewer’s attention.
• These shots are specifically positioned, so that the
montage positions us to believe a certain theme
presented by the documentary which enables the
documentary to present its view much more
persuasively to the viewer.

6. • Archival footage is material you get from
places like library's or archive in which you
then use in your documentary to show
historical events or to add detail without the
need for extra filming.
• This aids authenticity and adds to information
the film maker may not be able to obtain
themselves.

7. • These are artificial scenes of an event which has
been reconstructed and acted out on film based
on information of the event.
• They generally provide factual information, and
give the viewer a sense of realism, as if the event
really happened in front of them live.
• They often indicate that the footage is not real by
using techniques such as blurring, distortion,
lighting effects, changes in camera level, and
colour enhancement within the footage.

8. • Documentaries will usually have some sort of
sound track to back it. It is always relevant
and well fitting for example in ‘Supersize Me’
the music played in the background (Queen –
‘fat bottom girls’)fits well with the topic of
‘Obesity’
• The music will always have the correct sound
level in order not to interfere just like in
Supersize Me.

9. • Different camera angles are used within documentaries to
display and connote different things for example in
Supersize me during one of the vox pops, Spurlock chooses
to have quite a low angle shot of the male speaking this
gives a sense of realism which is then reinforced through the
use of hand held camera. This gives evidence of Spurlock
challenging the traditional codes and conventions of a
documentary as vox pops would usually use a still camera
involving a tripod.
• A lot of camera pans (up,down,across) and zooms (in and
out) will be used during documentaries to add to the realism
and engage with the viewer. For example the camera may
zoom in on an important piece of writing on a piece of paper
within the documentary.

10. • A Lot of the editing with documentaries will
be straight cuts purely because this makes it
more believable for the viewer
• By using straight cuts it also means that the
viewer won’t be distracted

11. • All documentaries have a narrative structure
and most are closed structures meaning they
have a conclusion and the questions are
answered at the end of it.

12. • Most documentaries tend to take either a
participatory mode or expository mode with
elements of the observational and per-
formative mode within them leaving very few
taking the reflexive mode as most
documentary film makers especially ‘realists’
who use ‘direct cinema’ as they want to
believe you are watching real life events and
this isn’t fake.

13. When looking on several websites I came across this video on
the BBC College of Journalism website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/collegeofjournalism/how-
to/how-to-interview/ask-clear-simple-interview-questions
• The video is off Jeremy Paxman explaining how to interview
titled ‘How To Interview’ – He describes the key features of
what to do when interviewing. This is useful to us as it will
mean we can take on board what he is saying and should then
be able to conduct good interviews when we start filming.
Some of his tips were :-
• Keep the questions simple, clear and direct
• Ask simple questions that make no assumptions about the
audience’s background knowledge if the subject is
complicated.

14. Whilst browsing the web I also decided to take notes on Parkinson’s
interview with Noel Gallagher, http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TLvdXV0n7zg Whilst watching I noticed he used the following:-
• Firstly He started off being quite flattering towards Noel to relax him
and make him feel comfortable with answering further questions to
come, this was clever as it meant that when more sensitive topics were
raised such as his childhood he was willing to answer
• Had done background research into Noel’s background
• Allowed for silence after sensitive issues were raised in some of his
questions, which also allowed for Noel to have a chance to reply,
comment or ask questions
• Used a lot of follow up questions
By watching this it has allowed me to realise how to start an interview
and how to build an interview up slowly in order to ask questions on a
sensitive topic which will be useful for us as a group as our topic is
‘Stereotypes’ Which can be quite a sensitive topic to talk about to some
As they feel negatively viewed because of their stereotype.