This document outlines codes and conventions for camerawork, archive material, mise-en-scene, and editing in a mixed documentary. It recommends using medium close ups and close ups framed from left or right angles with the interviewee not looking directly at the camera. For archive material, it suggests using still images and chromakeying with a blue or green background. The mise-en-scene should be appropriate to the subject using simple fonts, relevant music and sounds, and facts to anchor the time and place. Editing cuts should not distract, and a montage, dissolves, and voice over are used to glue the narrative structure together.

1. Codes & Conventions of a
mixed documentary
Emilia Bowles

2. Camerawork
 Medium close up / close up framework
 Left or right angled camera – never centred
 Interviewee doesn’t look directly at the camera
 Eye line third of the way down the screen
 Interviewee sits on chair
 Not a handheld – tripod – observational handheld
 Light source in-front of interviewee
 Variety of camera angles – zooming
 Establishing shot of location

3. ArchiveMaterial
Still Image
Chromakey
- Blue / Green Background

4. Mise-en-Scene
 The mise-en-scene of a mixed documentary is
appropriate to the subject
 Topic of relevance
 Simple fonts
 Anchors the place and time – appropriate to subject
 Relevant music to the documentary
 Diegetic sounds
 Voice of God – standard / well spoken narrator
 Facts and statistics used
 Non diegetic used in situation
 Voice over glues together the narrative structure

5. Editing
 Cuts don’t distract audience
 Montage of the subject
 Dissolve images
 Avoid jump cuts
 Don’t hear the interviewer asking questions to
interviewee during the interviews