Conventions of documentaries

1. CONVENTIONS OF
DOCUMENTARIES

2. A documentary film is one that aims to inform,
entertain and educate. A documentary argues a
opinions using different voices and perspectives,
in order to persuade an audience and create
public interest. Conventions in a documentary
are used to achieve these aims.

3. A documentary has narrative conventions which
have a definite beginning, middle and end.

4. The beginning
The beginning of a
documentary sets out a
central question that the
film will focus on. Action
footage and a quick
selection of interview
footage is used here to assist
the narration that has been
set out for the audience.
This evokes an interest in

5. The middle
The middle of a documentary
film is effectively the beginning
of the complication; it is where
the director or the film maker
begins examining the issue
using various points of view.
More detail is used including
voice differences with various
opinions and arguments. These
conflicting perspectives give the

6. The end
The end of the documentary film
makes the exposition fully
apparent; complications are
resolved so no doubt is left in the
audience. They are persuaded to
agree with the opinion and point
of view that has been put across
by the film maker.

7. There are several more
conventions that are included in a
documentary to evoke more public
interest in the audience, or to
persuade them to an opinion.

8. Exposition
This is the narration using rhetoric and factual
information to persuade the audience to a point
of view. These facts could be given from an
interviewee. This is a distinct feature that is used
by the expositional mode, which mostly uses
images to assist an off-screen voice over. Shots
and footage that feature in the documentary are
mediated to catch the viewer’s attention by
presenting a specific theme. These images are
much more persuasive to the viewer than the

9. Interviews
The interview is a common basis that is used
throughout documentaries to persuade the
audience to an opinion or point of view.
Interviews allow the subjects in the film to
express their point of view about events or the
topic being expressed. Interviews with experts
are sometimes used by the film maker to further
persuade the audience to a point of view that
has been expressed in the documentary.
Voxpops are interviews with the general public

10. Voice over
This can be off screen or on screen. Off screen
voice overs are commonly a feature of the
expositional mode, and an on screen voice over
is an aspect of the participatory mode. This a
commentary or narration given by the film
maker whilst footage is being shown. This allows
the film maker to directly address the audience,
and offer an explanation, opinion or information
about the events that are unfolding on screen.

11. Conflict
Conflict is used throughout documentaries in
interviews to give different points of view. These
interviews can be given by experts on the topic,
or by normal people to express different beliefs
that cannot be given by the film maker. This
gives a dramatic element to the documentary as
these conflicting points of views are sometimes
shown through the reconstruction of evidence.

12. Music and sound effects
Sound effects can be used in a documentary film
to provoke an emotional response to the viewer.
Depending on the tone and pace of the music,
the audience can pull connotations from this.

13. Selection and construction
This is also known as mediation. The director
chooses which shots and footage to use in the
documentary film. By doing this, the film is more
specific to the theme or topic. Footage can be
chosen to fit the audience demographic, the
context of the documentary and what point of
view or opinion is being shown in that current
event.

14. Archival footage
Archival/stock footage is put into a documentary
to signify a historical event that is linked to the
theme which is being discussed in the
documentary. This can be used in the film to
further explain a topic, or to provide evidence to
persuade an audience to an opinion or a point
of view.

15. Inserts and cutaways
These are used to maintain the audience’s
interest in the documentary and is a common
feature of the expositional mode as the images
are directly linked to the event or theme. Clips
and footage are shown that are relevant to the
topic being discussed by the narrator. The image
can be used to expand on the subject at hand.

16. Actuality
This is the term used for footage of real life
events, which sometimes can give the ‘fly on the
wall’ effect. Actuality is a record of real events,
people and situations through footage. This
conventional feature of documentaries informs
and educates the reader. This can be done
through the use of point of view shots and off
screen narration.

17. Reconstructions
This adds a sense of fiction to a documentary.
Artificial scenes of events are acted out based
on the information that we know about what
happened. These are used to provide factual
evidence to aid a documentary and to give the
audience a sense of realism. It is shown to the
viewer that this reconstruction is not real by the
use of techniques and effects; blurring,
distortion, lighting effects and changes in shot
types and camera angles.