These documents discuss the key differences between current affairs programs and documentaries, and provide guidance on structuring a documentary narrative. Documentaries take longer to produce than current affairs programs and do not have the same deadline pressures. An effective documentary relies on a clear narrative structure with a beginning, middle, and end, focusing on characters and conflicts. It also uses techniques like music, lighting, movement and visuals to enhance the narrative and elicit emotional responses from audiences.

1. Current Affairs
These are different to
documentaries and are
journalist based programmes
that aim to address news in
more depth.

2. Differences between
documentaries and
current affairs
• The pressure of deadlines doesn’t apply to
documentaries.
• Documentaries can take months to make
whereas current affairs have to be up to
date.

3. Structuring a
documentary
• They rely heavily on traditional
conventions of narratives
• In other words there is a definite start,
middle and end
• They have strong focus on character and
conflict
• Other conventions of narrative forms are
also used such as music, special setting
and special lighting also

4. The beginning
• The central question can be posed at the
beginning in an intriguing way
• Alternatively the most dramatic piece of
action footage can be there or interview
cuts in conflict with each other can get the
audiences attention at the start.

5. The middle
• This is also known as the complication stage
• It often examines the issue in discussion in
human terms with a strong focus on people and
their opinions
• The conflict is strengthened to provide
blockages for the fulfillment of the exposition
• All complications will most eventually support the
exposition.

6. The end
• This makes the exposition fully apparent
by the end or the resolution stage.
• The audience has no doubt what the
programme is saying.

7. Conflict Stage
• Can be between people with different
beliefs, goals, circumstances or ambition
• This can also be within the individual with
the surrounding or between the
generations and/or social classes
• CONFLICT MUST BE SHOWN IN
ACTION
• Confrontation orchestrated fir the camera
and often develops through stages

8. Sense of movement
• Can add strength to the narrative of the
documentary
• There are three types of movement:
• PHYSICAL: eg. Change of location
• TIME MOVEMENT: eg. Chance of
seasons
• PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES: eg. Ex
prisoner adjusting to the outside world.

9. Music and sound
effects
• Sound is effective in producing an
emotional reaction and response from the
audience

10. Lighting
• To achieve realism and authenticity good
lighting is essential and key
• Professional lighting can give the game
away and take away from the realism

11. Construction of
reality
• When you watch a documentary you need
to ask not just what you are being shown
but what you aren't being shown.
• This could be due to bias or preference
along with a selection and rejection of
information also known as gate keeping.

12. Visuals
• What we see on the screen is the visuals
and includes archive footage
• Stock materials are used to support the
intended meaning

13. Narrative
structure
• Open: audience is left to make its own mind up
at the end
• Closed: definite ending and outcome at the end
is shown
• Single strand: there’s only one main plot
throughout
• Multi strand: more than one narrative and
sometimes its crossed over.
• Linear: its chronological order

14. Narrative
structure
• Non linear: doesn’t follow a chronological order
• Circular: the question at the start is revisited at
the end and circular narratives: can tie in with an
open narrative.
• VOX BOPS: this is short for voice of the people
and consists of street interviews and each
person is asked the same question, and all the
answers are strung together in a short sequence
and its good for suggesting a general agreement
or opposition to a point.