According to John Carter of the University of Liverpool, there are 5 main elements of a documentary: 1) Observation, which puts the audience in the role of eyewitness. 2) Interview, which contrasts observation sequences and is structured through intercutting or uninterrupted sequences. 3) Dramatization, which conveys people and events the creator cannot access, based on fact. 4) Mise-en-scene, what directors put in the frame like lighting and props. 5) Exposition, the line of argument or thesis the documentary puts forth for audiences to draw their own conclusions.

1. Matthew Turnbull

2. There are 5 main elements to a documentary
according to John Carter of the University of
Liverpool.
Observation:-
This is putting the audience in a role of
eyewitness where the camera seems to be
unseen. There is an indirect address towards
the audience e.g. the speech over heard is a
common aspect of this en-scene observation.

3.  Interview:-
 Television documentaries have the use of
interviews to make a contrast between
observation sequences and are structured in 2
ways. Either intercut fragments or observation,
or a completely uninterrupted sequence.

4.  Dramatisation:-
 All documentaries have a sense of drama, used
to convey people and events that the creator
cannot gain access to in real life, the sequences
are said to be based on fact, and this maybe
closely seen as related to a “reconstruction”.

5.  Mise-en-scene:-
 This is what directors and producers actually
put into the frame e.g. the lighting and props
used in an interview.

6.  Exposition:-
 This is the line of argument in a documentary
which is what “the doc’s saying”, leading to
the audience to draw their own conclusions.