This document discusses some of the codes and conventions used in filming and editing interviews for documentaries. It outlines the use of cutaways to transition between questions or avoid jump cuts, the inclusion of music to set mood or illustrate topics, graphics to inform viewers about people and places, appropriate mise-en-scene or visual elements, varied camera shots and angles to maintain audience interest, and archived footage to provide additional context and depth. The guidelines help filmmakers structure documentaries to effectively communicate information and stories to viewers.

1. The Codes and Conventions of
Filming and Editing Interviews
By Jack Ward

2. Cut-Away
• Cut-away are used to break up interviews,
illustrate and avoid jump cuts when questions
are edited out.
For example, this cut away
of the ocean when someone
is being interviews about
the film ‘Jaws’
Cut away are always used
in documentaries. It
helps the audience
understand the topic
more.

3. Music
• Music is always used in documentaries. This is
to set the mood, make people feel a certain
way, or illustrate what someone is talking
about. For example, in a Madonna
documentary, they would play a lot of her
music so that the audience knows what sort of
music Madonna makes and what Madonna
sounds like.

4. Graphics
• Graphics are used in documentaries so that it
can inform the audience who a person in,
where a location is etcetera. An example of
this is shown in the image below.

5. Mise-En-Scene
• The word mise-en-scene is a French word
which translates to ‘in front of’ meaning, in
front of the camera. The mise-en-scene is
whatever is in front of the camera. It must be
appropriate to the topic of the documentary
and must better the audiences understanding
towards the theme of the documentary.

6. Various Camera Shots & Angles
• In a documentary (especially in a
documentary aimed at younger
people) the audience can get
bored very easily and the
camera shots and angles can
prevent this from happening. It
makes the documentary more
exciting and enjoyable to watch.

7. Archived Footage
• Documentaries use archived footage a lot to
give the audience more information and more
depth into the topic they’re watching about.
For example, a football documentary would
used archived footage of old games to show
how the game has developed.