Conventions of Genre:Documentaries

Realism

The point of documentaries is to document events, meaning they must have a somewhat true representation of the topic they are exploring.

A way in which I conveyed realism within my documentary was by using no external voices and having my production narrated only by those involved in the documentary. Hearing stories directly from those people involved aids in realism as it is a first-hand account, making it more believable.

Sound and Lighting

This point ties slightly into realism, as it involves keeping these aspects natural so as not to take away from the immersive experience. With my documentaries being able music and shows, sound and lighting were a key element.

I followed this conventions by using little to know filters on my footage, focusing on the light created by the stage lights in the venue. As well as this, I used the original audio from Flip Like Wilson’s set in my production to connote their DIY and low budget style.

Authentic or Rare Footage

A large amount of people who watch documentaries have previous interest in the topic, meaning that there is potentially a lot of footage that these people have already seen. In order to prevent this, documentary makers film a lot of their own footage or find people who can help them access rare older footage.

In my production, I used only footage that I had recorded, and I also arranged for interviews to ask specific questions rather than using old interview footage that may talk about the subjects I wanted to address in my production.