THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF INTERVIEWS

A TV DOCUMENTARY By Jack Ettinger

THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS ARE…

The Camerawork In TV documentaries the interviews camera work are normally in a stable shot

and filmed in a medium long shot , medium close up, close up and a big close up.

The interviewee does give direct address they talk and look beyond the camera. The rule of thirds is use in the interviews in the way the interviewee’s are

presented in the frame. The frame is divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. The interview eyes should be level with the upper parts of the lines and either to the left or right. The camera should be camera level.

The Mise-en-scene The mise-en-scene in TV documentaries is normally relevant to the topic

of the documentary for example in the background of the documentary “In The teeth Of Jaws” which is about Jaws the movie, has sharks and the coast in the background of the interviews. In the Simpsons documentary “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special” has Simpsons characters in the background. The camera, lighting, clothing and the background are all elements to the mise-en-scene.

THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS ARE…

The Editing The editing in TV documentaries is normally use cutaway to break up the interviews to avoid jump cuts, to

make the documentary more interesting and illustrate the subject. Normally the cuts from the interviews to archive footage and actuality footage. There is use of Chroma key in TV documentary interviews where the archive material is added as or in the background to the interviews using greenscreens.This is used in the Simpsons documentary “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special” to insert the character in the background.

The questions are edited out of the documentary

The Graphics The graphics are superimposed on to the interviews and can appear in a banner for example in the “In The

teeth Of Jaws” they have a blue banner and in the Simpsons documentary “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special” it has a chalk board which appears in the documentary.

The text which is superimposed, gives the details of the interviewees names which is normally on the first line in a larger font and their job or role in the documentary in a smaller font on the line below.

THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS ARE…

EXAMPLES OF CODES AND CONVENTIONS …

Rule of thirds

Off centre to the left

A stable shot

A medium close shot

Chroma key to insert the character in the background

Superimposed graphics and banner

Archive material in the background

High key lighting

Talking and looking off the

camera

EXAMPLES OF CODES AND CONVENTIONS …

Rule of thirds

Off centre to the right

A stable shot

A medium long shot

Chroma key to insert the character in the background

Simpsons characters in the

backgroundArchive material in

the background

High key lighting

Talking and looking off the

camera