Evaluation

When filming our documentary we knew we wanted to film two different people, we wanted an age range between the two people to show the differences in opinions. The problem was we couldn't get an adult to interview so we had to use two teenagers. Both these opinions would of been similar compared to adult vs. teenager. we interviewed two of our friends, i believe these interviews went well as they were comfortable in front of the camera with people they knew. This made the atmosphere on the interview seem relaxed.

We filmed some cut aways too which linked in with the questions being asked. We tried to make these comical for the audience but also serious at the same time, so the documentary came out serious and well produced as well as funny. When editing these cut aways to the questions, it was difficult as we had to make the documentary flow and make sure they linked together in some way. I believe this was the hardest part of the editing process, as well as the editing of the interview.

The interview was quite hard to edit as there was a lot of laughing, but we needed to capture the serious parts of the interview and also edit out the questions.

prelim video

Researching Documentaries

Green Lantern Interview

I found this documentary on the 4OD website. It follows the codes and conventions of a documentary, since the interviewee is looking at the interviewer when answering questions, does this as if there isn't a camera there. Also the interviewee is on the right of the screen as the interview is using the 180 rule. The interview also follows the idea of the background re-enforcing the interview, so we know what the interview is about. It is filmed over his shoulder so we know she's interviewing him.

Richard Taylor Interview

This interview doesn't follow the basic codes and conventions of an interview. Interviews are usually shot from the medium close up or close up, where as this interview isn't shot in this way, its shot in a long shot. This interview is filmed with the eye line one third of the way down the screen.

The interviewee isn't shot over the shoulder of the interviewer. Also this shot is using the rule of thirds as he is positioned on the left side of the screen. The light is in front of the interviewee too, this follows the codes and conventions.

Rule Of Thirds

In The Teeth Of Jaws - Part One

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special In 3d On Ice Part 1

This is the rule of thirds, which is used in documentaries so that you can see the back ground which links in with the subject of the interview. The person being interviewed is either at the left or right of the screen. (so on either of the vertical white lines) This makes the interview seem more interesting because it seems more like an interview rather than the person being interviewed being in the center of the shot.

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

• People being interviewed, framed in a medium shot, medium close up or close up.
• Interviewees framed to left or right of the screen. To show a range of shots when having more than one interviewee.
• Framing with the rule of thirds. Eyeline is a third of the way down the frame.
• Interviewees looking at the interviewer, not the camera.
• If the interviewee is on the RIGHT the interviewer is on the LEFT, and the likewise.
• Mise en scene, the background reinforces the content of the interview.
• Interviews are never filmed with the light behind, the light is always in front of the interviewee.
• Questions the interviewees are being asked, are edited out.
• Cutaways are put into interviews for two reasons: 1. To break up the interviewand to illistrate what the interviewee is talking about. 2. To avoid jump cuts when questions are edited out
• Cutaways are either: 1. Archive material 2. Suggested by something said in the interview and therefore filmed after the interview. 3. Sometimes aspects of the interviewee are filmed with another camera, such as exstream close ups of eyes, mouths and hands and used as cutaways
• Graphics are used to anchor who the person on screen is and their revelance to the topic of the document.

In The Teeth Of Jaws - Part 1



The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special In 3d On Ice Part 1