A2 Media Studies | Codes and Conventions of Documentaries

I will be describing the codes and conventions of documentaries that are broadcast by Channel 4 such as 'Britain's Benefit Tenants' and also other general documentaries which are broadcast on a channel such as National Geographic with a documentary such as 'Seconds From Disaster'.

I have gathered that the codes and conventions of a documentary may consist of the following:

• Narrative - Provides a story and a USP (Unique Selling Point) to the viewing audience.
• A setting which is appropriate for the documentary genre (e.g. expository or fly on the wall may be in a place which is worn down, evident on 'Benefits Street' and 'Britain's Benefit Tenants')
• [Channel 4] - Always seems to be some form of 'negative light' which causes mixed responses from the audience, again evident in a documentary such as 'Benefits Street'.
• Low or high key lighting dependent on the setting of the documentary (possibly the story too)
• A variety of camera shots and camera movement depicted in the clip.
• A range of establishing shots to help establish the setting of the documentary.
• Interviews with people (e.g. eyewitnesses (evident in 'Seconds From Disaster'), locals (evident in 'Benefits Street' and 'Britain's Benefit Tenants'))
• Often use of calming music/soundtrack (e.g. piano)

Following this list of codes and conventions I will also be explaining which of these are in Channel 4 documentaries and will also explain why they are evident.

• Narrative - This is evident in just about any documentary and the USP is sold to the audience from often discussing more personal subjects such as a community of benefit tenants and how they live their life or how education is in the United Kingdom (e.g. Educating Essex and Benefits Street).
• Key lighting dependent on setting - This is evident in Channel 4 documentaries as often low key as it contributes to fitting to the plot of the documentary. An example of this would be that the setting of 'Britain's Benefit Tenants' is very often low key and is also backed by very cloudy weather.
• Natural lighting - This lighting can occur within the environment of the film world and is similar to the key lighting as previously discussed, the natural lighting in the film world can offer or suggest realism and voice overs within a documentary extract.
• Interviews with people - This is evident in Channel 4 documentaries such as 'Benefits Street' as the subject is often shown as a resident of the street.
• Calming soundtrack - This is used in 'Benefits Street' as there is a soundtrack which is mostly composed by a piano which fits to establishing the drama that unfolds in James Turner Street.
• Variety of camera shots/movement - This was essential to establishing the setting of documentaries like Benefits Street and Educating Essex as the multiple camera shots contribute to selling the USP of the documentary to the viewing audience.

I believe the type of documentary I will be making is the observational documentary as I will be observing how a secondary school is in my text. The conventions that I might consider replicating in my text would be the use of key lighting, a variety of camerawork (movement, shots, and maybe composition), obviously the use of a narrative, and more importantly, a text which aims to provide a positive light which arguably subverts that of some Channel 4 documentaries which I have looked into and analysed before.