Factual programing

By Victor Slynn

Codes and Conventions of factual programming

A presentation exploring the codes and conventions of factual programming, and the various types of documentary films.

5 modes of Documentaries Investigative

• This is the most common form of documentary film making and it uses a common problem which it then tries to solve, which is in the interest of the audience, and that is also very relevant to a current issue• It starts with a question which it then explores and then comes back to in the conclusion of the documentary

• Dramatic filmic techniques are often used to heighten the tension and draw the audience into the documentary world.

Film example - The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Television - Panorama

5 modes of Documentaries Ethnological

• A type of Documentary that looks at the lives and culture of a particular society in a scientific or analytical fashion.• Can often see a reporter living the lives of the society or taking part in the culture, in order to get a realistic idea as to what the culture is actually like

Film example - 11th hour

Television - Into the Unknown

5 modes of Documentaries Expository

• This is the most common used form that uses a 'voice of god' narration to shape the message of the documentary.• The unseen narrator's words take on a type of power and authority, which is amplified by the style of delivery and tone used.

• This genre is designed to bring forth an argumentAs the views expressed are always mediated by the voice over, this form has strict over the meaning and spectator response.

Film example - supersize me

Television - Educating Essex

5 modes of Documentaries Observational

• It is very authentic, there is no direction from the director, and the things that happen within the documentary are purely raw.• The problem with this, is that it might not be as interesting as the director would have originally intended, and there is a limited amount of creativity and direction that the head director can provide.

Film - Spell bound

TV - Pineapple Dance studios

5 modes of Documentaries Interactive

The director is full on and is engaged with the subject.This documentary form is often considered to be the purest, as it does not try to hide the medium.

This type of film would include a lot of direct address as it would be wanting to inform the audience of various facts and experiences that they have already discovered Morgan Spurlock, Michael Moore

Film - Greatest movie ever sold

Louis and the Nazis

Codes and Conventions

studio news readersfield reporters - linked to studio

interviewing indent

rolling newsdirect address

a deskinteresting back drop presenter

talking headsspeech directed off to one side

every interviewee at the same eye level

How does the Newsroom highlight the codes and conventions of the factual news programme?It includes the following things -

Back of the news roomsocial media

Find news stories out of nothingdesk

smart dressAdvertisement run TV

They receive the news alert about an incident. They receive the first load of information about the incident.Contact every possible source angle related to the incident

Auto CuePhone calls to sources

DeskNotesChair

Television in the background live news room in the background

How does the episode focus on the issues facing producers of factual programmes?• They face the problems of having to stay politically unbiased

• They have to make sure the anchors are happy working together• They have to trust the news source and trust the news source.