Codes and Conventions of the Documentary Genre

After watching a number of different documentaries, I was able to summarise what the different codes and conventions of the documentary genre were; things that were present in all or at least most documentaries ranging from features of interviews to graphics. By listing these, I would be able to use my list as a sort of check-list for when I was producing my own documentary - by using a large amount of codes and conventions that are featured in professional documentaries, I would be able to make my own documentary appear to be more professional. The list of codes and conventions of the documentary genre that I produced can be seen here.  

• Interviews
• Variation of camera angles
• Voice of God; the influence of the narrator on the audience
• Cutaways
• Reconstructions of a particular event in relation to the topic of documentary
• Archive Footage
• Trend/Themes that are explored within the narrative
• Linear Narrative to make it easy to understand
• Leaves question for the audience to answer
• Music Bed throughout certain sections of the documentary
• Credits/Titles to introduce the documentary or an interviewee in an interview
• Graphics 
• Diegetic/Non Diegetic sound
• Audience never hear questions asked
• Dramatisation
• The interviewee never looks into the camera. Always at interviewer.
• Argument/Conflict that usually strengthens in the middle
• Snappy transitions
• Alters position of each interviewee
• Camera angles often used to inflict opinion
• Shot on location
• Graphic's font and colour doesn't distract from the subject.
• Font of graphic often relates to the documentaries theme.
• Each person is introduced
• Use of Green screens or projected background
• Clear Narrative
• Interviews always interrupted to make it interesting
• Vox Pops: The voice of the community
• Actual Footage
• Match on Action
• Fact against opinion
• Sound effects
• Influencing camera angles
• No questions answered on screen
• Rule of thirds
• Eyeline Match
• Continuety editing
• Dramatisation
• Montage of clips (usually at the beginning of the narrative)
• Experts as evidence
• Observations
• Witnesses
• Ambient sound of surrounding environment
• Unbiased opinion through the exposition
• Variety of interviews to display the different opinions
• Graphics at the bottom of the screen; easy to read and not distracting