By Sophie White

THE CONSTRUCTION OF FACTUAL

PROGRAMMES – ISSUES, CODES AND

CONVENTIONS

INTRODUCTION

In this power point I am hoping to illistrate the codes and coventions of factual

programming and how they can inform and determine the audiences responses.

I will also compare the 5 modes of documentary and analyse the conventions of

news programmes.

WHAT ARE THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF

FACTUAL PROGRAMMING ?

There are many basic codes and conventions in factual production and these represent the typical signs and events that we generally see in any type of factual production whether this be TV documentries or TV news. These are often things that we don ’t realise are planned and we think they are just meant to be there. This may be the main presenter on the news or the fact that every documentary will have shown basic evidence such as statistics that are not really noticed whilst watching but are there to prove the factual base of the story. These coventions can also vary depending on the audience for example if you are watching a political documentary the creater may want you to be outraged so they may edit the informations so they can get this reponce to do this would be following a convention of political documenties as many think that they alter there information to make the situation controversial. This will be very different if they just want to inform the audience as they might just do ths by stating the correct facts and showing evidence. The audiences response can be controlled by the documentary and how they chose to structure it. These structures come in the shape of the 5 modes.

EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY

The main purpose of an expository documentary is to create and fight for a particular subject

possibly making a controversial argument. They will tend to feature many facts and statistics to use

as evidence to make you believe just that little bit more. The main presenter/narrator will speak

directly to the viewer trying to get them to engage and interact with the evidence they are presenting

overall trying to pursuade you to their side. There main goal is to get you to change your thoughts

on that particular subject. They will use a clear narrator that is not often seen this will make the

voice appear authoritive this authority often makes us trust them. This narrator will most likely

address the audience directly again this is trying to pull in the audience and wants to make you a

part of there argument. These documentries have a lot of controvosy surronding them as they often

are opionated and can provide false evidence and they often alter footage so that it suits their

purposes.

There are many examples of expository documentries such as Americas most wanted, Paranormal

experiences and many more.

EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTRY : BENEFITS STREET

Benefits street is a popular and controversial documentry that appeared on channel 4. It

documents the life of the families on the famous benefits street which is the most highly

populated area of benefit claimers. This documentry follows many of the key themes of

expository documentry and follows many of its codes and coventions such as there being a

narrator that never appears in front of the camera instead it becomes reliants on the family

and short interviews where the family make there point. They also have created this

documentry to make it opinionated as it grasps peoples attention and has a varied response

after it was found that they altered most of there footage to suit there needs. Instead of using

facts and figures as many expository documentries do they instead have let the footage of the

street occupiers to speak for themselves . Overall the documentry was controversial and this

is the main impact and purpose of an expository documentry.

To see an example of benefits street see : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkKJQF1xSJU

OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTRY

Observational documentry is basically just what it sounds like it is when the main creater will

just observe the the subject with minimal interaction possible. This does mean that they are

shot informally on the go sometimes with just a handheld camera they also will feature not

interviews and possibly may have no voice over. They allow the events speak for

themeselves. You may also hear these documentries being refered to as “fly on the wall “

documenties this is just what they want to reanact in the documentry itself. These

documentries will have no given agenda this means they can show whats happeing without

having the impact of being bias or trying to opininate an audience. This means there will be a

lack of facts and figure although they still may feature them to edjucate the audinece. In

modern times these documentries often come in the form of reality TV such as the popular

shows like big brother or Made in Chelsea.

OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTRY : BIG BROTHER

Big Brother Is a very modern take on observational documentry it follows a group of people as

they competing in tasks while they are trapped in a house away from the civilisations outside.

In the recent year it has become a staple on our TV’s. Big Brother has many of the features of

an observational documentry for one it is all shot through cctv camera and has no interuption

by the main maker of the documentry instead it allows the events to flow as they do. This can

mainly be seen through the many times that filming is not always needed like while they are

sleeping or even how they carry out there daily lives but we see it all anyway. I think that

these are mostly watched because it allows the audience to be nossy and see how others live

and how they can face problems such as the tasks set.

To see a clip of big brother check : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoP34cfyfv8

PARTICIPATORY DOCUMENTARY

Participatory is the direct opposite of observational, instead of stopping any interuption with

the subject it instead tries to get as involved as possible whether this is trying to takepart in

the subjects daily events or just interviewing them. The filmaker will record the interactions

between them and the subject hopefully gaining more experience to portrait the the subject to

the audience more realistically. This does mean that the film maker is heavily featured in the

documentary this also allows you to see how it changes them. These documentaries are very

intrusive on the subjects life and often mean that both them and the film maker have to

diverege as much imformation as possible not only on there experience but also their lives.

They are mostly filmed on handheld cameras that are not hard to carry or use on a day to day

basis so that life can go on as normal as possible. These are a popular choice of documentary

when people are trying to learn new cultures such as the documentary that features David

Attenborough trying to learn the day to day routines of african tribes. Others include Truth of

the Armish and the many Danny Dyer documentaries.

PARTICIPATORY DOCUMENTARY : DANNY DYER

DEADLIEST MEN

This documentary series follows the celebrity Danny Dyer and his interations with some of the

deadliest men. These include past murders and many gang leaders that can still pose danger.

Like many participatory it involves Dyer getting involved with the people hearing them tell

there stories and exploring there past. The documentary shows the truth behind many stories

of these deadly men by becoming an eaquel to them. This really makes you see the world

from there eyes without judgement and any opinionated facts.

To see more of this documentary check : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igq4lMXUWpc

REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARY

In a reflexive documentary they will show the process of the film maker making the

documentary and the content within them. The viewer will typically be just as interested about

the film is made and how the film is made just as much as its actual content. They will like

most documentaries feature a lead narrator mostly in the role of explaining what is happening.

It edjucates the audience of the difficulties of making a documentary film and the sort of

situations they can get into. They are known to be more truthful as you are seeing most of the

process and hopefully this means the film maker is being more realistic. The narrator will

address the audience directly and tries to make the audience as involved as possible in the

whole process. This has been commonly done in the past with bands and tours where you can

see what is happening and how strange the documentary process is but it still focuses on the

main subject and how their life if progressing including how it has got to an extent where a

documentary is being made about them.

REFLEXIVE DOCUMENTARY : CATFISH

Catfish the movie is classified as a reflexive documentary as the lead Nev sets of to make the

documentary about his life this includes the fact that he’s making a documentary on his cyber

dating story. Most of the footage comes from hand held camera held by his friends this makes

it feel a little bit more realistic and exclusive for you as the audience is supossed to feel like

they are there with them as they are going through this journey. The documentry had many

sidescreens and graphics to break up the footage this may have been done to make the

footage longer as they would have only captured the needed footage so to tell the story if

further depth they would have needed to add extras such as sound and the added graphics

and voice over.

PER FORMATIVE DOCUMENTARY

This documentary is commonly done with celebrity's as it is based on experimenting and see

the subjects reactions. It allows the subject or possibly the fil maker themselves with new

experiences as they learn about various subjects. A lot like participatory they are getting

involved with the subject but instead of being about the topic it is about the persons reactions

this is why there often needs to be an interest in the person that is involved in the

film/programme. They will try to involve the audience hopefully trying to get them to react

emotionally this is similar to the charity videos that we see mostly on TV extraveganzas such

a Children in need. They want us to react so that we get involved and donate so that we feel

that we are helping the situation.

PER FORMATIVE DOCUMENTARY : RHOD

GILBERTS WORK EXPERIENCE

Rhod Gilberts work experience follows the comedian Rhod Gilbert in his journey to experience

as many jobs as possible trying new things. This documentary uses the recording to show the

reactions of Rhod and how he interacts with the people he meets. Its proffesional filmed but

does not have a professional finish as he doesn’t speak directly to the camera or audience but

instead talks to the cameramen and crew. The experimentation side is seen as Rhod is a

“ginepig” in the situation that is being put in the many situations he is placed under. We see

how his emotion changes when hearing peoples stories and taking an active role in their life.

TELEVISION NEWS

WHAT ARE THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF

TV NEWS BULLETINS ?There are many that are involved the main being the main annchorman/woman will directly

read the news straight to the camera they are the main directors to the show. There are often

more then one to spread to a wider audience. There is also the typical set for a news

programme this typically is a large desk or sofa where they are presenting the news there may

also be a side screen to show reports on and possibly another station for other reports. There

are many typical shots that are also used throughout the reports such as cutaways, pans and

establishing shots. These will all come together to create an entertaining report that will grasp

the audiences attention. The main feature of the show is the fact that they must tell the story

subjectively and cannot add any opinions or views that could seem like they are swaying the

audience to their way of thoughts.

MISE-EN-SCENE

The definition of mise-en-scene is basically “placed in the picture or scene” this is refering to the set that we would be typically seen on the set of a typical news broadcast. The mise en scene need to be correct to seem approrate for the right situations so that it keeps the sreiousness of the news but is also apprachable and entertaining for the audience. The set of a TV news bulletin should look proffesional this makes the programe seem more realiable and credible. The set would include things such as :

• Set, location

• Studio

• Colour

• Costume

• Lighting / sound

• Positioning

• Props/ furniture

• Actor/ acting

WHAT DOES THE TYPICAL NEWS BROADCAST

LOOK LIKE?

Screen to present from.

Background news room.

Large main desk.

Two main preseneters achorman and women.

Dark professinal colours.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MAIN

PRESENTER?

Every news bulletin will have a main presenter or possibly two. The anchormen / women need to be able to carry our many proffesional roles for their job these include:

• Doing extensive reasearch into every story they have to present.

• To read and portrait the news accuretly

• To edit and evolve the script so it suits their style.

• To interview many guests and experts

• To abide by all laws and regulations

• To possibly provide briefings to the crew and contributors

To carry out these jobs they will need many skills/attributes these include :

• Communication skills

• Confidence

• Fast thinker

• Clear voice

• Editorial knowledge

• Focused

• Professional

• To understand legal and wthical issues which effect journalism.

• interpersonal skills.

WHAT SHOULD A PRESENTER LOOK LIKE ?

Short maintained hair.

Proffessional suit

Clean shaven

FIELD REPORTER

The second most important people in a news bulletin are the field reporters who are exactly

like the main presenters except they typically report from outside the studio. They commonly

oprsent live from the scen but they may also do pre recorded stories. They can be also known

as correspondents and are typically used more because they know more about a certain field

for example a sports reporter. They are also known as off scene reporters that broadcast from

locations such as war zones, live events and sporting matches.

TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

To create a news bulletin you need to use many technical elements these are the many shots that come tegether to form the show these are used to keep the programme entertaining it also adds depth to the stories they are telling these shots are the basic form of the show. The technical elements include :

Direct address to camera : The most privaleged shot in Film and TV it includes looking straight at the camera in turn looking straight at the audience and addressing them directly . This opens up a connection to the sudience. This is mainly used in the main desk scenes of news broadcasts where it is mainly them alone looking straight into the camera and welcoming you to the show.

Cutaway : A cutaway shot this is usually a shot of something that is usually something other the current action. The cutaway is used a buffer between shots this is typically used on the BBC news and is typically a photo of people on the streets of London or location shot.

Establishing shot: An establishing a shot is a wide shot that flows into a closer shot of the subject matter this is typically done with locations as they can start with a shot of the general area and then close on on one particular location.

Actuality footage : This is footage with a revelance to the story that is being reported it helps us see whats truly going on for example war footage of Iraq that is currently being showed on many news broadcasts.