Codes and Conventions of an

Interview

CameraworkInterviews are conventionally shot in medium close-up or close-ups however the shot types can vary. Big Close Ups are often used to show the clear emotions of the interviewee when talking about a sensitive matter.

The rule of thirds is also followed to frame the interview. The eye line of he interview is always three quarters of the way down the screen to engage audiences, the position of the interviewee themselves are always to the right or left of centre.

Shallow depth of focus is commonly used to blur the background of the interview to show that the interviewee is the main focus

The camerawork is portrayed using a tripod which holds the camera in a fixed position

Mise-en SceneThe mise-en scene of the interview relates mostly relates to the topic of the documentary or the profession/relation the interviewee has to the documentary.

For example, the screenshot (left) shows an interview from a documentary about Jaws, the mise en scene in the background of the shark indicates the relation to the topic of the documentary.

Editing

Cutaways are used to edit out the questions from the interview. The cutaways are usually related to the topic the interviewee is talking about, which can be presented in the form of archive footage and graphics/re-construction

GraphicsThe superimposed text underneath the interviewees indicates to the audience who the interviewees are and what their relation to the documentary is. The name is presented in a bigger font and the relation is smaller below the name