Codes and conventions of a documentary interview

• Interviewee framed to the left or right of screen to the frame.
• They are mostly filmed in close up or medium close up.
• They don't look in to the camera, usually they look in to the space the opposite side of which they are framed.
• The interviewee looks at the interviewer.
• Eyeline of interviewee is approximately a third of the way down the screen.
• Interviewer must be at the same level as the interviewee e.g one sits down so does the other.
• When sat down they must be on a stationary chair.

Lighting:

• Interviewees are never filmed with light behind them.
• Lightsource must always be in front.

Mise en scene:

• Background reinforces the content of the interview or is relevant to the interviewee e.g. anchoring their occupation provides more information about their occupation or personal circumstances.

Editing:

• Simple cut
• Questions are edited out - cutaways are used where a question would be to avoid jump cuts.
• Sometimes archive can be cut in over an interview so you can be cut in over an interview so you can just hear interviewees voice.
• Cut interviewees together.
• Archive between interviews related to what they are talking about.
• Sometimes you can set up another camera and film some interviews in big close up to catch reactions and add instead of archive material.

Graphics:

• Usually two line - first line their name bigger font size
  - second line relevance smaller font size.