Codes and Conventions of an Interview

Codes and Conventions of an Interview

1. Mise-en-Scene

   • Background signifies the genre
     • Reinforces the content of the interview
       • The background of this school documentary is lockers, which is used as the audience would associate this with school.

2. The interviewer needs to sit or stand as close to the camera as possible, so the interviewee looks at possible, so the interviewee looks at the interviewer, not the camera.

   • interviews are never filmed with a light source behind them, for example, a window.

3. Positioning of the body is within eye line to the interviewer.

   • Positioning of the interviewer is important, if the interviewee is on the right side of the frame, the interviewer should be on the left.

4. Cutaways can be used, edited in for two reasons

   • Break up the interview, hear the voice of interviewee on top, illustrates what is being said.
   • Avoid jump cuts when questions are being asked.

5. Interviews can be filmed with two different cameras to show close up's at the same time.

6. Graphics can be used to anchor who the person is, and the relevance of the topic.

7. Answers are relevant to the narrative structure of the documentary. Questions from the interviewer are edited out.

8. Medium close-ups of the interview are used as it shows emotion

   • Frame can alternate if more that one interview is carried out. This is done to give variety.

9. Titles used to show a persons name or how they are relevant to the topic.

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