Conventions, which ones do I break?

Hello!! (I always feel like one exclamation point is rather passive aggressive, so you get two)

 I wanted to do a post where I highlight the typical documentary conventions and techniques. Showing which ones I plan to follow and which ones I plan to break, just to have clarity throughout my project.

Typical conventions of a documentary include archive footage, interviews (whether they be direct or indirect), narration (whether to include the documenter within the documentary as a present voice or to not, for this one needs charisma and to be established), graphics, editing (close-up cuts to express the emotion a subject experiences through the defines facial reactions, also makes the scene more personal and relatable to the viewers), sound (non-diegetic and diegetic sound, that can include background music to progress the narrative or noise within the shot to express the importance of what is within), and mise-en-scene (which for the most part is based on the natural observation of the subjects that takes place). 

I cannot use archive footage in my piece due to the provisions of my project, but archive footage is an instrumental part to a documentary, providing background and validity to the piece. To make up for this I plan on relying on direct cinema, as well as interviews (and the interview questions) to establish validity through answers and observation. 

I plan on making use of direct and indirect interviews to provide a sense of variety. I want to establish a present documentarian, but also make sure that the audience has a personal relationship with the subjects (this is achieved through the use of indirect interviews). 

For editing i plan on keeping it very simple, I want the content to speak for itself. I plan on using the three couples in juxtaposition of each other, in order to compare and contrast the differences and similarities throughout each relationship. I will make an emphasis on close-up cuts to establish that pathos appeal that I am relying on.

Sound is something that I am still debating on. I am of course going to rely on diegetic sound in the interviews and direct cinema as well as in the shots of these couples, but I am still debating on using a narrator for bits of the piece as non-diegetic sound. I also plan on using diegetic sound in the background music. 

For the mise-en-scene I am going to rely on doc conventions, in using the setting that goes along with the content, instead of creating a set.

These are all still rough ideas, but for the most part are looking concrete!!

'till next time!! (two exclamation points 4 ever)

sources:

"Documentary Film Techniques." Documentary Film Techniques. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2017.