Investigation in TV Factual Programmes;

For our next project we are going to be making a factual TV programme. To do this we first had to investigate into factual programmes looking at the codes and conventions, the 6 different modes of documentaries and the issues factual programmes face.

Investigation into TV Factual Programmes - RESEARCH

Accuracy – It is important to make sure the contents of the programme is accurate as this gains the viewers trust, if it turns out that the programme is less than accurate then viewers will write off the programme as they will have lost their trust in what they’re  viewing.

http://www.independentproducerhandbook.co.uk/183/4a-protecting-under-18s-and-harm-and-offence/harm-offence-general-principles.html

Example;  News programmes and live broadcasts are good examples of accuracy in factual programming especially live broadcasts as the viewer is being shown the event as it is happening e.g The Royal Wedding was broadcasted live on BBC One and ITV amongst other channels.

Another example of accuracy in factual programming can be the news coverage on the Tsunami that hit Japan and the more recent story of the death of Bin Laden.

 Impartiality – So the programme is based on facts and objective criteria and not based on bias, religious, political or social prejudice.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6764279.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jun/18/broadcasting.television1

Example;  The BBC have been criticized numerous occasions for programmes that have broken their impartiality principles.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/have-the-cracks-begun-to-show-in-skys-duty-of-impartiality-1971401.html

Codes and conventions of factual programming;

NEWS

Studio news readers – Factual news programmes have a designated news reader or voice over news reader.

Field reporters – Reporters on location of the news story.

Links to studio –

Mode of address to viewer –  The way a product speaks to it’s audience.

Interviewing –  Majority of factual programmes feature interviews with the public typically asking for the publics opinion on the news story at hand.

Experts and witnesses –  Interviews and talks with experts in the specific field the news story  covers and witnesses to the story.

Report structure –

Actuality footage – Footage of actual events unfolding, filming on location etc.

DOCUMENTARY

Documentary formats - 

[Expository; Documentaries that speak directly to the viewer with commentary a voiceover or titles proposing a strong argument or point of view e.g An Inconvenient Truth.

Observational; Documentaries that simply observe life with minimum intervention e.g Great Ormond Street

Interactive; Where the film maker interacts with the people and events e.g interviews. Roger and me by Michael Moore.

Reflective; Draw attention to their own contractedness and the fact that they are representations. Louis Theroux, Most Hated Family In America.

Performative; Documentaries that focus on subject experience and emotional response to the world.  Supersize me]

Realism –  Documentaries that are reality based so everything is ‘true to life’ e.g fly on the wall documentaries or reality shows such as and Come Dine With Me.

Dramatisation – Documentaries that feature dramatised events and scenes e.g The Road To Guantanamo.

Narrativization – Documentaries that use narrative as there base e.g nature documentaries such as David Attenborough’s Life On Earth for the BBC.