The London marathon is filmed as a documentary because it is a major event. There would usually be a voiceover or use of a montage meaning it clearly shares some of the codes and conventions of a expositional documentary such as the use of a voiceover and a montage that provides anchorage for the viewer, fulfilling personal gratifications as this combination of codes and conventions makes the text interesting for the consumer to watch.
Check Point 2
Big Brother is a fly on the wall documentary, evidence of which can be derived of the use of codes and conventions such as interviews and a voiceover. The fly-on-the-wall effect creates a sense of immediacy and unpredictability because this is the closest we can get, as viewers, to see how people react normally, instead of what is known as the Hawthorne effect, were people feel and react to being watched.
Check Point 3
Actuality documentaries tend to focus on using footage of real life events and places. This type of text exhibits different codes and conventions compared to typical documentary types. For example, it doesn’t have a clear structured narrative and uses more raw footage to create an extreme sense of realism and attempt to recreate a text with as little mediation as possible.
Check Point 4
Lifestyle programs are generally seen as aspirational because it presents information and explores topics in a, arguably superficial way by giving a depth of insight and a critical analysis of the situation. Lifestyle programs aim to focus on accomplishing practical objectives and therefore on viewers aspirations.
