Analysis of similar documentary: The Building Inspector Is Coming

The Building Inspector Is Coming is a Channel 4 documentary that was released in 2009. Set in Birmingham, it follows the daily work routine of building inspectors, who make sure houses under construction are following regulations and are safe. Although it looks at housing whereas my production looks at regional regeneration, The Building Inspector Is Coming follows conventions that will be important for my production to include. The earliest and most obvious convention for a documentary of this genre is the use of camera work. The use of extreme long shots of buildings or cityscapes make a powerful shot to establish a location which is very important for a documentaries about specific areas. Each building or area is established by a wide shot that clearly shows the general location of the scene, and would then go into closer and more detailed shots.

The use of a presenter/narrator is very important in a documentary, and there are different ways in which a presenter can appear. Documentaries usually use an on screen presenter, a voice over narration, or a mixture of the two. Similarly to our production, The Building Inspector Is Coming uses the mixture of the on screen presenter with voice over narration. This allows the narration to elaborate on what can be seen in the shots and vice versa. The use of a presenter on the screen gives the audience a character to relate to, who would appear to relay the information to them, but the use of a voice over means that a variety of different shots can be used which wouldn't include the presenter, for example, an extreme long shot of a cityscape or a close up of a building window.

The use of interviews is another important convention for documentaries. Interviews give a chance for extra information to be included and the information can be portrayed clearer when told by a professional in the topic, which both The Building Inspector Is Coming and our own production use. Interviews ensure that information is broadcasted through a production which is the most important factor of a production made to be informational/educational.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-building-inspector-is-coming/4od#2931427