Research: Conventions of Documentaries

Actuality footage: Recording of an actual event and documenting it, real people involved not actors. 

Voiceover: A not seen commentator that explains events or storylines through the documentary. The audience are encouraged to take what they say as the truth. 

Narrativisation: Used to communicate events using a narration to help the audience understand the proceedings better. 

Interview: Allows people being filmed to give their account of events directly to the camera. They can be prompted by specific questions. They can help to give a sense of realism and helps convey emotion as it is much clearer to the audience when they are looking directly into the camera. 

Text: Inserting information, times dates etc. More common in newer programmes, quick way of conveying information to the audience or give further information. 

Sound: Helps give off a certain effect or give a mood to the documentary. 

Dramatizations: Reconstructing an event by actors to make real events that where not captured on camera visible to the audience helping to give them a further insight.

Realism: Can be achieved through the use of archive footage, interviews and location shooting.