When deciding to do a documentary I researched the conventions of one to make sure that when I made my documentary and compared it to others they were similar. This was to ensure that it looked and felt like a real documentary. When doing my research by watching other documentaries and researching into the conventions I found that the most important ones are a voice over, real footage of events, technicality of realism, interviews with experts, text and sound. In my documentary I used all of these main conventions. I used a voice over to explain to the audience where I was going and to help them understand why I was doing such things such as checking the doors and ending with washing my hands. This was to make it clear to the audience the challenges I was facing that would they would be seeing in the second part of the documentary. I used real footage of events by filming outside, in my home, in a bedroom, in a house. This was to show the audience that everything in the documentary was real and personal to myself. In other documentaries of this sort I have also seen this used and felt it worked effectively so decided to use it in my own. For example a recent documentary on BBC about a girl attempting to clime a mountain has shots of her in her house surrounded by her friends. This is use of real footage of events that make the documentary look real because it is filmed in her own home. This is why I decided to use that convention in my documentary. Using technicality of realism by having very natural lighting links in with real footage of events as by using both of these things the audience are convinced it is a documentary done on real life. This is what I wanted the audience to feel because my documentary was done on something very personal and not made up. I also have included interviews with experts at this convention is included in most documentaries to back up what the person featuring in the documentary may be saying. I used the interview with an expert in a different way to give me advice and to give the audience of my documentary knowledge about OCD and to make them be able to understand more. This is similar to the way Stacey Solomon used her interview with an expert to give her advice about depression which also gave information to the audience and showed her on a journey to learn more. This is why i decided to also use it. I also used text and sound but not much. I think the only text you need in documentaries is tag lines of who the person is speaking. I have seen this in a lot of documentaries and its works well so the audience know who is speaking and when they speak again later on in the documentary the audience already know who they are and can relate back to what they have said before. I also used a small amount of sound over the tittle and pictures I used which I have seen used in real documentaries.
For my ancillary tasks I chose to do a magazine article and a radio advert. The radio adverts main conventions were details such as time and date, powerful words and facts. In some radio adverts they also use conventions such as being funny or making a jokes. The conventions I decided to use were facts, powerful words and details. As my documentary was on mental health I thought it was important to make the radio advert serious and not funny. Radio adverts that are funny and have jokes work for some companies such as nandos radio advert but not for a serious documentary. The main conventions of a magazine article are catchy headlines, bold writing that stands out against the picture, some writing but not a lot and a big picture that takes up most of the page. I used a big picture that took up the whole page with a girl holding a sign with a little bit of writing. My main title was big, bold and white which stood out against the dark picture so it contrasted well. I did not use catchy headlines but instead used a tagline with a rhetorical question which would make my audience think and catch their attention, I also used a small sub title with details about when the show will be on. I used this instead of a big catchy headline because it fits the mood of my documentary more. For example BBC3 use magazine adverts that focus very much of one thing. I chose to focus on the girl featuring in my documentary.
My use of conventions will appeal to an audience because as soon as they begin watching my documentary the use of the voice over and real footage and interview with an expert means they know they are watching the documentary and therefore have an idea from previous documentaries what may happen. This is will attract an audience because they can relate what they are seeing to previous documentaries and can understand the genre better. The conventions I chose to use in my ancillary task will appeal to an audience because they are simple and easy to understand but also powerful. By having a girl as the main focus on my magazine article with a title and a few words the audience know straight away what they are getting. The radio advert is similar to others that are effective such as the nandos one because it gets straight to the point and does not drag on. This appeals to the audience because they do not switch off and can continue to listen because it is short. This is unlike the Alton Towers one where when asking people what one they preferred they said not that one because they felt it went on for to long.
Lastly I adapted some conventions such as interview with experts by having interviews with other people as well. In some documentaries I watched when doing my research they focused on people who know what they are speaking about. However when watching ones on depression week on BBC3 they also interviewed their friends and family. I chose to also do this because I thought it adapted the original convention well. I also adapted the convention on my magazine advert by not having very much writing at all. This looks better because the audience can really focus on the main purpose of the magazine advert and know what the documentary is about.
The images and screenshots I want to use and where:
- Screenshot of locking the doors and a screenshot of washing hands.
- Screenshot of girl from BBC3 documentary.
- Screenshot of Stacey with her interviewee.
- Screenshot of tag lines over psychologist and girl.
- You tube clip of nandos advert.
- Picture of a magazine advert
- Picture of me and maddi.
- Picture of my magazine article.
Some of the images I want to use:
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