A radio trailer for a documentary must be between 30-40 seconds long. It uses short clips or "sound bites" from interviews in the documentary, coupled with a voiceover that explains the topic and links the clips to give the listener a brief overview of the documentary and make them want to know more. Background music is also included to set the pace and atmosphere while complementing the documentary's subject matter.

1. Codes and Conventions of a
Radio Trailer

2. • The radio trailer must be between 30-40
seconds long.
• It must contain ‘sound bites’ from the
documentary.
• The sound bites are a couple seconds long and
are taken from parts of the interview.
• The sound bites are used to attract the
listener and to give them a sense of what the
documentary is like.

3. • The voice over is used to explains what the
documentary is about
• The voice over links together all the sound
bites to give a brief over view of the
documentary but also makes the listener to
want to know more.
• It helps to explain the mood of the
documentary

4. • The music of the documentary is for the
background and should be quiet but can still
be heard behind the voice over and sound
bites
• It sets a pace and the atmosphere to the
listener
• The music must be relevant and relate to the
documentary in some way.