The document discusses several techniques used in documentaries to convey information to audiences in an authoritative and believable manner. It notes that a constant voiceover acts as a narrative to pass information to viewers, while an assertive voice implies the speaker is knowledgeable. Additionally, documentaries aim to present real, unaltered footage and include interviews from experts to appear more authentic. Non-diegetic music is also used to create effects and influence audience perceptions of what they see. Mise-en-scene and props help layout footage naturally for viewers.

1. Erin Miller Kirsty Mitchell

2. The voiceover needs to be authoritative in some sort of
way. This allows the audience to think that they are being
given specialist knowledge or the correct opinions of the
study. The constant voiceover is a narrative for the
documentary, and allows information to be passed on to
the audience as they think it is more believable, and
professional. By having an assertive voice it conveys to the
audience that the person is knowledgeable in what they are
saying and are given across the correct facts.

3. Documentaries are essentially non-fiction. They are factual
in most cases. A main convention of a documentary is that
all the events presented to the audience are to be
conveyed as real. Documentaries often go to great lengths
to convince us that the footage is real and unaltered in
anyway, although editing and using a voiceover can affect
reality. By the use of real life footage it allows the audience
to become more involved as they can see that the footage
is realistic.

4. By including interviews it allows the documentary to be
more authentic. It shows to the audience that the person
who is being interviewed knows what they are talking
about. This does not always necessarily mean that the
experts have to agree with the point of the documentary, it
just allows the audience to see a variety of opinions on the
facts.

5. • Sound
Non diegetic sound is included within documentaries to
create an effect. After watching The Human Face- Part 3,
we could hear that there was music included in the
background, suited to the footage that was included. When
celebrities who were good-looking appeared on the screen,
there was more up-beat music in comparison to the
celebrities who were not as good-looking. They did not
have as much sound included when they were on screen.

6. This includes things like mise en scene and props. The
layout of the footage taken, creates an authenticity to the
reader because it looks more natural to the human eye if
done correctly. It is important to have the correct layout for
your topic area because otherwise it will not fit in as well.