Factual programming conventions

Special Interest Documentary 

Definition - This is a traditional documentary which has a very small appeal. This is a documentary that is rarely shown on a mainstream TV show for example BBC or ITV1. This documentary also focuses on one story per episode.

A example that I am using for the sub-genre is River Monsters. In this episode Jeremy Wade is going out to look for alligator gar who have been terrorising the local people, who Jeremy wade intends to get face to face with. 

At the beginning of this show there is a voice over that Jeremy Wade does to get the audience to know what this episode will be about. At the time code 0:02 Jeremy Wade starts the voice over speaking about a monster of the south that has been accused of a series of attacks. The voice over has been done at the beginning of the show because it gives the audience information about what is going to happen in that episode. This also engages the audience to watch the show as they want to find out what happens in the show and if he catches the animal he is looking for.
Also at the beginning of the show there is an edit montage of what happens throughout the show. At the time code 0:04 as well as the voice over there is also an edit montage which shows some of the things that happens throughout the episode whilst he is speaking about it. The edit montage has been done at the beginning of the show because it shows the audience some of the exciting things that they will see in the show if they continue to watch. This is also done to engage the audience to continue to watch the programme to see some of the things they saw in the montage.
During the beginning of the show whist the edit montage is going on there is also music which is quite intense. At the time code 0:10 some music which is quite intense starts to play to give the edit montage and the show more of a scary effect. This has been done to make the show more intense for the audience. This makes it more engaging for the audience as the music adds effect to the visual things that they are seeing on the show.
A final convention that is used in this show is use of experts. At the time code 4:00 Jeremy Wade recruits Babba Bedre who is a bowfishing guide who is an expert at finding alligator gar. Use of experts has been done to give the show more excitement for the information that the expert can give to Jeremy Wade to help him catch the river monster that he is looking for.

Make Over Show 

Definition - This is a documentary which a member of the public life is transformed for the better. This could involve their physical appearance or it could involve an issue in their life. This documentary usually focuses on one individual in each episode.

A example that I am using is west coast customs, in this episode Ryan and his team are customise a Range Rover, whilst also customising a monster truck, with skull details imprinted on to the truck. 

At the beginning of each show there is a edit montage. At the time code 0:02 - 0:27 there is the edit montage that occurs on every show where it shows previous episode cuts. The edit montage has been done at the beginning of each show to engage the audience by showing the positive outcome that can occur from the show.

During the show there is usually a voice over about a product. At the time code 1:53 there is a voice over of the shop owner Ryan speaking about what the client wants the Range Rover to look like and how he wants it to be designed. The voice over is done to give the audience more insight to what the car will potentially look like once completed. 

During the show when Ryan is on the phone to a customer there is music playing in the background. At the time code 2:30 the music is played in the background to make the audience feel calm about the situation that Ryan has put himself and his team into by making the new Range Rover. 

Near the end of the show the producers edit the show so that the outcome is concealed, and also there is suspense. At the time code 37:50 the use of suspense and concealing the outcome is done so that the audience will want to watch till the end to find out if the car managed to be finished on time. This makes it more engaging for the audience as they do not know what happens at the end of the show. 

A final thing that happens during this show is framing to create meaning. At the time code 8:32 you can see that when Ryan is speaking to one of his team members that he is annoyed about he is going to have to build the car. This engages the audience as throughout the episode they can see if he gets more annoyed about the car having to be built this way or if he just gets on with building the car.

Discussion 

Definition - This is a documentary which is a studio panel show. This type of documentary usually has a live audience which engage in general discussion about topics that are up to date in the media.

The example that i am using for discussion is Gillette soccer Saturday. This is a Christmas episode where they will be speaking about all the matches that are happening.

A convention that is used at the beginning of the show is an edit montage. At the time code 0:05 there is an edit montage of what has happened throughout the year in the football matches. This has been done to get the audience interested in the show as they see from the edit montage some of the different matches they will be speaking about. This is also done to engage the audience to watch the show to see the different things they will be discussing. 
Another convention that is used is music. At the time code 0:02 there is Christmas themed music being played over the footage. This is done to get the audience in the mood to watch the show as it is Christmas related. This engages the audience to watch the show as the music brings an up beat vibe to the show which makes the audience want to watch the show to find out what happens in the Christmas episode.
A third convention that is used during this episode is archive footage. At the time code 1:57 there is archive footage of one of the presenter and football analysts Chris Kamara. This is done to give the audience information about Chris Kamara as they reflect on his career. This engages the audience as they find out things they never knew about how his career in football began, and also how he played. 
A final convention that has been used is use of experts. At the time code 0:35 the main presenter is introducing the other football presenters to the audience. This has been done to tell the audience who is going to be on the panel throughout the show. This is engaging for the audience as one of there favourite presenters could be on the panel and it would be more interesting for them to watch.

Review Show 

Definition - This is a programme which has the purpose of reviewing new products within a specific field. This often includes presenters trying out new products and doing tests on these products. Which could include voice overs, over archive footage. 

The example that I am using for review show is The Gadget Show. In this episode there is the former Hollyoaks stars Matt & Darren who are going to be testing out different game consoles.

A convention that has been used during this episode is Voice over. At the time code 0:05 the voice over of a women starts to introduce the two men and what they will be doing. This engages the audiences as it gives them information about who will be taking part in the testing, and what various items they will be testing during this part of the show. The voice over also engages the audience as they can find out others opinions of the product.
Another convention that occurs during this episode is an Edit montage. At the time code 0:27 there is an edit montage of the different things that Matt & Darren get involved with whilst testing these different gadgets. This is engaging for the audience as they get to see what different things the men will be up to in the show. This will also keep them interested in watching the show to see all the different things they do in more detail.
A final thing that is done during this episode is Presentation of facts. At the time code 0:43 the facts of the ps vita is shown on the screen with the price, screen size what it can do and finally wifi and bluetooth. This is engaging to the audience as they can see a product that they may want to buy, and know things about it before they buy it in the stores. This also gives them clear information about the product which is what the show is about.
Throughout this episode of this show the audience's attention is grabbed by the different conventions that is used in this show. This is good for the show as they will have a wider audience. 

Chat Show 

Definition - This is studio based show where lower class or working class people come to discuss there everyday issues. In the chat shows the host can be quite judgemental towards the people that come on the show. These chat shows can also be exploitative towards the guests that appear on the show.

The example that I am using for the chat show is Jerry Springer. In this episode it is about women's boyfriends who have turned gay, which the women are not to happy about and want to discuss with there partner. 

At the beginning of the show the presenter Jerry Springer leads the show. At the time code 0:01 the camera goes straight on to Jerry Springer as he goes to introduce the show and what will happen on that episode. This is done to give the audience information about what will happen on that show and also who will be on the show. This engages the audience to watch the show to find out what things happen throughout the show. 
After the presenter has introduced the show there is a type of interview with the first guest about what is going on with her and her boyfriend. At the time code 0:09 the camera switches to the first guest whilst Jerry Springer is interviewing her about her boyfriend. This is done to engage the audience to give them some information about the guests that come on the show and the reason why they are coming onto the show.
Another convention that occurs during this show is framing to create meaning. At the time code 1:27 a close up shot of someone in the audience is shown looking shocked. This is done to make the audience relate towards how the audience at the show are feeling towards what was said. This impacts the audience at home as they can see other people opinions of what is happening. 
A final convention that is used in this episode is use of suspense. At the time code 7:17 there is a coming up next section where it shows some short clips of what should come up next. This is done to build up suspense for the audience to make them want to wait to watch the rest of the show to see how it ends.
During this episode there are a lot of conventions that have been show to maintain the viewers interests, to keep them watching the episode and for them to tune in to other episodes. The impact that the conventions have on the audience is 

Magazine Show 

Definition - This is a show which has a regular studio presenter, who brings together a number of short factual features. This show most likely has expert guests and in studio performance / demonstrations mixed with live links and VT packages.

The example that I am using for magazine show is 106 & Park. In this episode the presenters are interviewing Nicki Minaj about her new Pink Print.

The first convention that is used in this episode is Presenter. At the time code 0:03 the presenters are introducing the audience to who they will be interviewing. This is done to give the audience information about what is going to happen in the show. It also gives the the audience information about who they are going to interview and what the interview is about.
Another convention that is being used in this episode is Interview. At the time code 2:13 the presenter asks Nicki Minaj about living in New York. This is done by the presenters to give the audience more information that they may not have know about that artist or actor ect. This also engages the audience to watching the show to find out more interesting things about the person being interviewed. 
A third convention that is being used is Archive Footage. At the time code 5:30 the show is re-living some of Nicki Minaj's greatest moments. This is done to show the audience how Nicki Minaj has come up in the years that she has been in the music industry. This also engages the audience to watching the show to see what other great moments Nicki has had in her career.
A final convention that is used in this show is Edit montage. At the time code 5:34 whilst the archive footage is being played it is also an edit montage of the footage. This engages the audience as they are watching more than one long clip of Nicki. 

Docu Drama 

This is a TV or film which shows the events of something based on fact. This uses film and narrative techniques to get the facts of an event in history to tell a story.

The example that I am using for Docu Drama is Straight out Of Compton. This film is about what happened with a youth group called N.W.A and what happened with them throughout there life. 

The first convention that occurs in this film is Music. At the time code 0:02 the ghetto type stereotypical black music plays at the beginning this sets the mood for the audience who are watching. This makes it engaging for the audience as they can see from the start of the film by having the music that it will be quite an old school film about things that happened whilst most of the artist were young.
Another convention that is used during this film is Framing to create meaning. At the time code 28:49 Dr Dre is helping Eazy E try to rap, however from his face you can see that he is finding it funny at the time. This is engaging the audience because it makes it realistic and relatable to them as if they were in that situation them self. 
A third convention that is used in this film is Hand held camera. At the time code 28:48 the camera is hand held over Eazy Es shoulder. This engages the audience as it makes it look like there are looking through his eyes at Dr Dre so it makes it more realistic for the audience watching the film.
The final convention that is used during this film is constructing a version. At the time code 27:40 when Eazy E starts to rap they portray him to be a gangster who can not rap. This is engaging to the audience as they are able to gather information about Eazy E that they may not have know before watching the film.

Docu Soap 

Definition - This is a documentary where the lives of people are filmed and presented as entertainment or drama.

Example - Educating East End. In this episode one of the teachers are doing the votes for the new head boy and head girl.

At the beginning of each episode there is a Edit montage. At the time code 0:01 there is a edit montage at the beginning of every episode. This engages the audience as they can see clips of different parts from different episodes of this show. This also informs the audience about the show and what types of things that happen in the show.
Another convention that is shown in this episode is voice over. At the time code 0:00 there is a voice over of the narrator of this show, where he explains the show. This makes it interesting for the audience as they can visually see what the narrator is describing. 
A third convention that is show in this episode is presentation of facts. At the time code 0:39 the new head teacher is the one who is presenting the facts to the audience. This engages the audience as they can see who is telling them the facts about the children that go to the school. This is also good for the audience as they can sort of relate to how the head teacher is feeling. 
The final convention that I have found in this episode is framing to create meaning. At the time code 0:03 there is the girl that is popping her bubble gum looking board. This is engaging to the younger audience as they could relate to how the students are feeling in there different classes.

Infotainment 

Definition - This is a show which you can get information from but at the same time have some entertainment. This can be shown as patronising down the audience. This also involves big personalities in terms of the presenters.

The example that I am using for infotainment is The daily Show. This episode is about the Charleston church shooting in America.

One convention that is used in this episode is presenter. At the time code 0:02 Jon Stewart starts the topic with the camera right on him. This is done to make the audience feel as though the presenter is speaking to them. This engages the audience by making them more interested in the show as they can believe what the presenter is saying to them through the way he is dressed and the way he is giving out the information. 
Another convention that is used is framing to create meaning. At the time code 0:25 when he is saying that he did not do his job you can see from his facial expressions that he is being serious. This engages the audience as they can now tell that the presenter is now going to speak about something that concerns the country, which means that they should pay attention to what he is saying.
The final convention that is used in this episode is strong and interesting premise. At the time code 0:50 the presenter is speaking about sadness. This is done to give the audience a clear idea of the subject that the presenter is speaking about. This makes it engaging for the audience as they can relate to the presenter on how he is feeling about the whole situation, and the audience can also relate to the story that the presenter is speaking about during the show.

Reality Tv

Definition - This is a show which creates humorous situations. This type of show features ordinary people instead of actors, who are sometimes in a contest or other situations where a prize is awarded. 

The example that I am using for reality TV is Real husbands of Hollywood. In this episode Kevin Heart is getting interviewed about his new house and is also showing round his house to the interviewer. This episode also shows Kevin Heart having a house warming party. 

At the beginning of the episode Kevin Heart does a voice over speaking about what it is like to be a husband. At the time code 0:22 the voice over begins with Kevin Heart. This is done to give the audience information about the show, or what is happening in the episode. This engages the audience as they get to know more about the show from a voice over.

Another convention that occurs at the beginning of the show is music. At the time code 0:03 the music starts to play to give the show more enthusiasm. This is done to give the audience more atmosphere whilst watching the Tv show. This is done to engage the audience by relaxing them into the show.
A third convention that is used in this episode at the beginning is an edit montage. At the time code 0:01 there is an edit montage of some parts of the party that the husbands are in. This is done to show the audience specific parts in the party that could be exciting. This engages the audience as they get to see what happens in some parts of the show without watching the whole show.
A final convention that is shown during this episode is an interview. At the time code 26:13 there is a type of interview Where Khloe Kardashian is doing a confession at the party about the TV show without her family. This is done to give the audience more information to what over people in the show are thinking. This engages the audience as they can relate to how the person who is getting interviewed is feeling.

Educational 

Definition - This is a show where the main purpose is to educate the audience, either by very factual and driven towards explicit learning or morals and learning occur through the main story.

The example that I am using for educational tv is Blues Clues. In this episode they are going to be learning about things that rhyme with other things, like colours and animals and everyday items. 

During this show they have voice overs, to say what is happening over the footage. At the time code 0:27 there is a voice over of children telling the main character where blue was in the front garden. This is done to give the audience information about what other people/audience watch the show and also who the show is aimed towards. 
Another convention that is used in this episode is Presenter . At the time code 0:43 you see the main character introduce the audience saying "hey". This is done to engage the audience in conversation with the presenter as he pause after he says things to give the audience a chance to reply. 
A third thing that occurs in this programme is presentation of facts. At the time code 1:50 the presenter asks blue what to rhyme about. This is done to show the audience different things that they can and can not rhyme about which is presenting the facts to the audience in a visual way. 
A final convention that is used in this episode is music. At the time code 4:06 there is up beat children music that is playing to make the scene more effective for the audience watching at the time. This is done to keep the audience engaged by using the music to keep it more interesting.

Wildlife Doc

Definition - This is a natural history film or wildlife film about animals, plants and other living creatures. This is education as you learn about things you might have never seen in real life. This is usually voice over by a white middle class male.  

In this episode of The Blue planet David Attenborough is dealing with the marine life that is structured around the rising and falling tides.

The first convention that is used in this episode is a voice over. At the time code 0:03 David Attenborough starts his voice over introducing the show. This is engaging for the audience as they have the chance to find out information about what he is going to be speaking about in the show.
The second convention that occurs in this episode is an Edit montage. At the time code 0:12 there is an edit montage of the different sea levels rising and falling. This is engaging for the audience as they can visually see what David Attenborough is saying whilst he is narrating over the top of the footage. It is also engaging for the audience as they can find out about the sea levels. 
A third convention that appears in this episode is Presentation of facts. At the time code 0:41 there is a piece of footage that is being played whilst David is speaking about what is going on in the footage. This is engaging for the audience as they have a clear understanding of the facts that are being presented to them visually and also through narration.
A final convention that is used during this programme is Archive Footage. At the time code 0:41 the archive footage of the moon speaking about gravity and how the moon orbits the earth. This is engaging for the audience as it gives information about the world as well as showing the audience the information that is being given.

Vice In North Korea

Role Of Presenter 

In this documentary the presenters level of involvement is at a required standard in which he explains what is going on and gives an example by using archive footage afterwards at the time code 1:30 he speaks about peoples opinions to why they did not go to north Korea which was because they did not know anything about it. He explains that they tried for a year an a half to get in but could not as Korea did not want anyone to corrupt the 100% rule. This got them frustrated so they went to north Korea. Straight after Shane Smith spoke about this using primary footage there was archive footage with a voice over about what he was explaining. Shane Smith speaks to the camera quite a lot throughout the documentary, however his face is always close to the camera as the recording has to be done secretly due to the strict rules and a example of this is at the time code 10:21 this engages the audience as they can see how careful you have to be.

Techniques - Camera & Editing

In this documentary the camera is hand held, for example at the time code 4:52 whilst the camera is zooming in you can see the picture shaking slightly and also it is like the camera man is restricted from holding the camera out normally. This makes the topic more exciting for the audience as they are seeing more of the place and how you can not do certain things and how you are restricted to film certain things.

The editing in the documentary is quite fast on some parts but then slowed down on other parts for example at the time code 5:04 - 5:08 the shot changes 3 times to show different people, where as at the time code 6:30 the cut was quite slow. This is done to show the audience how in different parts of the country is more strict than other parts.

Techniques - Music, Voice Over & Dialogue 

In this documentary there are several voice overs, over archive footage and footage that has been recorded, an example of this is at the time code 1:00 where he speaks about how nobody know north Korea to go there, straight after the voice over there is a video of him speaking and then it goes back to another archive footage. This has been done to show the audience what is happening whilst the archive footage is being shown. There is dialogue in the documentary, an example of this 11:26 where he is speaking to the woman who works in the restaurant. This is done to keep the audience engaged to know how they deal with different people and how they act.

Intro & Outro 

The into to this documentary is of Kim Jong Un in Kim IL Sung Square at the time code 0:09 this documentary has been introduced like this so that it can show the viewers how strict and formal North Korea is and how you have to stick to the strict rules of the county. The outro for this documentary is showing all the things that Shane Smith done whilst in Korea this was done to show the viewers that even though North Korea is strict and you can not do anything, there are some good aspects to North Korea.

Balance Of Archive Footage Vs Original Footage 

The balance of archive footage to original footage is pretty much even as throughout the documentary Shane Smith shows several different archive pieces of footage, which is related to what he is speaking about / visiting at the time as well as having original footage of him speaking about the place or specific thing. An example of this is at the time code 5:09 Shane Smith is speaking about how they have to get into North Korea and immediately after he says that there is archive footage speaking about if the enemy was to go in to North Korea what would happen.

Interviews - Who are they and their role 

Shane smith interviewed North Korean refugees in South Korea, where the found out at the time code 6:44 that if they go to Shenyang they could bribe the guards & conceals to let them go to North Korea. This keeps the viewers engaged as Shane smith speaks in more detail about how they had to go to Shenyang and how they had to get to North Korea from South Korea.

Objectivity - Facts Vs Opinions 

Exposition - How is the information given 

Throughout the documentary Shane Smith gives quite a lot of good information about South and North Korea and he does this so that the audience are more involved and know more about Korea than what they would have known normally, an example of this is in the introduction when he is speaking about why no one goes to North Korea because no one knows about it.

How are we engaged - What it does to keep us engaged 

This documentary keeps the audience engaged by showing how strict it is in South Korea and also how hard it is to get into North Korea and this is shown at the time code 6:44, and this keeps the viewers interested by Shane Smith explaining in detail what it is like to travel in Korea both North & South. Another example of how this documentary kept the audience interested by having voice overs,over different footage to explain to the audience what is happening in the footage and also what they are trying to explain.