HOW I USED CONVENTIONS IN MY

ADVANCED PORTFOLIO.Eve Kerrigan

Documentary…There is an endless list of conventions that we used in our documentary, here is a list of some of them…

• Typewriter effect to introduce the documentary.• Establishing shot, using flash – fade to white transitions to

show a sneak peak of the reconstruction.• Green screen created using the cutaway on iMovie to create

the studio for the presenters. • Sound effects – using iMovie and Garageband to create

dramatic sounds such as footsteps, heartbeats, car effects and the ending credits theme tune for ‘Coventry Crackdown’.

• High angle shots when the attacker is following the victim to show her vulnerability.

• Close up shots during interviews with witness so show emotion and seriousness of the case.

• CCTV effects to create realistic approach and evidence of the crime.

• Reconstruction – to follow conventions of other crime documentaries.

• Three professional presenters dressed smartly, filmed using mid shots to show professionalism and a non-biased approach.

• End credits- showing who featured in our documentary followed by our ‘JME Productions’ logo to show our institution.

Advert…◦ I aimed to use as many conventions of a typical

channel 4 advert that I had already researched to make my advert as professional and realistic as possible.

◦ I kept my colour scheme the same of black, white and red to keep it simplistic.

◦ I used one of my own images as the main focus of the advert. Highlighted with a red glow (using the brush tool on Adobe Photoshop) to coincide with the colour scheme and highlight the danger.

◦ I included little wording – only the name of the documentary and when it starts –as it makes it more catchy and effective.

◦ I included a rhetorical question at the top of my advert to draw viewers in and ask themselves that question.

◦ Finally I also included the logo of the institution to show what channel it is on as this is a popular icon that viewers would instantly recognise.

Double Page Spread…◦ I wanted my DPS to be more unique and coincide with my other pieces of

work. So, I kept the colour scheme the same – black and white with a hint of red – and used only white but a variety of different fonts. I kept it black and white so that it was similar to that of a newspaper however do not think it resembles the typical characteristics of one, which is what I set out to do.

◦ My headline is bold with the same font as my advert headline and the alliteration used is a typical feature of a newspaper headline.

◦ The main image is one I took of the victim in her most vulnerable position. This is the main feature of the DPS as it shows what it is about and why it is such a serious issue.

◦ I included a quote next to the image as this was on of the main things that the witness said during the interview and I felt it would draw readers in as it is emotive.

◦ In the bottom left hand corner I included information the readers can use to contact the team (linked to the documentary) with any information they may have. This too, is a common feature of a double page spread.

◦ My article is an interview as I wanted the audience to want to read it to find out more information about the attack and the story from the witness’ point of view. There is a short introductory paragraph to introduce the interview – again typical for a double page spread article.

◦ Finally, I included a small image of the witness to familiarise the readers with her and remind them of who she was in the documentary and I also included a page number as it is an important convention of a double page spread.