A documentary is a film that incorporates factual subjects. These films have varied goals; to record events and ideas, inform and persuade viewers, convey opinions and generate public interest. A number of common persuasion techniques are used in documentaries to achieve these goals. For example: music and sound effects, irony and repetition, live and archive images. The two documentaries that will be discussed in this essay are The Cove and Bowling for Columbine. The Cove is a documentary by Louie Psihoyos that explores slavery and the massacre of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, and Bowling for Columbine is a documentary by Michael Moore that explores gun violence in the United States and the circumstances leading to the massacre from Columbine High School. The persuasive techniques observed in The Cove and Bowling for Columbine are emotional appeal, live and archival footage, and irony. Through the use of these techniques, the filmmakers of these documentaries, Michael Moore and Louie Psihoyos, help convey their message and convince the audience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In The Cove and Bowling for Columbine, emotional appeal is used to persuade the audience. Emotional appeal is a method of persuasion designed to evoke emotion in a viewer or audience. This technique highlights emotional factors, sometimes in place of logical or practical factors, manipulating the audience's feelings. An example of this in Bowling for Columbine is when the victims of the Columbine High School massacre are shown distressed and crying shortly after the shooting. They tearfully explained how they had to beg for their lives with a gun held to their heads and other students around them being shot. This scene transfers this distress and emotion to the viewer, helping us focus on the victims and making us feel like we must do something to help. An example of this device, found in The Cove, is when Ric O'Barry shares the story of Flipper's suicide with the audience and how she could no longer stand life. This story fills the viewer with strong emotion for Flipper and other dolphins in the same position, as well as the intelligence she must have had to do such a thing, making the viewer want to help. These scenes from both documentaries persuade the audience, through emotion, to side with the arguments of Michael Moore and Louie Psihoyos. Such emotion comes with low intelligence, meaning the viewer cannot rationalize why this might be happening and quickly moves to the point of becoming angry at the opposing side. Emotion is used to persuade the audience to agree with the argument, and in The Cove and Bowling for Columbine this technique is effective. In The Cove and Bowling for Columbine, live footage and archival footage are used to persuade the audience. Live and stock footage refers to the use of film, as well as audio, such as newsreels, CCTV footage or other images taken during and at the time of the event, which reinforce the validity or facts of what is presented. An example of this in Bowling for Columbine is the use of CCTV footage capturing the terrifying shooting that took place in the school cafeteria. It shows Columbine students hiding under dining room tables while the two antagonists wander around in a very.