Thursday, 29 April 2010
Subsidiary Task Two
For the second ancillary task I needed to create a newspaper advert. This would present the documentary with its purpose and images.
Denoted on the advert is a black background in this context it connotes nightlife as a life style and black also connotes a sense of mystery that nighttime brings.
The main image denoted on the page is of Ellie Holden. She is one of the main focuses in the documentary and using her in the main task and subsidiary tasks connotes familiarity. The audience will then be able to make connections between the character in the poster, advert and documentary.
The clothes that Ellie is wearing are daring and this connotes rebellion against social norms. This would be appealing to the target audience as they will find this appealing, different and out of the ordinary. The age of the girl is also very important, using a young, fresh and fashionable character will relate to the age group of the target audience and they will be attracted to the ad.
I have also include a small image of Ellie with friends on a night out in Brighton. The content of the advert clearly states we will be following Ellie on nights out so this relates to the subject of the documentary. This also follows conventions of documentary and TV ads as from research I know that images or stills are often used.
The text denoted on the page is white and size 12. This makes the text easy to read for the audience they will not need to struggle to see it clearly. The colour white works well against a black background and really makes it stand out. The language used is suitable for the target audience as I have used testing to ensure this. I have stated what the documentary is about and its purpose without revealing the outcome.
I have used a consistent style for the title of the documentary using capital letters and the same font style. This again connotes a loud and shocking look relating back to the idea of rebellion. Using this font the title consistently creates a really professional look.
Please click image to enlarge.
Subsidiary Task One
For this subsidiary task I needed to create a poster to advertise my documentary. As my documentary was aimed at teens I needed the poster to be fresh, fun and young in order to appeal to them and grab their attention.
Obviously the subject of the documentary is serious issue so I did not want to give the impression that the documentary was therefore a joke so the seriousness of the title sets a good balance.
The main image denoted on the poster is of Ellie Holden; she is one of the main focuses in the documentary. Using her as the face of the documentary sets a familiarity for the viewer, they will be able to make associations between the poster and the documentary when they see her featured in it. The girl denoted in the image is blonde which has the connotation of having fun, this works well with the body language the girl is using. The way her arms are positioned in the air connote dancing and again relate to having fun. This is something all young people like to do and they will therefore find this appealing. The clothes the girl is wearing shows she is young, trendy and fashionable, something most teens can relate to or find attractive. If the girl on the cover were old and dressed in frills the audience would not be able to make a social connection to her and would therefore be put off watching the documentary.
Denoted, as the background colour is a dark black shade. This connotes a sense of mystery that comes with nighttime and also suggests nightlife as a life style.
Denoted around the text used on the poster are torn paper edges. This gives a connotation of messy or edgy. Teenagers can relate to the idea of mess and imperfections so this would appeal to them more than an older target audience.
The title of the documentary reads 'TRASHED DRINKING AND DESTRUCTION' the capital letters connote bold, loudness and shouting. This gives a rebellious look to the text, which is suitable for the target audience. The language used also connotes the idea of rebellion, which can be seen as stylish by many young people.
To create this poster I used Photoshop. I prepared my images and text separately and then used layering to combine them to create the overall outcome. I used features in Photoshop such as cropping, lasso tool, editing brightness and contrast, colour replacement, erasing and cloning.
Please Click Image To Enlarge.
Drafts For Ancillary Tasks
These are my initial drafts for the sub tasks. I will discuss the dennotation and connotations of the documents on the blogs which contains the final products.
Alcohol Know Your Limits - Binge drinking girl
A new campaign launched called 'know your limits' urges young drinkers to know their limits and to stay within them. The advertising campaign uses television ads, posters and a Know Your Limits website to get the message across that too much alcohol actually makes you vulnerable, even while it makes you feel tough.
The joint Department of Health and Home Office campaign is aimed at 18 to 24 year olds, although it also reaches out to younger, illegal drinkers.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint emphasised that this is not a morality campaign, but an effort to encourage common sense. 'We are not trying to demonise alcohol or stop people enjoying themselves,' she explained. 'This is about encouraging young people to have a good time, but to also know their limits.'
Research Into Similiar Documentary's
Brighton Beach Patrol
Channel Five
In the first episode of the series, Brighton’s summer season kicks off with its annual ‘Paddle round the Pier’ festival – opened by local superstar Fat Boy Slim. Whilst the partygoers compete to float the craziest rafts around Brighton pier, lifeguard Joe watches over proceedings to make sure no one ends up in danger.
Meanwhile, coastguards Des and Ray have another headache on their hands. A rookie paddleboarder taking part in a 20-mile race is hours behind the rest of the field and the weather is about to turn. Can they locate the missing man before things get nasty?
Elsewhere, as day becomes night, police officers Lou and Rick have their work cut out making sure the city’s drunken visitors behave. The morning after, their colleagues Gill and Dave face their own dramas when they go hunting for a missing person known to be sleeping rough on the streets.
Binge Drinking: My Big Decision
BBC3
The series following teenage girls facing potentially life-changing decisions introduces 17-year-old Jess.
As Jess sets off on a personal journey, she is not alone - she's taking her mum and gran along with her. Taking a break from everyday life, the three women embark on a five-day road trip across the UK, immersing themselves in the world of alcohol and binge drinking. Offering help and support throughout the experience, it is the last chance mum and gran have to persuade Jess to think about making the right choice.
Mum Jane believes Jess's attitude towards the bottle is concerning, and as a nurse she knows the damage that alcohol causes. Having been sober for years, nan Valerie's stance on drinking and how to enjoy oneself couldn't be further removed from that of her out-of-control granddaughter.
Along the way, the family are introduced to people and situations designed to get them talking openly and honestly and to help inform their decision. They meet a consultant liver specialist to examine a healthy and a damaged liver; visit an A&E department; speak to staff and residents of a 'wet hostel' in Leeds; and hear first-hand about the perilous effects of drink driving.
After five days on the road, has the experience had any affect on Jess's decision?
Drinking With The Girls
BBC3
Documentary in which Cherry Healey explores women's attitudes to alcohol. Cherry drinks with women across the country and tries to find out what girls drink, where they drink and how their tastes change throughout their lives.
Drinking Yourself To Death
Channel 4
Dispatches examines how successful this approach will be, investigating the new drinking patterns in the UK which involve far more alcohol being drunk at home and the recent lobbying activities of the alcohol industry.
Reporter Deborah Davies investigates the switch in alcohol consumption from pubs to homes, examining the pricing of alcohol in supermarkets versus pubs, the huge increase in wine purchases and the emergence of pre-loading - drinking at home before heading out for an evening.
Dispatches investigates the medical profession's warnings of a liver disease time bomb by organising a unique experiment - using cutting edge technology not yet available on the NHS to test the health of people's livers in London and Birmingham.
In all, 70 passers-by take up the opportunity to have the test - with shocking results that suggest the incidence of liver disease is even higher than doctors had feared.
Dr Rajiv Jalan, who supervises some of the testing is astonished by this snapshot of the liver health of the nation, saying: "I'm stunned. We are looking at an epidemic that's going to face us in 15/20 years which the health service will find impossible to deal with."
With hospital admissions for alcoholic liver disease doubling in the last ten years, Deborah attends a liver transplant operation - the only hope of survival for many patients. She speaks to the beneficiary of the healthy liver, a social drinker whose cirrhosis crept up on her - by the time she knew she was ill, her only chance of survival depended on the transplant.
Liver specialists at hospitals across the country tell Deborah they are seeing a surge in young professional patients with severe forms of alcoholic liver disease - people who don't consider themselves to be heavy drinkers.
Channel Five
In the first episode of the series, Brighton’s summer season kicks off with its annual ‘Paddle round the Pier’ festival – opened by local superstar Fat Boy Slim. Whilst the partygoers compete to float the craziest rafts around Brighton pier, lifeguard Joe watches over proceedings to make sure no one ends up in danger.
Meanwhile, coastguards Des and Ray have another headache on their hands. A rookie paddleboarder taking part in a 20-mile race is hours behind the rest of the field and the weather is about to turn. Can they locate the missing man before things get nasty?
Elsewhere, as day becomes night, police officers Lou and Rick have their work cut out making sure the city’s drunken visitors behave. The morning after, their colleagues Gill and Dave face their own dramas when they go hunting for a missing person known to be sleeping rough on the streets.
Binge Drinking: My Big Decision
BBC3
The series following teenage girls facing potentially life-changing decisions introduces 17-year-old Jess.
As Jess sets off on a personal journey, she is not alone - she's taking her mum and gran along with her. Taking a break from everyday life, the three women embark on a five-day road trip across the UK, immersing themselves in the world of alcohol and binge drinking. Offering help and support throughout the experience, it is the last chance mum and gran have to persuade Jess to think about making the right choice.
Mum Jane believes Jess's attitude towards the bottle is concerning, and as a nurse she knows the damage that alcohol causes. Having been sober for years, nan Valerie's stance on drinking and how to enjoy oneself couldn't be further removed from that of her out-of-control granddaughter.
Along the way, the family are introduced to people and situations designed to get them talking openly and honestly and to help inform their decision. They meet a consultant liver specialist to examine a healthy and a damaged liver; visit an A&E department; speak to staff and residents of a 'wet hostel' in Leeds; and hear first-hand about the perilous effects of drink driving.
After five days on the road, has the experience had any affect on Jess's decision?
Drinking With The Girls
BBC3
Documentary in which Cherry Healey explores women's attitudes to alcohol. Cherry drinks with women across the country and tries to find out what girls drink, where they drink and how their tastes change throughout their lives.
Drinking Yourself To Death
Channel 4
Dispatches examines how successful this approach will be, investigating the new drinking patterns in the UK which involve far more alcohol being drunk at home and the recent lobbying activities of the alcohol industry.
Reporter Deborah Davies investigates the switch in alcohol consumption from pubs to homes, examining the pricing of alcohol in supermarkets versus pubs, the huge increase in wine purchases and the emergence of pre-loading - drinking at home before heading out for an evening.
Dispatches investigates the medical profession's warnings of a liver disease time bomb by organising a unique experiment - using cutting edge technology not yet available on the NHS to test the health of people's livers in London and Birmingham.
In all, 70 passers-by take up the opportunity to have the test - with shocking results that suggest the incidence of liver disease is even higher than doctors had feared.
Dr Rajiv Jalan, who supervises some of the testing is astonished by this snapshot of the liver health of the nation, saying: "I'm stunned. We are looking at an epidemic that's going to face us in 15/20 years which the health service will find impossible to deal with."
With hospital admissions for alcoholic liver disease doubling in the last ten years, Deborah attends a liver transplant operation - the only hope of survival for many patients. She speaks to the beneficiary of the healthy liver, a social drinker whose cirrhosis crept up on her - by the time she knew she was ill, her only chance of survival depended on the transplant.
Liver specialists at hospitals across the country tell Deborah they are seeing a surge in young professional patients with severe forms of alcoholic liver disease - people who don't consider themselves to be heavy drinkers.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Know Your Limits Adverts
The advertising campaign 'know your limits' uses television adverts, posters and a know your limits website to get the message across that too much alcohol makes you vulnerable, even while it makes you feel tough.
Drinking Articles
Please click on the two articles below to enlarge. One is from the sun news paper and the other from fabulous magazine. Below these two articles you will find links to online articles related to our documentary topic. 
Links Related To The Negative Side Of Drinking:
Links Related To The Negative Side Of Drinking: 
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Storyboard & Shot List
SHOT LIST - Trashed - DRINKING & DESTRUCTION
Please click to enlarge
Please click to enlarge
STORYBOARD: TRASHED - DRINKING & DESTRUCTION.
Please click each image to enlarge.
Please click each image to enlarge.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Misson Statement
MISSION STATEMENT
‘Trashed – Drinking & Destruction’
Our documentary, Trashed – Drinking & Destruction will be aired on a Tuesday on Channel 4 at 9pm. The theory behind showing the programme on a Tuesday will be that more people will be at home than say on a Friday or Saturday night and therefore this will broaden the shows audience and up numbers. We have chosen Channel 4 for the broadcast of our documentary, as it is a more lowbrow channel and therefore appropriate for the topics covered in this documentary. This channel is also useful as it provides an online catch up service called 4 on demand; this essentially means if viewers missed the documentary they can watch it online which will again create a wider and larger audience. We have chosen for the documentary to be aired at 9pm as this will allow for more explicit content to be shown as it will be after the water shed. The reason for this is that our topic will have a higher impact and effect on the audience by using more shocking clips.
The target audience for the documentary is teenagers and young adults as our documentary will attempt to persuade them not to drink underage or irresponsibly. However the documentary will also be aimed at parents to show them how much drinking is effecting youths today so they can be involved in the prevention of the phenomena ‘binge drinking’.
In the documentary, Trashed – Drinking & Destruction we set out to investigate why youths are drinking so much and the effects it will have on them in the short and long term. The documentary includes interviews with students and victims of binge drinking as well as nurses and a teacher to find out if enough is being done to help and prevent underage drinking.
Other documentaries that can relate to ours include Brighton Beach Patrol, shown on Channel 5 at 8pm and Underage and Pregnant shown on BBC3 at 9pm. These shows also cover the topics of underage and binge drinking. Underage and Pregnant relates a lot to our documentary in the sense of looking into why our youths are determined to grow up so quickly.
We have chosen to use various places to shoot our documentary including a local college, at a nurse’s home, and in Brighton. Reconstructions have been used where necessary to show the full effect of the dangers of drinking in young people. We have used cameras, a tripod and editing software to create our documentary.
Our documentary, Trashed – Drinking & Destruction will be aired on a Tuesday on Channel 4 at 9pm. The theory behind showing the programme on a Tuesday will be that more people will be at home than say on a Friday or Saturday night and therefore this will broaden the shows audience and up numbers. We have chosen Channel 4 for the broadcast of our documentary, as it is a more lowbrow channel and therefore appropriate for the topics covered in this documentary. This channel is also useful as it provides an online catch up service called 4 on demand; this essentially means if viewers missed the documentary they can watch it online which will again create a wider and larger audience. We have chosen for the documentary to be aired at 9pm as this will allow for more explicit content to be shown as it will be after the water shed. The reason for this is that our topic will have a higher impact and effect on the audience by using more shocking clips.
The target audience for the documentary is teenagers and young adults as our documentary will attempt to persuade them not to drink underage or irresponsibly. However the documentary will also be aimed at parents to show them how much drinking is effecting youths today so they can be involved in the prevention of the phenomena ‘binge drinking’.
In the documentary, Trashed – Drinking & Destruction we set out to investigate why youths are drinking so much and the effects it will have on them in the short and long term. The documentary includes interviews with students and victims of binge drinking as well as nurses and a teacher to find out if enough is being done to help and prevent underage drinking.
Other documentaries that can relate to ours include Brighton Beach Patrol, shown on Channel 5 at 8pm and Underage and Pregnant shown on BBC3 at 9pm. These shows also cover the topics of underage and binge drinking. Underage and Pregnant relates a lot to our documentary in the sense of looking into why our youths are determined to grow up so quickly.
We have chosen to use various places to shoot our documentary including a local college, at a nurse’s home, and in Brighton. Reconstructions have been used where necessary to show the full effect of the dangers of drinking in young people. We have used cameras, a tripod and editing software to create our documentary.
Initial Ideas
Idea One: Sunbeds
'Should sunbeds have an age restriction?'
The Facts:
Many young people could be damaging their health by using sunbeds according to recent World Health Organization guidance which has placed them in the highest risk category for causing cancer.
The WHO says sun beds should only be used by those aged 18 and over. It's illegal for children under 18 to use them in France and California and it will be illegal for under 18s to use them in Scotland from December. However, in the rest of the UK there are no laws to stop children using a sunbed whenever they want.
Around six million people use sun beds every year in the UK and as many as 100 people get melanoma from them. A young person regularly using sunbeds is about 75% more likely to get this fatal form of skin cancer.
The Investigation:
Things that could be included:
'Should sunbeds have an age restriction?'
The Facts:
Many young people could be damaging their health by using sunbeds according to recent World Health Organization guidance which has placed them in the highest risk category for causing cancer.
The WHO says sun beds should only be used by those aged 18 and over. It's illegal for children under 18 to use them in France and California and it will be illegal for under 18s to use them in Scotland from December. However, in the rest of the UK there are no laws to stop children using a sunbed whenever they want.
Around six million people use sun beds every year in the UK and as many as 100 people get melanoma from them. A young person regularly using sunbeds is about 75% more likely to get this fatal form of skin cancer.
The Investigation:
Things that could be included:
- Visits to popular gyms and tanning salons to see what their policys are about underage people using sunbeds are and also to see if there are any warnings about the dangers of using sunbeds.
- Interviews with Doctors and/or Dermatologists to hear facts on how sunbeds effect us and what age is most at risk
- Talk to young people who use sunbeds regularly to find out why, and what it would take for them to stop?
- Do a vox pop to find out a variety of opinions of the use of sunbeds
- Talk to someone who has been effected by the use of sunbed
Idea Two: Drinking
'Is teenage binge drinking spiraling out of control?'
The Facts:
Binge drinking is a significant problem among teenagers. Up to a quarter of 13 and 14-year-olds claimed to have "downed" at least five alcoholic drinks in a single session.
The figure rose to half of all 15 and 16-year-olds. The survey of 14,000 secondary school children across England, Scotland and Wales was carried out by Communities that Care for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Drinking amongst young teenagers is linked to anti-social behaviour and use of other drugs.
Among 15 to 16-year-olds, 27% reported three or more binges in the past month.
The survey also found 9% of boys and 5% of 11 and 12-year-old girls described themselves as regular drinkers, rising to 39% of boys and 33% of girls aged 15 to 16.
The majority of children said their parents would think it was wrong for them to steal or use illegal drugs. However the proportion who said their parents would object to under-age drinking declined from 91% of 11 to 12-year-olds to 56% of 15 to 16-year-olds.
The Investigation:
Things that could be included:
- Archive footage
- Interview with nurse and/or paramedics to see how far teenage binge drinking has gone, and to hear about the short and long term effects of alcohol
- Interview teacher to see if children are being taught enough about the dangerous side to alcohol abuse
- Look into whether alcohol abuse has lead to the rise in teenage pregnancy and STI's
- Talk to someone who has had a traumatic experience from alcohol
- Talk to young people to see how much they would drink on an average night out and also ask why they drink so much?
- Vox pox to find out a variety of reasons why teens are drinking so much?
- Show teens the effects drinking has on their bodies to see if there feelings towards binge drinking will change
Idea Three: Miaow (Drugs)
'Should the legal high 'miaow' been made illegal in the UK?'
The Facts:
“Miaow” is sold as plant food on the internet where it is described as being not for human consumption.
It was made illegal in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Israel due to growing evidence of harm, including a reported possible cause of death.
Apart from the euphoria and alertness it is said to induce anxiety, paranoia and a risk of fits.
It is known as a “legal high” and its popularity is increasing sharply because it is legal to buy.
Police forces are aware of its existence, but because of its recent emergence onto the market are unsure of how widespread its use is.
The Investigation:
Things that could be included:
- Interview with professionals to find out exactly what the drug is and what it contains
- Interview with doctor to see what effect this drug can have on people
- Talk to users of the drug and find out why they take it
- Talk to someone who has had a bad experience using this or any other legal high
- Investigate why this is a legal high and not illegal to use
- Ask police if there is any plans to make this an illegal drug
- Vox pop to find out how many teenagers/adults have heard about this new drug
Michael Moore Documentaries
Notes:
- Often open with humour
- Often use wacky music
- Uses his voice to narrate
- Confliction of narrative views
- Archive footage
- CCTV footage
- Emergancy calls
- Mainly his beliefs and opinions focused on
Essay Question:
'Michael Moore documentaries have brought the genre into the mainstream and are inavative in their style. Discuss.'
The genre of Michael Moore’s documentaries is most often investigative and follows the same kind of format. He is always the narrator and the films rely on his voice over for additional information, he asks the audience questions followed up with his own opinions. The use of archive footage is always prominent in his documentaries and they are often heavily discussion based using interviews to portray two sides of an argument.
The investigative documentary is a genre that illustrates and investigates a real life subject using facts and archive footage to show the audience ‘first hand’ the point they are trying to make. Michael Moore’s investigative documentaries, like many others, attempt to discover the truth regarding political, medical and media issues.
I have seen three of Michael Moore’s documentaries; the first was Bowling for Columbine, a film about a school massacre and other acts of violence with guns. The film title comes from the story of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold – two students responsible for the Columbine High School massacre who attended a school bowling class before they committed a shooting attack at school.
In Moore’s documentary he engages in discussions with various people such as South Park creator Matt Stone, National Rifle Associations then-president Charlton Heston and musician Marilyn Manson as well as members of the school. He tries to find the truth behind why the Columbine massacre occurred and why the United States has such a high violent crime rate.
The second documentary I watch was Fahrenheit 9/11. The film takes a critical look at George Bush and the war on terrorism, and in particularly the coverage on American news.
This documentary again has a discussion-based theme with several conspiracy theories being argued. The documentary speaks to those who believe the American Government allowed or helped the attacks on the world trade centre and the pentagon. Michael Moore travels across the United States to investigate, speaking eye to eye with witnesses and tries to establish the truth.
The third and final documentary I watched was called Sicko. This documentary investigates the American heath care system, focusing on its health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. The investigation compares American to other countries who have non-profit universal health care systems such as the United Kingdom, Canada and France.
Bowling for columbine won numerous awards, including Academy Award for best documentary feature, the independent spirit award for best documentary feature and a special 55th anniversary prize at the Cannes film festival. Fahrenheit 9/11 was controversial but debuted at the 2004 Cannes film festival and received a 20-minute standing ovation (the longest in the festivals history). The film was also awarded with the Golden Palm, the festivals highest award. Sicko opened to positive reviews but also generated criticisms and controversy. Sicko made $24.5 million theatrically in the United States.
The fact that Michael Moore’s documentaries have done so well brings them into the mainstream. They have been acknowledging by many and so they become more popular. Documentary is not a popular genre but Michaels Moore’s have become an exception, as they are innovative in their style.
The documentaries are styled differently to many investigative types. Michael Moore uses humour to prove his point or opinion on subjects or people he does this using editing and manipulation of footage to work in favour of his opinion. Moore has often been criticised for appearing too much in his documentaries making the focus on him rather than the subject to be investigated. Although there are always two sides to each discussion he brings up, the editing of each discussion is quite biased, as it seems to always work in his favour. His use of archive footage is really effective. Many scenes of archive footage go on for quite a while, for instance the blank screen and the 911 calls in Fahrenheit 9/11 and the cctv footage and emergency calls played over the top in bowling for columbine. These scenes where unusually long but worked really effectively as they allowed emotional interaction between the situation and the audience. These scenes really prolonged the agony, helping us to engaged with the people who this affected. Michael Moore’s style is very innovative and this has made him more successful and more money, as innovation is the fundamental source of increasing wealth.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Watching Documentaries - The Conspiracy Files
Documentary Name:
The Conpiracy Files
Notes:
Voice over
Interviews
Questions followed up with opinions/answers
Discussion based, two sided
Uses archive footage
Computer generated reconstructions
About The Documentary:
The conspiracy files investigate the growing number of conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks.
Incredibly some believe the American Government allowed or actively helped the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.
Those who questioned the official version believed the World Trade Centre buildings were actually demolished by explosives; others ask why there was so little damage to the Pentagons outer wall if a plane really had hit it.
The documentary attempts to answer why America was so unprepared when the terror attack warnings had been recieved.
The conspiracy files travel accross the United States to investigate, speaking to eye witnesses and tried to seperate fact from fiction.
The Conpiracy Files
Notes:
Voice over
Interviews
Questions followed up with opinions/answers
Discussion based, two sided
Uses archive footage
Computer generated reconstructions
About The Documentary:
The conspiracy files investigate the growing number of conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks.
Incredibly some believe the American Government allowed or actively helped the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.
Those who questioned the official version believed the World Trade Centre buildings were actually demolished by explosives; others ask why there was so little damage to the Pentagons outer wall if a plane really had hit it.
The documentary attempts to answer why America was so unprepared when the terror attack warnings had been recieved.
The conspiracy files travel accross the United States to investigate, speaking to eye witnesses and tried to seperate fact from fiction.
Documentary Modes
Expository
The purpose is to inform and educate the audience about a subject. Screened material can include original and archive footage. Camera and crew are normally visable to the audience. The material is tightly scripted and often accompanied by a voice-over narration, normally by an expert or actor.
Observational
Since the 1960s lightweight film and video cameras have enabled filmmakers to record people in their natural environment with a minimum of fuss. This approach aims for a greater degree of naturalness as camera and crew take a back seat.
Fly-On-The-Wall
An extention of observational mode, fly-on-the-wall aims to blend into the background as the subjects go about their daily business. Filming may go on over a long period of time. The aim is to give the audience unmediated access to the world.
Interactive/Reflective
In this mode the filmmakers presence is fully acknowledged. The filmmaker is often both author and character in his or her movie, often appearing in shot and interacting with other people in the film or programme. The film might offer suprises, play with conventions or aim to provoke reactions from subjects and the audience.
Drama Documentary
In the absence of archive footage or access to witnesses, the filmmaker might stage dramatic reconstructions.
Mockumentary
Fictional films which parody the forms and conventions of documentary, often for humorous effect.
Personal
Often shot on video and generally feature the maker addressing the camera directly, sharing his or her views with the viewer.
Investigation
Looks at topical issues. May use hidden cameras and aims to expose or prove something at the end of the documentary.
The purpose is to inform and educate the audience about a subject. Screened material can include original and archive footage. Camera and crew are normally visable to the audience. The material is tightly scripted and often accompanied by a voice-over narration, normally by an expert or actor.
Observational
Since the 1960s lightweight film and video cameras have enabled filmmakers to record people in their natural environment with a minimum of fuss. This approach aims for a greater degree of naturalness as camera and crew take a back seat.
Fly-On-The-Wall
An extention of observational mode, fly-on-the-wall aims to blend into the background as the subjects go about their daily business. Filming may go on over a long period of time. The aim is to give the audience unmediated access to the world.
Interactive/Reflective
In this mode the filmmakers presence is fully acknowledged. The filmmaker is often both author and character in his or her movie, often appearing in shot and interacting with other people in the film or programme. The film might offer suprises, play with conventions or aim to provoke reactions from subjects and the audience.
Drama Documentary
In the absence of archive footage or access to witnesses, the filmmaker might stage dramatic reconstructions.
Mockumentary
Fictional films which parody the forms and conventions of documentary, often for humorous effect.
Personal
Often shot on video and generally feature the maker addressing the camera directly, sharing his or her views with the viewer.
Investigation
Looks at topical issues. May use hidden cameras and aims to expose or prove something at the end of the documentary.
Documentary Conventions
- Archival Footage and Photographs
- Voice-over
- Reconstructions
- Confrontation
- Opposing Forces
- Conveys a personal responce or critical perspective
- Dramatic suspence (makes the audience judge, anticipate, wonder and despair)
- Development of audiences knowledge
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