Legal issues I will need to add a disclaimer on my documentary as I have added archive footage. This disclaimer will also be at the beginning of my documentary.Using a disclaimer is important as it will stop the people who I have taken the footage from not to think I'm stealing it and using it as my own. My disclaimer will state that not everything they are watching is mine and I do not own some of the pictures and videos the audience will be watching. Ethical issues Ethics are moral principles that ultimately define peoples actions. Ethical issues that are found in the media industry include Morality, Exploitation, Offensive material and Representational issues. By taking in the ethical issues into consideration in my documentary that if a my documentary is rated 15 and up I will only show at eight or nine so kids cannot watch.
I choose to do my documentary in the school because my documentary is about exams and I thought this would be a good location for the interviews. When I interviewed Mercedes it was shot in the flexie. I thought it was a good place to interview her because the flexie is a place students can come for quiet and study.
Today I have finished everything that I need to do with my documentary. I have uploaded my interviews of my interviewees and have edited them to a standard I like. I have changed my music and added some new things like background music. I have also finally came up with a name for my documentary which I had been struggling with. I have also had found new and better archive footage and pictures as the ones I had before weren't something I was happy with. I should be able to upload my documentary tomorrow as I still need to add a disclaimer for the archive footages I have used.
Today I have finished my filming. I have got the last of my interviews and have uploaded them onto the mac. Currently I have my copyright, music and themes that have already been done and edited to a standard I like all I need to do is work on my interviews and I will be finished and will be able to upload my documentary onto youtube.
Today I have finished my risk assessment for my documentary which can come in handy as before filming I can give out the risk assessments. Another thing I have completed today is my voice over. I went out with my camera and started and finished my voice over. This voice over is for the beginning of the documentary as it is the introduction that introduces the audience to the topic to show them what they will be watching. I have also recently completed my narrative arc where its a structure I will follow when doing my documentary so I do not become confused.
When I was filming my documentary I did not have any help from other people. Everything was filmed and edited by me. I was the camerawoman for every film and every interview. This is because my teacher had set the task for us to film our documentary individually and not in a group like he would usually do.
Production log During these couple of days I have been emailing people from my class and professionals who I think I can interview for my documentary. I have asked four people from school and have emailed two people asking them if they will agree and will answer some questions. After I had sent out the emails I started gaining pictures,Statics, facts etc about my documentary so I can put all these into my documentary and make it look more factual for the audience. I also started writing down the questions I want to ask people. I have made about five questions but thats all I plan to write as the questions will have long answers.
The message I will be showing my audience about my documentary is the exams season and the affects it has on teenagers and what they think about them. For example, procrastination, peer pressure from parents and family, lack of sleep and stress. The reason for doing this is because I want to explore how some people cope I will do this by interviewing teenagers and asking their opinions.
Section 1 - Introduction Who - It will start of with me introducing myself What - An introduction about what the documentary is going to be about so the audience has an idea Why - To engage people Where - The location will be in school Section 2 - Speaking about the topic
Who - Voice over of myself speaking What - I will show some facts and graphs about the stress teens go through etc Why - To show the affect they have on us
Section 3 - Interviewing What - I will be interviewing students and asking them questions Who - Students and teachers from the school who are willing to answer questions Why - To get a range of opinions
Section 4 - Facts and pictures Who - Voice over of myself What - Facts and pictures on teens and how much work they do during exam season Why - So my audience can get a better understanding of the numbers and become engaged knowing what I'm saying is factual Section 5 - Actuality footage What - They will be chatting with their friends. Ignoring the camera Where - In school Who - Students walking down the hallway Why - To show the different types of students we will see. Eg people walking sensibly while others would be pushing each other around and laughing Section 6 - Conclusion Who - Another voice over of me What - Conclusion of what I was talking about Where - Outside the school Why - To let the audience make their own opinion
This is when film-makers is using actual footage as opposed to a re-enactments. The techniques you would expect to see is a handheld camera, interviews with people talking about the topic, statics and graphs to support the facts given to show what they are saying is true and is not fake. You even sometimes see the people setting up the cameras as part of the film. Dramatisation This is when film-makers uses a re-enactments and voices overs of an actor to create drama out of real life situations. Interviews are also included in this mode so we are able to get more information about the specific topic. Usually the music and sound which is used is non diegetic because the person is talking and we need to hear what they are saying. The music in the background is there to make the audience feel a certain emotion when watching. An example of this is watchdog.
Narrativisation This tells a story through a narrative form, based on facts. Expository This is a type of documentary that addresses the audience directly. The expository mode is the most common mode from documentary films. It is heard but not seen and is known as 'the voice of god'. Expository uses a voice over to narrate what we see happening. It is very popular in wildlife documentaries which shows us the life of animals. However because this documentary has 'the voice of god' people would lose interest.
The documentary I have chosen to use is Tiger: Spy in the jungle. Which is about the life of young tiger cubs growing up. Rather than using normal cameras to film the tiger cubs they have put cameras on elephants so we can get a closer look at the tigers private life. Throughout the documentary David Attenborough uses argumentative logic which is common in expository documentaries. This is good to have in the documentary as it makes it morereal because they do talk about the animals and give relevant and true facts about each individual one, so this keeps it real which conforms to this particular mode. The show can be very dramatic, but this is only when something dangerous may happen as tense fast pace music can be heard in the background to make the audience feel fear or anticipation for what they are about to watch. For example, when the mother tiger leaves her den and the cubs leave the den also theres a cheetah which David Attenborugh explains cheetahs like to eat changes the atmosphere, making us question what will happen to the cubs. The conventions which are used in documentary are: Voiceover When doing a voice it is good to do have someone who has clear professional voice so we are able to understand what is being said. A person like David Attenborough narrating this documentary would make it more popular because he is a well known wild life expert making it more appealing. His slow but gentle voice really gets you into the events we see happening. Throughout the documentary he informs about the animals in detail, what they do and some facts about the tiger letting us learn new things about them. Camera
The way this documentary has been filmed is different from others as there are camera attached to elephants so we are able to get a closer look on the life of the cameras. Many of the cameras have been hid in a 'trunk cam' that are covered in wood without blocking the camera are cameras elephants pick up the trunks and carry around so we are able to get a closer look on the tigers life and watch the young grow up. Because of these cameras aren't a threat to tigers they wont attack when they see one and so they can follow them around closer without any hassle.The documentary is shot with life cameras and has not been rehearsed or edited which makes it more entertaining to know nothing was rehearsed. It also make the documentary reliable and real to the audience which makes them engaged as its like we are actually there with the cubs as they grow up. The camera men do aren't hiding in bushes or from a distance as the cameras are closer which makes it easier for us to see. We can be directly in front of the cameras and the tigers wouldn't even pay attention if it isn't a threat.
This is what makes the show interesting to the audience because rather than exaggerating what is happening we get to see real life events of the tigers and what they would do in their day to day life. For example, we get to see the tiger chasing a cheetah, the tigers hunting deer's. This is all close up and follows the action making it more real and entertaining for the audience when watching it. Also because the cameras are so well hidden and good we are able to grow up with the cubs as they get older and see them going from little cubs who like to play to hunters chasing down their own food which shows their lives realistically.
Observational
This is when the filmmaker is behind the camera and is not seen on camera and has no participation in the events happening. Unlike the expository mode this mode does not have any voice over and the purpose of this is for the people to observe. This allows the audience to make their own opinions and come up with their own conclusions. By maintaining this mode the people who are being filmed forget that there is a camera presence which would allow them to act more natural. Using this makes it more engaging for the audience because it makes it feel more real. The people we are watching aren't scripted and so we can see them be themselves as they don't have to put an act on. This is what some people like. However, this type of mode can be boring for the audience as it can get boring watching these girls as some of them go through the same thing. When doing an observational documentary it is mostly filmed with a handheld camera as they have to be able to move fast. Using a tripod would make it seem staged.
Link:http://www.mtv.com/full-episodes/a68i1d/16-and-pregnant-courtney-season-5-ep-511 This is a reality/tv documentary which follows the life's of five 16 year old girls and following their lives of how they deal with being pregnant and school. It starts from their 5 months pregnant's and observes their life to when they give birth. It does not have any interviews or voice overs but will have each girl talk directly to the camera on about how they feel or what is happening. Throughout this nobody else rather than the girls family talk as the only thing the cameramen do are follow the girls around. 16 and pregnant use a lot of long takes which follows the girls around. This allows it to make it look more realistic or even dramatic which would engage the audience when something happens. Participatory This mode welcomes direct contact with the filmmaker and the people being filmed as the filmmaker becomes part of the show. The filmmakers presence in the impact they make are acknowledged. This is done when the filmmaker are interviewing a person. This mode mainly focuses on sexuality , gender and race. The filmmaker will also in the documentary will play quite a part by maybe following someone around, asking questions and almost become a part of the subjects life for the duration of the documentary. Rather than not influencing or getting involved with the subject they will directly engage with them.
This documentary follows Reggie Yates as he travels to USA to talk examine the position of African-Americans in US society. This documentary is also filmed from an handheld camera as we follow the filmmaker and whoever he is talking too. The participatory mode is mainly the filmmaker as they are the ones asking questions, talking about the certain situations. At all times we should the filmmaker as a big part of the participatory is interviewing people about the problem they have experienced. As Reggie Yates explains what happens in front of the camera becomes an interaction between filmmaker and the subject. We know that none of this is stage due to the filmmaker asking questions a lot and actually interacting with the people they meet. This documentary is also very balanced as Reggie asks for both opinions of what people think. He interviews people who agree and disagree making the documentary stray away from being biased.
Reflexive
Reflexive documentaries like this one show the audience how they are recording it and make it obvious how they have edited it. The filmaker is present in the film and provides a narrative all the way through the film. The filmmaker will go out and try to put themselves in the issue and understand what that person is going through. This type of document isn't about facts but more of a statement to that the filmmaker wants to get across. The Reflexive mode acknowledges the constructed nature of documentary and displays it proudly. The presence of directions, cameras and lights is emphasised. The making of the documentary is at the centre of the documentary along the subject matter. There is an intentional display of the filmmakers activities. It strengthen the relationship between the makers and the audience and suggest a transparency. But, at the same time it gets audiences to consider and question the ways that documentaries shape the vision of reality.
This document follows Louis Therox as he travels to California which has on of the most highest meth users in the United States. In this documentary Louis theorx addresses his audience and gets their opinions to keep them watching. This is entertaining for the audience as he is involved which makes it less boring for the audience as he gets into it and sees what its like for the people but he is also dethatched so he can let the audience make their own opinions and also lets them watch so they can get more information. In this documentary Louis is explaining a lot and just telling us what the drug does and how it affects people. He mostly lets the people who he is interviewing talking so the audience know what's it like from that persons perspective.
Performative
In Performative documentary the filmmaker is deep involved in the filming. They are the narrative but it more to do with personal experience, this means we acknowledge their presence and most of the time they will be talking to the camera and will be explaining what is happening. This type of documentary is also very subjectivity as it does not talk about the truth but shows the emotional aspects and a persons personal experience.
This documentary is able to make people aware when they are talking online. It can be very dramatic as when the people are about to meet each other there's a lot of tense music to build up the tension to see if the person they are about to meet our who they say each other. This would even make the audience feel bad for the person if the person they are talking aren't who they say they are by. We would feel sad for them.
In the pictures below I have taken two pictures of the messages I have sent to the people I wanted to interview. Both people who I have interviewed agreed to be interviewed.
In my pitch I spoke about what my documentary would be about, why I choose this type of documentary and the modes I will be using etc. This is because I needed to tell the group I worked with a lot of detail about my documentary so when I get comments I know what people will like about my documentary and what they did not like so I can change some things and make it look entertaining when filming. The feedback I received from my peers helped me to think about what I will need to add to my documentary and what I need to reconsider.
Report structure This follows a certain structure in an order in which its elements appear in a news report Below I will be talking about the structure the news follows when presenting: Lead summary - The news report will introduce themselves and the problems they will be addressing Interviews and quotes - Because the news is meant to be true and trustworthy to the audience they will back themselves up using interviews field reports they had with people who had witnessed the problem Actuality footage - This will show the audience footage that is happening at that moment so the audience know it's real and has not been tampered with. For example, a field reporter would be at a protest and if there was fighting at that moment we would see it. Link to studio and summary - When everything has been said they will go back to the studio where they will sum everything up about what we just saw and then move onto the next report.
Field reporter/ correspondent
Once the news reporter has finished giving the story of the situation they will go to the field reporter also known as correspondent to get further detail about what is happening. This will include interviewing people and eye witnesses. This is to gather more information so people will have a better understanding on what is happening. They are usually surrounded by people which can be a disadvantage as people can be loud making it harder for us to hear. Even sometimes people act silly behind the camera making people watching the news not get into the report or even take it seriously when they see people doing silly things.
Mode of address
Mode of address means the way someone speaks and comes across through the way they speak. For example, dialect, tone of voice, pitch, accent and pace etc. In order for a news report to be believable and for the audience to listen to the person speaking the mode of address needs to be correct, this is vital because someones mode of address can determine the impression they give to someone. Also people need to understand what it being said. If the person we see talking does talks in a way we don't understand then it can get the audience annoyed and even stop them from watching the news as they can't rely on them to make themselves clear. The news must be impartial, honest and trustworthy it is important that the mode of address is really good. This is because it will make people come back to watch more and even make the news look good as people know what they are saying in honest and they aren't biased or even bring their own opinions which can cause conflict.
Links to the studio
This is when one studio links the story it is reporting to another studio.
Usually throughout the reporter in the studio asks the correspondent questions about what we are watching and the correspondent will reply to inform us and give us more information on what is happening. Once they have discussed everything and have given us the main details on what is happening at that time we're brought back to the studio where we see the reporter again and she continues to talk about the details in more depth.This way of reporting an issue is good for viewers as it allows for them to take their eyes away from the reporter in the studio, where they are not bored by just hearing them reporting the issue.
Actuality footage
This is important when the news are explaining stories to the public. It is vital to have actuality footage so members of the public know that the story they have spoken about is the truth. It is when we are shown the event that is being reported at the moment it is happening. For example, I used amateur filming so people watching can know what they are watching is real. By showing the viewers what is happening in the exact moment it allows for them to witness the incident first hand without having someone just tell them it which would be perhaps not all reliable.
Clothing
Because news reporters are presenting live to people they need to look respectful to the people watching. They literally need to dress to impress the viewers watching otherwise they would not take them seriously. We need to trust what these people are telling us are true and if they were in clothing which were professional we wouldn't believe them or even watch the news.
However there are times when wearing clothing is good to report the news. Usually field reports will wear clothes based on the event/place they are attending which means most of the time they will be in normal clothes. The anchors and the news reports are the people who will not be in normal clothing and will have to dress to a good standard because they are in the studio. Interviews and eye witnesses When we watch the news, and a topic that important where something bad has happened the news will go to interviews and eye witnesses so we can see from their point of view what happened as they were there. The information they get from an expert or eyewitness is then used to put together the news report. Sometimes they choose to use only a small amount of the information given by these people, this is because not all the information given is relevant. However most of the time the interviews will be live so we can see that what the news is talking about is the truth and we can see from someone else's point of view.
