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.
Links to studio Problems Our link to the studio was filmed badly as when the news first starts the anchor who will be talking about the news is already at the studio in the chair ready to start. However, in our parody we made Selim late as you can see from the picture nobody is there. The news needs to be on time and if it isn't on time then people will think of the news as not being trustworthy. Another bad thing was the way Selim made the camera cut to the correspondent. He didn't talk formally or even address his correspondent in the proper manner which would make him look bad as this shows the audience Salim isn't interested. What we should have done
Selim should've already been in his seat before we even started to filming and prepared what he was going to say so he would know rather than siting in the chair not have clue what he would be reporting. This would've made us look like we know what we are doing.
Clothing Problems As you can see in the picture Selim is not wearing the appropriate clothes for filming. He walks in with his hoodie and tracksuit which is not the suitable clothing for present the news. This is because if people were to watch this and saw Selim in these type of clothes they would't even watch the news or even believe what he is saying.
Another problem we had with clothing is when our correspondent Shihab was wearing a hat. This is not allowed as the hat wasn't even appropriate when he is reporting the news. This would make him look unprofessional and make the situation seem causal.
What we should have done Selim should've been wearing the suitable news outfit, which is a suit and not a hoodie with a tracksuit. It is essential he is wearing the right clothes so he can look more presentable to the audience.
Actuality footage Problems We did not show any actuality footage as evidence of it being the queens birthday. We only spoke briefly about the topic of the queens birthday but Selim changed the subject and did not even mention anything else about it.
What we should have done Selim should've been able to read of the paper to know what he will be talking about so he has some idea. Also when it went to the correspondent Shihab who was being sarcastic we should've added some actuality footage. Mode of address Problems Our mode of address should have been formal and professional. However, rather than speaking proper english so other people can understand Selim was talking in slang which would be used around friends and casual places. If adults were to watch some may not even understand what Selim is talking about as not all of them understand slang words. This would have left them confused and annoyed at us for talking properly. This would also make us untrustworthy as it looked like we weren't taking anything seriously. Another problem there was when it went back to the studio Selim was sleeping and the green background could been seen. Even if some people laughed at this they would disapprove as this is not what is suppose to happen. We would be looked at us unorganised and not serious. Another problem which was faced that at certain times the person behind the camera had to talk to Selim and even Shihab to make them pay attention. What we should have done Selim should always be prepared at all times so he wouldn't be caught by surpassed. However, he shouldn't of been sleeping on the job. We should also warn him so he can know when he will be on. Selim should've also spoke better when talking about the news and not in a way that makes him look bad. Interviews and eye witnesses
Our correspondent Shihab was caught talking to a girl and trying to get her number. He is meant to be finding people to talk about the situation we are presenting. This is would make him look like a bad correspondent as he wouldn't be trusted to interview people if he cannot be serious and ask them appropriate questions.
What we should have done When interviewing a person we should make Shihab focus purely on the subject and get actual interviews and eye witnesses he will not try to get their number or even district him.
Docudramas Docudramas are usually full films or re-enactments / reconstructions of true events. They will focus on what happened based on the creator's point of view. They will avoid commentary so the documentary is more factual and entertaining for audience. These documentary aren't always accurate as they make exaggerate to build up tension and anticipation for the audience so they can get into it more. For example, 'my week with Marilyn' is an example of an docudrama as it is an reconstruction of true events. It's about a production assistant called Colin who lands a job on the set of 'The Prince and the Showgirl' which stars Marilyn Monroe.The film focuses on the week during the shooting of the 1957 film when Marilyn was escorted around London by Colin after her husband had returned to the United States. The conventions which are used in the movie in the movie is realism. This is because of the movie they are filming as it is an actual movie which stars Marilyn Monroe. We also know because of the diary accounts which are shown which documents his time with Marilyn making us the audience believe its the truth. Another convention which is used a lot is natural lighting. It is used a lot in docudramas because it helps to give the movie a natural look so the audience feel like what they are watching isn't a re-enactment. Another convention which you would usually see in docudramas and is used in the film is voice overs narrativisation. This is when the main character will discuss what is happening in that scene as they retell the story. Docusoap Docusoaps are true representations of people's lives and in the real locations. This documentary will show people at their work or their lives as they go through certain situations. The people being filmed are fully aware but don't acknowledge the camera most of the time. This would allow the audience to identify with individuals making them get more into the documentary as they can relate with what they watch. For example, one born every minute is an example of an docusoap as we follow what happens in the labour ward. The conventions which are used in this documentary are hand held cameras which add the to realism. This shows the audience watch they are watching is real as they know its actuality footage and not something that has been planned. This will make the show more entertaining for the audience as woman who have gone through that situation can relate. Another convention a docusoap will usually use is non - diegetic sound. This is will be used when something is about to go wrong making the situation looking bad and adding drama for the audience as they anticipate what is going to happen to the mother and the baby. Docusoaps will also use a lot of close-ups. This is so the audience can see clearly of the baby and the mother as she gives birth. Reality TV Reality TV programs are when ordinary people or celebrities are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative. This will either film the life's certain people or film people doing challenges on a show made for fun. This has become very popular as many celebrities or normal peoples lives are being filmed while more people going on the shows for fun. An example, of a popular reality TV show is big brother. This is a game show where celebrities or normal people are put into a house for 6 weeks and are filmed.
The conventions which are used a lot in the reality TV shows and many others are dramatisation. This is what the draws the audience to carry on watching the show because there will conflicts, fights etc which will entertain the audience and even make them laugh at the events. A lot of artificial lighting will also be used in reality TV shows because this is to get a better look at the housemates. This is used to let us see the a persons expression better because they aren't being filmed from a cameraman as they are being filmed by cameras which are set up all over the house. They also use a lot of editing. This is because they have to try and fit all what happened in to that one show and they are seen to use a lot of transitions. Infotainment This is a combination of entertainment and information. There are different channels which will use Infotainment. For example, a channel called E is a channel decided to talking about celebrities and their life's and what rumours have been spoken about them.
The conventions which are used a lot in this close- ups of the celebrities so they audience will be able to get a better look at the celebrity. This is because thy would want to show the celebrities face and who the person they are with. Another convention which is often used in infotainment is they use direct dialogue. It is like the person who is giving us the news is talking directly to the audience about the news, making them feel more involved with the situation. Educational
This mainly focuses on educational topics which which will teach the audience about new topics, events skills and how to make/bake certain things. An example of a show that is educational for the audience is the great holiday baking show where it is a baking competition. But it will also show you how to make the food they are making.
The conventions which are used in this show is close-ups. This is because it allows the audience to see get a close-up of how to do things so they can follow and so they can also so what the people are making and see what they are baking looks like. They also use a lot of facts in educational shows. This is because they are teaching the audience and what they say needs to be true so they cannot mess up but they can also trust the show. Another convention you will see in educational TV shows is direct dialogue. Wildlife This is all about animals in the wild and their lives and how they act in their natural habitat. The people filming will follow the animals but will keep a certain distance away from them so the animals aren't disturbed. An example, of a show that talks a lot about animals is frozen planet. The conventions that are used a lot in frozen planet and wildlife TV shows is voice overs. This when a person is talking about the animals and what we see them doing. The person speaking will tell us everything about the animal they are showing. This TV show also needs to be factual because they are talking about animals and people would find this entertaining and they would want to know what they are hearing is the truth. Another convention which is used a lot is natural lighting. We are able to see the animals without any other lighting making it look fake. Special interest This is a 'niche' audience that doesn't go for a wide range of people making the target audience small. It is involved in a specialised subject that only certain people will like as not everybody would find is entertaining like some others might. An example, of special interest is River monsters. It wouldn't be found on TV because not everyone would like this. The conventions which are used in this are interviews with people so the audience watching can have some more information about what is happening in the documentary. It also allows people to make their own opinions based on the interviews which are being used. Another convention which are used in this are handheld cameras. Makeover shows
Allows audiences to see drastic transformations to people's bodies,homes and cars. It offers a feel good factor for the audience as they can see people go through these changes. For example, pimp my ride was a popular makeover show which specialised on transforming peoples old cars into cars that look good. The conventions that are used in this show are artificial lighting because it lets the audience so the cars better when they are designing the new car. Another convention they use is sound in the background. Non-diegetic sound is used when the person sees the car the music goes upbeat because of how their car looks. Discussion
This will have a host to act as an impartial referee by asking questions. They will remain neutral while two people from the opposite sides will talk about what they think about a specific question or topic. For example, the big question is a popular show that does this. The conventions used in the big question are facts. They will bring in people from both sides who know a lot about the topic and they will give some facts but will also give their own opinion. Another convention which is used in the big question is camera language. A lot of the time the camera will be in a long shot so we can see the two sides opposite each other and see their reactions to certain things which have been said. Chat show These are interviews with celebrity guests which will usually promote the celebrities product, movie or music video. It was also give us gossip as if they are going through a problem with someone the audience get to know the truth or their side of the story. An example, of this is the Ellen show where she has a lot of celebrity guest stars.
The conventions which are used in the Ellen show are long shots of Ellen as we can watch Ellen sitting the chair with person she is talking about next to her. This will give us a better look and lets us see the reactions. Another convention which is used are interviews with the celebrities. It lets us know what it happening with them and what they got planned if they will be releasing something that people like will go and buy. Review show This is when experts in a certain field are debating about products or services. They will talk about it and this will let the audience form their own opinion on the product. An example of this is the book show where they will sit down and discuss books which will let the audience decide whether they want to buy that certain book. The conventions which are used are interviews with experts as they are able to give their own opinion for the audience. Another convention which are in this show is artificial lighting. It sets the calm scene for the show as it is a calm discussion about an authors book which will make the atmosphere relaxed for the audience. Magazine show This is a show that will appeal to a wide range of an audience by covering a wide range of topics, with interviews with members of the public and celebrities. An example of a show is the one show. They will interview members of the public who have done something and let them come onto the show and speak about what they done in more detail.
The conventions which are used in the one show are close- up and long shots. These are used a lot because when the person is talking they would be zoomed into as they talk about something. However, when the hosts and the guest are both talking it will zoom out so we can see both the celebrity and the host and we can see their reactions to certain things that will happen in the show. Another convention which is used in the one show is archive footage. There will be times when they are talking about a topic and they will need to use archive footage to back them up.
