Initial Plan

We first decided to make a documentary on fashion, but we soon came to a conclusion that this would be far to easy and not as interesting as we would thought. So we then came up with another idea, this idea was Learning To Drive, we decided to pick this because we thought it would be a lot more interesting, and not a lot of people would think of this.

Our target audience for this documentary would be teenagers, or young people that are learning to drive, we thought it would be extremely helpful with helping them gain a better understanding of the theory and the actual driving test. We also decided that we would put this documentary on Channel 4, this was because we know that many young people would tune into this channel. The timing of this documentary would be around 7pm, because young teenagers tend to tune in at around this time and it would be suitable to show it then.

Brainstorming

In groups, we had to come up with ideas in which we could make into a documentary, therefore we decided to put everything that came into our head down. Once we did this, we then decided to narrow the list down to a chosen 5, which would then eventually end up as 1 final idea, which would then be our chosen idea. The topics would be of both a humorous nature but also something more serious, however we needed to be able to document such ideas so the ideas were too serious. We also wanted to be able entice young people to watch such a documentary so nothing too dry could be used, as they wouldn't really be interested in that topical area.

Genre Analysis - The Secrets of the Austrian Cellar

The Secrets of the Austrian Cellar

Type of documentary:
This type of documentary is mixed, because of the fact that within itself it holds interviews, reconstructions and voice-over’s in order to get its message across. There were numerous interviews from Elizabeth’s friends from school, and neighbours, on this topic and what had happened to her.

Themes:
The themes within this documentary included incarceration, kidnap and also rape, along with a change in the legislation in Austria.

Narrative Structure:
There is a clear narrative structure throughout the documentary, at the beginning we see the early life of Elizabeth Fritzl, we see her school life and her school friends and how she was rather reserved to talk about her life outside of education. However by the middle of the documentary the conflict comes into place and Elizabeth goes missing, only to have been kidnapped and trapped in her own home. She’s drugged then dragged down to the cellar, where her father kept her a prisoner for 24 years. She is then left alone and subsequently raped numerous times, soon after she becomes pregnant with one of her 7 children, however one died, leaving 3 of her children being left in the cellar and 3 being brought up to the surface, to receive a better life. And by the end of the documentary, a clear outcome has been made, Joseph Fritzl has been arrested and put into prison, however Elizabeth and her children remain in hospital until they are able to live in the outside world.

Camerawork:
There were a different amount of camera angles used throughout the documentary, there were many close up shots of the prison Joseph Fritzl locked his daughter in, this was the show the intensity of the horror she had to live in for 24 years. These shots would have been used in order to gain an emotional reaction from the audience but also to give a shocking side to it also. People would then start to think about why her own father would have subsequently imprisoned her, in her own home. Other camera angles used, consisted of mid shots within the interview stage of the documentary, this gave the audience a full emotional response towards what the interviewee was saying. Also panning shots were used to again signify the horror Elizabeth had to endure for numerous years. There was also an establishing shot, of both the house in which Elizabeth was held captive in and also of the prison she had subsequently been placed in. The establishing shot of the house meant that no one would have known anything from the outside, which meant that everything just looked natural, but within its walls held a dark secret no one knew about.

Mise-en-scene:
Like all documentaries, mise-en-scene holds vital importance in portraying certain aspects within the documentary, the fact that all interviews were said in a formal surrounding meant that the people were able to give there honest answers without feeling threatened by the surroundings they were in, they were able to feel comfortable, and not forced to answer such questions. When the audience got the view of the house of horror, they begin to realise to the full extent what Elizabeth had to endure for so long. Throughout the prison, the settings were dark and dingy in order to portray evil, the fact that prison was dark meant that the horror of what she had to experience was intensified to give a more graphic feeling towards her, people would then start to gain an emotional response towards Elizabeth and her 7 children. The fact that the surrounding elements were the way they were, should an intensity of horror and pain that Elizabeth Fritzl would have encountered for many years, therefore having the prison in which she was held in to be dark meant that the horror was being shown to the audience to again gain this emotional response.

Sound:
A slow music bed was placed throughout the documentary meaning that people would have an emotional feel when watching this documentary. Even though not a lot of music was used, people would still be able to feel the intensity of the horror she endured for a number of years, and even though the audience did not feel what she felt, they were able to imagine the horror of her life within the, meant to be safe environment, she would call home. However, the music used within this documentary was designed to make the audience feel a certain way, whilst watching this documentary.

Editing:
Throughout the documentary, long takes were used in order to portray the element of horror she had once experienced in her own home, therefore we as the audience are able to gain some knowledge to what she had suffered for many years, and how her own father kept her imprisoned in her own home. There were a lot of cutaways within the documentary, as it was to show the audience certain archive footage of the house, when people during interviews would talk about it. The editing techniques used throughout the documentary held vital importance in itself, people were able to gain this emotional response when watching this, and how she must of felt as she experienced this gruesome torture.

Archive Material:
There were numerous archive material used, however a reconstruction was also used to show the intensity of what Elizabeth Fritzl pain, and how she was subsequently imprisoned in her own home. Photo’s from the prison in which Elizabeth Fritzl was held began to give the audience an insight of how she had to live for numerous years, and how she had to bring up 6 children, in such conditions. Therefore the audience was able to gain an emotional feedback when seeing such photographs. As we weren’t able to physically see what the prison was like, the photo’s used within this documentary intensified how we were meant to feel, if conditions like this were ever to be brought upon us.

Graphics:
The graphics within the documentary were rather simplistic; the idea behind this was to keep our attention on the information held within the documentary, rather than being distracted by fancy title graphics. When people were interviewed again simple graphics were used in order to keep our attention on what the interviewee was saying. We didn’t need all these fancy graphics, because the documentary itself had so much meaning and emotion in itself that having such fancy titles would have made it less emotional for the audience as they watch it.

Genre Analysis - Auschwitz, Inside the Nazi State

Auschwitz – inside the Nazi state

Type of Documentary:
This documentary was a mixed documentary, just because it had a number of different elements within its structure, it held a voice over with portrayed the narrative, it had reconstructions, interviews of survivors of Nazi concentration camps, these interviews held a valuable part in getting the emotional message across to the audience.

Themes:
Throughout the documentary, there were a different number of themes within itself; they were Nazi Germany, and how they created concentrations camps to exterminate Jewish people, along with prisoners of war, and also people from the Soviet Union and also the Polish. It also talked about how World War II had an effect on the creation of these concentration camps, and the invasion of different countries.

Narrative Structure:
The narrative structure with the documentary I chose to watch consisted of a beginning, middle and an end. At the beginning, it spoke about how the birth of Auschwitz started this new industry of death, with the Nazi’s and the Jewish, Polish, Soviet Union and also prisoners of war were captured by the Nazi’s and moved into remote areas where concentration camps were set up. By the middle of the documentary, it spoke about the mass extermination of these people, and how over more than 1 million people were killed during the makeup of these concentration camps throughout Germany. However by the end of the documentary, the conflict wasn’t solved, but we as the audience got to see the final creation at Auschwitz, and this was the factory of death, and how this would end up killing more people.

Camerawork:
Throughout the whole documentary, there were a different number of camera angles used in order to give the audience that element of what it was like there, and how people lived. There were a lot of high angle shots, when the camera focused more on the Nazi’s and when the camera was more focused on the people that were getting sent to a concentration camp, the camera angle was more of a high angle which would signify the weakness of them. There were panning shots, which showed the audience the surrounding area, and what the camps were actually like. And then there were establishing shots, which showed us, where the documentary was set, but it also showed the devastating effects of how these people lived.

Mise-en-scene:
The mise-en-scene within the documentary holds vital importance when trying to get a better understanding at what the concentration camps were like during World War 1. The fact that every time were brought back to WW1 it’s all in black and white, this would signify the lack of technological equipment, and therefore could said to be actual achieve footage of that time. However since some of it is in black and white, it gives this feeling that you’re actually there being a part of this, disastrous event in history therefore we are able to sympathise with what the people were going through, in certain ways. The interviews were also very formal, so people taking part would feel as relaxed as possible, in order to get this greater emotional impact towards the audience. It enables the interviewee to feel calm and collective and being able to sit in an environment and being able to speak about the experiences they’ve faced and been through during WWII. When the documentary goes into a dark state, people begin to realise that these parts hold significance to when people were killed by the Nazi’s whether it was by shooting or gas chambers, or even starvation. We began to get a picture of what it was like within the concentration camp, when we are shown plans and around it, they made it completely unsuitable for people to live in, and this was their main purpose, they wanted to kill these people so created a mass extermination camp in order to do such thing. The fact that within this documentary achieve footage was shown, i.e. photographs, meant that the audience was able to see the devastating effects of what these camps were like, and how people who were forced to live in them, lived and died.

Sound:
Throughout the documentary, there was a non-diegetic music bed, which signified such an emotional impact the concentration camps had on people, and their families. When this music is added to a documentary, the audience begins to feel extremely emotional and they start to sympathise and also start to feel this strong connection towards the people within the documentary. There was also natural sound used, when people were being interviewed, in order to give off a natural feeling and surrounding when that person is talking.

Editing:
The documentary makers have decided to opt for a longer take shots, this is because they want the audience to be able to take in all of what is going on within the documentary, this will able them to become more emotionally attached to the subjects within the documentary. Zooms and tracking shots were also used to make the documentary feel more exciting and to keep it from being the same as a lot of other documentaries.

Archive Material:
There was a lot of archive material used in this documentary; the fact that actual footage was found and used of happenings in concentration camps set up by Nazi’s showed what things could be like within such camps. But also there were a lot of photo’s used to show the devastating results of concentration camps, and how people were forced into them, and how they live there. Apart from the WWII archive footage, recent footage was also used, to show how people lived and to give the audience a greater understanding of what it was like within a concentration camp.

Graphics:
The graphics were pretty simplistic; there were a simple red and white title which could symbolise death, or a battle between something bad and something pure. The fact that the Nazi’s put innocent Jewish people into these concentration camps meant that the colour white could have been used to describe that they haven’t really don’t anything wrong. Again during the interviews, the graphics were again simplistic, they just told you who the person was, this was to keep your attention on what they were saying, rather than having fancy graphics which would create a distraction.

Genre Analysis - Marketing Movies, Mousehunt

Marketing Movies - MouseHunt

Type of documentary:
Along with every other documentary, this documentary was also mixed as it consists of interviews of which some were experts in the field, voice over which lead the narrative, reconstructions and archive footage.

Themes:
There were numerous of themes incorporated in Marketing Movies, these included, films, production, distribution, merchandise and exhibition.

Narrative Structure:
The narrative structure of this documentary was pretty simple. During the beginning the documentary maker set out an exposition question. This question was, Why is marketing important? As the audience we start to question this question, and then we are shown why marketing is such an important factor in making a film successful or not and how should be done. By the middle of the documentary the documentary maker provides conflict, in order to make the documentary more interesting. It tells the audience how to overcome such bad press, and how a bad marketing campaign can result in a film being unsuccessful. As the documentary continues we begin to see a case study within this documentary, this was Mouse Hunt, we began to build up this image of if it would be successful or if it wouldn’t be successful. However the documentary could not be concluded because during this documentary the film was going through its marketing campaigns, therefore the ending was pretty open-ended. This documentary would have then made people watch the film to see if it was a good film, and also to see if there marketing campaign had worked.

Camerawork:
Throughout Marketing Movies, the camera angles used were relatively simple and this documentary lacked a variety of them. This represented that the content mattered more than camera angles, so people began to become more focused on what the documentary rather than all the fancy camera angles. There were close ups of people being interviewed, to show that the topic was more important than the actual camera angles. Cutaways were used, in order to show relevance to what people had said, therefore cutaways of money being handed over at the cinema. There was a panning shot of the merchandise and there was also a high angle which showed the whole of London. The fact that during some interviews to camera went from deep focus to shallows focus meant that the documentary makers were able to tell the audience what to concentrate on.

Mise-en-scene:
During this documentary all the mise-en-scene within it had complete relevance to what was being said by the interviewees. A lot of the cutaways and interviews were based around the cinema, to give a more realistic feel. The fact that posters and images related to what the documentary was about, meant that they were able to remarket the film Mouse Hunt, this would then either increase the overall audience or keep its existing audience. We soon came to London, during this documentary, and London is meant the be the capital of UK film making, so this was a rather important thing to add in, and premieres were also shown to give that feeling that a lot of people have seen this film and enjoyed it. It also shows that this is a successful way in marketing a film. Throughout the documentary, exhibition and distribution were showed through the premiere of Mouse Hunt and also distribution via the box office and people buying tickets, this then backs up the idea of why marketing is so important and how such advertising and marketing this film has gained a successful marketing campaign and has been rather successful.

Sound:
Sound within Marketing Movies wasn’t really used to anchor any meaning what so ever, an upbeat music bed was used throughout to keep the audience interested but there wasn’t a lot of importance of music, along with this sound was also continued over a new set of visuals. A part from the odd music bed, most other sound used within this documentary has very natural and realistic, for example the sound used during interviews was natural but it also fitted with the theme of the documentary.

Editing:
During Marketing Movies the editing was pretty simplistic, there were a lot of cutaways used, a lot of cuts and a lot of dissolves and fades to introduce a new chapter were also used. The cutaways that were used were used to anchor meaning, to what the interviewee had said therefore the relevant cutaways enabled the audience to get a better picture of what the documentary was talking about. The fact that when an interviewee spoke about money or something a long that nature, cutaway shots showed people buying ticket at the cinema box office, this kept things highly relevant within this documentary and would then keep the audience’s attention. Cuts were used between the actions, in order to give the audience time to allow what had happened to sink in.

Archive Material:
There was a lot of archive material used throughout the documentary, to imprint that meaning for the audience and how important marketing a film is, if you want it to be successful. Film trailers were used, to gain more of an audience, this would then create a wider and broader audience as numerous trailers would have been made specifically for a certain age group, therefore a lot more people would have been interested in watching Mouse Hunt. Actual footage of the film meant that if people hadn’t seen the film yet, they were able to get a broader insight into what the film was like and if they would enjoy it. Again, footage from the premiere was used in order to market the film some more, the fact that people went to London for the premiere meant that this film already had an audience and that people might have only watched the film because of the star that was in it. The archive material also supported the idea of how films were successful and also how marketing would be an important part in creating such a successful film.

Graphics:
In terms of graphics, these were a lot interesting that graphics within other documentaries I have watched, there was a cartoon man which announced the next scene which could have broadened their target audience, meaning that children could also watch this and still be entertained. The documentary was also self-explanatory meaning that it didn’t have to be explained into much detail and also that the colour graphics meant that people wouldn’t get bored, this could also be used as a specific target audience. This then created that idea of keeping the audience wanting more, things weren’t really given away until the end of the documentary, meaning that this would enable to audience to watch it through till the end, and this is a rather usual factor within documentaries.

Genre Anaylsis - That Thing, Lara Croft

That Thing - Lara Croft

Type of documentary:
This documentary was also mixed, I knew this because it consisted of archive footage, interviews, reconstruction and it also had a small part of narration.


Themes:
Themes within this documentary were feminism, that of a post-feminist type, the media effect which signified how the global market seems to have a problem with reality. It was also about how global marketing is a tool to market specific products, but it also had an element of fantasy and how there is such a big market for such things. It was also based on the popular video game and also the film, Lara Croft.

Narrative Structure:
There was a pretty clear and distinctive narrative structure throughout That Thing, at the beginning we were introduced to the video game, Lara Croft. The exposition within this documentary was no existent, we only watched this to gain a more detailed understanding of the video game and how its effected a large number of the population, both male and females. As it doesn’t have a exposition, we begin to watch this for entertainment, this therefore created an info-tainment documentary this means that we don’t watch it for a specific purpose, but for our own entertainment. We’d either watch this documentary, to either, gain more knowledge on the topic or we’d watch it because we’d be avid fans of the subject being documented. Once we reach the middle we start to realise that this video game has become such a fascination among a lot of people within society. People haven’t seen something like this before therefore more people are drawn to it. We also begin to question certain issues which are raised within this documentary, such as ethical issues. We then start to thing of the normality of it and why it’s become such a huge success of the years. When we see footage from the film, we also start to question different characteristics of Lara Croft within the film, and how easy it would be for Angelina Jolie to change the characteristics within the game. This is then closely monitored so this doesn’t happen and avid fans of the game wouldn’t be disappointed. And by the end of this documentary we come to a conclusion about the game and how and why it was so successful. Along with these points we learn that both men and women celebrate this game, woman want to be like her, and men want woman to be like her. We again start to realise that this virtual start has become such a global superstar within itself, and how an animated character could end up being of front covers of different magazines, like a real life celebrity would be. However the documentary does not have a specific conclusion, as we only get to see what people think of the game and how Lara Croft has been sexualised over the years, therefore the documentary makers keep the viewers the decided on the outcome and what they’ve decided to take from it. It then enables the viewers to discuss this documentary elsewhere, for example avid fan sites, blogs and among friends.


Camerawork:
Throughout That Thing, numerous camera angles were used in order to portray different meanings, and therefore send out what the documentary maker thinks and also what he wants other people to think. There is archive footage of people playing the video game, and over the shoulder shots are used to show people playing it. During interviews close ups were used, these however cut off some of the interviewees face or their head, which isn’t very conventional, we normally want to see what these people look like to get a broader aspect of what they may think, we’d also get to see their emotional responses when they are asked certain questions. There are also canted camera angles within certain interviews to show the importance of these people, the maker of the game is canted and also the star of the move, Angelina Jolie. This then makes people aware of whom the important people are. During the beginning of the documentary canted camera angles have a fast cut; this could signify that the documentary makers want to get certain thing across to the audience that they want to get a lot of information to them as possible in order for them to carry on what they’ve found out elsewhere. There is also in game action to show what the game is actually like if people haven’t seen or played it before.

Mise-en-scene:
Mise-en-scene is a very important aspect of all documentaries, the fact that most of the documentary gave the audience that idea that they were a part of the video game. The interviews within this documentary held similar aspects to the darkness of the rest of the documentary, however, the creator and the star, Angelina Jolie were a lot brighter than the rest, like they weren’t meant to fit in as they were the most important in making the games and films so successful.

Sound:
Sound within the documentary held importance with making this look more current, which kept the younger viewers attention. There were a lot of music beds used within it, and songs from Madonna and techno style music were used to again signify how modern this documentary was. Sounds from the actual video game was also used, in order to create the element of actually being a part of the documentary, however sounds used from the video game started to sexualise Lara Croft and the documentary maker wanted people to think this way. Throughout the documentary sound was used in order to lead the audience in a certain way, therefore enabling the audience to sexualise Lara Croft more and more as the documentary progressed. Natural sound was also used when the interviews took place, in order to keep them separate from the rest of the documentary, this would then make them stand out, and they wouldn’t feel a part of the video game.

Editing:
The editing used within That Thing was pretty fast paced which was similar to the video game, this meant that people who were a fan of the video game would watch it, and they’d feel like there were again playing the game they love so much.

Archive Material:
A lot of the archive material used was actual in game footage, this meant that it would attract the video game players, and they’d get to see footage of there favourite video game being played. The material used was extremely relevant to what was being said throughout the documentary. Also footage from the Lara Croft film meant that people who were also a fan of the film could turn it on and watch it, and also people who were fans of the star Angelina Jolie.

Graphics:
During that thing, basic and simple graphics were used to introduce who the people were, this did not then distract the viewers from what was actually happening within the documentary, the interviewees were all people who were closely related to specific people related to the Lara Croft franchise, meaning that the maker and star would have to be interviewed which meant that this would again attract the fans of the star, and it would entice them to want to watch this documentary. The documentary was closely related to That Thing, meaning that logo’s were used and everyone involved within the documentary were also related to That Thing in some way.

Genre Analysis - The Music Biz, Meat Loaf

The Music Biz – Meat Loaf

Type of Documentary:
This documentary was a mixed one, because it had a variety of interviews, cutaways, reconstruction and also archive footage, which meant we as the audience would get a better impact of what this documentary represented.

Themes:
There were a different variety of themes throughout the documentary, and these included marketing campaign, importance of selling a song and/or album, getting a Christmas number 1, money, expectations from the record company and the resurrection of comeback.

Narrative Structure:
Throughout the documentary, the narrative structure was pretty easy to stop, the fact that it was about meat loaf meant that the audience clearly knew who he was and what he’d done. At the beginning of the documentary, we found out that, Meat Loaf had been successful during his time as an artist, and his album ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ was extremely successful, and how he gain a lot of fans during his time. During the beginning the audience become enticed by the idea that Meat Loaf is going to make a comeback. Whilst as the documentary continues to the middle, we find out certain things about Meat Loaf, such as him filing for bankruptcy. We also find out that him and why he “went” away. He then gives a quote which states “I’ve not been anywhere” however since the public and press know of his personal life problems, we clearly know that he has indeed been somewhere, he maybe doesn’t want to admit to such things, this then causes the conflict within the documentary. By the end of the documentary we were brought through the comeback of Meat Loaf and how he had been so successful with coming back into the music business and how other bands have failed to make such a comeback like he has, an example of a band that didn’t have a successful comeback would be that of The Village People, this was because they didn’t promote themselves like Meat Loaf did, so in terms of creating a successful comeback, a band or artist has to be committed to promoting themselves all over again, and just plain working hard.

Camerawork:
The camerawork within The Music Biz was pretty similar to all documentaries I’ve watch; they all contain similar work to show off certain aspects of what the documentary is about. This documentary consisted of numerous close ups of Meat Loaf, because he was the main person involved within this documentary. Most of the camera angles had specific meaning in which all almost included Meat Loaf, as he was essentially the star of the documentary. There are a lot of zooms, which symbolises Meat’s power within the documentary, all the focus needs to be him due to the fact that he is making this comeback after so many years out of the industry, therefore this documentary enable him to get even more media coverage thus having a more successful comeback. On location in L.A, there was panning action through and from Meat Loaf and director Michael Bay, in a way this began to show the start of a symbiotic relationship between them, like there some sort of power struggle within the documentary itself. 2 shots were also used to signify the relationship both Michael Bay and Meat Loaf have, it shows that even though they are two different people they are still able to be equal and united together. There are also some very unconventional techniques used in this documentary, like when the camera nods when speaking to Meat Loaf, this then symbolises an audience interaction between in this documentary. The audience then starts to get involved, and they feel more involved within it. There are numerous close ups of Meat Loaf which shows his importance in this documentary, and how without him, this documentary would have been made. An element of this documentary could be classed as a self reflective one, just because as he is the sole purpose of this documentary but he also leads it, and interacts with the audience.

Sound:
Within this documentary sound wasn't that vital, there was no music bed underneath and sound was of a more naturalistic variety, with music from Meat Loaf. We began to get different meanings throughout the documentary in terms of sound, a non-diegetic heart beat was placed within it, and this could have symbolised that since people had put so much money into this comeback, they had to work twice as hard in order to gain something back from all this. This then caused a massive conflict within the documentary itself, they took a risk and didn't know if it would pay off. As the documentary was very simplistic it meant that no a lot of sound was used within it.

Mise-en-scene:
Like all other documentaries, mise-en-scene is vital, helping to portray different ideas amongst it, as it was all relevant to the theme. Green screens were used throughout interviews which consisted of newspaper articles and picture of Meat Loaf; this gave the audience a clear understanding of whom and what this documentary was about. As the documentary progressed we were began to see Meat Loaf on set and music videos, the red carpet and also press interviews. This enabled us to get a better understanding of who he was, and also to gain more knowledge on whom he is as a person, if we didn’t know this already. We begin to realise that promoting Meat Loaf worldwide began to be extremely hard, and some countries had a difficult time trying to promote him, for example London. We then saw red carpet and award ceremonies, this then gave the idea that marketing is extremely important in wanting to win award for your music. From all this marketing we begin to wonder what is better, music or money, or if there was a even split between them. We then saw Meat Loaf at different marketing interviews such as Radio 1 with Pat Sharp, O-Zone and also the TV breakfast show Good Morning Britain. We also begin to see different people who added to Meat Loaf’s successful comeback, and these were the people who could make him but also break him.Within this documentary sound wasn’t that vital, there was no music bed underneath and sound was of a more naturalistic variety, with music from Meat Loaf. We began to get different meanings throughout the documentary in terms of sound, a non-diegetic heart beat was placed within it, and this could have symbolised that since people had put so much money into this comeback, they had to work twice as hard in order to gain something back from all this. This then caused a massive conflict within the documentary itself, they took a risk and didn’t know if it would pay off. As the documentary was very simplistic it meant that no a lot of sound was used within it.

Editing:
In terms of editing, a lot of cutaways were used to emphasis Meat Loaf even though a lot of the documentary had consisted of him. Meat Loaf’s own music videos consisted within this documentary this could have been some sort of promoting tool within itself. Newspaper cuttings and Meat Loaf on location were also used. There was a vital importance of who would be number 1; therefore Meat Loaf would strive to get this place, to gain more publicity. Basic transitions were used in order to move from one thing to another, dissolves were used within the documentary to make it a lot smoother. The cutaways played a vital part in creating this documentary, videos of people placing bet, on who would be Christmas number one was used, along with press interviews and also Meat Loaf around the world promoting himself. A shot reverse shot was used between Meat Loaf and Michael Bay whilst they were in a discussion on what the video for his new music video would be like; it showed that they both had creative input towards the new music video. This then again showed the symbiotic relationship between the star and the director.

Archive Material:
A lot of archive material was used throughout the documentary, which had importance to what was going on, and it also gave people a greater understanding of what the documentary was about, using certain archive material then made it a lot more interesting for people to watch. Meat Loaf music videos were used to show the complexity of his music videos and why it was important to make an new one, which would grab the fans attention when watched. Other archive material included Take That, Mr Blobby’s Christmas number 1, Dena Carol. And also video’s from top of the pops and award ceremonies. The music videos and music used on this documentary meant that people who did not know him or know of his music could be introduced, or reintroduced to the sound of Meat Loaf, therefore increasing his overall fan base.

Graphics:
Graphics within the documentary were used to make it look current and cooler, and therefore being for focused on the younger generations, but at the same time, simple Meat Loaf fans. Interviewees were also superimposed onto fake magazine covers; this could have made the interviewee important, but also was able to keep it interesting for its audience. When an interviewee came up on screen, the caption that introduced them, looked a lot fancier and it made the documentary look more important. The fact that it showed the company they worked for, it held that connection between Meat Loaf and their job title.

Genre Analysis - The Devil Made Me Do It

The Devil Made Me Do It

Type of documentary:

This documentary was a mixed documentary because there was a combination of a voice over, an observation, a reconstruction and also interviews. The different parts of the mixed documentaries were used to add drama when it’s needed throughout the documentary.

Themes:

There were different themes throughout the documentary, these included the murder of a nun, religion and religious belief, gothic nature, music, youth and how the media effects society and their opinions.

Narrative Structure:

There is a clear narrative structure throughout the devil made me do it documentary, the beginning, held the setting out of a conflict,for example something that would get the audience to watch and remain interested in, this then sets out the exposition, where the nun is killed and the murder isn’t solved. The middle then holds the answer for the happening. It tells the audience who did the killing, in this case, 3 teenage girls. The police then don’t know why these girls committed such acts, therefore they start to question why they did it, but they also start to look for a puppet master, as they don’t believe that these girls committed the acts on their own accord. The fact that they couldn’t find an actual puppet master caused confusion with the police and with the media in general. And finally, the ending, was pretty clear, the fact that the girl were caught and sentenced mean that society could go back to normal, all the inverted crosses were painted over, and the trace of the murder wasn’t so obvious, and people started to carry on with their normal day-to-day life.

Camerawork:

There were different camera angles throughout the whole documentary, firstly, there was an establishing shot of the town where the nun was killed and also when the documentary switched to Marilyn Manson’s gigs, and also the scene where the nun was killed. There were also numerous low angle shots when Marilyn Manson, this is because the documentary makers wanted to make Marilyn Manson look very powerful, like he has some sort of influence over his fans. Whereas there were numerous high angle shots to signify the vulnerability his audience has, and also this creates that element of his fans being weak when compared to him. There were also high crane shots over Italy; this began to show the audience the vulnerability this town in Italy faced when the killing of a nun took place.

The fact that the documentary makers used canted and hand held camera shots, started to get the audience involved with the documentary, it made us feel in the nuns position, like we were experiencing what the nun was experienced. These shots also made us, the audience feel extremely uncomfortable when watching this documentary. A number of shots were used throughout the documentary, high angle shots being one of them, another high angle shot was of the grave yard, and this could put more emphasis on the killing of a nun. When interviews took place throughout the documentary, they normally consisted of 2 shots, this meant that two people were in the camera shot, this then gave the more comfortable feel, they were normally at a place they could feel most comfortable at, meaning they would speak honestly. There was also a close up of an psychologist being interviewed, she was more of an expert in the field, in why these girls killed this nun, but also, she could of been used in order to blame Manson, to make people think he was a puppet master in away, through his lyrics.

Mise-en-scene:

Mise-en-scene is an important part within a documentary, it sets the scene and brings the whole thing together, the fact that the psychologist is wearing red, could mean that because she’s an expert in this field it could show power and authority. It also holds that element of power dressing, she’s dressing like this because she wants to be seen as more authoritive in a patriarchal society, this colour then stands out, when she’s goes to the Manson concert, she’s not really dressed for the occasion, therefore she sticks out like a “sore thumb”. Once the murder of the nun has taken place, the documentary makers take us to the scene of the crime; this is to give the audience more of an emotional feeling towards the society which this has happened too. We begin to sympathise with them, like we are a part of this Italian society. When people are interviewed within the documentary, there interviewed in a more natural environment, this allows them to speak with more confidence about the issue in question, the murder of the nun, and it makes them more relaxed. When moving along to the “main source” of this problem, Manson, the people at the gig, tend to be a lot like him, they wear the same clothing, long black trench coat, and they also have their face painted with white make-up, basically a very stereotypical image of a “Goth”. The people at Manson’s gig are young teenagers, this could show that they could be very influential, and that Manson can easily influence them with his lyrics, they are also very rude, when the camera is around. Maybe this is because their just at this concert, but most people tend to act in a rude manor when at his gigs, maybe it’s the one day, where they get to play someone else, that they don’t have to attempt to fit in, but be a part of something they should be a part of. These people at the Manson concert are that of a very rebellious persons, they don’t fit in with society because of the clothes they were and just the general behaviour.

Sound:

Throughout the whole documentary, a lot of non-diegetic music was used in order to shock the audience, for example, the heartbeat was used when the nun was being attacked then eventually killed, once the heartbeat got faster, we the audience knew something was happening. Also the sounds of the girls throwing stones, getting the knives out, and the church bells, were added as special affects in order to create this reaction from the audience, to make them feel angry or remotely involved whilst watching the documentary. Whilst the documentary continued, Manson’s music was used in order to tell the audience what was going through the girls minds when they decided to kill this nun, this would then create this image of bad press, that his music drove those three girls to kill this innocent nun. And finally natural sound was also used within the documentary, to give that element of realism.

Editing

Within the documentary, there were a lot of long takes, the fact that a lot of these were used, meant that the audience began to realise that the narrative of this documentary was the most important part, and how people began to believe that Manson and his music was to blame.

There were also a lot of cut-aways in order to keep the audience attention, but also to give meaning to what was being said in the interviews by numerous people within the documentary, whether it was Manson himself, or a psychologist, or anyone else involved within the documentary. Match on action and shot reverse shot were also used within the documentary, it was mainly used when Manson was in concert, as we the audience would see Manson performing and how his fans were reacting to how he was performing but also the lyrics he used within his songs. And finally, an eye-line match was used, when the nun was killed, this would then put the audience in the nuns shoes, and we begin to make this emotional connection between how the people in the city felt, and the murder of this nun.

Archive Footage:

There was numerous archive footage used within the devil made me do it, documentary, mainly concert footage, this was used to give the feeling to people that didn’t or haven’t been to a Manson gig before, and insight into what it is like, and how the

people that go, act. Also, actual Manson music videos were incorporated within the documentary; this was again used to shock the audience, as he began to touch himself, and also scratching himself. Therefore people watching this, that don’t particularly like or know of him, would maybe begin to question whether he was involved slightly with the death of the nun, not physically involved, but involved through his music and how “crude” some of his lyrics are, and how he is very influential towards teenagers who listen to his music. The nuns funeral was also used as achieve footage in order to gain the element of dramatisation with the audience, they’ll be able to feel the pain within that society, and how this massively affected them, manly the young people within this small town. There was some columbine shooting used, in order to gain an understanding that people thought Manson’s music and lyrics were used to blame him for this evil happening. All the achieve footage was used in order to evoke the audience that Manson’s lyrics were indeed to blame, this then reinforces the exposition.

Graphics:

The graphics used within the documentary were minimal, as the information within the actual documentary, was the main focus. The title “The Devil Made Me Do It “held that religious theme which was portrayed throughout the film, and all the sub-titling was pretty simplistic, as we didn’t need to focus on who the people were. However when the achieve footage was used, to show Manson’s concert, rude language was sub-titled in order to show the audience that Manson’s lyrics could have affected the brains of his younger fans. The sub-titling of people’s names didn’t detract the attention from the audience, so they were able to focus more on what people were saying or what was actually going on throughout the documentary.

Research and Planning

Research and Planning

The purpose of a documentary is to document an event; it must also contain actual footage. On top of the documentary a voice over will be used to add specific meaning. The definition of a documentary is problematic, as it resembles elements of the truth by may not in theory be the truth.

“What distinguishes documentary is portrayal of the recorded sound and images of actuality” – John Corner 1995

A high level of construction takes place in documentaries; this means that the level of truth is tampered with. A documentary does not have to have analysis, it can be descriptive. This means it leaves the viewers to decide their own answer; however this does not normally happen, in this day and age, as people want to be told what to think. The meaning of documentaries was defined in the 1930’s by John Griesion and his term GPO (General Post Office) The definition was the creative treatment of actuality.



It is also important to understand that most documentaries in past times were made for the cinema, and were used to boost morality for the people of the time. The scheduling of the documentary is important, as is the positioning; however the positioning is also extremely tricky, as to determine the viewers and who is likely to watch them.


Panorama is normally placed in prime time slots, and they are normally to do with something that would widely affect most of the population, therefore the prime time t.v slot would be most suitable place to put it. Documentaries are also, emotional or sensational as it gains a bias opinion from its viewers.




They also have a balanced few point, as they allow the viewer to make their own mind up about the topic in question. British documentaries are renowned for their investigative journalism; this means that they appose what either the government or society says. Documentaries also have an element of being fake. As not all information is used as the makers want to make a specific impact on the viewers. The makers of documentaries have creative control over what is being filmed, the angles that are used, and also the people who are used. This could again create that element of the documentary becoming fake.

“The truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing the film. I mean its your truth that you’re seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on the screen” – Diane Tammes, Film Maker

People often argue what a documentary is classed as, and what it actually is. Documentaries can be put into different sub-genres depending on what the documentary is about. Within a documentary there are elements of recorded images and sound of the actual reality. Current affairs programmes are half-way between documentaries and the news. If the current affairs programme is longer than 30 minutes it becomes a documentary.



Central Elements of Documentary:
1. Observation
2. Mise-en-scene
3. Interview
4. Exposition
5. Dramatisation

Observation:
Programme makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part, and the camera becomes the eyewitness

Interviews:
All documentaries rely on interviews, and it can also contain contrast with the observation element. Pictures are dubbed over the interview to make sense and anchor meaning.These are normally in 2 ways:
1. Full flowing interviews
2. Placing interviews in segments in between, and this could also contain elements of observation.

Dramatisation:
All documentaries use a sense of dramatisation. The audience is the eyewitness to the dramatic event taking place. The drama takes place naturally in front of the camera. But these could also hold a form of reconstruction.

Mise-en-scene:
Carefully consider this, ensuring that this allows the drama to unfold. It is also used to advance the argument of exposition.

Exposition:
What the documentary is sayingThis is the line of argument, and can include descriptive but it could also be combined with a commentary. This can be plain or direct, hidden or unhidden. The narrator within the documentary may tell the audience what to think, this may also be done by the observational sequence.

Documentary:
Current affairs programmes are on a shorter deadline and have to get out fast, before the news becomes old. Current affairs are aiming to provide info-tainment. The public right to know is the main reason for making documentaries. Documentaries have resulted in the changes in law and legislation. Ken Loachs documentary – Cathy Care Home (BBC) changed the law and legislation on homelessness, and documentaries rarely question the deeper organisation and fairness of society.




“It is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary and can be unproblematic representation of reality, and the truth can be conveniently dispensed and received like valium” – Dennis O’Rouke

Ideas within documentaries which hold truth can conflict with reality at times within itself, and can sometimes attract counter claims.

There is corner evidence that is better than the truth, recording technologies such as camera’s and video camera only record traces of the physical world, people won’t get to see the full extent of what has happened, due to the documentary film makers editing. These recordings can then be used as the evidence of actuality, which would then support the exposition.

The documentaries can also give a full representation of the transformed world. Documentaries are the first programme to be cut in commercial channels when the money for that channel is tight, unless the documentary has a wide audience and a lot of people would watch it.
There are numerous documentaries which would appeal to a larger audience, are that of, sex, violence and law and order. As people are tend to be more drawn to these rather than ones about nature.

Documentaries can also be very controversial and are not popular with television programmes; also if a certain documentary is on about a specific topic, certain adverts won’t be shown in between as they don’t want to have negative impact when the documentary has gone to an ad-break.

Types of documentary

Fully Narrated:
Within this type of documentary there are no interviews of such involved, yet there is a voice over which tells the story, which can often be referred to as the 'Voice of God'. Fully narrated documentaries tend to be of a nature kind, where no interviews are used. Therefore the narrative leads the story, and tells the audience what is happening.

Fly on the wall:
This type of documentary resembles a cinema verite style like documentary, this means that its like a film, but its a documentary, this also has that element of looking realistic, when its really not. Within this type of documentary there is no commentary or observation and its almost all observational. The camera is then left to record the subjects without any interference



Mixed:
Mixed documentaries are all about the subject area, they hold interviews, observsations and a narrative to advance the arguement within its walls. Just like Fully Narrated documentaries, Mixed also hold a 'Voice of God' which leads the narrative and enables the carry the story along, to give the viewers a better understanding of whats going on. It's rather like a modern news reporting style.

Self-reflective:
A self-reflective documentary is all about the person the documentary is about, this means that they become more interacted with the camera, and generally they speak to it, like it was an interviewer. It gives a more indepth understanding of that person as they're constantly speaking to the camera.



Docudrama:
This type of documentary, holds a reconstruction element, they are at best misleading and at worse dangerous, as what we are watching isn't actually real.



Docusoap:
A docusoap is a phenomenon of recent years, it follows the daily lives of people in a range if different jobs, positions within society. However may would begin to question whether this could be classed as a documentary. These are enormously popular and are relatively cheap to produce.

Evaluation (A2 Preliminary task)

Editing (A2 Preliminary task)

After filming our documentary, the hard part soon came. How to edit this documentary was crucial in order to make it look authentic. We wanted the capture what the whole thing was about, as well as creating the twist of humour.

We found out that the cut-aways we filmed were an important part in creating our documentary, as we were able to add them in when things didn't go to plan, when some answers weren't fully answered, the cut-away shot was used to able to audience to get and understand what the question was. Therefore the cut-aways were an important part in getting our message we wanted across. However whilst editing out film, we didn't decide to put in a soundtrack, for the reason, that we wanted to audience to be able to hear what was being said, adding in a soundtrack might have overwhelmed the audience as there was already a lot going on.

We didn't really have many problems when editing our documentary, just that some parts may not have been fully answered and it a lot of detail, therefore, the cut-away was used in order to create that illusion that a lot of things were said by the interviewee.

Filming (A2 Preliminary task)

When filming the documentary, the essential shot were close ups and medium close ups as from watching previous documentaries we found that these shots worked best.

We also experienced a lot of difficulties with filming our documentary, as factors such as the camera itself, and the weather came into effect. However we fixed the slight problems we had and produced a decent documentary on mobile phones. Another major problem was the fact that the participant may not have answered the questions in full detailed sentences, this meant that the audience wouldn't have understood the question asked by the interviewer, but again, we were able to use designed cut-aways to form a greater understanding to what the question was, if this crept up again.

When filming our cut-aways we decided that we needed to use a specific target audience. This audience was of teenagers, and even though our cut-aways only included females, we felt that no matter what gender, people of this audience could relate to the things they said. We also decided to include this humorous side to the cut-aways in order to make the audience laugh along with what was happening, and also to keep them entertained.

Planning (A2 Preliminary tast)

When planning our documentary, we decided to aim it more at the 'teenager market'. This market would be suitable because teenagers are always on their mobile phones, and because of this, we thought it would be highly suitable for us to include teenagers in our documentary. We also thought that in order to keep our audience entertained our cut-aways had to be slightly entertaining, but they also had to be a part of the answers the interviewee gave. In order for the whole thing to make sense. Therefore keeping the cut-aways closely related to the answers the interviewee gave was vital in making the final thing make sense.