The impact of comics in todays society analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed

Themes
Comic books, super heroes, print vs digital age, comic book films

Narrative structure
Beginning - In the beginning it says why people enjoy comic books and why more and more people are getting into them
Middle - In the middle section it talks about rare and collectible comics and how different they are to regular comics books
End - It explains why people will continue to buy comic books.

Camerawork
Close up shots of merchandse
Panning shots of the store
Close up of the artists hand drawing
Close ups of comic books
Mid close ups of interviewees

Mise-en-scene
The interviews are all in either one of the two comic book shops or at the convention so it's all relevant

Sound
Ambient noise of people at the convention or in the stores to show the popularity they have gained
Theme tunes from shows such as the Batman 1966 tv series or the animated series of X-men etc.

Editing
There are lots of cutaways to old cartoons or pictures of heroes etc.
There are also some fades between interviewees.

Archive material
Intro to 1966 Batman TV series.
Intro to X-men animated series.
Intro to Transformers animated series.
Intro to Superfreinds animated series.

Graphics
The peoples names are in yellow so they stand out from their occupations which are in white and it also fits in with the colourful theme of super heroes.
Graphics are superimposed over archive footage

David LaChapelle short documentary analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed

Themes
Art, photography, contreversial art, pop art, film making

Narrative structure
Beginning - At the beginning it gave an introduction to the documentary and who David LaChapelle is.
Middle - In the middle of the documentary it showed us much of his artwork and photography and explained why they were so controversial
End - Towards the end it showed all the celebrities he's done work for and then mentioned a documentary he made about poor people from south Los Angeles dancing.

Camerawork
There are close ups of LaChapelle to show he is the center of attention.
There are a lot of two shots when he is being interviewed which could signify that he doesn't view himself as more important than everyone else.
There is a static camera that catches a room full of people which could signify the mass audience he reaches.

Mise-en-scene
All the mise-en-scene is relevant with interviews being held at his photgraph shoots or at art shows.

Sound
There is a contrast between the classical music which plays right at the beginning when showing all of the classical art work to the more upbeat 'poppy' music that plays when it switches to his which signifies the mass audience of people he aims his work at and backs up his point that his work isn't just for artists but for everyone.

Editing
The editing is very fast paced which could signify his view of the wrld and there are lots of montages showing how much work he has done. The music videos that play have been edited onto a TV screen. There are lots of cutaways mostly of his work.

Archive material
Music videos - Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Steffani and Joss Stone.
There is also footage from his own documentary.

Graphics
The title 'EXPOSED!' is in big white capital letters which make it stand out and it is on a film reel which links to his photography and films. The rest of teh graphics are also white but a lot plainer and smaller and they don't really stand out however they do give the audience vital information e.g. who the interviewee is, who the celebrity is.

Documentary ideas

Eventually we chose obsession as the subject of our documentary but here are other ideas from our brainstorm:

• comic books
• video games
• music
• tea
• coffee shops
• sweets
• chocolate
• fast food
• social networking
• pets
• drinks
• Britishness
• Fruit
• Bacon
• sandwitches
• college life
• tatoos
• piercings
• litter
• fobias
• allergies
• alchohol
• accentsbiscuits
• the human body
• young people
• under age drinking
• fashion
• hair
• the high street
• relationships
• gambling
• festivals
• ghosts
• drugs
• makeup
• time
• mediums
• football
• sport
• celebrities
• TV
• public transport
• mobile phones
• recycling
• christmas
• fireworks
• senses
• learner drivers

Codes & Conventions of a documentary

• Interviews
• Narration
• Archive footage
• Actual footage
• Reconstructions
• Cutaways
• Credits
• Clear exposition
• Theme
• Observation
• Diegetic Sound
• Non diegetic sound
• Relevant mise-en-scene
• Alternative sides for interviewees
• Plain graphics
• Closer shots of more important people
• Location footage
• Facts
• Opinions
• Balanced views
• Influencing camera angles
• Montage
• Editing starts off fast then slows down
• Music bed
• Vox pops
• Linear narrative
• Match on action
• Conflict
• Evidence
• Relevant background
• Static camera
• Implicit question
• Sound effects
• Variety of camera angles
• Rule of thirds
• Continuity editing
• Dramatisation
• Experts used as evidence
• Ambient sounds
• Variety of interviews
• No full flow interviews
• Graphics at the bottom
• Clear narrative
• 
  

Lara Croft that thing documentary analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed

Themes
Video games, icons, feminism, virtual icons, media effects

Narrative structure
Linear narrative.
Beginning - The impact of Lara Croft and why she was created.
Middle - People who play the game and how a film affects it
End - Discussion on whether she's a feminist icon or just a sex object and fan reaction.

Camerawork
Over the shoulder shot of people playing the game. Big close ups on Angelina Jolie and the creator of the game to show their importance. The camera moves in a point of view like shot down the stairs into he gaming place.

Mise-en-scene
Gaming centers, in game footage, game footage in the background of interviews, the creators interview was shown on a computer screen to suggest the influence of technology. All relevant mise-en-scene.

Sound
In game sounds e.g. gunshots, a constant beat in the background which shows the intensity of the game. A madonna song plays when it is said she is just as real to fans as stars like Madonna.

Editing
Montage of game footage and magazine overs etc, fast motion into gaming center, cutawats.

Archive footage
Game footage, people playing the game, websites, film clips, interview with Angelina Jolie, Barbie advert, people dressed as Lara.

Graphics
Plain, white, small, off center, don't detract from the documentary.

Marketing Movies documentary analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed

Themes
Marketing films, advertisement, appealing to audiences, marketing strategies, the film industry.

Narrative structure
Beginning - The documentary is set up with different ays of marketing films explained.
Middle - Other successful films are shown and how much it costs to market a film is discussed.
End - It is left to the audience to decide whether they think the film will be successful.

Camerawork
Panning shots of Leicester Square. Zooms on important people. Close up of tickets and money. Close ups of merchandise. High angle shot of stairs.

Mise-en-scene
All relevant mise-en-scene. There are films in the background such as Mousehunt, babe and the little mermaid which are all films for children. There is also mise-en-scene in the disney shop with merchndise in the background and the is a man sat next to editing software.

Sound
The voiceover leads the narrative. Clips from films and trailers. Ambient and natural sound for example Leicester square and the interviews.

Editing
Cutaways anchor meaning. The editing is slow paced becasue teh documentary is supposed to be educational. It alternates between interviewees on opposite sides.

Archive material
Clips from the Lion King, The little mermaid and mousehunt. Trailers for mousehunt and The lost world teaser trailer. The premiere.

Graphics
Plain white. Led each section of the documentary. Money and pound signs. Little man with a clipboard.

Meatloaf Documentary analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed

Themes
Meatloaf, music, industry, marketing a product, marketing an alternative artist, global success

Narrative Structure
Linear narrative.
Beginning - It starts with Meatloaf's success at the grammy awards and it is discussed how they marketed Meatloaf for global succuess.
Middle - They talk about the problems they faced with critics saying Meatloaf was dated and couldn't appeal to a global audience.
End - It loops back round to his success with him receiving awards and talking about the success of his single and how the hard work payed off.

Camerawork
There are low angle shots of Meatloaf on stage to show the importance and influence he has at his concerts. When Micheal Bay is with Meatloaf the camera looks down on him to make him seem less important than Meatloaf however when he is on his own there are ow angles to show his importance.
There are mid close ups in interviews. There is a panning show with a slow zoom over the river to virgin records. There is a panning shot in the Virgin room to show the whole to which signifies equality and teamwork. There is a close up shot of the woman from the music video to show her beauty.

Mise-en-scene
All the mise-en-scene is relevant. There is the background of Virgin records, Meatloaf on tour, the making of the music video, the radio station, his meet an greets, award ceremonies and record shops.

Sound
Diegetic sound - Interviews, narrator (who sometimes replied or answered something from on screen and sound from location.

Editing
There is shot reverse shot between Meatloaf and Micheal Bay and two shots which signifies their reliance upon each other, there is a montage at the beginning, dissolves, blue screen, lots of cutaways and it alternates between interviewees who are sat on opposite sides.

Archive material
Music videos of Meatloaf, The Village People, Take That and Mr Blobby, concert footage, award ceremonies, Top of the pops, press conferences and Ozone.

Graphics
White on black stands out but doesn't detract from the footage, gothic like font matches meatloaf's rock style, everyone on screen is introduced and so are locations.

The devil made me do it analysis

Type of documentary
Mixed documentary

Themes
There are themes of death, religion, music, youth, crime, media effects, murder

Camerawork
At the start there there is an establishing crane shot looking down on the town which makes it look both peaceful and vulnerable.
There are canted camera angles to make the audience feel uneasy and there are lots of high shots of the Manson fans as if it's looking down on them.
There are lots of low angles of Manson which suggest the power and influence he posseses.
There are a lot of two shots in interviews making people seem more vulnerable like they need someone with them.
In the reconstruction the camera goes static when the girl says she stabbed the nun four times which is to induce an uneasy feeling in the audience.

Introduction

The purpose of a documentary is to document an event with evidence. Actual footage can be used and reconstructions can be added. Narration can also be good to gel the documentary together.
A documentary is numerous amounts of documented events that sometimes resemble elements of truth.

What distinguishes a documentary is the portrayal of the recorded sound and images of actuality

- John Corner, Liverpool University 1995

There is a high level of construction in any documentary and it doesn't have to be analysis it can be descriptive and leave the audience to decide their own opinion.

Documentaries were defined by John Grierson and his team of GPO (General Post Office) in the 1930's.
 

Documentary definition - The creative treatment of actuality.













In 1935 Alberto Cavalcanti directed the documentary 'Coal Face' which delved into the life of a simple coal worker however it was important because of it's critical social comment (noting for example the accidental rates in mines). In these times documentaries were made for cinema goers and the idea was to give people a glimpse into the lives of other people showing the country at work.



Documentaries were later used to boost morale in war times and would normally have government invested interest. They were also used to persuade people to certain points of view with techniques such as subliminal messaging sometimes used.

Scheduling a documentary can be tricky as the channel have to be careful of the programs they put on before or after it how ever certain documentaries such as panorama can obtain a prime time slot.

There is usually emotion in documentaries to try and encourage bias opinions however it has been suggested that the best documentaries are the ones that let the audience make uo their own minds on the topic.

British documentaries are renowned for investigative journalism that often aposes the will of the government.

The creative treatment of actuality

Authenticity is important in a documentary and the more creative it is the more fictitious it is. It is impossible to capture all of the events raw and even the ones that are are still not completely truthful because the camera crew has taken control of how the event has been filmed and edited so you may see things from a completely different perspective.

'Truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing a film. I mean it's the truth you're seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen'

- Dianne Tammes, Film Maker

Many people argue over what a true documentary is as over the years many sub-genres have developed however despite these arguments all documentary makers  agree there must be sound, recorded image and actual reality.

Current affairs programmes are halfway between documentary and the news. They are never longer than 30 minutes or it becomes a documentary and they find it much easier to make prime time slots.

Central elements of documentaries

According to John Corner of Liverpool University there are five central features:

• Obeservation
• Mise-en-scene
• Interview
• Exposition
• Dramatisation

Observation - Usually program makers pretend the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part in an event. The camera becomes the eye witness.

Interview - They rely on interviews and can contrast with observation. Pictures dubbed over the interview can anchor meaning to what is said. These can be a full flow interview or placed in segments.

Mise-en-scene - Allows drama to unfold. Mise-en-scene can also be used to argue the point of exposition and must be considered.

Exposition - Exposition is a line of argument made up of description and combined with commentaries. It can be plain, direct, indirect or hidden. Documentaries that rely on observation are said to be weak in exposition.

Dramatisation - All documentaries use it. The audience become eye witnesses to dramatic events. The drama appears to take place naturally in front of the camera and can sometimes take place in reconstruction. It should always be  based on facts.



Current affairs programs are about infotainment and are on a shorter deadline as appose to documentaries which can take months to make.

Documentaries resulted in improved conditions for the homeless

Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home was filmed in a drama documentary style and is about a young couple Cathy and Reg who are evicted along with their children after Reg is injured at work. It tackled issues that were then not comonly discussed in the media such as homelessness, unemployment and a mother's right to keep her children. It helped raise the profile of the issue of homelessness and may have influenced British law and public opinion regarding these issues at the time.

Ken Loach

Documentary makers rarely question the deeper organisation and fairness of society.

It is critical that film makers be rid of the fantasy that the documentary can be unproblematic unrepresntation of reality and the truth can be convieniently dispensed and recieved like valium.

Dannis O'Rourke

Ideas of truth and reality can conflict at times and they can sometimes attract counter claims of lies. John Corner believes evidence rather than truth would help this. He states that recording traces of the physical world can be used as evidence of actuality. Sometimes only one side of the story is slowed.

Documentaries  represent a transformed world and are the first programmes to be cut if money is tight. rating winners include sex, law and order or violence. Documentaries that are controversial are not popular with the networks as they may offend advertisers.

There is a three way process to documentaries:

• Who it is aimed at
• Who is in it
• The audience

They are often about society's victims and use humans as evidence. Big Brother could loosely be connected to this type as it is camera's observing people however everything is set up which is why it is only loosely connected.

Types of documentary

• Fully narrated - this has a direct address and uses a voiceover to convey exposition. This narrator will act as the 'voice of god' knowing all that happens including the eventual outcome.
• Fly on the wall - This comes from cinema verite and relies on observation. Cameras are left to record without interference which makes the editing very important as it creates meaning.
• Mixed - This is the type of documentary we will be making and is a combination of observation, and narrative interview (which contrasts the 'hand of god') and represents objective reality and not just selective construction
• Self reflective - In this type you see the journalist in it. It draws attention to the film maker as they talk to the camera directly. Critics say this can be confusing and that it can be more about the presenter than the topic itself.
• Docudrama - Reenactment of events e.g. Hillsborough 1996. It looks like a drama but it's based on truth. Critics say they claim to represent truth but can only hope to produce fiction. They also say at best it's misleading at worst it's dangerous.
• Docusoap - These follow the occupations/lives of people e.g. Airport, Katie Price. It's not really exploring more like eavesdropping however they are popular and cheap to make. They also originate from the UK.
• Disneyfaction - This is a theory by Steve Barnett the watering down of a genre is disneyfacation. This basically when the content of a show is watered down to make it more peopular. He says ot is happening to all British TV because rating winning shows will always win over hard hitting ones.

The narrative of a documentary is important. The beggining should set the documentary up and all of it's questions and provide a dramatic hook to keep the viewer interested. It should be quick paced. The middles should examine issues and strengthen the conflict providing a disequilibrium. In the end the disposition should be made fully apparent.