Documentary Analysis - That Thing: Lara Croft BBC2

Type of Documentary

Mixed

Themes
Feminism

Representation of women

Power of the media

Narrative Structure

Closed

Non-Linear- there is no timeline.

Single Strand

Camerawork

Interviews: variety of shots; close ups, medium close ups and extreme close ups. The interviewee is positioned to the right or left of the screen with the eyeline 1/3 of the way down
Point of View  tracking shot - going into the Internet cafe and along the line of boys on the computer, followed by an extreme close up of a woman's hand on the keyboard playing the game.

Mise-En-Scene

Chromakey - shows game footage to keep the audiences attention/ interest on the interview

The woman being interviewed has a front projection of the green dimensions on her face whilst being interviewed as though trying to make her part of the game.
Film clips.


Sound

Voiceover- Standard English spoken,male, young age type of person who would play the game, calm and relaxed tone.

Music from the game is used.

Soundbites from the Lara Croft character from the game is used.
A Madonna track was played - before one of the interviewees referred to her

Editing

Cuts

Fast motion used in the cafe in the over the shoulder shot
Interview of creator: he has been put into the computer screen.

Archive Material

Websites

Newspaper headlines

Extracts from the game - Tomb Raider

Extracts from the film - Tomb Raider
Nike advert

Interview with Angelina Jolie

 

Graphics

On the opposite side of the screen to the interviewee or subject in white sans serif

The top line size is bigger than the bottom line, and its all in lower case writing
The title of the programme was referred to throughout the interviews such as the creator of That Thing.

Title of the programme is in speech bubbles which suggests the programme is about discussion

I could not find any relevant video clips for the documentary so I included pictures of Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie.

Documentary Analysis - Michael Jackson and Bubbles: The Untold Story

Type of Documentary:

 Mixed

Themes:

Love

Death

Friendship

Narrative Structure:

Non Linear

Closed

Single Strand

Camerawork:

Interview - Framed to left or right of the screen, medium close up and there eyeline is 1/3 of the way down the screen.

Actuality footage
Over the shoulder shot of the interview with Michael which becomes a close up to show his emotion  
Birds eye View of Neverland
Tracking Shot through Neverland
Long shot of Dr. Jane Goddall and the monkey
Low shot of chimpanzee in the tree connotes power and emphasis
Close up of Bubbles in the cage, and his fingers on the cage on a handheld camera which connotes distress
Establishing shot of Bubbles' new home
Two shot of Bubbles and Patti Ragan
Extreme close up of Bubbles finger stroking Patti's hand
Close up to an extreme close up of La Toyas' face in the car to show her sadness
Long shot of the car bringing La Toya
Two shot of La Toya and Patti in the grass
Point of View shot from Bubbles looking up at La Toya
Long shot of Bubbles and La Toya

Mise en Scene:

Interviews- have props to connote their occupation i.e Michael in recording studio = singer, Dr. Jane Goddall in the nature with monkey which suggests her job is observing monkey.

Sound

Michael Jackson music
Voiceover - American, 30 year old, male

Sound Effects- Camera shutter
Music compliments the mood

Editing

Cuts

Pictures - in a photo reel to make the audience stay interested

Interviewee speaks about something and it cuts to a video clip which relates to the subject

Interview voice over archive material

Archive Material:

News footage - Neverland

Photographs

Music Videos

Home Videos

Press Conference

Chat Shows

Newspaper
Dick Clark Show

OK Magazine

Graphics:

The title is in the font from the Bad Michael Jackson Album

Who? Occupation? aligned on the left in orange calligraphy text
Joe Jackson - has green bold text to confirm his name



The pictures I have included are relevant to the documentary I got them from Google images.Below is a clip from the documentary.

Documentary Analysis - The Boy who was a Girl

Type of Documentary:
Mixed/ Self Reflective

Themes:
Gender

Stereotypes
Confusion

Narrative Structure:

Closed - The girl Natasha becomes a boy “John”

Linear - The documentary shows how “John” develops in time order

Camerawork:

Establishing shot of detached houses which suggest the documentary is set in a middle class area

A handheld camera is used throughout the documentary to make the audience seem more involved

The interviews are shot in medium close up, where the interviewee is either to the left or right of the screen with the eye line 1/3 of the way down the screen, with the background being a shallow depth of field

Low angle of “John” and mum on couch which suggests they have the power in the documentary

Zoom in off testosterone gel reinforces the development from girl to boy

Close up of ballet shoes is in contrast to the testosterone gel

High angle shot of mum which suggests that “John” has more power in the situation, which is reinforced by a long shot of “John” and his mum whereby his mum is positioned facing his back

Close up of hand on wrist which suggesting comfort and love

Over the shoulder shot of mum followed by a shot reverse shot to “John”

Long shot of doctors room with a dim lighting

Extreme close up of doctors hand writing notes

Contrast of close up of a muscular arm to a close up of “Johns” skinny arm

Extreme close up of Johns face to show final emotion of joy

Mise en Scene:
Interviews – reflecting something about life or occupation - doctor sat desk, in suit to suggest power
Contrast between semi detached houses to the city

Johns bedroom pink which conflicts with the Marilyn Manson posters and skulls

Contrast of boy in school uniform at the start to a young man in a shirt at the end

Barber shop connotes males

Sound

Voiceover – narrator is the young boy “John”

Music reflected subject matter/mood

Fast paced music in the gym

Sad music and the beginning which contrasts against the happy music at the end “Your love keeps lifting me higher” (Rod Stewart)

 

Editing: Montage - pictures from girl to boy
Cuts - most common edit in documentary

Fade to black

Archive Material:
Pictures of Natasha

Videos of Natasha and the school sports day surrounded by boys

Home Videos

Websites

Stock footage - Street, gym, and roads

Graphics:

The title of the programme reflects the subject matter by using the gender symbols within the title

Text – White, sans

The top line (name of person talking) is in bold and is slightly bigger than the second line (occupation), aligned to the left.

The pictures i have used are screenshots from the documentary.

Below is a clip from the documentary.

Documentary Analysis - The Music Biz: The Making of Meatloaf

Type:
Mixed


Themes:

How audiences can be manipulated by the media.

This picture is Meatloafs album cover

it was not included in the documentary.

Narrative Structure:

Non Linear

Closed

Single Strand

Camerawork:

Low angle of radio city music hall – establishing shot

P.O.V shot into press conference – audience positioned as being part of procedure

P.O.V shot of the betting shop - creative thinking
Handheld effect

Still images – close up of pictures and pans across to keep the audience interested

Close up of empty table with microphones connotes media involvement



Mise en Scene:

Meatloaf performing at a concert in background

LP as background

Logo

Meatloaf in recording studio

Costume – code of attire connotes authority

Sound:
Voice over narration – plain exposition direct address commentary/description – non diagetic
dramatic, orchestral soundtrack
Sinister music talking about CD – non diagetic
Meatloaf music


Editing:

Cuts

Fades
Montage – keeps focusing on name Meatloaf brand
Jumps from marketing room to long take of production to show that it is being created

Shot-reverse-shot – dissolves

Chromakey - (blue or green screen): Archive or actuality footage, related to what the interviewee is talking about.

Archive material:

Grammy Awards

Brit Awards

Press Conference

Behind the scenes on video
Newspapers
Top of the Pops
The news


Graphics:
Magazine article template
Slow motion

This is Meatlaof's music video as I could not locate a clip from the documentary:

Documentary Analysis - The Devil Made Me Do It

An Analysis of “The Devil Made Me Do it”

Type of Documentary:
Mixed


Themes:
Devil worship vs Religion
Crime/media investigation
Youth
Powers of the media…can media influence an individual’s behaviour?

Narrative Structure:

Open – question which is main theme is not answered
Non Linear  - It does follow chronological events of crime from the girls being caught to them going into court yet the programme has cuts to different events throughout.

Camerawork:

Close up/medium close up of interviewees framed either to left or right

Conventional lighting reinforces Good vs. Evil, when Manson is being interviewed and half of his face is in the light and the other in the dark which connotes a dual personality.

Low angle of Manson signifies power.
Slow pans of the town which suggest nothing exciting happens in the day or night as the streets are deserted.

End of programme – busy streets, teens sat around drinking, cars speeding which is a contrast from the empty and abandoned streets at the beginning of the programme,

Camera is positioned in the back of the room at the Manson press conference as the cameraman is filming through the viewfinder of another camera which puts distance between documentary person and other people filming Manson, the intentions are different.

Shots of religious iconography (statues of angels and Christ) Christ shot in low angle which matched Manson's low angle.

Marilyn Manson gig – filmed the crowd as well as the concert, filmed as an observer

Hand-held actuality footage so cameraman can react quickly to action

Zoom is used on still images on inanimate objects to keep the audience interested


Mise en Scene:
Interviews – reflecting something about life or occupation police sat at desk with a police cap on it
Contrast between old fashioned town and noisy town
Religious iconography
contrast between Manson and persona and scene in McDonalds

Sound

Voiceover – narrator, male, young, Standard English – no clear accent
Voiceovers used to translate Italian into English
Translation with Italian accent to anchor that they are watching an Italian person.
Age and gender matched visuals.
Music reflected subject matter/mood
Religious music – choral contrasts against the Manson music used
sound effects used e.g. heartbeat, dogs barking


Editing:
Cuts – most common edit in documentary
Montage – at the beginning from later on in the show, teaser of what is coming up

fade to black and fade from black used to signal end of scene or to take us from one location to another

Creates tempo – slow pans of empty streets, when the narration was one of the girls relaying the murder, shots became shorter – cuts quicker




Archive Material:

Recordings from time of murder

News footage – nuns death and columbine massacre

Manson's music video

Graphics:

Lyrics to words of Manson's songs

Who? When? Where? In white sans serif

Ranged to right or left of screen, with the top line bigger

Subtitles to anchor the audio

Title was Gothic and stylised

Text was used to close the narrative of the documentary what happened to girls after documentary was made

This a clip from the documentary I analysed:

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

Narrative Structure:
Single strand


Camerawork:
Varied shot types and movement to keep the audience interested
Stationary camera (tripod)
Handheld camerawork is used for actuality footage where necessary
Establishing shots used
Pan and zoom are used when filming still images – slow zoom
P.O.V shot sometimes used to position the audience in the action
Interviews: close up or medium close up is conventional. Big close up or extreme close up can be used
Eyeline roughly 1/3 way down screen
Framed to left or right of screen


Mise en scene:
If chromakey is used it shouldn’t detract from the interview
The mise en scene is carefully constructed


Sound:
Always a voiceover – holds the narrative together, standard English, usually calm and clear delivery. Gender and age is sometimes relevant depending on the topic.
Music used relevant to subject – it shouldn’t interfere with interview
Interviews – no background noise, so audience can clearly hear what is being said


Editing:
Questions are edited out
Editing creates pace
Cuts most common edit
No editing effects used unless relevant so it does not distract the viewer
Cutaways are used - relevant to what is being talked about
Other visuals are used over the interviewee – creative editing


Archive material:
Still images require camera movement to keep the audience interested in the documentary
There is a variety of relevant material: newspapers, photographs, website, video footage.


Graphics:
Used to translate were necessary
Title – Title is unique
Credits – usually scrolling off screen and all archive material is credited
Name and relevance to subject or role of interviewees – usually two lines.

General Analysis

Documentary

The purpose of the documentary is to document, that is to report with evidence something that has actually happened. It can be shown by using “actuality footage” or reconstruction. It can use a narrator’s voiceover to anchor the meaning or rely on the participants themselves with perhaps occasional interjection by the narrator.

John Grierson

He ran a team called the General Post Office Film Unit in the 1930’s. In the second world war the GPO made documentarys showing everyone working hard, laughing and singing they were seen to be used as a propaganda tool. Grierson defined documentaries as the creative treatment of actuality (or reality).

Features of documentaries

John Corner of the University of Liverpool believed there are five central elements of documentaries:


Observation: The programme pretends that the camera is unseen or ignored by the people taking part in the events. The audience is an eye witness observing events as they unfold. However, the Hawthorne effect may also occur during this element as the participants may change their natural actions to appear in a better light.


Interview: The most important part of the document whereby the participants give their opinions and views, documentaries rely upon these.


Dramatisation: All documentaries use a sense of drama through the observation element, such as creating drama through the observation process or through reconstruction.


Mise en scene (put in the picture): Documentary makers carefully construct the shot.


Exposition: The line of argument in a documentary. It is what the documentary, quotes saying.

Different types of documentaries

Fully narrated: A voiceover is used to convey the exposition, the voiceover is to make sense of the visuals and dominate their meaning e.g. Natural history documentaries.


Fly on the wall: It draws on the French film movement, cinema verite. The camera is unseen or ignored and simply records real events as they unfold.


Mixed: A combination of interview construction, actuality and archive material and narration to advance the argument/ narrative.


Self- Reflective: When the subject of the documentary acknowledges the presence of the camera and often speaks directly to the camera maker.


Docudrama: Re enactment of the events.


Docusoap: A combination of a documentary and soap opera which is centred around a group of central protagonists.

Structure of a documentary

Narrative Structure


Open: Loose ends which are not tied up at the end of the documentary i.e when questions are left unanswered.


Closed: There is a definite conclusion to the narrative


Linear: Follows chronological order (order of time)


Non Linear: Things are not in time order, by use of flashback or flash-forward

Single: one narrative

Multi: more than one narrative thread

Circular: The narrative goes from one point and at the end returns to the same point


Visuals: Television is a visual medium. The programme needs to be visually stimulating, to maintain the audience’s attention


Stock Footage: Archive material – street scenes, open countryside, and close up of faces


Interviews: An interview can be held anywhere but the setting does affect the meaning


Vox Pop (voice of the people): Ask random people the same question and pick the best, most entertaining or the most boring answers

Construction or Reality

Camerawork: handheld camera as th etripod restricts a cameramans movement

Gate keeping: Producer of a documentary either selects or rejects certain facts and information, for inclusion in a media text. This is done during the editing process, voiceover can affect the meaning… the voice of God, it can alter and anchor the visuals.

Edited