Research

Research for documentaries

Questionaires

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To start of the initial idea of doing a documentary for our main task i gathered ideas in which we could create something similar. We need to look at the cameras angles, soundtracks (digetic or non digetic), dialogue/ Language and editing, to appeal to a designated audience.

Blumer and Katz theory, A theory that was produced which metaphorically splits the media into for incomplex sections below, the sections ‘Information’, ‘Personal Identity’, ‘Integration and Social Interaction’ and ‘Integration and Social Interaction’ area the areas that certain programs of the media sink into.

Blumer and Katz theory, A theory that was produced which metaphorically splits the media into for incomplex sections below, the sections ‘Information’, ‘Personal Identity’, ‘Integration and Social Interaction’ and ‘Integration and Social Interaction’ area the areas that certain programs of the media sink into.
Starting of with, ‘Information’, this is usually as a passive audience you want to find out suitable information on society and conditions, also to seek out advice on particular matters, opinion or decisions or maybe for general interest and self-esteem, and to gain knowledge or to self educated yourself on a matter that you know very little about. For ‘Personal Identity’ we as an audience look for insight on finding aid towards personal values and finding role models of behaviour/or style (people of similar character) and gaining knowledge into one's self and identifying with valued other (in the media) ,and for Integration and Social Interaction we want to gain a gaining information into circumstances of other, to understand there situation, and to identify characters with others and gain a sense of belonging, to find a subject/ basis for conversation and social interaction and to connect with family, friends and society, and for Entertainment to escape or to diverted from personal problems, to relax and get a cultural or aesthetic enjoyment e.g., emotional release, or for sexual arousal.




Dispatches the truth about fod follows the typical convetions of a documentary, with its simplistic camera shot, prodominatly focusing on the subject matter with close ups, pans on a eyeline veiw.
Simply there is a introduction about the program including snipits of the program, there is a voice over giving us a breif summary on what the program is about, and giving us direct hyperthetical questions in a formal female voice, which could be suggested to be a little patronising.
Dispatches displays facts and figers in some sort of harsh manner that usaual includes the public, they like to put the spotlite on ideviduals to see how much then know. (they like to prove there audience wrong)giving the society a shock.
In this paticualr episode they interview a family and incorperate a family with there concent and moniteter there calorie consumption, to see if there theory of only eating one meal a day, but then sectretly filmimg in other locations (E.g. where they work.

Further on in program show that there isnt a variaty of food for a infant or child in the family resaraunt. Also there was research into one paticluar resaraunt in ascience museum that specificly educates children about eating health, they are controdicting them selves.

The New yourk department of health has included a calorioe consumtion lable for they food in there restaurants and dipatches look apon the matter and resaeach into further detal into reasons why the british dont do the same

Here is a documenatry produced by 'Current TV'. this documentary expores the trouble within Neo Nazis in Russia, on how that strong racial political views blind them selves form what is rightfully there's.
At the beginning there Small snippet behind the title of the program, with a soundtrack played over the top. Those 2 clips situated in that title defines the documentary genre immediately. (determination, masculinity and selectivity).
The first camera shot involves a man, Looks like a guy selected from the public to explain the situation, his voice continues over the following clips, they present the culture and society, (but you realise that this guy is a Russian rock composer).
The soundtracks through out are simply there to create atmosphere, to portray the emotion that the producer wants to direct across.
There is more than one voice over during, what I call the first section, this is showing multiple opinions on the subject, elaborating that is effecting allot of people.
They show clips of very violent scenes within the Neo Nazi culture,(there strong racial hate towards immigrants) those shots of the violence are filmed on hand held items.
There are several clips of the immigrants (the Neo's 'threats' to there economy)
All clips that involve interviews a direct mode of address, eye-line view and a medium/ close up head and shoulders shot.
The voice overs that discuss the issues with the immagrants during this episode is a male, well spoken, narrative toned voice.

Hypodermic Needle Theory
This is another theory that you can apply to the media and my production.
'The magic bullet' or know as the Hypodermic Needle theory is based on the human nature on how some of use consume the media passives. The "Magic Bullet" theory metaphorically speaking 'fires' from the media gun and travels into the viewer's head. The same idea with the Hypodermic Needle, it suggests that the media injects its messages into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. If its a product that you should by or if its something that you should do.The easiest was through advertising to 'inject' is to form some catchy slogan or some easily recognised theme tune.
Todrov theory
Tzvetan Todorov a Bulgarian structuralist,create this narrative theory in the 1960s.
he discussed how stories had very basic structures, it would begin with an equilibrium, then have a disruption, that is which is usually resolved within the end. Resorted back the 'normal' for the character
fiction.
Barthes
Barthes a French literary theorist created this theory of ‘The Photographic Message'. He simple discussed how a in the media how an image is represented and how the is can be interoperated, and what it actually co notates.



Now this is a production of the BBC on a disability known as 'tourettes' this illness is esaily established in the opening sequence. it starts of with a long shot of him and his mother entering the Asda. Then a voice over kicks in, the voice is a well soken female that uses a diologe of a fairly educated standard.
Follows the life of two paticular people discussing there difficulties that they have faced through out the life.

Here is a BBC production created by Horizon, this immediately has a different target audience due to the opening sequence of a medium range shot of some character showing there body to the camera.(The reason for this will be self explanatory when you get further on in the episode). the female speaking sees quite well educated, but is seem far more casual to other BBC productions. Then the next shot involved some time lapsing. the clips has been speed up and the eye-line/ close up of the character seems to be quite basic. But the combination of the of the first sequence of shots and effect seem quite youthful. There is a narrative voice over that comes in to introduce the program. This introduction (the series of clips) of this program that last about 1 minuet gives you glimpses of the program, intended so that you know what you are going to watch. Then there is some clips of new reports that are related to the issue in the documentary. Following that is a series establishing shots (long shots, medium shots and close ups) with a soundtrack and a voice over describing the challenge/ situation that awaits the character involved,
When they involve the clips of the prison, the soundtracks emotion changes, it become more sudden and shock heart raising music.

480 x 249 ratio

Produced by channel 4 this is a episode in a ongoing series which have the same main objective 'swaping two wives and showing them a different life style'
Starts off with a narraition explaining the familes, is male, with a simple monologe. (As it is clear there target is, its for a fairly educated working class audience.
Camera angles are quite simplistic, they invove lot of medium shots, and long shots to establish characters a location (mis en scene).
This program has a contrived format that plays on stereotypes, they deliberately put a square pig in a round hole, in doing that it makes good television.
One mother is very layed back, loves to go out and get involved within parties and self pampering, shes lazy and leaves all her work (cooking and cleaning) for the boyfriend to sort out.
The second mother has a complete differnce perspective on how life works, she is very organized, likes to be occupied and involved withing making the children happy. THe man in the house hold does nothing within the house. He belives that its a womans job the to do the chores as he has no time. But as we see, he does have the time and space to do it.
In this paticular episode there is a good result/ conclusion as both females of the family relise they both have been blinded by there set ways.
I think the ideas behinf this paticular producting is, one to create drama between each other, as family sterotypes usally clash, and two to show how familes at the other end of the spectrum live(displaing different situations).

Web 2.0
The term 'web 2.0' has been commonly used since the year 2004, as from that year 'web 2.0' sites have allowed users to do more that retrieve information, this media platform allows users to interact with others and even change websites content, as it encourages user generated content. Examples of these site; Youtube, twitter, wikipedia, tumbler ect. as that are millions across the globe.

Production and Institution
BBC
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is in control of several different television networks/ television stations most programs are situated are services in the UK. As one of the largest broadcasters in the world this corporation, does broadcast around the world and produces a large amount of its own programmes, if it’s for Television, radio or online. (There are over 30 separate channels around the world). [bbc.co.uk]
The BBC have created hundreds of documentaries that have ranged for prehistoric to modern time, through out there production career. Here some examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn9dO_iL7lo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncq_Wye43TM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DeVovHw1RY&feature=relmfu

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster that was started 2nd November 1982. It’s largely commercially self-funded, but it is publicly owned. Channel 4 was originally controlled by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), but now station is now owned and by the Channel Four Television Corporation. Unlike BBC, Channel 4 dominantly controls a majority of the youth orientated programs such as E4, kiss and 4music. There four during this day and age this broadcaster has a more developed socially interacted channel.
Here are some examples of the documentaries the Channel 4 produce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhACS6ck-Dw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UrdSzR0BxU&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYX7ACuTBTY&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9kBH47Ohlg

Audience Demographics
Socio Economic Criteria's
Group A - Lawyers, Doctors, scientists, managers, well paid professionally.
Group B - Teachers, seior managers, fairly well paid proffesionals.
Group C1 - 'White collar' Workers, junior Managment, Bank clerks, nurses.
Group C2 - Skilled 'blue collar' wokers such as factory workers, shop assistants.
Group E - unemployed, prisoners, students.

David Morley 1980
Through out the reading text there are three types of audiences, in what way the can interitate the text they are digestisting.
Dominant - REader accepts the preferred (intended) reading of the text.
Negoitated - Reader takes in some of the text but then modifies it to there personal prefrences.
Oppositional - Reader takes in very little of the text and create an alternative version.

StereoType
Definition: this is a indication of a particular type of people, usually developed by the media, these ideology's section people in society. For example, women, ethnic minorities, young people and homosexuals.
the reality is these ideas are so persuasive in the media that peoples views are controlled by these (by the 'Media bullet') This modern concept of sterotyping was developed by Walter Lippmann in 1922. this concept is very misleading but is essentially is splitting and array of information and sectioning it.
OCR Presentation


Above is some information on how documentaries are categorised through out the stages of production.

Media Main production task.

We were given a brief that had a series of 10 main production elements to them that was speculated over the media, then those ten questions had little sub questions in which you had to produce two of them to contribute to the final outcome
For our main task we have chosen to explore the question involving filming a extract for a documentary, which is around 5 minuets in length.
Also we will have to create a double page magazine listing, and a advert for a radio station.
At the moment we are not definite what our subject in hand will be for the documentary, hopefully i will get a clear idea on what i could produce for moving image piece.