Theories
Gender Representation- I chose to use a female subject when creating my documentary. I chose to use a woman, to challenge the idea that it is men that are typically scholars and well read people. Although this is an old view now and women are considered as equals to men, the audience that I feel my documentary would be suitable for, would be older, and therefore may still have these outdated views. The representation of women in my work is highly significant to feminist theories and challenges the idea that female subjects must be sexualised. ‘A look into the life of one woman and her love of books.’ The quote that I have used for my newspaper advertisement is particularly important in the representation of women, as it shows that this woman is intelligent and has based her life around furthering her knowledge. The fact that my documentary does not specifically talk about the subject as a woman is also vital, as I wanted to highlight the fact that her gender should not be regarded when considering her successes and failures with the bookshop. I also feel that to highlight her gender would show inequalities.
Intertextuality- I used intertextuality in my documentary, with the shot of the fly fishing book. This was a comical reference to the yellow pages ‘J.R. Hartley’ broadcast in 1983, significant because it was set in bookshops. This reference would be picked up on by the audience.
Narrative- Although narrative theories apply more to fictional works, a narrative does run through my own work. I created a narrative through my interview technique, not using the interview questions, and the direct mode of address to the audience. This way the audience feel as if they are personally being told a story. When the subject is discussing the history of the bookshop, there are quick cuts to old sepia photographs of the bookshop. This creates a visual image to accompany the telling of the history. I then use cuts throughout to reference what the subject is telling us. The overall narrative is that of the life of the subject owning the bookshop.
Audience- The cultivation theory can be seen in my syntagm. First developed by Professor George Gerbner, the cultivation theory is a social theory. The idea is that over time exposure to television ‘cultivates’ an audiences perceptions of reality. It views audiences as passive, and that television subtly alters their stance of society. I used this theory in the sense that I want my documentary to alter the view of bookshops and reading as outdated. By showing the bookshop as interesting in my documentary I wish to alter these views. It also plays a part in the sense that I wish to alter the viewer’s idea that scholars are primarily male.
Evaluation- Question 4.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Pre-Production- In the pre-production stage of my work video hosting sites such as YouTube helped significantly. They allowed me to look at similar and previous products of what I planned to create. They also let me view old A2 projects which I could get inspiration from. The website of the location that I planned to film also aided my research and helped me to develop interview questions.
Newspaper Advertisement- To create my newspaper advertisement I used the software Adobe Photoshop, because of its highly praised photo enhancing abilities. I had never used this software before, but got to grips with it quickly watching video tutorials online. After deciding to use a photograph as the entire background I had
to change the project size and image size. I changed the image size in a separate project, so that I could monitor the quality of the outcome of the image after reducing its size. I was concerned that it would affect the picture quality because of the re-sizing of the pixels, however after adjusting the options on the image size tool I found that picture quality was only minimally affected. I then transferred this image into my initial project. The other function that Photoshop was particularly helpful in was the text option. Because of its advanced nature it had many effects to toy with, when concerning the text. This allowed me to use the shadowing around the letters, allowing them to stand out, and also allowed for the independent shadow on my main title. Because of the simplistic nature of newspaper advertisements I did not use the full scope of effects and tools on Adobe Photoshop cs4. I rectified this in the creation of my double-page spread.
Double Page Spread- I also used Adobe Photoshop Cs4 when creating my double-page spread. It was in creating this that I used a greater variety of Photoshop’s features. First I made my page the size that a double-page spread would be. Then I set myself some page guidelines, so that I could see the layout of my spread. It was in this project that I relied on the idea of layering. This became significantly
important in the final outcome of my project. Firstly I created a solid colour for my background, dark blue. Then I imported the images that I had taken at the shoot into the project. I imported one of the images, from the front of the location, into a separate project, and used the ellipse tool to make it circular. I did this as it in conventional for double-page spreads to use at least one circular image, breaking up the text.
Because I wished to place these images over a white background I created white boxes slightly bigger than the images using the rectangle tool. I then moved the images up the layering list, so that they would be on top of the boxes. I also made adjustments to some of the picture colours using the image tool, to brighten them up a bit. I then made copies of the image of books and used the move tool to align them at the top of the page. I then created text boxes and positioned them in my desired places.
The Video- To edit my video I used the software Final Cut. I used this as a pose to IMovie, as it is a more professional programme. Using Final Cut also allowed me to progress and develop my editing skills from last year, when I used IMovie to create my project. To familiarise myself with Final Cut I watched some online tutorials. The most complicated part of the editing process was boosting the audio levels. To do this I had to open up my audio channel window and adjusting the volume slider. I also had to do this to quieten the music that I applied over the top of my interview. I kept to a basic style of editing in my project, as I found in my research, that transition edits are not commonly used. As a pose to transition edits I added many cutaways to my timeline to break up the interview. I did add a few fade effects to my shots, however did not want to use them too much. To create these transitions I just dragged the desired transition from the "Video Transitions" drop down menu in the effects tab. I also added an audio dissolve to my audio timeline to fade out the music towards the end of my documentary. I then exported the video into Quicktime.
Blogger- I uploaded all of my work onto blogger. I found this process easy; however had problems with the video upload. I had not anticipated the upload limit of 100MB and shooting in HD quality meant that my video was over 800MB. This meant that I could not upload the video in its initial format. I had to heavily compress the file to allow the upload of it onto Blogger.
In the evaluation stage I used social networking site Facebook to gain audience feedback. Social networking sites such as this are very important in the current media world, and are a good source for advertising.
To conclude I used various media technologies in the post-production and production of my project, and feel that I have acquired a vast knowledge of each of them.
Pre-Production- In the pre-production stage of my work video hosting sites such as YouTube helped significantly. They allowed me to look at similar and previous products of what I planned to create. They also let me view old A2 projects which I could get inspiration from. The website of the location that I planned to film also aided my research and helped me to develop interview questions.
Newspaper Advertisement- To create my newspaper advertisement I used the software Adobe Photoshop, because of its highly praised photo enhancing abilities. I had never used this software before, but got to grips with it quickly watching video tutorials online. After deciding to use a photograph as the entire background I had
to change the project size and image size. I changed the image size in a separate project, so that I could monitor the quality of the outcome of the image after reducing its size. I was concerned that it would affect the picture quality because of the re-sizing of the pixels, however after adjusting the options on the image size tool I found that picture quality was only minimally affected. I then transferred this image into my initial project. The other function that Photoshop was particularly helpful in was the text option. Because of its advanced nature it had many effects to toy with, when concerning the text. This allowed me to use the shadowing around the letters, allowing them to stand out, and also allowed for the independent shadow on my main title. Because of the simplistic nature of newspaper advertisements I did not use the full scope of effects and tools on Adobe Photoshop cs4. I rectified this in the creation of my double-page spread. Double Page Spread- I also used Adobe Photoshop Cs4 when creating my double-page spread. It was in creating this that I used a greater variety of Photoshop’s features. First I made my page the size that a double-page spread would be. Then I set myself some page guidelines, so that I could see the layout of my spread. It was in this project that I relied on the idea of layering. This became significantly
important in the final outcome of my project. Firstly I created a solid colour for my background, dark blue. Then I imported the images that I had taken at the shoot into the project. I imported one of the images, from the front of the location, into a separate project, and used the ellipse tool to make it circular. I did this as it in conventional for double-page spreads to use at least one circular image, breaking up the text.
Because I wished to place these images over a white background I created white boxes slightly bigger than the images using the rectangle tool. I then moved the images up the layering list, so that they would be on top of the boxes. I also made adjustments to some of the picture colours using the image tool, to brighten them up a bit. I then made copies of the image of books and used the move tool to align them at the top of the page. I then created text boxes and positioned them in my desired places. The Video- To edit my video I used the software Final Cut. I used this as a pose to IMovie, as it is a more professional programme. Using Final Cut also allowed me to progress and develop my editing skills from last year, when I used IMovie to create my project. To familiarise myself with Final Cut I watched some online tutorials. The most complicated part of the editing process was boosting the audio levels. To do this I had to open up my audio channel window and adjusting the volume slider. I also had to do this to quieten the music that I applied over the top of my interview. I kept to a basic style of editing in my project, as I found in my research, that transition edits are not commonly used. As a pose to transition edits I added many cutaways to my timeline to break up the interview. I did add a few fade effects to my shots, however did not want to use them too much. To create these transitions I just dragged the desired transition from the "Video Transitions" drop down menu in the effects tab. I also added an audio dissolve to my audio timeline to fade out the music towards the end of my documentary. I then exported the video into Quicktime.
Blogger- I uploaded all of my work onto blogger. I found this process easy; however had problems with the video upload. I had not anticipated the upload limit of 100MB and shooting in HD quality meant that my video was over 800MB. This meant that I could not upload the video in its initial format. I had to heavily compress the file to allow the upload of it onto Blogger.
In the evaluation stage I used social networking site Facebook to gain audience feedback. Social networking sites such as this are very important in the current media world, and are a good source for advertising.
To conclude I used various media technologies in the post-production and production of my project, and feel that I have acquired a vast knowledge of each of them.
Evaluation- Question 3.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
After my first rough cut I organised two small screenings of my documentary; one for my fellow media students, and the other for some members of staff at my place of work. I decided on these two groups of people, as fellow students understand the project that I have undertaken and what the documentary should include, whereas the people at my place of work are of an elder generation, which would probably be an age more suited to the documentary. Through organising these two showings, I was able to get a vast range of opinions from people of different age, gender and social class. I then asked them the questions: *What are your initial thoughts on the documentary? *What elements did you like about the documentary? *Was there anything in the documentary that you did not like? *Are there any improvements that you think could be made to the documentary? After seeing the first five minutes, would you watch the rest of the documentary if it were feature length?
The feedback from my screening for classmates was generally positive. One element particularly praised was the cutaways during the interview. One classmate said ‘I felt that the use of the cutaways helped me to remain focused through the documentary.’ Another added ‘I really liked the cutaways, but I think you should use more, it would help make it more interesting.’ The mood lighting was also praised, one student mentioned ‘I think the lighting was good, it helped create an impression that the bookshop was really old.’ All had positive feedback about my choice of music too. They felt ‘it really suited the style of the documentary’. The feedback from my work colleagues was also very positive. This was the group that I expected to impact more, they were all aged over 40. One colleague said ‘I really liked the music; I could really see this being a real documentary.’ Another mentioned the reference to the fly fishing joke saying ‘It really made me laugh, added a bit of humour if you understood it.’ When asked the question about watching the remainder of the documentary if it were feature length, an important question given my brief, all of the viewers said that they would.
This was all very positive feedback however there were some constructive criticisms from both groups, which proved very helpful in editing my final cut. As I have already mentioned, one student thought that more cutaways should be added, which I took into account. Another said that one of the shots, of the staff members, was too shaky. It was one of my cutaways however this criticism made me decide to change it for another. I did feel that a few of my shots were a bit shaky; however I did not have enough footage to edit them out completely, and felt they were passable. The final criticism which was also made by my tutor was that ‘The interview audio isn’t loud enough.’ This urged me to boost the sound levels. In conclusion to the feedback of my rough cut I found the comments extremely helpful and they lead me to make much needed changes to my work.
On completion of my final cut I posted a link onto social networking site Facebook. I felt that this would be a way to reach a wide audience, and gain vast feedback on my work. Social networking sites have become very important in the media industry and advertising. So I felt that it was a fitting way to gain feedback.
After posting the link I received very positive comments. One read ‘Congratulations, really good work, I can imagine it being a real documentary.’ I was particularly pleased with this comment as it proved that my work had gained credibility and could be an aired documentary. Another comment read ‘I’m impressed. The cutaways were really nice, and I liked the choice of music.’ From this feedback I am confident that I have created a credible documentary extract.
After my first rough cut I organised two small screenings of my documentary; one for my fellow media students, and the other for some members of staff at my place of work. I decided on these two groups of people, as fellow students understand the project that I have undertaken and what the documentary should include, whereas the people at my place of work are of an elder generation, which would probably be an age more suited to the documentary. Through organising these two showings, I was able to get a vast range of opinions from people of different age, gender and social class. I then asked them the questions: *What are your initial thoughts on the documentary? *What elements did you like about the documentary? *Was there anything in the documentary that you did not like? *Are there any improvements that you think could be made to the documentary? After seeing the first five minutes, would you watch the rest of the documentary if it were feature length?
The feedback from my screening for classmates was generally positive. One element particularly praised was the cutaways during the interview. One classmate said ‘I felt that the use of the cutaways helped me to remain focused through the documentary.’ Another added ‘I really liked the cutaways, but I think you should use more, it would help make it more interesting.’ The mood lighting was also praised, one student mentioned ‘I think the lighting was good, it helped create an impression that the bookshop was really old.’ All had positive feedback about my choice of music too. They felt ‘it really suited the style of the documentary’. The feedback from my work colleagues was also very positive. This was the group that I expected to impact more, they were all aged over 40. One colleague said ‘I really liked the music; I could really see this being a real documentary.’ Another mentioned the reference to the fly fishing joke saying ‘It really made me laugh, added a bit of humour if you understood it.’ When asked the question about watching the remainder of the documentary if it were feature length, an important question given my brief, all of the viewers said that they would.
This was all very positive feedback however there were some constructive criticisms from both groups, which proved very helpful in editing my final cut. As I have already mentioned, one student thought that more cutaways should be added, which I took into account. Another said that one of the shots, of the staff members, was too shaky. It was one of my cutaways however this criticism made me decide to change it for another. I did feel that a few of my shots were a bit shaky; however I did not have enough footage to edit them out completely, and felt they were passable. The final criticism which was also made by my tutor was that ‘The interview audio isn’t loud enough.’ This urged me to boost the sound levels. In conclusion to the feedback of my rough cut I found the comments extremely helpful and they lead me to make much needed changes to my work.
On completion of my final cut I posted a link onto social networking site Facebook. I felt that this would be a way to reach a wide audience, and gain vast feedback on my work. Social networking sites have become very important in the media industry and advertising. So I felt that it was a fitting way to gain feedback.
After posting the link I received very positive comments. One read ‘Congratulations, really good work, I can imagine it being a real documentary.’ I was particularly pleased with this comment as it proved that my work had gained credibility and could be an aired documentary. Another comment read ‘I’m impressed. The cutaways were really nice, and I liked the choice of music.’ From this feedback I am confident that I have created a credible documentary extract.
Evaluation- Question 2
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
When coming up with the ideas for my three products, I wanted to make sure that they had themes running throughout them, to create intertextuality between them. I recognised that all three products must work harmoniously in order to achieve an effective advertising campaign, and in turn an effective video product.
The idea that I wanted to portray through all three of my products was the sense of stepping back in time. The bookshop is over 100 years old, and retains the impression of being old. On visiting the location I decided that this was the idea I wanted my viewers to get when watching my video, and I felt that it was important to carry this idea through my advertising campaigns also. The way that I achieved this was through the images of old dusty books. These were featured in all three products. For both of my prints I used the same image of the subject, which helped create a link between the two products. I purposely placed the subject in front of shelves of books, so as to show firstly what the documentary was about, and secondly the second-hand dusty old nature of the books. To combine the print with my video I placed the subject in the same place when filming her interview.
Lighting was also important in creating effective print texts. I wanted the photos to have a dingy effect to them, and luckily the area that I photographed had good mood lighting. This dingy lighting was featured in all three of my products. It gave the desired effect of an old dusty shop.
The main title on both print products used the same font. I chose this font as it looked like a calligraphy style writing, which was commonly used in older lettering. I used the colour white for the fonts in both products which helped link the two together. This was also featured in the quote at the beginning of my documentary which was also written in white.
When coming up with the ideas for my three products, I wanted to make sure that they had themes running throughout them, to create intertextuality between them. I recognised that all three products must work harmoniously in order to achieve an effective advertising campaign, and in turn an effective video product.
The idea that I wanted to portray through all three of my products was the sense of stepping back in time. The bookshop is over 100 years old, and retains the impression of being old. On visiting the location I decided that this was the idea I wanted my viewers to get when watching my video, and I felt that it was important to carry this idea through my advertising campaigns also. The way that I achieved this was through the images of old dusty books. These were featured in all three products. For both of my prints I used the same image of the subject, which helped create a link between the two products. I purposely placed the subject in front of shelves of books, so as to show firstly what the documentary was about, and secondly the second-hand dusty old nature of the books. To combine the print with my video I placed the subject in the same place when filming her interview.
Lighting was also important in creating effective print texts. I wanted the photos to have a dingy effect to them, and luckily the area that I photographed had good mood lighting. This dingy lighting was featured in all three of my products. It gave the desired effect of an old dusty shop.
The main title on both print products used the same font. I chose this font as it looked like a calligraphy style writing, which was commonly used in older lettering. I used the colour white for the fonts in both products which helped link the two together. This was also featured in the quote at the beginning of my documentary which was also written in white.
Evaluation- Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The Quote- The use of a quote at the beginning of my documentary differs greatly from the normal conventions of real media products. It is extremely rare to see a
quote at the beginning of a documentary, and I found none in my research of previous documentaries. In this way I have challenged the forms and conventions of real media products.
Shot 1-Establishing shots- My establishing shots were of the front of the location that I was filming. These were a typical convention of observational documentaries.
They are used to introduce the audience to the location, and to create the sense that they too are in the bookshop, and experiencing the events with their own eyes. My establishing shots were wide shots, and I feel worked very well in introducing the shop. I feel that I developed the idea of location establishing shots, by using six different shots of the front of the location where many
documentaries only use one. An example of establishing location shots would be Channel 4’s A Long Weekend With The Son Of God. This documentary also uses more than one location shot to introduce the documentary. I found many similarities in my documentary with that of Channel 4 documentaries.
Shot 2- Close-up of subject- This shot is typical of documentaries. I placed the subject on the left of the screen as the viewers eyes look from left to right, so
the subject would then be the first thing that they say. The use of a close-up is also a convention of observational documentaries. It makes the shot intimate and personal, creating an 
attachment between audience and subject. An example of the use of close-ups of the interviewee in documentaries can be seen in Channel 4’s Ambreen: The Girl Boxer. As you can see from the screen grab, the close up shot of her creates a very personal feel to the documentary, she is also placed slightly to the left, the same technique that I used. This intimate image is similar to what I feel I have achieved with my interview.
Shot 3- Cutaway- The descriptive cutaways used to break up my interview are a very common convention in observational documentaries. I feel that mine worked particularly well because I used cutaway shots related to the subject that the
interviewee was discussing at the time. I developed the idea of cutaways by using them quite frequently throughout my video. It is an important aspect in my documentary, as it helps keep the audience focused and means that the video does not become monotonous and boring. Another important aspect is the interview audio continuing to run throughout the cutaways, this helped to create a sense of continuity throughout the film; this idea is commonly used in similar products. All in all I felt that the cutaways worked very well in my project.
Shot 4- Crane Shot- I used a crane shot in one of the cutaways from the interview. This shot was very important in the final cut of my video, as it helped to add variety to my use of shots, and showed a development of my use of camera angles. I
decided on the crane shot because it helped to show the entirety of the first level of the bookshop, and it also allowed the audience to see the customers browsing, without the camera interfering; this meant that I effectively showed reality of every day life in the shop. And revealing actuality is the aim of a documentary. This shot is an uncommon in real media products. It is rare that a documentary can show true reality, as there is always the idea that the camera would cause people to act differently. By making the camera less obvious I was able to document actuality.
Shot 5- Pan shots- The shots that panned were difficult to achieve, because of the equipment that I had to use. I liked the shots that I captured, however they were slightly shaky, which would be something to consider if undertaking a similar project again. Pan shots are common in documentaries, and when undertaking initial research into the subject area I found great usage of them in real media products.
Suggestive Visual Elements- Where the interview took place there were several bottles of alcohol. By placing the subject near these bottles, which was not intentionally done, it suggests certain things about the subject to the audience. From these bottles the audience may come to speculate about the interviewee and come to conclusions that perhaps she drinks heavily. Although this was not intentionally done by me, many documentary makers do use suggestive visual elements intentionally, perhaps to force ideas into the viewers mind. However I did not want to be biased in my own work.
Encyclopaedia of Fly Fishing-When on location I found the book An Encyclopaedia of Fly Fishing. I decided to include the book as one of my cutaway shots because of the
yellow pages advert from the 80’s about J.R. Hartley’s Fly Fishing book. Although it did not exist many people looked for the book and it became a very famous advert. The advert was also set in bookshops, creating a direct link to the subject of my own work. Although younger
generations may not understand the joke, I think many of my target audience would pick up on the joke. Jokes such as the one I have included are not common in documentaries; however I feel that by adding subtle humour to my documentary it will keep the audience engaged.
Interview Style- The interview style in my documentary was particuarly important, as I did not use the standard question answer interview technique. Instead I opted for letting the documentary sound mildly like a story. It was as if the subject were talking directly to the audience, unaided by being asked questions. I did this simply but cutting the footage of asking the actual question, the piecing it together, to act in a story telling type way. This is not common of all documentaries, however is occasionally seen in observational documentaries where only one subject is interviewed and shown speaking.
Newspaper Advertisement- My newspaper advertisement follows many conventions of real media products. The use of an image as the entire background is often seen in
advertisements for particular products. I got the idea for this from my initial research into newspaper advertisements, when I found the Ad for the Falcon Ford car. I manipulated many elements from this advert and used them in my own work. The use of the image of my 
subject as the background for my advert worked well I think, as it draws attention to the eye, and makes us curious as to what is being advertised. The use of a border around my text was not conventional, and initially I would not have thought to include it. It became necessary because the text would not show up well in either plain black or white font. I probably would not have chosen to use the shadowing option if the text had been easy to read without it. If I were to carry out a similar task again, I would have taken into account the colours of the background so that the shadowing tool wouldn’t have to be used. It is not a typical convention of newspaper Ad’s to use shadowing on text, so in retrospect it does however challenge the typical concepts of advertising. I decided to stick to the idea of intertextuality in my products, using the same font for the main title of both my newspaper advertisement and my double-page spread. This allowed readers to relate the two together.
Double-Page Spread- My double-page spread followed many typical conventions of real products. I used a definite colour scheme, as seen in many magazine spreads of a similar nature. I feel that this was very important, as it allows the spread to be easy on the eye, as a pose to using many different colours, which could become overwhelming for the reader. I could not use one large image spread across the two pages, as in most magazines, because my photos were not of a high enough quality, and when the pixels were stretched the image looked distorted and surreal. Instead I opted for a few smaller photos with white borders. I feel that this still had a nice effect. My text was all in white and the font was Times New Roman, This is a common convention for text, as it stands out from the background colour. I used the same font for the main title in both my newspaper advertisement and double-page spread to create intertextuality. This is a common concept in advertising campaigns. The quote from the subject between the to right hand side photos is also seen frequently, and it creates the idea that the subject is speaking directly to the reader. One aspect of the double-page spread that was not conventional was the use of the images of books behing my main title, and across the top of the page. I felt that challenged concepts here, and in my research did not find anything similar; I felt that the images worked well on my final product.
The Quote- The use of a quote at the beginning of my documentary differs greatly from the normal conventions of real media products. It is extremely rare to see a
quote at the beginning of a documentary, and I found none in my research of previous documentaries. In this way I have challenged the forms and conventions of real media products.Shot 1-Establishing shots- My establishing shots were of the front of the location that I was filming. These were a typical convention of observational documentaries.
They are used to introduce the audience to the location, and to create the sense that they too are in the bookshop, and experiencing the events with their own eyes. My establishing shots were wide shots, and I feel worked very well in introducing the shop. I feel that I developed the idea of location establishing shots, by using six different shots of the front of the location where many
documentaries only use one. An example of establishing location shots would be Channel 4’s A Long Weekend With The Son Of God. This documentary also uses more than one location shot to introduce the documentary. I found many similarities in my documentary with that of Channel 4 documentaries.Shot 2- Close-up of subject- This shot is typical of documentaries. I placed the subject on the left of the screen as the viewers eyes look from left to right, so
the subject would then be the first thing that they say. The use of a close-up is also a convention of observational documentaries. It makes the shot intimate and personal, creating an 
attachment between audience and subject. An example of the use of close-ups of the interviewee in documentaries can be seen in Channel 4’s Ambreen: The Girl Boxer. As you can see from the screen grab, the close up shot of her creates a very personal feel to the documentary, she is also placed slightly to the left, the same technique that I used. This intimate image is similar to what I feel I have achieved with my interview. Shot 3- Cutaway- The descriptive cutaways used to break up my interview are a very common convention in observational documentaries. I feel that mine worked particularly well because I used cutaway shots related to the subject that the
interviewee was discussing at the time. I developed the idea of cutaways by using them quite frequently throughout my video. It is an important aspect in my documentary, as it helps keep the audience focused and means that the video does not become monotonous and boring. Another important aspect is the interview audio continuing to run throughout the cutaways, this helped to create a sense of continuity throughout the film; this idea is commonly used in similar products. All in all I felt that the cutaways worked very well in my project.
Shot 4- Crane Shot- I used a crane shot in one of the cutaways from the interview. This shot was very important in the final cut of my video, as it helped to add variety to my use of shots, and showed a development of my use of camera angles. I
decided on the crane shot because it helped to show the entirety of the first level of the bookshop, and it also allowed the audience to see the customers browsing, without the camera interfering; this meant that I effectively showed reality of every day life in the shop. And revealing actuality is the aim of a documentary. This shot is an uncommon in real media products. It is rare that a documentary can show true reality, as there is always the idea that the camera would cause people to act differently. By making the camera less obvious I was able to document actuality. Shot 5- Pan shots- The shots that panned were difficult to achieve, because of the equipment that I had to use. I liked the shots that I captured, however they were slightly shaky, which would be something to consider if undertaking a similar project again. Pan shots are common in documentaries, and when undertaking initial research into the subject area I found great usage of them in real media products.
Suggestive Visual Elements- Where the interview took place there were several bottles of alcohol. By placing the subject near these bottles, which was not intentionally done, it suggests certain things about the subject to the audience. From these bottles the audience may come to speculate about the interviewee and come to conclusions that perhaps she drinks heavily. Although this was not intentionally done by me, many documentary makers do use suggestive visual elements intentionally, perhaps to force ideas into the viewers mind. However I did not want to be biased in my own work.
Encyclopaedia of Fly Fishing-When on location I found the book An Encyclopaedia of Fly Fishing. I decided to include the book as one of my cutaway shots because of the
yellow pages advert from the 80’s about J.R. Hartley’s Fly Fishing book. Although it did not exist many people looked for the book and it became a very famous advert. The advert was also set in bookshops, creating a direct link to the subject of my own work. Although younger
generations may not understand the joke, I think many of my target audience would pick up on the joke. Jokes such as the one I have included are not common in documentaries; however I feel that by adding subtle humour to my documentary it will keep the audience engaged.Interview Style- The interview style in my documentary was particuarly important, as I did not use the standard question answer interview technique. Instead I opted for letting the documentary sound mildly like a story. It was as if the subject were talking directly to the audience, unaided by being asked questions. I did this simply but cutting the footage of asking the actual question, the piecing it together, to act in a story telling type way. This is not common of all documentaries, however is occasionally seen in observational documentaries where only one subject is interviewed and shown speaking.
Newspaper Advertisement- My newspaper advertisement follows many conventions of real media products. The use of an image as the entire background is often seen in
advertisements for particular products. I got the idea for this from my initial research into newspaper advertisements, when I found the Ad for the Falcon Ford car. I manipulated many elements from this advert and used them in my own work. The use of the image of my 
subject as the background for my advert worked well I think, as it draws attention to the eye, and makes us curious as to what is being advertised. The use of a border around my text was not conventional, and initially I would not have thought to include it. It became necessary because the text would not show up well in either plain black or white font. I probably would not have chosen to use the shadowing option if the text had been easy to read without it. If I were to carry out a similar task again, I would have taken into account the colours of the background so that the shadowing tool wouldn’t have to be used. It is not a typical convention of newspaper Ad’s to use shadowing on text, so in retrospect it does however challenge the typical concepts of advertising. I decided to stick to the idea of intertextuality in my products, using the same font for the main title of both my newspaper advertisement and my double-page spread. This allowed readers to relate the two together.Double-Page Spread- My double-page spread followed many typical conventions of real products. I used a definite colour scheme, as seen in many magazine spreads of a similar nature. I feel that this was very important, as it allows the spread to be easy on the eye, as a pose to using many different colours, which could become overwhelming for the reader. I could not use one large image spread across the two pages, as in most magazines, because my photos were not of a high enough quality, and when the pixels were stretched the image looked distorted and surreal. Instead I opted for a few smaller photos with white borders. I feel that this still had a nice effect. My text was all in white and the font was Times New Roman, This is a common convention for text, as it stands out from the background colour. I used the same font for the main title in both my newspaper advertisement and double-page spread to create intertextuality. This is a common concept in advertising campaigns. The quote from the subject between the to right hand side photos is also seen frequently, and it creates the idea that the subject is speaking directly to the reader. One aspect of the double-page spread that was not conventional was the use of the images of books behing my main title, and across the top of the page. I felt that challenged concepts here, and in my research did not find anything similar; I felt that the images worked well on my final product.
The quote at the beginning of my film
In the editing process I decided to use a quote at the beginning of my documentary. I came to this decision as I feel it introduces the documentary and its theme well. I found the quote on a framed board behind the counter in the bookshop. Because of this, it also relates well to the documentary. The quote reads ‘On the Buying of Books by a Bookworm. If he passes a booksellers shop he may choose not to stop, if it is a second-hand shop, which is at all times more interesting than a shop of new books, his feet without any violation and of their own accord draw him within it. – T.N. Foulis.’ I felt that this quote emphasises the character of second-hand bookshops, and of Hall’s bookshop itself. I used white writing on a black screen.
The Editing Process
Editing is a process with in post production in which the programme comes together. An editor’s job is to cut the original footage, from the camera, to create a programme. It’s the editor’s job to hide the cuts and create an illusion of a flowing programme.
“If you don’t notice the editor, he’s done his job correctly.” Neil Garner, 2010. BBC.
When editing my video I first imported it into iMovie, from the camera. I then imported the footage to Final Cut Pro, an advanced editing program. Once my media was imported, I watched through my footage and labelled the clips accordingly. Once my logging process was complete I was able to import my interview clips to my time line and cut them to achieve a rough narrative. I then showed this rough cut to my tutor. She said that the shots were not flowing correctly, and to consider the use of a lot of cutaways to make the interview more interesting. She also said that the audio on the interview was not loud enough.
After taking into account my tutor’s criticisms I did some research and discovered that professional documentaries are usually picked up on a “boom” microphone. These microphones are directional, which means they pick up sound where ever they are pointed. Because I was using the camera’s internal microphone, the interview was quiet and I picked up a lot of atmosphere sound.
I had to boost the audio levels within Final Cut. This was achieved by opening up my audio channel window and adjusting the volume slider. I then began to add more cutaways to my time line. These are short clips laid over my interview that relate to what my interviewee is discussing. These cutaways added depth to my programme and helped the viewer visualise the bookshop. Along with cutaways I also added some shots to break up my interview. These included close ups of books, or any images I thought the viewer would be interested in. These shots cut up my interview, allowing the programme and audience to breathe. And take in any information they may have picked up within the interview.
I wanted to use music within my project. After a Google search for “Royalty free music” I discovered a website named, incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free. The website contained hundreds of free to use music tracks. I found a tracked entitled, Somewhere Sunny. The track consisted of an acoustic guitar, a sound I believe fitted nicely within the overall feel of my documentary. The sound levels on the music were lowered so I could hear the interview and were raised during my “breathing” clips.
I created a title and credit sequence for my documentary. These were created within Final Cut, using the text tool. The titles are purposely very basic as I did not want to draw attention from the sombreness of the programme. My introduction title is part of a quote, taken from a sign within the book shop. I feel the quote tied in nicely with my documentary and was relevant to my subject.
Finally I added fade effects to my shots. However, I didn’t over use this effect. During my research process, I watch many Channel 4 style documentaries, nearly all of which used simple cuts and only used a fade or dissolve to suggest a movement in time. I also discovered I was able to add an audio dissolve to my audio timeline. These were added to fade out my music towards the end of my documentary. The sequence was finally exported to a “Quick time” file. Ready to be viewed by an audience.
I then showed my final cut to my tutor and she said that she was happy with the result. Overall, I enjoyed the editing process. In comparison to last year I think I’ve improved greatly. I believe the use of Final Cut Pro allowed me to create complicated edits that iMoive could not create. I also found some useful online tutorials at www.youtube.com. These tutorials helped me find the buttons and switches I needed to create my effects. To summarise, I am very proud of my final project. It displays my creativity and technical skill. The editing process took me just over 5 days to complete and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
References:
The Use of Microphones, 1974. [Book] Alec Nisbett, Page 70. (google books)
BBC Training, 2010. [Book] Neil Garner’s, Introduction to Editing.
“If you don’t notice the editor, he’s done his job correctly.” Neil Garner, 2010. BBC.
When editing my video I first imported it into iMovie, from the camera. I then imported the footage to Final Cut Pro, an advanced editing program. Once my media was imported, I watched through my footage and labelled the clips accordingly. Once my logging process was complete I was able to import my interview clips to my time line and cut them to achieve a rough narrative. I then showed this rough cut to my tutor. She said that the shots were not flowing correctly, and to consider the use of a lot of cutaways to make the interview more interesting. She also said that the audio on the interview was not loud enough.
After taking into account my tutor’s criticisms I did some research and discovered that professional documentaries are usually picked up on a “boom” microphone. These microphones are directional, which means they pick up sound where ever they are pointed. Because I was using the camera’s internal microphone, the interview was quiet and I picked up a lot of atmosphere sound.
I had to boost the audio levels within Final Cut. This was achieved by opening up my audio channel window and adjusting the volume slider. I then began to add more cutaways to my time line. These are short clips laid over my interview that relate to what my interviewee is discussing. These cutaways added depth to my programme and helped the viewer visualise the bookshop. Along with cutaways I also added some shots to break up my interview. These included close ups of books, or any images I thought the viewer would be interested in. These shots cut up my interview, allowing the programme and audience to breathe. And take in any information they may have picked up within the interview.
I wanted to use music within my project. After a Google search for “Royalty free music” I discovered a website named, incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free. The website contained hundreds of free to use music tracks. I found a tracked entitled, Somewhere Sunny. The track consisted of an acoustic guitar, a sound I believe fitted nicely within the overall feel of my documentary. The sound levels on the music were lowered so I could hear the interview and were raised during my “breathing” clips.
I created a title and credit sequence for my documentary. These were created within Final Cut, using the text tool. The titles are purposely very basic as I did not want to draw attention from the sombreness of the programme. My introduction title is part of a quote, taken from a sign within the book shop. I feel the quote tied in nicely with my documentary and was relevant to my subject.
Finally I added fade effects to my shots. However, I didn’t over use this effect. During my research process, I watch many Channel 4 style documentaries, nearly all of which used simple cuts and only used a fade or dissolve to suggest a movement in time. I also discovered I was able to add an audio dissolve to my audio timeline. These were added to fade out my music towards the end of my documentary. The sequence was finally exported to a “Quick time” file. Ready to be viewed by an audience.
I then showed my final cut to my tutor and she said that she was happy with the result. Overall, I enjoyed the editing process. In comparison to last year I think I’ve improved greatly. I believe the use of Final Cut Pro allowed me to create complicated edits that iMoive could not create. I also found some useful online tutorials at www.youtube.com. These tutorials helped me find the buttons and switches I needed to create my effects. To summarise, I am very proud of my final project. It displays my creativity and technical skill. The editing process took me just over 5 days to complete and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
References:
The Use of Microphones, 1974. [Book] Alec Nisbett, Page 70. (google books)
BBC Training, 2010. [Book] Neil Garner’s, Introduction to Editing.
The Shoot
The shoot took place on the 15th of February. Initially I was concerned that I would have to return to the bookshop at a second date due to the amount of footage that I would be able to get in one day; however in the end I had over an hour and a half of footage to work with, plenty for a five minute film. The weather was sunny, which was particularly lucky as it meant that I could film outside and there was a lot of natural light inside the bookshop for filming. On arrival inside the bookshop I noticed that there were no customers, which posed a problem as I wished to film them browsing, but as the day went on more arrived alleviating the problem. The interview took place in the office of the bookshop; I had a very narrow space to set up and the tripod I was using did not fit easily. I shot the interview first as the bookshop was fairly quite, however after looking back at the footage some other voices were picked up on the internal microphone. I thought that this may cause a problem when editing, however after listening to the scene several times I feel that the voices may in fact add to the effect of the documentary. Because the bookshop was quite narrow moving the tripod around was quite difficult, however I managed by collapsing it. Lighting did not prove an issue because there are many windows in the shop. All in all the shoot was a success and I feel I can successfully edit what I have.
Newspaper Advertisement- What I did.
I used the programme Photoshop cs4 again in the making of my newspaper advertisement. I decided after looking at other newspaper advertisements that I would use a whole picture of my subject as the background. I used a picture that was also used in my double-page spread as if this were an advertising campaign there would be themes and similarities between printed products, to reinforce them in the readers mind. I used the picture as my first layer. It was an ideal photo to use, as the subject was placed on the left of the photo, allowing plenty of room for writing on the left hand side. I then decided to place text over the top. For the title, I used the same font as on my magazine, Lucinda Calligraphy, to show continuity through my advertising campaigns. I decided against using a variety of colours in this piece, as I felt it may be too overwhelming for such a small space. This is true of many other newspaper advertisements; they tend to stick to simple colours. First of all I used only white for the text, however I realised that this was not bold enough, and would not capture the public eye. I then started toying with the layer style of the text. I decided to use the stroke option, which meant that the text had a kind of border around it. I decided on black, to keep with the simple theme. I now had a black and white title. I also used the shadowing option, as I felt that a shadow behind the text made it stand out more. I then added another text box for programme information. I used the same colour theme of black and white, using the stroke option. I placed the colours the opposite way around; leaving me with black text outlined by white. I did not use a shadow on this text. I kept the amount of information to a minimum so as not to over power the audience, and to leave some mystery behind what the programme was actually about. I decided on a sub-title merely saying ‘A look into the life of one woman and her love of books’ and then the programme information. I decided that this would be a sufficient amount of information and was happy with the outcome of my work.
Double-page spread- What I did
After analysing the two other products I decided to create a mock-up on paper of the layout of my own spread. I decided that I would stick to the conventions that I observed in the two spreads that I looked at. Firstly I chose a colour scheme, initially it was going to be a beige, white and blue; I thought that the brown would reflect the colour of books and the shop. However I later decided that this would not prove interesting enough to the eye, and may look boring. Instead I used the themes; blue, white, red and black. These colours compliment each other well, and the blue background proved interesting accompanied by striking colours such as red. I decided that I would follow the idea of placing the title and text on the left and the pictures on the right. This idea is because the human eye looks from left to right, so first we would see the title of the article, then the pictures on the right page. After looking at the photo’s that I took on shoot, I decided that rather than having one large picture spread across the page and interlinking with the text I would use two smaller pictures with borders. This was mainly due to the lower quality of the image as it was not taken on a professional camera. When I tried to stretch the image, the pixels looked too stretched and grainy, so I left them their original size. This would be something to take into consideration if I were to perform the task again. In relation to the photo’s I also changed the brightness levels on the top-right hand photo, as it appeared too dark. This was a relatively easy process. Initially I was going to use the programme quark for my double-page spread as it is what professional magazine editors use; however I decided to use the programme Photoshop cs4 in the end, because of its ability to change picture quality, and I also didn’t feel I’d be able to familiarise myself with a programme such as quark in my time-limit. I had never used this software before, so it was a large learning curve. After familiarising myself with the product I opened a new document and set it to the size that a double-page spread would be. I then applied my background colour, navy blue. I dragged some guidelines on to the product, so that I had a visual aid to show me where things like text boxes should be placed. Next I toyed with some fonts to use for my main header, and the sub-text beneath, I decided on Lucinda Calligraphy as it gives the impression of old handwriting and therefore the old bookshop that I am advertising. I chose white as the colour for this text, and also for the article itself. I then imported four photos that I had chosen from the shoot. One was of the outside of the bookshop, another, my subject conversing with a customer, one of her smiling and the last of a row of books. The row of books was essential to my spread, I placed the image at the top, and moved the text over the top, I then pasted the image all the way across the top of the spread. Both of my subject seemed very intimate, this was what I hoped for as I wanted it to catch the readers eye and make them feel a connection with this woman from the page. The idea of layering causes some difficulties when creating a spread such as this, because after placing my photos in their desired places, I decided that I wanted a white border around each. This meant creating white boxes of the right size as a new layer, then moving each photo up the list of layers, so that it would be on top of the shapes. I then created three boxes of the colours white red and black, merged them together and placed text inside them, giving programme information. This was extremely necessary for my double-page spread to work, as otherwise the reader would have difficulty finding show time and would probably not bother watching the programme. I decided on the placement of the circular photo of the front of the bookshop to be in the centre of the text, a commonly used technique, because it brakes up the text itself, and makes it appear more interesting. The last task was to create three text boxes as the final layer, and fill them with text about the programme. I wrote the text in a word document, so as to avoid spelling errors, and copied it into the boxes. I then created a forth in the top right hand corner over the images of books and entered the name of my magazine ‘TV LIFE’ to appear as a logo. This was in red.
Analysis of previous newspaper advertisements.
The first advertisement that I decided to look at was for students. The company were advertising 20% off of salon services for all students with valid ID. Although it is unrelated to what I wish to advertise, I found it hard to find something similar to what I wanted to do. It appears that newspaper advertising is not very popular for TV programmes and films. I believe they tend to stick to magazines, adverts around public transport, television and billboards. The advert that I am analysing is very simplistic, this is why I chose it. The background is black and there is a picture of a young woman on the right hand side. This immediately advertises it to any student, and we quickly learn their target audience. The text is all in white and there is not too much, so it does not over power us. It gives the basics of the offer and contact numbers. What I particularly liked about this advert was its simple colour theme of black and white; I think I will follow this through to my own advert.
The next advertisement that I looked at was very similar to the first. It was advertising a sale in a shop. It used the same colour scheme as the first, black background and white text. The two colours seem a convention of newspaper advertisements. There is an image of a woman on the left hand side, rather than colour as above this image is in black and white. I think that the placing of this image, on the left as a pose to the right works better than on the right. Because of the limited space for information, I think it is important to draw the eye to the picture first, capturing the audience’s attention primarily, and then they can move on to looking at the text. I think that there is a little too much text on this advert though, and readers may find this boring. The placing of the picture I particularly like, and I may decide to carry this convention in my own work.
The last advert that I looked at was for Falcon Ford car. This was my favourite ad of the three. I liked the use of the picture as the background and the text over laying it. I think that this causes the advert to be very eye catching. It uses only one image, and quickly sums up the subject of the advert, the new car. Again the picture dominates our eye primarily, and we are then drawn to the text. The use of text is also minimal, so that the reader stores this information quickly in their short term memory. I liked the use of the important details in the text being in bold, so that they capture our attention quickly. They have Photo shopped in stars to the passenger seat, implying that the car is of star quality. This is reinforced beneath with the use of 5 images of stars between the words ‘FALCON, AWARDED….FOR SAFETY.’ From this we see that the advert really plays on the safety aspects of the car, making it ideal for families. The use of an image as the entire background of the advert worked really well, and I think I will use this in my own work. This will also save me the time consuming element of cutting the image of my subject away from the background of the photo.
Analysis of double-page spread
For the analysis of my double-page spread I bought two TV listings magazines, that featured spreads of the same topic. Both were on the new series of doctor who. I thought that this would be a good idea as it would give me a comparison between the differences and similarities that the two magazines used; TV & Satellite, and TV Times. The first thing that I noticed was that both placed the title on the left hand top corner of the page. This is because our eyes look from left to right, so the title would be the first thing that a reader sees, therefore advertising the article and product to them. Both also had a large picture dominating the right hand side of the talent in the TV programme. The colour scheme of this photo, dark blue, is used as a general colour theme. Underneath the main title, is a sub-heading telling us a little about the programme, and the article.
Both of the listings magazines used a text box in the left hand top corner above the title, the TV Times advertise their logo, which is a bold colour red, and next to this in white writing is ‘TALKS TO MATT SMITH’ they use this as advertising space, in comparison the TV & Satellite magazine uses a bold yellow text box to tell the reader what it is a ‘Cover story’ in black writing.
One element that stands out in the TV Times magazine, is that the text is broken up by red headings, telling the reader what each section of writing is about. It also draws our attention to the writing, ensuring that it captivates our interest and that we go on to read the article.
Above the article both advertise the programme in a text box, telling us genre, programme name, channel and the time that it begins. I will use this in my own work as it is important for the reader to know the details about the programme. This way, if the article interests them they will know when to watch.
When analysing both, I noticed that they each have a set colour scheme. The TV Times uses blue for the background and black, white and red for any text or text boxes. Whereas TV & Satellite uses yellow, red, white and black for text and text boxes, but the same blue for the background. Although the TV & Satellite magazine stands out to the reader, I feel that the colours are slightly overwhelming to the eye; the other is more simplistic and conventional. It would be the conventional magazine that I will follow with my own work.
A factor in the TV Times magazine that I particularly liked was the quote underneath the picture in bold white writing from the actor of the programme. I think that this gave the spread a more personal feel. It allowed the reader an insight into the mind of the actor, and spoke directly to them. Although it would possibly be the thing that we see last on the page as it is in the right hand lower corner of the page. I think that when creating my double page spread I will try to include a memorable quote from the programme, that will speak directly to my audience.
Another important feature in both magazines are the picture inserts. They are small and break up the text. All of the pictures are bordered with a white line, so that they do not merge into the page.
Questionnaire
For further research into audience and public interest, I decided to create a questionnaire. Because I want to develop my pre-production skills from last year I showed each willing participant two video extracts from YouTube. Both were observational documentaries as this is the genre of documentary that I have chosen for my film. I used the two videos that I analysed myself in my research work ‘A Spyhole For Cats’ and ‘The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes’. I used this method as I feel that by showing my participants examples of work and then getting their comments and opinions on them, it will allow for a deeper insight into what is preferable in an observational documentary. I used 5 participants of different age and gender, so as to get diversity of opinion. The questions I asked were:
•How did you feel about the establishing shots in the two different documentaries?
•Did either of the documentaries move you emotionally in anyway way?
•Were there any particular camera angles or shots that you liked in the documentaries?
•Why do you think they were effective?
•Is there anything that you would have liked to see in the documentaries, that was not included?
•How do you feel about use of music in documentaries?
•Did you like the editing?
Analysis of results.
All of the participants said that they preferred the establishing shot in ‘The boy who sees without eyes’ because it introduced us to him, rather than beginning with him talking straight away. They said that because they had to wait to be introduced to the subject, it made them want to continue watching. Two of the three participants said that they were moved by ‘A spyhole for cats’ because they felt that they developed an emotional tie to the interviwee because he was the only person on camera. The other three said that ‘The boy who sees without eyes’ affected them the most, but this was due to his medical condition, rather than the style of documentary. All five participants said that they particularly liked the close-up’s as they felt that they portrayed a sense of vulnerability in the subjects, and made the documentary more personal rather than subjective. This will be a point to take into consideration when shooting my documentary. They also liked that they were shown shots of their homes and the area that they live in. One participant said that they would have preferred to see the buyers of the subjects work in ‘A spyhole for cats’. One participant felt that the lack of music in ‘A spyhole for cats’ was effective, however the rest disagreed saying it lacked a lot of emotion without an audio track. So I will continue with my original plan to use music. All said that they preferred the lack of transitions in the documentaries, and preferred the use of clean cuts, as it portrays the footage as being more true to actuality.
•How did you feel about the establishing shots in the two different documentaries?
•Did either of the documentaries move you emotionally in anyway way?
•Were there any particular camera angles or shots that you liked in the documentaries?
•Why do you think they were effective?
•Is there anything that you would have liked to see in the documentaries, that was not included?
•How do you feel about use of music in documentaries?
•Did you like the editing?
Analysis of results.
All of the participants said that they preferred the establishing shot in ‘The boy who sees without eyes’ because it introduced us to him, rather than beginning with him talking straight away. They said that because they had to wait to be introduced to the subject, it made them want to continue watching. Two of the three participants said that they were moved by ‘A spyhole for cats’ because they felt that they developed an emotional tie to the interviwee because he was the only person on camera. The other three said that ‘The boy who sees without eyes’ affected them the most, but this was due to his medical condition, rather than the style of documentary. All five participants said that they particularly liked the close-up’s as they felt that they portrayed a sense of vulnerability in the subjects, and made the documentary more personal rather than subjective. This will be a point to take into consideration when shooting my documentary. They also liked that they were shown shots of their homes and the area that they live in. One participant said that they would have preferred to see the buyers of the subjects work in ‘A spyhole for cats’. One participant felt that the lack of music in ‘A spyhole for cats’ was effective, however the rest disagreed saying it lacked a lot of emotion without an audio track. So I will continue with my original plan to use music. All said that they preferred the lack of transitions in the documentaries, and preferred the use of clean cuts, as it portrays the footage as being more true to actuality.
Consent Form
Before the shoot I also developed a consent form for the participant to sign. This acted a disclaimer for the video. I stated that the video would only be uploaded for educational purposes which she willingly signed.
Story Board
I developed this storyboard after my location recce, so that I could see in both the filming and editing process what I needed to shoot and what order it needed to go in. Each shot included the duration, lighting and audio, to help in the editing process.
Location Reconnaissance
Location Reconnaissance
When first visiting Halls bookshop in Tonbridge Wells I looked at the lighting inside. This was a main priority as I needed to decide how many dedo lights to use on the shoot. There is sufficient natural daylight providing that I film during the day, so only a few dedo lights will need to be used, if any at all. There is a large window at the front of the shot which is a good source of natural light, and there are artificial light sources around the property, however with the font window being so prominent will hopefully give a lot of light. I will try to use as much natural light as possible as I wish it to be mood lighting. This will be extremely helpful when filming as light will not be a significant problem.
The next thing that I needed to check was the buzz track. To create the effect of realism that I want I think that the buzz track will prove very important. In the shop there are general noises in the shop; customers walking around, flicking through book and talking to the staff. I think that this will create the sort of ambiance that I wish to portray in the documentary. The buzz track will feature throughout the interview, this way I think it will create an effect on the audience and make them feel as if they are experiencing life inside the shop.
Also after scoping the location I found that there were two 250 volt plugs behind the shop desk for a source of power for electrical equipment. I was also able to look at good places to take shots of this idyllic location. I decided that I would film the subject in a small office filled with books.
By visiting the shop I was also able to talk to the owner which has allowed me to develop questions to ask in the interview that are relevant. It also allowed me to get some primary information about the shop and its history.
I have also located the nearest hospital, fire station and police station, in case of an emergency whilst filming.
•Tunbridge Wells Police Station- Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LU
•Kent Fire Brigade- London Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0BB
•Kent & Sussex Hospital- Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8AT, Tel: 01892 526111
Treatment
Treatment
Working Title: A Bookumentary
Genre: Observational documentary
Media Format: Flash drive
Synopsis: Focusing on a bookshop in Tunbridge Wells looking at the history of the bookshop and whether independent bookshops can survive against large chain stores. Interview the owner of the bookshop, they will be the subject and tell the bookshops story and how they came to own the bookshop. They will give their opinion on whether they believe it is a dying trade. We will also see the everyday workings of the bookshop, who comes in and out and what goes on.
Target Audience: This is a documentary for a niche market; A large age range, anyone who is interested in books. Middle to upper class people of society, as they would have to be well read to take an interest on this topic, and also to be able to buy expensive books. English Literature students as they often have to buy books. Finally bookshop owners.
Suggested Elements: close-up’s of old dusty books. Mood lighting, quite dingy. Create an emotional tie from the viewer to the subject.
Working Title: A Bookumentary
Genre: Observational documentary
Media Format: Flash drive
Synopsis: Focusing on a bookshop in Tunbridge Wells looking at the history of the bookshop and whether independent bookshops can survive against large chain stores. Interview the owner of the bookshop, they will be the subject and tell the bookshops story and how they came to own the bookshop. They will give their opinion on whether they believe it is a dying trade. We will also see the everyday workings of the bookshop, who comes in and out and what goes on.
Target Audience: This is a documentary for a niche market; A large age range, anyone who is interested in books. Middle to upper class people of society, as they would have to be well read to take an interest on this topic, and also to be able to buy expensive books. English Literature students as they often have to buy books. Finally bookshop owners.
Suggested Elements: close-up’s of old dusty books. Mood lighting, quite dingy. Create an emotional tie from the viewer to the subject.
Interview Questions
•Can you tell us your name and how long you have worked and owned the bookshop?
•Can you tell us about the history of the bookshop?
•Do you enjoy working in the bookshop?
•Can you describe changes you have seen in the bookshop since you have been here?
•What qualities do you think your bookshop has that the big chain stores don’t?
•How do you think that the bookshop has survived with so many others closing down?
•Do you think that independent bookshops can survive against chain stores selling at such low prices?
These are the core questions that I plan to ask in my interview of the shop owner. I feel that they will cover enough time, as the answers will be elaborated on, and more will be asked based on her answers.
•Can you tell us about the history of the bookshop?
•Do you enjoy working in the bookshop?
•Can you describe changes you have seen in the bookshop since you have been here?
•What qualities do you think your bookshop has that the big chain stores don’t?
•How do you think that the bookshop has survived with so many others closing down?
•Do you think that independent bookshops can survive against chain stores selling at such low prices?
These are the core questions that I plan to ask in my interview of the shop owner. I feel that they will cover enough time, as the answers will be elaborated on, and more will be asked based on her answers.
Budget
Due to the nature of this project I will only have a small budget. I am aiming for this to be around fifty pounds. I believe that this budget can be met as there is very little that I have to but in the way of equipment, most will be borrowed. The main outlet of money will be for the media storage flash drive which will cost in the region of twenty pounds. The lighting kit and camera will be borrowed and I have no talent to pay as my project is a documentary. The only other outgoings will be on travel to and from the location of filming. This will either be achieved by train or car, so I will be paying for train fare or petrol. Because of the small number of things that I need to pay for I believe fifty pounds will be a sufficient budget.
Equipment
To film I will be using a Sony handy cam with an internal microphone and full HD 1080p, 1080 represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution and p means progressive scan, so the image is not interlaced. Ideally for an Alevel project would be using a Sony PD 150 camera, Sony tie microphone and the media storage would be a mini DV which cost around £3. However I do not have access to this equipment so the media storage I am using will be a flash drive which cost around £20 which will greatly increase the budget of the project. Initially I was using natural light but I will now borrow a Dedo lighting kit, however I will only use minimal lights to enhance the location as I wish to keep the dingy effect of the bookshop.
Location Reasearch
Hall's Bookshop
20-22 Chapel Place
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN1 1YQ
Tel: 01892 527 842
Email: info@hallsbookshop.com
Established in 1898 the bookshop has been buying and selling books for over 100 years. The bookshop was originally located next door but moved in the 1930’s. It is one of only a few antiquarian bookshops in the area. It boasts all kinds of books, and can cater for any customer. The bookshop was taken over from Mr. Hall its original owner, by Charles Avery a friend of his, it was then bought by Harry Pratley who started as an apprentice in the bookshop aged 14. He went on to sell the bookshop to Elizabeth Bateman which she ran until her death in 1983. This is when current owner Sabrina Izzard bought the shop. In 1999 Lloyds bank, who own the land that the bookshop was situated on and told the owner that they had plans to redevelop the land. However a journalist heard about the situation and started a publicity campaign which reached international levels. Locals started to move their bank accounts away from Lloyds Tonbridge Wells borough council threatened to do the same and then a television crew wanted to come to the bookshop. It was at this point that the bank relented. I feel that this is an important story as it shows how important the bookshop is to locals.
The shop relies almost entirely on local stock and the owner goes on house calls to buy books. The bookshop staff, are all part-time assistants, and most come in aged 15-16. One of the aspects that the bookshop is most famous for is its bargain 10p box out the front so I will be sure to include this in the documentary.
20-22 Chapel Place
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN1 1YQ
Tel: 01892 527 842
Email: info@hallsbookshop.com
Established in 1898 the bookshop has been buying and selling books for over 100 years. The bookshop was originally located next door but moved in the 1930’s. It is one of only a few antiquarian bookshops in the area. It boasts all kinds of books, and can cater for any customer. The bookshop was taken over from Mr. Hall its original owner, by Charles Avery a friend of his, it was then bought by Harry Pratley who started as an apprentice in the bookshop aged 14. He went on to sell the bookshop to Elizabeth Bateman which she ran until her death in 1983. This is when current owner Sabrina Izzard bought the shop. In 1999 Lloyds bank, who own the land that the bookshop was situated on and told the owner that they had plans to redevelop the land. However a journalist heard about the situation and started a publicity campaign which reached international levels. Locals started to move their bank accounts away from Lloyds Tonbridge Wells borough council threatened to do the same and then a television crew wanted to come to the bookshop. It was at this point that the bank relented. I feel that this is an important story as it shows how important the bookshop is to locals.
The shop relies almost entirely on local stock and the owner goes on house calls to buy books. The bookshop staff, are all part-time assistants, and most come in aged 15-16. One of the aspects that the bookshop is most famous for is its bargain 10p box out the front so I will be sure to include this in the documentary.
Email Contact
This is the email that I sent to my three possible filming locations.
name: Lani Green
number: 07906780545
message: Hello,
I am a final year school student taking part in my A-level audio visual project. I am planning to create an observational documentary on a small independant bookshop. The documentary will be focusing on the owner and the character of the shop. I have chosen your bookshop as my main focus point. Would it be possible for another team member and I to film yourlocation with a small hand held camera, during the month of february. The video will only be used for educational purposes and will not be shown publicly.
Thankyou
Lani Green.
I had replies from two bookshops saying that they would be interested in taking part in the project; Halls bookshop and Sevenoaks bookshop. After extensive research, of the two I felt that Halls bookshop would be the most suitable location, due to its historic value. I preceeded by arranging the shoot via telephone with owner Sabrina Izzard.
name: Lani Green
number: 07906780545
message: Hello,
I am a final year school student taking part in my A-level audio visual project. I am planning to create an observational documentary on a small independant bookshop. The documentary will be focusing on the owner and the character of the shop. I have chosen your bookshop as my main focus point. Would it be possible for another team member and I to film yourlocation with a small hand held camera, during the month of february. The video will only be used for educational purposes and will not be shown publicly.
Thankyou
Lani Green.
I had replies from two bookshops saying that they would be interested in taking part in the project; Halls bookshop and Sevenoaks bookshop. After extensive research, of the two I felt that Halls bookshop would be the most suitable location, due to its historic value. I preceeded by arranging the shoot via telephone with owner Sabrina Izzard.
Possible Filming Locations
Hall’s Bookshop
20-22 Chapel Place
Tonbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1YQ
www.hallsbookshop.com
Contact Information
Email: info@hallsbookshop.com
Tel: 01892 527 842
Mr Books.
2 Bank Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1BL
Contact Information
Email: mrbooks@btinternet.com
Tel: 01732 363000
Sevenoaks Bookshop
147 High Street
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1XJ
Contact Information
Fax: 01732 450933
Tel: 01732 452055
Email: enquiries@sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk
20-22 Chapel Place
Tonbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1YQ
www.hallsbookshop.com
Contact Information
Email: info@hallsbookshop.com
Tel: 01892 527 842
Mr Books.
2 Bank Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1BL
Contact Information
Email: mrbooks@btinternet.com
Tel: 01732 363000
Sevenoaks Bookshop
147 High Street
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1XJ
Contact Information
Fax: 01732 450933
Tel: 01732 452055
Email: enquiries@sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk
Elements I want to include in my documentary
•Close up shots of books
•Establishing shot of the surrounding area
•Montage of shots of the bookshop
•Shot of the front of the bookshop
•Medium shots of customers
•Close-up of owner giving interview
•Story of the bookshop
•Opening music
•Establishing shot of the surrounding area
•Montage of shots of the bookshop
•Shot of the front of the bookshop
•Medium shots of customers
•Close-up of owner giving interview
•Story of the bookshop
•Opening music
Related images to my work
These images reflect some of the themes that I wish to include in my documentary, and will act as a visual aid when drawing storyboards and writing shot lists. The image of the clock is because I want the viewer to feel as if they have stepped back in time when watching the documentary. The old dusty books will play a large part in the documentary, and many cut aways from the interview will focus on this subject. I wish to include people browsing in the bookshop, to show the day to day life and running of the shop. I also want to find a very narrow location that is very old to create the right ambiance.
Previous Products
Because of the niche market that my documentary will appeal too there do not seem to be many other documentaries of its kind. This would be of great benefit to me if I were presenting the idea to producers as it is a never before used topic. There was only one documentary on a bookshop that I could find, although my only resource was the internet. This documentary was called ‘portrait of a bookstore as an old man’. This observational documentary focused on the owner of the bookshop, a ninety year old man called George Whitman, rather than the actual bookshop itself. The bookshop is called ‘Shakespeare & Company’ and is in Paris. Because the documentary focuses on the owner rather than the bookshop it will mean that my documentary will still be original in its content. The documentary opens with a shot of the inside of a car looking through the front window. It then cuts to a man sitting talking about Whitman. From then on we follow George and the writers that come to live in his bookshop with no lodging costs. It was however interesting to learn about his life and the history of the bookshop so I may include a small section of this in my documentary so that the audience will create an emotional tie to the bookshop.
Another part of the documentary that I would like to take inspiration from is the short shots of old dusty books, and customers browsing them. There were many clusters of shots like these spread throughout the documentary. When these were shown there was no audio over them, however I think I would like the audio to continue over my shots around the store. The documentary also interviewed people that knew the owner, whereas I will not include sections such as this. The product was very successful in capturing its audience; however it was fifty minutes long where mine will be cut at five. This means that I need to take the essence of the documentary and try to condense it to have as much success in my aim of the project.
To Watch: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5574284408427118756#
Another part of the documentary that I would like to take inspiration from is the short shots of old dusty books, and customers browsing them. There were many clusters of shots like these spread throughout the documentary. When these were shown there was no audio over them, however I think I would like the audio to continue over my shots around the store. The documentary also interviewed people that knew the owner, whereas I will not include sections such as this. The product was very successful in capturing its audience; however it was fifty minutes long where mine will be cut at five. This means that I need to take the essence of the documentary and try to condense it to have as much success in my aim of the project.
To Watch: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5574284408427118756#
The Distribution Process
Although my documentary will only be shown for educational purposes if I were working in the media industry I would need to look at the distribution process in order to get my documentary broadcast. Distribution is a long process and usually takes up to two years. Firstly you would need to set up a meeting with the producer or exproducer of the channel on which you would like your documentary to be aired. When giving the pitch you would take a treatment along with you and usually give a PowerPoint presentation for an air of professionalism. The treatment would contain information such as your chosen target audience and suggested times for the programme to be broadcast, for example on Channel 4 documentaries are often aired at nine O’clock after the watershed. If you are giving a pitch for an idea that you have not yet produced the producer would then find an appropriate director for your film. The planning and filming process would then begin which can take a matter of years to complete. Editing would then follow this. However if you are pitching a documentary that you have already filmed and edited this process is greatly minimised. Providing that your idea is successful the producer would finalise it, giving an appropriate time slot for the broadcast and then it would be aired. This process could still take some time though.
If you were pitching for a film to be distributed this would be a different case. There are many film distribution companies, and their job is to publicise the intended film through clever advertising to make cinemas and television channels want to show the film.
If you were pitching for a film to be distributed this would be a different case. There are many film distribution companies, and their job is to publicise the intended film through clever advertising to make cinemas and television channels want to show the film.
Royalty Free Music
To comply with the brief I had to find royalty free music to use. This was so as to avoid any copyright issues or having to ask for copyright permission from the artists. After scouring the internet I found that there are many websites that upload music purely for film, and many unsigned bands allow there music to go online without copyright. Because of the nature of the documentary I felt that something purely instrumental would be ideal, and set the picturesque scene that I wanted for the film. I found the website www.incompetech.com which holds a lot of royalty free music. After listening to some of the tracks that they had to offer I found the song ‘Somewhere Sunny. Version 2’ by Kevin MacLeod. It is a piece of music on acoustic guitar. I felt that the song complemented my documentary idea well as it is slow and peaceful yet quite uplifting. After much consideration I have decided that I will use the music throughout the documentary, as I think it will create greater interest in what is being shown. This is not the usual practice in documentaries; the music usually fades when the interviewee begins to talk. However I think that by altering the sound levels the music will become a background noise with the subject’s voice over the top. I believe it will also help the documentary flow.
The use of music in cinema
The use of music can be traced back to the early days of cinema, when silent films had no dialogue, only music scores. For example Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’ 1921, would have used only a live music score, Chaplin’s films were able to carry a narrative structure. The use of only a score creates a dramatic effect, without dialogue. This shows that the music of a film can be more important than a script. Today’s film industry coincides with this theory, as music is still heavily used within cinema, as the potential that music scores have in creating dramatic effect has been realised.
Through my choice of creating a documentary, I may choose to use an accompanying music track. The use of music in film is widely recognised, and it is a rare occurrence that you will find any film, be it documentary or blockbuster movie, that has no soundtrack. Music can be used for various purposes, and depending on the genre of the film, can even prove more important than dialogue itself. More often than not, music is used to create emotion, and gain emotional focus from the audience. The addition of music also aids the audience in defining what the movie is about. Music can help to classify such things as: the time period of the film, ethnicity and film genre.
For example in a horror film music can be used to create tension and fear in the audience. Within the horror genre music is often used in a frightening climax. The dissonant music would slowly build until the climax happens. As an audience we know that when scary music begins it is likely that something frightening is going to happen. The audience have a schema that means they associate scary music with something bad happening because this is a convention of horror films. If a horror film is viewed without an audio track, the programme will not be as effective in this reaction from the audience.
Background music can also aid the viewer in linking and understanding scenes. For example if a score is used in a film then repeated, the audience would link this scene with the last scene where the music was used. It can also be repeated to enforce ideas in the film. As well as film scores, music tracks are often used in modern day cinema to create a similar effect. A film such as ‘Twilight’, relates it’s soundtrack to it’s genre. It’s genre being gothic vampire it includes bands such as Paramore and Muse.
Another point to look at when studying music in film is that although if it were a real life situation, this non-diegetic music would not be present, the films still carry the aspect of realism. This is largely due to us only sub-consciously recognising that there is music there. To achieve this, a fitting soundtrack must be used.
Through my choice of creating a documentary, I may choose to use an accompanying music track. The use of music in film is widely recognised, and it is a rare occurrence that you will find any film, be it documentary or blockbuster movie, that has no soundtrack. Music can be used for various purposes, and depending on the genre of the film, can even prove more important than dialogue itself. More often than not, music is used to create emotion, and gain emotional focus from the audience. The addition of music also aids the audience in defining what the movie is about. Music can help to classify such things as: the time period of the film, ethnicity and film genre.
For example in a horror film music can be used to create tension and fear in the audience. Within the horror genre music is often used in a frightening climax. The dissonant music would slowly build until the climax happens. As an audience we know that when scary music begins it is likely that something frightening is going to happen. The audience have a schema that means they associate scary music with something bad happening because this is a convention of horror films. If a horror film is viewed without an audio track, the programme will not be as effective in this reaction from the audience.
Background music can also aid the viewer in linking and understanding scenes. For example if a score is used in a film then repeated, the audience would link this scene with the last scene where the music was used. It can also be repeated to enforce ideas in the film. As well as film scores, music tracks are often used in modern day cinema to create a similar effect. A film such as ‘Twilight’, relates it’s soundtrack to it’s genre. It’s genre being gothic vampire it includes bands such as Paramore and Muse.
Another point to look at when studying music in film is that although if it were a real life situation, this non-diegetic music would not be present, the films still carry the aspect of realism. This is largely due to us only sub-consciously recognising that there is music there. To achieve this, a fitting soundtrack must be used.
Production schedule
This is a detailed schedule of the work that I must produce and the dates that I will have it done by.
Final Idea Choice
I have chosen the observational documentary idea on a bookshop. My reasoning behind this is that it is a subject that I am interested in and I feel it has the potential to be visually impressive. I also feel that it will pose to be more of a challenge to me as I have never done a project in such depth before, working with the general public rather than actors as I did for AS. I will also have to get filming permission from council’s etcetera which will give me an idea of what it is really like to work in the TV industry. The intended purpose of this documentary will be to look at whether independent bookshops can survive alongside chain bookstores who can offer low prices. As with any documentary it will take on some of my own personal views on the subject; however I hope to be non-bias where possible. A way to achieve this is to film only the response to questions, so that the audience are effectively being told about the bookshop as if in the format of a story. This will also allow them to develop an attachment to the interviewee allowing them to truly care what happens to them, a common technique in documentaries. The working title will be, A Bookumentary, a play on words that will also give an idea as to what the documentary is about. The establishing shot will be either of the surroundings or of the front of the bookshop, depending on whether I can get filming permission from the district council. I will also print forms for the subject to sign, so that they give me permission to use the footage. I am hoping to film an old bookshop so that they will have a great deal of antiquarian books for sale, making the overall appearance of the documentary seem as if the viewer has stepped back in time to a place without the big chain stores. Then there will be a montage of shots around the bookshop and close-up’s of the books. Cut to the owner talking about the bookshop, possibly its history. Throughout the documentary I would like to cut from the interviewee to various shots of people browsing at books and paying for things, so that we see the every day life of the bookshop and how it works. These shots will be from various angles and lengths so as to show variety in filming. Cuts back to interviewee talking about whether they think that big chain bookstores will cause the independent ones to die out. This will be the main focus point of the documentary, as it is a popular topic currently among book buyers and sellers. As the brief is only to have a five minute clip of a documentary I will have to be careful of time, and use editing to ensure that I do not overrun the time I have been given. However in a sense this benefits me as the closing shot does not have to be something significant, it could just finish on a fade to black. To ask relevant questions to the interviewee I will have to do a lot of research on bookshops and look at the history of the bookshop that I choose. I will also look at my target audience, as this will be for a niche market due to the subject. Many problems may occur when filming and I will look at all of these as well as carry out a risk assessment.
Teacher Feedback:
After pitching the idea to my tutor she felt that the idea was good and could work well if done correctly. She suggested that music be used throughout the documentary rather than just at the opening; as this stimulates both the visual and auditory senses of the viewer. I will take note of this in my final product.
Teacher Feedback:
After pitching the idea to my tutor she felt that the idea was good and could work well if done correctly. She suggested that music be used throughout the documentary rather than just at the opening; as this stimulates both the visual and auditory senses of the viewer. I will take note of this in my final product.
Initial Ideas
•An observational documentary. The Focus of the documentary would be on one of the elderly regulars at a country park in Eynesford. Looking at the way the staff at the country park come across this person every day yet know nothing about them. I think another interesting focus of the documentary could be the treatment of the elderly in society, which is a controversial political point at this current time. The focus of the documentary would be on this person’s life, and why they choose to come to the country park every week. They would tell us about their life and their past. I think that this may make a thought provoking and interesting documentary, as the audience gets a look at the life of someone else. Documentaries similar to this are often effective as people are naturally curious about other people’s lives. The the establishing shot would be of the wildlife in the country park, the trees and possibly some of the animals and other visitors. This is accompanied by non-diegetic music that reflects the environment. The music fades out and the scene cuts to the person that the documentary is focusing on. They would be seated in either the café that accompanies the country park, or one of the benches placed around the country park. If I decide to film the person inside the café I will use a match-on-action shot of the person opening the door and walking through it. Instead of having an interviewer asking the subject questions, I think it will be more effective to just film responses to questions, as if the person is almost telling a story. I feel that this will help the audience become more emotionally attached to the subject, which will mean that they will care about what happens to this person, and what they have to say. As the brief states it should only be an extract of a documentary with a 5 minute time slot I will have to get a variety of shots into a small space of time, to show my filming ability. During the interview I will use close-ups of the persons face, panning of the camera, and mid-shots, as just a few. Around four minutes of the documentary will be the interview. After these four minutes the scene then cuts to the person walking down the river that runs adjacent to the country park, it is shot from behind so we only see the persons back. They are walking away from the camera. Fade to black. Some problems that may occur if I choose this as my final idea, are that filming outside may prove difficult because I only have the use of a hand held camera to film on therefore sound would be bad when filming outside. Also, I would need permission from Kent County Council to film in the centre as they own and run it.
•Expository documentary. The documentary would be looking at gang crime in London. The use of the Brechtian alienation technique would be important in this documentary, as the audience would need to be a critical observer, rather than becoming too involved. The reasoning behind the need for a critical audience is because of the nature of the documentary, as it has political messages we need the audience to take on the message of the documentary. Establishing shot of London at night and the interviewer giving facts about gang crime, such as the death toll of last year; this is a very common convention in documentaries. Cut too a typical gang on the streets of London, each of the gang will give a short interview, so there is no focus on just one subject, allowing the viewer to distance themselves from the documentary. Close-up’s of each of the gang member’s faces and then a long shot to show what they are wearing or doing. Each gang member will be asked a series of questions about what life on the streets of London is like. The interviewer’s voice will be heard, a standard documentary technique. Each of the subject’s responses will then be filmed. Problems with this idea would be the element of danger that poses in filming a gang, also filming at night would prove difficult. Many documentaries on this subject have been made and so I feel the idea would not have an original view. However would have a large target audience, so many viewers.
•Observational documentary, looking at the life of a student. Opens with shots around their home, showing the general chaos of the student’s everyday life. A standard interview of a student and their life at university. It will look at whether they feel university has been beneficial or just a drain on finances, which is a common debate in the media currently. However this documentary would be less mainstream than most, because it’s looking less at the facts and more at the life of the subject. This would mean the target audience would be relatively small, probably only appealing to prospective students and current university students. I would cut the questions posed by the interviewer so it appears the subject is telling a story of his life. Cuts to the student beginning to talk about life at university. Then every so often cutting to the subject doing different activities that they would usually perform in an every day situation, and some of them doing tasks that their course requires of them. Through the focus on one person the audience can develop an emotional attachment to the subject. I have formulated this as an idea as many producers say that if a documentary is going to be successful it needs to be something that is close to you, or reflects a decision you are trying to make.
•Observational documentary about independent bookshops and whether they will ever be successful again with all of the commercialised stores that are around nowadays. Establishing shot of the front of the bookshop, accompanied by non-diegetic music. Interview with bookshops owner, focusing only on that one person. Standard interview, the questions asked can be heard. Cuts to shots of the books and around the bookshop. Back to the subject continuing to talk to the interviewer. Target audience would be small, only other book shop owners and people who enjoy English literature, so the documentary would not be very main stream.
•Expository documentary. The documentary would be looking at gang crime in London. The use of the Brechtian alienation technique would be important in this documentary, as the audience would need to be a critical observer, rather than becoming too involved. The reasoning behind the need for a critical audience is because of the nature of the documentary, as it has political messages we need the audience to take on the message of the documentary. Establishing shot of London at night and the interviewer giving facts about gang crime, such as the death toll of last year; this is a very common convention in documentaries. Cut too a typical gang on the streets of London, each of the gang will give a short interview, so there is no focus on just one subject, allowing the viewer to distance themselves from the documentary. Close-up’s of each of the gang member’s faces and then a long shot to show what they are wearing or doing. Each gang member will be asked a series of questions about what life on the streets of London is like. The interviewer’s voice will be heard, a standard documentary technique. Each of the subject’s responses will then be filmed. Problems with this idea would be the element of danger that poses in filming a gang, also filming at night would prove difficult. Many documentaries on this subject have been made and so I feel the idea would not have an original view. However would have a large target audience, so many viewers.
•Observational documentary, looking at the life of a student. Opens with shots around their home, showing the general chaos of the student’s everyday life. A standard interview of a student and their life at university. It will look at whether they feel university has been beneficial or just a drain on finances, which is a common debate in the media currently. However this documentary would be less mainstream than most, because it’s looking less at the facts and more at the life of the subject. This would mean the target audience would be relatively small, probably only appealing to prospective students and current university students. I would cut the questions posed by the interviewer so it appears the subject is telling a story of his life. Cuts to the student beginning to talk about life at university. Then every so often cutting to the subject doing different activities that they would usually perform in an every day situation, and some of them doing tasks that their course requires of them. Through the focus on one person the audience can develop an emotional attachment to the subject. I have formulated this as an idea as many producers say that if a documentary is going to be successful it needs to be something that is close to you, or reflects a decision you are trying to make.
•Observational documentary about independent bookshops and whether they will ever be successful again with all of the commercialised stores that are around nowadays. Establishing shot of the front of the bookshop, accompanied by non-diegetic music. Interview with bookshops owner, focusing only on that one person. Standard interview, the questions asked can be heard. Cuts to shots of the books and around the bookshop. Back to the subject continuing to talk to the interviewer. Target audience would be small, only other book shop owners and people who enjoy English literature, so the documentary would not be very main stream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)