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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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#

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.

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.

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.

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.

Analysis of the first five minutes of documentaries.

*Extraordinary People- The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes


The establishing shot is of the subject holding a pair of fake eyes in his hand; this introduces the topic of the documentary immediately. It also allows us an insight of his daily routine, being blind, with empty eye sockets. There is non-diegetic music that accompanies the image. We are then shown him putting the fake eyes in. this is in a way shocking to the audience as we are out of our comfort zone with this topic. A voice over then begins to introduce the subject, and his situation, a common convention of documentaries. This documentary would be observational rather than expository as it is intimate, and follows the boy’s life. This documenting style allows the audience to develop an attachment to the subject. The music then changes from slow instrumental to a quicker and more upbeat piece. Accompanying the music are a series of shots of the boy performing tasks that he should not theoretically be able to achieve. We are then shown a clip of a doctor speaking. Because of the conventional white coat and medical instruments, we are inclined to believe this man. The use of a doctor is common in documentaries such as this, as the ordinary viewer looks up to a figure of society such as him. We still hear the doctor’s voice as it cuts to more shots of the subject. The shots are all very close and intimate. We see his parents speaking followed by the subject himself. The title then rolls. Following this we are shown a montage of shots of the area that he lives in accompanied by music and a voiceover. This is significant as it allows us an idea of his life and upbringing. The target audience would be medical proffesionals, parents, anyone interested in medical conditionals. It would be across all sexes and probably middle to middle-upper class social groups because of the stle of the documentary, and it's medical nature. In my documentary I would like to include elements such as the non-diegetic music used along with the interviewees voiceovers, and the close shots of the subject.

* Spyhole For Cats


Establishing shot of subject sitting down then a beach there is quite non-diegetic music, which fades out quickly. The shots are tight and intimate. We see him walking down a beach. He is talking about his occupation, creating art. Again we are introduced to the topic of the documentary early on, preparing the viewers for the subject they are watching. The fact that there is no non-diegetic music is unusual for this type of documentary, however the interview introduced immediately allows it to work well. We are then shown a variety of shots around his workspace. This again allows the viewer to absorb the scene, and make assumptions about this man and his lifestyle. For example his cluttered workshop creates the image that he is unorganised but creative. When he is interviewing, he is sitting on a chair, however throughout the interview there are cutaways, where the interview audio remains. I like this style of editing and would like to take inspiration from it in my own work. Cuts of him working in an art gallery, and at home doing everyday tasks allows us to relate to him as a person and creates a sense of normality to his life. The target audience would be fellow artists and is designed for a niche market. I would like my work to differ from the use of no music, as I feel that documentaries are greatly boosted by non-diegetic sound, and create interest.

*8 Minutes To Disaster
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-ambulance-8-minutes-to-disaster/4od#3051641

Establishing shot introduces us to the ambulance man dancing to diegetic music. This makes him seem an ordinary figure of everyday society that we can relate to. This film effectively documents reality as cameras were fixed in the ambulance for a month. There were no camera crew, which could not have been a distraction to the subjects being filmed; however they would have still been aware that they were being filmed, so may have acted differently. Although I like the fact that this documentary shows actuality, I would not be able to include the lengthy filming process in my work, due to time limit. There are a variety of camera angles due to them being placed in various places, some high angles and some low angles. Next text appears over image telling us what the ambulance is, and how quickly it must respond to emergencies. We see two ambulance drivers conversing about the music. Cut to programme introduction shot, there is a voice over and we see the roads filmed as the ambulance drives. There are then cuts of footage taken over the period of time that the ambulance was filmed; this gives us some indication of what we shall see later on due to the extracts. It is accompanied by fast paced non-diegetic music. Interview of one of the ambulance men. The cuts are simplistic in documentaries and not many transition edits are used, I will take this into account when editing my own work. Voice over cuts in often over footage. We see a long shot of the two ambulance drivers throwing a ball to and fro; this makes them seem average people. The concept of creating a relationship between the audience and the subjects are a key element in all of the documentaries that I have analysed, so I shall attempt to do the same in mine. This is then preceded by an incident where a man has cut his throat and they have gone to pick him up. The use of footage from outside the ambulance is used often. The target audience for this documentary would be for an audience over 18, as due to the violent and gory images it would have to be shown after watershed. The channel that the programme was broadcast on was channel 4, so the audience would most likely have been the middle to middle-upper class.

Documetary Genres

•Expository Documentaries: These documentaries propose strong argument and convey the opinion of the director. A voiceover of an authoritative male is often used; this will occasionally be a female voice although it is less common. This idea is called voice of God narration. The narrator will present an argument, and the images we are presented with will reinforce their argument. They are rhetorical, and try to persuade the viewer to agree with their opinions.

•Observational Documentaries: These documentaries aim to show actuality rather than trying to persuade their audience. They show ordinary life situations and try not to influence their subjects in any way. The style of filming and editing is often very intimate, with many close-ups of the interviewees face. This makes it more personal and the audience feel involved. This style of documentary would be ideal for my project, as a hand held camera would be easy to document actuality on without too much disturbance.

•Participatory Documentaries: Believe it is impossible for them not to influence the events they are filming, so instead are involved in them. We are shown how the film maker being at the scene of filming affects the events that unfold. We are told that because they hold a camera they potentially have the power to change events.

•Reflexive Documentaries: This style focuses around the questioning of how the world is represented in documentary films. The do not see themselves as showing the truth of life, but that they are representations of it. They do not rely on realism and are sceptical of it.

•Performative Documentaries: Document emotional response the world and events. They aim to make us experience what it could be like to have different perspective on the world and life. They use unconventional techniques to do this, and will often include constructions of events that are hypothetical. They also usually link up personal accounts of much larger and political events.

Conventions Of A Documentary

Voiceovers- The voiceover will usually sound very authoritative, to encourage the audience to think that what they are saying is of great importance, and generally to persuade them to agree with the opinions that the documentary is conveying.

Reality- A documentary should be seen as non-fiction, and that the events portrayed to us are real. However reality of documentaries often comes under debate, as, although the footage is not scripted, or performed by actors, post-production, for example editing and voiceovers can greatly change the ‘reality’ that the audience see.

Archive footage and stills- are often used to add information to the film which cannot be shot by the producer. For example, some documentaries use footage of an area from a long time ago.

Interviews with experts in the subject- used to aid the authenticity of the documentaries message. If the expert disagrees with the message it will usually be disproved by the film maker.

Text and titles- A cheap way of giving information to the audience. Commonly used in documentaries to give facts.

Sound- Non-diegetic music is often used to create a range of emotions from the audience.

Set-ups- Reconstructions of scenes, or setting up typical scenes, that a crew may have to wait a long time for. This is a way for the crew to cheaply get footage, however it means that they are not documenting reality, and perhaps end up confirming stereotypes.

Visual Coding- Mise-en-scene and props.

Why I've Chosen A Documentary

I feel that creating a documentary will greatly enhance my abilities in the understanding of the media industry. After producing the first 5 minutes of a new film for AS level, I found that I greatly enjoyed both the pre-production and practical activity of filming. This urged me to further my knowledge and develop my skills in this subject area. Through choosing to produce a documentary, it will allow me to present actuality rather than using a cast and scripts. I feel that this will greatly benefit my studies into media as it allows me to look at video and digital productions rather than film.

Also I think that this brief will allow me a look into what the industry is really like, as I will have to make contact with people involved in the subject area that I choose and ask for filming permission. I think that this will help me to develop confidence and will mean that I have to work with people that I do not know, rather than working with actors that I know, as I did at AS level. Another reason for my choice is that it enables me to look at a subject of my choice, that I am interested in. I think that this will be beneficial to making a good documentary, as it means I will truly care about the project, and learning about the subject. This will mean that I can hopefully make a relevant film that will attract others that have similar interests to me.

However I do think that some problems may occur when making this documentary, as my interviewee will be someone that I do not know, that may have other commitments than making a good documentary. I hope to work around this issue through developing schedules with the subject. I will also have to find someone that is willing to be the focus of my film, as many will probably be unwilling. However through research I hope to find the perfect participant.

Chosen Brief

An extract from a new documentary TV programme, lasting approximately 5 minutes, together with:

*a double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary;

*a newspaper advertisement for the documentary.