Brian A2 media

Media A2 blog


Monday 7th September
Documentaries
The Purpose of documentaries; record of events to document example report with evidence something that had actually happened, it can show this by using actuality footage or reconstructions- (real) mediated information

Types of documentaries
The Six main types are:

Fully narrated which is an-off screen voice over which is used to narrate the programme. It makes sense of the visuals and anchors their meaning. The voice over links everything together link to the narrative.

Fly on the wall -The origin cinema truth “verite” example of this is the Katie and peter documentary, when the camera is observing , and is filming real life, this is a true honest type of documentary .

Mixed -Is a Combination of interviews, observation and narration to advance the narrative.

Self reflect- when the subject of the documentary acknowledges the presence of the camera and often speak directly to the film maker for example Bear Gryls.

Docudrama (drama documentary) a re enactment or reconstruction of events as they are supposed.

Docusoap- documentary and soap recent phenomenor. This follows a group of people

Tuesday 8th September

Construction of reality –edited
Gate keeping- selection of rejection of information
Different types of narrative structure
Open; VS
Their of loose ends and questions unanswered
The audience is left to make up their own mind
Closed; all ends are tied up, no questions remaining

Single strand VS
One narrative running throughout
Multistrand
More than one narrative they sometimes crossover or coverage

Linear VS
Chronological order, events follow the order of time example things happen in order.
Non linear
Doesn’t follow order out time example use of flashback and flash-forward.
Elliptical editing- cuts out time
Circular narrative- open
One which begins with a question, have two sides to a question, have two sides onto a question, returns back to the end. Evidence is also provides often to sides to an argument. Starting and end points are the same,

The devil made me do it

Type of documentary
Mixed interview, activity footage, archive timetable

Themes
Good vs. evil (binary opposition tell – status)

Narrative structure
Open narrative structure question not opposition
Youth culture
The power of the medium / videos influence the behaviour of teenagers

Camerawork
Interviews – close –medium close up and framed to left or right of screen. Manson interview in low angle, make him look powerful (good vs. evil) lighting half face lit half dark half light. Jesus cross filmed low angle (power) long shots of deserted streets, high angle, slow pans of deserted town.
Various shots of religious iconography, Christ filmed in low angle.
Handheld actuality footage, purely is used so camera can respond to what is going on around them (unpredictable) camera observes other media, we are not positioned as members of that media.
At gig, cameras in audience are like what they would be like in real life. Camera tracks forward and backward, numerous camerawork are used very creative helps to create the narrative.

Mise en Scene
Interviews – the mise-en -scene shows us about the persons personality, lifestyle and who they are. Policeman is carefully constracted.
Lighting is not very bright symbolises evil.
Religious/ conography anchor the programme.

Sound
Music religious choral music- manson,s music.
Sound effects – example heartbeat, whispering, church bells, voiceover is narrator of the programme (male speaks Standard English) no slang, urms etc No clear accent; he is what holds the whole documentary together to make the whole programme.
Voiceovers – translating Italian, each voice reflected gender and age Italian accents.

Editing
Cut and crosscutting because it doesn’t get distracted, it keeps them focused on fancy editing
Fade to black, beginning and end of programme montage was used to grab audience’s attention
Juxtataposition – direct contrast between what you are using (gothic people at concert and concert music)

Archive Material
Manson music video
Italian talk shows
American television news
Newspaper cuttings

Graphics on screen text
Graphics is used at the end of the programme to tell us about the 3 girls and what they got in jail. Dates show passage of time. Lyrics translated – sans serif write text plain readable
Title is unique had a gothic appearance to it
……………………………………………………………………………..

Sound
Voice overX2
Door bangs and footsteps
Heartbeats
Cars
Dog barks which symbolises deserted place
Stabbing noises
Church bells – signifies death
Echoes

Camera
6 or seven shots
Slow pan across town at night
Cemetery
Police walking down corridor
Tilted from on ground point of view of nun dieng

Editing
PACE
Long take (pan)
Edits on heartbeat

Wednesday 16th September

Documentary of meatloaf

Type of documentary
Mixed, actuality footage of concert, archive material

Themes
Marketing and the music industry
Image creation
Monopolisation of audience/ power of the media

Narrative structure
Non linear- single strand, closed and circular.

Camerawork
Low angle interviews (left or right)
Close-up or medium close-up, interview filmed in profile to break the convention, also not looking at camera.
Handheld was on actuality footage, camera positions vs the observers, point of view shot.
TV crew observe the press at conference and also film meatloaf. Zoom and pan on still images, number of interviews with meatloaf.

Mise-en-scene
Chromakey- is used in backgrounds. Which is relevant to what has been spoken about?
Rock- scary makeup and clothing

Sound
Male Standard English narrative does hold the documentary together. He was sarcastic and always have a point. Unusual and not conventual
Meatloaf music
Classical music to make tension
Interviewer can’t hear questions background s completely silent. All edited out
Cheer of fans

Editing
Cut was common
Dissolve man dissolves in front of background
Spinning effects
Montage
Fast motion- outside HMV shot at night
Slow-motion
Fades in and out of objects

Archive material
Top of the pops
Music videos
Noels house party
Grammar rewards
Website

Graphics
Logo for title of the series. Name and job title. Relevant to the topic for the programme, graphics overlap images title scrolled at the bottom of the screen.

18th September 2009 Laura Croft
Type of documentary
Mixed voice over and interviews

Themes
Feminism as representation of women
Icons
Power of the media- creating strong female to look up to
Narrative structure
Closed single strand, one narrative non linear

Camerawork
Interviews are close-up, big close-up and tilted frame.
Conventional framing (left, right)
Zooms in on computer screen, pans of people playing game on computer point of view shots

Mise-en-scene
Chromakey is used as backgrounds in interviews; background was out of focus so audience doesn’t get distracted.
Front projection- person in front of screen of Laura croft (out of focus) interviews where lit brightly
(Creator is put into computer screen, is treated like a computerized characters)

Sound
Voice over in Standard English (young lad which was appropriate for the content)
Sound of music from the game , Laura croft was compared to Madonna
Dance music sends in Madonna music target audience is young

Editing
Fast motion in arcade
Cut

Archive material
Extracts from the film and the game
Website
Emails
Nike advert
In interview with Angelina Jolie

Graphics
Are always on the opposite side to the person. Conventual of writhing name bigger than description no capital letters
Title used in speech bubbles
Unique style of graphics

Codes and Conventions of documentaries
Type of documentary
Most documentary’s are mixed are most common
Mainly single strand and non linear
Narrative structure open or closed or circular

Camera Work
Eye line match of 1/3
Pan and zoom are mainly on still images
Variety of shot types used to sustain audiences interests
Handheld camera is used on actuality footage
Interviews are always on the left or right of the screen at close-up or medium close-up

Mise- en- scene
Backgrounds of interviews
Chromo key
Location
Backdrop
Lighting can be used creatively on interviews

Sound
Voice over (narrator) Standard English give which holds everything together
Concludes the narrator
Narrator has to be appropriate for the content of the documentary- introduces topic-(celebrity voiceovers)
Music is used as a music bed
Relevant to the topic
Heighten the emotion
All questions are edited out
Background news on interviews is kept to a minimum
Sound effects are used in reconstructions

Editing
Common is most common, so audience is focused o the subject matter on the screen and not how it has been made
Dissolve
Fade to black from black
Montage is used to give the audeience a flavour of the programme

Archive material
Films, videos, TV, still images, audio magazines, websites and games

Graphics
Title is unique
Name and relevance to topic anchors what interviews are
Graphics and colour are simple
Credits are conventional to go down screen
To anchor a period of time
Superimposeal are archive material
Subtitles if necessary



TV scheduling

Categorised segments of the TV programmes throughout the day and their audiences

Breakfast- differs according to channel
Daytime-children time, housewives, elderly, unemployed and students
Peak time- families has the mass audience
Post water shed- adults

What are the popular programmes on TV?

News, soaps, reality TV, strictly come dancing, Xfactor, game shows deal or no deal and cookery programmes

Give the target audience of the programmes

Each channel has a different audience:
BBC1- everyone
BBC2- minority groups
ITV1-Adults
Channel 4- minority audiences, gay , lesbian, black etc
Channel 5- everyone

What percentage of the programmes are taken up by repeats

BBC1 and ITV1- not much
BBC2 and channel 5 is
Channel 4- publish broadcaster

Which channels have more imported programmes in the schedules?
Channel 4 and 5 because it is cheaper to buy a programme rather than making their own.

What do you understand by the term the “watershed” and where does this occur in the schedules Adults only 9pm onwards, children should not be watching