Documentary Filmmaking
Micro features include:
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Mise-en-scene
C(ostume)L(ighting)A(ction)M(ake-up)P(rops)S(ound)
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Sound
- Diegetic, Non-Diegetic
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Editing
-Montage, continuity
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Cinematography
-Shots and movement
Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
(Non biased)
What does objective mean?
tASK 1
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What are documentaries?
A documentary is a broad term to describe a non-fiction movie that in some way "documents" or captures reality. ... Documentary filmmakers are often motivated to make their films because they feel a particular story or viewpoint is not being (adequately) covered by mainstream media.
Fully narrated
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Blue planet is fully narrated shown through an off-screen voice-over to narrate over the visuals.
What types of documentaries are there?
Fully narrated
Fully narrated documentary types are entirely led by voice-overs, Fully narrated documentaries regularly use a direct address and the voice over goes along with the graphics that the audience is seeing; meaning that the whole thing is built around the visuals
Fly on the wall
A documentary made by filming individuals as they do the things they normally do, rather than by interviewing them or requesting them to talk straight to the camera.
Mixed documentary
Is a mixture between fly on the wall and narrated they include both interviews and observation, so uses a combination of interview, observation, narration and archive material.
Self-reflexive
Where the people involved in the documentary only speaks to the camera
Drama documentary or Docudrama
reenactments of events as they are supposed to have actually happened, docudramas can also
Docusoap
Combines elements of documentary and soap opera genres. Usually revolves around the same ‘characters’ in each episode.
Audience interpretation
In a documentary programme we the audience interpret the reality of what we see on the screen, according to our own preoccupations and prejudices. We construct our notion of reality. The freedom fighter on your screen is the same terrorist on someone else’s television. The viewer’s interpretation of the programme is an integral part of the viewing experience.
Louis Theroux-Miami Mega Jail
I've considered the following scene was constructed with references to microfeatures and documentary techniques.
Anthony is being questioned by Louis. He is being trialled for an alleged attempted murder but has been waiting on a trial for 3 years, who got moved to a higher maximum part of the prison due to a source saying he was trying to escape.
Louis positions the inmate on an isolated bench on a wall, to not draw any more attention to themselves and so they are standing over him reinforcing the authority.
The inmate is wearing the orange jumpsuits prisoners have to wear, they are in a prison, with no makeup which portrays the realism, not TV.
The cameraman shoots the inmate from slightly above eye level with the camera pointing down can give them the innocent look of a child, making him appear harmless or subordinate, which subverts the idea of him being a felon in prison. Louis's camera angle is taken from below the eye level of the subject, gives the opposite impression of the high-angle shot and it's supposed to make Louis appear dominant or in charge but I think its more of the difference between them. Louis has more leeway and freedom since he is free whereas Anthony isn't, like dreams vs reality
The interesting thing about Louis is that his face doesn’t move that much. Even when he’s talking, there’s very little emotion on display,
The problem with other interviewers is that their face will change and influence what their subject is saying when they’re talking about something revealing. But it doesn’t happen with Theroux – there’s very little leakage and he’s mostly blank. He’s not giving away any look of disapproval, even if he doesn’t agree with what’s being said. He’s very controlled and lets his subjects talk without judgement.
COSTUME
LIGHTING
AUDIENCE
MAKE-UP
PROPS
SETTING
Morgan Spurlock-Supersize Me
The duration of Morgan Spurlock's film is 30 days from Febuary1st to March 2nd, 2003 where throughout that month he does a social experiment in fast-food gastronomy attempting to subsist uniquely on food from the McDonald's menu for an entire month. In the process his weight balloons, his energy level plummets and he experiences all sorts of unexpected -and terrifying side effects. He also examines the corporate giant's growing role in the lives of American consumers and explores its methods of brainwashing young people and its contribution to America's obesity scourge. Morgans style of a mode of address is objective but with small areas where he is authoritative. Most of his opinions are biased but gives a lot of factual information following Stuart hall's reception theory(1980) which is when a documentary is encoded to influence the audience in a certain way. He wears his normal everyday clothes with natural lighting is to make it as realistic as possible (fourth wall) along with camera angles all very natural (eye level) nothing special.
Chapter 4: My Own Documentary Analysis
Introduction
Inside the worlds, toughest jail is a Netflix original an was released on the 11th of September 2016. The documentary is directed by Steve Allen, the executive producer is Emma read and series producer is Nick Benton. This documentary is about Paul Connolly (season 1's host) experiencing life as an inmate in the impoverished Philippines jail system, where many prisons are overcrowded, severely under-funded and run by gangs. Two-thirds of their country's prisoners have yet to face trial - they are arrested, charged and then left to languish on remand, with many spending years in legal limbo thanks to the archaic judicial system. During his time behind bars Paul shares, a cell with a convicted murderer and a rapist meets a cop killer whose past catches up with him and sees first-hand how a ruthless gang rules one prison with almost military control.
My documentary is a mixed documentary because it's a mixture between fly on the wall and narrated they include both interviews and observation, so uses a combination of interview, observation, narration and archive material.
In-depth micro feature analysis
In some of the clips, the officers speak in polish and editors don't translate it to create distance between the audience, the officers and inmate.
The officers would wear their everyday uniforms to work and the prisoners would wear their compulsory jumpsuits, no one would be wearing any makeup, the lighting is always quite low key and the props are all real e.g. handcuffs.
The editing in this was a lot of, Crossfades which could convey a sense of passing time or changing location(different part of the prison), since Paul was put in isolation and was discussing how he lost any sense of time. The editor added in the security footage from jail which added the last bit of realism. We can see a birds-eye view of the inmate in the cell, which can be used to show the broad positions and motions at once, enabling the viewer to see things and situations the character himself can't see.
TASK 2
INITIAL IDEA
My initial idea for my documentary was researching and exploring at West Indian dishes. I was going to do that because my grandad owns a Caribbean cuisine food restaurant and he has had that for over 10 years, but not only my auntie owns another Caribbean restaurant. West Indian food has always surrounded me especially since it's within my culture. I would've been doing more research, exploring it more and interviews with my grandparents since they have lived there at one point. This was associated with Channel 4/E4's ethos because even though we are in the UK, I was going to be showing the diversity in the rich cultures of Jamaica and the pleasures that come with it. I didn't choose this theme due to lack of ideas when it came to the interviews and what they would talk about etc. and other ways it would be portrayed and reinforces Channel 4/E4's ethos.
INITIAL IDEAS
ALTERNATIVE IDEA
This is a great place to tell people more about yourself and peak their interest.
For more info, they can follow you on social in a click.
FINAL IDEA
I have finally decided on the theme of my documentary it will be on people's different intake on musical diversity in the UK. Through my documentary, I would hope to expect that the students will not have similar responses, as I want to portray that people have different types of views and opinions and opinions on certain music. I would be specifically looking at the genres- R&B, soul/Blues, grime and pop music, I'm going to explore these different genres by researching, interviewing them to get them to discuss their feelings based around the songs that I will be providing them with, In order together with their instant natural reactions. I choose this topic for my documentary because it will be aired on Channel 4/E4 and their ETHOS is "To support & respect diversity" , "be creative and inspiring the future generation" and lastly "to be thoughtful & consider other peoples beliefs". My documentary will open with narrator voicing over key facts about Londons music scene, whilst multiple establishing shots are shown and it will end with the non-diegetic song of what I played last for the interview fading out.
SCRIPT TREATMENT
The documentary treatment, like the drama treatment, tells the story of the film as you plan to have the audience experience it, either stating or implying the style in which it will be treated/told. But since documentaries may utilise a wide variety of resources not used in a straight drama, the documentary treatment should specify these, e.g. interviews, reconstructions, archival footage, photographs, maps, diagrams, graphics, etc
Synopsis
My documentary will be about exploring the different music cultures within the London scene. The story will attempt to catch the multiple diverse interpretations and reactions to people's like to music.
The main characters in my documentary will be Angel, Genie, and Eleanor or Leah.
From these interviews from these subjects, we will determine the psychological effect that different music genres have on them have on the different type of people.
ANGEL CHENNIS SMITH, is 17 years and was born on December 25, 2001, (Capricorn). She was born in Britain but has Jamaican, Bajan and Cypriot heritage with an interest in every sport mainly basketball and football love to dance, love to work on this I need to improve such as reading. She is an actress who lives in Hackney/ Islington and enjoys loves all music except rock and country.
Leah?
British
Leah O’Connell
16 years old - July 9th
Love to listen to all types of music but mostly listen to pop and rock. I do a lot of sport especially swimming - it is a passion of mine.
Camden/ London
Name: Genie
British - grenadien/Chinese/ British
Genie-jo Matheson
Age: 16 years (May 14th 2002) Taurus
Job: Actress
All music EXCEPT country
Act/read/editing/creative writing
Harrow
Eleanor?
British
Eleanor Mclaughlin
17 - 9th October 2001
Listens to old school rock bf indie music, however, enjoys playing kinds of music
Dancer. Mainly ballet and tap.
Live in London Conley
STORY STRUCTURE
Step 1:
My documentary will start off with several establishing shots of locations and objects and scenery to do with music.
Step 2:
During that period there will also be a narrator filling the audience in on what the music scene used to be compared to what it is now, how it’s changed and some key facts as well.
Step 3:
Then it will cut to individual shots of each character one by one introducing themselves, what they like to do and what type of music they like.
Non-diegetic calming instrumental playing in the background whilst that is happening.
Step 4:
Then they’ll be another establishing shot of where the interviews are happening while the narrator explains what’s going to happen, how I’m going to play three samples of the same songs to the different characters to get their reactions.
Step 5:
And a finally establishing closing shot of their location whilst the narrator discusses the conclusion of the results of the reactions and if it’s what we assumed.
STYLE
My documentary will be set with natural lighting since it consists of many naturalistic and emotional responses, it will also be harshly edited so that the audience can tell the differences. between the characters opinion
I will be shooting on my Canon 1300D, I feel this will help capture the fine details of my interviewees' facial expressions. My documentary will consist of a montage of extreme close-ups, mid shots and establishing shots.
Graphics
The graphics in a documentary are usually just two lines in a simple font not to distract the audience, it can be used on screen to note down interviewee's name and relation to the subject and end credits are also used to credit everyone involved in the production of the Documentary. To communicate complicated information in a way for that the average viewer can understand
Archive Footage
Archive footage is used to show a variety of views on a topic. A soundtrack may accompany the visuals. Chroma-key- used in interviews
Mise-en-scene
The Mise-en-scene has to be consistent throughout the Documentary and can be portrayed through the interviews, archive footage, and narrator.
Editing
Documentaries contain lots of cuts because there is such a variation of interviews, archive footage etc.
Conventional editing is used, which means in the final production only answers and no questions will be on screen.
Digetic and Non-Digetic Sound
Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film
Voices of characters, sounds made by objects in the story or music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)
Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from the source within the film's world
Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.
Digetic and Non-Digetic Sound is used to represent emotion or a topic.
Narrator
A narrator is used to move the narrative along. They also are used to push an idea or a view on the topic forward. A narrator is important to hold the narrative together.
The gender of the narrator depends on the topic and target audience. The tone of voice, accent, and vocabulary of the narrator all depends on whom the programme is aimed at.
Voice of God Narration - The term has developed to describe the use of voice-over in documentary films.
The voice is usually male, disembodied and omniscient.
This style has been rejected by documentary makers in recent times as it is considered as being patriarchal and manipulative.
Interviews
Interviews are a key element of Documentaries, they bring the story together, usually Talking heads/Interviews with eyewitnesses, experts and persons related.
The mise-en-scene of the documentary is always portrayed in the interview, e.g. a documentary about a band so a concert venue or studio may be the setting of the interview
During interviews, the camera remains mainly static so the audience isn't distracted away from the interview by any movement.
Interviewee looks at the interviewer, not the camera.
Eye line of the interviewee is in line with the top 3rd of the frame.
Interviews are mostly in close up or a medium close-up shot filmed on a left or right alignment.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Cast list:
I am going to be interviewing Angel, Genie and Eleanor or Leah, and their jobs are to just sit, answer and react to music I'll be playing to them and questions I'll be asking them. They would each be giving their own personal response to the questions & music.
Me being the director for this documentary will be helping give out roles behind camera e.g. the person asking the questions etc.
Locations:
The locations that I'm considering to film at is college (studio) or outside by some greenery. The college because it's nicely decorated and you can control the environment more for example if it was outside then it could be extremely windy and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Greenery because it reinforces with some of the establishing shots in documentaries and will set the settings.
Equipment:
To film this documentary I will be using my Canon 1300D, a canon 500D and a tripod for static shots. I will be borrowing the canon 500d and tripod from the college.
General Prep:
I am going to prep my week of filming by scheduling to book the camera a couple of days before I film, the obstacles that I might come across is finding a time where I and the actors are all free, therefore I have a copy of all of the actors timetables so I can see when we're all free.
Task 3
