Production - Editing Intro/Title Sequence

TITLE SEQUENCE from Grace Salmon on Vimeo.



To make my intro for my documentary, I took around 75 photos of celebrity cutouts from a variety of magazines. I moved each magazine cutout slowly up the shot in order to create a moving image scene.


I imported the images from Photos into iMovie. I changed the duration of all of the images originally to 0.3 seconds each. However, this made the clip around 30 seconds long and would be too tedious and boring for the audience to watch. I then changed the duration from 0.3 seconds down to 0.1 seconds, as this made the clip shorter and more aesthetically pleasing.
I added text on the right hand side on the last image and this is where my documentary title will be displayed when I have chosen my title.
For the intro music, I downloaded the song 'This is the life' by Two Door Cinema Club and used the first thirty seconds of the song as it is just instrumental music. The music is upbeat and fits the theme of my documentary. It is similar to music that I have heard on Channel 4 and BBC Three produced documentaries.

Research - Findings from documentary analysis

Codes and conventions I found from completing my documentary textual analyses:

• Range of shots (establishing, mid-shot, close-up etc.)
• Variety of different interviews 
• Subject often placed in one third of the frame (rule of thirds)
• Middle class, older male presenter
• In expository documentaries, there is often a 'voice of God' narration.
• Cutaway shots anchoring what is being said
• Non-diegetic music used in the background 
• Archived footage often used 

Research - Ancillary Product Textual Analysis: Seven Days

Production - Editing Progress

I enhanced some of my footage, which made the sound louder and clearer and made the shot was brighter and more visually appealing. I also started to add in some still image cutaway shots. These included pictures of reality TV shows, such as Keeping up with the Kardashians and Love Island because these shots anchor what the narrator is saying about celebrities and reality TV shows. After editing today, I realised that I still need some more footage and cutaway shots that will make the documentary flow better, as it seems a bit broken up.

Research - Documentary Textual Analysis 4

Stacey Dooley - Billion Pound Party Textual Analysis

Research - Media Theory: Stuart Hall

Stuart hall from Grace Salmon

Research - Media Theory: Steve Neale

Production - Editing Interviews

I started editing some of my interview footage with a student, I enhanced the contrast of the video and also increased the audio, as well as placing a cutaway shot that anchors what she is saying over the interview. However, after editing the interview I realised I may need to go back and film the interview again because the noise from the computers in the background reduces the sound quality.

Planning - Narrative Arc

This is a narrative arc of my documentary. I wrote down what I would include if I had limitless time and funds to film a full-length documentary. This helped me to choose where in the documentary my five minute extract would come from. I decided to film my extract as if it was the beginning of the documentary where the question/investigation was introduced. I then decided that I would include around two to three interviews, various cutaway shots to anchor my preferred meaning and some statistics because this would follow typical documentary conventions.

Research - Documentary sub-genres

Documentary sub-genres

Channel 4 - they include a variety of different documentary, their most popular sub-genre would be the lifestyle genre. Due to this, Channel 4/E4 would be the most appropriate channel for my documentary to be broadcasted on.

Channel 5 - they had a variety of sub-genres of documentary on their website, but their most popular ones included crime/prison documentaries and animal documentaries, which is why I would not broadcast my documentary on Channel 5.



BBC Three - Some of the sub-genres included on the BBC Three documentary page was history, music and arts. Similar to Channel 5, their most popular documentary sub-genre was crime and justice, and also the arts sub-genre.

Research - Documentary Textual Analysis 3

Planning - Initial Footage

Here is my initial footage filmed on an iPhone 6S. I need to get some more cutaway shots, as well as some more footage of my narrator/presenter in different locations, such as on her way to film an interview and arriving at the interview etc.

Planning - Script

I wrote out a script for my narrator/presenter to read as I wanted the narrator to mention particular topics and celebrities. I also wrote a script for my one of my interviewees because I wanted her to convey the preferred meaning of my documentary. However, I also allowed the interviewee to include any other information that she had an opinion on because I did not want the interview to be entirely staged, I wanted the interview to have a sense of verisimilitude.

Research - Audience Profile

Audience Profile

My target audience would be teenagers and young adults aged 14-24, who have an interest in social media, reality TV or celebrity role models.

They would mainly be in the E demographic because most of the target audience would be students, but many may also be in the BC demographic.

Psychographic – Aspirers, like to stay on trend, materialistic and focused on their appearance and image.

My secondary audience would be parents, particularly mothers, who would be interested in why their children or younger people look up to celebrities and reality TV stars.

Planning - Location and Talent Shots

Location Shots

Research - Choosing an institution

Research - Statistic/Facts on Celebrity Influence

I have found some statistics on celebrity culture and celebrity influence over youth. All of these graphs and articles showed that celebrities have a negative influence on young people. Therefore, I will use these statistics in my documentary to anchor what the presenter says about negative celebrity culture, which should help to anchor my preferred meaning.

Planning - Shot List

Planning - Storyboard

Here is my storyboard of ideas that shows me what I need to film over the summer. I have drawn out most of the shots that should fill my five minute documentary extract.

 

Research - Documentary Textual Analysis 2

Documentary Textual Analysis - Inside Dior from Grace Salmon

Research - Celebrity Influence

Research - Documentary Textual Analysis

Rich Kids of Instagram - Textual Analysis

The documentary Rich Kids of Instagram is on the channel E4 and has a target audience of teenagers and young adults who are interested in social media and the internet. It is produced by Nic Guttridge and Rory Wheeler, who have both produced various different series and movie documentaries.

The documentary followed many of the expository conventions of the five modes of documentary, such as having a 'voice of god' narrator and using images to illustrate what the commentator was saying. A few of the participatory or interactive conventions were also used, such as having interviews that are fairly informal dominate the programme. Overall, the documentary was an expository documentary (Bill Nichols), which is the most common mode of documentary.

The subjects (rich kids of instagram) were represented in both a positive and negative way. Negatively many of the subjects were presented as bragging and showing off their wealth, which usually belonged to their parents rather than them. However, positively some of the subjects were shown as successful business people and entrepreneurs.

Camera Shots 
Many wide/long shots were used at the start of the documentary in order to introduce the different subjects featured in the documentary. During the interviews, mainly mid-shots and close ups were used, with a few two-shots as these shots are more intimate for the audience and are typically used in interviews.

Editing
Images, stills and archive materials were used in between shots in order to illustrate what was being said by the commentator or the subject. Also, editing was used for continuity in the documentary, as the editing linked images together in order to support what was being said.

Sound
A 'voice of God' commentator was used, which meant that the commentator could be heard but not seen. A large amount of foley sound was used in order to amplify the sounds that were naturally in the scene. Non-diegetic sound/music was also used frequently throughout the documentary, the non-diegetic music was usually pop or dance music as this would appeal to the target audience and is also similar to the type of the music that the subjects of the documentary would listen to.

Mis-en-scene
A large amount of different locations were used throughout the documentary because the documentary was following a variety of different people. The mis-en-scene was usually luxurious and wealthy, such as luxurious apartments, countries and shops because this is where the subjects would go on a daily or weekly basis.

Research - Focus Group

Focus Group 

Research - Defining modes of documentary

Identifying modes of documentary is a way of categorising different types of documentary. There are overlaps in the modes and documentaries often feature more than one mode.

1. Expository Conventions

• Voiceover, which may be the 'voice of god' (heard not seen) or 'voice of authority' (seen and heard) and the voiceover addresses the audience directly.
• Images are used to illustrate and continuity editing is used to link images that support the argument. 
• A variety of footage, stills, interviews and archive material used to support the argument.
• There is an attempt to persuade the audience of a certain point of view by using logic and the idea of common-sense response.

2. Observational Conventions

• No voiceovers or interviews, documentary maker's presence is hidden
• Synchronous sound recording
• Location shooting, hand-held cameras often used
• Subjects pretend that they are not being filmed

3. Participatory or interactive conventions

• Documentary maker and the crew interact with subjects. The documentary maker is visible to the audience, participates and intervenes in the action.
• Voiceovers are usually by the documentary maker
• Interviews dominate the documentary but tend to be informal
• Location shooting, hand-held cameras often used
• Synchronous sound recording
• Long takes dominate

Research - History of Documentary

History of documentary from Grace Salmon

Research - The Phone Call

The Phone Call from Grace Salmon on Vimeo.

Planning - Treatment

Research - Documentary Theorists

Bill Nichols - 6 Modes of Documentary 

He identified six sub-genres of documentary in his book 'Introduction to Documentary'. These were poetic, expository, participatory, observational, reflexive and performative. 

• Expository (voice of god) is the most used form of documentary, often seen in nature documentaries and John Grierson documentaries.

March of the Penguins (2005) is an example of a expository documentary with a 'voice of god' narration.

• Poetic (subjective, artistic expression). This emphasises the visuals and often includes long, descriptive passages. 

Robert Flaherty’s Man of Aran (1938)  follows the poetic mode because Flaherty filmed scenes intended to fit into his desired narrative, rather than allowing reality to guide his direction.

• Observational (objective). This tries to capture objective reality with the filmmaker as a neutral observer.

Tracking Down Maggie (1994) is an observational documentary about Nick Broomfield unofficially accompanying Margaret Thatcher on her book tour.

• Participatory. Includes direct engagement between the filmmaker and the subject. The filmmaker is apart of the events. 

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) is a participatory documentary because Michael Moore (the filmmaker) is on camera and engages with the subjects.

• Reflexive (awareness of the process). This realises the constructed nature of documentaries and flaunts it.

Catfish (2010) is a reflexive documentary because the construction of the documentary, sound, editing etc. is made aware to the audience.

• Performative (filmmaker as participant). This emphasises the emotional impact on the audience and the subjectivity of the filmmaker.

Supersize Me (2004) is an example of a performative documentary because the filmmaker is actually involved and participates in eating McDonalds everyday for 30 days.

John Corner 

Believes that there are 5 elements to documentaries. 

• Observation. A sense of observation is needed and can be used as evidence. 
• Interview. Documentaries rely on interviews to create an balanced argument and give a wider view.
• Dramatization. Used to create a sense of conflict and build up an argument.
• Mis en scene. This is important for constructing reality. 
• Exposition. This is when the documentary reveals what argument is being explored, which can be done through narrative, descriptions or commentary. 

Research - Initial Thoughts

Initial Thoughts for Coursework 

After researching some documentaries and music videos, as well as looking at previous A2 coursework, my initial ideas were to create a documentary rather than a music video as music videos often have much larger budgets that I will have. Also, when I was looking at documentaries on BBC Three, E4 and Channel 4, I saw that there was documentaries on a wide range of different topic/interests, so I will be able to make my documentary based on my own interests. 

Research - The Night Mail

The Night Mail analysis 


































What similarities/differences does it have with contemporary documentaries?

The Night Mail is similar to contemporary documentaries because it had a lot of voiceovers throughout giving information to the audience. The voiceovers often included factual information, such as how much mail is delivered in the UK a year, which is similar to contemporary documentaries. There was also many long and wide shots that anchored what the voiceovers were saying. 
However, there were also many differences to contemporary documentaries. There were many long and wide shots of the train tracks and workers with no voiceover or sound that anchored the shots, which would be less likely in contemporary documentaries. There was also not many common documentary features, such as interviews with employees/professionals, which would be much more likely seen in contemporary documentaries