Generic Research: Documentary Textual Analysis

INSIDE DIOR

I have textually analysed a documentary called 'Inside Dior' in order to identify the codes and conventions to be able to use them for my own documentary.

Click here for a link to the 'Inside Dior' documentary.



Audience Research: Focus Group

I have identified four people who I will use in my focus group. These people fit in my primary target audience and will be available for me to ask them questions on feedback to improve my product. I will be checking in with them throughout the process and two of them have knowledge on media through previously studying it so will be very helpful for all aspects of making my documentary.

Generic Research: Notes from booklet

Techniques of documentary realism

There are many different conventions used to make the audience feel in control of documentaries and that they have expert knowledge. These conventions are part of the way in which the audience experience feelings of being both present and distant from events, with the examples below.

Present (enhance the audiences sense of ‘being there’):

·         Location shooting

·         Interviews with witnesses

·         Filmmakers visible presence

·         Natural lighting

·         Synchronous sound recording

·         Natural lighting

·         Uneven hand held camera

Distant (allow audience to feel objective about the subject):

·         Expert testimony

·         Voiceover narration

·         Material is shaped into a narrative

·         Use of archive material (stills, news footage) and research

·         Material is structured into an argument.

Defining modes of documentary

These modes of documentary are a way of categorising the different types with conventions and sometimes overlapping conventions.

Expository conventions:

·         Editing is used for continuity, to link together images that support the argument put forward in the voiceover.

·         The voiceover may either be a ‘heard but not seen’ commentator or ‘seen and heard’ commentator (usually an expert in the relevant field).

·         Attempts to persuade the audience of a particular point of view, often by appealing to logic and the idea of a common sense response.

·         Images are used to illustrate the voiceover.

·         Voiceover, addresses the audience directly.

·         A variety of footage, interviews, stills, archive material is assembled to support the argument.

Observational conventions:

·         No interviews

·         Synchronous (direct) sound recording.

·         Location shooting- hand held cameras

·         No voiceover

·         Subjects pretend that they are not being filmed

·         Documentary- maker’s presence is hidden

·         Long takes dominate

Participatory or interactive conventions:

·         Location shooting; hand held camera

·         Interviews dominate but tend to be informal

·         Documentary-maker is visible to the audience- intervenes and participates in the action.

·         Long takes dominate

·         Voiceover, usually by the documentary-maker.

·         Use of archive material- stills, news footage, newspaper headlines, letters etc.

·         Synchronous (direct) sound recording.

Planning: Writing a treatment

I have written a treatment for my documentary idea where I briefly plan the topic,  talent, location and possible problems. This is to formulate my initial ideas in order to build anthem and begin researching and producing the documentary.

Writing a treatment 2 from Katie Pearl

Production: Phone Call

I filmed a 30 second video in order to learn and practise using a camera. We filmed a variety of different shots from different angles including mid shots, establishing shots and long shots. During this process I also learned how to use a tripod and edit footage together which will help when I produce my own documentary.


Phone Call from Katie Pearl on Vimeo.