Analysis of TV Documentaries

Class Research





The Devil Made Me Do It





Type of Documentary


Expository

• Voice of God
• Observatory
• Voice over

Themes

• Religion
• Media
• Satan vs God
• Influence of Marilyn Manson (Brain washing)
• Technology (information age)
• Establishment vs Culture (alternative)
• Children and Parents

Narrative Structure

• Use of reconstruction
• Puppet Master (Pulling someone elses strings)
• Levi Strauss, Vladir Propp, Toderov (Equilibrium)
• Binary Oppositions (opposites)
• Hero-Nun
• Villain- the three girls and Marylin Manson

Camerawork

• Tracking shots-put in a position to follow someone
• Cut aways
• Reaction Shots
• Establishing Shots
• Close ups of Marylin Manson hands when he is being interviewed
• Low angle show of Marylin Manson, connoting he has power
• Indirect address
• Parallelism

Mise-en-scene

• It comes across as a very religious town(icons and Satan)
• Light at the end of the tunnel (one of the three girls starts to crack under the pressure

Sound

• Voice of God
• Violin solo to create a sombre atmosphere

Editing

• Italian man speaking but has in English Over lay
• Cut aways are in time with the heart beat (music)
• Long takes of graffiti on the church wall

Archive Material

• Footage of the nuns funeral
• Press conference
• Marylin Manson gig and videos

Graphics

• Dark and Evil
• Lyrics at the bottom of the screen when Marylin Manson is singing so we can tell what he is saying.

The Music Biz-The Marketing of Meatloaf



Type of Documentary

• Expository

Themes

• Voice of God
• Music Industry
• Meatloaf
• Informative (audience would use it for information)

Narrative Structure

• Starts off by setting the scene of the music industry
• Then focuses solely on Meatloaf and how his career has unfolded and developed.
• Smaller case study of The Village People (YMCA)

Camera Work

• Pans down The Radio City Music Hall NY
• External shot of music hall
• Point of view shot
• Talking head interviews don't face the camera. They are sitting side on.
• Establishing shot of head quarters. (new location)

Mise-En-Scene

• Sound engineer has been filmed in his studio in front of the sound desk which anchors his authority.
• He is shown as a rock start with him wearing sun glasses.

Sound

• Diagetic noise from the crowd
• Non-Diagetic heartbeat in one of the interviews to create a dramatic effect.

Editing

• Cut away while they are interviewing different people.

Archive Material

• Footage from an awards ceremony(Grammies)
• Footage from Meatloafs music videos
• Making of the videos (anything for love)
• Top of the Pops

Graphics

• The magazines with loads of different people saying different things on them at the beginning.
• Photographs.
• Album covers as the background in the interviews.

That Thing: Lara Croft



Type of Documentary



Themes



Narrative Structure

• Introducing the computer game
• Ended with comment from the game creator.

Camerawork

• Talking heads are done in close up.
• Fish Eye Lens (bend at the edges)
• Speeded up shots inside a gaming cafe. Matches the theme of the computer game.

Mise-En-Scene

• Background shows that game being played.

Sound

• Music always in the background of the interviews
• Voice of God
• Guns shooting
• Video games
• Layers of sound.

Editing

• Interview with Toby Gard done in a computer screen to fit with the mise en scene.


• Short sharp interviews

Archive Material

• Footage of video games and film


• Footage of Barbie adverts.

Graphics

• Shows how Lara Croft is made

Target audience is clearly young people.

Wounded

Type of Documentary

• Expository

Themes

• Wounded soldiers

Narrative Structure

• Starts with the wounded soldiers being introduced.
• As the documentary goes on their stories are explain and it follows their road to recovery.
• It ends with the soldiers reaching their goals ie walking, being able to see again etc.

Camerawork

• Panning shots
• Long shots
• Talking heads-Andy's mum, doctor, girlfriend, sister, brother and best friend
• Establishing shot
• Zoom in
• Close up of Andy's burns and amputates legs.
• Tracking shots of Andy's mum walking across the field to the hospital
• Point of View shot of Andy's mum walking across the ward to see him.
• Reaction shots of Andy's family as they see him walk again for the first time.
• Extreme close up of nurse.

Mise-En-Scene

• War-Battle field, soldiers, black out, blood
• Hospitals-Very plain, clean
• Operations
• Everyone is really supportive of each other
• His friends come to visit and reassure him.
• Hospital rooms all white and bland
• Blood in the canals
• Trees, mud and grass.

Sound

• Bangs
• Sad music
• Voice of God
• Squeaky doors
• Power Amputation Saw
• Footsteps of Andy's mum and Commanding Officer
• Telephone in the hospital
• Tense music in the background

Editing

• Cuts to shots of Andy when his mum is speaking
• Photos of war and injuries.
• Mostly just cuts

Archive Material

• War material-footage of Andy's accident and photographs of his injuries.
• Andy's operation

Graphics

• information between archive footage at the beginning
• BBC Icon in the corner of the screen throughout the whole programme.

Merlin:Secrets and Magic

Type of Documentary

• Expository

Themes

• Magic
• Sorcery
• Fantasy
• Talking heads

Narrative Structure

• Hero-Merlin and Prince Arthur
• Villain- Mackenzie Crook
• Jealousy
• Humour on the Princes part
• Starts with clips of the episode that they are about to explain
• Explains how the episode was made and how it was put together
• Ends with a preview of the next episode

Camerawork

• Talking heads
• Panning
• Establishing shot of castle
• Extreme close up
• Looking up at Artur and his horse
• Tracking shots
• Extreme close up
• Medium close up
• Long shot

Mise-En-Scene

• Medieval
• Dull colours
• Forest-full of mythical creatures
• Flying monkeys
• Gargoyles comes alive at night(dark and evil)
• The soldiers red cloaks on the floor look like blood
• Mackenzie gets slicker and tidier throughout the episode as he gets more evil and powerful

Sound

• "Don't Upset the Rhythm"
• Screeching and roaring of gargoyles
• Blink 182
• Dramatic music when the evil scene is being filmed again and again and again
• Mackenzie's voice echoes when he says the spell

Editing

• Camera shots in time to the beats of the music
• Cut aways
• Close ups of Colin Morgan(Merlin) and Prince Arthur

Archive Material

• Filming of the new series
• Clips of the first episode and clips of other episodes

Graphics

• Names of the people talking
• Flying monkeys and gargoyles
• Flames around peoples names
• Dragon