Documentary key features

Expository - The purpose is to inform and educate the audience about a subject.Screened material can include original and archive footage.Camera and crew are normally invisible to the audience.The material is tightly scripted and often accompanied by a voice-over narration - delivered either by an expert or an actor.'The authority of narration is such that it anchors the meaning of expository documentaries' (Killborn and Izod) examples:natural history documentaries.

Observational - Since the 1960s lightweight film and,later,video cameras have enabled filmmakers to record people in their natural environment with a minimum of fuss.This approach aims for greater degree of naturalness.Again,camera and crew take back seat. Example:Etre et Avoir

Fly-on-the-Wall - An extension of the observational mode,fly-on-the-wall approaches aim to blend into the background as the subjects go about their daily business.Filming might continue over a considerable period of time - six months,say.In a sense the aim is to give the audience unmediated access to the world. Example:The Family

Interactive/Reflexive - In this mode the filmmakers presence is fully acknowledged,even emphasised.By contrast with the above the filmmaker is both author and character in his or her movie,often appearing in shot and interacting with other people in the film might offer suprises,play with conventions,and aim to provoke reactions from subjects and audiences alike.The filmmaker may or may not take sides if their is conflict. Example:Roger and Me,Biggie and Tupac

Poetic/Avant garade - In this instance the emphasis is on creativity as the filmmaker explores,for example,the beautyin the everyday. Example:Night Mail,Lido

Drama Documentary - In the absense of archive material or access to witnesses,the filmmaker might stage dramatic reconstruction of events. Example:Who Bombed Birmingham?,Hillsbourgh

Mockumentary - Fictional films which paraody the forms and conventions of documentary,often for humorous effect. Example:This is Spinal Tap,Best in Show,Blair Witch Project,The Office

Personal - These 'films' are often shot on video and generally feature the maker addressing the camera directly,expounding or sharing his or her views with the viewer. Example:Video Nation

First plan for Fashion documentary

presenter (Angelica Elle) - Me - smart casual,sleek,blazer,glasses
person being made over (Janice Wallberg) - Nicola Burt - baggy oversized dull coloured clothes,lots of layers
camera - Kirstie Ashton

*presenter introduces show,walking down high street,lots of shops,shows overview of Janice having makeover (quick flashes - fast cuts)
*spy camera on Janice in everyday life,Angelica going round to her house to surprise her
*Janice telling her 'fashion life style' as it is at the moment (location=cup of tea,bedroom,with wardrobe - home environment)
*friends and family discuss their thoughts on Janice's style
*back to Angelica walking down street "lets see what we can do"
*show clothes laid out before and after,including prices,store etc - voice over eg:  "top=House of Frazer' '£19.19'.And more than one set of clothes eg:daytime and nighttime
*archive footage of fashion shows and celebs wearing similar styles to what Janice will be wearing in the final outcome
*accessory tips for this season "here's some tips for you at home"
*"coming up after the break"=hair,makeup,closeups of Janice's eyes,mirror beginning to be turned to show Janice's new look to her

props:
-bad clothes - dull
-Angelica's clothes
-glasses
-accessory's=jewelery and bags etc

Information on Fashion Documentaries

-'How to look good naked' (Gok Wan) channel 4:stylist encourages women and men who are insecure with their bodies to strip nude for the camera.The programme is unique among other similar makeover shows in that it never encourages participants to undergo cosmetic surgery or to loose weight.
-'Goks Fashion Fix',was broadcast channel 4 in mid-2008,Gok is noted for his enthusiastic use of words eg:"bangers"
-10 years younger,makeover show aired channel 4.Presented by Nicky Hambleton Jones in the first five series,she was replaced by Myleene Klass for series six.The original run was April 28th 2004,until present
-Nicky Hambleton Jones,South African fashion stylist,'strict school mom' persona
-'Trinny and Susannah undress',British reality makeover in order to rekindle marriages etc.Number of series=2,number of episodes 9.ITV productions,60 minutes,3rd October 2006,until the 19th June 2007
-Trinny and Susannah's 'What not to Wear',Bafta nominated ,BBC,2001-2007,series 1-5,however changed to Lisa Butcher (model) and Mica Paris (singer) 'What not to Wear',for series 6-7

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-tv-goks-fashion-fix-channel-4br-scrubs-e4br-greys-anatomy-fivebr-heroes-bbc2-855280.html

Beginning ideas for Fashion documentary

planning:
 - research similar products
 - target audience (questionaire)
 - organisation of actors,locations,shooting schedule,shot lists scripts,storyboards

construction:
 - hold a shot steady
 - frame shot
 - variety of shots/distances/effects
 - material that is relevant
 - mise en scene selected
 - editing so meaning behind documentarie is clear

possible locations:
 - Brighton,Churchill square,the lanes,the pier (shows fast cut clips of al these places)
 - park/cafe' (for the presenters suprise)
 - pavillion gardens
 - the beach
 - Kirsties house

people involved:
Me (presenter),Kirstie (camera work),Nicola (person being madeover),and other small parts for other people involved

Donal MacIntyre Documentary - Channel 5 - 'Lucky Tucker'

'Lucky Tucker' -
Ian Tucker,dept collector,Kent underworld,police have been watching him for years,but no evidence to put him away.Kent to south east London - along the Thames.

 - interview panning round the men,recalling one of his stories
 - 'The Bill' (1994) - he got a part to make it seem more real,playing gangsters - clip shown
 - archive footage of Ronnie Crays funeral,Ian being the bodyguard at the church
 - Donal,serious tone (mocking) voice over
 - 9 months on the run,for armed robbery,shown on a clip from a past 'Crimewatch'
 - Jill Dando (presenter of 'Crimewatch') Tucker blamed for her murder (shooting),because of the mistake on 'Crimewatch' of saying he was involved in an armed robbery
 - music intense when Ian is driving fast,camera in passenger seat
 - Ian facing 8 years due to having a firearms in his house
 - lots of closeups when Donal id talking to Ian
 - shaky camera work
 - point of view shot,almost like spying on people
 - fast cut editing
 - archive footage - CCTV footage,news reports
 - funny music,whilst 'tuff guy Ian' gets massaged (pampered)
 - Meatloaf='Bat out of Hell' song played whilst Ian rides his motorbike really fast down the motorway
 - home video footage of broken foot
 - panning out of village,whilst his foots healing
 - "right hand man" - Doug,Ian's best friend
 - witness=Sydney (friend - whose gun it is)
 - shots up and down showing the guns
 - Ian gets away with having firearms in his house for 1 whole year
 - "i did it my way" (Sinatra)=Ian preparing before his trial in court
 - Maidstone crown court - where the trial is taking place for 1 week
 - more tense music whilst waiting for the jury's verdict
 - 23rd May 2007,Ian sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison,Sydney didn't tern up to the trial as his witness
  -similar to Michael Moore (Donal McIntyre);sarcastic,funny music,informative and bias views about the issues raised

http://www.tvthrong.co.uk/macintyres-underworld

Louis Theroux - Essay

Louis Theroux - Gambling in Las Vegas Clips

Louis Theroux info

Louis Theroux BBC - 'Beind Bars' - Notes

 - eerie music to open the beginning of the documentary
 - the same hand held camera style - dark
 - interview style questions with prisoners='Playboy Nolan' (prisoner - car jaker) ended up just staying at prison because he liked it so much
 - prison guards often confused with whats actually happening,eg:whether to shoot a prisoner at certain times or not (shoot to disable)
 - closeups on  prisoners (interview style again)
 - Theroux easy listener talks unjudgementaly to everyone,easy listener and speaker
 - acoustic music looking at the prisoners in their cells and everyday life,eating in the cafeteria etc
 - zooming in and out on prisoners when talking to him

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008qjh0

Louis Theroux - BBC - 'Gambling in Las Vegas' - Notes

himself narrating whilst slow jazz style music played over,his style narrating= easy listener,storyteller and interview style
 - capture 'the people' - how they feel (agony aunt style)
 - mainstream=millions visit Vegas - so its something lots of different people have experienced
 - showing the experience of gambling himself and the joy of winning,and the despair of loosing
 - old women gambler="it happens" (referring to loosing) - showing her approach to gambling is not taking it seriously that she loosing and just continues on with her addiction
 - lots of closeups on  expressions of determination of winning
 - "its not my business" -man who works at the casino,who saying he doesn't recommend gambling,but people will never stop
 - sound=Elvis 'its now or never',showing a touch of comedy in what Louis views of Vegas are (driving down the Vegas strip)
 - "what can you do,she likes to gamble"=son taking about his gambling addicted mother
 - lots of closeups on the mother (elderly women) talking about their money issues - hand-held style camera work
 - fast jazz music as various casinos and Vegas in general flash up on the screen - fast cut editing
 - "lady luck tantalises me,once you get lucky you cant stop" (elderly women,with addiction)
 - "willing victims" - people who gamble

Louis tells a good story,and shows interesting characters=
the gambling addicted old women,spending all her sons inheritance money

Louis makes the audience=

 - despair - for the man who lost everything on holiday in Vegas

 - wonder - what it would be like to win or loose (personally)

 - judge - why do people do it in the first place?

Louis Theroux - 'The Most Hated Family in America' - Notes

narrator - Louis Theroux=passive,listener, and asks interesting questions
sound - fun easy score at the beginning of the documentary=relaxing

editing,lots of closeups,interview style

content tone=think what you want about the issues raised

sound - Johnny Cash - military march song


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6507971.stm