This documentary is called Big Secret Nobody Knew, it featured on National Geographic and focused on the story of World War II. This is would come under the 'mixed' sub-genre in the documentary genre because it uses a lot of archived footage however it also uses a lot of interviews with people who were involved in World War II which gives a more honest account of what happened there, it may be biased towards the United Kingdom along with its allies because it is a British production though.
I really like this documentary because it uses a mixture of archived footage, interviews, voice overs and music in order to create an intense factual documentary. I would predict that this documentary is aimed towards upper class men who are curious, well-educated, high influential and affluent global business decision makers. I would predict this because this is the channels target audience therefore all of the shows shown on that channel are going to be aimed towards that audience.
This documentary is called My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech, it is a documentary that is focusing on a 17 year old boy who has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a rare form of born cancer). It became a viral hit on YouTube. This would come under the 'self reflexive' genre because it is following a single individual round who has a story to tell so that he can inspire others with his story.
I really like this documentary and would want to create a documentary like this because it makes you realise that life can end at any minute and I feel I can relate to it because I am his age and it made me reconsider my outlook on life. This documentary is very emotional because of the content throughout the video and because of the music that is put behind the footage.
This documentary is called Just Melvin, Just Evil. It is about a child molester who raped small children. This documentary is completely different to the other two documentaries that I have researched because it uses a completely different type of emotion throughout the documentary. I feel the beginning of the film is so hitting because it shows the victims anger towards the child molester. This would come under the 'mixed' sub-genre in the documentary genre because it uses multiple forms of media to emphasise the point that it is making- it uses archived footage that looks like it has been recorded from many decades ago, it uses photographs, it uses modern footage (interviews) and it uses multiple soundtracks. It is biased towards the victim and does not attempt to portray the attacker in any positive way possible, it focused on the negatives of him and did not bring up any relevant memorable positives. I think this is good though because this helps the audience to generate a defined opinion on the attacker and it also helps to make them realise what morals are.
I like this documentary because it uses such emotive language throughout the film, it uses a fair bit of swearing when the victims are describing the attackers actions which helps to generate a negative view of the attacker. It does not use a lot of music however it does use some, which is quite trippy psychedelic music which helps to keep the film intense because it constantly feels like something is going to happen.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Issues, Ethics, Codes and Conventions of Factual Programming
Genres Within Documentary
There are many different sub-genres that are all commonly associated with the factual genre. These sub-genres include:
Fly on the Wall- The Fly on the Wall sub-genre is a type of factual documentary that focuses on using cameras that are unseen or ignored by the individuals being recorded. This type of documentary often helps to portray the individuals being recorded as how they would be normally instead of how they would be when they are trying to put on a persona in front of cameras. This type of documentary can often be observational, with very little narration in the whole show.
An example of this type of show would be Sun, Sex, and Suspicious Parents. This show is focusing on teenagers travelling to islands that are associated with partying, sex, nightlife and alcohol while they think they are creating a completely different show. They do not realise that their parents have also come to the island to spy on them. This creates an intriguing show because many ages can relate to it and it is showing the real persona of the teenager instead of the persona that they show at home.
Reality TV- Reality TV is a type of factual documentary that is created with the intention to entertain an audience who are often at home- this type of show is rarely sent to cinemas or theatres. A reality TV show will consist of authentic material that has been recorded (usually without a set script), however this type of show can often show a sense of bias because it will often try to turn the individuals being filmed into a certain character so that the audience respond in a certain way, two examples of a character type that a filmmaker creating a reality TV show may use are a villain and a hero. This sub-genre will often use a mixture of footage taken from camcorders and surveillance, then they will mix it with commentary, opinions and observations. When producing a reality TV show it is important to consider that the reality show could be created for eternity because the cycle of different individuals and reactions will create a different type of footage for each show.
The Reality TV genre is constantly changing and developing because of the ever-changing modern day world, for example, one of the first reality TV shows to be created was Candid Camera which made its debut in 1948 on USA television, however if it is compared to a popular reality TV show such as The X Factor then the different style of the two shows is clear to see. Candid Camera is a show which focuses on playing practical jokes on people while recording with hidden cameras while The X Factor is a worldwide franchise that is usually a national competition where people who believe they have vocal talents compete to become The X Factor Winner.
National competitions such as Big Brother and Britain's Got Talent have helped to create a certain rise in the popularity of reality TV because they focus on a set nation and enable anybody who is of over the age of 16 (The X Factor)/18 (Big Brother) to apply for the show and to win it, this is a potentially life changing experience and viewers like to watch this because they can relate to it because the characters are often normal people just like the viewers. More shows like this have been produced because as modern technology has advanced there have been more TV networks set up and there is a lot of competition in this market which means many companies are generating less revenue, therefore a producer will create a reality show because they are often cheaper to create than a heavily edited show with a specific set, cast and studio.
Docusoap- A docusoap is a sub-genre that focuses on observational elements of a film. This type of documentary will often reoccur in multiple series' and it will often last for a lengthy time. Docusoap's hit popularity in the 1990's because of TV shows such as Airport, and they continue to be popular because of TV shows such as Jersey Shore and The Only Way Is Essex, however as time has advanced the genre has evolved because shows such as The Only Way Is Essex does have elements in it that are scripted and are more likely to resemble a fictional soap such as Eastenders.
When producing a docusoap the truth is rarely considered because the filmmakers will attempt to create a clip that is interesting and possibly controversial, therefore not making it completely fictional however twisting the truth. The producer will aim to make the show relatable to the target audience- this is why they are often popular because they focus on average day events that people can relate to however it will be blown out of proportion in order to sell the product. This genre of documentary is often seem as the most popular type of documentary because many channels which target different audiences are all creating this type of show. For example, the History Channel have created shows of this genre whilst MTV have too.
Docudrama- A docudrama is a sub-genre that focuses on re-enactment of an event that did take place in real life however there may not be any footage of the event, the producers could not get hold of the footage or laws may bar the real footage from being shown to the public. This type of documentary will often be used in a documentary that is featured on a show that is presenting either the news or a historical moment/crime.
An example of a docudrama is Air Crash Investigation, this focuses on plane crashes from different time periods. Many of the crashes are recreated using computer generated imagery and the moments leading up to the crash are often reconstructed using realistic flight simulators.
Self Reflexive- The Self Reflexive sub-genre of a documentary is when an individual or group is followed around by the camera. This is all done with intention and the filmed cast are likely to have given consent for the producers to use the footage. In modern culture, the horror genre has used this genre to make it look more realistic so that it feels more intense and scary. An example of this genre is the MTV show Catfish, which focuses on online relationships and the buildup between two individuals who have never previously met to their knowledge. The camera focuses on one of the individuals which builds the intensity up until the end of the documentary when the person they are meeting finally meets them, this can often be surprising and this is why this sub-genre is so appealing- because it can emphasise the state of shock very well because it will often show only one side of an event so when both sides meet this is when the reality hits.
Another good example of this genre being used though is in the teen comedy film Project X, this film is based around friends having a party that spirals out of control and becomes one of the largest parties of all time. The camera man throughout the film relates to the cameras and is sometimes involved with the characters. Although this film is fictional it uses the same conventions that a self reflexive documentary would.
Fully Narrated- A Fully Narrated documentary is where a documentary will be narrated throughout the whole duration of the film by a set narrator, there will usually only be one narrator. This type of genre will often follow a strict rule of having a well laid out structure of a beginning, a middle, and an end. The narrator will help to emphasise what is happening throughout the documentary and it can also add a twist into the action, as well as some biased views. This sub-genre of the documentary genre is popular with viewers because it often feels like the narrator is speaking directly to the audience, which personalises the show to them more than if there was no narrator in the show. This genre is widely used in comedy and for educational purposes because it is good for explaining a set situation and it helps the audience to understand what is happening in the scene.
An example of a fully narrated documentary would be Come Dine With Me, this is a cooking show where four strangers each have to host a dinner party for each other and then they all vote and the person with the most votes wins a money prize. Although the storyline is relatively clear, the narrator that is featured in the show introduces each contestant and will make constant witty jokes with regards to the contestants which can come across as funny.
Mixed- A Mixed documentary is a combination of multiple formats of media including interviews, observation, archive material, radio snippets, narration and actuality footage. All of this footage that has been captured over time will be cut and mixed together to create a sequence that will help to create a bigger picture of the story in the film.
Singer-songwriter and film director Lana Del Rey has created a short film that uses elements of this genre. She has created a film that focuses on many of her influences from throughout her life such as Elvis, Jesus Christ and Marilyn Monroe. She combines this with a mixture of music including music by her and also instrumentals without her vocals. The combination of clips that she has used has meant that the video stays interesting and it does not feel like a 27 minute video because of the clashing elements that she has used in a positive way.
Issues and Ethics
Accuracy- Accuracy is the quality or state of being correct or precise. Accuracy is extremely important when creating a factual documentary programme because if the film does not portray the truth then this would not be classed as 'factual', it would instead be 'fictional'. Although accuracy is important many directors and producers will often insert their own views into the film which will make is biased, therefore it will not be telling false information but it will be giving the information to the viewer that they want them to receive. An example of a documentary that was regarded as one of the most accurate documentaries of all time was The World at War. This was a series of documentaries about World War II that was released in 1973, the accurate portrayal of the series helped to generate a powerful and evocative series that was seen as exceptionally emotional.
Impartiality- Impartiality is a principle that is based on being fair and even, rather than showing bias or prejudice for improper reasons. An example of this would be if I created a factual film that portrayed Adolf Hitler as a kind, loving man who loved animals then some audiences may find this offensive because of the war crimes that he committed even though this information could be seen as true.
Privacy- Privacy is the state of an individual or a select group being free from the public eye. This also means that there should be nothing spread about the people, whether it is true or false. Allowing people privacy when creating a documentary film is extremely important in my opinion because I feel that the best way to create a documentary is to feel their emotions and feelings, allowing them to have their own privacy is the respectful and moral thing to do and people are more likely to respect this rather than harassing somebody just to get a story.
Objectivity- Objectivity is striving to eliminate any possible bias, prejudice, or subjective evaluation by relying on information that is impartial and neutral. Being objective is very similar to being impartial however the difference is that being objective can result in a final opinion on the matter in the end. For example, if a filmmaker was creating a film about World War I they would use neutral information that did not show bias towards the Allies or the Axis countries. If they did read biased information then they would equal it out by reading biased information that supports the other side as well.
Subjectivity- Subjectivity refers to how someone's judgement is shaped by personal opinions or feelings instead of other influences. This idea focuses heavily on the idea of an individual having unique ideas based on everything that affects your life such as your age, gender and your personal life. An example of subjectivity is if an individual had two gay brothers they may be more supportive of gay rights than somebody who has grown up following Westboro Baptist Church's strict beliefs in their religion.
Bias- Bias is a type of prejudice that favours against one thing, person, believe, or group when compared to another which is usually considered as unfair. Bias is extremely important to consider when creating a documentary because if a filmmaker wants to generate a certain emotion or opinion when watching the film then they will use bias. An example of bias would be if a filmmaker decided to include statistics such as 52% of elderly people feel lonely, however they would not mention that the other 48% of elderly people do not feel lonely... It is highly unlikely that every 'elderly' person has contributed towards the statistics.
Opinion- An opinion is the belief of an individual, each individual will often have a different opinion to each other although some people can often be influenced by others as well as media products such as a documentary video. The best way to create a documentary that could give your audience a set opinion is to create a biased view and portray it in the film, for example if I was to create a film about animals being needlessly killed so that humans can eat meat I may show footage of these innocent animals being slaughtered because people are more likely to take notice of this horrifying footage.
Representation- Representation is when something or somebody speaks out in support of a certain cause, having good representation is extremely important because if you are represented badly (especially in the media) then customers of the company's product may be turned to a rival company or they may stop buying the product, this would be bad for revenue. This is why many filmmakers try to represent a company fairly without bias when creating a documentary about them because they may be paid by the company for successfully promoting their product or they may feel that this is the moral thing to do otherwise if the documentary became viral it may cause a massive economic problem for the company.
Ofcom (Office of Communications)- Ofcom (Office of Communications) is a regulatory authority that is government approved for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in United Kingdom. The authority was created in 2002 when the Office of Communications Act 2002 was passed, and then received full authority in 2003 when the Communications Act 2003 was passed by the Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.
Ofcom regulates the following:
Ensure that the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high speed services such as broadband.
Ensure that a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests.
Ensure that television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations.
Ensure that people who watch television and who listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material.
Ensure that people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded.
Ensure that there is a universal postal service is provided throughout the UK- it has to consist of 6 working days a week (Sunday is the only day allowed off)
Ensure that the radio spectrum is used in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Ofcom CANNOT do the following:
Regulate disputes between people and their telecoms provider.
Regulate premium-rate services (including mobile-phone text services and ringtones).
Regulate the content of television and radio adverts (Advertising Standards Agency [ASA] is responsible for this).
Regulate complaints about accuracy in BBC programmes.
Regulate the BBC TV license fee.
Regulate post offices.
Regulate newspapers and magazines (Press Complaints Commission [PCC] is responsible for this]
Codes and Conventions
When creating a documentary, filmmakers will often stick to certain codes and conventions in order to help portray their opinions in the correct way. There are five main methods that somebody will use when creating a documentary, these are:
Expository- This type of documentary is usually very biased through using a lot of facts and rhetorical questions. It will often use a lot of speaking in the show in order to inspire the viewer and to gain their support, and as a result is less likely to use a lot of images that relate to the project. This type of documentary will often be recorded in an interview method with the main focus being the individual being interviewed, focusing on everything in the view from their body movements to their emotional state. When creating this type of documentary filmmakers will often try to interview somebody that shows some kind of emotion, for example a victim of a vicious rape case may be interviewed and may cry on camera- this helps to generate sympathy and support for the victim while turning the attacker into a villain. Whilst the individual is talking the documentary may show the occasional video sequence that may consist of the time or area that they were talking about or a reconstruction of what happened in the event.
This type of documentary can also use a mixture of types of camera shot in order to portray an event. There may be a re-enactment which uses a high quality camera, there may be CCTV footage from the event used which is not very good quality, or if there is an issue that people know is going on but there is no evidence for it then a filmmaker may plant a hidden camera in a location and hope for something to happen that will help to portray their ideas successfully.
Music is often used in this type of documentary to help set an emotion so that the viewer knows how to feel for certain individuals that are involved in the story line, it can also be to generate suspense, this type of documentary uses a soundtrack in similar fashion to horror and thriller genres because it helps to keep the viewer intrigued no matter what emotion they are feeling.
This type of documentary will often use one of two methods in order to explain what is going on. The first is a voice over in which somebody is talking, however it is not possible to see them- this is often classed as the Voice of God by filmmakers. The second is called the Voice of Authority, this is when an individual, group or something will be visible on screen while talking to the camera. This type of voice over is usually used when a filmmaker has recorded an expert for the topic that they are focusing on. For example, if there was a documentary being made about lions the filmmaker may interview a lion expert on camera and use it in the film. Both of these methods will often help to create a bias in which the viewer may decide to agree because the facts are possibly overwhelming.
An example of the Expository genre being used is in British TV show Panorama, this episode of the show focused on abuse in care homes. The beginning of the clip uses sympathetic and slow music in order to generate a general mood which is sad and sympathetic towards the victims who are elderly people in care homes.
The video then shows undercover clips taken from a hidden camera that would be extremely small and easy to place without people seeing it inside a care home showing a male care home worker abusing an elderly lady, which paints him as the villain. The clip then moves to interviews and reactions with the presenter and others who are reviewing this footage to portray a universal opinion. Although the footage is disturbing it is quite clear that the show is using people biased towards trying to give care homes for the elderly a bad name because this clip generalises care homes and insinuates that many care workers are like this man- they could be like this however they have not backed it up with any evidence. Observational- This type of documentary is based around being observational, however unlike an expository documentary it will be non-biased and will give a neutral account of the events that are occurring. In order to give a neutral account of what is happening in the film filmmakers will rarely edit music into the background of the film, they will instead use synchronous sound which is coming from the camera that recorded the event. This helps to create a realistic atmosphere that makes an audience feel like they are there and it does not try to portray any set emotion so that the audience can have their own view on the events.
When creating an observational documentary a filmmaker will often use little cameras that are lightweight and small so that they can travel easily and so that they can capture events that would be hard to capture if large equipment was used. A popular type of camera for in this documentary is the handheld camera because it helps to make the audience feel like they are there and it makes the event feel more genuine because it feels less edited and perfected as opposed to other types of shot- especially when somebody is being interviewed when sat down and in knowledge of the camera. People do not have to be aware of the camera in this type of documentary although they often are, sometimes when they do know that they are being recorded they still pretend to not know they are being recorded in order to try and make the documentary more believable and realistic
An example of an observational documentary would be Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter because it uses many of the elements that an observational documentary would use in it. Although the opening sequence uses some music in it the majority of the show uses little sound other than the sound coming straight from the camera and it gives a genuine feel of what the relationship is like between Katie Price and Peter Andre.
Although this seems like it is non-biased and honest this video will have been edited in order to portray the couple in a certain way which means that the audience may still react in a certain way. Although it is a lot less biased than a show such as Panorama, I believe this because I did not like the couple even though many people did like them, this proves that many people finished watching the show with varying opinions which is what it aims to do. Reflexive- A reflexive documentary is a type of factual documentary that a filmmaker will use to feature themselves in the video, they will often narrate the story as well. This type of documentary is not often regarded as a mainstream genre and will often be used in a documentary that is trying to oppose conventions and is trying to experiment in order to create a whole new type of documentary film. The problem with this type of documentary is that because it often tries to oppose the conventions of being like a conventional documentary it can often lack realism and authenticity because it is representational of a certain belief. Although the genre shows a lot of bias there will often be little editing or added effect in the video which helps to portray the project as an honest piece of information that has not been edited to the likes of the filmmaker.
When watching this type of documentary an audience will often become aware of topics that are highlighted throughout the show which may be biased issues and the audience may miss issues that are not in favour of the filmmakers views. The viewer may feel that this type of documentary feels legitimate and truthful, however it can be extremely biased at times.
Equipment used in this film can often be a mixture of equipment, however many filmmakers use stereotypical larger equipment for this type of documentary so that they can record the equipment (such as video cameras) recording the subjects with a smaller camera. I personally feel that this creates a less personal atmosphere which can be positive when the mood needs to be brought up in a documentary that is fairly dull and depressing. Dramatic music will often be used in this type of video in order to create an intense atmosphere that may seem slightly over the top and unrealistic.
An example of a filmmaker who uses aspects from the reflexive genre is Louis Theroux. He is well known for his controversial and straight up method of reflexive filmmaking, although he is creating the video he is also often interviewing somebody or talking about something that is related to the subject he is focusing on.
This clip is of Louis Theroux confronting the issue of modern day Nazi's who still to this day hail Adolf Hitler's reign. The first part of the clip is simple and shows a mother with her family which is not clear at first until it becomes clear that the family are playing around a nazi symbol that has been created on the floor. The camera then pans to the other side of the room to Louis Theroux who asks them if the mother thinks this is correct and whether she cares what people think. Although it seems non biased, the way that Theroux asked the questions helped to set a negative view on the mother straight away. Performative- A performative documentary is where a filmmaker will create a subjective film that will be shown from their personal viewpoint, this type of video is often extremely biased and can also be very personal to the filmmaker because it is strongly promoting their views instead of a neutral view. This type of documentary can often be used to create a point of view that is a minority view.
The filmmaker will often interact with anybody or anything being interviewed or focused on for the documentary which helps them to put their opinion forward and it lets them show their emotions towards the subject that they are creating the documentary for.
A good example of this type of documentary is the viral video that became a hit on YouTube in 2012 called KONY 2012. This video focused on a a filmmaker and his family at the beginning- specifically his son. He then related his son to children that were affected by the leader of guerrilla group LRA in Uganda, Joseph Kony. The documentary emphasises the fact that Kony has ruined many peoples lives and that Kony needs eliminating because he is killing innocent people who do not deserve to die. There is a lot of backing music throughout this video and it helps to create a powerful sadness throughout the video so that you feel sympathetic towards the Ugandan child. The director has featured in this video throughout the whole thing and has also narrated it because he is knowledgable on this subject and feels passionate about it. The passion then rubs off onto the audience who are likely to donate to the cause. Participatory (Interactive)- This type of documentary is focused on social aspects of an issue, this will usually be confronted by using a 'social actor' who will retain their power with a camera and a microphone. This type of documentary mostly focuses on the subjects speaking instead of having a narrator to tell the story, it relies on the events that occur to show the story. This type of documentary will likely be truthful and will give an honest point of view from the encounter that a filmmaker had with the subject that they are focusing on throughout the video. This type of documentary will often involve a lot of in-depth interviews so that the storyline is clear to understand without having to use voice overs to explain it.
This type of documentary is good to create a certain view of somebody by manipulating peoples minds by using certain questions that are asked in the interview could make the subject look either good or bad. It could generate sympathy, or hate. For example, if a former Nazi was being interviewed then they may well be portrayed in a negative view with negative questions such as "Do you not think what you did was barbaric?". This type of question can inform the audience that this person has done something barbaric so he is therefore not seen as a good person.
Although interviews are used in this type of documentary mostly, this genre will also often use material that has been archived from over time such as news headlines, footage of historical events, photographs, books or letters. This type of media will often be turned into a sequence so that it is easy to understand the storyline and so that the audience can understand what the subject is feeling better.
An example of this genre of documentary is this following clip from The Threshold of Oblivion, this documentary focuses on elderly men who fought for the Nazi cause in World War II, yet they still feel that Adolf Hitler was not wrong now. The documentary focuses on the subject of Germany invading Netherlands and the interviewer describes how her great-uncle was killed by the Nazi's (this helps to generate sympathy for her) and then the elderly men refused to accept that their government would do that, this made them seem arrogant, ignorant and careless which makes the audience think that they are not nice people and they will turn against them.
News
The news is similar to factual documentaries because they are both factual, however we do not know how much they have actually exaggerated the issue that they are confronting. For example, BBC News may handle the same news story differently to Sky News would do. A news channel will often have codes and conventions that it uses to present the news to its audience, they consist of:
The news reader will be sitting behind a desk in a studio like the example in this screenshot from BBC News.
The news reader will often conduct in depth research to identify and develop an interesting news story. Depending on the news reader, they may choose to present impartially or with bias.
The news reader will be neat and have a conservative look that is professional and respectable.
For example, many people are unlikely to trust the following people presenting them with the news because of stereotypes, codes and conventions:
This man may well have a very nice personality and he may relate to a certain audience who is into the rock life style however he would not appeal to the stereotypical target audience who watch news channels because although there is not set age range for the majority of the target audiences the convention is that they will be a stereotypical working man or woman.
This person is again not going to be seen presenting a news channel because stereotypes usually associate this type of person with being stupid and non-educational. The
