analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

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Analysis into the codes and conventions of TV documentaries: Teenage Heroin Epidemic - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=aIbpt1aDFqM Introduction: This documentary explores the increasing number of teenager drug users in the UK and how their lives have been shattered due to their self inflicted heroine abuse. The documentary is very poignant at times as the characters inform the audience what their lives were like before using heroin and what their lives are now life. This approach to the film the documentary is well thought of as the audience is informed of the affects of heroine and also creates sympathy for the characters urging the audience to continue to watch the documentary. Target Audience: The documentary is targeted at teenagers, this is evident as majority of the characters in this documentary are teenagers and explores the difficulties and challenges they are facing due to their heroine usage. This documentary’s target audience would be both males and females between the ages of 16 and 21. I have come to this conclusion as this is the age rate that teenagers in the UK are either suing or selling heroine. I believe that, in terms of class, people of class C2 and D would watch this documentary as these are the people who are either taking or know someone that has or currently has taken heroine. I do not think an audience above C2 would watch this documentary as heroine is a drug that is not commonly used by higher class individuals. Type of documentary: This type of documentary is a social/investigative documentary. I say this because the documentary is highlighting problems in our society and making them aware to the audience. Therefore, as a result this documentary type is

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Page 1: Analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

Analysis into the codes and conventions of TV documentaries:

Teenage Heroin Epidemic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIbpt1aDFqM

Introduction:

This documentary explores the increasing number of teenager drug users in the UK and how their lives have been shattered due to their self inflicted heroine abuse. The documentary is very poignant at times as the characters inform the audience what their lives were like before using heroin and what their lives are now life. This approach to the film the documentary is well thought of as the audience is informed of the affects of heroine and also creates sympathy for the characters urging the audience to continue to watch the documentary.

Target Audience:

The documentary is targeted at teenagers, this is evident as majority of the characters in this documentary are teenagers and explores the difficulties and challenges they are facing due to their heroine usage. This documentary’s target audience would be both males and females between the ages of 16 and 21. I have come to this conclusion as this is the age rate that teenagers in the UK are either suing or selling heroine. I believe that, in terms of class, people of class C2 and D would watch this documentary as these are the people who are either taking or know someone that has or currently has taken heroine. I do not think an audience above C2 would watch this documentary as heroine is a drug that is not commonly used by higher class individuals.

Type of documentary:

This type of documentary is a social/investigative documentary. I say this because the documentary is highlighting problems in our society and making them aware to the audience. Therefore, as a result this documentary type is a social documentary. Moreover, because this documentary investigates the affects heroine has on people’s lives both physically, mentally and personally it is an investigative documentary.

Published:

This documentary was published on Vice over the internet. The internet is a useful way to broadcast the documentary as it particularly as this documentary as it is free and seeing as this documentary as a low production value. Furthermore, from our research into our target audience we discovered they use the internet a lot which therefore shows it is good way to attract them to watch the documentary.

Page 2: Analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

Style of documentary:

This style of documentary is narrative as the narrator is giving the audience information of the affects of drug use and how it has destroyed people’s lives.

Content:

The documentary follows the daily routine of heroin addicts and at times has gruesome scenes e.g. showing dirty conditions and drug taking behind bins. The documentary is very factual at times and explores how heroine usage by teenagers has lead to a lost generation. The documentary has a negative viewpoint towards heroine from the beginning of the documentary and highlights the negative aspects of drug usage such as addiction, and risk of HIV/AIDS and other associated diseases; and even death.

Narrative structure:

This type of documentary has a circular narrative structure. This narrative structure fits this style of documentary as it shows the never-ending, continual cycle of drug addiction.

Methods:

The documentary consists of a narration; this is useful as the narrator provides facts and information which aids in making the documentary seem more professional and realistic. The dialogue used is extremely useful also as it provides an insight into the thoughts and feelings of heroin addicts.

Camerawork, lighting and mise en scene:

The documentary simply follows heroine addicted teenagers daily routine and their battle with heroine and as results the camerawork simply follows them around only consisting of mid-shots and close ups but does make sure that the characters in the documentary are within the rule of thirds. The lighting is not applicable as the camera simply follows the characters everyday life in the streets of Swansea. The mise-en scene is a teenagers living in the rough streets and council houses of Swansea, which clearly reflects the characters low social class.

Page 3: Analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

Super-Size Me:

The 2004 documentary ‘super-size me’ aims to shed light on the ever rising aphetic of obesity in America and targets fast food giant McDonalds as responsible. The documentary attempts to reveal America’s hidden obesity problem by the presenter and producer Morgan Spurlock only eating from the McDonalds menu in order to portray he negative ramifications of eating an unhealthy fast food diet. ‘Super-size me’ uses elements of different documentary mode; the participatory mode is throughout the documentary as Morgan Spurlock undergoing the experiment and tracks his day to day struggles and interactions. In additional, the documentary also contains the polemical mode as Spurlock is heavily biased as he targets solely McDonalds as responsible out of the hundred fast food chains and diners in America.

The documentary constantly has interviews and informal discussions from professional individuals such as doctors, dietician to highlight and stress the negative implications of a McDonald’s diet such as coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack and even shorten life expectancy. To portray to the audience the health risks of consuming McDonald’s professional individuals are interviewed. Mise-en-scene is significant as the woman below is wearing glasses and surrounded by books is a symbol and contains connation’s of knowledge and intelligence which creates a highly skilled and professional persona.

Mise-en-scene is used once more this particular extract of the documentary uses props such as a computer and piano. The computer is associated to be used by individuals with a professional career. The piano is a cleverly aspect that strengthen the mise-en scene that the individual is a professional as piano’s are related to individuals who have an interest in culture and the finer things in life which creates a well-known stereotype that the individuals with a professional career originate from a middle/high class which creates more realism about the documentary.

Page 4: Analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

The documentary highlights the negative aspects of American society for example the documentary predominately uses voxpops to question the American public on whether there are aware of the long term ramivactions of eating Mcdonald and basic health knowledge.

Spurlcok aks simple questions such as “What isa calorie?” this seems as a simple question to answer however, a large proportion of the American public were unable to answer him which portrays them as naïve, uneducated and unhealth consicious. By showing how ignorant America is of the risks of eating fast food meals it damages McDonalds reputation as it appears they are feeding their customers without giving them any nutritional information on what they are consuming.

Moreover, Spurlock continues to criticize American society but having an informal interview with big mac enthusiast Don Gorske at a McDonalds resturant. Gorske is presented as a self conferssed McDonalds fanatic whose diet solely consists of big macs and unwilling to change his eating habits. The use of this informal interview has damaging effects as it presents Americans as food addicts and reluctant to stop the devasting consequences it is causing to themselves and to their society.

Furthermore, American society is presented as lazy and letting their lives get out of control when a man is sent to hospital to have a operation to lose weight instead of exerising. This portrays America as reluctant to change their sluggish ways.

Mcdonalds itself is also used negatively not only by the food they are producing and the effect it is havig on the American public but also when Spurlock tried to get in touch with one of their mangers, he phoned them more than 14 times but to no reply which portrays them as discourteous and not the coventional friendly, helpful, customer caring company which them make us to believe.

However there are elements in the documentary where Spurlock aims to reveal American postive society such as the man from subway who was tried of being overweight and decided to act about it. This portrays American society as a community who are willingly to change their eating habits and become more health conscious which is a turning point in the documentary.

As mentioned, the documentary uses a lot of graphics to emphasis it message of McDonalds causing health problems. This

Page 5: Analysis into the codes and conventions of tv documentaries

particular graphic creates a sense that McDonald’s is taking over the world with fast food chains leaving people no choice but to buy their products which is causing an increase in obesity. In addition, the Mcdonald’s cups are fronted in this particular long shot makes the cups seem large than the buildings and cars creating an illustion that they are enourmous and unesscarrly huge.

The documentary also uses graphics to represent the growing obesity trends and the implications of what will be the result if Americans do not stop the ever growing food habits. Furthermore, the documentary uses of visual effect to present the health risk that McDonald is causing Americans, by showing a healthy artery and an unhealthy artery claiming that 40% of Americans have a damaged or partial blockage artery and that in the next 40 years this figure will double creating a sense of drama and fear. I believe graphics are used cleverly in this documentary because if Spurlock just gave the facts the audience would just view them as numbers but by visually seeing the effects of a fast food diet it hits the message home a lot harder that this food could lead to serious illness or death and to stop consuming as much of it which I believe is the purpose of this documentary.

In conclusion I believe ‘Super-size me’ gives insight into the growing obesity problems and although the experiment was not as accurate as it could have been I do believe it sheds light on both positive and negative aspects of American society.