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By Eleanor Carter

Documentary 1

Title of documentary: ‘Don’t Blame Facebook’Channel: Channel 4Time/Date: 10pm, Monday 22 July 2013Target Audience: Mainly teenagers, some parents of teenagers

Summary: The main controversy of the documentary is about social media. From the beginning, the documentary presents it’s biased opinion as against social media- using the line ‘some of us are just one click away from a c*ck-up.’

The first minute of the documentary:

The opening 10 seconds• There is a pan of somebody using a computer and it’s slightly blurred. • There are also some effects- a spark noise is used which resembles an electrical fault sound. • There are wipe transitions leading you from one clip to another. These clips are used in a montage. • There is an over–the-shoulder shot of somebody watching a child on a computer, and a shot used

involving lots of screens, with different forms of social media on them. • There is then a fade out to the title screen.

Sound used• Just a voiceover is used at first, then vox pops are introduced.• Most likely, the questions asked for the interviews were: what happened to you on social media?

What did you post which you regret?• The voice over provides facts and immediately provides a biased opinion ‘some of us are just one

click away from a cock-up.• They have used non-diegetic music (a woman singing, pop song) to begin the program, leading up

to the title screen. There are also zapping sounds (like electrical fault). It then changes to upbeat high pitched music.

Facts and stats: ‘There are over 750 million of us with facebook on phones’, ‘6 billion hours of video watched each month on YouTube’.

Vox pop: There are vox pop interviews as a montage involving people who have been in trouble with social media- posted bad things which have got out of hand- medium close ups, medium shots, zooms into their face.

The message created in the first minute of the documentary:

The opening 10 seconds• The pan of somebody using a computer provides the audience with a clear indication of what the

documentary is about, by using props such as the computer to relate to the topic of the programme. We should adopt this technique in our own documentary, by using filler footage which relates to our chosen topic of social media. For example, props such as mobile phones.

• The spark noise effects reinforces the relation to the topic of the documentary as it sounds like an electrical fault sound. This will attract the audience as it is a unique and interesting sound effect which would help to lead them into the documentary. We could also do this in our documentary, maybe including notification sounds from different social media apps. This would relate to our topic as well as relating to our teenage audience as they are likely to have access to these social media sites.

• There are wipe transitions between clips used in a montage. Transitions could be an effective way to add interest to the documentary, as it’s a different way of presenting to the audience. We could do this to vary our shot types and transitions.

• The fade out to the title screen is an effective way of first presenting the title of the documentary. It is used after other shots as it builds up an idea of what the documentary is about before actually presenting what the name of the documentary is.

The message created in the first minute of the documentary:Sound used • A voiceover is used, then vox pops are introduced. These are main conventions of a documentary,

therefore we most definitely will be using these same conventions. • Most likely, the questions asked for the interviews were: what happened to you on social media?

What did you post which you regret? The purpose of these interviews were to reveal to the audience a certain opinion of social media. Therefore, this documentary most likely had a closed, linear narrative- as all the interviews in the first 10 minutes portrayed negative opinions of social media and the trouble it can cause. In our documentary, we plan to keep it unbiased, therefore our narrative structure will be the opposite of this documentary- open and non-linear.

• The voice over provides facts and a biased opinion- the purpose of this is clearly to cause the audience to feel a certain way about the topic by providing factual information which supports the opinion of the documentary. This will differ from our documentary as we aim to be unbiased and leave the audience to make their own opinions. Therefore, we will ensure in our narration we will include facts which are unbiased or a balance of different opinions.

• The non-diegetic music leading up to the title screen creates a build up of tension before displaying the title of the documentary. We could also do this as it creates a sense of excitement for the audience. We will definitely use non-diegetic music in our documentary as it is a main convention and we will also place our title in after an introduction to our documentary.

Facts and stats: The facts used provide the audience with the opinion that social media is used too frequently, therefore it’s presenting biased facts to determine what the audience think.

Vox pop: The vox pop interviews as a montage (people in trouble with social media)- medium close ups, medium shots, zooms of face. This adds to the negative impression of social media, suggesting it causes issues. Medium close ups and zoom-ins show the emotion on the interviewee’s faces as they discuss how social media has affected them- this accentuates their negative opinions.

Images used• Image of child on computer - indicates how social media dominates children’s lives.• Image of somebody on their phone• Images of lots of tablets wired together.• Pan of somebody typing reflects the topic of the documentary.• Images of the ‘like’ button on facebook; twitter dashboard- accentuates how popular the logos are

for the sites.• Image of a girl taking a ‘selfie’- modern day norms in society.

The message created in the first minute of the documentary:

Images used in the opening 10 seconds• Image of child on computer – creates an impression to the audience that children are obsessed

with the internet and social media, which reflects the biased idea they are trying to portray throughout the whole documentary. This may make adults who are watching worried about their child becoming obsessed with social media. The over-the-shoulder shot suggests the child is unaware they are being watched- therefore they’re oblivious to anything but the computer. As it reveals someone standing behind the child, it also shows that the child is not socialising with that person, but has got their back to them.

• Image of somebody on their phone- again portrays an idea of obsession with gadgets, as well as relating to the topic. We shall also use filler clips like this to relate to our topic as it keeps the audience focused and interested.

• The Image of tablets wired together creates the idea that everyone is connected through gadgets and social media- which is a very modern outlook on society. This could be portrayed as negative also as it implies people generally communicate through social media rather than face-to-face.

• The Pan of somebody typing acts as filler footage which reflects the topic of the documentary.• Well- known images of the ‘like’ button on facebook and the twitter dashboard are used as most

people nowadays are aware of the logos for these sites and this also relates to the topic.• The image of a girl taking a ‘selfie’ introduces very modern normalities in society. It could suggest

teenagers are become more vain and ‘selfies’ are another reason for teenagers to be on their phones, so they can upload them on to social media sites. Both adults and teenagers are likely to have heard of ‘selfies’ and therefore can relate to the topic.

1-3 minutes:

Mise en sceneLaptops and phones are used- relating to the topic. Casual clothes are worn in a normal living room for the reconstruction. This shows wherever you are you can post from social networking sites and average people are behind the screens. Also, the location of John Pegg’s interview is outside Hall Green Boxing Club- relating to the boxer Curtis Woodhouse.

Sound usedA voiceover is used as well as the voice of Curtis woodhouse describing his negative experience of social media.Curtis was most likely asked: Why do you use social media? What sort of things does your twitter troll post about you? John Pegg, trainer was probably asked how Curtis reacts to mean twitter posts.There was a voiceover throughout this time period, except when interviewee’s were speaking.There is upbeat music when introducing Curtis woodhouse- the boxer- alongside a medium long shot of him boxing--the music matches him punching- therefore the sound is synchronous. There is a ‘Ping’ sound as a mean tweet appears on the screen. Also, sad, low paced music plays after Curtis discusses the mean tweets he’s received and when the voiceover mentions Curtis losing his English boxing title.

Captions: Captions are used to introduce the interviewee’s. For example, the caption ‘Curtis Woodhouse, boxing clever’ and ‘John Pegg, trainer’.

The message created during 1-3 minutes of the documentaryMise en scene• Laptops and phones are used as props which relates to the topic of the documentary. • Casual clothes are worn in a normal living room for the reconstruction, suggesting that the average

person most likely has access to social media and it has become viral. This adds to the biased opinion that social media is over-used and nearly everyone is able to post on social networking sites- which could be a danger. In this situation, negative comments have been posted online, which supports this negative opinion.

Sound used• Curtis woodhouse describes his negative experience of social media- adds to biased negative

opinion- which is likely to determine the audience’s opinion of social media as negative.• Why do you use social media? What sort of things does your twitter troll post about you? The

interviewee is being asked leading questions, prompting him to respond with a negative opinion-which will create a negative view of social media for the audience.

• The upbeat music when introducing Curtis woodhouse goes alongside a medium long shot of him boxing. The music is in time with him punching- synchronous.

• A ‘Ping’ sound occurs when a mean tweet appears on the screen- this reflects the sound of social media notifications which the audience are likely to be familiar with. They have used a mean tweet to display the hurtful comments which can be posted on social media. We plan to also show this side of social media, however create more of a balance as we’ll include positive opinions too.

• Sad, low paced music plays as Curtis discusses mean tweets- makes audience feel sympathetic towards him. Parallel sound is an effective way of creating a certain atmosphere which will affect the mood of the audience. Therefore, we will most likely consider this in our documentary.

Captions: Captions are used to introduce the interviewee’s: ‘Curtis Woodhouse, boxing clever’ and ‘John Pegg, trainer’. This looks professional and we will do this in our documentary.

Images used:• Someone typing at a keyboard• Reconstruction of a man on his laptop tweeting mean tweets. • Quick cuts from reconstruction to the interview. • Image of man boxing- introduced before story of Curtis is introduced. • Over-the shoulder shot of Curtis on his mobile phone. • Cuts from medium shot to medium close up of Curtis.

The message created during 1-3 minutes of the documentaryImages used• Zoom in of somebody typing at a keyboard- this relates to the topic as it shows somebody on their laptop typing

which suggests they could be using social media. We are likely to include a similar shot in our documentary as it is good for filler footage and also is relevant to the topic we will be discussing. A zoom in is effective as it reveals a close-up shot of a person’s hands moving fast- without stopping, indicating they are fixated on what they are doing and are advanced at typing and familiar with the keyboard.

• Reconstruction of a man on his laptop tweeting mean tweets- reconstructions are an effective way of showing how things happened rather than telling. They add interest to a documentary as it depicts what happens while the interviewee tells the story.

• Quick cuts from reconstruction to the interview are effective as the two shots interlink. The audience listen to the interview over the reconstruction as the boxer tells his story of what happened and watch the reconstruction at the same time. A reconstruction allows the audience to fully understand what the interviewee is saying and it is therefore an effective technique to use. We may use a reconstruction of cyber-bullying. However, it will not be based on one of our interviews, therefore we will not have cutaways to interviews.

• Image of man boxing- introduced before Curtis is introduced- this gives the audience a hint as to what is coming up in the documentary, and indicates some background information on the upcoming interviewee’s. This builds up an interest for the audience before they are introduced to the person, which adds excitement.

• The over-the shoulder shot of Curtis on his mobile phone implies he regularly uses social media. It also relates to when he speaks about social media. These cutaways during interviews keep the audience interested.

• Cuts from medium shot to medium close up of Curtis- reveals his emotion as he is speaking and makes the audience feel closer to him as he tells his experience with social media. This could cause the audience to feel more sympathetic with him as he has been attacked with hurtful tweets.

3-5 minutes:

Mise en scene: • Curtis in athletic gear- reflects his profession.• Facial expression of twitter troll as he apologises on national television.

Sound used:• There is a mixture of the voiceover and interview of Curtis. • The interviewer is not heard, but questions have been clearly asked to direct the interviewee on

what they should discuss. The question which is likely to have been asked is: what happened when you drove to Sheffield to find your online hater?

• At this point in the documentary, there is an upbeat tone as the boxer drives along the motorway towards the house of the mean tweeter.

• There are also non-diegetic pinging sounds of the twitter posts whilst he is driving.

The message created during 3-5 minutes of the documentary

Mise en scene: • The shot shows Curtis wearing athletic clothing, which reflects his profession as a boxer. This

gives the audience a clear understanding of the background of the interviewee.• Facial expression of twitter troll as he apologises on national television- he looks embarrassed

and ashamed- this portrays the issues with posting mean status’ on the internet.

Sound used:• There is a mixture of the voiceover and interview of Curtis, this is conventional for a

documentary as the voiceover directs the audience through the documentary, and the interview provides an extra opinion. They use the interview to support the negative portrayal of Social media which is presented throughout the documentary.

• In the documentary, there is an upbeat tone as the boxer drives along the motorway towards the house of the mean tweeter. This is an example of contrapuntal sound as positive music is mixed with the negative atmosphere of the documentary.

• There are also non-diegetic pinging sounds of the twitter posts whilst he is driving. We plan to use a diegetic sound of a phone notification as it relates to our topic of social media. We may use this at the beginning of our documentary to instantly show the audience what the documentary is about by using props such as phones.

Images used: • Quick cuts of different angles of the motorway on the way to Sheffield to find his mean tweeter. • Cuts from reconstruction of the mean tweeter to Curtis in car on the way to find him.• There is a tracking shot when Curtis is in the car on the way to find his mean tweeter.• Medium shots of him.• Close up of tweeters face.• Low angle shot of sky.• Archival footage of twitter troll apologising on national TV.

The message created during 3-5 minutes of the documentaryImages used: • Quick cuts of different angles of the motorway- these tracking shots allow the audience to follow

the interviewee on his journey to find the mean tweeter- this gets the audience involved in the clip. We plan to use a tracking shot down a corridor to the room where we will be interviewing as this will give our audience an idea about the location where we are interviewing and therefore get them involved in the documentary.

• Cuts from reconstruction of the mean tweeter to Curtis in car on the way to find him- the purpose of this to create anticipation as the interviewee makes a journey to the mean tweeter- it shows both of them in their locations. The reconstruction makes it easier for the audience to understand the situation.

• The documentary includes medium shots of Curtis and a close up of tweeters face, which enables the audience to see the emotion of both actors and feel more involved in the documentary, as though they are actually there. Medium shots are good to use for interviews as they are quite intimate and display the opinions of the interviewees through facial expressions.

• Archival footage of twitter troll apologising on national TV. Archival footage is a common convention of documentaries. It adds extra information from a different source to support the message the documentary is trying to convey. It’s a way of adding authenticity to the documentary. We will be using archival footage in our documentary to support what our interviewees are saying and also to support what we claim in our narrative.

5-9 minutes:

Sound used:• Jed being interviewed, his mother talking about him.• The interviewers were likely to have asked what’s Jed like as a person (to mother), and ask Jed

to describe what happened.• There is a voiceover which reveals part of the story, and the interviewee expands on it, giving

extra detail.• High pitched upbeat tones are used when he’s telling story- this is asynchronous sound as he is

telling a negative story with positive music playing in the background.• It consists of mainly the interviewees talking.• There is less voiceover.• A statement from facebook is used. • Jed says when you type his name into the internet, it comes up that he’s a drug dealer- it’ll

never be removed from the internet.


Sound used:• Jed being interviewed, his mother talking about him- this gives the audience a sense of his

background and another person’s perspective on the same story.• The interviewers were likely to have asked what’s Jed like as a person (to mother), and ask Jed

to describe what happened- therefore they were asking for the mother’s version of the story-she is likely to be critical of social media, therefore they are interviewing people who they know will give a negative portrayal of Social Media.

• There is a voiceover which reveals part of the story, and the interviewee expands on it, giving extra detail- the interviews supports what the voiceover is saying- biased opinion.

• High pitched upbeat tones are used when he’s telling story- this is asynchronous sound as he is telling a negative story with positive music playing in the background. This could portray the fact that things could be improved and there are some positive lessons learnt from what happened to him. It can also keep the audience in a positive mood whilst watching the documentary- letting them know there is a message to learn from the story.

• A statement from facebook is used. The inclusion of a popular social media website links to the topic of the documentary and also brings authenticity into the documentary.

Images used:• Medium shot of Jed in his house.• Zooms in to a medium close up of his face.• Long shot of him getting into car.• High angle shot of him running up the stairs as his mum describes him as lively. • Reconstruction of him and his friends – pan shot of beers and laptop.• A long shot of Jed in bed receiving a phone call.


Images used:• Medium shot of Jed in his house- this reveals his casual outfit, indicating he is a normal teenage

boy, and this could happen to anybody if they are not cautious. This could directly address the teenage audience who are viewing the documentary- as it’ll make them think they need to be more careful on the internet. It’ll also be effective for the adults watching, especially as the mother comes on the screen- they will realise the negative effects of social media and want to warn their children about it.

• Zooms in to a medium close up of his face- this reveals his facial expression which highlights the shame and emotion he feels as he tells his story- this will cause the audience to sympathise with him and relate to him.

• Long shot of him getting into car- it is a long shot with leaves in the shot, indicating he is being watched from afar. This could indicate it seems as though he is being watched for something he’s said on the internet. The audience would feel as though they are also watching from afar.

• High angle shot of him running up the stairs as his mum describes him as lively- this is used as a cutaway as the mum is interviewed, and links to what she’s saying. It’s used as support for what she’s saying and also gives the audience something to watch while the interview is taking place-which adds interest for them.

• Reconstruction of him and his friends – pan shot of beers and laptop- again reveals the average teenage boy, showing that the things can easily get out of hand if you post something on the internet, even if it’s a joke. This would again aim at the target audience as the teenagers watching may think twice before posting now they know potential consequences.

Conventions from this documentary which we will consider for our own

• Medium shots and medium long shots during interviews.

• High angle shot of somebody using their mobile phone.

• Using a wide variety of shots whilst interviews are taking place- cutting to other shots.

• Montages.

• Voiceover.

• Synchronous music in the background.

• Tweets appearing on the screen.

• Relevant archaic footage.

• Vox pops introduced before expert interviews.

Documentary2

Title of documentary: ‘Panorama: The Killing Scene’Channel: BBC OneTime/Date: 9:30pm, 1995Target Audience: Mainly adults, some teenagers, not suitable for children

Summary: The documentary focuses on the influence of fictional screen violence on real life aggression. It tells the story of a boy called Nathan Martinez who watched the film ‘Natural Born Killers’ and was influenced to murder his family.

The first minute of the documentary:

The opening 10 seconds• A summary of Nathan Martinez’s story.• A long shot of him being arrested.• Narrative goes straight into the story.• An Ident of the Panorama symbol.• Archival footage from the film ‘Natural Born Killers’.

Sound used• Sound consists mainly of voice over.• There was formal speech to present a serious topic.• Narration explains what has happened.• Nobody else speaks in the first minute, besides the narrator.• Narrative speaks over an image of archival footage and the boy being arrested.

There is an establishing shot of the Ident of Panorama.There is a voiceover over a majority of shots.There are no vox pops or interviews.There is a montage of violent footage.There are facts and stats about events- Nathan Martinez is American, 17 years old and killed two members of his family.

The message created during the first minute of the documentaryThe opening 10 seconds• Summary of Nathan Martinez’s story- gives the audience an insight into the background of the boy

featured in the documentary which will cause them to feel more involved.• A long shot of him being arrested- the audience can therefore see the whole situation as he is

being arrested by the police- it is obvious what is going on in the clip. • An establishing shot of an Ident of the Panorama symbol- the audience may be regular viewers of

‘panorama’ and they’ll be aware of the symbol- so it’ll reinforce it for those viewers. . Others who don’t usually watch it will be shown the logo and it’ll become well-known, causing the show to become recognised.

• Archival footage from film ‘Natural Born Killers’. Archival footage is a common feature of documentaries. The footage from the film is similar to the situation they’re discussing in the documentary. It’s relevant to the topic and interests the audience as they are shown exactly what the narrative is saying.

Sound used• Sound consists mainly of voice over, which is a convention of documentaries.• Formal speech to present a serious topic- prepares the audience for a change in the documentary-

after being light hearted, formal language can be used to make the mood more serious.• Narrative speaks over an image of archival footage and the boy being arrested. This tells the

audience what is going on, to go along with the clip being played on the screen- to ensure they fully understand and to provide more detail.

There are no vox pops or interviews- in our documentary, we are likely to include vox pops at the start, as this can be a convention of documentaries. We may use a montage.There are facts and stats about events- Nathan Martinez is American, 17 years old and killed two members of his family. We will also attempt to provide interesting information to the audience at the beginning to surprise them and interest them from the start.

Images used• Close-up image of Nathan Martinez’s hands handcuffed in the back of a police car.• They show archival footage of the murder scene from ‘Natural Born Killers’ which the boy was

influenced by.• Archival footage of a boxing match on the television and a man aggressively clenching his fists.• A low angle tracking shot of a car.• A high angle shot of a young boy acting violently in a ball pit.

The message created during the first minute of the documentaryImages used• Close-up image of Nathan Martinez’s hands handcuffed in the back of a police car. This is a close up

so that the audience can clearly see what is happening. The shot is magnified to show the importance of this part of the story the documentary is trying to tell.

• They show archival footage of the murder scene from ‘Natural Born Killers’ which the boy was influenced by. This reveals one of the main parts to the narration. Archival footage is most effective when it is relevant to the main topics of the documentary, as it provides extra information and is a way of showing the audience exactly what they mean in the narrative.

• Archival footage of a boxing match on the television and a man aggressively clenching his fists –relates to the topic of aggression which is discussed in the documentary- we will also need to use archival footage as well as filler footage to use during our narration and it gives the audience something to visually watch as they listen to the voiceover.

• A low angle tracking shot of a car- allows the audience to follow the people featured in the documentary. Tracking shots are an effective way of involving the audience.

• A high angle shot of a young boy acting violently in a ball pit- this portrays the message that people can be aggressive even at a young age, and can be influenced by movies they watch. Shots like this are used to create a biased message so the audience are influenced into having a certain opinion. In our documentary, we aim to remain unbiased and allow the audience to form their own opinions on our topic.

1-3 minutes:

Sound used• Dialogue- the friend talking about Nathan and how it’s abnormal to be influenced by the movie:

‘They’d never do it or even think of doing it’.• Sound from the archival footage of Natural Born Killers: ‘He’s dead, he’s dead’.• There is a voiceover giving facts about the friend, Brian and introducing him while showing images

of him.• Interview with the friend, Brian.• Sting- non diegetic while Brian’s speaking.

There is a voice-over providing facts about Brian whilst introducing him on the screen.There is an extreme long shot of Brian walking.There is a sting.There is a fact saying Nathan is from Utar in the USA.There are no captions as the voiceover introduces Brian.


Sound used• Dialogue- the friend talking about Nathan- this is exclusive to the documentary as they’ve got an

interview with the friend who has been close to Nathan and provides exclusive information.• There is a voiceover giving facts about the friend, Brian and introducing him while showing images

of him. There is usually some kind of introduction of the people featured in the documentary so that the audience get to know the actors before they are featured. We will use a brief introduction for each expert interview explaining the role of the interviewee.

• Sting- non diegetic while Brian’s speaking- the purpose of a sting is to create tension and to build up a climax.

There is an extreme long shot of Brian walking, creating the impression he wants to be alone to think.There is a sting to add interest for the audience as well as adding a sinister effect.There is a fact saying Nathan is from Utar in the USA, showing research has been done about the topic, increasing the audience’s trust in the documentary and providing a bit more information.

Images used:• Extreme long shot of his friend walking and views of fields and the sun. This is contrapuntal as it

contrasts to the upsetting storyline.• Low angle tracking shot of Brian with the sky behind him.• Close-up of the friend, Brian’s face while he is being interviewed.• Archival footage of Natural Born Killers.• Tracking shot out the window of the car.


Images used:• Extreme long shot of his friend walking and views of fields and the sun. This is contrapuntal as it

contrasts to the upsetting storyline. It also portrays a sense of him being on his own. This clip of him walking with scenery in the background adds interest to the documentary as it provides the viewers with something to look at as filler footage.

• Low angle tracking shot of Brian with the sky behind him. This is an example of a weather shot. It’s a way of including the audience by contextualising where the documentary is being filmed. It is often used in documentaries as filler footage.

• Close-up of the friend, Brian’s face while he is being interviewed- this is a way of capturing the boy’s emotion as he discusses the sensitive subject of his friend being a murderer and being influenced by horror films. Again, a close-up is a way of making the audience feel included and sense the facial expression of the interviewee, so they can empathise with his situation. If we use close ups, they will be to reveal the emotion of the actor.

3-5 minutes:

Mise en scene: • Props used were cars.• The setting was mainly outside, including fields and mountains in the background.• The friend is wearing a hoodie.

Sound used:• There is a voiceover of Brian describing what happened in the car and relevant footage of a car.• Diegetic sound of the car and wind.• Non-diegetic sound from the movie with fireworks when the characters are in a car.• Archival footage of people shouting in a protest.

There is a voiceover of the friend.There is a close up of the car tyre.There were no vox pops.The friend recalls the facts to inform the audience.There is a reconstruction of the experience the friend and Nathan had in the car, where Nathan reveals his murder to his friend.


Mise en scene: • The setting was mainly outside, including fields and mountains in the background- including the

audience and revealing the location where they are filming. We are likely to include a shot of the college where we are interviewing students.

• The friend is wearing a hoodie, reflecting his young age and showing him in his everyday clothes. We will also capture our interviewee’s in their everyday clothes to add a sense of authenticity and make the audience feel as though they trust what the interviewee’s are saying, especially the experts who will most likely be wearing fairly smart clothes.

Sound used:• There is a voiceover of Brian describing what happened in the car and relevant footage of a car.

This is a convention or documentaries- using cutaways and having the interviewee’s as a voiceover while relevant clips are shown on the screen.

• Diegetic sound of the car and wind- diegetic sound can make the audience feel as though they are there in the scene, making them more involved in the documentary.

There is a close up of the car tyre as it’s moving- another shot to show the movement as the audience follow the documentary and the actors travelling.There is a reconstruction of the experience the friend and Nathan had in the car, where Nathan reveals his murder to his friend. Reconstructions are a good visual stimulus to use to increase the audience’s understanding of what happened. We may include a reconstruction of cyber bullying.

Images used: • Close up of wind mirror.• Over the shoulder shot viewing fireworks from archival footage.• Extreme long shot of the sun.• Close-up of other friend.• Archival footage of people protesting.• There is a shot of a music store.


Images used: • Close up of wind mirror.• Over the shoulder shot viewing fireworks from archival footage- keeps relating back to the archival

footage as the documentary compares what happens in the film to what the boy (Nathan) did to copy these actions- addressing the issue of whether the violent film was to blame for the boys actions.

• Extreme long shot of the sun- this weather shot involves the audience by revealing the setting and using nice scenery as filler footage while the voiceover plays.

• There is a shot of a music store as it says in the narration that the boy (Nathan) listened to the soundtrack of the film and was inspired by it. This is another example of filler footage which relates to the voiceover and this is a common convention of documentaries.

5-9 minutes:

Sound used:• Voice-over.• Non-diegetic upbeat music from the soundtrack of the movie.• Expert interview with two different men.

Images used:• Long shot of a music store whilst talking about the soundtrack of the movie.• Close up of the car’s tyre.• Information on screen in front of a shot of crime scene tape.• Shot of victims and medium shot of expert interview.


Sound used:• There is a voiceover through this section of the documentary. This is a main convention and

should be used throughout, as well as vox pops and expert interviews.• Non-diegetic upbeat music from the soundtrack of the movie is played to relate to the

narration as it discusses Nathan listening to the soundtrack. It adds to the information provided and adds a bit of entertainment.

• Expert interview with two different men- the more expert interviews used, the more trustworthy the documentary seems. You should include at least two experts in your documentary to support the message you are trying to portray or the information you are conveying.

Images used:• Long shot of a music store whilst talking about the soundtrack of the movie- relates to the

narration.• Information on screen in front of a shot of crime scene tape- provides more facts while showing a

shot of crime tape which will relate to the topic and add tension and interest for the audience. They will be intrigued by a shot like this.

• Shot of victims and medium shot of expert interview- medium shots for expert interviews are conventional as you can usually see the top half of their body as they are being interviewed. They sometimes also cut to a close up to the interviewee’s face to express their emotions during the interview.

Conventions from this documentary which we will consider for our own

• Medium shots and medium long shots during interviews.

• Cutting to other shots during interviews.

• Montages.

• Voiceover.

• Music in the background.

• Relevant archaic footage.

• Expert interviews.

How has this research helped me?This research into documentaries has allowed us to discover the codes and conventions of documentaries similar to how we want ours to be. This has enabled us to prepare and plan for filming with a clear indication of what a documentary is supposed to look like. By studying each minute of the first 9 minutes of documentaries closely, I could see the conventions used to introduce the documentary, which we can take on board during our own work. As well as learning codes and conventions, I have become aware of shot types and angles used to effect the audience in certain ways. I also discovered how mise en scene and sound are used to create effect. For example, parallel sound- fast pace music used alongside a happy image to create a sense of happiness for the audience.

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