Assignment 2: Group TV Documentary Analysis

By: Fatou Panzout

Laura CukRosalin Zein

Jodie Foster-PiliaMaria Fashakin

Skint

• Series• Aired on Channel 4.• The length of the show is 46:47.• This series originally aired on

Monday 20th May – 9:05pm.• This documentary is rated G – Strong

Language – 16+ to watch it.

Topic & Purpose• The purpose of the show is to inform

the audience as to how under privileged people in Scunthorpe survive, everyday life and the different problematic situations they come across.

• People in similar situations as the people in skint, may be able to relate and understand some of the issues raised, and feel somewhat comforted by watching the documentary.

AudienceNiche Audience • This documentary is targeted at a niche

audience due to the fact that it is a hard hitting topic regarding the lives of deprived individuals .

• There would only be a specific group of people who would be interested in this, as they too may have been involved in similar situations.

Target Audience • 16 – 35• Female • Precariat (The most deprived

members of society)• English – British (Irish)

Secondary Audience • 36 – 50• Male• Working Class• All ethnicities and nationalities

Analysis of introduction 1) Establishing shot The establishing shot establishes the

location and orientates the audience.

2) Voiceover The voice over is used to inform and explain to the audience about what the documentary is going to consist of.

3)Montage editing Montage editing is used as an enigma, as the use of non- linear footage ensures that the audience are eager to find out what's happening

4) Establishing character The characters are introduced to the audience through the voiceover, the character then talks directly to the camera

Analysis of introduction

Establishing shot

Introducing character

Introducing character with voice over

Character talking directly to camera.

FormsForm Fatou Laura Rosalin Jodie Maria

Form#1 Camera movement

Sound Camera shots Montage editing

Form#2 Sense of realism

Composition

Forms

• Camera Movements – • They have a great use of panning throughout

the documentary, which is hand held, giving the emphasise of the sense of realism throughout the documentary

Forms

• Camera Movements• Also they had a minimal of tilting, which made

it seem more realistic

(Credits) Forms

Credits are used to introduce the people within the documentary.

USECHALLENGE

DEVELOP

Sound - Form

There is also non-diegetic background score music which is fast paced and helps to create a hectic atmosphere. This atmosphere also relates to the life styles of the people within the documentary.

BACKGROUND SCORE MUSIC

VOICE OVERS & SOUND BRIDGING

During the first few minutes of the documentary there is a voice over of the narration which introduces the topic of the documentary. There is also sound bridging as the voice over carries on to different shots.

Sense of Realism - FormHandheld camera movement :

Hand held cameras are usually used if it is too time consuming to prepare a tripod.

In documentaries like this, because the case studies that are non-scripted the cameramen don’t know what the people will be doing.

For example, In this part of the documentary the girl and her friends are running down the road so the camera man has to pan.

The hand held camera movement provides a sense of realism as it has a more “home made” or dramatic feel to a shot.

Sense of realism - Form Natural lighting :Natural lighting creates a more gritty, realistic tone, It makes the documentary seem authentic as nothing artificial is used.

This type of lighting is good for a non-scripted documentary as it reinforces the idea of realism and the fact that the case studies are of real people.

Specific Camera shotsFORMS

Two shot

Wide shot

Here a wide shot is used to show the establish family to the audience

Here, a wide shot is used to show the bigger picture, of what happens on the streets, and the way in which they socialise

A two shot is used to show people having a conversation, whereby it is clear to the audience, what issues they are facing

Body language (hands pointing) demonstrates that she is reprimanding her daughter

Body language (crossing arms) represents character as rebellious

Clothing (hoodies) represent gang members

FORMS Specific camera shots

Different cuts

Here the character is talking

It then cuts to a shot of her makeup

This to keep the audience interested, as they are not just focussing on her face all the time

Close-ups

Close-ups are used to show the characters facial expression

They give an insight as to how the character is feeling

Facial expressions show emotion

FORMS - Composition

Balance

Rule of Thirds

Balance is shown in this footage at the beginning of the documentary in the introduction as the sky and the land meet exactly in the middle

The character is placed at the right hand side, to highlight the that what she is talking about makes her quite upset, placing her on the side gives a sense of vulnerability

Here the character has been purposely placed on the left hand side, in order to give room for the credit, as she is introduced

The use of balance immediately attracts the audience

(Montage editing) Forms• Montage editing is used in the documentary to sustain the viewers interest by showing the audience smaller clips from the

episode of what to see.

(Animation) Forms• Animation is not present in our documentary hence the reason why it challenges the form of animation.• This is a serious documentary so animation would be inappropriate and would distract the viewer from the

sense of realism.

ConventionsConvention Fatou Laura Rosalin Jodie Maria

Convention #1 narrator Interviews Statistics challenged

Voice over Montage editing

Convention #2 Presenter (challenged)

Credits Sense of realism

Case studies Animation (challenged)

Conventions

• Narrator• They use a narrator in the introduction of the

documentary to inform viewers as to what they’re expected to watch and the basics of how and why the people within the documentary are in that sort of lifestyle

• Presenter • This convention is challenged because its not used

as there is no presenter, that is shown to be presented

(Interviews) Conventions

The camera man asked from behind the camera interacting with the interviewee.

USECHALLENGE

DEVELOP

Most of the camera shots used during these interviews are mid shots, close up shots or two shots. This is because this keeps the audience focused on what the interviewees are saying.

Within the documentary there are interviews with people who live in this situation.

Non scripted footage or material : In this part of the documentary, the girls is upset after loosing the court case for her daughter. We can see that it is non -scripted because the producers wouldn't have known that she would lose her child.

Sense of realism - Convention

Non- scripted material helps to create a sense of realism as it means the people within the documentary are able to talk more freely about their experiences giving the audience insight into their life.

Statistics are numbers that help prove a point which make it more believable to audience.

In this documentary no statistics were used, so it challenges the convention.

Statistics - Convention

Statistics can be abstract or explicit.

Explicit (top) statistics are placed on a blank or non-moving background.

Abstract (bottom) statistics will usually be presented through an animation, graph or chart.

From the documentary ‘food inc’

(Case studies) Convention

In documentaries there is usually some sort of case study

Here is a case study, whereby she is followed throughout the documentary

The way in which she lives her life, and her journey is monitored throughout the documentary so the audience have an insight into her everyday life style

Body language and facial expressions are present in case studies in order that they can communicate how they feel

They give the documentary a feel of realism as the cases are real