TV Documentary research

My documentary was produced with the idea that it would be shown on a TV format rather than a film, this may be within a series involving the idea of 'Freedom' in which this episode would look at 'Freedom' within India. The rest of the series could look at other parts of the world and show contrast between different cultures and ways of living. I did some research into the TV documentary industry looking at the types of documentary we have today and which channels prefer which genres of documentary.

The BBC is one of the front runners in airing documentary programs in the UK. It generally deals with serious and thoughtful topics. This suggests the target audience could be educated and informed people, however they are well known for producing and distributing a huge variety of documentary programs ranging from David Attenborough nature documentaries to programs like Panorama or Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

History of BBC

John Reith (1889-1971) was the founder of the BBC.  He was its first General Director when it was set up as the British Broadcasting Company in 1922 and he was its first Director General when it became a public corporation in 1927.   Reith fought off the politicians' attempts to influence the BBC, while offering the British people programmes to educate, inform and entertain.

This idea to educate, inform and entertain is one that is very important in particular with my documentary film as I want it to educate and inform the audience to what this concept of 'Freedom" means to the people in India but also to entertain them so that they are drawn into the story and want to continue watching and don't change channel to something else.

Evaluation Q1

1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In the early stages of this project I did a lot of industry research on documentary films and what was already out there. I came across many different types of documentary and many different types of techniques used to engage the audience and focus on the story and characters within the film. From the beginning of the planning stages I knew that my aim was to make the audience think and to reflect on how it might relate to them. The topic of ‘freedom’ was an idea that I wanted to use for a long time before making this piece and being in India gave me a great opportunity to explore this in a different culture. I researched a lot about the uses of B-roll footage within documentary and how to keep the audience engaged on the story and the interview footage. This was very beneficial and useful when considering shot selection and editing the final product. As the topic and story within the interview was quite hard hitting, I wanted to make sure that none of the shot choices or music felt gimmicky which might take the audience away from the seriousness of the main topic.

Here are some screen shots from the final piece to display the shot selection.

I looked at media products that were out in the industry that dealt with a similar topic and how they had used factors such as music and shot choice to keep the audience focused on the images and story. I found that using slow tempo and quiet music underneath a voiceover or interview such as in the "Portrait of my Father" documentary I did a textual analysis of, worked extremely effectively as you are drawn into the dialogue and the music creates a relaxed atmosphere which makes it easier to watch. In some cases the absence of music during dialogue also works very well as your attention is focused on that one sentence or story at that time. This is evident in the Alfred Dunhill portrait interviews. As my topic of freedom is very vast I knew that it would have been virtually impossible for me to address everything that came under the word 'freedom', therefore I looked at a number of documentaries and the content they portrayed to the audience to make sure it was a unique topic. After my interview with M.D Jos I knew that due to limited time to film and to meet people to interview he would be the base of my documentary due to his compelling and deep story he had to tell. As I was filming him speak I knew that I was very lucky to find someone as passionate and actively involved with ‘freedom’ as he was and knew that it was perfect for the questions I wanted to ask and issues I wanted to raise.

                                                                                                            

Much like with many products out there in the industry there are many other media formats surrounding it such as magazine write ups and advertising campaigns. The ancillary tasks in my project mirror what these other forms of media do and what impact they have on the success of the main production. Many documentary films, much like with my own, deal with hard hitting and gripping topics therefore the target audience for this piece may vary from young adults who are interested in the topic to older people who prefer hard hitting stories of real life events in a area of the world very different to ours in the western world. I wanted my target audience to be as wide as possible therefore made sure the shot selection and music didn't cause tedium when viewing it.

Evaluation Q2

2) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

In the run up to this project I was able to acquire a Macbook Pro and the editing software Final Cut Pro 7 from an uncle who works in the industry. I was fortunate enough to know a lot of people who were experienced with the software and were able to teach me the basics and shortcuts within it so when I came to edit the final piece it made the editing process faster and more efficient. Before editing I had practiced using the software on several smaller projects and made myself familiar with it so that it wasn't too difficult when it came around to a bigger project such as this. I didn't have many problems throughout the editing process as I knew what shots I wanted to use and how the timeline would be laid out. The only issues I had, came from technical issues such as setting a scratch disk with a new external hard drive and also using external sound and lip sync within the interview section. Despite this they were easily overcome by asking people I knew who could help and by researching different techniques to overcome this using the internet. Overall it was a smooth and enjoyable process in the post production of the final piece. 

Before this project I had used DSLR cameras but was not completely comfortable with all the correct settings and functions that the camera had in order to improve the overall outcome. I researched before filming some of the important settings and formats I needed the camera to be in beforehand so I was prepared when it came round to filming. I became familiar with how to use ISO, Aperture and white balance correctly so that my images were not over exposed or off colour to how I wanted the shot to look. Throughout the filming process my skills of using the camera and knowledge of the technical side of it increased and by the end of the 4 days filming together with all the practice before the trip was confident with the camera.

When researching in the early stages on the project, the use of television and the internet were extremely beneficial as they gave me a huge variety of different documentaries that were out in the industry. This allowed me to compare the different genres within documentary and gave me the opportunity to take inspiration from productions that were already out there regarding editing techniques and shot selection. I used sites such as YouTube and Vimeo as they gave me the access to films and independent filmmakers who are posting their work. Both these sites allow feedback and have access to a huge target audience from fellow filmmakers to casual viewers at home on their computers.

Evaluation Q3

3) What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

I posted my final product on a number of social network and media sites such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter and received better feedback than I could have asked for and was grateful for all the feedback I received. Many people commented on the fact that they forgot it was a student film and felt like they were watching a 'real film' which was very encouraging and affirmed to me that the techniques used and shot choice when editing was effective in the final outcome. I also received some good constructive criticism on things within the interview footage such as lighting and editing techniques that I could have used to improve the image of M.D Jos, this was extremely helpful and beneficial, especially for future projects and films I make to improve the outcome. Having more interviews was also an area that could have been improved, however having only a limited time and people that I was in contact with I was fortunate enough to find a perfect interviewee who was passionate about this topic and had a great story to tell. As with every film or project you will work on you learn new things and your skills will improve and using this audience feedback I know how I can keep developing these skills in my work. 

As the topic of ‘freedom’ and the caste system in India isn’t something you hear about everyday from the feedback I have had back it has showed me that the viewers have been drawn in by the story and have been very interested in the what Jos had to say about the work he is doing out in India. I find this very positive as it is a topic that people may not have been interested in or may cause controversy between people who may have strong viewpoints on this topic of ‘freedom’. Audience feedback is a vital and important part to improving and developing your skill set when in the production of films and opens your eyes up to what the audience prefer to see and what puts them off watching the screen.

After posting my video on Youtube after 3 days it had received 123 views. I also posted it on Facebook where I received some good feedback which is shown on a previous post.

Evaluation Q4

Here is a Prezi presentation I create to answer my Q4: How effective is the combination of your main product and your ancillary task?

Freedom - A Short Documentary film

Here is my final documentary film from my YouTube channel. Watch in 1080p

Sound Equipment

As the Canon 600d's internal sound isn't the best quality I wanted to make sure that the sound was clear and crisp as I would be recording a lot of dialogue within my film. In order this this outcome to occur I used a Zoom H1 external sound recorder throughout filming to enhance the overall sound quality. I have a close friend who is a sound design graduate who lend me the equipment and taught me how to use it.

Here is some additional information about the product.

X/Y microphone pattern captures stereo sound with remarkable depth and clarity.


Like all Zoom recorders, the H1's onboard microphones are configured in an X/Y pattern for stunning stereo imaging. Because both mics are arranged on the same axis, they are equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization and no phase shifting. The result is great stereo recordings with natural depth and accurate imaging.

Reduce noise with the built-in low-cut filter

Use the onboard low-cut filter to reduce unwanted background noise and focus the recording. This is ideal for interviews and recording outdoors. Use the optional windscreen to further reduce noise.

Attach to a video camera as an external microphone

The compact, lightweight H1 is perfect for use on a video or DSLR camera. The remarkable depth and clarity of sound achieved by the stereo X/Y mic design brings additional realism and depth to HD video. By combining the H1 with a DSLR video camera, you can create a professional video system with high-quality sound.

Directional microphones focus only on the sound you want

The H1's built-in directional microphones focus on the sound being recorded. Unlike omnidirectional microphones, which pick up sound all around indiscriminately, the H1 mics ignore the unwanted noise behind them.