Similar Products: Part 2

3. 'Educating Essex' for Channel 4

• This is a 'fly on the wall' documentary which follows the life at Passmore Academy.
• Uses real time footage in the form of hidden camera footage which follows the staff and pupils of the school.
• Uses archive footage to introduce the different parts of the program. For instance, at Christmas it showed school children playing on a field of snow. This helps set the scene.
• It includes interviews with different members of the school to explain what is happening in each of the pieces of footage. These interviews are conducted with both the students and the teachers of the school  so lots of peoples opinions are heard.
• A narrator does the voice-over and explains what is happening on the screen.
• Gets audience members to talk about their show by displaying; '#EducatingEssex.' Twitter users in the audience can then talk about the show amongst themselves by typing this into their tweets. This creates 'Hashtag TV.'
• Background music is used to set the tone of the program. For instance, Christmas music is used to set  a cheerful tone to the program and to set the scene. However, diegetic ambient sound is used a lot so it actually feels as though the audience is watching a school.

I like this example as it considers lots of people's views and opinions so it's unbiased. I also like the comical way it presents the issues and doesn't come across as too serious.


4. 'Gateway to Heroin' by Vanguard for Current TV

• This is a current affairs documentary.
• This documentary has lots of interviews from different people. For instance, specialists on heroin and drugs, drug users themselves and people who have known heroin users. This allows lots of perspectives and opinions to be considered.
• Modern non-diegetic music is used to fit in with the modern topic being discussed.
• The lighting used was quite dark and serious at times. This fits in with the serious topic being discussed.
• In the documentary there is a presenter, who is called Mariana van Zeller, who does the voice-overs and discusses the topic.
• There is a combination of archive and real time footage in the documentary. This makes the documentary more authentic and realistic to watch.

I particularly like this example because it considers a lot of different people's opinions and perspectives. By doing this it makes the information given more reliable and makes the overall viewing experience more interesting.



5. 'Big Brother' for Channel 5

• This is a reality TV show.
• Each individual program follows the life in the house for 24hours. These events are condensed so only the best bits of the day are shown. I think this deceives the audience of the real reality of life in the house and the reality of the people in their.
• Real time footage of events is only used. The camera cuts from one member of the house to another as and when they talk. They are able to do this by having lots of cameras set up around the house to record everything. Conversations are then put together in the editing phase.
• A range of topics are discussed. Lots of topics are talked about as the housemates are able to talk about whatever they want. Some of these topics are quite boring and the audience may lose interest.
• Transitions are used to move from one conversation to the next.
• There's a high level of realism.
• A narrator introduces the date and time of the different scene. He also gives a brief overview of the conversation. This gives the audience some context to the conversation.
• Modern non-diegetic sound is used on the titles of the program to fit with the overall feel and style of the house.
• Ambient diegetic sound is also used and heightens the sense of realism in the program.
• Short interviews are conducted with the housemates; 'Big Brother' asks them questions and they respond. It feels are though they are talking directly to the audience when they do this as they are speaking directly into the camera. This enables the audience to consider the housemates views.

I like how they have made the program really realistic. However, I think some of the elements of the program are a bit over dramatic and boring.


6. 'Hunting the Internet Bullies' by Panorama for BBC One

• This is a current affairs documentary about Internet bullies.
• It is presented by Declan Lawn. He also provides the narration for the documentary.
• Onscreen archive footage is used to show online social networking websites and how they are used. Animated graphics relating to the Internet has also been used. This helps convey the technological side of the Internet.
• Serious non-diegetic background music is used when the presenter is talking about the implications of Internet bullying. This helps convey the seriousness of the topic. However, the music stops at certain points in the documentary. This silence has been used for impact to bring across the seriousness of a point or issue.
• The celebrity, Cher Lloyd,  has been used in the documentary to engage the audience and offer her personal experiences.
• Facts and statistics have been used to help inform the audience about Internet bullying.
• At one point in the documentary, the presenter presents the program on location. Here he was tracking down a known Internet 'troll.' This would heighten the sense of the danger and also keep audiences engaged in the program.
• Direct interviews have been used throughout to show that Internet bullying is something which  should be talked about openly between victims and people who want to help. Each of these interviews have the appropriate lighting and camera setup.
• A range of camera shots have been used in the interview with the victim. This creates an intense viewing experience and portrays how scared and upset she is. This makes the viewer more engrossed in the documentary and makes them want to carry on watching.  Low key lighting has also been used in the interview to help add tension to it.

I really like this documentary as it presents a serious issue in an engaging and interesting way. I especially like how they have used silence to help bring across how serious the issue is and the affects it has on people. I also like how the documentary has used different camera shots and low key lighting to add tension to the victims interview and to make the audience more engrossed.