Generic Research: Website research 1

Generic Research: Websites research from AmelieMeuryCashman

Revision of Pitch

Originally my pitch was going to solely be about anorexia in the performing arts industry. From my research I believe that my topic is a little too niche and also wanted to include the aspects of social media, making the storyline very complex. So, therefore, I have decided to still have my main character suffer from mild forms anorexia but I will focus more on the more general subject of mental health and how social media can influence this within the performing arts industry.
In my documentary, I will use the main talent who is a boy suffering from mental health issues and a female who is homosexual to represent two different social groups.
To incorporate digital convergence within my piece, I will use the social media platform Instagram and Snapchat - as these were the 'most interacted with' from my focus group.

Audience Research Summation

To discover the leisure and media consumption habits of my target audience, I set up a focus group consisting of four people: Hannah, James, and Max acting as my primary audience and Catherine as my secondary.
I asked them five different questions whilst also asking them to list their interests.
For my focus group, I tried to pick people within the demographic who didn't really have similar backgrounds/interests.

Interests
I have realized that if I heavily focus my documentary on the topic of theatre and performing, this could limit my audience - as I would be attracting a niche audience. Because of this, I will balance this out with the topic of mental health so I can attract a wider audience.

Questions from Focus Group
Question 1 - How often do you watch documentaries?
From the data, it was shown that the average from my primary audience would be once a week, with the exception of James, who doesn't often watch documentaries because "after about 20 minutes they tend to get a bit repetitive and boring." This suggests that I will need a way to engage my audience. 

Question 2 -  If you would watch one what platform would you watch it on? (TV, Phone, Computer)
The results were split down the middle with two people saying TV and the others, Netflix/BBC iPlayer.

Question 3 - What social media platform do you use the most?
It was shown that Instagram was the most used platform. So, therefore, I will try and incorporate Instagram as a way of digital convergence. 

Question 4 - What is your favourite genre of a documentary?
Most of my group said nature or something that has various locations.

Question 5 - What makes a documentary more appealing to you? What attracts you?
For this question, people said that they enjoy personal accounts but mostly depends on the subject matter. I believe social media and mental health, is a relevant and on-going issue that society is trying to tackle. Setting it in the performing arts industry will be a new and interesting perspective that hasn't been researched before. 

Generic Research Summation

Generic Research 3: John Grierson + Bill Nichols

JOHN GRIERSON

John Grierson was a Scottish documentary maker. He was considered as a pioneer within the film industry and often considered to be the “father of British and Canadian documentary film”

As a director he was very much influenced by the Soviet cinema and Robert Flaherty’s poetical style.

In a 1926 review of one of Flaherty's films he coined the term "documentary" to describe the dramatization of the everyday life of ordinary people.

Grierson used non-professional actors instead of actors in order to create a more 'authentic' reality and also made use of extensive location shooting. He was always keen to make a film with distinctively 'British' characteristics, which he saw as moderation and a sense of human importance, which is seen in his pioneering documentary Drifters.

Grierson did not believe that documentary film was just a public report of the activities of daily life but as “something more magical.” “It is a visual art which can convey a sense of beauty about the ordinary world."

BILL NICHOLS

Bill Nichols is an American film critic who was best known for his pioneering work as founder of the contemporary study of documentary film.

-        Poetic mode

-        Expository mode

-        Observational mode

-        Participatory mode

-        Reflexive mode

-        Performative mode

Structure of a documentary

A documentary structure usually depends on the subject matter of the film, but in general, a documentary is made up of the "three-act structure." 

Act One

The beginning of the documentary needs to capture and engage the audience. In the first act you establish and set the tone for the whole movie and create curiosity in the viewer's mind to make them want to keep watching. Within this section, you want to set up some kind of problem or unusual situation that keeps the audience intrigued. The beginning is more or less a teaser for the whole documentary. It sets up the questions that the rest of the movie will answer.

Act Two

Act 2 is divided into numerous scenes that build on each other to reveal your story. These segments do not necessarily go in chronological order.

Act Three

The last act brings some kind of resolution to the questions and conflict established at the beginning of the film.

Generic Research: Textual Analysis 3

GENERIC RESEARCH: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 3

NUDES4SALE

Summary – This documentary follows the new phenomenon of selling indecent pictures and videos for cash, in particular looking at the site OnlyFans. A reporter, Ellie Flynn, investigates how thousands of young people are making a living by selling nudes online. One of the girls interviewed is called Sasha, who has a history of mental health issues and tries to turn to the local council to help her find suitable accommodation but becomes homeless.

ANALYSIS

Generic Research: Textual Analysis 2

GENERIC RESEARCH – TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 2

‘ABUSED BY MY GIRLFRIEND’

Summary – Tells the story of Alex Skeel, a 23-year-old man from Bedford, who was severely abused by his girlfriend, Jordan Worth. This documentary consists of observational filming with various police accounts, providing a raw and personal view of Alex’s life and how a teenager romance became violent and abusive.

“By sharing his story, Alex hopes to challenge assumptions about violence and masculinity in relationships, and to empower victims of domestic violence to come forward”

ANALYSIS