Assignment 10: Purpose & Inspiration & Mode TheoryAbigail Menzies

Purpose of documentary

What is the purpose of the documentary? The purpose of my documentary is to aware and educate my target audience which are parents of the different effects video games can have on an individual and the rest of society

What would people learn about this topic from your documentary? • My target audience (parents) will learn:₋ The different views on either or not violent video games create violent kids₋ How video games have advanced over the years and become more interactive and

therefore addictive₋ The negative and positive effects video games can have on the human body- How video games are used differently around the world- How the disposal of video games contributes to the environmental of today

Inspirational documentary #1 – Human Swarm

Use of CutawaysThere is range of cutaways used throughout this documentary to support what is being said, I would apply this to my documentary as it keeps the audience interested

Scene starts off with the interviewer and interviewee talking

Then cuts away to videos and pictures that relate to what is being discussed in the interview

Then goes back to interviewee

This inspired me for my documentary as the variety of visuals keeps the audience in what is being said as one thing isn’t on the screen for too long

Public InterviewsInterviews are used in this documentary to show the public’s opinion/views on the topic of the documentary

This convention inspired me as these interviews are conducted in a natural setting instead of in a specific room so its more realistic

These interviews are done through mid shots, I would apply this to my documentary as it keeps the audience focused on what is being said

Inspirational documentary #2 – Good Hair

Wide camera shotsIn this documentary range of shots and angles are used to establish the setting, I would apply this to my documentary as through this I would be able to show my audience the different locations I’d visit while filming

Low angle wide shot to show to the outside of the location the presenter visits

High angle wide shot to show the entire inside setting

Participation of the presenterThroughout this documentary the presenter participates and interacts with a range of people, this inspired me as the presenter’s views and opinions on the topic is shown.This is participatory mode as the presenter/filmmaker engages with his different subjects directly

The presenter interacts with a range of people of different ages

Presenter takes part in different experiments

Presenter also conducts each of his interviews himself

Inspirational documentary #3 – One Mile AwayArchival photos of newspaper articles This conventions inspired as I thought it would be good evidence to support my topic of

documentary

Archival photos of past newspaper articles with different titles are used to support the topic of documentary

Kens burn is used to focus on the title of the newspaper, I would apply this to my documentary as it focuses the audience’s attention to the title

Use of titles This documentary inspired me as it uses titles to introduce the different people taking

part in the documentary and also to show the change of date

Here titles are used to introduce the names of people and their roles

Titles are also used to describe what is being said on the phone as there is background noise

Use of titles to tell the audience the date

Documentary Mode

Mode Conventions and examples Explanation of how it applies to my documentary

Expository mode (voice of god)

Conventions:-Voiceover of a narrator to explain what is onscreen

Example documentaries:-March of penguins

Observational mode (window of the world)

Conventions:-Filmmaker remains hidden behind the camera

Example documentaries:-Lifers-One mile away

Participatory mode (filmmaker and subject together)

Conventions:-Filmmaker is present throughout

Example documentaries:-Human Swarm-Sicko

This applies to my documentary as the filmmaker is present throughout the documentary and participates so the audience will be able to hear and see the filmmaker’s views on the subject

Reflexive (aware of process)

Conventions:-the construction part of the documentary is shown

Example documentaries:-Catfish-Man with a movie camera

Performer mode (filmmaker as participant)

Conventions:-Filmmaker is a participant in the documentary

Example documentaries:-Supersize me