This document analyzes the techniques used in a documentary about cyberbullying and the internet. It discusses the use of a voiceover narration, interviews with victims, close-ups of devices to show their power, montage footage to convey loneliness and isolation, dark lighting and titles to set a serious tone, examples to make the topic more relevant, statistics on social media use, landscape shots representing online freedom but also lack of control, and archive footage showing the impact of the internet. The analysis considers how these techniques convey meaning and could be applied to a documentary on web 2.0 and cyberbullying.

1. Textual Analysis
The Virtual Revolution

2. Voice of Narration
• The voice of God is introduced immediately to inform the
audience. Medium shot connotes an introduction to the
narrator allowing the audience to meet and understand she is
the narrator.
• We think the voice of God would be more effective for our
documentary as we want to give our message in our
documentary onto the audience.

3. Talking Head
• The documentary uses a convention of a documentary – the
talking head. Medium close up connotes intensity relating to
the sternness of the topic, combined with the talking head
convention, it signifies to the audience that there are people
who care and take an interest into the topic.
• We could use talking heads in our production with victims or
people who work with victims to gather information to notify
to our audience.

4. Converged Device
• The use of extreme close up on this converged device
connotes its power and strength reinforcing the message
notified in the documentary, converged devices are influential
and dominant.
• As we are focusing on web 2.0, we could have extreme close
ups on laptops, as they provide access to social networking,
this would connote its control and power reinforcing the
effects cyberbullying has on victims.

5. Montage Footage
• This extreme long shot of lots of people walking
around an airport is effective as it takes away from all
the negativity of extreme close ups on converged
devices and focuses on more connotations such as
freedom and the open room reinforces this.

6. • The long shot of random footage, acting as montage is
effective as it connotes loneliness and isolation, which are all
effects on victims of cyber bullying.
• Using montage footage will be effective in our documentary
as it is effective and emotional, which may potentially move
our audience.

7. Title
• Dark colouring surrounding the title connotes threat, and
gives an ominous feel to the documentary. This informs the
audience that the topic is difficult and serious which might
potentially capture their attention and understanding.
• “Virtual” also suggests the “VIRTUAL WORLD” – which links to
iconography of the internet.

8. Lighting
• The use of dark lighting surrounding the narrator
connotes intensity and concentration, this combined
with a medium close signifies the desire to spread
awareness of the shocking power of the web.

9. Montage Footage
• This close up on the book acts as montage
footage as the pages are turned. The use of a
book suggests that there is information that
can be found out there for victims.

10. Location
• This establishing shot has a buzzing city like feel to it, it is
conventional for cities to cause people to get lost, this may
link in with the idea of cyber bullying, how one thing can lead
to another and sooner or later it gets taken too far.
• During this shot, the narrator explains facts about the
increasing use of technology in South Korea, progressively
teaching the audience.

11. Examples
• This two shot is used as an example to force the information
into the audience. By using examples, the relevance of the
topic increases as the audience sees true models which
reinforce the reason behind the documentary.
• The focus on the childs face connotes attention and
concentration suggesting he is addicted to converged devices.

12. Social Networking
• The ability to recognise all of these social networking sites
would cause the audience to understand they spend too
much time on the internet, which may then suggest it is easy
to be encouraged into cyberbullying by the access amount of
time spent online.
• The size of the circle represents the amount of visits the size
gets each month, Facebook and Google received the most,
this should be relevant to audience members who visit these
sites considerably more, connoting an addiction and a sense
of reliability on social networking.

13. Interview
• This medium shot two shot suggests an
interview feel, if is effective as it connotes an
interest in both peoples opinions.
• As we will be interviewing in part of our
documentary, a two shot is valuable.

14. • The birds eye view landscape shot connotes
freedom and independence. This may
represent the freedom on the internet – there
is not rules, and no control. However, this can
be a negative connotation, as this lack of
order and control increases the risk of cyber
bullying.

15. • The close up on the list of Facebook friends connotes force
and intensity, as the shot focuses on one name in the friends
lists it suggests the idea, that many people are “friends” on
Facebook, but not in real life.
• Also, Facebook is iconography of social networking sites,
which then suggests an idea of cyberbullying.

16. • This shot of a city helps to reduce the amount
of negativity that can be thrown towards an
audience in a documentary, as it defers from
the topic quickly and adds a creative cultural
feel.

17. • The black and white photo suggests it was
taken a long time ago, this connotes the fact
that cyber bullying has been going on for a
long time.
• The males stern facial expression connotes
anger and his glasses connote intelligence.

18. • “Whats on your mind?” – the questions
suggests that too much information is posted
online. The delivery of personal information
onto the web is dangerous, as it once it has
been done there is no going back.

19. Shots
• The extreme close up connotes intensity and
frustration suggesting the female is deep in
thought. This suggests the idea that the
internet can really effect you.

20. Montage
This series of shots of outside landscapes such as open fields, leaves and trees connotes
freedom and suggest escape. The montage technique involves various editing optical
effects such as fades and dissolves which connote a gentle, soft feel which may relax the
audience. This helps to reduce the documentary forcing too much negativity upon the
audience.

21. Archive footage
• The use of archive footage is conventional for
documentaries, however this particular shot is
an explosion – this connotes the impact and
power the web can have on people and the
extreme long shot acts as a lack of control.

22. The office set location connotes buisness and intelligence
suggesting the information the narrator is passing on to the
audience is knowledgeable and relevant and implies the narrator
is smart.
The medium close up shot connotes intensity, highlighting the
seriousness of the topic and supports the significance of the
topic.