1. Question 1
In what ways does your product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
VOICEOVER
My documentary draws inspiration from documentary shorts from Virgin Media
Shorts, YouTube, A2 Media films and
Hairdresser, a CSGMedia A2 by Billy Cape short film ended up being my main
inspiration.
I used his convention of an establishing shot of the protagonist’s working
environment
CLIP: Sequence of shots leading into FlaxonPtooch
VOICEOVER
I challenged this convention by using a handheld camera to lead the audience into
my main character’s world
CLIP: Footage into The Gatehouse
VOICEOVER
For the title sequence I developed my own conventions. I used a background of red
curtains from i-movie and chose a chalk font called chalkdusterfor my captioning to
connote the font of the clapperboard used to make the documentary.
CLIP: Title sequence
VOICEOVER
“The location in which we first see a character is often reflective of their
personality.” (Dancyger, P. xxx)
Michael Ptooch is first seen in a back room in his hairdressing salon. He isfilmed
using a variety of shots and twocameras.
CLIP: Michael interview
VOICEOVER
Racky is interviewed in The Gatehouse theatre in her dressing room with her
reflection in the mirror with stage lights in one fixed midshot.I wantedto focus on
her words and provide a contrast to the moving footage from rehearsals and the
show.
CLIP: Establishing sequence Racky

2. VOICEOVER
Billy is an off screen narrator although we hear him laugh in the opening sequence
and he is actually the boy getting his hair cut in the salon.
CLIP: Billy laughs. Billy has his haircut.
VOICEOVER
I have edited myself out of all of the interviews and do not have a cameo role. Racky
tells her own story although people in the know would know that I was on the stage
management team.
CLIP: Rackysegues into Glenn.
VOICEOVER
Both characters are charismatic. Both are articulate and speak in their real voice.
Michael swears and Racky uses colloquialisms.
CLIP: Michael swears.
Racky: “I lovemy comedy.”
VOICEOVER
Like Billy, I use the documentary convention of seeing the protagonist in action.
CLIP: Racky in rehearsal.
I developed Hairdresser by adding interviews with minor characters to shed light on
the protagonist
CLIP: Cat
VOICEOVER
Neither of us used voiceovers, a common convention in documentaries, but instead
used a mixture of diegetic, non-diegetic and sound bridges to tell the story. Billy
uses two different soundtracks at the start and finish of his film and records live
music at Michael’s’ parties in the middle.I use thelivemusic from the showtostartand
finishmy shortdocumentary.
CLIP: Closing sequence.
VOICEOVER
Billy uses a wider variety of cinematography whereas I use mainly fixed tripod
midshots and longs of performance and rehearsals. Both of us achieve realism in our
documentaries. I think I have captured why Racky is popular and successful whereas
many of the target audience did not like Michael Ptooch who is drinking in his main
interview and appears cynical.