3. The use of a point of view shot may have been used in order to allow the target audience to relate to
the programme. This is because it allows them to symbolically ‘see’ what the narrator sees, which
may help them relate to the narrators point of view. This is useful in persuading the viewer that
what is being presented is real and that they should agree with it. The use of a hand held camera
also adds a sense of realism to the documentary in my opinion as the use of a hand held camera
makes the documentary look more authentic given that it takes too long. They also use a high angle
shot in order during an interview with a person who sells low quality food. This makes the person
look more imposing and less relatable to the viewer, which ensure that the viewer is more
suspicious of this person views.
4. . They also appear to use no or very little artificial lighting whilst using the handheld camera, which
may give the documentary a sense of realism as it looks like the events of the documentary are real
and not altered in any way. It also place the topic of that the narrator is talking about in a negative
light, which makes the seen look very grim and mysterious. This would help persuade people that
this documentary is authentic. They also use a few animated graphics in order to visually represent
‘facts’ which would help persuade their viewers that what their opinion is correct. Also these
animated graphics are very colourful which would make the target audience pay attention to them.
5. This documentary has several instances of the use of sound. For example, the
introduction contains a voiceover that explains what is going to happen in
the rest of the programme, which is a common convention in most
documentaries. This is used fairly effectively in ‘Britain's really disgusting
food’ because it gives their target audience a certain amount of intimacy
between themselves and the narrator, which allows the narrator to persuade
the documentaries target audience. Also, the person speaking in the voiceover
sounds fairly confident which gives the documentary some authenticity as
the person appears to know what they are talking about. This would
therefore give authenticity and verisimilitude to the documentary. Please see
video on slide one for an example of the narration.
6. The opening of Britain's really disgusting food starts of with monologue for
the rest of the documentary. This gives people a taste of what’s coming in the
rest of the programme and may keep the target audiences interest. The
documentary is also carefully edited to make sure that it gives the point the
narrator is trying to make.
7. A direct interview is used in this documentary, which is a common
convention to most documentaries. This is because it allows the narrator to
reassure the viewer that their view is correct by finding experts and asking
them questions in order to support the point that the documentary is trying to
make thereby increasing it authenticity and verisimilitude. This documentary
uses either an slight low angle to make this interviewer seem unimposing and
more relatable to the target audience, which gives authenticity to his views
given that they are similar to the narrators.
8. Throughout the documentary they show the narrator actively researching the
information that he is trying to show people which gives the scene a sense of
realism and authenticity as the narrator appears to be telling people things
that are authentic, which would help persuade the viewer that it is real and
unedited. This would clearly help the intended target audience continue to
watch the documentary as they would perceive what they are watching as
truthful. Where the narrator is actively involved in the documentary then it is
called a participatory documentary.
