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1. Factual Research
Josh Eastham

2. Existing Product Research
• Research existing products/topics for your production and
production methods.
• This could be quite broad to begin with, but should focus
down to relevant examples [in terms of styles, techniques
and content].
• Consider your audience, what do they expect, what
techniques and content will interest them.
• Summarize your findings before generating your own initial
ideas for this project.
• Your summary should consider what your research has
provided and how this is useful to you and your production.
• Add more slides – this is encouraged!

3. Existing Product Video Knowledge Hub (1)
The main reason I am looking at videos from this YouTube channel is
because of its presentation style. This program uses found footage
and images along with cartoon animation in order to make a clear
and concise expository (5) presentation.
I know this due to my research into different documentary types as it
fits the criteria of an expose style documentary. According to an
article on the website Video maker (which is linked in the
bibliography) “they aim to educate and explain things — events, issues, ways
of life, worlds and exotic settings we know little about. Typical production
elements include interviews, illustrative visuals, some actuality, perhaps some
graphics and photos and a ‘voice of God’ narration track. Scripted narration
connects the story elements and often unpacks a thesis or an argument”. (5)
In terms of individual characteristics. The cartoon animation used in this video is in my opinion a very good medium
as it provides the viewer with a visual representation of what the narrator is describing onscreen. However it could
have a few drawbacks. If it comes across as too cartoonish it could miss your intended target audience all together.
For example if your intended audience is for teenagers and adults if it appears too cartoonish then they could be put
of by that and you may find that your audience becomes children.
These are all elements that I want my production to primarily consist of though I may attempt to successfully
combine other styles as well. The reason for this is primarily because I believe the aim of my factual film as well
as the topic would best fit the characteristics of this style. Furthermore I would think that the audience would
expect this type of style when clicking on the video as well. I believe the reason for this would be because this
style is most commonly used in other factual videos like the one I am currently referencing due to them being
the most effective and appropriate characteristics and styles for a video that is required to have a brief run time
of 5 minutes or less.

4. Existing Product Video Knowledge Hub (1)
-This is not good as if you fail to interest your intended target audience it could have a negative impact on your
reputation as a content creator as in essence you have failed on your objective that you have started out on. One way
around this would perhaps be to combine the methods of presenting a piece to camera with the use of cutaway
graphics with a voice over. If I decide t go with an older target audience this would be a good way to make my video
appear professional as well as a good method of visualizing my point to the audience.
This is perhaps the type of thing that an older target audience would expect as it is commonly used in real life
presentation methods. For example if someone were giving a business presentation they may use a slideshow of
different images or diagrams to show the audience things such as statistics or number figures. If a company were doing
a press conference to demonstrate there knew product they may be on stage talking about there products features
whilst on an overhead projector these features are being shown onscreen.

5. Existing Product: Tom Scott (2)
This is also an Expose style production however it is also mixed in with Participatory elements. I find Tom
Scotts Things You Might Not Have Known video series online extremely interesting. Aside from the topics
he covers this is mainly due to his talent for presenting. Unlike a lot of other presenters on amateur web
series Tom doesn’t have a monotone voice he uses different tones and inflection especially when he is
talking about something he is excited about. This means that his energy comes across on screen really
well and it allows the viewer to almost share in his excitement.
Interestingly his videos use expose style elements in the sense that they are essentially miniature video essays that you can tell he has
put a lot of research and effort into. He will often incorporate interviews from people that are relevant to the topic in his videos. This
is a very important as it lets viewers know that the information is from a reputable source. Unfortunately this is something I may not
being able to accomplish as I don’t have access to anyone relevant to the topic I want to discuss however if I can back up my argument
with evidence on video be citing reputable sources of information then could achieve this.
His content also includes Participatory Mode(5) elements as well. This means that Tom as the presenter is actively engaging and
participating in what he is discussing. A prime example of this would be one of his videos were he is demonstrating the safety features
of UK plugs. (6) In this video he (on camera) disassembled a plug and physically points out safety features as well as using close up
shots so it is easier for the viewer to see on screen. Whilst I currently don’t think that ill be using these types of elements in my
production it is still interesting to see how different two of his videos are when they each use different documentary styles.
Occasionally he will use the cutaway method of presenting. This often used on professional documentary's, it involves the presenter
talking to camera and then there is a cut to a separate video that is relevant to what the presenter is talking about. However the audio
of the original clip stays on, meaning it becomes a voice over momentarily before switching back to the presenter. This is a clever
method as it keeps the content from becoming two stale as each time it changes it will continue to peak the viewers interest. This
unfortunately does require the presenter to be comfortable on camera which Tom Scott is good at.
Tom is also a professional lecturer having spoken at events like TEDX Sheffield. This means he knows how to successfully communicate
with his audience whether that be on camera or on stage. Whether this would be a good idea for me to do something like this rather
then a narration is difficult to decide as I’ve not much experience presenting to camera. Presenting to camera is arguably more difficult
as when your narrating you have to focus on the tone and inflexion of your voice however when you are presenting a piece to camera
you have to focus on your body language, facial expression and posture. However these are important characteristics to take into
account if I want to produce something that is successful so I will certainly be looking to incorporate some of them into my
production.

6. Existing Product: 21st century hackers (3)
This Is a classic documentary's style were there is a piece presented to camera that also uses interviews from people
related to the topic. This is something that I would perhaps find difficult to do as I don’t know anyone that would be
good for me to interview that’s relevant to the topic I want to talk about. Another thing about this documentary is that
it is a full length documentary that is 50 minutes long meaning the presentation is very drawn out and it feels more like
an essay or a lecture rather then a short factual video which is what mine is supposed to be. This specific type of
documentary could be considered an “Observational mode”(5) documentary due to its cinematic realism and use of
dramatization techniques.
One thing that this documentary does well is that it obviously has a high budget. It uses a lot of B roll and drone footage
In order to feel the gaps in between scenes. B roll is easy to shoot however drone footage isn’t and can be very
complicated. Regardless it wouldn’t work for the type of documentary that I want to do anyway as I am limited to five
minutes and therefore it will all really be one scene. B roll could be used in my video as I could overlay it onto my
presentation piece as long as it is relevant to what I am discussing. This would limit me to finding stock footage online
however as if I go with my main idea I will not have access to anything relevant to film.
This long style of documentary would likely attract an audience of casual viewers meaning that it could be from a wide
variety of age groups. This is something that I would perhaps like to achieve with my final product as if I decide to limit
myself to a specific target audience it would defeat my original purpose of creating a video that would be able to make
the general public aware of what I am discussing.

7. Existing Product: BBC Panorama (4)
This documentary's is similar to the last one that I looked at in that it is mainly an Expository(5) documentary however
the interesting thing is that this documentary also contains some elements of a Performative style(5) documentary. It
is Expository in that its main aim to educate and inform people about the criminal underworld gangsters dirty money.
It does do this through the use of interviews, narration and illustrative visuals. However it seems to go hand in hand
with Performative styles as it uses techniques such as “so-called ‘found footage’” in order to “give a strong “what’s it
like to be there” perspective on a world, a culture or an event in history that the audience would otherwise never
know.”(5) In this case that “world” is the criminal underworld of gangsters dirty money.
Because the styles are similar so are the characteristic. For example this documentary uses the classic technique of
presenting to the camera as well as interviewing another person. The purpose of this one differs to the last one
however as this one is primarily and investigative documentary that involves the tracking down of violent Ukrainian
crime gang. Mine won’t be as elaborate though it is interesting to compare this style of documentary with others. This
style is unique as it attempts to create an emotional response from the viewer. It does this through the use of real
CCTV and bodycam footage and couples it with tense music which could make the viewer feel like they are watching
something like an action film
Despite this style being a common format I don’t think it is right for me to use on my documentary due to the type of
content that I wish to include in mine not requiring it. I also think it would be very difficult to do something like this in
the five minuet time slot that I have been allotted. As a result of this I have decided that I will focus on a simpler
presentation style through the use of visual graphics and narration.

8. Research summary
• Due to looking at existing products I have learned a lot about certain characteristics and presentation skills that I will need in
order to produce a successful product. Interestingly most of the existing products that I have looked at all have similar
presentation styles and characteristics. I have found that this is because a documentary will follow one of six formats, Expository,
Observational, Participatory, Reflexive, Poetic Mode and Performative. Each one has its own specific characteristics however I
have found that documentary's will often be a combination of these different styles.
• Researching these products has been extremely useful as I now have a broad variety of knowledge about making a factual
documentary. Specifically types of conventions I will use that will fit best within my chosen format and time limit. I have decided
that the expose style will be the best fit for my production since its primary purpose will be to educate people about the topic of
space exploration making it in essence a video essay which is the main definition of this style. I believe that my research has
proved that this is the most successful type of documentary as I have noticed that all types of documentary even if there primary
styles are different will always have expose elements within them. This is due to the fact that documentary's are essentially video
journalism which uses the expose format as a bassline to build upon. This can be seen most prevalently in news reports were the
reporter has to break down the information into something the general public will understand in order to fulfil the purpose of a
new report which is of course to educate someone about the unknown.
(7)

9. Initial Ideas

10. Idea 1- Informative Video Essay about the future of human
space exploration.
• The first idea I had for a factual video is to write a video essay on the future of human space exploration. Specifically how NASA is stuck in
the past trying to relive the glory days of the Apollo program and how they must change and embrace the private industry if they want to
reach the goal of putting humans on Mars. I will also talk about the fundamental reasons for these problems such as how NASA’s
priority's change with each US president that comes to power as well as real life examples of how this has happened and the money that
has been wasted.
• In terms of the visual and written elements that I will include from my research I have concluded that the best type of presentation style
for a video of this length is to either present a piece to camera and use cut away footage that is relevant to the point I am discussing, or
to use visual graphics on screen as my primary visual medium with an accompanying narration. The reason I say this is because I have
found that most documentary's regardless of topic use this in some form or another. I believe this is due to the fact that many people are
visual learners and that the most effective way to educate someone about a specific topic is to provide a medium for them to visualise it.
• In this specific instance I could use basic visual prompts during my introduction segment such as cutting away to shots of rocket launches
as well as stock footage of astronauts walking on the moon. This coupled with an appropriate soundtrack could be crucial in establishing
the mood and tone of my documentary. It is also important for me to grab my viewers attention within the first five seconds as I read in
an article when I was doing my research that the first five seconds of a video act like a headline that will either grab or loose your viewers
attention. Once my discussion gets further in depth I could then use visual infographics and diagrams to illustrate a point as well as using
statistics and figures to back up my discussion. This is a crucial part of my presentation as without facts to back up my point then the
video just becomes pointless as people are unlikely to see it as a reliable source of information as there is no proof to back up what I am
saying.
Introduction Narration with footage overlaid Main presentation done in front of green screen to overlay relevant footage, statistics and
infographics
0:30-1:00
1:00-5:00

11. Idea 2- Informative Video Essay on the classification of Pluto as
a planet
Whether Pluto should be classed as a planet or not is a debate that has been going on for a long time. However it is a topic that
won’t interest a lot of people. Therefore I don’t think my style should be as formal as it would be for my first idea. By this I mean
that my video should perhaps contain more humour and slightly more cartoonish visual graphics as a way to draw in the viewer
attention to a topic that they aren’t interested in. This lack of perceived interest is likely why I won’t pick this idea to go with for
my final products however I do have some idea of how I could pull it off.
First of I would have to reach out to possibly a younger audience. Perhaps 8 to 12 year olds as these are the ages a more
cartoonish style is more likely to attract. This could actually be a good thing however as the video could be perhaps turned into a
classroom learning tool for science teachers to use to explain the basic principles of the topic. Secondly I would write out a script
that was snappy and quick to the point that would keep children interested. This is necessary as young children typically don’t
have a long attention spans making this a necessary characteristic.(8) Thirdly I would find a way of producing cartoon graphics
that can be used alongside that narration as the visual medium. This would be extremely difficult as the graphics would have to
change very quickly in order to keep up with the narration as well as keep children interested. The method of narration would also
be different for this type of video then if it was produced for an older audience as if it were an older audience a point evidence
and explain presentation style would suffice however since I am reaching out to children I believe it would be better to use a story
telling technique by personifying things like the planets of the solar system and making up a fictional story that would educate
them about the issue by being relatable.
Possible cartoon style

12. Idea 3- The moral issue of the Neil Armstrong Biographic leaving out the scene of the
planting of the Moon Flag
• I think this type of video would work better as a debate style video with expose elements rather then presentation. It could
be done in two ways. You could either have two people on camera arguing opposing points or you could have the narrator
talk about both points and the arguments for each one. I think the latter option is the better one as having two people
arguing a point on video could easily feel contrived and unnatural. I think the best way to do this would be to allow the
audience to formulate there own opinions on the issue once they have been presented with all the facts.
• One good idea would be to have interviews with people relevant to the topic in the video giving there personal opinions on
the matter. Unfortunately I don't have access to anyone relevant that could do this. I could overcome this however by
providing evidence of primary and secondary research into the matter that focuses on other peoples opinions and what they
think about the matter. Since I would be presenting the facts to the audience the majority of the video could be done in the
same format to my first idea which was to present a piece to camera in front of a green screen. I could then use the green
screen to overlay evidence of my research as I am talking about it. Alternatively I could simply use it as a backdrop and
overlay my research across the whole video entirely making it easier for the viewer to read it.

13. Bibliography
• (1) Knowledge Hub. (2017). Utopia is a Dystopia. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDeMzg31T2I. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (2) Tom Scott. (2014). The Hard Part About Getting To Orbit Isn't The Height. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89VAPZz1Nf0. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (3) Unknown. Uploaded to YouTube by user Astrobum. (Video Uploaded Feb 2018). 21st Century Hackers -
Documentary 2018. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koi54cPRlhQ. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (4) BBC Panorama. (Uploaded to YouTube 24th Feb 2018). BBC Panorama| Gangsters' Dirty Money Exposed.
Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCjuEkCHiPw. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (5) Peter Biesterfeld. (2015). https://www.videomaker.com/article/c06/18423-six-primary-styles-of-
documentary-production. Available: https://www.videomaker.com/article/c06/18423-six-primary-styles-of-
documentary-production. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (6) Tom Scott. (2014). British Plugs Are Better Than All Other Plugs, And Here's Why. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfP1OKKz_Q&list=PLWppAN5rTy3nVA5JpbMmyoPhHXMereJUr&index
=57. Last accessed 21/09/2018.
• (7) NA. (Unknown). Definition of Expose. Available: https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=Jx6mW_-
gOYrYgAaClIXYBQ&q=definition+of+expose&oq=definition&gs_l=psy-
ab.3.1.35i39k1j0i67k1l2j0i131k1l2j0l4j0i131k1.2848.7840.0.9630.15.13.2.0.0.0.90.864.12.13.0....0. Last
accessed 21/09/2018.
• (8) The University of Chicago Press. (Study Published in 1954, date of upload to website: Unknown). The Concept of Attention
Spans in Children. Available: https://www.jstor.org/stable/998982?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. Last accessed 21/09/2018.