The devil made me do it analysis

1. The Devil Made Me Do It
Analysis

2. Type,Themes, Narrative Structure
• The devil made me do it is a mixed type of documentary; it contains
narration interviews, archive footage and observation.The purpose of
the documentary is to document and to inform the audience about the
crime, the aftermath, investigated media influence and to entertain the
audience.
• The documentary is based on Marilyn Manson and his music influence
on young people.The main themes that are portrayed in the
documentary are crime, youth, influence of the media and religion vs.
devil worship which is a binary opposition creating conflict between the
two.
• The narrative structure in the documentary is single stranded so it’s
based on one topic which is Marilyn Manson and his music influence on
murder.The documentary is also open so it leaves some questions
unanswered, for the audience to think about.The documentary is non-
linear as the events in the documentary didn’t happen in chronological
order but instead followed the unchronological structure.

3. Camerawork • There is a variety of camerawork that has been used throughout the
documentary.The interview set-ups were usually medium close up
or a close up and the interviewees we usually sat on one side of the
frame not looking directly at the camera which shows that it
followed the conventions of an interview.
• However some interviews were less conventional such as the one
where there are two interviewees sat on a sofa, and the camera
frame was set up where they are sat in the middle of the frame
which is less conventional.Throughout the documentary there are
also close-ups of religious and devil iconography and zooms into the
signs such as the Christian cross which highlights the key themes of
the documentary.
• In the documentary there are establishing shots to set the scene
and give context. During the Marilyn Manson concert there are
crane shots of the crowd highlighting the devotion of his fans. In
the documentary there is a lot of handheld camerawork which
makes the documentary more realistic and truthful but is also
allows the cameraman to move more quickly. During the interview
there are low angle shots of Marilyn Manson demonstrating his
power.The interview includes observation which links to the points
and provides evidence for the exposition.

4. Mise En Scene
• The use of mise en scene in the interview where
Marilyn Manson's face is partially shaded could
signify darkness, good vs. evil and a dual
personality.The fact that he is sat in his dressing
room may also signify that he is ordinary just like
everyone else.
• Throughout the documentary there is religious and
non-religious iconography to emphasize the good
vs. evil which is one of the themes in the
documentary creating conflict.The fact that the
documentary is set-up in real locations and around
real people backs up the idea of truth and realism.
The mise en scene in the interviews anchors the
relevance of the interviewee and the topic that is
being talked about.The interviewees are either
experts or witnesses to the situation which provides
stimulation and evidence for the exposition.

5. Sound
• There are various different sounds in the documentary
which are diegetic and non-diegetic.The main sound in the
documentary is the voice of god narration which provides
exposition.The voiceover also provides anchorage to what
is going on.
• The narrator is a male who is English but does not have a
particular accent which gives a sense of authority and
knowledge. In the documentary there is also a translator to
make sure that the audience understands what some
people are saying. In the documentary there are various
sound effects.
• During the reinacment there is a knife and heartbeat
sound which emphasises brutality.The music in the
documentary are either religious classical hymns or
Manson’s rock and metal music which again shows the
binary opposition in the documentary.The music fits in
with the points that are being made and visuals.

6. Editing, Archive Material
• In the documentary there are a lot of cutaways to
visuals that fit in with what is being talked about at
the time.The pace of editing changes to also fir
with what is going on at the time. At the beginning
of the documentary there is a montage to give
insights to the documentary and what is going to
be happening in the documentary engaging the
audience.
• There is a use of archive material which are old
music videos, news reports and a chat show.To
emphasise the points being made.

7. Graphics
• The on screen graphics show the date and
contextual information on the screen.
During the interviews they also show the
interviewees information such as their
name and who they are which shows their
relevance in the documentary.
• At one of the gigs the on screen lyrics
show the audience clearly what is being
said and highlights the content of the
lyrics.The graphics on the title screen
have been stylised in a gothic way which
fits in with the documentary itself and the
main themes. Also information has been
given on the court outcome at the end.