A level media coursework- Type 1 Documentary

1. Media coursework planning
Sophie Rebairo

2. • Presenter style- After doing my research I discovered that the preferred
presenting style was a voiceover. However, I have chosen to have my presenter
on screen as I think this is more in keeping with BBC Three’s style. Stacey Dooley
and Reggie Yates are always on screen, therefore I plan to follow this route in my
documentary.
• As my documentary is based around breaking the stereotypes about Type 1
Diabetes, I will need to interview Diabetes nurses and Type 1 Diabetics. The
essential inclusion of more than one social group means I plan to talk to both
male and females, I hope to show some age diversity but equally think it is
important for the target audience to see themselves represented on screen.
Gender will be my main social group focus, however I would also like to try and
interview people of more than one ethnicity as this is important to represent too.
• I am planning to film my documentary over multiple locations. I plan to begin in
my own house and garden, and hopefully in the homes of my interviewees too if
that is possible. If I am able to I hope to record some people
playing sport or doing other activities, for this I may have to
go further afield to different locations. If I can get in contact
with a football team in Worcester then it may be possible for
me to film a training session, for this I would have to travel
to Worcester myself. Finally, I might film myself in the car as I
will be the presenter and a convention for BBC Three’s
documentaries is the presenter being filmed travelling to
their relevant locations.

3. • Shooting ideas- I aim to vary my camera angles as this will
keep my audience interested. However, if travel and social
distancing restrictions are still in place it is likely that I will
have to interview people over a video call. Therefore this
will limit the camera angles I can use when they are talking.
I plan to attack this problem by filming myself from other
angles while talking to them, this is the best in between.
(Here I would use- mid shots, wide shots to show my location and over the
shoulder shots so the audience can see my screen too). When recording action I
will be able to use a variety of close-ups, wide shots, tracking shots or pans, two
shots and extreme close-ups. A wide variety is important to show different
perspectives and keep the audience engaged.
• Sound ideas- (dialogue, sound effects and soundtrack)- There will be dialogue
from the presenter (voiceover) in between the time where they are seen on
screen. This allows for some actual footage to be shown which is more
interesting, while still getting the important information I want to get across. I am
unsure if I will use any sound effects, I don’t plan on using them but will look for a
few if I find it necessarily while editing my final product. It is likely that I will use
some non-diegetic music in the background. This will be quiet and most likely
instrumental, or positive and powerful lyrics that will lie underneath the footage
and dialogue of the documentary. I might choose a certain clip of music that is
played with my title at the start, this can then be put on my website too and this
will allow for easy digital convergence.

4. How will you meet the conventions of your product?
• I will meet the conventions of a documentary by using them all as a checklist.
I aim to include a presenter, interview people, real footage of events, music
and visual coding. By ticking all the boxes I know I will have the most accurate
documentary for my audience. All while meeting the conventions of a BBC
Three documentary as well.
How will you attract the intended audience?
• I will attract the intended audience with my documentary title, ‘challenging
(or beating) stereotypes’. Stereotyping is a big issue, from my survey the age
of the intended audience all said that there is still a misrepresentation of
social groups in the media. I aim to tackle this as I know it is important to the
audience because of their social awareness. The use of social media is very
popular amongst this age group, because of this I will make social media
accounts for my documentary. This will allow people to get involved by
commenting, liking posts as well as being able to see behind the scenes
footage of the documentary being filmed.

6. Cutaway ideas
For the cutaways in my documentary I plan to record the location of where I
am interviewing- this will be in the person’s house or garden. This will not
only put the audience in perspective of where we are, but also give some
extra information for them about the interviewee. There will be a cutaway to
me in a car as I travel to meet the interviewee, to suggest the idea of
movement as I visit someone. If there are still issues of social distancing,
travelling and the inability to meet in large groups, I will most likely have to
interview them over a zoom video call. If this is what I have to do I will film
my house as the location instead. Some of my cutaways will be Type 1
Diabetics playing sport or other activities that people believe
they can not do. I also plan to show the medical side of
things. I am going to have footage of the administering of
insulin and finger pricks etc. to demonstrate what Type 1
Diabetics have to go through on a daily and weekly basis.
(Also preferably the inserting of a cannula and FreeStyle Libre
or Guardian Link 3).

7. Questions ideas for my interviewees
1. How long have you been a Type 1 Diabetic?
2. Have you always been comfortable with talking about your condition?
3. Do you do anything regularly that is challenging? Like playing sport.
4. What is the most difficult thing for you about having Type 1 Diabetes?
5. What is the worst situation you have experienced, with regards to your
condition?
6. Can you remember being diagnosed and if so what was it like?
7. What technology do you use to manage your condition or are you on insulin
injections?
8. What has your family supports system been like?
9. What advice would you give a newly diagnosed child or adult? Would your
advice be different?
10. What are the stereotypes about Type 1 diabetes that people have said to you?

8. My title for my documentary series is ‘Beating Stereotypes’. I think this is a very
important current issue, and in my audience research the majority of respondents
thought that there is a misrepresentation of different social groups. Therefore I want to
reflect these results in my documentary, which is why I believe
that this topic would prove wrong the stereotypes still found in
the media. For my sub-title or first documentary in the series I
am basing it around ‘Living with Type 1 Diabetes’. This topic is
important to me and I think it is necessary to raise awareness,
as the audience are unlikely to know a lot about it (and believe
the false stereotypes). This smaller title will be in blue- as it is the relevant colour for
this condition.
I will reflect the house style of the producer by appearing on screen as I present the
documentary and interview people. I plan to have the BBC Three logo at the start of
my documentary too, as that is what all the current BBC Three documentaries start
like. The BBC logo can be found throughout in the top right corner of the screen, this
convention will be reflected in my documentary as well. As I am the presenter, I will
introduce myself to the audience in the beginning so that the viewers know my name. I
will be wearing little to no make-up, and relatively plain clothes to reflect the more
serious tone of BBC Three documentaries (something Stacey Dooley does). I will also
film myself in the car as I am planning to travel to different locations when filming. This
reiterates what other presenters do in their documentaries that are broadcast on BBC
Three. Also I plan on making a documentary series, this reflects how BBC Three
showcase lots of different documentaries.

9. Making the audience want to continue
watching after the first three minutes
To continue watching my documentary past the opening 3 minutes, the audience needs a
hook- something that engages them or makes them curious to find out more. This is
important for Type 1 Diabetics to watch as they will have that natural interest. However,
challenging the stereotypes requires people that don’t know about the condition to watch,
it so they can be educated. Keeping their interest is essential to get across the key message
of the documentary.
As the brief requires a ‘three-minute opening sequence’, I plan to follow the style of Stacey
Dooley and Reggie Yates’s documentaries. My introduction will be the ‘highlights’ of what
is later to come in the rest of the programme, short clips of different interviews and
cutaway shots that hint at later footage. I will accompany this with a voiceover to give my
audience a better understanding of the on screen imagery and pose a question or several
to the viewer. This remains in line with the conventions of BBC Three while being slightly
different and tailored to my documentary topic and the effect I want to create. My ultimate
question is overarching about Diabetes in general, but I also want people to be thinking
about aspects within it such as doing sport and eating food. Without these smaller focuses
I am not able to address the false stereotypes, therefore I plan to ask more than one
question. Multiple questions indicate the lack of awareness to the audience and will give
them the realisation of how little they know about the condition- the truth of living with
the illness isn’t fully known to many.

10. Title and credit style ideas
My overarching title that will span across all my documentaries is ‘Challenging
Stereotypes’. Therefore, this will be bigger and in the centre of my
documentary screen. Underneath will be the title of that specific documentary
‘Living with Type 1 Diabetes’ which will be in blue as this is the colour for the
condition. All my text will be in a sans serif font as I want the title to appeal to
a youthful age group. I think both titles will be in upper case as most
documentary titles are capital letters and I want to produce a conventional
product. As I am creating a documentary for BBC Three I am following the
format of BBC Three presenters such as Stacey Dooley and Reggie Yates. Their
titles are usually only words, therefore I am going to stick to this
and only possibly replace once of the letters with a graphic
image (such as an insulin pen for the i in Diabetes). Not all Type 1
Diabetics use this method of medication, consequently this will
depend if I believe it adds to my documentary title
sequence aesthetically.
I plan to have simple credits of capital, sans serif, white
text on a black background that moves up the screen from the bottom
to the top.

11. Reflecting two different social groups
There are a variety of different social groups but the main ones I hope to address are age
and gender. One of the people I intend to feature in my documentary is a young child and
my audience can see what life is like in comparison with a young adult. I aim to show both
sexes (male and female) by interviewing people from these two categories.
I intend to represent my social groups in different ways. With regards to age, I want to
show the impact on the family as well as the diagnosed child. As well as the burden that is
transferred more on to the diabetic themselves as they get older and have to do more
alone. The way in which I will challenge gender stereotypes is by representing all my
interviewees in the same way. Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t discriminate, any one from any
social group can develop the condition. This is important to get across to the audience that
gender is irrelevant, a male or female have to deal with the same issues and stereotypes
put against them.
The topic of my documentary is ‘Challenging Stereotypes’. Therefore, I aim to change my
audience’s thinking when it comes to stereotypes and represent different social groups in
the right way. My target audience are the people in society that are accepting of difference
and change, so it is important to make them aware of the misrepresentations of certain
social groups. However, I understand my limitations. I know I will have to conform to some
stereotypes such as the use of medication for Type 1 Diabetics, this is a fact that I cannot
get away from and is important to show to enable people to understand the condition.

12. Location Risk Precaution
Will’s house
Stairs
Electrical sockets
Social distancing
Do the interview in a room
downstairs therefore there will be
no reason to use the stairs. Take
all necessary electrical devices
fully charged and sit away from
any sockets. Set out the chairs for
presenter and interviewee at a
2m distance apart and don’t share
any objects. Keep drinks out of
close reach so they are not spilt
making the floor slippy.
Daniel and Lorraine’s house
Stairs
Electrical sockets
Wooden floor
Social distancing
Do the interviews downstairs to
avoid the use of stairs. Ensure
that all necessary electrical
devices are fully charged and hold
interview away from any electrical
sockets. Set out chairs 2m apart to
make sure everyone is safe. Keep
water away from any sides as this
spilled on the floor could cause
someone to slip over.
Location Recce risk assessment
Location Risk Precaution
Nicole’s house Stairs
Electrical sockets
Social distancing
Dog
Do the interview in a room
downstairs therefore there will be
no reason to use the stairs. Take all
necessary electrical devices fully
charged and sit away from any
sockets. Set out the chairs for
presenter and interviewee at a 2m
distance apart and don’t share any
objects. Keep drinks out of close
reach so they are not spilt making
the floor slippy. Keep equipment
away from the dog so the tripods
don’t fall over and hurt it or it
jumps up and knocks the cameras.
Walton High School
Stairs
Electrical sockets
Computers
Do the interviews downstairs to
avoid the use of stairs. Ensure that
all liquid is far away from the
electrical sockets and computers
so electrical accidents. (Won’t be
slippy as the floor is carpeted). No
social distancing as Zoom chat
only.

13. Who will feature?- Will Godwin
Will is a type 1 diabetic and has been for over 10 years, he was diagnosed at the age of 3. He is a student and fits
within the target audience age range. Will fits into the male gender social group as well as being White British.
I want Will to be represented in a really positive way. He has had the condition for many years and is very
knowledgeable and experienced. I will use natural lighting to present him as similar to the audience, I want him to
come across as ‘normal’ rather than an ill person. We may have drinks and a table between us to create a relaxed,
everyday setting. There might be a time where Will gets his pump out on camera, therefore there is the possibility of
prop usage but it is not essential to his representation as the audience will be aware of his medical condition and
don’t necessarily need to see any ‘proof’. I plan to film in his house and will therefore be likely to have cutaway shots
of the setting to give a bit of background about him. These are likely to be pans of the surroundings or close-ups of
certain elements of the setting.
Due to social distancing rules I will be positioned a safe distance away from my interviewee. To keep the audiences
interest my camera angles need to vary, therefore I will use a variety of different types of shots. A wide shot that
includes both of us, as I will be the on screen presenter asking the questions, this will allow for some of the location
to be seen simultaneously which gives greater background about the interviewee (this is helpful as the open
sequence is only three minutes and doesn’t give much time for the audience to learn much about each individual).
Me being on screen is also important as I am taking the audience on a journey with me exploring the different
incorrect stereotypes. A mid shot of Will or an over the shoulder shot from the same angle will add focus on what he
is saying and his reactions to my questions, alternating this with close ups will also allow for his facial expressions or
body language to be read more easily. An extreme close up might be used to show his sensor or pump if he is talking
about a specific feature of the technology or his diabetes- this is more of a possibility and depends on if the
conversation allows for it or naturally leads that way.

14. Nicole LewisNicole is a Type 1 Diabetic and has had to deal with this condition for many years. I have chosen to
interview her because she is a role model for other Type 1 diabetics. Nicole is an actress and is
currently involved in The Book of Mormon on the West End, she has also been an entertainer at
Alton Towers and on a worldwide cruise. The social groups covered here are: female and of other
ethnic origin (to White British).
I plan to represent Nicole in a way that demonstrates how inspirational she is to many people,
specifically to other Type 1 Diabetics. The lighting will be natural as it is important to me for the
audience to be able to see her as an amazing woman rather than someone very far removed from
themselves. There is likely to be limited prop usage, it will be more of a discussion about Nicole’s achievements and
what she has done with the condition. At no point has she let it hold her back and I want this to be reflected in the
way that she is very relaxed about her health, her condition would become less of the focus over her
accomplishments. I hope to film in her house so would like to have cutaway shots as I think the setting is helpful to
understanding more about the interviewee. I will use many different camera angles but the shots are most likely to
conclude of: close-ups, pans and tracking shots.
Obviously, I will be social distancing to make sure that me and Nicole are both safe. The combination of close-ups, mid
shots, wide shots and over the shoulder shots while I am interviewing her will add interest to the audience due to the
variety, as well as ensuring there is no manipulation of the audience by me as the director through the usage of
certain camera angles. Her kindness is clear in a straight on close-up therefore I will allow the audience to see this as
facial expressions and body language are very important in understanding someone’s personality. Mid shots will also
show this while wide shots will allow for the interaction between me and her to be seen on screen, again developing
the audience’s knowledge of her and her characteristics. An over the shoulder shot just adds a bit of variation while
putting in perspective her position in the location as seeing the presenter’s shoulder reminds the viewer that this is a
person to person interview rather than her just talking to the camera.

15. Daniel Rebairo
Daniel has only recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in August 2018. Including him in my
documentary will showcase that many different ages have Type 1 Diabetes, and what it is like living
with the condition as a child in comparison to an adult. Daniel fits in the male and age social groups
as his age will contrast with others on screen (such as his mum).
Representing Daniel in a positive light is essential in indicating how the condition doesn't stop you
from doing sport (one of the misconceptions or stereotypes). If the weather permits there could be
some footage outside as well as inside, this lighting will obviously be natural and is out of my
control. With regards to props, there will be sports equipment such as footballs and basketballs that are used. This
will represent him in an athletic and active way, it is important for the audience to understand that he is just
as physically capable as a non-Type 1 Diabetic child. However, this idea will be juxtaposed by the likely recording of
him using his life saving medical equipment. Despite this being an almost opposite representation to the one I
have established earlier, it proves that with this medical condition there is a lot to do in order to look after yourself.
Which clearly makes the point that although it might take more thinking and planning, it is still possible to do all these
activities that were achievable pre-diagnosis.
Different to the other people involved, I hope to record Daniel doing activities instead to produce cutaway footage.
Some of the ideas I have are: playing with the dog, playing video games, doing sport diabetes related activities. Due to
this, the camera angles I will use are not going to be completely the same as when I am talking to my interviewees.
I am much more likely to feature movement so will need pans and tracking shots, as well as using wide or long shots
to include more of the activity being done on screen. In contrast, I may also use extreme close-ups for diabetes
related scenes- such as putting on a sensor or pump cannula.

16. Lorraine Rebairo
Lorraine is the mother of a Type 1 Diabetic child. As soon as a child is diagnosed with this condition, a parent automatically
becomes a full-time carer. Interviewing someone that has to look after Type 1 Diabetes without having it gives me a different
perspective. There will be different emotions as a mum is always more protective over their child and will likely be more
worried. Lorraine is a White British female and older than the other interviewees, her age shows difference to her son- the
youngest person involved in the documentary.
Lorraine has been through a lot in these last few years, but I want her to be represented for how strong she is and how she
has rose to the challenge. Becoming a nurse, dietician and psychologist overnight is extremely difficult. As a parent you must
learn so many new things and by displaying her as an 'average person' through the use of natural lighting, it will demonstrate
how this can happen to anyone and you are immediately forced to learn this new way of life. As Lorraine is not a Type 1
Diabetic (as her son's condition is not genetic) it is extremely unlikely that there will be any props involved, apart from an
unrelated glass of water for example. I am planning to film in her home so will most probably have cutaway shots in order
to unable the audience to form their own opinions on the type of person she is. The setting can be really useful in this way, it
will give background information that I am not able to give in only three minutes, as well as 'pictures speaking louder than
words'.
Social distancing is extremely important, moreso in this case as Type 1 Diabetics are vulnerable and more high risk to the
complications of COVID-19. I understand that some will be shielding and will therefore ensure that this distance is maintained
through the interview to keep everyone safe and comfortable. By using multiple different camera angles I will be able
to capture the most important point of the conversation in more than one type of shot. The combination of wide shots, over
the shoulder shots and point of view shots will indicate the communication between the presenter and the interviewee. I
want to showcase this as it will reflect BBC Three's house style as all of Stacey Dooley and Reggie Yates' interviews are
done this way. This topic will be especially emotive for a parent, so including close-ups to make facial expressions and body
language extremely visible is crucial. The target audience will only be able to begin to understand how big the impact of a
Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis is on a family by seeing real-life experiences.