This documentary uses various camera techniques like close-ups, mid shots, and wide shots to explore the topic of music in schools. It interviews presenters, teachers, and students about the importance of music education. Various shots are used like those of pianos, classrooms, and cities to provide context. Graphics include the title in a muted grayscale and hashtags to encourage online discussion. Interviews alternate between subjects in different locations with their names overlayed. The documentary aims to show the positive impact of music on children through reactions.
2. Camera Work
This documentary uses a close up, over the shoulder view and focus pull in
left third of the presenter to begin to introduce him. Aesthetically pleasing
city background and stylistic focus pull.
A low angle mid shot which reveals the presenters face.
Cinematographic extreme close up of the presenter playing the piano.
Angelic looking, sophisticated artificial lighting-soft and professional style.
3. Cut between two short takes: extreme close-up and high angle extreme wide shot.
Zoom cleverly framed by appropriate tyre play equipment. Shot of school as he said
‘school’ in the voiceover.
Framing between playground equipment, wide shot of main setting for documentary to
introduce, back to non diegetic voice over.
High angle wide shot of an escalator going upwards in time with the voiceover saying ‘up
and down the country’.
4. Graphics
The title of the documentary fades in, written in house style font in vertical layout. Muted
greyscale colour scheme for this simple extreme close up. Out of focus with lens flare in
the left third to focus on the title in the right third. Being cinematographic style, this links to
the shot ‘music’ and piano keys.
Hashtag for the documentary to generate audience participation though social media
discussion and below the line online advertising. Still of high angle extreme wide weather
shot along with a view of the city which the documentary is based in.
5. Interviews
Mid shot of the interviewees in the same location, alternating between right third and left
third. Name edited onto shot in the documentary’s house style font. Background soft and
out of focus to bring attention to interviewees.
Voiceover from the interviewee followed by a very similar interview style mid shot in
appropriate school setting. It is also an appropriate interviewee as she is one of the
subjects for the investigation.
6. Capturing similar actions of opening and turning instrument cases using different angles
tracking, mid shot, close ups. Which makes the documentary flow and the similar shot
takes build tension by repetition.
Mid shot of the presenter with the diegetic voiceover to reveal the source of it. Sitting in a
relaxed interview style room- his opinion being interviewed. Appropriate props which
relate the documentary investigation based on schools and music, desks books journal.
Background soft, similar light colour tones, muted and out of focus ; aesthetically pleasant
and docuses audiences attention on the presenter. Long medim shot take. The costume is
simple and represents the theme slightly- setting free creativity of music.
7. Action match of children reacting to the sound of an orchestra, mid shot.
This explains why the investigation is important by including positive
reactions to music by children. Lots of tracking as the experiment parts of
the documentary are less scripted and documentaries generally do not
have lots of camera filming at once unlike films as they are produced on a
much smaller scale. Therefore, different shots and angles are less planned
and usually filmed by 1-2 cameras, and following the subject by simple
tracking is most important.