Documentary analysis

2. This documentary is about the life of pop punk band ‘All Time Low’. The
documentary begins with a live performance of the bands popular hit ‘Lost
in Stereo’ suggesting that the documentary is also a live DVD as well as a
documentary. The Documentary contains both live footage of the band
performing in New York in 2010 but also contains various interviews with the
band members themselves and the band members parents addressing
various questions about the band and their lives from young teenagers in a
local band to the worldwide known band they are today.

3. The purpose of this documentary is to both entertain and inform. The audience is
entertained by the live footage of the band and also funny moments
captured both on stage and behind the scenes. In addition to being
entertained, the interviews with band members and family interweaved
between the live footage and behind the scenes moments, informs the
audience. From the interviews the audience learns about how the band
formed, where they practised, gets a glimpse of their early live shows, when
they signed to their first record label amongst much more. Through the
documentary, the audience gets a better understanding of how a young
band can make it in the music industry and what the process includes.

4. The target audience for this documentary is primarily All Time Low fans, looking
to be entertained with a live DVD of their favourite band. However, their fans
may also be interested in the sections of the DVD that inform them of things
they perhaps didn’t know before, and so learn from watching the
documentary. The informative sections of this documentary may also interest
people who aren’t necessarily fans of the band but are still interested in their
story. The documentary purpose to both entertain and inform allows it to
attract a wider audience than if it was just an hour and a half of live
footage.

5. In this documentary there isn’t a voiceover. The interviews with the band
members and their families tell the bands story and how the were feeling at
certain points of their lives so there is no need for a prominent voiceover
throughout the entirety of the documentary.
The live footage is recorded using professional cameras. Some of the footage is
captured using handheld cameras from the front of the stage, however,
majority of the footage is captured using cameras mounted on cranes in
order to capture every moment of the bands live performance. A
compilation of shot types are used including long, mid and close ups to
ensure that each moment is captured effectively and there is diversity in the
cinematography.
There is no voiceover in this documentary. Information is received through
interview formats giving the documentary a more natural feel, so there is no
need for a prominent voiceover throughout the documentary.