The documentary "Marketing Meatloaf" examines the music career and marketing techniques of Meat Loaf. It uses a variety of footage, including interviews, concerts, and award shows, to tell the story of Meat Loaf's career and the music industry's efforts to rebrand him. Specifically, it shows how the industry wanted to change Meat Loaf's image to compete with artists like Take That and the Village People. Through Meat Loaf's marketing approach and the success of hits like "I'd Do Anything for Love," the documentary demonstrates how his strategy proved more effective than that of some competitors.
2. Type of documentary:
• Marketing Meatloaf is an mixed documentary
as it includes; Archive footage, Interviews,
Narration, all of this supports the evidence for
exposition.
3. Themes
• Themes within this documentary is; music, as
well as marketing techniques used by the
music industry.
4. Narrative Structure:
• Beginning: Opens at the Brits and shows artists receiving
awards and praising them self's. It also shows how
Meatloaf views him self and how he markets him self.
• Middle: Through out the middle of the documentary it
shows how the music industry wants to rebrand Meatloaf.
It also how's how they are worried about the competition
from; Take That, The Village People and Mr Blobby.
• End: Towards the end of the documentary we see how
Meatloaf's marketing technique was successful and how
The Village People failed. It also shows Meatloaf being
Christmas number 1.
5. Camera Work:
• Close ups of Meatloaf during the interview which show
him looking into space. Tell us he’s the subject of the
interview.
• Panning shots are also used showing the crowds at the
music, they are also used to show full rooms during the
behind the scenes shots of the awards ceremony's.
• A low angle is used when Meatloaf is performing at the
awards ceremony which makes him look powerful.
• A long shot is used of the music executives around a
table, this shows how many people are involved in
rebranding Meatloaf.
6. Editing:
• Blue screen is heavily used during the interview
footage during this documentary.
• During this interview they have also flipped one
of the interviewees on the screen, this changed
the continuity of the documentary as they have
already shown the interviewee before flipping
the footage.
• Slow motion is used during concert footage of
Meatloaf which show how he performs.
• Simple straight cuts are used throughout the
documentary.
7. Mise-en-scene:
• Interviews with Meatloaf are recorded behind
the scenes of him shooting his music video.
• Also other interviews are filmed in recording
studios which are relevant to the themes of
the documentary.
• We also follow Meatloaf on set, meeting fans,
concerts and at awards ceremonies.
8. Sound:
• Non-diegetic sound of the song ‘Id do
anything for love’ is played though out the
documentary. Non-diegetic music of Top of
the Pops theme is played when talking about
chart positions.
• Diegetic dialogue of sound played from the
interviews.
9. Archive Material:
• Archive footage of the Brit Awards is used as
well as footage from the Grammys.
• Footage of Meatloaf in concert and clips of his
music video is used during the documentary.
• An montage of peoples acceptance speeches
is added in the documentary as well as clips of
people walking to the stage to accept their
awards.
10. Graphics:
• The graphics in this documentary are fancy
compared to the graphics used in ‘The Devil
made me do it.’
• A graphic at the bottom of the screen tells the
audience the interviewees name as well as
their position in the business.
