This documentary examines Britain's love affair with caravans. It begins with a brief history of the development of caravans and their popularity as a means for family travel. The documentary then shares stories from people who recount their experiences traveling in caravans as children. It also shows how the caravan industry has struggled in recent years as preferences have shifted away from caravan travel. However, the documentary notes that caravans remain a popular and affordable holiday option for some older people. Interviews are accompanied by archival footage and a voiceover to provide context. The documentary uses a variety of shots, like medium close-ups and point-of-view shots, to engage viewers.

1. BRITISH CARAVANS
– A LOVE AFFAIR
Mixed Documentary

2. Theme – The theme of this documentary
is related to caravans in Britain. The
theme of caravans can also relate to
family time/tradition, which shows to
people the freedom they have. The
theme throughout the whole
documentary shows the family lives in
Britain who own caravans and tell the
audience about there own experiences –
also contains factual information.
British caravans – a love affair
Type of documentary – The documentary is mixed since it has a mixture of interviews with
backgrounds that relate to the documentary, archive footage/material and voice overs to
anchor meaning

3. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The narrative of the documentary starts off with quick history of
caravans – where they where made and who made them. The
exposition of the documentary is that over years caravans have
changed from being a way to transport/travel for families (a popular
attraction) to becoming more old fashioned way to spend time with
families(less popular attraction). The documentary shows the caravan
business is suffering since people are buying other ways to travel or
spend time with family – rather than buy/rent caravans. The narrative
starts off by showing the caravan business become popular and who
invented the caravan – his death, it included a interview with his wife.
The middle of the documentary shows stories of people experience in
caravans – interviewing an old woman, talking about when she was a
kid travelling to Paris in a caravan. The end of the documentary shows
the caravan business tumble and suffering like companies like Sprite.
However the documentary ended with a positive point expressing that
old people are still going/buying caravans since it is a cheap way for a
holiday.
British caravans – a love affair

4. CAMERA WORK
The camera shots the documentary used were
medium close ups for interviews – with the
background usually the caravan the person owns,
to relate to the documentary. There was also a lot
of point of view shots, like driving in the
countryside – giving a different perspective to the
audience. A high angle shot was used to show
the caravan convention. Handheld shots where
used in cars/caravans to give authenticity to the
documentary, including a over the shoulder shot
of a man making breakfast.
British caravans – a love affair

5. MISE-EN-SCENE
Most of the documentary mise-en-scene where related to the
countryside and caravans. In most of the interviews in this
documentary, the interviewee is in their caravan relating back to the
main subject of the documentary. There are no props used in most of
the interviews, the top image does have props, that is mainly furniture
– indicating a home environment relating to caravans.
The costumes/clothes the interviewee’s are wearing are quit old
fashioned and sort of informal, it looks like they are going for a day out
– like caravanning. The informal dress code can make the viewer
relate more to the people being interviewed.
The lighting of the interviews and most of the shots used in this
documentary are using natural lighting, to give a more realistic view
to the audience than rather using a softbox or some sort of lighting.
British caravans – a love affair

6. The British caravans documentary, like many other
documentaries has a narrator voice over – with a
montage of family travelling in caravans. The narrator
voice over is not as heavily used at the start, with
some of the interviewee’s talking instead non diegetic
and diegetic sound – the narrator voice over does
regular appear throughout the documentary. When a
new part of the documentary starts there is usually
some sort of music bed with old 80’s - 90’s music
before fading out, which may attract the target
audience of caravans.
Some parts of the documentary start the first couple of
words from a interview with archive footage before
becoming diegetic sound, revealing who is speaking
on screen. However most of the archive footage
through out the documentary is spoken with the
narrators voice over.
SOUND
British caravans – a love affair

7. The documentary starts off with a quick
Explanation of caravans in a montage. Most of
the documentary is straight jump cuts to the
next scene since there isn’t a lot of sub plots in
this caravan documentary. The pace of the
editing is mainly slow for the viewer to follow
what is happening. The editing of the
documentary is very simple to follow with
archive footage before returning to an
interviewee, before going back to more archive
footage.
British caravans – a love affair
EDITING

8. There is a lot of archive material in this
documentary compared to other
documentaries. Some of the archive
material used is pictures of caravans/
people travelling to other countries,
videos of caravan events as well.
Some of the archive material are from
the interviewee’s that anchor there
meaning more than just talking about
it.
British caravans – a love affair
ARCHIVE MATERIAL

9. Not many graphics were used in this
documentary and when they were used
in this documentary it is similar to others –
the font, size and positioning of the text is
visible but doesn’t take all the attention
from the actual interviewee. Graphics is
used for the title of the documentary – the
title is on the front cover of a book
signifying the start of the documentary.
The text/graphic also fades in subtly as
well. Graphics is used at the end of the
documentary for the credits of the
caravan documentary.
British caravans – a love affair
GRAPHICS