In today's lesson we analysed a documentary of our choice

1. Documentary analysis

2.  Life in Indiana state maximum security prison
 Outlook on life in prison from an inmates perspective
 Life on death row Vs Life in a normal prison

3.  The documentary is observational as the audience follow the
lives of people living in and on death row in Indiana security
prison. It is classed as an observational documentary as the
audience observe the every day lives of people within the
prison.

4.  Two shot – in most of the interviews a two shot is used to show the
audience the reactions of both people in the shot. It creates a
connection between the audience and Trevor as they can see him
asking questions and his facial expressions from the answers. Two
shots are also included in the documentary when Trevor McDonald
talks to the inmates from the outside of the cell to put emphasis on
the fact the inmates live behind bars and they are trapped, whereas
Trevor is not.

5.  Establishing shot – Establishing shots are used in the
documentary to set the scene and remind the audience of
where the documentary is taking place. Some establishing
shots in this documentary are taken from a birds eye view so
the audience can see all of the prison.

6.  Close up – close ups are used in the documentary to show the
expression on inmates faces. The audience can tell by their
facial expressions how they feel living inside the prison on
death row and what life is like there. The close up below has
been taken from outside the bars to connote the inmate is
trapped and has no escape.

7.  Prison cells – these are used within the mise-en-scene of the
documentary to show what life is like within the documentary
and show what the living conditions are like.
 Prison doctors – the doctors within the prison is used to
inform the audience that people who are ill in the prison will
get help. This gives irony to the documentary and makes the
audience question whether what they are doing is right as the
prison will be using money to pay for medicine for inmates,
however the prison will also be the place where people living
on death row will be killed.

8.  Prison Barber shop – A prison barber shop has been used
within the mise-en-scene of the documentary to educate the
audience by showing them what life is like inside the prison
and how some inmates work in there.

9.  Digetic and Non Digetic
 Non Digetic – Voiceover – A voiceover is used at the start and
in other parts of the documentary of Trevor McDonalds voice.
At the start it is used to introduce the prison and explain
what the documentary will be exploring.
 Digetic-Trevor talking to people in cells. He asks the inmates
what life is like in prison and on death row, this will educate
the audience by showing them what life is like from the
inmates perspective.
 Non Digetic – A voiceover is used from a news report of
someone in the prison who was arrested and put on death
row. This reminds the audience that the documentary is
based on real peoples lives.

10.  Fast forward – a fast forward is used showing the inmates
walking around outside of the prison, this shows the
audience the passage of time and put emphasis on the time
the inmates spend inside the prison. The camera is also titled
up to the sky after this and the audience see the clouds move
quickly. This has the same affect, showing the passage of
time.

11.  Pictures of prisoners when they were younger / first arrested
– This proves to the audience that the documentary is real as
it is based on real peoples lives. It also informs that some of
the inmates have spent most of there lives in the prison. The
inmates also talk about what life was like before going into
prison, this gives the audience an insight into their lives.
 Footage of some prisoners when they first got arrested – This
also shows the audience that the documentary is based on
lives of real people.

12.  Title of documentary – appears every now and then to make a
small break between the scenes in the documentary so the
audience don't get bored. After the title is shown the screen
slowly fades to black and the title stays on the screen.
 Credits – gives information to the audience about who was
involved in the making of the documentary.