1. Analysis into the codes and conventions of TV documentaries:
Teenage Heroin Epidemic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIbpt1aDFqM
Introduction:
This documentary explores the increasing number of teenager drug users in the UK
and how their lives have been shattered due to their self inflicted heroine abuse. The
documentary is very poignant at times as the characters inform the audience what
their lives were like before using heroin and what their lives are now life. This
approach to the film the documentary is well thought of as the audience is informed
of the affects of heroine and also creates sympathy for the characters urging the
audience to continue to watch the documentary.
Target Audience:
The documentary is targeted at teenagers, this is evident as majority of the
characters in this documentary are teenagers and explores the difficulties and
challenges they are facing due to their heroine usage. This documentary’s target
audience would be both males and females between the ages of 16 and 21. I have
come to this conclusion as this is the age rate that teenagers in the UK are either
suing or selling heroine. I believe that, in terms of class, people of class C2 and D
would watch this documentary as these are the people who are either taking or know
someone that has or currently has taken heroine. I do not think an audience above
C2 would watch this documentary as heroine is a drug that is not commonly used by
higher class individuals.
Type of documentary:
This type of documentary is a social/investigative documentary. I say this because
the documentary is highlighting problems in our society and making them aware to
the audience. Therefore, as a result this documentary type is a social documentary.
Moreover, because this documentary investigates the affects heroine has on
people’s lives both physically, mentally and personally it is an investigative
documentary.
Published:
This documentary was published on Vice over the internet. The internet is a useful
way to broadcast the documentary as it particularly as this documentary as it is free
and seeing as this documentary as a low production value. Furthermore, from our
research into our target audience we discovered they use the internet a lot which
therefore shows it is good way to attract them to watch the documentary.

2. Style of documentary:
This style of documentary is narrative as the narrator is giving the audience
information of the affects of drug use and how it has destroyed people’s lives.
Content:
The documentary follows the daily routine of heroin addicts and at times has
gruesome scenes e.g. showing dirty conditions and drug taking behind bins. The
documentary is very factual at times and explores how heroine usage by teenagers
has lead to a lost generation. The documentary has a negative viewpoint towards
heroine from the beginning of the documentary and highlights the negative aspects
of drug usage such as addiction, and risk of HIV/AIDS and other associated
diseases; and even death.
Narrative structure:
This type of documentary has a circular narrative structure. This narrative structure
fits this style of documentary as it shows the never-ending, continual cycle of drug
addiction.
Methods:
The documentary consists of a narration; this is useful as the narrator provides facts
and information which aids in making the documentary seem more professional and
realistic. The dialogue used is extremely useful also as it provides an insight into the
thoughts and feelings of heroin addicts.
Camerawork, lighting and mise en scene:
The documentary simply follows heroine addicted teenagers daily routine and their
battle with heroine and as results the camerawork simply follows them around only
consisting of mid-shots and close ups but does make sure that the characters in the
documentary are within the rule of thirds. The lighting is not applicable as the camera
simply follows the characters everyday life in the streets of Swansea. The mise-en
scene is a teenagers living in the rough streets and council houses of Swansea,
which clearly reflects the characters low social class.

3. Super-Size Me:
The 2004 documentary ‘super-size me’ aims to shed light on the ever rising aphetic of obesity in
America and targets fast food giant McDonalds as responsible. The documentary attempts to reveal
America’s hidden obesity problem by the presenter and producer Morgan Spurlock only eating from
the McDonalds menu in order to portray he negative ramifications of eating an unhealthy fast food
diet. ‘Super-size me’ uses elements of different documentary mode; the participatory mode is
throughout the documentary as Morgan Spurlock undergoing the experiment and tracks his day to
day struggles and interactions. In additional, the documentary also contains the polemical mode as
Spurlock is heavily biased as he targets solely McDonalds as responsible out of the hundred fast food
chains and diners in America.
The documentary constantly has
interviews and informal discussions from
professional individuals such as doctors,
dietician to highlight and stress the
negative implications of a McDonald’s diet
such as coronary heart disease, angina,
heart attack and even shorten life
expectancy. To portray to the audience the
health risks of consuming McDonald’s
professional individuals are interviewed.
Mise-en-scene is significant as the woman
below is wearing glasses and surrounded
by books is a symbol and contains
connation’s of knowledge and intelligence
which creates a highly skilled and
professional persona.
Mise-en-scene is used once more this
particular extract of the documentary uses
props such as a computer and piano. The
computer is associated to be used by
individuals with a professional career. The
piano is a cleverly aspect that strengthen
the mise-en scene that the individual is a
professional as piano’s are related to
individuals who have an interest in
culture and the finer things in life which
creates a well-known stereotype that the
individuals with a professional career
originate from a middle/high class which

4. creates more realism about the
documentary.
The documentary highlights the negative
aspects of American society for example
the documentary predominately uses
voxpops to question the American public
on whether there are aware of the long
term ramivactions of eating Mcdonald and
basic health knowledge.
Spurlcok aks simple questions such as
“What isa calorie?” this seems as a simple
question to answer however, a large
proportion of the American public were unable to answer
him which portrays them as naïve, uneducated and unhealth
consicious. By showing how ignorant America is of the risks
of eating fast food meals it damages McDonalds reputation
as it appears they are feeding their customers without giving
them any nutritional information on what they are
consuming.
Moreover, Spurlock continues to criticize American society
but having an informal interview with big mac enthusiast
Don Gorske at a McDonalds resturant. Gorske is presented as a self conferssed McDonalds fanatic
whose diet solely consists of big macs and unwilling to change his eating habits. The use of this
informal interview has damaging effects as it presents Americans as food addicts and reluctant to
stop the devasting consequences it is causing to themselves
and to their society.
Furthermore, American society is presented as lazy and
letting their lives get out of control when a man is sent to
hospital to have a operation to lose weight instead of
exerising. This portrays America as reluctant to change
their sluggish ways.
Mcdonalds itself is also used negatively not only by the
food they are producing and the effect it is havig on the
American public but also when Spurlock tried to get in
touch with one of their mangers, he phoned them more than 14
times but to no reply which portrays them as discourteous and not
the coventional friendly, helpful, customer caring company which
them make us to believe.
However there are elements in the documentary where Spurlock
aims to reveal American postive society such as the man from
subway who was tried of being overweight and decided to act

5. about it. This portrays American society as
a community who are willingly to change
their eating habits and become more
health conscious which is a turning point in
the documentary.
As mentioned, the documentary uses a lot
of graphics to emphasis it message of
McDonalds causing health problems. This
particular graphic creates a sense that
McDonald’s is taking over the world with
fast food chains leaving people no choice
but to buy their products which is causing an
increase in obesity. In addition, the Mcdonald’s
cups are fronted in this particular long shot
makes the cups seem large than the buildings
and cars creating an illustion that they are
enourmous and unesscarrly huge.
The documentary also uses graphics to
represent the growing obesity trends and the
implications of what will be the result if
Americans do not stop the ever growing food
habits. Furthermore, the documentary uses of
visual effect to present the health risk that
McDonald is causing Americans, by showing a
healthy artery and an unhealthy artery claiming
that 40% of Americans have a damaged or partial
blockage artery and that in the next 40 years this
figure will double creating a sense of drama and
fear. I believe graphics are used cleverly in this
documentary because if Spurlock just gave the
facts the audience would just view them as
numbers but by visually seeing the effects of a fast
food diet it hits the message home a lot harder that
this food could lead to serious illness or death and
to stop consuming as much of it which I believe is
the purpose of this documentary.
In conclusion I believe ‘Super-size me’ gives insight
into the growing obesity problems and although the
experiment was not as accurate as it could have
been I do believe it sheds light on both positive and
negative aspects of American society.