This documentary summary provides information on the TV documentary "Skint". It discusses the purpose of informing audiences about underprivileged people in Scunthorpe and how they survive daily life. The target audience is identified as those between 16-35 years old who are female, precarious members of society, or working class. Forms used include handheld camera movements, natural lighting, interviews, and case studies to achieve a sense of realism. Conventions include a narrator, non-scripted footage, and case studies; it challenges the use of a presenter and statistics.

1. Assignment 2: Group
TV Documentary
Analysis
By:
Fatou Panzout
Laura Cuk
Rosalin Zein
Jodie Foster-Pilia
Maria Fashakin

2. Skint
O Series
O Aired on Channel 4.
O The length of the show is 46:47.
O This series originally aired on Monday 20th
May – 9:05pm.
O This documentary is rated G – Strong
Language – 16+ to watch it.

3. Topic & Purpose
O The purpose of the show is to inform the
audience as to how under privileged
people in Scunthorpe survive, everyday life
and the different problematic situations
they come across.
O People in similar situations as the people
in skint, may be able to relate and
understand some of the issues raised, and
feel somewhat comforted by watching the
documentary.

4. Audience
Niche Audience • This documentary is targeted at a niche
audience due to the fact that it is a hard
hitting topic regarding the lives of
deprived individuals .
• There would only be a specific group of
people who would be interested in this, as
they too may have been involved in
similar situations.
Target Audience • 16 – 35
• Female
• Precariat (The most deprived
members of society)
• English – British (Irish)
Secondary Audience • 36 – 50
• Male
• Working Class
• All ethnicities and nationalities

5. Analysis of introduction
1) Establishing shot The establishing shot
establishes the location and
orientates the audience.
2) Voiceover The voice over is used to inform
and explain to the audience
about what the documentary is
going to consist of.
3)Montage editing Montage editing is used as an
enigma, as the use of non-
linear footage ensures that the
audience are eager to find out
what's happening
4) Establishing character The characters are introduced to
the audience through the
voiceover, the character then
talks directly to the camera

6. Analysis of introduction
Establishing shot
Introducing character
Introducing
character with voice
over
Character talking directly to
camera.

7. Forms
Form Fatou Laura Rosalin Jodie Maria
Form#1 Camera
movement
Sound Camera
shots
Montage
editing
Form#2 Composition

8. Forms
O Camera Movements –
O They have a great use of panning
throughout the documentary, which is
hand held, giving the emphasise of the
sense of realism throughout the
documentary

9. Forms
O Camera Movements
O Also they had a minimal of tilting, which
made it seem more realistic

10. (Credits) Forms
Credits are used to introduce the
people within the documentary.
USE
CHALLENGE
DEVELOP

11. Sound - Form
There is also non-diegetic background score music which is fast paced and helps
to create a hectic atmosphere. This atmosphere also relates to the life styles of the
people within the documentary.
BACKGROUND SCORE
MUSIC
VOICE OVERS & SOUND
BRIDGING
During the first few minutes of the documentary there is a voice over of the
narration which introduces the topic of the documentary. There is also sound
bridging as the voice over carries on to different shots.

12. Sense of Realism - Form
Handheld camera movement :
Hand held cameras
are usually used if it
is too time consuming
to prepare a tripod.
In documentaries like
this, because the
case studies that are
non-scripted the
cameramen don‟t
know what the people
will be doing.
For example, In this part of the
documentary the girl and her
friends are running down the
road so the camera man has to
pan.
The hand held camera movement provides a sense of
realism as it has a more “home made” or dramatic feel
to a shot.

13. Sense of realism - Form
Natural lighting :
Natural lighting creates a more gritty, realistic tone, It makes the
documentary seem authentic as nothing artificial is used.
This type of lighting is good for a non-scripted documentary as it
reinforces the idea of realism and the fact that the case studies are of
real people.

14. Specific Camera shotsFORMS
Two shot
Wide
shot
Here a wide shot is used
to show the establish
family to the audience
Here, a wide shot is used to
show the bigger picture, of
what happens on the streets,
and the way in which they
socialise
A two shot is used to show
people having a
conversation, whereby it is
clear to the audience, what
issues they are facing
Body language (hands pointing)
demonstrates that she is
reprimanding her daughter
Body language (crossing arms)
represents character as
rebellious
Clothing (hoodies)
represent gang
members

15. FORMS Specific camera shots
Different cuts
Here the
character is
talking
It then cuts to a
shot of her makeup
This to keep the
audience interested,
as they are not just
focussing on her
face all the time
Close-ups
Close-ups are used
to show the
characters facial
expression
They give an
insight as to how
the character is
feeling
Facial expressions
show emotion

16. FORMS - Composition
Balance
Rule of
Thirds
Balance is shown in this footage
at the beginning of the
documentary in the introduction
as the sky and the land meet
exactly in the middle
The character is placed at the
right hand side, to highlight
the that what she is talking
about makes her quite upset,
placing her on the side gives
a sense of vulnerability
Here the character has been
purposely placed on the left
hand side, in order to give
room for the credit, as she is
introduced
The use of balance
immediately attracts
the audience

17. O Montage editing is used in the documentary to sustain the viewers interest by
showing the audience smaller clips from the episode of what to see.
(Montage editing) Forms

18. (Animation) Forms
O Animation is not present in our documentary hence the reason why it
challenges the form of animation.
O This is a serious documentary so animation would be inappropriate and
would distract the viewer from the sense of realism.

19. Conventions
Convention Fatou Laura Rosalin Jodie Maria
Convention
#1
narrator Interviews Statistics
challenge
d
Voice over Montage
editing
Convention
#2
Presenter
(challenged
)
Credits Sense of
realism
Case
studies
Animation
(challenged)

20. Conventions
O Narrator
O They use a narrator in the introduction of
the documentary to inform viewers as to
what they‟re expected to watch and the
basics of how and why the people within
the documentary are in that sort of
lifestyle
O Presenter
O This convention is challenged because its
not used as there is no presenter, that is
shown to be presented

21. (Interviews) Conventions
The camera man asked from behind
the camera interacting with the
interviewee.
USE
CHALLENGE
DEVELOP
Most of the camera shots used during these
interviews are mid shots, close up shots or two
shots. This is because this keeps the audience
focused on what the interviewees are saying.
Within the documentary there are
interviews with people who live in
this situation.

22. Non scripted footage or material :
In this part of the documentary, the girls is upset after loosing the court
case for her daughter.
We can see that it is non -scripted because the producers wouldn't have
known that she would lose her child.
Sense of realism - Convention
Non- scripted material helps to create a sense of realism as it means the
people within the documentary are able to talk more freely about their
experiences giving the audience insight into their life.

23. Statistics are numbers that help
prove a point which make it
more believable to audience.
In this documentary no statistics
were used, so it challenges the
convention.
Statistics -
Convention
Statistics can be abstract or
explicit.
Explicit (top) statistics are
placed on a blank or non-
moving background.
Abstract (bottom) statistics will
usually be presented through
an animation, graph or chart.
From the documentary „food inc‟

24. (Case studies) Convention
In documentaries there is
usually some sort of case study
Here is a case study, whereby she is
followed throughout the documentary
The way in which she lives her life,
and her journey is monitored
throughout the documentary so the
audience have an insight into her
everyday life style
Body language and facial expressions are
present in case studies in order that they
can communicate how they feel
They give the documentary a feel
of realism as the cases are real