This documentary analyzes the lives of convicted killers in prison as they undergo rehabilitation programs. It airs on Channel 4 on June 25, 2012 at 9pm and runs for 47 minutes and 34 seconds. The topic explores the daily lives of criminals in prison and the purpose is to show how their lives change after being convicted. The message is to discourage killing by showing the consequences. The primary audience is male, aged 18-30, white, interested in crime, from a higher social class. Techniques like interviews, case studies, handheld camera, credits, and voiceovers are used.

1. Nicole Lewis
Ingrid
Pamela Younes
Monae Minors-Gibbs
Helen
Assignment 2: Group TV
documentary analysis

2. Lifers Documentary
Information Explanation
What is it One off
Length of show 47 min 34 sec
When is it aired on channel 4 Monday 25th June 2012
What time is it aired at? 9 pm
What is it rated? G = For strong language and
distributing description of some
brutal crimes

3. Topic and Purpose
What is the topic
of show?
Explores the day to day
life of convicted killers
as the undergo
behavioural courses and
psychological
interventions as part of
their rehabilitation.
What is the
purpose of the
show?
To show how
convicted criminals
lives their lives
following their
consequences in
prison.
What is the
message of this
documentary?
Don’t Kill because they
would show how your
life would end up as.

4. Audience
Information Explanation
Niche
Audience
It’s a niche because, a wide variety would not want to
watch a show that highlights convicted criminals thus
making the audience feel sorry for them.
Who is our
targets? Primary Audience:
- Gender: Male
- Age: 18-30
- Ethnicity: White
- Interest/Hobbies: who
are interested in
crime
- Social Class:
Secondary Audience:
- Gender: Female
- Age: 30-50
- Ethnicity: Black
- Interest/Hobbies: who
wants to learn
- Social Class:

5. Analysis of Introduction
Forms /
Conventions
Screen shots Explanation
Non diegetic
music
To set the mood
Voiceovers to make the audience
visualise/interested
Hand held camera It makes it more realistic, as a
tripod is not used
Interviewing This is mode of address, when
the person would have the
opportunity to say what’s on
his/her mind and addresses it
to the audience

6. Forms
Nicole
Editing
Archival footage
Ingrid
Music
Pamela
Sense of realism
Montage editing
Helen
Camera shots
Monae
Lighting
Sound

7. Archival Photos
A photo of one of the
criminals that has
been in jail that could
be there for up to 12
years..
This image would make the
audience feel sympathetic
towards him and make them
wonder how a sweet child like
him could become a murderer.

8. Editing – Eye Line Matching
Shows the
audience what
a specific
person is
looking at.

9. Editing – Shot Reverse Shot/180 degree
rule
Shot reverse shot is used to
show the facial expression
between the criminal and leader
have a meeting.
180 degree rule is used to establish
exactly where each character is
placed.

10. Forms – music/sound
• In this scene, there is a sound bridging
while the reporter is talking about the
person that is shown on that scene.
• Also in this scene the music portrays a
serious tone, so the audience can
identify that this documentary is
something serious.

11. This scene has
music on the
background.
Whereas this scene
there is no music on
the background at all.
Changes to another
scene with a
background music

12. Forms – Sound
• The introduction includes
score music to set an
uneasy mood
• This also includes sound
bridging that controls
volume as to what the
audience can hear, in this
case it was the van driving.
• There was volume control
was raised, so the audience
can hear the flag blowing,
while realising the
documentary has something to
do with a prison.
Score music and sound bridging was used as it does give a sense of
realism and so the audience can hear real sounds that happens.

13. Forms – Sound
• This begins with dramatic
score music
• Also included the sound which
the people was making
• In addition the presenter was
talking over this which they
had to use sound bridging
for.
• The dramatic score music
carried through again with a
cutaway to the presenter
which introduced him
• Meaning they had to use
volume control for.
This is a similar example I found from the ‘The World’s Weirdest
Weather’.

14. Sense of Realism
Zooming, also is a sense of
realism, as it doesn’t use
separate cuts, also close ups
Natural lighting causes
realism, as there isn't artificial
lighting available
Hand held camera is also a
sense of realism, where it can
be shaky in some time as a
tripod is not used
The above would use these forms, as the majority of the documentaries would
have these elements. They would use these elements throughout the
documentary

15. Montage Editing
Montage editing is
when they would
introduce the
documentary
As they would
introduce the
different criminals
who are involved in
the documentary,
they would create
an enigma
By creating an enigma,
it would engage the
audience to carry on
watching the
documentary
This documentary uses montage editing, as all documentaries would create an
enigma with all the different topics based on lifers to keep amusing the audience
and not get bored

16. Establishing shot
Establishing shot of the
prison. Creating an image
of the prison for the viewers
.

17. Camera Shots
Zoom in from distance and
out of the picture
Mid shot
They used a camera shot of
the Talking hands

18. Conventions
Nicole
Interviews
Case Studies
Ingrid
Hand held camera
Pamela
Credits
Statistics
Helen
Voiceovers
Mode of address
Monae
Archival footage
Cutaways

19. Interviews – Expert interviews
Expert interviews in a
closed area. Showing it’s
somewhat professional.
Analysing the criminals
behaviour. Close up on her
shocked expression.
When explaining why they
kill other people.

20. Case Studies
First shot the
audience see’s of
him is a natural
lying down position.
Before he starts
talking, his name and
sentence appears on
the screen. Giving the
audience a bit of an
insight to Shaun.

21. Conventions
• The convention of a handheld camera in a
documentary is reinforced in ‘Lifers’.
• The handheld camera movement is to show the
audience realism.

22. Conventions – Montage editing
Montage editing – developed to give the audience
an insight of the different case studies that will be
further explained.

23. Conventions – Montage editing
This is a similar example I found from the ‘Bob Marley’s documentary’.
The montage editing was used to show a mixture of things that will be
continued and explained by the ending.

24. Conventions- Cutaways
Cutaways- used to keep the
audience interested to what they are
watching.
• This is cutaway of an inmate in
his cell
• The presenter asking him
questions about the cells and it
cuts away for the audience to get
a closer look
• The audience can see a
crowd of prisoners walking in
• It cuts away to one of the
prisoners being interviewed
• Score music has a
already started on this
cut away
• The cut away shows
the activity they do

25. Convention- Rule of thirds
Rule of thirds- used mainly during
interviews and with close up to show
facial expressions.
• There is also
unsettling music while
they describe whom
go into this prison.

26. Convention- Rule of thirds
This is a similar example I found from the ‘Lost children’. The rule of
thirds was used in the interview so the audience is not distracted while
looking at the documentary.

27. Credits
It’s a close-up when
they have an
interview, while the
credit is on the
screen
The name is bigger
and bolder, whereas
their role and job is
smaller. This shows
the importance of the
name and the role of
their jobs
The black
background, makes
the title looks bigger
and bolder as it
stands out, as this is
the title, which
should be different
than the rest.This documentary also uses the way the credit is presented. As it shows the
importance between the name and the role. By using different sized text and the
boldness of the texts

28. Statistics
This documentary challenges, as it doesn’t use statistics. However they used the
release dates of the prisoners, whereas they didn’t relate to the whole population
in the U.K
There isn’t any statistics
used, however they
mentioned the release dates
of the prisoners. Which is still
facts, but did not relate to the
whole population in the U.K

29. Cutaways & Voiceover
Starts with cutaway
and voice over (3rd
person)

30. Inspiration for A2 c/w
What is inspirational
form/convention
• Convention- text with black
background (mainly
challenged)
Why/how useful? • Can be useful for very
informative documentary
• can explain things clearer.

31. Inspiration for A2 c/w
What is inspirational
form/convention
• Form (camera work) which
was a pan
Why/how useful? • A pan side ways is a
interesting movement which
is challenged in
documentaries.
• Its useful because it can
show a lot of things in one
cut.

32. Inspirational for A2 C/W
What is inspirational
form/convention
 Forms: sense of realism
 Convention: interviewing
Why/how useful?  It makes it more realistic this is
more useful as its not fake and
a documentary would be telling
something true

33. Inspirational for A2 C/W
What is inspirational
form/convention
 Forms: different camera shots
Convention: credits
Why/how useful?  By using different camera shots
it would make it more
interesting, therefore the
audience wouldn’t get bored
they would stay interested.