2. THE DOCUMENTARIES I WILL BE ANALYSING
Lifers
• Lifers is filmed in a prison in Leicestershire
following inmates facing life imprisonment.
• It was on Channel 4
• Target audience for Lifers is 25-35 year olds.
• It was broadcast at 9pm
• It was shown on Channel 4, Channel 4+1, More
4, 4oD
• Produced by Century Films

3. CONVENTIONS
• Handheld • Natural lighting
• Position of interviewee on screen
• Supporting images
• Establishing shot
• Supporting documents • Mid shot
• Archival footage • Close up shots
• Supporting clips
• Available lighting • Archival images
• Voiceover • Montage editing
• Background music • Clear aim of documentary
• Presenter
• Interview • Tone of presenter
• Title/credits • Theory and style
• Real life setting • Font
• Animation
• Quoted material • Ambient sound
• Selection of footage that is most • Intervals
consistent • Structure
with intended perspectives and attitudes of • Quoted material
topic • Special effects
• Facts and figures

4. LIFERS

5. Use
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention
of archival footage in the
documentary but
develops it as news
reports are typical archival
footage in documentaries.
Here, the archival footage
is a CCTV recording.

6. Use
INTERVIEW Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention
of an interview to inform
the audience of the
inmate’s circumstance.

7. Use
REAL SETTING Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention
of real setting to show the
audience what it is really
like.

8. Use
ESTABLISHING SHOT Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention
of an establishing shot of
the outside of the prison.

9. Use
VOICEOVER Develop
Challenge
Lifers challenges the
convention of a voiceover.
Here, the presenter talks
about the statistics of
prisoners etc

10. Use
INTERVIEW WITH EXPERT Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention of expert interviews as
the experts were discussing the types of people
convicted from different social classes

11. Use
BACKGROUND MUSIC Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention
of background music to suit
the mood of the topic. Low
piano music is being played
here.

12. Use
DESCRIPTION Develop
Challenge
Lifers uses the convention of factual description to inform the
audience of the person before they see him being interviewed.