Evaluation Question

1. Forms Evaluation

2. -> Documentary
• Archival Footage and Photographs
• Archival materials include CCTV, newsreel footage, and even photographs. This presents a
sense of realism, as it is tapping into the themes of post-modernism, where the media text
acknowledges it is a media product by using other media products to get the message across
• Handheld Camera
• ‘Wobbly’ camera shots are often attributed to documentaries. As cameras became more
portable and more affordable, filmmakers did more on-location shooting, and keeping the
camera steady was somewhat difficult when it came to following the action. A portable
camera meant you could film ‘on the move’, allowing for the public to be more at ease than
with someone setting up a tripod, and filming from a set location
• Voiceover Narration
• Voiceover narration occurs when a voice is heard on the soundtrack without a matching
source in the image. The voice often explains or comments on the visuals.
• Narrator
• Conventionally, there is a ‘narrator’ character to lead the audience through the documentary.
This is usually a specialist in the field which the documentary is related to (e.g. Brian Cox,
David Attenborough).
• Real People
• All people inside the product are ‘real’ people, not ‘characters’ played by actors. These would
only be needed in a Re-enactment, where actors would be used to recreate a certain
scenario.

3. Conventions Met Conventions Broken
• Whilst we were given the opportunity
• In our documentary, we to use archive footage from CCTV
used hand-held cameras to cameras, we made the decision late on
to break this convention. The reason for
obtain up close and this was because we believed it would
appear to provide the wrong
personal footage not only of conventions; it would either provide the
appearance that the civilians were
the civilians having a good being monitored constantly, or that
time, but also of the police there is something expected to go
wrong (due to the conventional use in
as they worked. BBC’s ‘Watchdog’ program to show
criminals in action)
• The convention is most • We also decided against using a
narrator in our documentary, opting
definitely met for ‘Real instead for an experimental style of
documenting where we would present
People’, as this was the only the information visually, accompanied
way to capture the truth of by background music associated with
the clips.
the Leicester Nightlife

4. -> Poster
• Large Title
– This would be used to attract the eye of the audience in
the area where the poster would be placed. The ‘tag-line’
would be in smaller text, and the credits even smaller at
the bottom of the poster
• Bold colours
– These would be used to make the title and ‘tag-line’ stand
out from the background
• Picture
– Not only must the pictures be relevant and connect to the
product, it must also be eye-catching so as to attract
viewers to the film (background and foreground)
• The use of language also carries across a personal
message which might persuade the viewers to go and
see the film

5. Conventions Met Conventions Broken
• We created the poster, using • The convention of the title
images directly related to our
production. The use of the having the largest font was
policeman symbolised the police broken, as the ‘tag-line’ is
force, whilst the Clock Tower
symbolised Leicester. visibly the same size.
• Additionally, the placement of the • The colours are not ‘bold’,
policeman standing before the
Clock Tower in that stance but what colours are shown
indicates the power of the Police, in the poster represent
as well as their duty to protect
• We also edited the poster to Leicester at night
adhere to conventions of a
Channel 4 poster, as Channel 4
was one of the major companies
we decided to associate with the
product with (due to their
connection with short-
documentaries already, such as
3MW {3 Minute Wonders})

6. -> Radio Trailer
• Good quality audio
– With the Radio Trailer, the lack of visual imagery means that the pitch is entirely dependent on
the quality of audio, the ‘grab factor’, and the exploration of ‘why’ the audience should watch
the product.
• Voiceover
– Outlines the narrative.
– Sometimes poses the questions that are addressed in the programme
– Is sometimes used to tease the audience (Gives some information, but not everything).
– Is appropriate to the programme.
– The voice must be clear, and ensure that the audience does not get bored easily.
– The voice-over must ensure the audience know the title and scheduling – channel name, day
and time – which usually comes at the end – channel name conventionally comes last; this is
done on purpose so it is the last thing the audience hears so they remember it.
• MUSIC BED
– A music track underneath everything. Conventionally, the music track is in sync with the mood
of the trailer, and easily associated with the product (e.g. the product contains the sound track
used).
• Another convention is the use of extracts from the programme, to properly
associate the trailer with the product, such as;
– Snippets of interviews.
– Key element is actuality footage

7. Conventions Met Conventions Broken
• A voiceover was used to provide • None of the vox-pops
broadcast information, and to
inform in other areas featured in the
• There is clear use of ‘actual documentary, which could
footage’ through the use of the
interview. However, this could be count as breaking the
the only logical choice as it was convention of using footage
one of the few ‘spoken’ parts of
the documentary, due to it’s from the documentary to
experimental nature of allowing completely used in our
the audience to be informed
visually radio trailer
• The interview was clear enough • The only footage used that
to hear, and to connect to the
Police featured in the
• The music fitted the trailer, and documentary was the
also linked into the content of the interview with the
actual product.
policeman