The document discusses the style, techniques, and structure of a documentary about stop and searches. It uses a voice-over narration to guide the viewer and illustrate the problem being explored. Common documentary techniques are employed, including establishing shots, close-ups, handheld camera work, archive clips, and interviews, to make the documentary feel authentic and give different perspectives on the issue. The editing uses straight cuts to keep the narrative flowing smoothly.

1. GENERIC RESEARCH 3

2. YOU MATCH THE
DESCRIPTION: STOP
AND SEARCH
• “Stop and search has
increased by 32% in the last
year with police forces across
England and Wales able to
carry out searches in
designated areas without
authorisation from a senior
officer.
• What are the rights of
people who are being
stopped and searched?”

3. DOCUMENTARY STYLE
• Style is characterised by a 'Voice of God', this is narration that directly
addresses the viewer.
• Voice-over anchors the meaning of images that are shown and explicitly
states the text's preferred meaning.
• Images illustrate what the narrator is saying making the voice-over seem
more objective and honest.
• These documentaries are usually centred around a problem that needs
solving – in this case, the problem of “random” stop and searches.

4. NARRATION
• Not only is the narrator
positioned as an omniscient
being set to convey the
preferred reading, but is only
a vital character that anchors
documentary
• We follow the narrator as he
gains more information
through the professionals
e.g. police force

5. SHOT TYPES
• Establishing shots of urban London with wide
shots of estates and council flats immediately
connoting that ethnic minorities are the target
and victims in this documentary
• Ariel shot of London
• Scene change to Birmingham with establishing
shots of billboards and famous landmarks to
show the change.

6. Full shot of victim – alone – connoting vulnerability
Close up shot of victim which connotes intimacy
between the viewers and victim – evoking pathos
Over the shoulder shot – Only phone in focus
directing viewers attention to the phone

7. CAMERA WORK
• Hand-held camera
• The operator doesn't
necessarily want a smooth
camera movement, shaky
shots make it seem more
'authentic' and 'real’
• the hand-held camera
creates a subjective point of
view aims at an intimacy
between the audience and
the film.

8. ARCHIVE
CLIPS
• Archive clips used to
create a sense of
realism in the
documentary
• Faces are burred to
protect identity as this
is a sensitive matter

9. INTERVIEWS
• The interview is a common documentary
technique. It allows people being filmed to speak
directly about events, prompted by the questions
asked by the narrator
• An interview may take place on screen, or off
screen, on a different set.
• Interviews in a documentary give the viewer a
sense of realism, that the documentary maker’s
views are mutually shared by another person or
source, and thus more valid. To achieve this much
detail from what may be a one-hour interview,
clips of only a few minutes are shown.

10. EDITING
• Straight cuts – makes it
more believable for the
viewer – less distraction