Analysing Louis Theroux - Behind bars

MES
The opening of the film shows that a man has to serve 500 year prison sentence. This enices the audience so you want to know hat he has done to deserve that lenghty sentence.
Louis Theroux puts on a knife proof jacket as he prepares to go into the prision. This indicates how dangerous the prison is and emphasises the danger of San Quintin prison. It also alarms the audience that this documentary is serious.
Camera Angles
The first shot is an establishing shot, this sets the scene and it is a long shot view of San Quintin prison.
The start of the clip which shows Louis Theroux going into the prison is filmed in a hand held style. This shows uneasiness and the reality of the documentary. The prisoners are locked in prison for 23 hours of the day which outlines the fact that there is no freedom in prison.
Sound 
There is a soft incidental music over the top of the opening few scenes which is important as it doesn't drown the narration by Louis Theroux.
Editing
The logo that appears at the start of the documentary is the BBC logo. This shows that it is independent and indicates a stamp of quality. It also reinforces the fact that the documentary the audience is about to watch is a quality and professional piece of work, which entices the audience to watch the documentary.
There is a montage of prisoners which is a good piece of editing. It also Shows Louis Theroux watching over the prisoners, almost like he is superior to them as he is a free man.
After about 1 minute in to the documentary, it cuts to the titles. The titles are animated. At the end of the first scene where Louis Theroux is in the prison it fades out. This shows that there is a new day and it represents the fact that every day can be expected as your last if you are facing the death penalty while in the prison.

Task 2 - Researching into Existing Products

What is a documentary film?

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record. A 'documentary film' was originally shot on film stock — the only medium available — but now includes video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video, made as a television program or released for screening in cinemas. "Documentary" has been described as a "filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception" that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries.

Source: Wikipedia

Cinéma vérité

Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.
There are subtle yet important differences among these terms. Direct Cinema is largely concerned with the recording of events in which the subject and audience become unaware of the camera's presence. Operating within what Bill Nichols, an American historian and theoretician of documentary film, calls the "observational mode," direct cinema is essentially what is now called a fly on the wall documentary. Many therefore see a paradox created by drawing attention away from the reality of the camera and simultaneously declaring the discovery of a cinematic truth

Source: Wikipeida

GPO = General Post office

John Grierson

1933 became director of GPO documentary film unit.

1) What TV channel is it broadcasted on?

2) What is the title of the documentary?

3) What type of documentary is it?

• Historical
• Biographical
• Investigative
• Artistic
• Wildlife
• Political
• Drama Documentaries
• Reality TV
• Celebrities
• Scripted Reality

4) What style of Documentary is it?

• Narrative structure
• Editing
• Voice-overs
• Archive footage
• Graphics
• Text

5) What is the subject matter/content of the documentary?

6) What are the messages and meanings behind the documentary - What is it trying to communicate to the audience?

Analysis of a very British gangster by Donal MacIntyre

·         Establishing shot of Manchester at night time – Connotation of Danger – Bad things happen

·         Sound bridge

·         Juxtaposition big person in middle

·         Wearing suits – Stereo typical representation of gangsters – Mafia

·         Breaking 4^th wall – talking to audience

·         Street gang music – Hip Hop in background – Represents urban

·         Low angle – Perspective of Manchester and how they fit in

·         Titles fade in and out

·         Slow motion

·         Black and white CCTV – Under surveillance by police

·         Cut away to his hands – Shows his jewellery – show a sign of wealth

·         Close up of his face – Shows his expression and gives an indication how he is thinking

·         Archive footage