Documentary Review This documentary was based upon a police sting operation where they bugged a house and sold it to a gang of drug dealers. The documentary featured interviews with the family members of the drug dealers who were arrested due to the sting operation. There are also interviews with the Rockford Police who set up the sting and occasionally there are over the phone interviews with the convicts. This would categorise the film as a reflexive mode of documentary as, especially the family members, discuss how the kids that grew up to be drug dealers did so because they grew up in that sort of neighbourhood, the most successful people in those areas were in the drug business. But then in the same sense this film could be a political reflexivity mode of documentary as 'we' as an audience are made more aware of the workings of a drug gang and how they operate and the problem it cases. Aside from this there is also the footage from the hidden cameras as part of the sting operation from inside the crack house. This adds an observational mode to the documentary, the interesting thing about this format in the film is that you get to see the people who come and purchase the drugs as well as the people who deal them, where there are younger white girls and even a business man who are shown in the film, which I think was chosen to show the reality of the situation even further enhancing the reflexive mode of practice. This clip shows how they used the Fly-on-the-wall mode for this documentary, at about 1:51 you can see the hidden camera element. unobtrusive look on the workings of the crack house. This documentary was created by Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and is solely based around the idea of product placement within films. He plans on funding the documentary using the money he receives from companies to promote their products/companies within his film. For example he gets Mini to sponsor him, as long as he only drives a Mini Cooper for the film. The film is defiantly a expository mode, as Spurlock talks to the camera throughout, but as we get to see the interviews/pitches between Spurlock and his chosen subjects, such as J.J Abrams, it fits under the participatory mode of film as well. It could also be classed as a docufiction because he uses some animations and post production effects to create a bizarre representation of what was happening, such as several floating heads flying around his own head reciting the clauses within the company agreement with POM. Propaganda Film I think that 'The Greatest Movie Ever Sold' has elements of a propaganda film to it. Although it is documenting the effect of product placement, it is forcing a particular brands upon the audience and saying that the product in question is better above all else, in an agreement with the corporations Spurlock has agreed to promote their brands and sell their brand to the audience, so although he is trying to portray a side to product placement that we don't normally get to see, I feel that the film emphasises its point to the extreme and makes it a form of propaganda, even though there is a light hearted twist to the whole film. Media Convergence Through the use of different media platforms we are able to share information at an alarming rate. As a group we have set up numerous company accounts on various websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Wix, Hotmail etc. All of these things are linked together to form a large database for potential clients and a promotional platform for our company. With the technological advances of the modern day we can now access information from your pocket through the use of smart phones, there are various apps to give immediate access to the platforms such as Facebook, which in turn can link you to any of the other platforms required. As a production company it is useful to know exactly how we can make our information accessible, so when needed can supply all the necessary information at the click of a button. Bowling For Columbine Bowling for Columbine, a Michael Moore documentary. From the beginning of this documentary you can hear Moore’s voice as he voices his opinions and creates the narrative structure of the piece. There are several modes throughout the film, voice of god being the instantly most obvious, then we get the scene where Moore goes into the bank to acquire the gun, where he is the subject of the film, making this a performative mode of documentary. Then it’s a reflexive mode when we are giving a montage of archive footage involving all kinds of people, young children, elderly women for example, using guns and in some clips people are killed, which is then contrast against the next interview where the woman says ‘ this is a great place to raise your children…’ This juxtaposition of extreme gun violence and a suburban housewife makes us aware, as an audience, of the filmmakers intentions to emphasise the gun problem in America, especially as we are shown clips of people shooting themselves and others being killed, which normally we aren’t witness to, the shock tactic used makes the process more obvious because as the clips are archive clips, it makes us aware the film maker has chosen them for a reason. The interactive mode can be seen and heard, as Michael Moore is in front of the camera a lot of the time within interviews with people, if he isn’t then his voice can be heard asking questions. It is clear that the interviewees are chosen and asked loaded questions that help Moore get the answers he is after to help further his films agenda. The CCTV Columbine footage gives the ‘fly on the wall mode’ a very obvious impact as it shows the two boys in the school committing the shooting. All of these modes help to impact the overall message about gun use in America, but then there is theme of Government corruption when we get the montage of archive clips of past events involving guns trades and military train from the U.S to various Middle Eastern countries, which is accompanied with captions written by Moore, so they are written with a purpose of making a particular point, its also accompanied with the song ‘What a wonderful world’ by Louis Armstrong, which juxtaposes what we are seeing, and is finally finished with clips of the 9/11 attack. This montage is a clear tool to emphasise his point to a greater extent using the Columbine killings as a platform to make his point about the government. Superheroes HBO This documentary similarly to ‘Superheroes of Suburbia’ is focused around groups and individuals who wearing costumes try to stop crime and injustice. This documentary takes on a comic book style theme. Transitions between subjects or cities are split using comic book captions and frames. When action takes place it is shown in cartoon format, as well as when new subjects or locations are introduced, they are briefly transformed into a pop art/ anime appearance, which plays and builds upon the idea of comic book superheroes in real life. There is no voice of god in this film, so it doesn’t fit into the expository mode of practice. It is very observational though, there is a sequence where there is a camera mounted to one of the heroes while he is on a skate board, giving a POV shot of him on patrol. There are a lot of long uninterrupted takes/ sequences while the heroes are on patrol, with voice over’s from the heroes explaining what is or was happening. It has reflexive codes to it as well, it tries to put forward the message that we should all watch each other’s back; we shouldn’t ignore injustice around us. As the documentary shows everyday people trying to make their society a better place to live, we are forced to look at our own lives and think about how we could help out. As the film draws to a close we see the people that the heroes are helping, rather than fighting off muggers they are giving away food and clothes. This reinforces the films message because they are helping in a way that anybody could help society. The narrative structure of the entire film builds up the image of not turning your back on society, and how even one passionate person can make a positive impact on someone’s life. Confessions of a Superhero Confessions of a Superhero is a documentary based around four people who spend their time dressed in superhero attire on Hollywood Boulevard, making their living having pictures taken with tourist, the film was directed by Matthew Ogens. This film has a photojournalist quality to it, as during some of the interviews there are various snap shots of the subject at work on Hollywood Boulevard, it gives a sense of being one of the tourists as the subject isn’t visibly aware that they are having their picture taken, to enhance the audiences view of being a tourist some of the ‘snap shots’ cut people out of the frame or focus in on parts of subjects body, breaking the edge of the frame, so we are forced to fill in what we can see with our imagination and helps us be placed in the voyeuristic position of a tourist. The film is an interactive mode as we follow the subjects through their homes and follow their lives, they talk to the camera, but we never hear the director or see him, so we are aware there is a camera there. The film is a biography of the four subjects from the boulevard as we find out the ins and outs of their lives; it even follows Batman, Maxwell Allen, to therapy. The filmmaker aims to make us empathise with the subjects as the film is about their life dream of being actors, yet they haven’t seemed to get the fame and fortune that they want to have. As everyone has a life goal or dream, which is often unfulfilled, then we are made to empathise with their position and possibly think of our own dreams and desires. Superheroes of Suburbia This is a short documentary from Channel 4 following individuals who spend some of their time patrolling the streets of the UK, looking for crime to solve or for people to help. In particular it follows three individuals under the alias of ‘The Dark Spartan’, ‘Shadow’ and ‘Noir’. This documentary from the beginning is expository, as there is a clear voice of god throughout the film, it is centred around the idea of super heroes but also uses dramatic staging to bring in a sense of entertainment, for example ‘Shadow’ is laying in a pond with a hollowed out weed so he can stay underwater and breathe. It is an observational documentary, it observes the subjects doing their hero business, but ‘The Dark Spartan’ directly address’ the camera while on patrol, and when ‘Shadow’ is being observed on patrol it is clearly staged and comes across as being more dramatic than a truthful representation. It also has elements of being an interactive mode, because at one point ‘Noir’ believes he is having a panic attack and we hear the man behind the camera say ‘Are you alright?’ then his hand comes into shot to reassure the hero.
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