Task 5- TV News Broadcast Analysis
Slideshare link to PPT: http://www.slideshare.net/emilypaige_/tv-news-broadcast-analysis-27560857?utm_source=ss&utm_medium=upload&utm_campaign=quick-view
PPT:
Friday, 25 October 2013
Task 5 -TV News Broadcast Analysis
PPT:
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Task 4- Codes & Conventions of TV News Broadcasts
Task 4- The codes and conventions of a TV broadcast
Codes and conventions are generally the accepted and expected ways of doing something for example a smartly dressed reporter, this is a conventions. It also relates to what equipment is used to tell a story for example camera work, this is the technical codes. Television news broadcast are designed to inform and explain current affairs. A smartly dressed presenter make the news broadcast feel more professional and trustworthy to the audience.
Studio news readers are the main presenters shown in the broadcast. They conduct their own research and write their own scripts. They conduct interviews and provide briefings to crew etc. Presenters have to stick to the visual codes and conventions in order to communicate professionalism to the audience. For example, a neat haircut, cleanly shaven and a smart suit.
Links to studio is similar to this where there are cuts to another presenter. This adds interest. When the presenter is live at the scene and there are links to studio, this makes it more believable as the audience can see the live scene. Footage live at the scene and actuality footage helps to add realism and credibility to the broadcast.
Actuality footage is when clips of real footage is included. This is added to add an impact and perhaps shock the audience. For example scenes of war and suffering. This helps to provoke an emotional response more than words alone would. Actuality footage also helps to add interest and credibility.
Mode of address links to how the audience is addressed in the News Broadcast. Personal speech is often used for example 'hello, welcome and thankyou' this makes the audience feel personally linked to the news broadcast in a friendly way. The shots filmed by camera also links to mode of address. The most common camera shot for a TV news broadcast is usually a bust shot or a close up. This allows the presenter to make good personal eye contact with the camera. News broadcasts also often contain panning shots of the studio. This is in order to show the professionalism of the studio and therefore broadcast. All the factors involved in mode of address helps to link the importance of the TV news broadcast.
Contributors add to the news broadcast. They are often experts of professionals in the chosen field of broadcast. They can also give first hand accounts or witness accounts in order to add to the realism of the broadcast. This makes the audience believe the story more than they would if there was no contributor. Contributors play a key part in credibility of a TV news broadcast. Members of the public can also be used as a contributor. This is when vox pops are used and mainly to show the general opinion of the topic from the people of the public.
News broadcasts also contain contributors, for example, experts, members of the public (vox pops) and witnesses. Contributors are important in TV News Broadcasts.Contributors are used to make the broadcast more credible, interesting and believable to the audience.
Reports are usually filmed with similar structures and techniques. There is a wide range of cut aways, vox pops, voiceovers, graphics, interviews and direct addresses.
Field reporters are usually specialist reporters who are live on the scene. The news reporter will cut away to the field reporter for further and more in depth information live on the scene, this helps to improve credibility and interest to the viewers.
These facts are backed up in this BBC example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvQoE1aGlzY
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| Field reporter to add credibility and interest. |
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| Smart presenter with smart posture and dress. |
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Task 3- 'The most hated family in America' Documentary Essay
Task 3- Textual Analysis
Most Hated Family In America Essay
Louis Theroux is an interactive documentary filmmaker. 'The most hated family in America' is a participatory documentary where Louis and his crew interact with the the subject, in this case the subject is a family at the heart of the Westboro Baptist Church. The church is run by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka in Kansas. Louis interacts with the family by asking them questions, conducting interviews and he gets personal with the family to expose their way of life.
The main subjects in the documentary are the Phelps family and one in particular being Shirley the daughter of Fred Phelps and the main face of the documentary. She has raised her children (Jael and Becca) with her beliefs. Louis constantly tries to get through to the daughters with personal questions. Steve is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church after converting after once being a journalist visiting the family. Louis is one of the most seen in the documentary and in the interview he is frequently on camera seen interacting with the Phelps.
Religion is the main theme in the documentary however there are also issues raised by the family including homosexuality. The Westboro Baptist Church run a website called: www.godhatesfags.com and the posters presented by the family contain phrases such as 'God hates fags' and 'fag soldiers'. The family also believe soldiers are going to burn in hell for fighting in wars, they often picket dead soldiers funerals with pickets which would be highly offensive 'Fag Soldiers'. Another theme in the documentary is humanity and the controversy. The family take certain biblical interpretations and believe that every world tragedy has been Gods punishment. Contradiction is also a theme for example the family are religious yet often use swear words and vulgar terminology even in their church.
Louis Theroux has a small crew. We can tell this because of the style of the documentary. He almost fits himself right into their day to day life routines and this would not work with a big crew. Also there is no need for extra equipment as the documentary is designed to capture the family in their most natural and purest form and perhaps more cameras and crew would affect the behaviour of the family.
There is a wide range of documentary codes and conventions used in this documentary. Louis narrates the documentary with a voiceover throughout. There is footage of real events, nothing seems to be put on for the camera and the documentary is in a pure form. A convention of documentary making is that the footage is seen as real by the audience. Including natural sound and lighting into the documentary adds technicality of realism for example church choir singing, traffic sounds etc. Louis Theroux includes many interviews in the documentary and interacts with the family for entertainment reasons mainly and to expose the family more.
Theroux clearly achieves this as most of the audience experience anger and hate towards the family whilst watching it whilst others experience confusion. The documentary has been a big talking point on the internet through blogs and documentary views and anger is expressed towards the family by many people. The interview quite simply provoked an emotional response and entertained.
The documentary was very interesting as it draws the audience in with thoughts of confusion as to the beliefs of the family. It also entertains with humorous themes, for example when Louis has an interview with the Grandfather of the family-Phelps who is in charge of the church- none of the questions are answered seriously and the audience feel the awkwardness that Louis is experiencing.
The documentary contained contradicting themes for example the family are quite clearly very religious however do not care for the welfare of others or forgive others which is quite clearly in the Bible. Yet the family only focus on certain themes from the Bible (Sex, Wars etc) for example one of the Shirleys daughters states that if she got hit by a car then her father would be happy as she was being punished by God. They believe that all misfortunes are caused by God.
The daughter also seems brainwashed and confused, when Louis questions the hatred the family have towards homosexuals her response is that it is a sin and when Louis questioned which of the ten commandments stated this, her answer was adultery. The girl seemed very confused and Louis had an aim of changing the views of the family who seem to focus on elements of the bible and they do not picket towards any of the ten commandments yet only for soldiers, punishment and sexuality. Yet the church boasts to have the most knowledge of the Bible. It is almost as if the Church is living in the times of the Old Testament.
The main subjects in the documentary are the Phelps family and one in particular being Shirley the daughter of Fred Phelps and the main face of the documentary. She has raised her children (Jael and Becca) with her beliefs. Louis constantly tries to get through to the daughters with personal questions. Steve is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church after converting after once being a journalist visiting the family. Louis is one of the most seen in the documentary and in the interview he is frequently on camera seen interacting with the Phelps.
Religion is the main theme in the documentary however there are also issues raised by the family including homosexuality. The Westboro Baptist Church run a website called: www.godhatesfags.com and the posters presented by the family contain phrases such as 'God hates fags' and 'fag soldiers'. The family also believe soldiers are going to burn in hell for fighting in wars, they often picket dead soldiers funerals with pickets which would be highly offensive 'Fag Soldiers'. Another theme in the documentary is humanity and the controversy. The family take certain biblical interpretations and believe that every world tragedy has been Gods punishment. Contradiction is also a theme for example the family are religious yet often use swear words and vulgar terminology even in their church.
Louis Theroux has a small crew. We can tell this because of the style of the documentary. He almost fits himself right into their day to day life routines and this would not work with a big crew. Also there is no need for extra equipment as the documentary is designed to capture the family in their most natural and purest form and perhaps more cameras and crew would affect the behaviour of the family.
There is a wide range of documentary codes and conventions used in this documentary. Louis narrates the documentary with a voiceover throughout. There is footage of real events, nothing seems to be put on for the camera and the documentary is in a pure form. A convention of documentary making is that the footage is seen as real by the audience. Including natural sound and lighting into the documentary adds technicality of realism for example church choir singing, traffic sounds etc. Louis Theroux includes many interviews in the documentary and interacts with the family for entertainment reasons mainly and to expose the family more.
Louis Theroux's documentary is of an informal style. The mode of the documentary is participatory. This is where the documentary maker/crew interacts with the subject often for entertainment reasons. There is usually a voiceover by the documentary maker themselves. For example Louis is seen in most of the shots and is heard through a voiceover when he is not in the shots. Louis Theroux uses this technique in order to capture a natural outlook on the family by fitting in with their lives. For example in one section of the interview Louis is seen with the family 'enjoying himself' this is to portray to the audience that they are ordinary human beings with the same basic and social needs but are branded evil by their beliefs. He focuses mainly on the children as it is almost as if they have been 'brainwashed' by the Westboro Baptist Church. It is clear what Louis wants the documentary to achieve. The aim of the documentary is to shock and entice the audience. He wants to provoke an emotional response from the audience with shocking footage of the family and he does this by including footage of their lives and by asking the family questions on their views. He also includes footage of the emotional response from the public caused by shocking pickets on the streets with captions such as 'Thank God For 9/11'.
Theroux clearly achieves this as most of the audience experience anger and hate towards the family whilst watching it whilst others experience confusion. The documentary has been a big talking point on the internet through blogs and documentary views and anger is expressed towards the family by many people. The interview quite simply provoked an emotional response and entertained.
The documentary was very interesting as it draws the audience in with thoughts of confusion as to the beliefs of the family. It also entertains with humorous themes, for example when Louis has an interview with the Grandfather of the family-Phelps who is in charge of the church- none of the questions are answered seriously and the audience feel the awkwardness that Louis is experiencing.
The documentary contained contradicting themes for example the family are quite clearly very religious however do not care for the welfare of others or forgive others which is quite clearly in the Bible. Yet the family only focus on certain themes from the Bible (Sex, Wars etc) for example one of the Shirleys daughters states that if she got hit by a car then her father would be happy as she was being punished by God. They believe that all misfortunes are caused by God.
The daughter also seems brainwashed and confused, when Louis questions the hatred the family have towards homosexuals her response is that it is a sin and when Louis questioned which of the ten commandments stated this, her answer was adultery. The girl seemed very confused and Louis had an aim of changing the views of the family who seem to focus on elements of the bible and they do not picket towards any of the ten commandments yet only for soldiers, punishment and sexuality. Yet the church boasts to have the most knowledge of the Bible. It is almost as if the Church is living in the times of the Old Testament.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Assignment 1- filming planning
Music Department
Filming- Cutaways of instruments, students, the sounds etc.
Task 2- What is a documentary?
Task 2- What is a documentary?
1.What is a film/TV documentary?
A film documentary is an informative-based on fact- media product. Documentaries are used to educate the audience. They include a range of footage.The footage can be past or present for example there are many documentaries made of historic events e.g past wars. There are also documentaries made up of actuality footage of present events. These are very common on todays TV for example Teen Mom, One born every minute and Extraordinary People.
2. What is the purpose of a documentary?
The purpose of a documentary is to inform and entertain. Documentaries provide a particular view. Most documentaries are made for educational reasons in order to inform the audience of an event for example informing the audience of past events e.g WW11. Documentaries range their purposed depending on the target audience for example a nature documentary will be mainly facts and figures where as a television reality documentary like 'big fat gypsy weddings' are created mainly for entertainment reasons. Some documentaries are made to provoke emotional responses for example' 9/11' and '999 whats your emergency'.
3.What do you expect to see in a documentary?
The documentary contents will depend on the subject. Most interviews will contain: Footage of real life events, re-enactments, witness accounts, interviews, a presenter, images, specialists etc. All documentaries usually revolve around actuality footage with real life events being filmed whether it is a nature documentary, past events with clips of real footage (wars, titanic etc) or one born every minute.
4. Are there particular subjects that work well for documentaries?
Most popular subject areas for documentaries are: Nature, History, World events, catastrophes, and things interesting to the public e.g. Man V Food & extraordinary people. There are a wide range of documentaries on television in this day and age. The documentaries can range from historic events and catastrophes such as 9/11 to man V food. All documentaries are made for informing, educating and entertaining however some are more educational than others.
5.List some of the codes and conventions of making an interview:
- Voiceover- a voiceover helps the audience to understand but can be biased.
- Real footage of events- all events are meant to be seen as 'real' by the audience (not staged)
- Technicality of realism- Natural sound, lighting and settings (habitat etc)
- Archive footage- aids authenticity with further information which the filmmaker may be unable to obtain.
6-List the 5 'modes' of a documentary:
Expository-
Voiceover addresses to audience directly, the voiceover may be heard and not seen (voice of god) or a voice of authority where the voiceover is heard as well as being seen. Expository exposes the subject to the audience. For example a war or historical documentary where facts are exposed.
Observational-
This is in its purest form. It is filmed in a non staged manner. The subject being filmed often doesn't know it is being filmed. There are usually no interviews. For example a nature programme.
Participatory-
This is where the documentary maker/crew interacts with the subject often for entertainment reasons. There is usually a voiceover by the documentary maker themselves. It contains a lot of interviews, an example of this would be Louis Theroux 'Most hated family in America'.
Reflexive-
The purpose of reflexive is to provoke an emotional response from the audience. Often contain reenactments as it emphasises the expressive nature of the film in an anti realist way. Reflexive relies on suggestion rather than fact.
Performative-
Documentary maker interacts with subject. The documentaries are not usually factual and more to do with identity (gender and sexuality etc). The documentary addresses the audience in an emotional direct way.
Observational-
This is in its purest form. It is filmed in a non staged manner. The subject being filmed often doesn't know it is being filmed. There are usually no interviews. For example a nature programme.
Participatory-
This is where the documentary maker/crew interacts with the subject often for entertainment reasons. There is usually a voiceover by the documentary maker themselves. It contains a lot of interviews, an example of this would be Louis Theroux 'Most hated family in America'.
Reflexive-
The purpose of reflexive is to provoke an emotional response from the audience. Often contain reenactments as it emphasises the expressive nature of the film in an anti realist way. Reflexive relies on suggestion rather than fact.
Performative-
Documentary maker interacts with subject. The documentaries are not usually factual and more to do with identity (gender and sexuality etc). The documentary addresses the audience in an emotional direct way.
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