Where do you stand?
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Introduction to the news
I watched the 1:30pm London News on the 19th of June 2019. The first story broadcasted was the rising number of people sleeping rough in the last year. Knife crime was the next story that came up - referring to the recent stabbings in London. Next the presenter introduced us to the confrontation that Boris Johnson has received over whether he would allow another run way to be built at Heath row airport. After this she mentioned the current strikes on the train line and the current problems that train riders are facing due to this. Quickly she moves on to the struggles of highsteets in which an influence is paid to shop and advertise the positive around certain shops own brands - in this footage she shops in M&S. Lastly she refers the broadcast to another presenter who then explains the high weather warnings and rain fall. In the starting sequence the bright red colors and beeping sound effects represent the emergency that the news they are about to tell us it. It intrigues us to know what is going on because of how important it sounds. 
The opening story focuses on the rising numbers of homelessness in the last year. As the presenter begins the story she seems genuinely upset and extremely serious about the issue making us truly feel for these people. as she continues we move on to footage from a local soup kitchen followed by an interview with a volunteer chef. this moves on to a full screen image where the statistics are presented largely. Next a reporter takes their time to sit with two homeless people as they eat to hear their side of the story. We then close on another member of the church soup kitchen that wants to help and more shots of the kitchen. The two homeless people are presented as victims of quick judgment from the public. It gives us a chance to hear the backstory and find out how hard it actually is to keep yourself going without somewhere to live and someone to turn to. It portrays them as genuine people. The way they are represented in this footage makes us feel sorry for the homeless. Many people are quick to judge them and feel disgusted by them however the reporter and presenter both show genuine concern for the rising number and show support for the soup kitchen and those sleeping rough. The story is narrativised throughout to help us understand what is going on and to piece together the fast paced cut through and edited footage. The reporter in my chosen documentry was a middle aged women that displayed clear interested and feeling towards the stories that she introduced. She wore formal clothing which is typical for a news report especially around the London area probably because they want to look smart and confident when addressing their large audiences. By using a single woman for this short news reading it makes me feel like this quick update is not as important as a long broadcast in the evening which typically features both a man and a woman. perhaps this is to show that the lunchtime report is typically just an update.
News readers or presenters as they are more commonly called are the first people we see when the news is broadcasted. they are given the roll of explaining the story and piecing together what is going on, ready to report to those at home. They describe the job as a swan. When you see them in the studio they seem calm and in control - allowing information to pass through calmly and clearly but behind the scenes they can hear many people giving instructions through ear pieces much like how a swan seems calm but under the water its legs are working really hard to keep it afloat. As a presenter you must be able to think quickly when under pressure. The broadcast must keep to a strict time frame so the presenter must do their best to quickly and smoothly deliver the information to the audience. Many people are involved in the production of the story. firstly, the news editor will find the story and send out a crew including a field reporter and camera operator out to shoot the footage. From there the reporter will explain the story on site and gather the primary information that they need to feedback to the news room to be broadcasted. The camera operator must carefully collect a series of footage and images that can be easily pieced together. Finally after the footage has been edited it can be introduced during a live broadcast by the presenter who must explain the when, where and why of the footage to the audience. Other key job rolls in the news industry include:
Director: this person is in charge of instructing the presenter before and during a live broadcast; instructs when pre-recorded clips and sounds are to be played; and is in general control of the technicians and personnel in the studio.
Craft editor: the craft editor is in charge of piecing together the pre-recorded footage taken by the reporter; they must create a professional and clear finished report; and must add in any complex or graphical additions to the footage such as text and objects which will make the documentary more accurate, clear and informative.
Programme producer: this person is in charge of the schedule that the broadcast must keep to so they do not run over or jump ahead; they help to draw up the prospects list the night before; and they order the stories in terms of length, impact, subject and audience.
The term 'news ordering' is given to the process of ordering which of the news articles that will be broadcasting considering the importance, length and appeal of the story. For example, they usually begin with a subject that will affect a wide audience to draw in more viewers. This story could either be targeted at money issues or a heart wrenching story. The list of stories that will likely appear in the broadcast are more professionally called a 'prospects list. This list includes a mix of stories targeting different subject areas and acts as a sort of schedule. It suggests which order they will run in and which stories will be aired, however it is subject to change due to issues such us availability of the story and other more important breaking news. The ability to think and act quickly is extremely important to the news throughout many job rolls because stories and interviews can come and go. A reporter may be on site and see someone important to the story so they would have to quickly stop them or a story may not be ready to be broadcasted or filmed so another story may have to be found at short notice. A slow news day is when there are very little or no stories going on so they tend to broadcast trivial stories to fill the gap. 'And Finally' is the name given to the often light hearted and friendly story at the end of a news report that leaves the viewer much happier after some of the stories that they have heard earlier. Also it creates a nice conclusion and ending for the report so it does not end abruptly. 'News Values' is a term given to the importance of a particular story by a media outlet. Galtung and Ruge came up with seven news values to make news content much more accurate and worthwhile. For example, one of these news values is currency. These stories have been in the public eye for a whole, this could be something like a reoccurring crime investigation that keeps the audience updated. Another is 'simplicity' which refers to stories that are easy to read and understand without any confusing debates or conflicts like there would be in a political report. A third news value could be 'exclusivity'. This refers to which broadcaster got to the story first and whether they are the only broadcaster to report the incident or the agenda. Actuality footage shows real places, events and people so the viewer becomes more engaged with the story whereas stock footage could consist of archived images and footage that have been or can be used in other productions to piece together and give the audience a better understanding of the story.
- Add visual examples throughout – particularly for the title sequence analysis but also for the new story analysis
- Who was the presenter in your broadcast and why was she used?
Friday, 14 June 2019
Documentry mini-task
Documentary ‘mini-task’
A documentary is a factual moving image that is designed to inform and educate its viewers in some way. There are many different kinds of documentaries presented in different ways however they are all used in some way to express the truth behind the subject matter. These different documentary modes and formats were identified by Bill Nicholls - a documentary theorist. The characteristics of each documentary format can overlap and are not defined by one title.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_mode
Expository Documentary
This classic form of documentary uses a 'disembodied and authoritative' voice-over to explain to the viewers exactly what is happening in the documentary. They provide factual information and arguments that are complimented with footage and still images. This form of documentary is used to directly represent the subject matter in a short sequence. However in 'Night Mail' by Herbert Smith a series of shots is used to show a simple process but this would have been filmed over time and would most likely not have been for the same process. This can affect how truthful the documentary is. 'Night Mail', overall, is a great example of an expository documentary with Stuart Legg and John Grierson providing strong authoritative narrations.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Mail
Observational Documentary
This basic form of documentary shows us 'a slice of life'. The film makers are not present in the footage - completely 'hidden' from the audience - which allows the viewers to focus on what is happening within the documentary and decide on their own what the documentary portrays.. This interesting format does not contain footage such as interviews and is most often neutral and non-judgmental. In 2010, Janus Metz directed the documentary 'Armadillo' which follows around Danish soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. This is clearly an example of an observational documentary as there are no narrations or interviews throughout and the film maker does not interact at any point.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo_(2010_film)
Interactive Documentary
In an interactive documentary you will see the filmmaker in person. They make act as an interviewer and will gather primary information on screen - often arguments - about a certain agenda. This may also target the audience through opinions as well as direct questions. This particular format is often accused of misrepresenting and manipulating the footage to appeal to a certain audience or to represent the factual information in a different way. 'Super Size Me' is a brilliant example of an interactive documentary. The main focus is on the film maker himself as he puts his body to the test, eating McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a whole month. For follow director Morgan Spurlock on his battle with food which attempted and succeeded in shining a new light upon obesity and fast food. The documentary includes interviews, factual information and an entertaining and un-biased presenter making it the perfect example for an Interactive documentary.
Reflexive documentary
In this format, the film maker will take a series of shots that portray 'everyday life'. It works as an attempt to expose the codes and conventions of a documentary to the viewers as well as to experiment with the typical documentary style. In 1929 director Dziga Verlov produced the experimental documentary 'Man with a Movie Camera'. This Cinematic documentary follows urban life in soviet Russia but features no actors and displays techniques such as fast and slow motion, freeze frames, multiple exposure and extreme close ups. The creative style makes 'Man with a Movie Camera' a perfect example of a Reflexive documentary.
Performative documentary
A Performative documentary focuses on 'presentation rather than the content' of the documentary. This could be through re-enactments and intriguing soundtracks. Many crime or mystery documentaries take on this form in order to involve the audience and to explain what had happened that led to the investigation. The stylised representation makes the documentary feel more film-like at moments. 'Night and Fog' is a French documentary filmed in 1956. It highlights the lives of those trapped in German concentration camps Auschwitz and Majdanek. The documentary features a soundtrack created by Hanns Eisler and is scripted and narrated making it a prime example of a Performative documentary. The stock footage used in the documentary is graphic but portrays the truth and horror of the camps only ten years after the holocaust.
Conclusion
I feel that a documentary is designed to show factual information and represent the truth. However I do feel that there will always be an element of manipulation. Even the most basic of documentaries portray only what they want you to see. Some may be filmed over a long period of time but they must condense the footage down. They may present the best and most accurate footage but overall any documentary is not 100% true 'everyday footage. I don't think that there is an agreed contract with the viewer to present them with the truth. If I were to watch a documentary I would expect to be presented with factual information and to be educated. Whether the way it is presented to me is manipulated or not as long as what they are telling me is factual then it is to be expected. I feel that an observational documentary portrays more of the truth than the others. It is taken from everyday life and allows the viewer to decide what it is about and what it is representing. Although you could argue that the film maker only allows us to see chosen footage it is un-biased and no arguments or opinions are used to manipulate the audience in any way which is why I feel that this is the most honest and reliable format.
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