Storyboard

PROPOSAL THREE

PROPOSAL FOR DOCUMENTARY
FINAL PROPOSAL

My documentary is to be centred around the credit crunch, and to be officially titled "The Bust Up". After research into existing channels and previous documentaries, I opted that it would be broadcast on Channel 4 - often known to host both more edgy documentaries than the BBC and Five, in keeping with the underlying message of my product regarding the dire state of the economy and its effects on the British public. This issue was to be addressed in a manner accessible to the general public rather than towards a niche market of those intrinsically interested in economics and the political climate. This was to be achieved through methods such as a single narrator with a regional accent and a compilation of contemporary music throughout.
The central theme of my documentary was also in keeping with a string of other programmes broadcast over the past year on Channel 4, for example the popular The Fairy Jobmother series, portrayed in a similar light - an upbeat format used to convey a more serious message. Footage included scenes of the public to convey a sense of accessibility to the average viewer, spliced between images of ATM machines, bank exteriors and transactions. This archive-style footage leads towards clips of several business transactions, in correlation with the change in subject - the introduction leads towards the first part of the documentary, directly relating to unemployment and leading towards the interview with an employee of a branch of JobCentrePlus. The narration follows suit, alongside an accompanying soundtrack, the instrumental version of a contemporary song, the narration carrying the progressive slides towards a series of statistics, before fading to black, at which point a question appears without narration, prior to the interviewee's response. In terms of overall production, this form of presentation works extremely well and is inkeeping with the vast majority of documentaries - a static camera, medium-shot interview, interjected between footage of relevant locals and points of interest. The target audience would most likely range between the predominant ages expected to view the Channel 4 nine o'clock weekday slot, people between the ages of fifteen and thirty four years of age, largely due to their proximity to advertisements hosted on the network daily, although a print artefact, posted into local and regional newspapers, as well as a magazine spread, would boost circulation upwards towards anyone in theory - the subject of discussion holds relevence to such a wide range of ages that aside from children under the age of fiften, a documentary on the matter might well appeal.

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

Documentaries, despite the sheer mass of variegating subjects documented, most often feature very clear tropes of the genre. Whether or not the tone differs entirely from others, almost every documentary sports the following conventions to some degree:

• NARRATION Every documentary features a narrator, usually only one, to link together the source material in a manner suitable for presentation to the public.


• FOOTAGE Footage of the evidential material is usually interjected prominently, providing both proof of the debated subject's validity, as well as visual guidance in direct correlation with the revealing of information via the commentary.


• MUSIC Whether contemporary or more antiquated or simply themes attuned to the subject by design, music links together scenes in which the product focuses more on the visual portrayal than the audio presentation of information, allowing the audience to focus on information intake from only one source rather than both footage and narration.


• INTERVIEWS Interviews, whether with experts or the public, serve to garner opinions on the topic from either those ignorant of it, thus gathering unbiased views, or with those in the debated field by profession, thus crediting weight to the argument.

Documentaries, aside from on the occasion of a mini- or full-series of similar documentaries, usually sustaining a narrator throughout, tend to be broadcast on anything from music-oriented channels to commercial and terrestrial broadcasts, once again variegating in accordance to the channel's target demographic in order to achieve the highest viewing figures.

RESEARCH ANALYSIS

QUESTIONNAIRE 3
DOCUMENTARY

Q Do you expect to hear only a single narrator throughout a documentary?
A

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. Yes
8. Yes
9. Yes
10. Yes

Q Do you expect to hear contemporary songs throughout a documentary?
A

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. No
7. Yes
8. Yes
9. No
10. Yes

Q How long do you expect the average documentary to last?
A


1. An hour
2. Over an hour
3. An hour
4. Less than an hour
5. Over an hour
6. An hour
7. Less than an hour
8. An hour
9. An hour
10. An hour

Q Do you expect archived footage to be featured within a documentary?
A

1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. No
8. Yes
9. Yes
10.No

Q How often do you watch documentaries in full?
A


1. Once a month
2. Less than once a month
3. Less than once a month
4. Les than once a month
5. Once a month
6. Less than once a month
7. Once a month
8. Once a month
9. Less than once a month
10. More than once a month

Q How many interviews do you commonly expect to see within a documentary?
A


1. Between one and five
2. Between five and ten
3. Between five and ten
4. Between one and five
5. Between one and five
6. Between five and ten
7. Between five and ten
8. Between one and five
9. Between five and ten
10. Between one and five

Q How important would you say the choice of narrator is in the production of a documentary?
A


1. Not very
2. Very
3. Very
4. Very
5. Not very
6. Very
7. Not very
8. Very
9. Not very
10. Very

Q Do you feel that documentary's generally supply the information you sought when you decided to view said documentary? Or are you often left with questions unanswered regarding the target subject?
A

1. Often left with questions unanswered.
2. Key points occasionally missed.
3. Key points occasionally missed.
4. Often left with questions unanswered.
5. Satisfied with information provided.
6. Often left with questions unanswered.
7. Satisfied with information provided.
8. Satisfied with information provided.
9. Key points occasionally missed.
10. Satisfied with information provided.

Q On a scale of one to ten, how original would you say the majority of documentaries you've viewed were in terms of format, with one being the least and ten the greatest level of originality?
A

1. Four
2. Three
3. Three
4. Two
5. Three
6. Five
7. Four
8. Two
9. Two
10. Six

Q Would you regard documentaries as more entertaining than informative, or vice versa?
A


1. More informative.
2. More informative.
3. More informative.
4. More entertainment.
5. More informative.
6. More entertainment.
7. More entertainment.
8. More informative.
9. More informative.
10. More informative.

The responses to question one led me to believe that the vast majority of viewers anticipate to hear a single narrator or host throughout a documentary rather than a number of alternating voices. The responses for question two were more varied, indicating that many people do anticipate contemporary music to be heard throughout a documentary, whereas many don't expect to hear any, although I suspect this relates more to the subject and tone of the individual documentary overall than a genre-spanning trope. Question three suggests that an hour is the ideal length of the modern documentary - although there were a difference of opinions, the results suggest that most people will view documentaries only on the guarantee of it lasting an hour or there-abouts. As a general opinion, question four suggested that almost all of those who've recently viewed documentaries expect some quantity of archived footage to appear and give context throughout. Question five indicated that the majority of a prospective audience view actually very few documentaries monthly, although this was an anticipated result. Question six vouched for the frequency of interviews within a documentary, suggesting that many interviewees regarding a certain subject offers a more comprehensive understanding and valid account. The results of question seven appeared to suggest, surprisingly, that only around half of prospective viewers give credit to the choosing of a narrator to the success of a production. Questions eight and nine were fairly cynical responses on a whole - the majority of those asked found that most documentaries failed to supply information that they'd have liked to hear, as well as that the majority of documentaries are extremely unoriginal, at least in terms of structure and format, as suggested by previous questions. The responses to question ten did validate that documentaries are still regarded largely as informative rather than as entertainment, although not by an overwhelming majority.

PROPOSAL TWO

PROPOSAL FOR MOVIE TRAILER

The proposal for my film trailer was a concept drawn from both my research into existing products, and primary research in the form of the questionnaire below. The trailer was to last approximately thirty seconds, due to the design brief stating the product ought to be a teaser trailer, and was to advertise a psychological horror. This genre seemed most appealing as it required little editing beyond my computer capabilities and could be produced to a professional standard with only the resources available. It was intended to run through chronologically, similar to many of my personal favorite and several more progressive teaser trailers already produced, more a selected and compressed sequence than a montage of an entire film's footage, a decision based both around personal preference and, again, the limitations of the resources available to me, particularly in terms of editing software. It was to portray a moment of tension in which the protagonist awakes in the night to the unmistakable sounds of intrusion into her home. The appeal of this was to play upon a common fear for the majority of people, coupled with the lack of an obvious antagonist, channeling the prospective audiences fear of the unknown. In correlation to the tropes and conventions of the broad majority of cinematic trailers, a black backdrop would interject at intervals to portray the key credits and disclaimers, and an appropriately eerie exert of a music track, produced using Soundtrack Pro software. A key feature of the footage would be a distinct lack of clear light, yet again used to counter the limitations of my knowledge of computer generated imagery, as well as effectively play upon the innate fear of darkness many people share on some level. The sequence would reach a climax in which a silhouette of the enigmatic intruder would, in quick cuts in time with a rising tempo of the audio, approaching the camera, at which point a scream will ensue from the protagonist, before a cut to the fading title.

Codes and Conventions of a Film Trailer

The most common forms of codes and conventions followed by the majority of film trailers, aside from the more abstract or "teaser" trailer, in which only a short, purposefully selected exert is shown months prior to an official release, are as follows:

• VOICE-OVER The audiences anticipation is heightened by subtle but direct references to the subject material, introducing a key theme, plot or event portrayed alongside images, a single narrator reading in a complimentary tone to the product.


• FOOTAGE Carefully selected, often extremely brief exerts are show, all within the limitations of a steady rhythm, to build a summary of the products in a manner, working alongside the narration to summarize and sell the film to its prospective audiences.


• TITLES Nine times out of ten, writing in a complimentary font appears against a black backdrop, not necessarily in direct correlation with the narration, to promote both the product through brief snippets of information, as well as reveal the more prominent of those involved, for example a famous director.

Film trailers are almost always attached to other cinema products aimed at similar audiences in previews preemptive to a showing, as well as more concise versions broadcast on select channels; again, those with similar target demographics, although occasionally, as with cinema previews, simply featured due to the publicity gained through the prospective viewing figures. Not dissimilarly, trailers shown previous to films at the cinema are often those made by the same distributor, studio or director as the main feature.

RESEARCH ANALYSIS

QUESTIONNAIRE 2
MOVIE TRAILER

Q What makes a significant impact within a film trailer on whether or not you see the film?
A

1. Usage of soundtrack
2. Having read previews
3. Actors involved
4. Having read previews
5. Actors involved
6. Usage of soundtrack
7. Familiarity with genre
8. Having read previews
9. Reputation of director
10. Usage of soundtrack.

Q Where do you first hear about new cinema releases?
A

1. Website advertisements
2. Televised trailers
3. Televised trailers
4. Trailers at other cinema screenings
5. Televised trailers.
6. Trailers at other cinema screenings
7. Trailers at other cinema screenings
8. Televised trailers.
9. Website advertisements
10. Televised trailers

Q Do television trailers make a significant difference to the likeliness you'll watch a film?
A

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. No
5. Yes
6. No
7. No
8. No
9. Yes
10. No

Q How long do you expect the average televised film trailer to last?
A

1. Under a minute
2. Under a minute
3. Under a minute
4. Under thirty seconds
5. Under thirty seconds
6. Under a minute
7. Under a minute
8. Under thirty seconds
9. Under thirty seconds
10. Under thirty seconds

Q Would a poor trailer significantly deter you from seeing a film you'd previously been interested in watching?
A

1. No
2. No
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. No
7. Yes
8. No
9. Yes
10. Yes

Q How often do you watch film trailers online, if ever?
A

1. Less than once a month.
2. Once a month
3. Once a month
4. Once a week.
5. More than once a week
6. More than once a week
7. Once a month
8. Less than once a month
9. More than once a week.
10. Once a month

Q How important do you consider sound in the success of a film trailer?
A

1. Very
2. Not very
3. Very
4. Not very
5. Not very
6. Very
7. Very
8. Not very
9. Very
10. Not very

Q How often do you go to the cinema?
A

1. Once a week.
2. Once a month.
3. More than once a month.
4. Once a month.
5. More than once a month.
6. Once a month
7. Once a month
8. Once a month
9. More than once a month
10. Once a month

Q What genre was the last film you saw at the cinema?
A

1. Horror
2. Sci-fi
3. Horror
4. Horror
5. Horror
6. Sci-fi
7. Fantasy
8. Romantic Comedy
9. Fantasy
10. Action

Q Do you often watch movies online?
A

1. No
2. Yes
3. No
4. No
5. No
6. Yes
7. No
8. No
9. No
10. No

Analysis of the results from question one suggested a variety of factors were expected and valued within film trailers, predominately, although by only a small margin, the prior knowledge of the product gathered via previews, suggesting that a trailer could surprisingly do more harm than good to promote a product. The results of question two were equally varied, both televised and trailers attached to cinema screenings of other products portrayed as the two most common mediums through which to advertise via trailers. The results were split fairly evenly in terms of the actual importance on whether or not a consumer's decision would be affected by a trailer, correlating with the responses to question one that suggested prior knowledge was more important than the production of a quality trailer. Question four summarized that the majority of the audience anticipated the average trailer to last between thirty and sixty seconds, although this was unspecified to relate to either cinema-show or televised trailers. Question five once again suggested evidence that a trailer was less important than publicly surmised, whilst question six validated that the virtual usage of film trailers through mediums such as Youtube and other online video hosting websites weren't as useful or popular as televised and cinema-shown advertisements. Intriguingly, the results of question seven did not correlate those of the aforementioned questions, the overall opinion of how important the usage of sound was in a trailers production divided. Question eight offered the opinion that cinema going on average varied between once and three times a month person to person. Question nine rooted out that the Horror genre was the most frequented of cinema goers throughout the time prior to the survey's completion. The responses to question ten offered hope for the management of copyright infringement, suggesting only the minority of the public regularly watched full cinema releases online, legally or otherwise.

PROPOSAL ONE

PROPOSAL FOR MUSIC VIDEO

The concept for my music video was largely inspired by the lyrics of my selected song, the single KIDS by MGMT. The decision to work with this song initially came from a combination of both my audience research and an understanding of the available resources, using a combination of narrative and abstract footage to form a somewhat surreal overall product, both aspects focused around the theme of nostalgia and youth. Footage was to include the progressive, chronological narrative of four teenagers, enjoying themselves for the last time in he foreseeable future prior to their respective departures to separate Universities. Contrasted against this linear footage, abstract imagery including memorabilia of the average childhood and correlating flashbacks were to be interjected at the appropriate intervals. For example, as the narrative's protagonists approach a familiar locale, a flashback plays through involving the teenagers in the same location as children, remembering time spent their together. In accompaniment to this, the video was to be timed accurately against the drum-beats of the song, the tempo increase at each chorus apparent in the footage. The more cinematic narrative footage would be progressive throughout the course of their final day, beginning early and featuring a sunrise, and drawing to a close after dark. Also, editing features would be used to enhance both the narrative footage, to add a more spectacular or enchanting aesthetic in correspondence with the theme of celebration, as well as the somewhat surreal tone of the tune. Editing software would also be used to add a vintage, hazy effect to the nostalgic-flashbacks, both to suggest the passing of time, as well as add a more colourful and lively sense of the world as seen through the eyes of a child. Several examples of activities involved in the narrative would be the protagonists in a car heading to and from locations of significance - football where they would play as children, the local park they one frequented, all of which examples would also be featured in correlation in the more abstract flash-back portions of footage.