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.