1. Evaluation Question 1
In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
George Loftus

2. Documentary
• When we began to research our materials for our
documentary, we focused on following key codes and
conventions to support the realism that we needed to match
other ‘real’ documentaries. We had to connect through the
seriousness of the documentary whilst being pessimistic
throughout the opening 5 minutes. This is important for the
documentary as it sets the tone of what is being put across in
addition of the narrative that it wants to portray.

3. Bill Nichols Theory
• Bill Nichols’ Documentary Modes (2001) believes that even though there is
different types of documentaries such as;
poetic, participatory, reflexive, performative, observational and expositional.
These all establish the different types of documentaries that there are in modern
society.
• The performative and participatory modes are very similar as they both include an
on screen presenter which is found in documentaries such as Supersize Me.
• The observational mode is more of a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ type of documentary so
shows a lot of information and knowledge but without the direction that is
sometimes needed with a presenter.
• The expositional mode is most similar to our own as it includes a voiceover and
narrative, This style is very factual which we include throughout the opening 5
minutes.

4. Real documentaries – Supersize Me
and Airline
Since the start of A2 media we watched an abundance of real documentaries having all different
topics to discuss, however all using very similar techniques to establish their documentary.
The supersize me documentary was a great example of the performative mode which is shown
through Morgan Spurlock appearing in his documentary showing authority and a direction to
where it is heading. It uses interviews as a way to get a public understanding of the issue across
which establishes an idea of support for the documentary. The documentary has a sense of
realism creating a connection to the public and the audience of it.
In addition we watched other documentaries such as Airline which uses other techniques to
deliver there information and performance. In this they use Voice of God narration to deliver
there facts and figures but focuses more of primary research from first hand customers who
appear on the show.

5. Camera
• We used many codes and conventions similar to ones found in many other documentaries
such as supersize me:-
• we used a variety of shots in our documentary such as establishing shots, close ups, mid
close ups and long shots. The main code that we used was the use of medium close ups to
express feelings so that the audience can connect with what is being said on screen. In
addition, to centrally structure the documentary for interviews and Vox Pops using the idea
of using the rule of thirds meant that it created a professional view on the opening of the
documentary.
As you can see we have used the idea of the rule of thirds to our benefit , with the
interviewee on the left side of the shot and the eye line a quarter of the way down
establishes a view of authority which we have matched with supersize me.

6. Camera
• We have followed conventions from Bill Nichols with the use of an on screen
narrator i.e. the voice of authority. This is commonly used in documentaries such
as supersize me which gives the audience guidance and direction to where the
documentary is going.
OUR DOCUMENTARY SUPER SIZE ME

7. Camera
• Another use of the camera was using a tripod. This allowed us to create various
establishing shots of the college to portray to the audience what we are talking
about and also connecting one shot to the next. The tripod also meant that we
could use shots such as Pan, tracking and zooms to create a professional look in
our documentary.

8. Editing
• The main cuts in our documentary were straight cuts to keep the documentary flowing at a
quick pace, however we did include a variety of other cuts such as fade to black and
dissolves. These were used to break up one topic from the next so the audience know that
we are talking about something different.
• In addition we used cutaways in interviews to keep the documentary interesting so that its
not an interviewee talking for a whole minute. This also stopped the use of jump cuts so the
documentary would flow similar to Supersize Me and Airline.
• Questions for the Vox pops and expert interviews were edited out so we just had the
answers, this is very similar to other documentaries.
OUR DOCUMENTARY SUPER SIZE ME
Both these shots are using a fade to black to go from one topic to the next therefore following
conventions of original documentaries.

9. editing
• In addition we used a fast opening montage to introduce entertainment
and excitement straight away into the documentary. this was used to grab
the audience’s attention making them carry on watching the rest of the
documentary.
All of these shots were used in the space of 8 seconds. Indicating the fast
pace of the opening.

10. Special Effects (Editing)
• We used a variety of special effects some that we used with the camera such as
altering the focus and zooming. These were just basic effects to create variety and
difference in the shots to display facts.
These two shots both are out of focus with the shot from supersize me it is being covered over by a
voice over to establish what is going to be said. i.e. the Voice of God narration from Bill Nichols.
In our documentary we are also using a voice of God narration but with the addition of facts on the
screen.
The Out of focus shot makes the audience not get distracted from something that is on the screen
that is not important towards what is being said.

11. Special Effects (Editing)
• However we did use Final Cut Express to enhance some of our shots such as the
speed of it to create emphasis or to speed the documentary up. We used a shot
that had been sped up when talking about something not related to what was on
the screen so that the audience could not focus on a nonrelated part of the clip
and get distracted.

12. Sound
• Sound is a very important part of a documentary which includes specifics
such as narration, backing music, Diegetic, Non-diegetic and Presenter.
• The use of Voice of god Narration and Voice of Authority which is similar
to other documentaries establishes authority and direction towards the
documentary. We realised that with both types of narration the audience
can connect with the presenter and follow what he is saying with
confidence and leadership with facts and figures especially.

13. Research
• We packed our documentary with loads of research as we followed many other
documentaries and it seemed that this convention is the mostly used one out of
them all. We have used a variety of second hand research and primary research
from our questionnaire and interviews. In supersize me it uses a majority of
second hand research of information that they have found out prior to the
documentary which is similar to our own:
OUR DOCUMENTARY
SUPER SIZE ME

14. Research
• In addition we also used primary research what is used in Airline with first
hand interviews and research from questionnaires that we did ourselves.
The interviews establish a first person view and gives the documentary a
more personal touch to do with audience feedback.
We have also used interviews to create a more personal touch to the
documentary and it gives the audience something that they can associate
themselves with.

15. TV Listings Article
• This is our Finished article for the double page spread, we followed similar
conventions used in many other TV listings articles. The magazine that we
produced for was Radio Times so we tried to follow the house style and
layout in other examples that we looked at to keep the conventions of this
magazine going throughout the page.

16. TV Listings Article
Masthead Pull Quote
We have used a masthead We used a pull quote
that connects the topic of
to pull the reader into
Smoking with the
documentary and Article the text without
together. Mentioning having to read it all
Smoking and Young before hand. In this
portrays what we are case we used a few
talking about and pull quotes to grab
establishes the view
the readers attention
straight away.
to themes they might
enjoy.
Drop Cap
Drop caps are used in Date/Time/Channel
nearly every magazine
You will always find a
article which makes it
look professional and fits TV listings article with
the style of Radio Times. the
date/time/channel of
the documentary. It is
Columns Main Image usually found at the
Most articles have 2 or 3 We have included a few images top of the article but
columns so we have followed similar to every magazine . we have challenged
the convention and gone However they usually use stills the conventions and
with 2 columns as this is from the documentary but we put it at the end of
familiar with the radio times have not done this and have the article.
house style. gotten original images instead.

17. Radio trail
• We have listened to a number of radio trails from stations such as; Radio 5
live, Capital, radio 2, radio 1 etc. and many others that include
advertisement. We had chosen BBC Radio 1 as our radio station so it had
to be something young and entertaining to sit the target audience we are
aiming at. We used Garage band to create the radio trail and put it
together with a backing beat so that it appealed towards the target
audience.

18. Radio Trail
• We used a backing beat on our radio trail to create tension and interest
into what is being said on the trail. The start of the trail is very shocking
and different to many other radio trails.
• We have included clips from the documentary but not as many as we
should have to create a link between the documentary and the radio trail.
• We also used a lot of loop tracks which are just played quietly in the
background to keep the radio trail ticking over. this is a convention of a
radio trail and will appeal to the younger generation.