Planning TV News Programme

News Programme

We got assigned to create different news programs in groups that would in the end create one news bulletin with a variety of unique stories that furthermore caters for an extensive audience. Phoebe and I decided to go in a group of two and the news program we will be creating is about teenagers texting whilst driving. We found this story to be interesting as it refers to wide audience but specifically teenagers which means we'd be able to film some thought-provoking footage.

Target Audience: Firstly, we have decided to set our target audience primarily at teenagers - this being about 17 - 18 years old. Being the same age, we feel that we can create a news programme that will know what its talking about and will know what the people want to hear as we are basically directing it at ourselves. By doing this were able to connect with the people were aiming for by having that link. This means we can look at current events in the news and see which ones stand out the most to us thus we'll then have an idea of what people our age are interested in and what will appeal to them as it has come from ourselves. As well as this having the same age range as our target audience is an advantage to us, as this means we can project the news stories out in a way that we know the teenagers watching will enjoy and have a genuine interest in. Whether this be a change in the way we put across the information or the graphics we use, as the creators we have the advantage of knowing if we like it - the audience will like it to. Not only this, but being the same age range as the people who we're directing these stories for means that we'll have good connection with them, we can know what they want to see and do our best to give it to them.

Geographical Area: our chosen geographical area is going to be Portsmouth/Southsea and localised areas around. Firstly these two areas are the main hotspot for stories that will appeal to teenagers especially in the Hampshire area. With Portsmouth and Southsea both being areas that are audiences will generally visit we'll know that if something that would concern them happens it would be a good news story to put into the programme and beneficial for us. As well as this we can easily gather information and find the appropriate types of people to either interview/film as we'll either know through connections or easily be able to get a hold of them and have the opportunity to meet them for a personal interview. Likewise, being from these areas we're bound to have a general knowledge of hotspots and good places to go to either gather information of film for the appropriate stories, once again we'll know what people want to see as we'll know what important to the

News Items: our news items include a story on teenage using mobile phones whilst driving - this story was chosen because of its relevance and its importance to this target audience we're aiming the news piece for. Teenagers are always interested in these kinds of stories because it will relate to them on a more personal level whether it be through family, friends, experiences or being already aware. However this story will push the limits and not be afraid to put out the important details that we think will make the teenagers catch on and realise the dangers. Not only this but it will be a reminder or a lesson for them as the relevance of it is massively important. In a day were technology is constantly used, I believe teenagers are becoming unaware of the dangers as it is not put forward to them enough how critical using a mobile while driving can be therefore teenagers can use the as a reminder and a way to make them more aware of the situation.

Presenters & Reporters: are two main presenters are going be Haydon and Sadie whose job will be to introduce the news programme, the headlines and the stories that will follow. Reporters will include a single person from each separate group making a news programme - ours being either Phoebe or I. Finally our weather lady will be Lucy who will present there weather across the South Coast region.

Considerations and Measures:

It is important that we are aware of reporting restrictions and the rules and regulations whilst creating our short stories. We need take into consideration the libel and contempt laws, therefore not to disregard and put out false information that would damage a persons reputation nor will we be able to be disrespectful to the court of law at any point in our story or programme.

Another thing to take into consideration is the location of our filming, wherever this be the need to have permission as it could be private land or just a space that the owner would not want us to intrude  and film on. To avoid this, before we film, we'll plan ahead and makes sure that if we are going to an area that may have filming restrictions or not, check and ask for permission from the owner. For Phoebe and I, we are filming on South Downs College grounds therefore don't have to be concerned about getting permission to film here.

We definitely need to consider and ensure that if we are filming any children that we must have permission through a release form. Release forms are so that we know that we can use the footage with the assurance that with have permission from the parent. This also means that if we find out that someone doesn't want to sign after we've shot everything, we're going to have to remove any show with the person in it.

General equipment checks are important to us and are only going to be beneficial to us. Making sure that the camera is fully functioning, spar camera batteries are available if need be or a memory card or two is at hand if the space runs out through filming. And overall, whether all this equipment is available on the day that we wish to film, and to ensure that we book the equipment to take out that day. Also having a general knowledge of the equipment will be beneficial and useful for ourselves so that were not working out how to use the equipment on the day, to prevent this it would be helpful to use the camera and equipment on a day beforehand and gather practice shots.

Weather is another important consideration to take in as it is very unpredictable, even after we watch the weather. Separate measures will have to be taken into consideration depending on the weather on the day, such as strong winds will mean that the microphone may not pick up the audio or the camera may blow over if not sturdy to resolve this, we'd have to think about moving filming inside or in shelter and speak to people there similar to this rain would be more dangerous, but the same measure can be taken out to resolve this. Finally the sun or lack off, will affect the lighting, we''ll need to consider the way we're going to shoot before we go out and ask people to speak to us as we need to be prepared. Either which way, it's always important to have a plan B.

Transportation will need to be discussed and planned before the day of filming if going somewhere is going to be what we do. If we plan ahead we can know that if our war of transport is available or not available on our planned day  if need be, we can change it without being an inconvenience to us or the person we're filming if any.

Risk Assessment:

Production Schedule: 

Storyboard:

Our Story and Research:

Texting while driving 'slows reaction times more than drink or drugs'

These are several facts and statistics which Phoebe and I found though our research. All of these facts and statistics are accurate and correct as we found them on an official trustworthy website which was set up to create awareness of teenager drivers and the dangers which could be faced. Through our research we also found a video on YouTube which was about a Belgian road safety campaign group has found proof of just how dangerous texting and driving is – by getting young drivers to give it a try on a test track. The Belgium-based Responsible Young Drivers (RYD) group fooled the young motorists into thinking that a new law had been passed requiring them to pass a ‘texting and driving exam’.

-Study shows texting while driving delays reaction times by 37 per cent
-In contrast, drinking to legal limit slows drivers' reactions by 13 per cent
-But speaking on hand-held telephone remains most dangerous activity

Drivers who use a mobile phone at the wheel should be given an automatic ban, campaigners said yesterday – after research showed it slows reactions more than drink or drugs.

A study found sending a text message delays reaction times by 37 per cent. By comparison, using cannabis slows it by 21 per cent, and drinking to the legal limit by 13 per cent.

Speaking on a hand-held telephone remains the most dangerous, delaying reaction by 46 per cent, the Transport Research Laboratory found.

Using a mobile at the wheel has been illegal for a decade, with the fine initially standing at £30.In 2007 the punishment was increased to three penalty points and a £60 fine, and last year it went up to £100, with a possible £1,000 on conviction in court.

Smartphones are now owned by nearly three-quarters of adults, with emails, social networking and maps all adding to the temptation to use them.

Department for Transport figures show that a record 378 accidents involving a mobile phone were reported in 2012, causing 548 injuries and 17 deaths.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2652015/Texting-driving-slows-reaction-times-drink-drugs.html

-

More than 1,000 young drivers were surveyed by insurance firm ingenie who found that over half of young people admit to using their phone handset while driving – and most are reading text messages or using apps.

The findings were released during Road Safety Week earlier this month. The campaign was about raising awareness about the dangers of being distracted behind the wheel.

The survey found that while 89% of young people get annoyed when they see someone else using the phone behind the wheel, 50% admit to using their own phone to read text messages while driving and 37% admitted to sending text messages when behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, nearly 75% admitted they often or occasionally use the maps app on their smartphone to get directions while driving, as a substitute for a sat-nav.

And it’s not just navigation. Significant numbers of young drivers admitted to using mobile apps while on the move, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.

http://www.hitachicapitaldrivinginstructorsolutions.co.uk/texting-behind-the-wheel-survey-of-young-drivers-reveals-alarming-statistics-infographic/#.VQliuI6sV-h

-

Facts and Figures:- 

5 seconds is the minimal amount of attention that a driver who texts takes away from the road. If traveling at 55 mph, this equals driving the length of a football field without looking at the road.

Texting makes a crash up to 23 times more likely.

Teens who text while driving spend 10% of the time outside their lane.

97% of teens agree that texting while driving is dangerous, yet 43% do it anyway.

19% of drivers of all ages admit to surfing the web while driving.

40% of teens say that they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone.

9 in 10 teens expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less, which puts pressure on them to respond while driving.

Law states you can only use a handheld phone if you are safely parked or need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop.

News Values

This story is 100% valid for the target audience as its based around teenagers which attract a wider audience for people who are teenagers, either just generally interested in stories about teens or a young person who is learning to drive and are wanting to be aware of any stories which could relate to them. Due to this story being about driving, which is something a lot of people do makes it have a huge news value and something a lot of people would be interested in, regardless of its focus on teenagers.

Accuracy

The research which we found for our news program is a lot through the Internet so we had to make sure it was completely truthful. The website which we used information from was through official websites which share information further found from investigations and trials. The responses we will get from voxpops will be accurate as they the audiences opinions. All sides of the story is considered as we will discuss the story as well as talking about facts but use voxpops to create a flip-side and give a variety of opinions.

Interviews

We've both decided to not use interviews for the news program as we found it wasn't really necessary for this topic. We've decided to stick will using a variety of voxpops and presenter to the camera scene as we feel it would be more interesting and intriguing. If we decide to interview somebody our main interviewees would be a police officer who especially focuses on the road and vehicles as we feel they would have a better understanding. We would also interview somebody who has had experience with a car accident (hopefully which involved a young person or somebody who was on there phone) as that would add an aspect of realism.

Equipment

The equipment which we will be using is a video camera and tripod. We will book both these equipment out from the college where they allow people to book cameras and other equipment for college and non college uses. We will use the camera and tripod for several lessons and book both items out each time we use them. Phoebe and I have both had experience with using the equipment which is why we feel confident with using it without testing it beforehand. However we will practice beforehand to make angles, lighting etc are correct.

Location

We decided to use the local area for our location as we feel it would be the best area to find a variety of people to interview or for voxpoxs in the news program. We've decided to do our voxpops in the car packs of South Downs College as we are aware of the different people that use them and feel we are confident with finding great answers for the voxpops. The weather is one disadvantage to our location. If the weather is poor it may stop our chances of filming which is why we've decided to make sure we film when the weather is good and book the camera equipment a few hours before filming

Legal Consideration

We've been granted permission to film at our chosen location which not breach any location laws. We also have both agreed to make sure we ask everyone we wish to film whether its okay to have permission to ask them questions and film. Both these plans will make sure we've clearly considered the legal side of news production.

Script

This is the script which Phoebe and I created for our news program.

Chris: Hello, welcome to South Downs News.

Rebecca: We are here today reporting live from South Downs College, discussing the topic of teenagers texting whilst driving.

Chris: 33% of deaths among 13 to 19-year-olds in 2010 occurred in motor vehicle crashes.

Rebecca: This is a terrifying statistic which is why change must begin as soon as possible.

Chris: We are now here joined with Charlotte, a 17 year old student who's recently passed her driving test.

Rebecca: Whats your thoughts on teenagers who text whilst driving?

Charlotte: 'gives her response'

Chris: If you were in a vehicle with somebody who was texting would you intervene?

Charlotte: 'gives her response'

Rebecca: Only 44% of teens said they would definitely speak up if someone were driving in a way that scared them.

Chris: Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood of an accident as well as slow a young driver’s reaction time down to that of a 70-year-old.

CUT AWAY SHOTS

MORE VOX POPS

Chris: Whats your thoughts on teenagers who text whilst driving?

Interviewee: 'gives there response'

Chris: Have you ever been involved in a car accident where technology or teenagers where involved?

Interviewee: 'gives there response'

Rebecca: Whats your thoughts on teenagers who text whilst driving?

Interviewee: 'gives there response'

Rebecca: Would you get involved if you saw somebody texting whilst driving?

Interviewee: 'gives there response'

CUT AWAY SHOTS

Chris: 'more vox pop questions'

Interviewee: 'gives answer'

Rebecca: 'more vox pop questions'

Interviewee: 'gives answer'

5 more vox pop shots

3 more facts and statistics

Chris: Teen drivers with involved parents are twice as likely to wear seat belts.

Rebecca: Only 44% of teens said they would definitely speak up if someone were driving in a way that scared them.

Chris: Statistics show that 17 and 18-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.

YouTube clip about teenagers texting and driving appears.

CUT AWAY SHOT

Rebecca: I hope you have found this to be helpful and informative.

Chris: So next time you debate texting whilst driving, just remember your putting your life and others in danger.

Chris: And this has been Chris and Lucy reporting for South Downs News.

Rebecca: Thank you for watching, back to the studio.

Evaluation 

Phoebe and I decided to create our TV News Report piece on a story about teenagers using mobile phones whilst driving - this story was chosen because of its relevance and its importance to this target audience we're aiming the piece toward it also has a lot of news value as it effects a large majority of society. We have decided to set our target audience primarily at teenagers - this being about 17 - 18 years old (young drivers). As a whole, these are the people who are at the heart of our story. Despite this, the information we've gathered, this includes facts, figures,opinions and statistics have been from DVLA, driving professionals or Police who are more than likely going to give a very one sided story to the report. We feel as though getting opinions from the people who are the main part of the story would be something we can congregate a lot of information and peoples opinions on thereby creating a two sided opinion on the story and getting teenagers and young drivers involved in something that would be a big part of there lives at the age we're aiming towards. As well as this having the same age range as our target audience is an advantage to us, as this means we can project the news stories out in a way that we know the teenagers watching will enjoy and have a genuine interest in. Whether this be a change in the way we put across the information or the graphics we use, as the creators we have the advantage of knowing if we like it - the audience will like it to. Not only this, but being the same age range as the people who we're directing these stories for means that we'll have good connection with them, we can know what they want to see and do our best to give it to them.

Teenagers are always interested in these kinds of stories because it will relate to them on a more personal level whether it be through family, friends, experiences or being already aware and wanting to air there opinion. However this story will push the limits and not be afraid to put out the important details that we think will make the teenagers catch on and realise the dangers. Not only this but it will be a reminder or a lesson for them as the relevance of it is massively important. In a day were technology is constantly used, I believe teenagers are becoming unaware of the dangers as it is not put forward to them enough how critical using a mobile while driving can be therefore teenagers can use the as a reminder and a way to make them more aware of the situation. The vox pops are going to encourage young drivers to have the opportunity to bring forward and air there opinion in a way that would be heard especially if they have no other way of telling their point of view.

I feel I have demonstrated a variety of professional practice within our TV News Report piece. To start with my filming assignment reflects professionalism as I used a mixture of different and expert angles like cut away shots, long distance shots and close ups. I also made sure the actors and actresses I decided to use for the filming were the best I could find, I wanted the news film to be as professional as possible which is why I choose actors and actress who were up to that standard and what I wanted to represent our news programme. Another example of how my film treatment reflects professional practice is the script. Throughout this assignment I researched a variety of different news programmes and looked into how the way news reporters speak, what they say etc. and due to this made sure the script reflected that.

I think overall we gathered and created a really strong piece that has a good story that we could utilize and adapt to the kind of thing we wanted to create. I would say the first strength of our piece as a whole is the fact we had really strong questions to ask the public and this allowed us to get a ton of opinions and points of views that we could turn into a really valid and important set of vox pops for the final story. It was also easy to edit on Adobe Audition, where we had to cut out small speaking errors or pauses. This made for a very strong final piece which flowed like a real life news programme report and sounded very informative. There area few weaknesses and these probably include general things such as if we had more time we would of been able to edit the piece to a higher level and therefore if we needed more vox pops or an improved que we would have the time to gather and adjust it. We also could of had more vox pop questions just so that we had a broader outlook on the subject from the public rather than asking everyone the same three questions. I think as well we would of added an end piece to the story so that we could of rounded it off professionally and make it like the real thing.

Issues, Codes and Conventions Assignment 1

TASK A: Produce an illustrated Powerpoint presentation on codes and conventions of factual programming showing how these codes and conventions inform or determine audience responses.

Your presentation should include 5 modes of documentaries

Your presentation should also include an analysis of convention of a news program.

               

               

TASK B:

Comparison Between News and Documentary Productions

A documentary is a term to describe a non fiction movie that that in some way ‘documents’ or captures reality. Documentations are often made to reveal an unusual, interesting or unknown angle – documentary makers are often motivated to make their films because mainstream media is not covering a particular story or viewpoint. It is a genre of production that uses video and film, photography and real people and real events which when edited together creates a particular story, viewpoint, message or experience.

A film documentary is a movie that attempts to document reality. Even though the scenes are carefully chosen and arranged through editing after filming, they are not scripted and the people in the movie are not typically actors. Sometimes, a documentary film may rely on voice-over narration to describe what is happening in the footage; in other films the images speak for themselves without commentary. In general, documentary films focus on real life and include footage of events as they happened for example a movie about World War II might feature actors portraying soldiers, real or fictional, in the war recreating certain battles or events. In contrast to this, a documentary film about World War II might partially feature real footage of actual fighting, with commentary from experts and veteran who were in the war to back up the evidence of footage being shown. Documentary films have remained fairly low on the radar for the most part but the popularity of some of these films illustrates that some audiences want to watch a movie with a serious message.

A television documentary could either be in in the format of a series or a TV film. A documentary television series would be made up from as little as 3, 60-minute episodes documenting on anything from nature to business to fashion. A TV series with journey through and explore on a specific subject and feature just as much as a film would, but most likely broken down into different sections, for example the BBC Two documentary series ‘Oh You Pretty Things’ was broken down into 3 episodes, documenting how music effected fashion then and now. Each episode was broken down into what year it was (60s-90s) and featured, real footage, real music and interview with all different kinds of people who had knowledge on the certain era’s. A TV film is similar to just a regular film, they tend to not be as long, similarly to the episodes, usually up to an hour and explore the topic into to great detail. 

The sole purposes of a documentary will vary from film to film. Many documentary filmmakers attempt to change or improve society by influencing an audience views on a argument. Their goal behind creating a documentary is to bring light onto a certain cause or injustice for example the Supersize Me was created to make people realize how they eat and how they live, and instead of suing McDonalds, people would realize they need to pay more attention to how they eat. For other documentaries, the goal is to simply enlighten or delight the audience in someway; these are called human-interest stories. This kind of documentary would usually go under the mode of an observational film, one that is not to judge but simply to show and allow the audience to make their own judgement. Other documentaries may attempt to uncover a hidden truth or mystery whilst some may simply be made to educate on a profile of someone famous.

A documentary can affect an audience in various different ways and once again in will depend on the type of film it is and what it is about. A documentary brings the viewer into a world that they otherwise might have no knowledge on. Either they open our eyes to tragedies, bring light to revelations or explore topics in a great deal. They cast a new light on subjects or uncover evidence but I think one thing to remember is a lot of documentaries are made to show what just one person may want us to, causing massive controversy. A audience could be offended by what they see, or perhaps have a eye opening revelation and it all depends on how the topic is given to us and what evidence is proven throughout. An audience might come away from watching a documentary with a whole other light on a subject they may of previously thought different about – which means that the documentaries perhaps has been reached. Other documentaries may just be made to put light on a topic people previously did not know about, for example a documentary which is dedicated to someone famous, this will give people a chance to find out much more on someone they have looked up to. Documentaries are very much about identifying and expanding on a subject which has either not been recognised enough or the filmmaker want something more done about the topic at hand.

There are a number of different things that we can usually expect to see in a documentary that signify that it is a film that has been made to inform and document. The most likely things that we can expect to come across in a documentary is interviews. The interviews tend to be used to give a personal account of what has happened, either they are an expert on the subject or they were an eye-witness to something which would give further proof to back up facts or shock the viewer from their experiences. For example in many 9/11 documentaries, will include someone who was in the attacks, and had a first hand experience with dealing with the situation this often shocks the viewer a, d what we can hear from them can be quite unexpected, this can also make the viewer more intrigued into watching more of the documentary.

The trailer above is from the 1997 film Kurt and Courtney, a film made of document the mystery of Kurt Cobains death. We can evidently see from the trailer that the this documentary features multiple different interviews these include interview from Kurt Cabins auntie, Courtney Love's estranged father, a LA Private Investigator and friends and lovers of the two. The interviews give a broader image on the story, and a more intimate and believable approach  to the story of his death, they are also used to authenticate the views expressed - as a viewer you start to feel more touched by the documentary as a whole.

 The voice-over in a documentary is commentary by the filmmaker, which is most likely to of been added during film production, the voiceover create a different perspective and can make the story easier to understand – it also is there to solidify the facts being told, if we can hear it being told in an authoritive voice and what we can trust, we can believe it.

Once again we can usually almost always expect to real footage of events, or if the film is a reconstruction, a typical scene that would see if it was the real footage.  The raw footage is used in documentaries to give realism, documentarians will often go to great lengths to convince us that footage is real, as for the audience it convinces us a lot more that what we are being told is the truth, if we can see it, we can believe it. 

In a lot of documentaries, you may that the filmmaker has used text/titles to label certain things throughout the film. The words on screen will often be used to anchor images, accompany clips or photos with dates or label the name of someone or something. These tend to be believed unquestioningly and are a quick way of conveying information

The Channel 5 documentary, Britains Worst Crimesfollows some of the most devastating crimes that have ever happened in the United Kingdom and goes deeper into the event and the people who were affected. In this program it re accounts the crime of the two girls and Mother who were brutally attacked and murdered in Kent. Like any other documentary it includes interviews with the people that had some significance in the crime, including those who were family, as well as this it includes archive footage and stills of the families and the people effected - showing the two girls and Mother growing up until the there death - this makes the documentary so personal and the audience will feel touched by how close you become to the family before the trad edgy. A reconstruction of what would of happened was also given, including text on the screen that shows us what happened at which time revolving around the crime. Tom Roberts, the narrator gives a real intimate account of the crime and makes the documentary affect the viewer, as it does become so personal to the people in the program.

Almost always you’ll be able to hear sound throughout a documentary, this can include music, or sound effects. Each have a given effect on what we are seeing. The sound could also be used to bridge between scenes so that the documentary flows through easier.

Finally the mise en scene and props. The mise en scene is basically everything you see in the screen. The most recognizable attributes being the setting and the people, it includes costumes, make-up, props and all other natural and artificial details that characterize the spaces filmed.

As we all know, news is made to inform people of recent events, or ‘’previously unknown information’’. The intention of news in our society is to inform as well as connect people together. In this day and age it is important that we are kept well aware of what is occurring in the local area, around the UK and even globally. The fastest and most convenient way to access the latest information is through the news – The Global Audience Estimate released that the World News reached up to 256 million viewers per week. People always have a constant desire to stay informed with what is happening around the world and the news is just the simplest way to get across this information to bring people together. 

In a News programme we can usually expect to see the same thing, and these things allow us to recognize that we are watching the news. It will vary from what news programme you are watching but you can always expect to see,  one or two presenters, if it is one presenter it can be either male or female and with two presenters it is most likely both. In this case, the male TV presenter can be seen wearing a suit, the suit gives of a professional, respectable and smart look to the anchor. The look makes the anchor come off as trustworthy and reliable therefore we know that we can depend on what he is saying. The anchor also presents himself in a good manner, with clean hair, shaven. He sits up straight, and has a proper presence about him. We can expect to see the same thing from a female presenter, dressed smartly, neat hair, light make up, and no chunky jewellery.  We would expect to see them reading the news and perhaps conducting interviews if in correspondence to the story.

 

The anchor is not the only person we see on the news. Certain news stories, if not most will include reporters/correspondents who have knowledge on specific subject,  these would be live from the scene this could be from war zones, live events, sporting matches or many more. Again some news stories will include interviews, therefore interviewee's would be on set being questioned by the presenter. And not only has this but the news of course included the sports presenter and weather lady/man.

When a story has been given a brief description from the presenter and has more information to be given the story will be given its own report usually with a different presenter who has researched into the subject. In this we can see the same structure, beginning with an establishing shot of a significant location that will usually link to the news story being told, then most likely the reporter ill be shown giving a brief but informative speech on what the report is about. Often cutaways of filler shots that will be played whilst the reporters is doing a voice over which includes facts - Which will appear on the screen in graphics. The report will then include voxpops - these are so that the audience will think they have some relation to the story. As well as this, after many more filler shots, the report will usually include some sort of human interest of someone who is affected by the story. Then one again there will be more graphics including these could include more facts or a graphs or images. Nearing the end of the report the presenter will conclude the story and the camera will most like sign off by a camera rise.

Finally in a news programme, a TV screen which shows images and graphics like key points and statistics whilst the anchor is reading them out. This is an easy way to provide information that either may not fit into the script or will point out the key points of the story.

It is narrator/voiceover in a documentary would be in the form of the presenter in a news program, they are both used in these kind of programs to be an informative and trustworthy figure that as a viewer can believe in what they’re saying and be given more information from. Another thing similar to this is the presentation, in a news program whilst a story is being told, we can usually expect to see images and footage that are in relation to the story, once again in a documentary the whole film or program will be have footage or images of the subject what differs between these is the fact that the whole of the documentary will mostly be taken up by this footage, compared to the news where it will only be up to about 3 minutes worth – this is the same for use of text and titles on the screen, where clear that documentaries go in to a lot more depth on one particular subject, and news programs go into multiple different stories, despite this they are both made with the same end goal in mind, to inform the viewer. I think the most obvious thing that differentiates the two is how they present themselves. For example, the documentaries will use a lot more and probably more detailed titles compared to what a news programme does. However, I think that one thing that is similar between this two programmes is the use of interviews, in both of these interviews are used to relate the subject or story to the viewer, they are used to gather more information, give proof of eye witnesses or to give a technicality of viewer relations.  

Codes and Conventions of a News Programme

Studio News Setting - 

Codes and conventions you would expect to see in a news setting:

What They Do? 
Firstly the News Presenter and what do they do? Of course we would expect to see them reading the news and perhaps conducting interviews if in correspondence to the story. However beforehand going  on air live to the nation, the presenter would follow through with a few things to become prepared, this could include reading through the script or making changes to the script, every presenter will read and speak out in a different way, the anchor will change the script to what fits him or her best so that when live they are prepared and can read out the news comfortably, despite this, they may even have to prepare the script themselves and some may prefer this. Furthermore, the anchor would usually introduce themselves to guests so that they are prepared for the interview live, this is so that they could gather more information beforehand finally, they would work with the crew so they can equip and arrange before going live so that there are no problems.

Visual Codes
As you can see from the image screen capture above the presenters is usually dressed in a particular way that we all are familiar off. For example we can expect to see the presenter dressed formally in a suit, this makes them look proffesional and well conservative. A female presenter would usually not have heavy make up and as male presenter should look neat being clean shaven and have combed over hair. This will give off that the presenter is trustworthy and we can have belief on what they are telling us.

Skills
To be a presenter you would have had to have skills that you have acquired over time, for example the fact you are reading a script that can't be stopped when you want means you will have to acquire the skills of being a fast thinker -  being able to think the ball and with technology not always being reliable, you need to be able to quickly feed information if your script stops working.You should be confident and have a clear voice so that people can understand what you are saying and finally you should stay focused.

Professional Attributes 
Working as a news presenter you are essentially working as a journalist as well. You will need to certain attributes that will help your understanding of your work easier. For example, editorial knowledge, you may be required to create your own news sections on a particular story and for this you will need to know how to edit and put together footage and graphics. You are presenting the news to a nation and you will have to know and understand the legal and ethical side of journalism, if you make a mistake there would be consequences. Mastering multitasking is something that will be needed and helpful to you. You will have a producers instructions via an earpiece, scanning new information from computers and listen to reporters on the team - handling this will help you not make mistakes.

Who Else?
The anchor is not the only person we see on the news. Certain news stories, if not most will include reporters these would be live from the scene this could be from war zones, live events, sporting matches or many more. Again some news stories will include interviews, therefore interviewee's would be on set being questioned by the presenter. And not only this but the news of course includes the sports presenter and weather lady/man.


Report Structure
Almost every news report will follow the same sort of structure. Beginning with an establishing shot of a significant location that will usually link to the news story being told, then most likely the reporter ill be shown giving a brief but informative speech on what the report is about. Often cutaways of filler shots that will be played whilst the reporters is doing a voice over which includes facts - whixh will appear on the screen in graphics. The report will then include voxpops - these are so that the audience will think they have some relation to the story. As well as this, after many more filler shots, the report will usually include some sort of human interest of someone who is affected by the story. Then one again there will be more graphics including these could include more facts or a graphs or images. Nearing the end of the report the presenter will conclude the story and the camera will most like sign off by a camera rise.

Contributors 

Certain news reports will include different things or people that will contribute to the story and give more of an insight on it, these could be:-

• Experts - the experts will give more knowledge into the story being told, for the audience this also give credibility so we know that we can trust and believe in the story. 
• Witnesses - the witnesses will of usually been there to see the something to do with the story. For the audience this gives us something to believe in.
• ...The witnesses will also give  varied opimion and reach out to the viewers. 

Mise-en-scene

The mise en scene is the arrangement of scenery and props (basically everything we see in the TV screen) this could include set, location, studio, colour, costume, lighting, sound, positioning, props, furniture and actors. 

Documentary Codes and Conventions - Case Study

Catfish

Catfish is a 2010 American performative documentary directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman, involving a young man, Nev, being filmed by his brother and friend, co-directors Ariel and Henry, as he builds a romantic relationship with a young woman on the social networking website Facebook. The film was a critical and commercial success, even inspiring an MTV reality TV series, Catfish: The TV Show.

Which type of documentary mode is Catfish, give examples as to how you know this? 

I would consider Catfish to be two different documentary modes, this being Participatory and Perfomative. Firstly my reasoning behind Participatory is because throughout the whole documentary we can see the direct engagement between the filmmakers and the subjects. The two filmmakers, Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman play a large part in most of the documentary, including the fact that they continually ask question to the main man, Nev, for example asking him about the text messages between the two subjects. They are often seen within the documentary as well, playing a part and adding commentary from behind the camera. The reasoning behind why I would call this a performativite documentary is because the documentary has a large part in emphasizing the emotional and social impact on the audience. Throughout the documentary we have a close relation to the main subject Nev and nothing is hidden from the audience this brings a large emotional impact to the viewer as we could feel some relation to what he is going through. Nearing the end of the documentary the film also compares how the events of the documentary to our lives and how 'catfishing' could be something we go through on a day to day basis.

Explain your understanding of the films title 'Catfish'. What roles did Yaniv and Anglea play in each others lives?

From my understanding the name Catfish came from when Nev was visit from inactivity. In oring Angela. Her husband Vince tells Nev and the filmmakers about a problem when live cod were shipped to Asia from North America, and the flesh ended up gross and mushy from inactivity. In order to keep the cod active, according to Vince's story, the fisherman started putting catfish in with the cod to the at their tails and keep them active. Vince implies that Angela is like those Catfish because her life would be "dull and boring if we have someone nipping at out fins'. I would describe Yaniv and Angela's relationship plainly almost as a rollercoaster. We witnessed there relationship going through its high's when they first began talking over the internet, then through its deceptions when Nev began to become suspicious of Angela's identity although also in a turn of events there bond seems to get strong again at the end of the programme  For Nev I think Angela's role in his life was something that he found exciting, we had to consider how Nev felt, meaning that he had finally interacted with someone that he liked and connected with therefore for him it became moving. I feel this is something that most of us can relate to which is why we become so responsive to his emotions meaning that when he met the real Angela we felt angry in the same way he did. I think Nev went through different emotions near the end of the film but didn't know quite where to stand with Angela and how to act around her, because part of him to could only of though of the fact this woman was misleading him but on the other hand he and us as the audience felt sorry for her as we begin to unravel her real life. On the contrary, I feel that Angela, although has a different side of the story, does have the same first emotions to Nev, of the attachment and warmth that he brang to her. At the end of the documentary it was plain to see that Angela was scared and afraid of showing her emotions nonetheless when she began to see how Nev was just the same person to who she was talking to and didn't want to push her away, she opened up. At the credits of the film we're also told that Angela and Yaniv are still friends and often to stay in contact.

In what ways is Catfish similar to or different from other documentaries you have seen?

In one way or another Catfish is similar to most documentaries, meaning how it goes through a series of events that make the storyline intriguing and something that we want to continue watching, we find out about a story and goes through its high and lows and see thing that cling us on for example the revealing of who Angela was or the intense moments when we find out about who really sings the songs she sent. Yet compared to the documentary modes I think this is something quite unique, the documentary goes a lot further in depth and personal to Nev and I think this is what made the documentary so popular and relatable. Most documentaries I have previously seen are filmed in a 'professional' manner whereas catfish looks quite amateur and spontaneous.

The has been some debate over the authenticity of the events in Catfish. How does that affect the way you feel about the film? Do you think the film intentionally blurs the line between documentary and drama?

The debate over the films authenticity was surfacing even before the film was released. Questions about whether Catfish was 'real' were asked to the filmmakers in multiple interviews.  In an interview with MTV, Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman were asked how they felt about the controversy and the people claiming it is fake to which they responded - 'It is a documentary in that it's something that actually happened and we filmed it and none of it is staged or fake' & 'I think what people are reacting to a lot is, the filmed is edited. We can't put out a 250 hour movie, so were making decisions and streamlining the narrative and presenting what we feel is the clearest representation of what happened, but its real' Despite this even after the film was realeased on September 17th 2010, there was still a large controversy towards it. After I had watched the filmand even before I knew about the debate I knew I felt what I should toward it, the reaction of shock and disbelief to that somebody could of done that sort of thing as Angela did appalled me. Later on after finding out about the discussion of its legitimacy it, did doubt how I first felt about the film, I questioned as to why the story would of been made up and why the would of lied about something that could potentially be so serious. It surprised me that the way it was played of was so realistic that I although I didn't want to believe it was fake, I couldn't help but think so. Once you hear that it is fake you seem to just pass of how you feel about the film when you first saw it and now look at it as just another fiction film. With the presentation and way that the film is filmed it is quite evidently a documentary. I can clearly signify multiple codes and conventions that are within it for example we know that despite the fact it has accused of being fake as far as we know all the footage is real, there are elements such as the use of text and titles, such as when the location is showing up etc, the labels tend to be believed unquestioningly and are a quick way of conveying information. I think that the documentary has just about reached the balance of documentary/drama, it is quite climatic but doesn't bring out to much to make us believe that is a fiction drama.

How is the making of the documentary as much a part of the film as the main storyline?

Like Joost said in the interview with MTV, the making of the documentary is what makes it effective and what gives it the clearest representation of what happened. The making of the documentary can build the main story line, so that us as the audience can be brought through the same journey as Nev was, but in a briefer way.

Lesson 4 - Codes and Conventions of Factual Programming For Televisiom

What are codes and conventions?

Codes- Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided into two categories - technical and symbolic. Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for example the camera work in a film. Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. For example, a characters actions show you how the character is feeling. What they are wearing give a sense of authority.

Conventions - conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any medium, such as the use of interviewee quotes in a print article, but conventions are also genre specific. Codes and conventions are used together in media products - it is not enough to discuss a technical code used such as camera work, without saying it is conventionally used in genre.

Task - 

Codes and Conventions for documentaries -  'Oh you Pretty Things - The Story of Music and Fashion' BBC4

A BBC series exploring the relationship between British rock and pop music and fashion. The series begins in the 1960's with the Small Faces, Cilla Black, the Beatles and the Stones.

Voice over - the voice over for Oh you Pretty Things carries on throughout the whole programme. Each episode is 60 minutes long and is narrated by Lauren Laverne.

The description reads 'Lauren Laverne narrates a series'

real Footage of Events - old and new  footage of all events that had happened in the 60s and within this era, all footage is fiction in this particular documentary

Footage from the 60's of ques outside Biba clothing shop

David Bowie performance

Archive Footage - the documentary includes footage of 60s music videos, old 1960s TV show footage such as Top of the Pops and films and old photos of popular bands and clothing of the era

Archive footage of an old Top of the Pops from the 1960's, the presenter is introducing The Small Faces, a band who influenced much of the fashion senses for men in the era.

Technicality of realism - 'natural' sound and lighting, interviews and footage have no extra film or sound effects

I could tell the footage was natural with no technical lighting added, the film looks quite dull throughout some interviews as it uses lighting from the interviewee's place of being filmed, this adds an effect of being closer to the subject instead of a 'set up' interview

Interviews - throughout the whole documentary, short snippets of multiple different interviews

Interview with Suzi Quatro

Sound - 60s music is added in the background of the whole documentary, the music changes upon which 1960's artist is being shown in the footage - this gives a feel of 60s music and makes us as the audience feel as though we're back in that era. Another example of the change of sound was when a '60's medival TV show was being shown, a 'medival' like music was being played in the background..

Camera angles etc - the camera wasnt in what set place throughout, whilst interviews were being shown I could see how the camera was being held by a cameraman so that they could get footage of the interviewee moving around and showcasing pieces relevant to the show.

An interview with Cilla Black, as you can tell with the above screen caps show how the camera angle changes throughout some footage 

Codes and Conventions of News Broadcasting - BBC News at One 

Smartly Dressed Presenter/Appearance - the male TV presenter can be seen wearing a suit, the suit gives of a professional, respectable and smart look to the anchor. The look makes the anchor come of as trustworthy and reliable therefore we know that we can depend on what he is saying. The anchor also presents himself in a good manner, with clean hair, shaven. He sits up straight, and has a proper presence about him.

Presenters - this particular news programme had 1 main anchor, a football presenter and a weather lady

Footage - the latest and current events with appropriate footage is shown whilst being explained by the presenter. For example the 'Securing a Better Future' talk with George Osbourne.

Different Camera Angles - there are four separate cameras for the programme, the angle changes depending on what is happening, e.g if an interview is happening then the angle will switch to the camera of a wide shot of the news desk

Camera on Tripod - each camera is on a tripod so the filming is stable and not shaking over the place, this looks professional and sharp

Graphics - a TV screen which shows images and graphics like key points and statistics whilst the anchor is reading them out.

reporters - reporters will be on location to the relevant news story

Live - we know that the programme is live firstly because the presenter says 'Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One' and because the news being shown is current.

Lighting - the studio lighting in bright and clear, making the presenter look more awake and the broadcast vivid.

Interviews - different interviews are shown with relevance to the  news story
 being told at that point in time.

Lesson 3 Fahrenheit 9/11

Fahrenheit 9/11: Documentary or Propaganda?

Brief introductory...

Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and director and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media. The film is the highest grossing documentary of all time. In the film, Moore contends that American corporate media were "cheerleaders" for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and did not provide an accurate or objective analysis of the rationale for the war or the resultingcasualties there. The film generated intense controversy, including disputes over its accuracy. The film debuted at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival in the documentary film category and received a 20 minute standing ovation, among the longest standing ovations in the festival's history. The film was also awarded the Palme d'Or, the festival's highest award.

-www.wickipedia.com

Who is Michael Moore and what other documentaries has he been associated with?...

Michael Moore is a documentary filmmaker, satirist, author, social critic and political activist.  He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Roger & Me,  which are two of the most highest grossing american documentaries. Many of his other documentaries reached in the top ten highest documentaries and won academy award. Most of his written and cinematic work criticise globalisation, large corporations, assault weapon ownership, U.S Presidents Bill Clinton and george W. Bush, the Irag War, the American health care system and capitalism. Moore's association with documentaries within the directing and producing aspect include Roger & Me 1989, Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint 1992, Canadian Bacon 1995, The Big One 1997, Bowling for Columbine 2002, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko 2007 and Capitalism: A Love Story 2009.

-biography.com

-wickipedia.org 

1    Fahrenheit 9/11

      What is the opening statement? How does this suggest how much influence the government has.

   
      The opening statement of the film trailer is as follows 'You can make people do anything if they're afraid' a line said my Congressman Jim McDermott. I believe that this line is used to war of people. The documentary is trying to show the U.S Government in a bad light, and this line suggests to us that the government believe that they have the power to be able to do anything, whether they are abusing laws or not. 

       

      What information is given about the U.S. Government and the Bin Laden family in the opening segment.
     
      Within the first 20 seconds of the trailer for the documentary we are packed with, footage, information and documents about the U.S Government and there relation to Osama Bin Laden. The trailer first shows us that planes all over America have been grounded due to the 9/11 attacks however  under George W. Bush' wish (we know this because documents highlight Bush's name), Osama Bin Laden and his family are to be flown in a private plane this kind of gives us a hint towards thinking that 9/11 was done on purpose? Already we see how the documentary is insinuating corruption...is there something more behind the 9/11 attacks? 

      What is implied about President Bush in the opening segment (first 25 seconds)? Describe how the film implies this?
      
      In the first 25 seconds it is implied that under George W. Bush's orders, Osama Bin Laden and his family are to be privately flown to America despite ALL American airlines being grounded. As the viewer this makes us question Bush's power against the US, and makes us want answers on why he would fly Bin Laden and his family out so soon.  This also implies that Bush is with the enemy and not against.
  
      What impression is given about the war in Iraq? What evidence shows you who is driving this war and the reasons why?
     
      We see a lot of evidence against the US Government and there relation to the Iraq wars. Immediately evidence is shown against the US Government and business owners have influence on the war, we see many many politicians talking about how the oil in Iraq is so valuable, which they must have.  Quoted from one man whom says 'whatever it costs,we must have it' therefore Americans are being pushed out there to fight for them who in the end don't really care until they get there money. We also see one man being interviewed who says, and I quote 'it's good for business, bad for people'... damming words but  yet just more evidence of how the U.S Government only care for the money they take at the end of the day. 

      What kind of music is chosen to back this opening segment of the trailer (until the words “bad for the people”)? And what does it communicate to you? How is this a contradiction to what is being said?

6.     
           In the opening half of the trailer, we seem to hear music that in a way, doesn't quite match to what we are being shown on the screen. The music plays for something that should be a lot happier, perhaps fairytale like and jolly which contradicts everything we witness e.g Osama, grounded flights, war. Until the words 'bad for people' where the trailer starts to play more 'hard hitting' and powerful music also similar to the music you would perhaps see in an action/crime film. The music tries to portray a good image toward the U.S Government however what we're hearing from the people within in the trailer this is the complete opposite, at times when we here Bush make a practical joke or a politician spill out the truth about the Patriot Act, it all seems like a joke to them and us. 

      What information is given about the Patriot Act?
   
       The large section on the Patriot Act is showing us overall that the U.S Government really don't take this whole act seriously. How politics and what matters is taken for a joke by the most powerful people in the world. The bill, which we are told was printed in the middle of the night was apparently not even read however we're being told that it will give 'police almost unlimited power' showing us just how much the new laws can and perhaps will be abused. 

7.     
      What is communicated about President Bush in this last segment? How does the trailer communicate that?

      In the last segment of the trailer George W. Bush is really shown within a bad light, and rightly so. The trailer does make him look bad however all in a honest way, the documentary shows only what Bush has said himself therefore giving no lies. For example in the very last moments of the trailer Bush is seen seriously talking about the people at war and how they are doing anything they can to try and help, however moments later, Bush says 'now watch this drive' in relation to him playing golf. Just one example of how Bush plays being a Government as a way to show off and being at the highest authourity.  Another thing said by George W Bush was 'some people call you the elite, I call you my base' basically saying that his position depends on the rich business people and vice versa,  the only reason this was said was so that George could keep his 'rich' people behind him, which kept him goverment for so long. Although all of this, the documentary was heavily criticized and this was because it heavily criticized the government, it was also said the the documentary was blamed for propaganda, people questioned whether the film trying to brainwash people into thinking that the Government was so bad. 

Summarise using the examples that you have seen so far how documentaries can be used to persuade an audience. Are these types of documentaries subjective or objective?

It is highly debated whether many documentaries have been made in order to persuade the audience into thinking a certain way or backing a unpopular argument. This can be shown in the Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. The film is solely based on the US Government's [George W. Bush at the time] bad reputation during and after the 9/11 attacks. The documentary primarily shows the government and politicians in a bad light. Because the film focuses only on this, the viewer is fixated into that one thing at the time of watching therefore only seeing the bad side of things and forgetting the good. Because the documentary is so powerful with its motives, as the viewer you seem to be unwillingly pushed into one opinion, good or bad. Similarly, we can see the through the Channel 4 documentary Benefit Street. The programme which follows the lives of a number of families on James Turner St,  Birmingham, a street which is said to possibly have the most people living on Benefits in Britain, sparked much debate not only about its contents such as drug taking and shoplifting but on how the cast of the show were tricked and lied to throughout the making of the programme. The whole documentary focuses on the families of the street, all from different backgrounds, all with different stories but somehow ended up on the same st in Birmingham, each subject equally shocking the audience using powerful interviews and 'truthful' footage of interviews that took place in the homes of the families. At the time of watching the programme the viewers all seemed to have the same concluding opinion however it was not until after the first series finished that many news reports and interviews surfaced each saying one thing or other about how the cast were tricked and lied during filming and interviewing. One article taken from Birmingham Mail reports that the cast claim they were told they were taking part in a series about 'neighborly togetherness and community spirit' however the show paints a different picture, making the residents look like anti social benefits scroungers and irresponsible parents etc. And it's not only this that tricks us into thinking badly about people on Benefits, the show only shows a tiny percentage of the population however cleverly manages convince us into believing this is what the whole of the population of people on benefits are like, which is false. 

These types of documentaries are called subjective, the purpose of a subjective documentary is to show an opinion, story or agenda, in one light, it must be based on fact however it is now necessary to give a voice to counter opinions, give proof of surrounding stories or any other wider approaches. Documentary makers can make subjective documentaries using different sorts of techniques one example would be the interviewing, As the producer, they can ask anything they wish within reason, they are able to gather all information they need to make the documentary they want to show to people. In editing and creating of the film, the maker can alter, change and cut out what people say in the interview to make it sound how they as the producer want however not what the interviewee wanted this can be used in a good wav or bad way depending on the film being created. Another example is what we see, in Benefit Street we are shows James Turner St with mess around the roads and gangs hanging around at night, this may not be how it is always but as the viewer we see it how it is and this gives us more of a reason to back up the opinion we are made to feel. 

-www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t12829
-www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/benefits-street-tv-show-lied-647032