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

Lesson 2 - Benefit Street Case Study

Case Study - Benefit Street

After watching a 15 minute part of the 'Benefit Street' documentary; a controversial british documentary series broadcasted on Channel 4 we were asked the following questions:-

What type of documentary is this and give three examples that back this up.

The 'Benefit Street' documentary would be put into the category of an Expository documentary. Firstly we know this because of the running voiceover throughout the whole of the programme, the narrator commentating on everything we see in the documentary, can be heard throughout the programme at key moments, the commentator often describes what the people are doing and gives key facts and stats that play an important part in this kind of documentary. Another example of this would be the interviews, although we as the viewer can not see or hear the interviewee it is plainly obvious that the subjects are being asked questions, which are then shown throughout the documentary. We can see this by the participants giving very specific and straight answers to question that would of been asked, such as main characters Mark and Becky being asked on there relationship and how they handle young son Calum and White Dee being asked about the father of her children. Finally the whole documentary jumps from different areas of 'Benefit Street' showcasing different parts of there lives and how each different family lives in various ways, we mainly see within the homes of each participants however we are also shown throughout the streets, shops and characters going about there daily lives.

Who are the main subjects of the documentary? List and sum up the most important participants.

From the 15 minute preview of the programme shown to us the main participants shown were -

1. Mark, Becky & Family - a young couple who were shown to be struggling with there two young children, Calum and Casey. The documentary follows how they are trying to handle coping with having little money and also having to deal with there 'out of control' children, we see them discussing how there young son Calum refuses to do what he is asked and how this causes a stir between him and his parents and also how the children swearing and misbehaving is becoming a huge issue. We can also see how child services are taking maters into their own hands after Calum does not show to a doctors appointment after having 'chicken pox'. Finally we are given a lot of background on how the two met and how they have ended up in the position they are in, which is due to Becky taking heroin. 
2. White Dee - this episode also focuses on a large character of Benefit Street, Deirdre Kelly or on James Turner st, known as 'White Dee' and also portrayed as the mother figure of the street. Dealing with two children herself a young boy and 15 year old girl, the documentary showcases her life with her children and how they grew up without a father. White Dee can also be seen talking to Becky, another leading character showing us how close people on benefit street have become due to their situations. 
3. Sam can also be seen throughout small parts of the documentary. Sam has been taken away from her young children due to her addiction to heroin, we watch how Sam is trying very hard to cope with not having children and trying to fight the urge to get hooked on drugs again. She says 'her head tells her to but her heart knows she shouldn't' in reference to getting heroin again.
4. Fungi - although we don't see him much throughout the 15 minute section we see, Fungi is a constant character that we see in almost all episodes of the documentary.  Fungi can be seen with many problems, when introduced he is always seen with some type of alcohol in hand. Portrayed as a friendy man of the street we see Fungi interacting with kids and talking to other members of James Turner st. Although seemingly a happy man, Fungi has to deal with having no electricity in his home, no contact with his children and experiencing personal disappointment when a planned meeting with his son had been cancelled.

How does this documentary make you feel towards the subjects?

After watching the programme I feel as though I have very mixed opinions and feelings toward Benefit Street. When I first watched the programme my initial feelings towards it and the people showed made me feel quite outraged and angry whilst at the same time having pity on the participants. When I saw how they lived and the conditions they were in, I felt as though I was lucky to be where I am and sorry for how they had to live. however as you learn more about the reasoning behind there conditions and current lives I began to feel indifference toward them. The reason they are in the situations they are is there own fault due to not bothering to earn money with a job, and using the benefits which they get by having as many children wish, is used for drugs and alcohol etc, I began to have a completely different outlook on the subject. Whilst taking into consideration not everyone's stories are the same, what was portrayed to me showed a bad light upon people on benefits, and I'm sure this goes for the majority of the public who viewed the program too.  

What issues are raised in the documentary? 

The documentary follows a year in the lives of the residents of James Turner st, we see a number of families battling through the struggle of being on benefits and the issues it causes around it. Not only this but the documentary also shows the residents lack of motivation to find employment. Some residents are seen commiting crimes such as shoplifting, for example 'Shoplifter Danny' whom returned from prison after breaching anti social behaviour that excluded him from the local city centre, is seen stealing designer clothes and security tagged items and also gives demonstrations on the feloney. we see family members attempting to raise money to support there loved ones, such as 'Smoggy' a reformed ex convict who sells 50p satchets of everyday household supplies to raise money for himself. However the street is not all bad, the streets sense of community is highlighted to, through mother of the street styled 'white dee' who helps others though tougher times such as eviction and drug habits. Also shown is white dee's fifteen year old daughter who claims that she does not want the same life as her mother and is determined to become a gym instructor.  

What codes and conventions of documentary filmmaking is used here?  

There are a number of codes an conventions that can be seen throughout Benefit Street that tells us it is a documentary, first of the use of a VoiceOver is the number one thing used in a documentation, the VoiceOver encourages the audience to think that they either have some kind of specialist knowledge. in the light of Benefit Street, tony Hirst, the narrator, commentates almost everything seen along with relevant facts and statistics. Being non-fiction, a documentary should only show real footage of events, events presented to us are seen as real by the audience, howver in benefit Streets case there has been debate over whether the real footage has been altered to change the audiences perception on people on benefits. Funally A documentary should include 'natural' sound and lighting, in Benefit Street we see everything for how it really is for example the rubbish on the streets and the gangs hanging around at night.  

What style of Interview is being used here? 

The documentary uses indirect interview, it allows people being filmed to speak directly about events, prompted by the questions by the filmmaker. An interview may take place on screen or of screen however in this case, the interview is shown on screen however the questions have been taken out and cannot be heard. Interviews in a documentary give the viewer a sense of realism.  

What is the purpose of this documentary? Do you think it achieves this? 

the Channel 4 documentary Benefit Street was made to show 'real life' families and situations of people living of Benefits in Britain. We witness how different it is to be living on benefits and us as the viewer are showed how contrasting life is in and around Britain despite being such a small country. The programme follows each separate families who try to cope with what is portrayed as a tough life, I feel as though the participants involved wanted to push across show serious there situation is to the rest of the UK - and this worked. The documentary caused huge controversy and political debate in the issue of welfare. The program got controversial with the police - channel 4 and OfCom received hundreds of complaints. The series was mentioned in the House of Commons and prompted some political debate on the topic of welfare this resulting in Prime minister, David Cameron responding that the government should "intervene in people's lives" to get then off benefits and j to employment - although we don't fully know that this is what the documentary a participants wanted to achieve, the fact that they got there point across to the prime minister can be the most they can do.  

This documentary caused a great deal of controversy. Why was it so controversial?  

The first episode attracted hundreds of complaints to channel 4 And OfCom, complaints were received about alleged criminal activities, foul language and misleading portrayals of welfare claimants. OFCom concluded benefits street had reflected the real lives o the children taking part and channel 4 took into consideration the a mouth of screens one children had. As for the criminal activity the watchdog said it was satisfied that certain essential details were broadcast which may have enabled the successful commission of crime - so that which was shown was okay for material broadcast. However there was large controversy over people involved in the show, several James turner st residents have claimed they were tricked into appearing into the series by Love Production, who they say told them it would be about community spirit. Channel 4 was accused of making 'poverty porn' in response to all of this.