Documentary Research Project - Draft

An analysis of the narrative devices and representations of realism used in the documentary The Imposter (2012) to determine which 'Mode' of documentary it can be considered, and whether it borrows from other cinematic genres of film. 

Since it's introduction, the genre of documentary has been widely considered the strongest source of informative text in media, next to news publications/programmes. Since then, however, it has gradually become more stylised to adapt to the need for entertainment on the part of the audience. Arguably, the documentary has become an art form in its own right; a hybrid of elements from other genres formed together in what is publicly seen as the most 'real' form of art media. 2012 saw the release of Bart Layton's 'The Imposter'; a gripping documentary that revels in the pinnacle of cinematic experience and spectatorship, almost seamlessly combining codes from both film and documentary. This critically acclaimed feature was renown for, in the most literal of forms, manipulating the audience with its use of eye contact and cinematography, which therefore means that the audience is allowed to make their own judgement on certain items brought up within the text.

It is this factor alone that allows us to read The Imposter as a narrative piece of text.

Useful Quotes

Grierson.. embraces the idea of documentary as a (political) art form and "creative effort", rather than a purely objective recording of reality.

There is no fiction nor non-fiction, there is just narrative. - E.L Doctorow

Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos

"Author Barry Hampe traces the two main approaches to documentary - recording behaviour and recreating past events" It is evident from this line that documentary, in its own right, is a medium that reserves its share of methodology, which in the purest forms, of course, means that mediation and agenda-specific commentary will play a role in their creation. Given the fact that 'recreating past events' is imperative to documentary creation, as seen in Catfish (insert shots of phone calls), it proves that documentaries must follow their own narrative, which in some way will blend with fictitious content. The blurb continues to list items that will be discussed, including; "why reality is not enough." Inline with the aforementioned, this allows us to infer that, in terms of entertainment value, realism is not the primary selling point for documentaries - in lieu, it is entertainment through glorified and dramatised events that were real some time ago. (A reviewer even comments; "I found the book informative, insightful and useful - the same qualities lacking in many documentaries today.")

Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture (Book)

"The use of handheld cameras and lack of narration... is reminiscent of observational documentaries" The observational mode of documentary is arguably the most minimalist of the modes, portraying 'reality' in the most objective of forms. They have been known to have little or no scene arrangement, no music, no narration, etc. This statement, therefore, argues that even the most basic and rawest forms of reality, including documentaries, are mediated - there is an ideological perspective that a filmmaker is trying to convey, and by doing so they create or dramatise certain aspects that contribute towards "the real." 

Interestingly, the book brings into question the morality of mediation in documentaries and reality TV - "Scholarly discussions of documentaries have tended to turn on issues of ethics and representation and the responsibilities associated with truth telling." This is particularly significant as it addresses the point at which reality and fiction clash. The author points out that there is, indeed, a certain responsibility involved in documentary filmmaking as you are selling an idea to an audience that is portrayed as truth; it is to which extent the truth is legitimate that determines whether it would be morally sound to publish a documentary.

"Although reality TV whets our desire for the authentic, much of our engagement with such texts paradoxically hinges on our awareness that what we are watching is constructed and contains 'fictional elements.'" 

"Reality TV promises its audiences revelatory insight into the lives of others but withholds and subverts full access to it."

Desire to watch lives of others described as "primacy."

Address that, as with any mainstream media, documentaries operate under a supply and demand basis; the reason documentaries are mediated is to remove any potentially useless or redundant content, and to inevitably make it more interesting as a whole. Without this, sales would likely not reach the same heights - audiences demand sensationalised realism.

TV Genre Analysis - UK Sitcom

Examples;
Not Going Out
Miranda
My Family
Open All Hours
Outnumbered
Bad Education
Red Dwarf

UK Sitcoms are considered classic in British Television, and have a unique style that has remained potent throughout its years being broadcasted.

Format
Commonly, these shows are continually broadcast to its audience; series-splits tend to separate narrative continuity, which UK sitcoms have a tendency to steer away from. (This is not to say that there are not seasons of these shows, however.) These types of shows, depending on the severity of explicit nature, are broadcast throughout the day, covering morning television through evening television. Shows like Bad Education will tend to be seen after the watershed mark due to the overt sexual humour, whereas My Family would be considered family friendly, so likely to broadcast during the day. UK sitcoms are renown for following a different narrative each episode - there is no massively important narrative that would prevent someone from enjoying an episode if they joined half way through the series, only context.

Appeals
I would argue that the most powerful appeal in UK sitcom is how conventional they are - they build up expectations for an audience that are almost always met. As previously stated, the format has been consistent for years, and so the expectations have been maintained, arguably to a high standard. In terms of Uses & Gratifications, the most prominent uses of this genre are likely to be Entertainment and Personal Identity. Audiences take entertainment from the show for its comedic value and very obvious fictional narrative. Personal Identity, however, comes from the fact that these shows tend to exaggerate British culture to an almost satire level. My Family, for example, demonstrates the generic British nuclear family in common circumstances (for example, hating one's neighbours) that have been exaggerated greatly, to the point that they are funny. Another reason UK sitcoms appeal to audiences is due to their simplicity in production, and low production value. One show that thrived off of this was Red Dwarf; even in the modern releases, the visual effects remained obsolete-looking, and often set walls would shake. (This only tended to make scenarios seem funnier.)

Target Audiences
I would say that the main target audience for UK sitcoms would be The Mainstreamers; the relatable aspect, especially so to domestic circumstances, would appeal to people who have experienced these circumstances before. (Mainstreamers have a tendency to maintain a family life.) I would also say that this genre would appeal to Drifters, mainly because of how easy it is to take to different shows within the same genre and not need any prior context; drifting between shows and tuning into random episodes is common and tangible.

Opening Sequence

Jennifer Lawrence - Celebrity Representation

Text 1

The context in which the Vanity Fair front cover is in reference to is the hacking event which occurred last year, in which herself, and several other celebrities, had explicit photographs, or 'selfies', of themselves leaked out into the public eye.

Now, it is clear from the choice of clothing (or lack thereof) within the main photograph that Jennifer Lawrence is far from being ashamed of her body, and so through that alone, it conveys that she is representing herself as being proud and conceited within herself. The lustful facial expressions represent her as having a healthy or strong libido, and as someone who is idolised as a sex icon rather than just an actress, which is what the entire premise of this front cover is based off of. The consumer is forced to look at the photograph voyeuristically, but it further supports the idea that she is not ashamed to show herself in the public eye, just as long as she controls it.

Furthermore, the lone fact that she fills the front cover of this fairly successful magazine speaks a lot about her status; she is represented by the encoders as being of great significance to the world of celebrity, and serves of importance to the progression of feminism, which this cover seems to be ideologically involved with.

In regards to how she is represented as a celebrity, her name is in rather small font on the page, which represents her face as being so well known that having her name in large text would be redundant. Additionally, the words 'stolen nude photos' represent Lawrence as being the victim of, not only a hacking crime, but a sex crime - she is represented as being violated. In contrast to all of this, the sentence at the top of the page "It's my body and it should be my choice" shows that the encoders are trying to anchor this pre-conceived idea of being unashamed, which fits in with her mediated persona.

The consumers would be expected to take the preferred reading in that Jennifer Lawrence is not willing to stand back idle and act like a victim, but instead is willing to stand up and redeem her name that was potentially soiled by the hackers/criminals.

Text 2

This screenshot has been taken from a website that promotes the charity work that Jennifer Lawrence has done in the past. Jennifer evidently has a large history of doing charitable work for an arrangement of charities, ranging from Bellewood to the Make A Wish foundation, which is inferred from the page.

In this page alone, Jennifer is being represented as being a very selfless person, dedicating her celebrity status to the better of society by treating it like a domain to give to people who are less fortunate than herself. The website shows four of the charities that Jennifer has aided, all of which are fairly well known in terms of charities. It can therefore be assumed that she has given aid to several other foundations, but these are the most profound. This selection in itself promotes her acknowledgement of those in dire need, and the encoders are signifying this through the logos that are more profound among charities.

The encoders are also maintaining the representation of her as a celebrity. This is conveyed in several ways; personally, I believe the fact that she is referred to by her first name only is the most significant of the assets that support this. The fact that she is referred to by her fist name presents her as being casual and connected with the community of fans that she has built up, which is further supported by her active presence on social media sites such as Twitter. A portfolio of her work has also been compiled at the side of the text, which generally represents her as being prominent in her celebrity status.

An opposed reading to this, however, would be that, through Jennifer promoting herself as having charitable attributes, she is somehow vain or narcissistic for sharing such.

Text 3

This extract was taken from The Guardian Online, in an article about Jennifer Lawrence's opinion on gender-specific pay in the film industry. In synopsis form, it is evident that she feels very strongly about the topic, potentially about feminism as a whole, to that end.

In this citation, Jennifer is representing herself as being strong-willed and passionate about cultural issues - often being active within communities such as feminism portrays someone as having intellect or, at the very least, being level-headed. She discusses the idea that she feels pressured into not speaking out about unequal pay, saying she would be shunned and called 'spoiled.' Although some would see this as a flair of vulnerability and uncertainty in her decisions, it could be argued that she has stated her fear of speaking up whilst speaking up to show a lack of care for her reputation in that regard, once again, representing herself as being independent and even determined to reach a common goal.

Overall, I would say that The Guardian are representing her unfairly as having beliefs that would have a positive effect, but presenting them harshly. The fact that the excerpt is segmented into different sections shows that the author of the article made the active decision to include and exclude certain parts of her essay in order to fit it into one article. The author has used verbs like "demand" more money, and words like "self-deprecating" when describing her language. It could be argued that the author has potentially taken an oppositional reading to what Lawrence was saying in her 'essay'.

The author seems to be representing Lawrence as being demanding (literally), which has connotations of expecting something that potentially isn't deserved(?) or needed. Although Lawrence is evidently trying to come across as having a harsh tone or being blunt, it would seem from the author's linguistic choices that they are trying to emphasize this in a way that makes her seem sour, or fit in with the trending satire of the 'internet social justice warrior.'

Text 4

This source was taken from Vogue; a popular fashion magazine. Naturally, the content of these magazines contains fashion tips, but also celebrity culture and other common indulgences within the media. 

First and foremost, the encoders and Jennifer Lawrence herself have represented her as being physically attractive, hence her appearance in a fashion magazine. To that end, what she is wearing has obviously been specifically selected to fit the purpose of the magazine, which is to promote the idea of high fashion to appeal to the demographic that Vogue regularly aim for.

Jennifer is also, once again, being represented as being an active feminist, and someone who is standing up for their rights as a woman. The anchorage copy 'bold choices' shows that the encoders are representing her as being courageous and almost revolutionary in the celebrity world of third-wave feminism. The word 'bold' represents this sort of action in a positive light, although the decoders could take an oppositional reading and claim that such comments are needless.

Additionally, such oppositional readings could further sprout to the 'narcissistic' nature of fashion magazines, claiming that they are unnecessarily vain, and promote unhealthy ideologies that are already prominent within society, such as the notion that physical appearance is important and should be maintained. 

Some may also say that the anchorage copy and the image serve as an oxymoron - either one of these could be a false mediated persona. For example, the idea of modelling for the sake of looking good rather than having an image more appropriate to the context of the copy may seem superficial and contrived to decoders who choose to take an oppositional reading. 

Magazine Cover Analysis

Immediately, the masthead of the magazine stands out as a point of importance. The name Elle, deriving from the French pronoun 'elle' referring to 'she' conveys the tone of the brand; given that Paris is the heart of fashion, we can infer (or at the very least assume) that Elle will discuss fashion and appearance, which is also inferred by the coverline "fashion heats up." The font used is also significant; the sharpness of the typography connotes that the magazine is empowering for women, and confident in the way that it stands out from the rest of the (almost) desaturated colour scheme of the cover. It can also be inferred that the brand is very well known, internationally, given that they are able to cover up a segment of the masthead and people would still know which magazine this was.

The strapline, 'The women in music issue' also connotes a lot about what the content of the magazine will be. Not only does this establish a target audience straight away, but it also conveys the point of focus of this particular edition of the article, which is also anchored by the main image of Miley Cyrus.

Miley Cyrus, currently, is symbolic of the music industry, and has sparked somewhat of a controversial career for herself. Her daring and almost apathetic (towards opinions) attitude has landed her in a position where she is either idolised by people, or condemned. Either way, she has become a famous/infamous icon for modern music, and has most definitely gained notoriety over the years. Therefore, the fact that she has been chosen for the main image as opposed to other globally famous artists is significant, as it anchors the idea of female empowerment and eccentricity, whilst also solidly conveying the topic of focus of this edition. The way in which the photograph has been taken is also of importance. Similarly to her attitude, the way in which Miley Cyrus is dressed is unconventional when compared to what the majority of magazine covers will aim to achieve with a female as the main image. There is a definite lack of overt sex appeal, which instantly makes this magazine stand out from the mainstream, whilst also inferring the idea that in the music industry, the music is more imperative than appearance.

The layout of the magazine allows the main image and coverlines to work in cohesion, all sharing a similar minimalist font of the same colour. This use of mise en scene is playing by the ideology of 'less is more', which in this context is effective as it speaks well to the aspirer audience type.

Django Unchained Trailer

The Django Unchained trailer portrays the text in such a way that the exact genre is next to impossible to decipher, without the inclusion of numerous Quentin Tarantino's pioneer hybrids. Aesthetically, the trailer is made out to look similar to the standard Western film, for the reasons that follow;

Initially, the establishing shot of the slaves wandering through the desert shows a typical setting for a lot of Western films, which is usually in a form of barren wasteland used for ranch working. This shot conveys this immediately, eliciting the same sort of response an audience would receive if shown this shot at the beginning of any other Western film. This use of mise-en-scene (setting) signifies the common theme of isolation, that was also felt during the time that the story is (conventionally) set in. With prior knowledge on Western films, I know that they, by standard, take place soon after the American civil war, which is also connoted through the use of (non-diegetic) music. Although the music has been tampered with a modernized beat, the melody (instrumental) aspect is similar to the minimalist guitar and violin combination that is commonly seen throughout classic Western films; this is conventional of the genre. (see example below.) The music resembles triumph but also rebellion; innately, music of this sort is associated with the good vs evil binary opposition, which is also seen through the Django Unchained trailer. (Bounty vs hunter.)

Additionally, the use of costume also connotes codes and conventions of the Western genre. In addition to the cowboy hats, horse saddles and roughed-up blazers, comes the (once again) civil war styled, anti-imperialist uniform that Django wears during a later point of the trailer. This, at the very least, signifies the time frame of which the story is set, from which we can connote that the character types and narrative as a whole will follow a similar structure to that of the Western films we have come to know.

The pair of protagonists are always framed in a way that represents them as being figures of authority, which, although juxtaposes the vision of African-Americans during that time, is significant when analyzing the genre. Western films were renown for presenting two main characters in a form of partnership, that work together for a common objective. This leaves the audience with a sense of familiarity within the text, given the almost reflected sense of clothing and posture that the two share. This is conventional of Western films, as we have the protagonist (hero) and the secondary protagonist (the sidekick.)

As for props and iconography, the six shooter revolver and the double-barrel shotgun signify the genre in a very profound, nostalgic way. For obvious reasons, the arsenal that forces dealt with at that time were limited; specifically, to revolvers (with a chamber that could hold six bullets), long range rifles, and shotguns. For the small amount of time that these two props are previewed on frame, we as an audience can safely say that the director, Quentin Tarantino, has tried to represent this limitation on screen, with these two iconic, traditional props. The juxtaposition that these two props signify within the narrative is also of importance; the character holding the double barrel shotgun, framed only from a low angle to signify power, ends up succumbing to the six shooter revolver, which had previously been shown being held through a high angle, which connotes vulnerability and weakness.

Functionality that contradict;
Soundtrack change (towards end), more funk-soul than Western.
Similar to 70's push on racism in film, rather than Western.
Both character types juxtapose expected.
Binary oppositions of evil vs evil.

The Text That Changed My Life

The text that changed my life wasn't televised, nor written on print, but was published on the platform that seems to be catching up to the popularity of modern day television; the internet, or more specifically, YouTube.

This particular text was a long term project, by a YouTuber who goes by the alias of BingRadio, or more famously SloMoZovo. BingRadio, or Chris Bingham, started 2012 with a new YouTube project called Past Bing Future Bing, or PBFB.

PBFB documented two years of Bing's life; he stock piled a year's worth of recording on his computer, having made a video log (vlog) every other day through the entirety of 2011, and released them on YouTube in accordance to the days that they were recorded, filling in the gap days with a vlog of himself a year in the future, 2012. He did this to record his change, and how his life progressed through the final year of university.

In a lot of ways, I used to aspire to be very much like Bing. He was living the life that I was desperate have. He studied film full time at Lincoln university, and lived with his friends who were equally into film making as he. Watching his progression, from a humble student in 2011, to a full time single-camera producer in 2012, elicited a sense of familiarity within me, in that I felt that I was to grow up in a very similar way to him.

It was with this project that I became inspired to delve into film making at an earlier stage, and to grasp as much experience as I could. I became more active on my YouTube account, generated a small (yet interactive) following, and decided that film making was no longer just a hobby I wanted to sustain, but a career I wanted to pursue.

All said, looking back at the project in 2015, I seem to have changed my mind in wanting to become exactly like Bing. I'm more interested in creating narrative films, as opposed to just talking to a camera and documenting my life, even though watching others do such is still very interesting to me. This may be due to my own life experience that I have gained since first finding the project, or this may be due to how I have seen Bing change ever since PBFB.

He no longer works on films, but instead chases a career involved with music, and his interests are now very different from my own. However, I do not believe that I would be as interested, if at all, in media/film as I am now if it wasn't for PBFB. To that end, the project changed my life.

Examples of Audience Reception

Fight Club is a drama film directed by David Fincher in 1999. The target audience for Fight Club would primarily be men, aged 18-40, given the intense use of sex and violence, and also the underlying themes and issues discussed within. The majority of the audience would be the explorer, given that the film is all about enlightenment through new and abstract life experiences, albeit in a cynical way. The enlightenment in this film in particular is the realisation that humanity isn't special, and that everyone is really just waiting to die. The humour is also black and sadistic, and quite definitely the opposite of what the aspirer would be attracted to. This being said, over the 15 years of its release, the roaring popularity of the film would possibly land it in the Mainstream category, as numerous people watch the film solely to fit in with a crowd; these are also known as 'trendies.'

The preferred reading for Fight Club is that, in modern society, misandry is overlooked, and that men are stripped of their masculinity by the media, and therefore society. A prime example of how the encoders have expressed this is through dialogue and exposition; one character says to another, when talking about an advertisement for underwear and how the model is very muscular, "is that what a man looks like?" This line makes a very strong statement about how the media have created a false representation of what men should look like, for example, covered head to toe in muscle, short hair, facial hair, etc... In a society warped by this ideology, men who are considered attractive will always share these traits. The encoders of Fight Club have tried to convey this belief system, and exaggerated the effects of such.
The encoders are also trying to say that violence should not be resorted to as a way to boost ego and bravado. This is encoded through the line "everywhere we went, we were sizing things up", which signifies how the aforementioned ideology of male image has distorted how men view themselves and how they should act. The film accurately shows how men act more like primates than women do, given that men will often resort to violence in order to feel fulfilled. Through the underground boxing clubs that are talked about in Fight Club, the men involved have suddenly started to believe that violence is an appropriate way to restore one's masculinity; in an attempt to reduce male oppression through private fighting, the men have become so involved in the concept of violence that they can't quit.

An oppositional reading for Fight Club would be to completely exclude the idea that this, in any way, satires the wafer-thin male hero that has gone unquestioned for so long, and to focus on how the film still glorifies brutality and violence. The two main characters in the film seem quite smug about themselves after the have delved into the world of fighting, one even blackmailing their boss (though this could be a result of both the violence and the severe insomnia/depression), and so someone with an oppositional view could argue that this film only promotes how egotistical men will become if they realise that they can, in fact, win something in a physical conflict.
One's cultural experience, for instance the rise of radical feminism, may lead to this sort of oppositional reading. The film focuses heavily on the bravado of a male, usually associated with libido, and so the oppositional reading may see it as this behaviour being endorsed.

There are several situational variables that could lead to a negotiated reading of the text, but one in particular comes to mind; spoilers. Fight Club is a very plot heavy film, and therefore requires all concentration in order to, not only understand, but to also be fully immersed and (ergo) surprised by such twist. Distractions may cause a lapse in concentration, which is detrimental to the involvement of the film, and a misunderstanding may be caused as a result; this is the negotiated reading.

Media Diary Entry 2 - Media Text Evaluation

The text I am evaluating is the cover of In Touch magazine; a story about how Kim Kardashian's pregnancy has lead to her 'over-eating' and losing shape.

I found this media text on Facebook; this was a suggested post on my news-feed from the brand In Touch magazine itself. The purpose of this article, of course, is an attempt to win over consumers with the idea of celebrity status. The mainstream audience will tend to indulge heavily in the lives of their celebrity role models, and so most news stories and magazines will jump at the opportunity to frame or shame a celebrity for something, blowing it way out of proportion for the means of entertainment.

This article made the front cover because Kim Kardashian is globally famous. She has become a point of human interest on the internet recently, for no apparent reason whatsoever.
However, as ridiculous to me as that seems, I still find this media text quite disgusting, and a prime example of how the media will kick dignity to the dust in order to make money.

Here, we have a picture of the pregnant Kim Kardashian, seemingly minding her own business, but portrayed to look different than how she usually does due to her sudden increase of weight. Now, a sudden increase in weight is to be expected when you become pregnant. But, since she is famous, it is now being portrayed as something wrong, and as something she could control.

The headline is "I can't stop eating!", followed by the anchorage text "bingeing on waffle cones and fries". The specific lexical choices made by the author is used to make out her actions as being disgraceful, as opposed to natural. It ignores the fact that any pregnant woman will go through cravings and acting on such impulses, and ignores that a person with a following isn't anything other than a person.

What's more disgusting than the initial posting of this article is that other people will see this magazine, and be on the side of the authors, in that she is somehow wrong for eating more after pregnancy. A lot of people in the mainstream audience will be too passive to argue against what the article is saying, or how the article is conveying her as a person, and will blindly point fingers along side the institution. This is the goal of the article, and it seems to have been attained.

Cornetto Trilogy Review

Comedy; a genre of film or TV you passively watch with friends or family. Director Edgar Wright, however, reshaped the genre into an art form, though still holding all (if not more) comedic value of a comedy film. The Cornetto Trilogy, consisting of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of The Dead and The Worlds End, should be considered the pioneer of aesthetically pleasing comedy films; this review will explore why.
First of all we have Shaun Of The Dead; a comedic take on the average zombie apocalypse film. We're faced with a group of survivors who are suffering from their own domestic troubles, which seem to sometimes prioritize over the infestation of the undead. Now the story line itself for this film is vaguely humorous, but the execution made it so much more. Edgar Wright used his advanced knowledge of cinematography techniques to make this film both funny in narrative form and visually entertaining.
This is a shared feature in Wright's films; he chooses not to stop working after making an entertaining plot, but to continue developing it until every detail is significant.
One of the most profound comedic skills is framing, and how items leave/enter such. A prime example of this comes towards the start. After a topical conversation with his sardonic work colleagues, Simon Pegg (Shaun) receives a phone call from his ex-fiance. However, to introduce this event, we only see an arm holding a telephone enter the frame, seemingly out of nowhere. This is visually creative - something a lot of modern comedy films seem to be dry on.
This is the case with all three films in the Cornetto Trilogy - and other films that Wright directed, such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Additionally, the performance by both Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in all three films is excellently British. Especially in Hot Fuzz, the contrast between Nick Frost's stage persona and Simon Pegg's make for a beautiful on-screen synergy, guaranteed to make you laugh aloud.
Overall, this selection of films gets an 8/10. Although the comedy style, cinematography and performance was excellent in all films, I felt The Worlds End was lacking in character development. Though, with comedy, what can you really expect?

Photographic Composition

I chose this photograph as an example as there are several different techniques that give this image more personality. For starters, the rule of three is being used. The top third of the photograph is the orange sky on the horizon, with the distant background full of trees scarcely peaking into the shot. The middle third (horizontally) is mainly the gradient from land to water. Finally, the lower third is the majority of the debris and the surrounding water. The divided sections of the photograph give order to the colour and allows things to flow more smoothly. Additionally, the debris is centred at an intersection in the bottom left, as opposed to being in the centre. This use of framing allows for more background to be visible.

Test

This is a test.