Convention
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Supersize Me
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Louis Theroux Behind Bars
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Documentary of choice- Did aliens build the pyramids
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Content
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Fast food diary log kept from eating Mac Donald’s for 30 days to see what effect it has. This is carried out due to the obese nature of the US, wanted to see how fast food can have an effect on health.
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Life in prison, the ins and outs of what the cellmate’s life involves. Louis Theroux goes into prison as a journalist to question inmates of what life is like in San Quentin State Prison.
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Put forward arguments as to whether aliens built world objects such as the pyramids and the Nazca lines.
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Structure & organisation
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Introduction to the linear strand of what the documentary is about, there was a superimposing of statistical facts on Mac Donald’s to indicate what the documentary is focusing on and what evidence they have to back up there hypothesis that Mac Donald’s is bad for you.
There was the use of artist’s interruptions of the negative side of Mac Donald’s and subtle to show the different areas they were focusing on and the change in time to the next part of what the documentary focuses on.
The conclusion shows a montage of what the experts and people involved in the documentary are doing after the show as well as how mac Donald’s have responded to their findings.
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In Behind Bars there was no clear introduction to the documentary it just stated the introduction to the prison and inmates.
The use of fade outs into pans of new scenery shows the next stage of the documentary is about to take place this coupled with the music helped indicate what the next section is going to be about e.g. when the prison was introduced the music accompanied had a Mexican theme which fitted the location of the prison.
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Introduction included short extracts from an interview with talking heads commenting on the subject, to introduce topic before titles started with a backdrop of Egyptian drawings.
The use of splitting some shots into more shows the change into the next subtitle.
Plus, the editing of flashes followed by archive footage or cartoons subject.
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Tone e.g. satirical
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Fun instigated at Mac Donald’s due to their ignorance that Mac Donald’s isn’t healthy to eat as regular as they advertise.
Also, mocking people who are oblivious to the effects food can have as they are so uneducated on what foods are right or wrong e.g. an overweight girl thinking she had to buy subway to lose weight.
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Behind Bars carry’s a serious tone throughout due to the serious and sensitive nature of the subject being explored.
Theroux presenting technique initiates the serious tone as the questions he poses to the inmates are important to finding out what life is really like behind bars.
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The tone can be seen as comical as some areas such as the use of footage of cartoons pokes fun at the alien cult.
The tone is also satirical from the presenter indicating he doesn’t have much faith in the aliens building world objects.
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Purpose e.g. inform
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Inform and explore
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Inform and explore
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Inform and explore
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Distribution& Target Audience
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Can be aimed at curious audience what to see what happens
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Intellectual audience- therefore no need to have animation to entertain them as they just want to see the facts.
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Audience is for people who are interested in unanswered mysteries as it puts forward facts and evidence for each of the arguments but do not result in solve the mystery.
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Role of the ‘presenter’
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Role of Morgan Spurlock was to act as a human ginea-pig by eating Mac Donald’s for 30 days in order to show how damaging eating Mac Donald’s can be. He also presented hard hitting facts about Mac Donald’s to use it as evidence it back up the case that fast food is taking its toll on the nation.
Comment on the subject
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Louis Theroux role was to go into the prison and ask hard hitting questions to the inmates
Comment on the subject
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The role of the presenter was to be the voice of god as he wasn’t shown in the documentary implying he was only there to comment on it. He is there to question and put forward both sides of the argument and summaries the points implying he isn’t an expert on the subject and isn’t as involved as most presenters are in documentaries as they are normally there in the scenes.
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Role of the cameraperson
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To track the daily routine of Morgan eating the Mac Donald’s as it will show how his life is normal and realistic.
They also create the effect on the audience that they are more involved and personal to him, making it all seem real.
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Capture various shots from the prison to show the extent of the life they live.
Vertical tracking’s- shows slow pace of represents the slow life the prisons lead.
Daily routine of prisoners like going outside to exercise and lunch
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Role of the camera person was to use quite simple shots to present to the audience.
The uses of framing was that the experts interviewed were to the side suggesting they were not the main focus but the back drop behind them related to the topic.
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People involved
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Morgan and his girlfriend, who indicate the documentary is quite personal as it effects the presenter as well as his family.
Doctors and dieticians are involved also acting as ‘Talking Heads’ who comment on how Mac Donald’s is having a major effect. Also to comment on other topics explored in the program.
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Inmates as the program is somewhat from their prospective as they are asked questions on their lives
Cell officers asked questions to show their view of what the inmates are like and how they act
Presenter there to act as a journalist as the hard hitting questions of what we as the audience really want to know e.g. What are you in for.
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People involved were just experts and professionals who had various knowledge on aliens to make the program real.
There was no real presenter asking questions just the experts talking about the sub topics put forward backed up with real footage.
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Locations
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Morgan mainly based in New York however he did travel to places such as Texas and LA to experience the Mac Donald’s at various places, this also acts as a way to engage the us audience as they live in these places so have experienced this food, making the subject matter seem more real.
Location relevant to topic
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San Quentin State Prison the name and location of the prison acts as a real life indicator to the audience that the prison is real not fictional.
Location is relevant to topic
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The location was not clear it jumped throughout the program from one expert being filmed at the Egyptian pyramids making it seem more real as they were at the place where the main liner topic is being subject.
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Interviews
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Interviews were done with the presenter as he was actually involved in the documentary not just a person there to commentate.
Interviews with experts were also shown to add some realism and seriousness to the topic as they have wide knowledge on the subject area.
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Interviews with many inmates to give us a wide range of insights into a prison life and make our own mind up of what prison life is like.
An interview with officers shows the daily routine they have to follow and show us the roles they have to carry out.
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Interviews were used throughout the documentary to make the layout clear.
All the people interviewed had vast knowledge making their argument more believable.
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Voice overs
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Voice overs of the presenter commenting on the topic
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Voice overs of presenter give us a running commentary
Also when he leaves the prison he concludes the findings
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Voice over of a narrator therefore the voice of god as we didn’t see him as he wasn’t involved in any of the scenes only commenting on them and introducing the new sub topic.
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Colour Palettes
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Yellow and Red fits the Mac Donald’s theme
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Dull prison reflects state of mind
Prisoner wear bright orange clothing stands out they are grouped together
Presenters clothing dull browns show he fits in with the officers and also doesn't take away from the real reason why he’s in there
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Colour palettes fitted the alien theme such as greens and also dark colours indicating the eerie theme of the documentary.
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Lighting
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Natural lighting as it is a documentary focusing on a real life of someone so the light shown is normal.
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Natural lighting dull reflects the sombre mood
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Natural lighting not really much artificial light maybe though when experts did interviews.
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Other MES
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Clothing- presenter in casual clothing suggests air of realism doctors clothing’s are quite casual too but do where doctors jacket hints at their professionalism
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Clothing- presenter casual dull clothes to not take away from the topic
Prisoners bright clothing makes them stand out dangerous
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Clothing- normal clothing, most experts in suits representing their profession however others such as normal people interviewed wore casual clothing, adding the real life element.
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Non Diegetic Sound
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Music is humorous to fit the satirical theme at poking fun at fat people ‘fat bottom girls’ fits subject of overweight US
Voiceover of presenter comments on topics
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Music at the start Mexican theme links in with location
New music to show change in subject area
Blues music at end fitting to subject
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No music
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Diegetic Sound
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Speech
Vomit- shows pain presenter is going through
Eating noises- theme of program
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Speech
Prisoners- shouting noisy area
Alarms- time to go back to cells back to reality
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Speech
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Fonts & Titles
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Red and yellow signify Mac Donald’s
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No subtitles
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No subtitles they change in topic is shown by editing shots.
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Editing
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montage of facts about Mac Donald’s
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Dissolves and fad outs to show time change over to next topic section
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Green screen shots of some archive footage of Egyptian pyramids- shows the subject is linear throughout
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CGI / Animation / SFX
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Animation of superimposing used this to present facts fits with light hearted tone
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None
dialogue and scenery pictures to tell you the facts tone more formal
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Animation included cartoons of aliens which fitted to back up experts views that we have no proof aliens are real.
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Camera Angles
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Hand held camera- adds to realism
Close ups of presenter makes more of a connection with audience
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Hand held show realism on site location filming no archive footage actually there.
Framing prisoner in middle frame show they are the main focus not the presenter who is to the side of the frame when asking questions or sometimes not in it at all.
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Camera not really wobbly even though they did film on site locations.
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Other
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