Documentary : Conrad Murray - The Man Who Killed Michael Jackson

Why i chose this documentary?
I chose this documentary because i found the michael jackson death trial very interesting and i believe this documentary highlight a different side to the story.

Textual Analysis
The establishing shot of this documentary is of Dr.Conrad Murray in the court. The only sound is of the jury talking and a few background sounds. The camera does not move at this stage, it is stable and fixed onto Dr. Conrad Murray. There are no pans to see around the room.

After this shot there is some narration which we have established in a key part of documentaries. There is also archive footage of the day michael jackson was found dead and taken from his home in an ambulance, just to set the scene along with the narration.

In this documentary we have been introduced to the narrator of the story. In the other 2 although there were narrators, we were never aware of who they were. This is how documentaries can differ.

Also during this documentary there is evidence of a two shot. This is when there are 2 people in the frame being filmed.

Doing interviews in a setting like this is also a common element of a documentary. 

Furthermore as the clip goes on there is a shot reverse shot of both the interviewer and Conrad Murray.

Genre

The genre of this doumentary can be many different things depending on how you view the topic. That can be the same for most documentaries. For example this documentary has been placed under the genre's of 'Crime', 'News and Politics' and 'Society'.

Audience

I think this documentary captures the interest of most people. The story was so big around the world and michael jackson was such a big celebrity that it almost affected everyone in some way therefore a documentary like this is for everyone.

Documentary : Amy Winehouse-The Girl Done Good

Why i chose this documentary?
I chose this documentary because i thought Amy winehouse was an amazing singer and this documentary captures that and i felt it had the conventions of a documentary.

Textual Analysis
The establishing shot of this documentary is of 'archive footage' from 2007 in london when amy winehouse did a show. Archive footage is the term given to a clip of footage thats used in new documentarys but was filmed years prior to it. Therefore it was 'pulled out of the archive'.

There is also archive footage of amy singing in 2007.

Archive footage is a key convention to making a documentary as it shows the documentary maker has taken a  keen interest in their topic and done some background research to allow its audience to develop a better understanding. 

In the first 30 seconds of this documentary the makers have already used another key convention of a documentary which is Vox Pops. These are quick snappy interviews with just one or two questions with people about the documentary topic. 

This documentary also has a superimpose which is where a layer of photos have been put together and fade into one another to combine various images. In the picture below you can see the top picture fading into the picture behind.

At 2.28 music starts to play which initiates the introduction to the documentary is over and the title is shown which means the documentary is beginning its flow. This incidental music is an important part of most documentaries as it alerts the audience.

Another sound we hear in this documentary is 'narration'. This has been apparent in all the documentaries i have analysed on my blog which reassures me that it is a widely used convention for any type of documentary and is an important factor. 

The editor of this documentary has also used many fades to show the passing of time through the journey of amy's life.

Genre

This documentary has been placed under the Music genre. This is fitting because it is about a musician. However i would also place it under an autobiography type documentary because it looks at other aspects of amy's life aswell as just her musical career.

Audience

As this documentary is about amy winehouse its safe to say you would probably have to be a fan of hers to watch this documentary however the fact that it covers wider issues about amys life other than just music means it opens up to a number of different people i.e those who feel they can relate to her.

Documentary : Madaeleine Was Here

Why i chose this documentary?
I chose this documentary because the story of Madaeleine McCann has been of a great interest to me and it is a TRUE story that many find intriguing.

Textual Analysis
The clip in this post is just 10 minutes out of the 48 minute documentary on Madaeleine McCann and her family. This particular clip has been filmed in and around the family home in places such as the local farm where Madaeleine and her parents and siblings would all go. There is no dim lighting or special effects on this documentary, although it is a touching documentary it has been kept very natural to show their true colours.

The establishing shot of this clip is of the moon which we realise after is a slight reconstruction of what happened the night Madaeleine was kidnapped. There is a voiceover throughout the pictures of the hotel etc which is Madaeleine McCanns mother. Both a voiceover and a reconstruction are key components to making a documentary. 

There is a kind of superimpose in this documentary where the editor has taken shots of different objects related to madaeleine in some way and put them together with the voices of the other children. For example there is pictures of paint, and teddy bears, all one after another.

There are many zooms when it is a one shot of the parents talking. The camera goes close enough to the face to see the whole expression and this paints the true reality of what they are feeling.

Throughout the documentary there are seamless cuts there is no sharp editing. The video flows throughout in a smooth manner.

In this documentary we hear dialogue. We hear the McCanns talk about their daughter in interviews, we hear news reporters talk and also various others. Another sound we hear is the narrator. A narrator is another key convention of a documentary.

Genre

This documentary has been filed under the 'Crime' genre. This is because what happened to madaeleine was a crime. However if it was upto me i would put it under a  true story type genre because i believe everything in this documentary is true and it makes it more effective on the ears when people hear it is a true story.

Audience

The audience for this documentary can be anyone who is able to understand it. It isnt a specific group in society. Some may find it more interesting than others but everyone can watch this documentary is isnt tailored to a specific group.