Theory

Media Studies - Steve Neale's Genre Theory - Simple Guide for Students & Teachers - Bing video

In this video is a media studies teacher explain Steve Neale’s genre theory, she talks about each genre, how each genre is different, each film presents a genre in different ways. Sometimes they add things to the genre they do things that is not usually done in that genre, this causes a shock from the audience as they are not expecting it. In this video she is explaining theory in a very brief way, I think it is a little too brief, I say this because I still have some confusion on theory after watching this video, although it may be the way she explains it.

​

Types of Documentary - YouTube

At the beginning he names each mode and explains what it is, this is helpful because it is giving me a better understanding of each type, with knowing this I know what kind of mode/genre my documentary will need to be, to come across to the right audience, in the right way. It is an interview style this video, I find this interesting as they are speaking about documentaries which are known for using interview a lot in their products. However, the way in which he is explaining things is not very engaging, although this is not something that can be changed, as I think it is due to the way he speaks, it is very drained and delayed, not very straight to the point and with it being this way for parts of the video, this may make viewers click off the video. He is not speaking about anyone’s theory who is famous for theories, he is just giving his own opinion, which I find interesting as it is only coming from his point of view, making it a lot more personal. He then goes on to speaking about films and the way companies do things, he does not really explain anything in full detail, he is very straight to the point, therefore the video lacks in information but it does include a lot of facts. I did not find this helpful, although some people might, it all depends on how you learn and takes things in.

​

Steve Neale's genre theory explained! - YouTube

In this video he goes straight to the point, talking about genres and what makes a genre what it is. It is a very past pace video, very straight to the point especially with the upbeat music, however this keeps the audience’s attention, wanting to find out more. He then goes on to speaking about the development of genre over the years, saying how the old marvel/Star Wars (etc.), have changed over time, like for example: they used to be quite vibrant colours, extreme backdrops and just overall being quite extreme. However, now they are a lot different, what I mean by this is that they are a lot better in the way they are presented, more successful, that they include more comedy now, this engages the audience more in the film. I did find this video quite helpful as it has shown me that even though there are genres, they have changed over time, there are no set rules for genres as they have not stayed the same, however I think that is one of the things that keeps the film industry quite interesting.

 

Codes and conventions

Codes and Conventions of the Documentary Genre - YouTube

At the beginning of this video, he talks about the positioning of the interviewee, how they are always to either the left or right of the screen, also that they usually use a medium close up but big close up and extreme close up is also used, to show emotion on the interviewee, or when a big point has been made. Tripods are usually used for filming interviews, although not always, it depends how and where it is filmed. Interviewees are usually on a non-wheeled chair, this is to prevent movement, the light source is positioned in front of the interviewee. Other shots are shin during the interview, these shots are usually quite creative, to set the scene, they are shown before interviews. Still images are shown, as a zoom in, panning shot (etc.), this is as filler footage while the interviews are being played. Sometimes greenscreens are used during interviews, this is so footage or still images can be shown behind the interviewee, showing relevance to the documentary. Graphics are always shown in documentaries, stating the interviewee’s name and what they do for career or education wise, this is done in a simple front and colour, so that it is easily read by viewers. Music use is always relevant to the topic, not just this but also the volume of it, as the interviewee still needs to be heard. Voiceovers are also important in documentaries, it is one of the main parts of the documentaries, it is played from beginning to end. Most important part of editing a documentary is the cut, it needs to be relevant to the subject and not too short or long, transitions are sometimes used and cutaways, this is so that the documentary flows from start to end, making it a lot less chaotic.

​

Equipment

Making Professional Videos | What Equipment Do You NEED? - YouTube

At the beginning of the video, he makes it clear that he is going to be speaking about the equipment needed for a professional product, “just by owning professional equipment does not make you a professional, it will only take you so far”. Must have gear for making videos/tv shows/documentary (etc.), the most important piece of equipment is the camera, but not use any camera, one that allows a change of lens, to shoot in slow motion, this is very useful, however not essential. I think this all depends on your own budget; what kinds of projects the camera is going to be used for. He then goes on to recommending a camera, this is very helpful for people starting off in the film/video/photographic industry, as it is quite hard to know what camera is going to work for what you need it for. Another that is essential when buying a camera is a camera strap, some come with this, however not all, so making sure there is one, these make a difference to footage and how you hold the camera. He then goes on to speaking about microphones, saying how they are important and make a difference to the quality, then goes on to showing the difference in the audio in the video, with and without using a microphone. Without a microphone it is very echoey, you can hear and understand everything that is being said, as normal, however there is less of a focus on his voice, this may cause people to lose focus and not understand what is being said. Although, with the microphone, it is clear what the focus of the audio is, you can hear his voice and his voice only, this shows how big of an impact a microphone can have, just from using the microphone on the camera, to using an actual microphone, this shows how beneficial they are due to them making such a big difference in quality. To make the audio even better in his videos, he makes the room soundproof, I think therefore there is no other noise while the audio is being played, it is his voice and only his voice, that you can hear, this is effective as it allows the audience to only focus on that, there is no other distractions. He then goes on to recommending different types of microphones, this is useful as I have said previously, if people are new to video/photography making, they will not know what is good and bad to use, but coming from a YouTuber himself, someone that will use the equipment quite regularly, this is coming from a personal point of view. The next thing that he goes on to speaking about is SD cards, he then goes on to recommending some SD card brands, I think this is helpful as an SD card is where all footage is recorded and saved, therefore having a good one is a positive, as it may save you losing the footage (etc.). After this he then goes on to talking about lens, saying how they are one of the most important things, apart from a camera, that it is important to choose the one that is best for you, he also says that if you are only limited to only affording one lens, to get one that can zoom in and out. Even though it may not offer everything that other lens does, it will offer the basics, and this is what you need to make products look professional. He then goes on to listing the different types of lenses, how they are useful to allow different types of shots, but also says on a budget this is also possible. Moving on to the next thing he speaks about is camera bag, you need something to carry the equipment in, not only for ease but to protect it, he then goes on to recommending a camera bag, he also mentions that he has had and used it for six years, with this being said shows he has had it a while and that it has been through a lot and is still standing, meaning it is good quality and worth the money. The next thing he goes on to speaking about is a tripod, they are used for time-lapse clips, when doing interview style videos because it makes it a lot easier, as there is less to worry about. He then goes on to recommending some different tripod brands, this is useful for people that do not have a lot of knowledge on making videos or taking photos. But then he goes on to speaking about editing software and devices, makes it clear to use what works for your budget. Although he then goes on to speaking about insurance, making it clear to get it insured, this is a just in case anything happens to the equipment because you never know.

​

Make Your First Film: MUST WATCH for Documentary Filmmaking - YouTube

“The 4 questions every film marker needs to know”, this is one of the first things said in the video, the first question is “is your idea a topic or a story”, “what is a story”, the key to a story is that it has conflict, there is a journey, there is an aim to the end of the story, where as a topic is just stating facts about a subject, it has no personal level to it. I think with how this is being said, it kind of links to genre in a way due to it saying certain things that need to be included for your documentary to be that. Second question: “do you have a character?”, is there a main character, is it clear who that main character is, are they shown within the first few moments of the documentary. This is important so that viewers know whose story or topic they are following while watching this because knowing this will help people to get a better understanding. Third question 2 “does your characters want something?”, “if you have a character in your film, and they don’t want something, they’re not a character.” (His was said by Aaron Sorkin), “what they mean by this is your character needs to want something or they need to help your character achieve what they want”. It needs to be clear the message of the documentary, why are you making it, what is the story, what is the expectations of the characters, what do they want. I think that this is important as it allows the audience to get a better understanding of the documentary. Everyone wants something, even if they do not know it, the documentary can be about figuring out what they want. The fourth question is “Can you show their journey”?, discovering what they want, achieving what they want, is this a true story, is the story going to be told, is it real. I think this is something that is important to know when making a documentary because it helps with structuring it, knowing how to film it and when editing because it makes it more planned out and organised, knowing how you want to come across the audience. A story is a journey, it needs to have a beginning, middle and end, to give an understanding to the viewers.

​

Target audience 

My target audience is teen and above because I think people that are below this age may have mental illnesses, however they are less likely to speak up about it because they are not 100% sure as to if they have it or not, therefore I think targeting this age range makes more sense because they can relate to it more. There is not really a type of teens I am aiming for with the target audience, the reason for this is because anyone can have mental health issues, it does not matter what you are like as a person, what I mean by this it does not matter if you have had a poor up bringing, a good up brining, you seem happy or sad, it is very, very easy to act like everything is okay when it isn’t. I think it is important that I roughly have a target audience, however, do not rule anyone put because unfortunately anyone can have mental health, at any age and it can come at any time, caused by anything, everyone is different. I think a lot of parents will have their kids come to them about mental health issues, the parents say, “its all in your head”, however in one way this may be true, but it is not just that. When I say this, I mainly mean parents that are not that close with their child, therefore do not know a lot about what happens in their child’s life Therefore, I think it should be more well-known as to how bad mental health issues can get because then the number of suicides would be reduced. I think in schools they should be educating students about mental health because this would encourage people into speaking up about their issues, however at my school they did this but the “help” that they had to offer was not helpful, therefore I think there should be more professionals within schools because a lot of students will not feel comfortable speaking to their parents about their issues, therefore would not be taken to the doctors to get diagnosed, therefore I think if this service was provided in school, like for example my documentary, if they see how bad it can get and where they can get help (doctors) (etc.) it would help a lot of students and parents. I think if a child thinks that they have mental health it is very important that they have someone to speak to about it because this is the reason people take their life, no one is hearing them, they are being ignored, parents and teachers need to listen, to help reduce the number of suicides and get students the help they need. Also, same for parents I think within their work place (depending as to where they work), there should be a health professional for physical and mental help, this is because work is where a lot of stress is caused and stress can sometimes cause mental health issues, therefore having this help there in that environment would be helpful, I know it is a work place and they are meant to be working however, I think health should always come first and that in itself needs to be spoken abut more, health and safety comes first, if that it not the case in a work place or anywhere, something needs to be changed there. Overall, I think with teen and above being my target audience, it makes sense, but it is targeted at everyone that needs it and I think watching it will help identify whether they do.