English : Documentaries

Expectations of a documentary:

Viewers expect to be told things about the real world, things that are true, though they do not demand objectivity or comprehensiveness. Documentary conventions arise from the need to convince viewers of the authenticity of the message.

Conventions of a documentary (expository):

• Voiceover

• Actuality footage        

• Archival footage

• Reconstructed footage

• Interviews

• focaliser/ narration

• Written code

• Selection of detail

Purpose of a documentary:

• to record important events and ideas:

• to inform viewers about a topic

• to convey particular opinions

• to create public interest or raise awareness

• to create social change

Persuasive technology: Technology designed to modify someone’s behaviour designed to keep individuals scrolling

Impacts of social media:

• Social media can cause negative effects on people’s mental health 

• big social media companies manipulate users by using algorithms that encourage addiction to their platforms

• Suicide

• Addiction

• Cyberbullying

• Invasion of privacy (how platforms harvest personal data to target users with ads)

Revise Documentary features:

• Actuality/archival/reconstructed footage

• Non-diegetic/diegetic sounds

• Voice over/narration

• Written codes (subtitles, labels and graphics)

• Sequence

• Focaliser

• Montage

• Camera shots and angles

• Location shots

• Interviews 

Revise film techniques and symbolism:

• Narration

• archival footage

• Actuality footage

• Angles and camera shots

• Interviews

What are the 3 main goals of tech companies? (Engagement, Growth and Advertisements):

• Engagement = keeping people on the app and making them keep scrolling

• Growth = keep the platform growing with new users 

• Advertisements = goal to make the app make most money as possible

Revise key points of ONE scene you analysed. Know 3 documentary features and how and why they’re used:

• Timestamp: 17.40-19.32

• Explains what companies are really doing with our data

  • Companies do things with our data to make us addicted

• The scene explains the three goals: Engagement, growth and advertisement, and how it makes us addicted