Audio-Visual Content:

These below will be the questions that I will ask in each segment of the show. As the show will be 60 minutes long, there will be 15 minute terval breaks where I use this time to transition to the next segment with a different context. 60 divided by 15 is 4, therefore I intend to research the top 4 most controversial stereotypes about millennials and develop these into questions where I can get the answers. 

1) Millennials use too much social media
2) Millennials are lazy
3) Millennials don't spend enough time doing work
4) Millennials don't realise they are associated with negative stereotypes

These questions are what came up the most in my research, 'controversial stereotypes of millennials'. I hope to cover topics of politics lightly, to technology, to more subjects that are subliminal to people.

In my documentary I will showcase bullet point 4 and intend to ask the question "Being a millennial, what stereotype do you encounter or have been a subject off?"
This will be away to explore whether people between the age of 18-35 understand the stereotypes that are associated with them.

In my audio-visual I will sit a group of 'millennials' down and have them answer that question. I expect to have different answers and views and collect them and present it into my clip.

I then will hopefully find one character with a slightly different view to the rest and have a short-minute segment on them about their view.


Theoretical link - Stuart Hall: representation
Hall states that stereotyping tends to happen when there are inequalities of power. The context of my show is based on stereotypes and how it makes one person feels. In my show I want to present how stereotyping makes people feel different emotions, and this links in with Hall's theory as the different opinions may make someone feel be little and another superior.

Storyboard

Today I have done a draft storyboard, where I have planned out what my 2:30mins-3mins pitch audio visual will be. In my aims and intentions I explained how I will have the one-off episode an hour long and each 15 mins is a segment that explains the 'stereotype'. Therefore, the storyboard that I have sketched out is an initial idea of what the 3 mins will consist of.

A storyboard is a good method to plan out what I want my audio-visual to be. Having it drawn out means that I can see how it will look like and if I am able to fit what I need to complete what is on the brief as well as hitting all codes and conventions of a documentary.

I have taken account of the duration of my audio visual as well as texts I will have in my show, and furthermore the type of angles and camera shots I will place into my audio-visual.

Pitch Document (updated):

From my previous pitch document, I did some evaluating on it and found what I preferred and what  wanted to change. Therefore, here is my updated pitch for my documentary:

Title:
 Are you a Millennial?

Logline:
 A one-off explorative documentary that questions real millennials to understand the true stereotypes of the century. The subjects seen in the show will be the target audience to allow relatability in current issues and hot topics. 

Genre:
 An exploratory documentary - the reason I have changed this is because even though the documentary is analysing the stereotypes of millennials it more explores about the association of stereotypes rather than analysing the root of each stereotype. 

Audience:
Millennials (18-35)
Socioeconomic group - C1/C2
All genders
All ethnicity

USP:

A studio-based documentary that has a modern twist in which there will be limited conventions of a documentary. Consciously viewers will learn about themselves through learning from others answers.

Convergence:
The link between my audio visual and cross production will have the same style and form. This is so that viewers can see the link and be familiar with the show that will be advertised and want to go watch it!
For example, because I want it to be stylistically simple in a studio, the cross production would need to have the same background that I would have in my show. The same general colour used and font of title. This is still a working pitch but this is my initial draft that I will develop and finalise.

Convergence: 
My plan for my audio-visual and cross production is to show a great transition to how both production is linked and support one another. My USP states a "modern twist" to a documentary and I plan to show this in my cross production which will be a magazine. I will put in place the genre, style, form and most importantly the title from the audio-visual into the magazine so that my target audience of 18-35 year olds will see the convergence of the two production. For example, my documentary will be based on interviews, I want to showcase this in my magazine by adding an interview to the article and adding in the stories of my characters. Furthermore colours, and fonts used in my audio visual will also be transferred into the magazine for a clear view of the documentary. The aim of the magazine is to promote the show for viewers to want to see the show.

Pitch Document

This week I have decided to make a pitch document about my audio-visual. This is still a working document as I may decide to change/develop my ideas in the near future.


Title:
Are you a millennial?


Logline:
A one-off explorative documentary that questions real millennials to understand the true stereotypes of the century. The subjects seen in the show will be the target audience to allow relatability in current issues and hot topics. 

Genre:
An analytical documentary


Audience:
Millennials (18-35)
Socioeconomic group - C1/C2
All genders
All ethnicity


USP:
A studio-based documentary that has a modern twist in which there will be limited conventions of a documentary. Consciously viewers will learn about themselves through learning from others answers.


Convergence:
The link between my audio visual and cross production will have the same style and form. This is so that viewers can see the link and be familiar with the show that will be advertised and want to go watch it!
For example, because I want it to be stylistically simple in a studio, the cross production would need to have the same background that I would have in my show. The same general colour used and font of title. This is still a working pitch but this is my initial draft that I will develop and finalise.

Aims and Intentions

I will be producing an explorative documentary which will analyse the stereotypes that are associated with millennials. I will broadcast my show on Channel 5; Channel 5 commonly presents factual documentaries, I will use this and the commission statement and combine the idea of a controversial, hot topic that targets 18-35 year olds.

My audience will be both females and males that fall in the category of ‘millennials’. Viewers of the show will be in the C1/2 socio-economic grouping, which are working-class people coming back from a week’s long shift at work or education to then sit down, relax and watch an informative documentary on who they are and distract themselves from their everyday career norms.

In documentaries it is commonly known to have a young male voice, this is what I will have in my show. You can find that Channel 5 uses male narrators, therefore I want to keep the familiarity of the channel to viewers. The use of this non-diegetic sound will also create a sound bridge between my cuts so that I will be able to link scenes together. I will also keep with the convention of the technicality of realism where I include diegetic sounds and lighting. Therefore, using characters in my show who will be millennial aged, giving anecdotes will allow viewers to trust the show and its objective of an analytical research of ‘millennials’.

My representation of ‘millennials’ as a cohort will be realistic and factual. To achieve this, I will use an array of camera shots to create empathy between characters and audiences by using direct mode of address; using medium close-ups/ eye-level shots. I will present the show in a chronological order using continuity editing and ellipsis to ensure all key parts of anecdotes are heard. Furthermore, the convention of ‘interviews’ in documentaries is something I want to explore. My aim is to use the camera as the eyes of the audience on the characters; the show becomes intimate and more personal to those who are watching.

Following the brief, I will produce a lifestyle magazine that will promote my documentary to the correct audience. The magazine will be specially made for busy millennials, a vast content of sport, beauty, music, news, gadgets, fashion; conventions of a lifestyle magazine. I will use the same title, font and colour from my show in the magazine, so it creates a brand that viewers will recognise and associate with. The front cover of the magazine will be a character from my show, the shot will be a medium close-up as this shot will be common in my documentary. Using a character from my show on the front cover implies the importance of the show and why readers should watch it. The double page spread will be the convergence between my audio-visual production where the use of direct mode will be carried out from the show into the magazine.

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

In today's blog I am going to research the codes and conventions of a documentary. I believe that doing this research will help me move forward with what I need to do in terms of what I should be including in my documentary.



Documentary:
A recording of an event, generally based on peoples perspectives and/or genuine facts.

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary:

Voiceover.
Voiceover will usually be assertive, and encourage the audience to want to know more and have specialist knowledge on the context of the documentary.

'Real' footage of events.
The events that happen in a documentary are usually seen to be 'real' by the audience. However, editing and voiceovers can affect the 'reality' we, as viewers, see.
Interviews.
This allows people being filmed to speak directly about the event and gives a direct mode of address between viewers and those in the show. Anecdotes are good techniques to emphasise realism.
Technicality of realism.
Includes 'natural' sounds and lighting.
Archive footage/stills.
This is to help add authenticity and to add further information which filmmakers may be unable to obtain themselves.
Interviews with 'experts'.
It is generally used to authenticate the views expressed in the documentary. Also used for film makers to usually disapprove of them in some way.
Text.
Text is used to anchor images in time and space. Mostly used as labels, showing dates and location.
Sound.
Usually the use of non-diegetic sound to bridge between scenes and create a mood of the documentary. However mostly diegetic sounds of people taking, machinery, animals, etc. This is to create realism.
Dramatization.
This is a reconstruction of an event played by actors which is used to give the audience a further insight into the real event which occurred.



Camera and Editing:

Hand held camera work.
This is to emphasise the real time and space, as we already know the key to a documentary is to show that it is real. The movement of a hand-held camera gives this intention.
Sound.
Unintended sound is left in during editing, i.e. moving cars, to show the location and set the scene of the documentary.
Single camera production. 
This is a method of filmmaking and video production where one camera operates at a time during each set.