Logo

In view of the research we had conducted into professional documentaries, Sania and I established that an original logo will uplift our documentary as it will give it a more professional look. We decided to mane our production house 'R&S Productions' where R stands for Ramsha and S stands for Sania. Initially,we came

up with the logo below:

                                                  

However, researching though different production houses' logos, we improvised on our initial idea to develop a new logo as shown below:
                                                   
 Adding this logo to the starting and ending credits of the documentary will give it a more conventional and professional look.

Analysis Of Ancillary Tasks

Analysis of newspaper advertisements 

Analysis of a radio advertisement
FrackNation Radio Ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah0eGM4CsTc
This is a 30 second radio ad that uses a range of hearing effects to compensate for the lack of visual effects and grab the listener's attention. The advertisement uses a many different opinions about the topic and defies them to highlight the truth emphasized upon in the documentary, highlighting the importance of the documentary. A strong music beat is used to accentuate the effect of the false conceptions about fracking and the urgent need to correct by watching the documentary. The advertisement ends on the broadcasting details of the documentary so that the name, timing and channel are imprinted on the listener's mind.

Documentary Analysis (Saving Face)

Every year hundreds of people -mostly women-are attacked with acid in Pakistan. SAVING FACE follows several of these survivors, their fight for justice, and a Pakistani plastic surgeon who has returned to his homeland to help them restore their faces and their lives.

It is a Oscar-winning, mixed documentary directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge.

• The documentary begins with a point of view shot to show an acid victim looking at her past pictures in which her face was not burnt.
• Then, the name of the documentary written in Serif fonts fades in and out of the frame. 
• Parallel editing is used to simultaneously show the victims' life stories, interview with the doctor and his practice in the field of plastic surgery working to restore the acid burn victim's faces and thus, their lives. 
• An omniscient narrator explains the scenes in the documentary and addresses questions to the interviewees from this omniscient pedestal.
• Folk music is used as a background score as this genre of music is conventional to the area, Pakistan, where the documentary is set. 

• Establishing shots are used to give the audience an overview of the place where the documentary is filmed.
• Demographic information is displayed to give the audience a deeper insight into the issue being portrayed in the documentary.
• The omniscient narrator conducts the interviews while interviewees answer without looking at the camera with the exception of the plastic surgeon who engages the audience through direct eye contact.
• Wide shots are used to establish the locations where the characters are present while the character gives an insight into their plight so that the audience feels as if they are present in the place and are viewing it themselves.
• Over the shoulder shots are used to show the conversation between Marvi Memon, a Pakistani politician, and the acid victims.
• Actuality and interviews, features of a mixed documentary, are incorporated in the documentary as two victims life journeys are recorded along with interviews from these victims and others involved in their lives are added so as to give the audience proper details to understand their plight.
• Using two woman, Zakia and Rukhsana, as examples the director defines the usual course of events in an acid victim's life while emphasizing that these were the lucky few who got medical assistance and justice. 
• The documentary ends as light is brought back in the darkened lives of these two victims and as message of hope is passed on to the rest of the victims as is the message of justice and punishment passed on to the culprit.
• Ending credits are displayed at the very end. 

Documentary Analysis (Future Of Food)

                     

• Its a mixed documentary and is fully narrated by its host.
• At the start of the documentary, zoom ins of various food are shown as omniscient narration is used.
• Name of the documentary is shown as the host walks by.
• The host establishes a direct link with the audience by looking straight in the camera. 
• A character is introduced by focusing on him.
• Character,as opposed to the host, do not look at the camera directly.
• The host talks to character pretending there is no camera, using over the shoulder shots.
• The surroundings which relate to the topic of the documentary are shown as the hot converses with the character.
• The host's traveling endeavors are showcased using a world map.
• Wide shots and aerial shots are shown.
• Background music is continuously played unless when a conversation or narration starts during which fades out.
• Still footage are also incorporated in the documentary.
• Blurred video and focusing techniques are used to show different things in the long take.
• Statistics are also used to add weight to the subject matter being displayed in the documentary.

Documentary Analysis (India Reborn)

• Released in 2009, India Reborn is a mixed documentary in which dizzying extremes and stunning contradictions of life in the world’s second most populous nation are explored by exposing us to a diverse array of individual Indian’s experiences. 
• An omniscient narrator is used while all the characters in the documentary talk to this narrator and subsequently to the audience without directly looking at the camera.
• Several interviews are added to the documentary so that the audience is able to connect with the issue being discussed.
• Actuality is displayed as the actual events happening in the individual's life are covered in the documentary such as the surgeries being conducted by the surgeon.
• Parallel editing is used throughout the documentary to draw a parallel between the highs of the shinning new India and the lows of the India that has been stagnant in its growth since independence.
• A traditional background score is used to accentuate the cultural feel of the documentary.
• Tracking, close-ups and zoom-ins are the primary shots used in the documentary to display the characters being covered aptly to the audience.
• fade ker ke multiple shots dali hoi hain.
• A logo of CBC, the production house, starts the documentary off and is inscribed in one corner of the frame throughout the documentary.
• The documentary starts and ends with the name of the documentary being displayed across the screen.

Types Of Documentaries

1) DOCUSOAPS
Its a observational documentary, it observes and follows any individual or group of people for certain time, for example, The Family and Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.

2) REALITY TV
This type of documentary gives useful information in form of entertainment.
Its a mixture of authentic material with serious information and commercial content.

3) Fly On The Wall
When camera is unseen or people ignore it, for example, Big brother, where hidden cameras are used.

4) MIXED
Its a documentary where combination of interviews, observation, actuality, footage and narration is included.Narrator links the story together and advances the narrative. For example, The Future of Food.

5) SELF REFLEXIVE
Its a documentary where camera follows the Host but he pretends to ignore it.

6) DOCUDRAMA
Reconstruction of something which actually happened, with new actors posing to be real ones.

7) Fully Narrated
Narrator narrates whole way through documentary.

It is used to convey exposition and used to make sense of what audience watches. Narrator dominates what is happening, for example, Human Planet and The Future of Food. 

Research Into Documentaires

In consideration of the traditional aspect of my documentary, I have researched into documentaries made by professionals and students alike.

A)Professional Work:

1.India Reborn (CBC)

This documentary provides a very efficient source of inspiration on which to base our documentary as the general outline of a documentary along with the portrayal of specific aspects of a society can be grasped from here. 

2.BBC Future Of Food- Part 1: India

This documentary highlights a particular aspect of the Indian culture, the culinary aspect, in a similar way as we would like to highlight a tradition, the art of henna application, from the Pakistani culture.

3.The Great Indian Marriage Bazaar by Ruchika Muchhala

'The Great Indian Marriage Bazaar' is a film told through the Directors' lens about issues of morality, sexuality, beauty and femininity and most identity of cosmopolitan Indian women today. It deals with society's norms and cultural elements as we would like to portray in our documentary.

4. India A Dangerous Place to Be A Woman 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StYj8gzEtGQ

B)Existing Projects:

1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv8IrG8s8hg

2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqzdnSSILUY

3.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgZ-MkICdC0

Preliminary Research And Planning

2nd September: We were introduced to the coursework for G234: Advanced Portfolio.

3rd September: We were given the briefs.

4th September: Research and decision of a brief. After researching through the three briefs our teacher selected for us, I decided to make the first two pages of an 'original local newspaper' together with a billboard poster for the newspaper and two hyper-linked pages from the paper's website.

5th-7th September: Research.

First week of November:In view of the research into projects and the audience which I conducted over the past month, I have decided to  develop a five minute long extract from a documentary that will cover a traditional aspect of the Pakistani culture.

People's preference of means of information
Yellow area: 49% people prefer documentaries
Red area: 20% people prefer newspapers
Blue area: 15% people prefer magazines
Green area: 10% people prefer brochures
Pink area: 6% people prefer radio

Considering the above research into the target audience, I have decided to make an extract from an original documentary TV programme, lasting approximately five minutes, together with two of the following three options:
• a radio trailer for the documentary;
• a double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary;
• a newspaper advertisement for the documentary.

This questionnaire is designed to get an insight into the the target audience, their preferences and views so that our documentary is tailored according to the likes of the audience.

Q.Do you watch documentaries?                             

1.Lots of them

2.Sometimes

3.Rarely

4.Never

Q.What type of Documentaries you like to watch?

1.Educational

2.Reality

3.Taboo

4.Cultural

5.Other

Q.What channel you prefer to watch them?

1.BBC

2.ITV

3.National Geographic

4.Channel 4

5.other

Q.What do you look in documentary?

1.topic which grabs your interest

2.anything new; being introduced

3.adventures host is going through

4.other, please specify:

______________________________________

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Introduction

This blog is to record my journey ,as a media student, from learning how to analyze media projects to making my own. From making mistakes, learning from them and developing ideas to create something beautiful. In developing my advanced portfolio for media studies, I wish to highlight creativity and to enjoy the making process every bit.

In using the technical and creative skills acquired over the past year studying AS level Media Studies, I wish to showcase my keen interest in the subject through practical demonstration of my knowledge and understanding of the basic media concepts.

To make this project, I have teamed up with my classmate, Sania Jamil. Combining our skills required for the project, we hope to achieve creative excellence in the construction of the documentary and its supplements.

I hope this blog and my final project is capable to demonstrate my love for the subject.