Type: Investigative documentary
Themes: The main theme of the documentary is teen cults and culture and how they effect other groups and age groups, along with pop culture music, such as marilyn manson who has heavily influenced the teenagers in question. The actual investigation behind the documentary is that of a murder of a nun by teenagers who live in a very religious village in Italy, the documentary goes into depth of why and how they did it, and what influenced them.
Narrative structure: The documentary has a linear narrative structure but with a circular theme towards the end as it answers the question behind why they actually did what they did. But the linear structure behind it shows the events in order of how they happened, such as the actual murder, the trials, the scapegoating of Marilyn Manson and the sentences they were given, along with the effects on the village, religion and the families.
Themes: The main theme of the documentary is teen cults and culture and how they effect other groups and age groups, along with pop culture music, such as marilyn manson who has heavily influenced the teenagers in question. The actual investigation behind the documentary is that of a murder of a nun by teenagers who live in a very religious village in Italy, the documentary goes into depth of why and how they did it, and what influenced them.
Narrative structure: The documentary has a linear narrative structure but with a circular theme towards the end as it answers the question behind why they actually did what they did. But the linear structure behind it shows the events in order of how they happened, such as the actual murder, the trials, the scapegoating of Marilyn Manson and the sentences they were given, along with the effects on the village, religion and the families.
Camerawork: The camera work is fairly basic, it shows mainly handheld camera work, as alot of the shots are from journalists, as it is built alot from archive footage. They use low angles when the police are in shot, to give them power in the scenes, as they are trying to make it look as if they are in control of the situation. When Marilyn Manson is in shot however, they tend to use high angle shots, as he is seen as 'the devil' in question throughout the documentary. Lots of POV shots are used when they are describing the murder towards the begining of the documentary, as they obviously do not have footage of the murder, they had to recreate it through use of sound and camera angels. Hidden and covert shots are used in terms of the shots done by journalists, as alot of it is filmed secretly, as it is a very high profile trial and case.
Mise-en-scene: They use alot of archive footage, and shots of the village in which the murder took place, this is to create the ambience within the village, as it was seen as a very quite village in which murders and such do not happen, ever. They used black and white on some shots which gives connotations of the devil VS god, which is seen as one of the themes of the documentary. Throughout the documentary, the light is dull and dark, there is no sun, which seems to represent pathetic fallacy and gives the impression of sadness throughout. They showed a few 'talking head' shots, of figures such as Marilyn Manson and the parents of the girls who commited the murder, these are general documentary conventions that are used. Costumes and props are not particularly relevant, except when they show use evidence of the girls murder, such as the book they had drawn images of Freddy Krueger in, which they linked to the cult murder they commited.
Sound: At the begining of the documetary they used ambient non-diegetic sound to create the impression of the murder, such as heartbeats, screams and tensional music, which they used to symbolise the nuns murder. As they introduce the girls and there murder, alot more tensional music is in place as the investigation progresses. When they begin to examine Marilyn Manson they use alot of his music in the documentary, this is for obvious reasons, to firstly, give the example of what his music entails and also the lyrics and there effect of the girls.
Editing: Generally just cuts were used, but also some fades and crossfades in emotive scenes as this gave more of a fallacy to what the documentary was trying to 'get at'. There were alot of cutaways to inanimate objects which represented the themes of the documentary, such as churches etc. There were some fast cuts but then going straight to slow, when the themes dramatically changed between subjects. There was about 25% what happened and 75% why it happened.
Archive material: Alot of archive footage was used within the documentary, as the news footage was all taken from the time of and around the murder, they used alot of stills of the town surrounding the murder. Lots of journalist shots were also used as they were captured going into the courthouses etc. They used concert footage from Marilyn Mansons concerts, to illustrate how aggressive the crowds are and what effect this has on the fans.
Graphics: Black and white title graphics, to illustrate the god VS satan battle, very simply writing, possibly to represent the life of the nun? As they lead very simple lives and also dress in black and white.
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Loose Change
Type: Investigative & persuasive documentary
Themes: Conspiracies theories were the main theme of the documentary, they formed the basis of the subject matter along with the US government and how they are corrupted, the documente'rer' also constantly abused the government verbally, giving the impression he is passionate about the subject. Another running theme of the documentary was science, he got specialists to quote about how some of the government claims were clearly impossible.
Narrative structure: Relatively random narrative structure, it had a circular base to it as it began with the attacks of 9/11 but then went back on itself a number of times to re-evaluate the subject matter. I would say overall it was a circular base theme but also has a random element.
Camerawork: Zooms are used as the documentary is made entirely of archive, google earth and graphic work. There is alot of handheld camerawork because he used footage shot by standers by of the attacks, and also archive imagery of the other attacks from that day.
Mise-en-scene: Google earth was used alot, and very effectively, to illustrate the areas and why/what actually happened. Arhcive footage was mainly used, and alot of images of the attacks and aftermath. There were no interviews as such because of the subject matter being so delicate to the US government as is represented at the end of the documentary when they issue a statement saying 'you can go to guantanamo bay for being in possession of the dvd'. Stills and zooms of documents and contracts, such as the insurance policy taken out on the world trade centre. Images of government officials were used as they could not be interviewed, again this is down to the subject matter.
Sound: ambient music, to demonstrate the somberness of the issue. Explosion sounds to illustrate the demo's he created, voiceover the whole way through to narrate the documentary as it was not possible to show him on screen.
Editing: Simple cuts together, blends and fades to create somberness, not only representing his feelings towards the government but also to represent the feelings of the entire USA towards what happened on 9/11. As the documentary is built entirly of archive footage and graphics, it is hard to analyse the editing as such, as it is very simple.
Archive material: News reports on the 9/11 attacks, footage of the attacks from bystanders, imagery and stills of government officials.
Graphics: Animations (zooming into important sections of text on news websites and simulations of planes crashing), important text fading in and out, google eart etc. Highlighting pieces of text that is important on contracts and documents etc.
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Frontline: the Meth Epidemic
Type: Investigative documentary
Themes: Drug abuse was the official theme of the documentary especially focusing on mehtamphetamine use in Oregan a state in the US. The crime that takes place due to meth addiction was a major factor in the documetnarym and how people were trying to stop it, the main investigator looked at trends in crime, meth addiction and accidents and death throughout the documentary, as they all matched up. Also the spread across America of the so called 'meth epidemic'.
Narrative structure: Circular theme of the documentary,as it is investigative it answers the questions asked at the end.
Camerawork: Low-angles during re-enactments of certain events for dramatic power, talking heads of people who have suffered at the effects of methamphetamine.
Mise-en-scene: Talking heads of people who have suffered at the hands of methamphetamine, and also specialists interviews along with archive footage of 'faces of meth' , which was created in Oregan to create awareness of meth, they used shots of happy families to illustrate what meth effected families are not. They used documents and graphics of graphs and statistics and facts to demonstrate the hard eveidence of meth addiction.
Sound: Dramatic music dubbed over re-enactments of certain events and sadder music in the background of people who have suffered.
Editing: Cuts an fades to create empathy with the sufferers. Other editing is mainly simple cuts.
Archive material: Faces of Meth.
Graphics: Animations (timelines of correlations between drug abuse and purity of the drug)
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Grizzly Man
Type: Investigative
Themes: Bears and how far they can be pushed, what they behave like in the wild and how they can be influenced by human contact. Treadwells relationship with the bears was a running subject throughout the documentary and also specilists and their opinions of Treadwells behaviour towards the bears.
Narrative structure: Circular as it begins with Treadwells murder and slowly investigates into how and why Treadwell was killed when he was clearly so loved by the bears.
Camerawork: Handheld of Treadwells footage, Talking Heads of specialists.
Mise-en-scene: Specialists, People who knew him, his bear footage, bear fights, how people have been hurt by bears.
Sound: Director narrating the documentary himself out of admiration for Timothy Treadwell, the main focus of the documentary
Editing:
Archive material: Footage from Treadwell's camera
Graphics: None
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