WEEKLY JOURNALS

Week Two - Research

RESEARCH

What did you learn from your I have learnt a lot about documentaries and how they are
research? presented in many different ways, I have also learnt a lot
about the history and how they weren’t really called
documentaries until 1992 when Robert Flaherty created
“Nancook of the north”. I have studied two Documentaries
that are very different in style, I have focused on how they are
presented and what types of things they add to help the
audience understand what exactly is going on and how the
story came about. I have learnt a lot about how to include my
audience and ways in which I can communicate with them. I
have seen which elements work better in documentaries and
which ones I could use in my production and how effective
they will be.

How has the research for your It has helped me to foresee which aspects I might deem
medium helped you improve your possible to include in my documentary. It has also allowed me
ideas? to understand the different styles of documentaries so that I
can find out which one might be better to use to create my
style of documentary. I have also looked at some winners
from last year to see what sought of things they put in their
documentaries that I could potentially add to mine. I have
also asked my viewers what sought of documentaries they
watch and their general opinion on documentaries. I have
looked at some really popular documentaries like David
Attenborough’s and Reggie Yates to see how they present
their documentaries.

How has the research for your genre It has helped me to improve my idea as I have deeply
helped you improve your ideas? analysed into every aspect of the documentaries that I have
looked at. They have shown me the different ways in which I
can portray my data and the answers given to me. I have also
when analysing explained how I might use that technique or
element to help communicate my ideas with the audience.
When researching into Blackfish, it was created with more
past archival footage of when these series of accidents
happened, whereas Stacey Dooley’s documentary was more
about the present and her interacting with her subjects. This
allowed me to pin point what aspects of each documentary I
could use in my own production and how it may reflect what
the audience is thinking and helping them to create their own
ideas and conclusions.

How has researching the Well by looking at the different conventions it really helped me
conventions of your chosen genre to focus in on the different types of documentaries and what
helped you understand what is the different types meant when creating the documentary.
required from you in order to meet a Blackfish has been created with an expository convention by
distinction grade? allowing the interviewees to explain the story first hand with
some real footage to aid them as they speak. Whereas Stacey
Dooley has created a participatory documentary by interacting
 with her subjects and helping around the hospital in which she
is creating a documentary on. By looking at each convention I
have seen two of the documentaries conventions in action and
how it looks o screen. I have seen which conventions will work
better with my production, therefore this has really allowed
me to understand what is required of me to create that
distinction worthy production.

How has including a variety of It has helped me to understand the different types of
sources (primary and secondary) documentaries that I can create and how I can create effective
helped with your understanding of ideas and solutions for my audience. By gaining the primary
your medium / genre? research it has allowed me to understand what type of
documentaries my viewers would like to see and how they
think my idea should be shown in a documentary. Secondary
research allows me to see the different types of conventions
and work out what is effective in each one and how it may aid
me in my production for me to get the highest grade possible.

What sources of information did you For gathering more information on Laceys Farm I have signed
look at that were different from your up for the occasional Newsletters, and I have looked into past
proposed project? news letters to gain more information on what is going on in
the farm and what sort of things they do differently from
other farms to help the environment.

How will this be useful to your It has helped me to gain some information and to help me to
planning? form some questions that I could potentially ask my
interviewees. This will be extremely helpful when coming to
understand my knowledge of the farm and when talking about
Laceys over the top of my B-roll.

How has the research for your By gaining this information for my topic it has shown me what
content/topic helped you improve sort of things I can include with the interviews to provide more
your ideas? sustained content that will help my audience to decide or
conclude their views and ideas.

How has the research into It has helped me to understand really what types of things
artists/producers helped you professional documentaries include and really how they try to
improve your ideas? create such accusations and ideas for the audience to take
further. By looking into the underbelly of the documentary
filmmakers world it has helped me to highlight some possible
ideas that I will be able to include in my documentary.

What work do you need to complete I don’t need to include or add anything to my research but I
outside of lessons to stay on track? will try to get started on my pre-production planning which
will help me to finalise my ideas for my production.

High Grade Tips

Research
● ‘Thorough research’ - include plenty of sources and detailed analysis of this information
● ‘relevant & coherent’ – make sure your research sources are not just the same as the
Media product you hope to make - and talk about how they inform your planning
● ‘sustained’ – continue your research throughout the eleven-week project and don’t just limit
it to the first two weeks
● ‘accomplished & considered’ – all of the above referred to in your daily/weekly reflections