Wednesday, 29 March 2017

Unit 27: Unit Content & Factual Program Example

UNIT CONTENT


- Understand issues relating to factual programming for television -

Issues:
  • accuracy
  • balance 
  • impartiality 
  • objectivity 
  • subjectivity 
  • opinion 
  • bias 
  • representation 
  • access 
  • privacy 
  • contract with viewer 

- Understand codes and conventions of factual programming for television -

News: 

  • studio news readers 
  • field reporters 
  • links to studio 
  • mode of address to viewer 
  • interviewing 
  • report structure 
  • actuality footage

Documentary: 

  • documentary formats (expository, observational, interactive, reflexive, performative)
  • realism
  • dramatization
  • improvisation


- Be able to plan and research a factual program for television -

Genres: 
  • news 
  • documentary, eg docudrama, docusoap, infotainment, ‘reality’ TV, educational, wildlife, special interest, makeover
  • magazine 
  • discussion 
  • review 
  • chat show 
Develop ideas:
  • program concept 
  • target audience 
  • development techniques, eg creation of narrative, scenario, synopsis, research process, interview questions 
Research:
  • primary sources, eg contacts, interviews 
  • secondary sources, eg broadcasts, reviews, internet, archives 
  • checking information 
Legal and ethical considerations:
  • filming in public 
  • clearances and permissions 
  • privacy 
  • libel and defamation 
  • requirements of the Broadcasting Act 1994 
  • BBC producers’ guidelines
  • Ofcom 
Planning:
  • production organization roles and responsibilities 
  • schedules 
  • interview and contacts appointments 
  • location recess 
  • budget (planned, evolving) 
  • risk assessments 
  • documentation 
Proposal:
  • subject idea 
  • format 
  • genre 
  • style 
  • audience 
  • intended aim 
  • budget 

- Be able to produce a factual program for television -


Production techniques: 
  • filming (general views, interviews, cut-aways) 
  • graphics 
  • scripted pieces to camera 
  • studio 
  • location 
  • public space 
  • sound (ambient sound, wild track, interviews, presenter’s descriptions, studio sound) 
Production management: 
  • monitoring progress 
  • identifying and solving problems 
  • production organisation, eg call sheets, equipment booking, location management, logistics management 
Editing
  • creating narrative 
  • conveying meaning 
  • illustrating topic 
Example of a Factual Program

As per wikipedia:

"Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he ate only McDonald's food. The film documents this lifestyle's drastic effect on Spurlock's physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit.
Spurlock ate at McDonald's restaurants three times per day, eating every item on the chain's menu at least once. Spurlock consumed an average of 20.9 megajoules or 5,000 kcal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day during the experiment. An intake of around 2,500 kcal within a healthy balanced diet is more generally recommended for a man to maintain his weight. As a result, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 11.1 kilograms (24 lb), a 13% body mass increase, increased his cholesterol to 230 mg/dL, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight gained from his experiment using a vegan diet supervised by his then-girlfriend, a chef who specializes in gourmet vegan dishes.
The reason for Spurlock's investigation was the increasing spread of obesity throughout U.S. society, which the Surgeon Generalhas declared "epidemic", and the corresponding lawsuit brought against McDonald's on behalf of two overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonald's food (Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., 237 F. Supp. 2d 512). Spurlock argued that although the lawsuit against McDonald's failed (and subsequently many state legislatures have legislated against product liability actions against producers and distributors of "fast food") as well as the McLibel case, much of the same criticism leveled against the tobacco companies applies to fast food franchises whose product is both physiologically addictive and physically harmful."
Morgan Spurlock is, of course, still alive and well following the project. The impact the documentary had saw McDonald's drop it's supersize portions, and raised awareness of the growing obesity around the globe, specifically in the U.S.
Overall, the production was received well but sparked various criticisms and controversies. Below are examples. 

Above link: https://web.archive.org/web/20071012135323/http://mcdonalds.co.uk/pages/global/supersize.html 


Above link: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2004/07/super-size-me.html

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