Analysis of That Thing- Lara Croft (BBC 2)

Type Of Documentary:

• Mixed – observation, interview, archive

Themes:

– Virtual vs Reality– How media can make a phenomenon– Feminism– Representation of women – All relates back to the power of the media

Narrative Structure:

– Single Strand: one story– Closed: doesn’t leave an open question– Non- linear: same interview chopped up

Camerawork:– Close up, Medium Close Up, Big Close Up– POV: game, inside the cafe, on websites– Pan: across the cyber cage– Zoom in/out; on magazines– Interviews: framed to left and right,

MCU, BCU, CU, tilted frame, man on computer.

Mise-en-scene:

– Chromakey (green screen) of images of game on screen behind interview

– All mise en scene related to games or computers– Front projection: projection on to face of person

and background.

Sound:– Game music or arcade music– Game sound effects– Music throughout: used as music, bed underneath

interviews– Dance music and Madonna music: one woman referred

to her– Voice Over: younger male voice- relevance

Editing:– Game and film cut together: cutting– Game footage behind interview– One interview the game footage is projected on to

background and face– Movie footage behind the interview– Man in television- creator of game: only one edited or

interviewed in different way to stand out.– Zoom in on websites– Fast motion going into cyber cage– Repeated use of Lara Croft gun footage: recurring motif.

Archive Material– Game footage– Film footage– TV advert- Nike – Jolie interview; stock interview of movie star

promoting film company to own and circulate her.– Magazines – Websites– Adverts

Graphics

– Interview name and relevance; always anchored to the game or Lara Croft

– Copyright; Nike– Credits– Titles