DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS

Dispatches – Salt: Are you eating too much?

Type of Documentary

Mixed documentary - Includes interviews from cardiologists about salt intake, narration to explain problems with some aid of the visual e.g. showing cereal with the amount of salt in graphic text

Themes

Nutrition – Getting message across that we may eat much more salt than expected

Diet change – Salt intake is increasing

Narrative structure

Closed narrative – Getting message across that Salt is increasing in food and is getting worse for health

Single stranded – Plot based around the salt intake problem

Non-linear – Isn't a chronological story of events

CameraworkHigh angle shot of beans on toast- Expresses People wouldn't have

thought such a small meal has such a large salt count

- All food can be unpredictable

Medium close up shot in interview- Thought that interviewee is professional

because the documentary is conducted professionally and formally

- Gives viewers thought of belief in what he is saying “reduce salt and not taste the difference in bread”.

Low angle close up shot of University to talk to Cardiologist

- Used to show how important this scene, the information given from the cardiologist is because it looks like a ‘large’ impacting organisation

Camerawork continuedHigh angle-Big close up shot of a

salty product

- Used to convey the thought that it is notoriously bad, supported by non-diegetic soundtrack

Extreme close up shot of bottom right of a pizza

- Used to show the amount of salt, to be seen as “unacceptable”

Big close up on Peanuts

- Used to express that food that people wouldn’t have thought, may still have massive amounts of salt

Mise-en-sceneTest on foods for salt – shows most have much more than what is

explained on the packet- Also, it is explained that some have amount of Sodium, which is

2.5x less than ‘salt’ amount- Presenter takes a 1 week high salt diet experiment, Doctor explains

she has gained 4lb’s in 1 week, used to portray the effects of salt- All this has been used to express that salt overall is bad and that

people need to watch what they eat

Sound

Non-diegetic voice over narration used when looking at foods or presenter is studying effects on Computer

- Used to show the amount of study going into this, makes it more believable

Diegetic narration from presenter with visual aid

- Used to show that it is realism, and it is happening NOW

EditingFlash dissolve from mid shot to close up, showing more foods

- Used to show that any food can be unpredictable

Cuts used to move from scenes- This is to show the programme is serious and professional, using large amounts of moree

extreme editing may put viewers off the actual information being given.

GraphicsOverlay graphic showing amount of salt in

children's breakfast- Used to give a clear message that these

foods have high salt- Colours used and salt theme to relate to

the topic

Overlay graphic showing amount of sodium in general snacks however needs to be ‘x2.5’

- Expresses that brands can be misleading due to fact they aren't giving the actual salt amount

- Seen as misleading – bad brand image