Documentary Analysis - Talhotblond

Type of documentary

Talhotblond is a mixed documentary as it has a interviews, archive material and voice over. However, the voice over is of someone who is dead.

Themes

The documentary follows a number of themes such as crime, mental health, the dangers of the internet and addication.

Narrative structure

Talhotblond follows a linear narrative as it chronological. Each event is shown in the order it happened.

Camera work

An establishing shot is used to set the scene, it puts a visual to what is being described. It allows the audience to feel more involved because they can actually see the narrative. The establishing shot is of the work place where the documentary begins.

A close up is used during interviews so that the audience can see the emotion of the interviewee. From this close up you can see the criminal is wearing a prison uniform which allows the audience to know that he is in prison, this reinforces the theme of crime.

A tracking shot is used to follow the action. It gives the effect that it what the audience itself is looking at as if they were there themselves. It is used in Talhotblond to show the criminals movements.

Sound

The voice over used in Talhotblond is of the victim of the crime, who is now dead. Therefore it is not actually his voice but an actors. This helps carry the narrative but rather than having a voice over with no relevance to the documentary, they have used the victim.

Vox pops are also used to show the publics opinion of the what had taken place. These are used to make the documentary seem less biased. It also allows the audience to see how people who knew those involved felt and reacted.

Editing

Montage editing is used to show a variety of pictures in a small amount of time. These pictures used will give the audience an insight to what is being described, usually from a persons earlier life.

Slow motion is used when introducing the criminal. By using slow motion it emphasises what the criminal has done, it simply used for effect.

Archive material

There is a variety of archive material used in Talhotblond from images to copies of their conversation. Here are the images that were being sent to the criminal and the victim, this is used to show the evidence to the audience. This reinforces the theme of ‘dangers on the internet’.

This is a note that the criminal had written. It reinforces the theme of ‘mental health’ which the audience can see from the content of the note.

Graphics

Graphics are used to give the audience extra information eg. The name and occupation of an interview. This has informed the audience of his relevance to the documentary.

Graphics are being used here to recreate the conversation had between two people. By making the graphics scroll slowly it allows the audience to read it easily rather than putting the whole original conversation up at one time.

Mise – en – scene

The background setting of this interview with a clinical psychologist connotes his profession. He has various objects in the background which suggest he has a background of science. This reinforces his relevance to the documentary.

The criminals code of attire suggests that he is in prison which is eventually revealed for the murder of his victim. By doing so it reinforces the theme of ‘crime’ rather than having him dress in normal clothes.