3 Minute Wonders
What is a 3 minute wonder?
According to Channel 4 a 3 minute wonder is when 'budding new directors, who haven't yet had the opportunity to make a film for broadcast, are given the chance to make films destined for television.
What is the aim / purpose of a 3 Minute Wonder?
The aim/purpose of a 3 minute wonder is to give upcoming directors a chance. Also, it is to teach/show viewers something they do not aleady know.
What sort of topic would you expect to see on a 3 Minute Wonder?
The sort of topics you would expect to see are peculiar or largely ufamiliar. For example there is an episode which is about an paralysed artist named Ben Cove who creates giant paintings. This is a fascinating documentary which gives you an insight into some of the extraodinary lives of others.
3 Examples
Elisa
I believe there are two styles to this documentary, firstly observational as the viewers are shown a slice of Elisa's life. I also belive it has elements of expository as there is a use of voiceover which is authorative and tells the spectators informantion information which they do not know already.
I like the crane shots at the beginning of the doc. They are almost establishing shots and more feature in the documentary throughout. We do find out later on into the documentary that the view is what Elisa loves most. At the start we see the shots from outside however the doc ends with a shot of the view from inside looking out through the window. This is clever as we are almost put into the point of view of Elisa. I also like that all of the shots in the 3 minute wonder are static. It fits in with the doumentary style and its content. I also enjoyed how there were intertitls at the end explaining what happened to Elisa.
Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank
Even though the camera movement isn't very smooth at times, this is a good thing as it has a naturalistic feel to the short doc. It makes the spectator feel like they are there, also the students do not look at the camera, this is good as the doc isn't self referential.
Burning Candy
I feel that this 3 minute wonder has styles of expository and interactional documentary. It has elements of exposition as we hear a voiceover from the grafitti artists. We are told information about graffiti and the artists lifestyles. The interactional side to it is due to the little interviews shown throughout the documentary. The film makers voice is not heard however this is because of the way the doc has been edited, it is still interactive as the questions have been asked, we just do not hear them.
I like the way the 3 minute wonder has been shot. We see a lot of interview of the 'main graffiti artist', we see a lot of close ups of graffiti being created and we alo have a number of re-establishing/long shots. All of these shots are integrated throughout the documentary which maintains a good pace for the content of the doc. There is also a long jump cuts used where we see the artists fast forwarded completing their art on the wall.
Market research
Channel 4 - 5th March - 12th March
2720 minutes = 45.3 hours - 45.3/168
I found that 27% of shows on channel 4 over the week commencing on the 5th March to 12th March are some from of documentary. This is representative data of the week of which I looked at and not however, representative of all documentaries aired on Channel 4,
Channel 5 - 5th March - 12th March
1705 minutes = 28.4 hours - 28.4/168
I also found that 16.9% of shows on channel 5 over the week from 5th March to 12th March are documentaries. This again, is representative data of the week of which I looked at and not however, representative of all documentaries aired on Channel 5 on a wider scale.
Source - http://www.tvguide.co.uk/
On BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, I found that in the top 30 viewed shows on each channel, the average number of factual programmes per channel is 10.4 out of the 30. The documentary with the highest amount of viewings went to CountryFile on BBC 1 with 6.97 million. The documentary with the least amount of viewings out of the 5 channels was Benidorm ER on Channel 4 with 0.86 million.
Source - http://www.barb.co.uk
Documentary ideas
'Relationships'
Style - Observational/expository - Questions will be asked by me however they will not be recorded
Plot - A look into a number of people's relationships, finding out, where they met and what they first saw in their partner etc. It will be a non linear documentary interlacing all of the interviews together. I will give facts about relationships/love and will use bricolage.
Target Audience - Anybody that is or has been in a relationship. I think the denographic of minute wonders target audience would be broad but with a slight bias towards middle class, professionals with a median age of around 30. Overall, I feel that there is not a set of specific demographics for my target audience as it something everybody (hopefully) has or will experience. Anyone with a heart will find something to relate to!
Aim - The documentary will be light-hearted and will give people the chance to look at real people's current/past relationships. I want the spectators to be entertained by each of the interviewee's storytelling and to appreciate the importance of 'love' and the importance of a 'partner'.
Questions
- Where they met?
- When they met?
- How they met?
- What they love about them? Favourite things?
- First impressions?
- Why did you get together?
- How long together?
- How much would you say you know about eachother?
- Do you think you could live without your partner?
- How much has your partner impacted your life?
The only people I will need for the filming of this documentary film is myself and the interviewees.
Possible interviewees -
- Jack Cross + Lizzie Cork
- Anna Cross + Ian Cross
- Fallon Evans Webster
- Adrianne Farthing + Jordan Stephens
- Lesley + Gary Webster
- Gloria Cross
Different locations -
- Park Bench
- Kitchen
- Living Room
- Classrooms
Small amount of travel needed!
Shots (Cinematography) - Photographs of couples together - Static footage of interviews
Equipment needed - As the 3 Minute Wonder will dominantly consist of inteviews and will therefore be as 'honest' as a documenatry can be, therefore, I will be not be needing to buy any props or costumes for the doc.
Similar 3 minute wonder - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT24uQv-6Xs
'Stereotypical granny?'
Style - Observational/Interactive
Plot - A look into the life of my nan, her love of Westlife, her fast paced mobility scooter, her love for chocolate, her air max trainers and a look into her first experiences of love.
Target Audience - People of all ages, who are interested in elderly people and their lives. Also people who believe in sterotypes as this doc goes against the typical stereotype of a grandmother.
Aim - Everybody will experience old age, but does it mean they're not still young inside? I want people to see that every elderly person has a story and are deceiving by the image
Questions -
- Whats you earliest memory?
- How did you become to love Westlife?
- Who's your favourite member?
- Can you remember your first boyfriend?
- Whats one of your happiest memories?
- Do you feel still feel young?
- Would you say your life has gone too quick?
- What's you opinion on sterotypes?
- Can you remember your first sexual experience?
- How many grandchildren do you have?
- If you do anything today, what would you do?
Location - Nan's house - Corton
Shots (Cinematography) - Static in interview, shows of photographs, bricolage, Tracking shot of mobility scooter
Secondary Research -
Everyone is familiar with stereotypes about elderly people. They range from lighthearted "over the hill" jokes, to harsher accusations of being senile, unable to think for themselves, and even having the mental capacity of a child. The truth is, many of these stereotypes do not serve as a true representation of the elderly population. Beyond this, many television shows, movies and other types of media just altogether ignore the elderly population.
Research has found that during prime time television shows, only 3% of the characters are age 70 or older, while this age group actually accounts for 9% of the American population. Fewer elderly women were shown, although the number of elderly women outnumbers the elderly men.
When elderly characters are present in the media, they are often disgraced by being depicted inaccurately. They are sometimes shown to resemble children, which may seem harmless, but actually gives the public the impression that they only have the mental capacity of a child. According to an article by John Hess, the media blames elderly people for budgets being out of control, banks going bust, states and cities going broke, and even children going hungry. He says that when the press releases information regarding government spending on elderly people, it is often exaggerated and this is why people think that so much of their tax money goes to old people. This results in the government calling for budget cuts on services that benefit the elderly, such as Social Security and Medicare. This is also why people think that elderly people are the cause of budget problems, etc. The government claims that money spent on the elderly takes away from programs that take care of those things. Despite the common belief that elderly people have plenty of money and do not need Social Security, a full half of them would fall below the poverty level if their Social Security was cut off.
Advertising in the media is one of the most bias towards elderly people. The elderly are usually only shown in commercials for "elderly" products; adult diapers, medicine for forgetfulness, nursing care facilities, BINGO, etc. They are not usually found on advertisements for any product requiring physical activity, although many elderly are actually quite physically active. The commercials and advertisements usually only depict the elderly as mean, grumpy, unwilling to try new things and otherwise unattractive.
The role of the elderly in the media is alarming because of the media's influence on public opinions. According to Gerbner, "Mass media, particularly television, form the common mainstream of contemporary culture. They present a steady, repetitive, and compelling system of images and messages...This unprecedented condition has a profound effect on the way we are socialized into our roles, including age as a social role ... The world of aging (and nearly everything else) is constructed to the specifications of marketing strategies." It is scary to think that we allow the media to form our ideas about people to conform to their marketing needs. Elderly people have much to offer that is largely ignored by the public, and much of this is a result of the media's negative influence.
http://voices.yahoo.com/stereotypes-older-people-they-really-true-361318.html?cat=9
Stereotypes of older people as problematically sick and vulnerable, heroically young and active or just comically grumpy like TV’s Victor Meldrew are major barriers preventing their real needs from being heard or acted upon. Professional attitudes that treat old age as if it were ‘an illness for which there is no cure’ are no less damaging
http://www.jrf.org.uk/media-centre/listen-older-people-not-stereotypes-jrf-report-urges-policy-makers
Poitive/negative sterotypes
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080105204659AAURCSw
Secondary Research -
Everyone is familiar with stereotypes about elderly people. They range from lighthearted "over the hill" jokes, to harsher accusations of being senile, unable to think for themselves, and even having the mental capacity of a child. The truth is, many of these stereotypes do not serve as a true representation of the elderly population. Beyond this, many television shows, movies and other types of media just altogether ignore the elderly population.
Research has found that during prime time television shows, only 3% of the characters are age 70 or older, while this age group actually accounts for 9% of the American population. Fewer elderly women were shown, although the number of elderly women outnumbers the elderly men.
When elderly characters are present in the media, they are often disgraced by being depicted inaccurately. They are sometimes shown to resemble children, which may seem harmless, but actually gives the public the impression that they only have the mental capacity of a child. According to an article by John Hess, the media blames elderly people for budgets being out of control, banks going bust, states and cities going broke, and even children going hungry. He says that when the press releases information regarding government spending on elderly people, it is often exaggerated and this is why people think that so much of their tax money goes to old people. This results in the government calling for budget cuts on services that benefit the elderly, such as Social Security and Medicare. This is also why people think that elderly people are the cause of budget problems, etc. The government claims that money spent on the elderly takes away from programs that take care of those things. Despite the common belief that elderly people have plenty of money and do not need Social Security, a full half of them would fall below the poverty level if their Social Security was cut off.
Advertising in the media is one of the most bias towards elderly people. The elderly are usually only shown in commercials for "elderly" products; adult diapers, medicine for forgetfulness, nursing care facilities, BINGO, etc. They are not usually found on advertisements for any product requiring physical activity, although many elderly are actually quite physically active. The commercials and advertisements usually only depict the elderly as mean, grumpy, unwilling to try new things and otherwise unattractive.
The role of the elderly in the media is alarming because of the media's influence on public opinions. According to Gerbner, "Mass media, particularly television, form the common mainstream of contemporary culture. They present a steady, repetitive, and compelling system of images and messages...This unprecedented condition has a profound effect on the way we are socialized into our roles, including age as a social role ... The world of aging (and nearly everything else) is constructed to the specifications of marketing strategies." It is scary to think that we allow the media to form our ideas about people to conform to their marketing needs. Elderly people have much to offer that is largely ignored by the public, and much of this is a result of the media's negative influence.
http://voices.yahoo.com/stereotypes-older-people-they-really-true-361318.html?cat=9
Stereotypes of older people as problematically sick and vulnerable, heroically young and active or just comically grumpy like TV’s Victor Meldrew are major barriers preventing their real needs from being heard or acted upon. Professional attitudes that treat old age as if it were ‘an illness for which there is no cure’ are no less damaging
http://www.jrf.org.uk/media-centre/listen-older-people-not-stereotypes-jrf-report-urges-policy-makers
Poitive/negative sterotypes
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080105204659AAURCSw
George,
ReplyDeleteYou need to add your pre-production to your blog. This includes; recces, releases, risk assessment, production schedule etc.
EllieB