Bfi Mediatheque

Anjali Patel

2990 BFI Mediatheque

1. Watch the documentary 617 The Last Days of a Vulcan Squadron, 1982. •

How is the story told without a Voice Over for the first 5 minutes?

You follow the characters plus the main characters voices are heard over the background voices when they are socialising. So the main voice is louder then the background voices, and this is how we here the main characters without a voice over.

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How many characters and locations are we introduced to within the opening sequence? What effect does this have?

We had 4 main characters with minor characters in the background. The scene opens with an establishing shot and than there is a shot of the whole view. There are then a lot of mid-shots of the major and minor characters. The effect this has is that it establishes what type of scene the film/documentary is set in. in this case it was a war scene and scenes of the morning breakfast scene.

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How is the audience shown ‘reality’? What natural elements/processes do we see?

We can see that it’s from the army. We get a real scene/setting in the first opening scene. Calmer/ natural setting, we can see that by them socialising, and calm background sounds without any voice over’s.

2. Watch the film Colour The British Policemen, 1959.

Anjali Patel •

2990 How can this film be classed as a documentary? What conventions can you recognise?

A voice over (like a narrator) introducing us to what is happening. Opening music

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Make a list of the different types of shots, locations and characters we see.

Mid shot, long shot, two shot, extreme long shot, low angle and high angle shots, close- up, extreme close-up and finally over the shoulder shot. Jack Edwards and family (Wife, Susan age 6, Robert age 3), the police officers and the general public. Finally old aged people. Locations are the train station, the house, the city/market place and outside the police station.

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Editing plays a massive part of the validity of a documentary. What things do you think have been left out and why?

They left out the background public voices / noise this is because it would interrupt the voice over if other people where talking. They have replaced the background voice with background music.

3. Watch the film Night Mail, 1936

Anjali Patel •

2990 What effect do the poem, music and rhythm have for the audience?

Intense music in the opening scene/ music which show the type of film it are.

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Comment on the effectiveness of how the train (an object) is turned into the subject in the film. How is the train represented?

The train becomes important because it is the train that is delivering the mail. ‘5 hundred million mails every year’ the voice exerts the importance of the train. The viewers are following the train because it is an important part of the film.

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How is meaning created through the editing?

Short clear shots/ not dragging on. Voice over makes the viewer understand the storyline clearly. A lot of fades are being used the change the scene smoothly.