Call out sheet

While we were filming at Barnsley fire station, some of the fire fighters got called out. It was to a derelict caravan at Stairfoot. 2 fire engines went to attend. One was to attend from Cudworth and one from Barnsley fire station. The call is sent to a special machine. This is the piece of paper that the fire fighters use to gain the information they need to attend the call.

visitors pass

'Uncover' details about our documentary

Below is a more detailed approach to our documentary. I was able to sit down and take an in depth look at our documentary and make a strategic plan for our plan towards the filming and set up of our documentary. Between 3rd and 7th of November, Sheffield Showroom theatre was host to Sheffield documentary festival. Between the hours of 9 and 4 there was a variety of speeches from people working in different areas of the media sector. There was also a workshop where the participants had to create a documentary idea that had a theme of Africa. There were 9 groups all together. Our group (Barnsley College) won the ‘competition’ with our idea of ‘Nigerian beauty’. Our idea was to interview a Nigerian model and the women around her (mother, sisters, aunties) and ask them questions about her, her career and their views on beauty. Then to take bring her to Britain an compare British models and their idea of beauty to the Nigerian aspects.

Why channel 4?
We have chosen Channel 4 to be the host of our documentary. We chose them because of their history with filming and broadcasting documentaries, they have an online archive of 596 documentaries and there specifications are matched to our goals. They also support an OD programme (on demand). This is where we are able to access programmes that we have missed on television, allowing us to catch up whenever we wish, no matter date or time as it is uploaded onto the internet and ready to watch. Therefore, if some of our audience miss our documentary, or wish to look upon it again, they are able to recall upon it as it will be available on Channel 4 OD.
Interview
Before the interviews are to take place, we plan to meet the fire fighters that will be appearing in our documentary, it will not be filmed or documented as it is an ’exercise’ that will allow us to get to know one another, find out about each other’s interests and become comfortable around each other before filming is to occur. In effect this will reflect in the documentary with natural conversation, rather than a structured ‘cold’ interview where it would be just be a simple question and answer.
Questions will be asked to gain information on the fire fighters as we do not expect them just to reel off random information. The questions are well thought out and well structured.
By preparing and researching our questions, we were able to make the questions open that allow a variation of answers that will/ could reveal detail and depth. However another technique is to provide statements that the fire figthers are able to build upon . This gives the subject chance to lead us through their story from their point of view and share their experiences with us, the audience. This level of preparation will provide a relaxed, conversational interview.
Plan
It is crucial to a films finished product that plenty of planning is done well before any filming is done. The purpose of planning is to ‘map out’ or structure the filming and editing process. It allows the film makers to ask themselves questions: what do i want to say? Has my story been done before? Do i have access? How am i going to tell the story? What resources do i have? By planning our documentary this way, it has allowed us know and easily direct what shots are needed, what questions we need to ask to gain the information we need to fit it in to our story etc. Like most documentaries, the aim of ours is to educate and entertain our audience. We plan to document the everyday life of our local fire fighters and find out what goes on behind closed doors and their whirring sirens. Our ‘fly on the wall’ (observational) documentary filming style has the added effect of voice over narration. During the editing process, the shots used can subtly indicate progress within the film.

Visitors pases from fire station

How Effective are Posters when Advertising?

You see them everywhere. Movie posters are prominently displayed on billboards, in the lobby of your local movie theater, in magazines, on the Internet, and even on the sides of buses. But how often do you stop and think about the effects movie posters have on you?

It's important to remember that movie posters are advertisements. The goal of a poster essentially is to "sell" the movie—to make you want to see it. How does it do that? The poster may have the movie title in a big and bold font. Images of the movie's attractive actors are usually featured. In addition, the actors' names are probably included somewhere on the poster to remind you that the movie has big-name stars. Designs, colors, and fonts are used to appropriately reflect the mood and tone of the film. And the poster probably includes a catchy sentence or slogan that piques your interest and makes the plot seem intriguing.

The visual elements on a movie poster can convey powerful messages. The best posters may make you anxiously anticipate an upcoming release. The worst ones may not have a persuasive effect at all. By analyzing movie posters, you can gain a better understanding of the elements that effectively grab the attention of movie-goers and sell the movie's story—even before viewers see it for themselves.


Questions to Consider:
Is the movie title prominently featured? Is the text easy to read?
Are the main actors shown? If so, which ones? What do their appearances and expressions convey about the movie?
What is the design of the movie poster? Does it accurately reflect the mood and tone of the film?
What other images are included? What do you notice about the framing of the images?
What text is shown on the poster? Is there a catchy slogan? If so, what does it tell you about the movie's story?
Is there any other important information included on the poster?
Why do/don't you think this movie poster is persuasive?

Framing
The positioning of objects, actors, and text within the frame of a poster to achieve a particular effect. For example, a movie poster for an action film might feature the main actor framed in such a way as to make him seem attractive, strong, and invincible.

Mood
The feeling created for a viewer by the director's use of details, music, and cinematography.

Slogan
A catchy and memorable phrase or sentence on a movie poster. An effective slogan should convey the mood, tone, and main idea of the film without giving too much away. It should capture viewers' attention and make them interested in the story.

Tone
The filmmaker's attitude as reflected in the movie—ironic, serious, and so forth.

Example posters for documentaires

Example Posters for Documentaries

Documentaries are programmes which are based upon fact, such as historical, politcial and social events. They usual contain news and narrative footage. These films are usual released within a limited markets, many times are just regionally.

Advertising for these films aimed a 'special target audiences' films do not share the same widespread acceptance main stream movie material. This is due to smaller distribution companies for documentaries due to them being harder to obtain to market.

These poster all share the same features, captialisation of important elements is important for a documentary poster because of it symbolise to its audience what it is about. The first poster has it's title 'fuel' but into green font this makes it very effective for marketing due to it being symbolic of the documentary. The word 'intervention' is also put into green font to put emphaise on the political/social event.

The second poster has been created similar to a film poster in the fact of it showing informality, however is good for the marketing of it because of it attractive the persific target audience. By looking this I would say the target audience is based at a teenage audience, because of it being about make up. Make up is something which that teenages envolve their lives around, aspects of the poster are direct towards a female audience, the way they have used the statue and draw over it. This work effective because of it being persific and direct to what the documentary will contain.

Through studying these posters they have used techniques to get across to their target audience to interest them so that they will get the correct audience interest in their documentary.

Shooting script