Task 2.1: Documentary - Natural World BBC

Task 2.1: Documentary

Natural World BBC (Oct 2013)

http://bbc.in/1vWIOJd

This documentary I have analysed is featured on BBC (British Broadcasting Channel) and takes the style of a wildlife documentary. There is a narrative structure throughout in the form of voice overs. Editing in this program is key as it adds to stylistic elements of the program and intrigues viewers more, making them more immersed in what they are watching.The documentary follows experts of meerkats and the meerkats themselves as the narrator guides the audience through a learning process of a specie of mammal. 

The title screen features a montage of graphic scores featuring different types of animals eyes. This is done by using an extreme close up shot and in the stage of editing, the transition of a book flipping pages is added. This may dictate that all animals are the same and belong to the same kingdom, uniting them all which highlights the convention of a documentary, with powerful messages. The edges are feathered with a pink tint, adding to the vibrant nature of documentaries. A lens flare has also been added to represent the sun and a stereotype of African animals are that they belong in the sun. A logo of the company BBC is seen in the top left corner. This embellishment reduces the risk of copyright and also brands the company.  

The title screen ends with a close up of an orangutan on the behind layer. This is also a shallow focus as the background of the shot is blurred hinting at a rain forest. This is used to add emphasis on the animals that will be displayed in this showing. The title itself is a white text, with soft qualities. The text itself is easy to read however the 'natural' is hard to see against the colour contrast. The word 'world' is also in bold which again adds emphasis so the audience can recognise what the documentary will include. Again, the BBC logo is embellished onto the screen, promoting the company through product placement. 

The following sequence features another montage of medium shots on the subjects, in this case, meerkats. This montage establishes what type of animal the audience will be viewing as this specific documentary series is sectioned into different animals of the kingdom. The voice over introduces the animals as done by Sir David Attenbourough, a well known TV presenter and broadcaster. Most documentaries have a host or presenter of which uses an editing technique called a voice over. This gives more additional information to the viewers. 

A focus pull is also featured, focusing from the back meerkat to the front one. This allows the audience to look at the one given subject in more detail and adds to the aesthetics of documenting. 

Extreme long shots are used on subjects to allow the audience to see their surroundings and the mise-en-scene gives more impact to the shot. In this shot we can see two people walking across a Serengeti, with bright blue skies and dry ground. This indicates they could be in a dry place such as Africa where the meerkats usually live. The costumes the people are wearing are cargo shorts and tank tops or shirts which indicate hot climate which also allows the audience to get a sense of where the animals are from. Under the voice over, there is low background music playing which is slightly noticeable but not noticeable enough to disrupt attention from the voice over. 

 This over the shoulder shot features a man and the meerkats playing in front of him. The mise-en-scene here again is key, showing the brown and pale colours to blend in with the Serengeti of Africa. The hat adds to the artistic elements of portraying a hot country. The rule of thirds is being used, showing ground, horizon and sky. This enables the audience to get a full view of what is going on in this scene. The over the shoulder shot immerses the viewers into the program by making it look like the viewers are there with the meerkats. After this shot, a long shot of a meerkat pair is shown in slow motion. Slow motion enables the audience to look in detail at the animals as they move fast and also features in many types of documentaries. 

A zoom is used on this group of meerkats. A zoom is yet another feature of documentaries as this shows the audience the same continuous shot in more detail. This is a stylistic element of documentaries. 

The pan in wildlife documentaries usually follows a subject or to show the vast area of the surroundings. This is used to show the dry barren land of Africa and where the meerkats live. The pan travels from left the right, following the thirds ratio, with ground, subject and sky which displays professional camera work. 

The shot that follows the small introduction, giving insight for the audience, is a long shot of the meerkat in a low angle frame. A 'fish-eye' lens appears to have been used, giving the appearance of the subject appearing larger than it really would be. The low angle used here shows the animal as being superior and the subject of the documentary. Title screens have been edited into this shot. The heading "Meerkats" refers to the animal the documentary is focusing on as this changes depending on the episode of the series. The underneath heading "secrets of an animal superstar" is the topic the documentation will be focusing on, with this animal. The titles are in a bold white Arial style font. This stands out against the white background and looks more natural, hence being a wildlife documentary. The capitalisation stands out a lot more, engaging with the audiences attention. 

The time lapse of the sunset is also reversed. This is a stylistic technique to display a hot country. Many documentaries feature the weather to depict where it is set, in this case a warm coloured sun is used in the frame to show this is set in a hot climate such as Africa. Time lapses are generic features of documentaries because they show the audience a long process happening in a short time. This is pleasing to the audience as this shows them something they wouldn't normally see without editing and professional camera work. 

Shortly after this shot, a series of natural sounds can be heard. This may either be diegetic or non-diegetic since being filmed in a place full of wildlife. The sound has been used to make the audience feel more immersed in the documentary and like they are apart of it. 

During this pan from right to left showing the meerkats in a long shot, Attenborough gives the audience information about the clan of meerkats. He names one of the meerkats and calls the rest of the meerkats "sons and daughter". This is so the audience can relate to the creatures more by perceiving them as human like characteristics.