Statement of Intent: Draft

Product 1:

I want my documentary to interest and appeal to my target demographic of socially conscious 16-25 year olds. To do this I need to take into account the areas of media theoretical framework including language, audience, industry and representation when creating my products as well as covering areas interesting to them. Mental Health is a subject that I believe to be very important and should be spoken about more often - and I feel that this age group could take interest int his, and it is most likely to effect everyone in some way, whether it's themselves or someone close to them. I plan to include a wide range of shot types and locations within my documentary and think that this can become really powerful in emphasising certain moments. For example wide scene shots with voice over, or extreme close ups at times of emotional climax. Then having different locations can help to tell a story and match up with narration almost like 'throwbacks'. I think that my younger audience will be interested also because the main 'subject/talent' of the documentary is young too. This may give them more to relate too when watching.

Product 2:

I think that having a website as a second product allows me to include more conventions and encourage more interaction with the audience. I can provide links to social medias like the people featured in the documentary, as well as for sports accounts and mental health platforms linking to the focus of the documentary itself. Including social media accounts on the website is current and necessary for the young target audience as they are most likely to use those platforms regularly, and would be more likely to engage in that. The website can be used to promote the 'star' of the documentary and their own platform, but I aim for it to for the most part be focusing on mental health and raising awareness on that. I think that a way to add on the interaction could be allowing audiences to 'submit' their own stories, or questions, or something similar to this that can be shared with everyone. Even though this documentary has a serious topic, I want the website to be more light hearted and welcoming for anyone.

To link each of my products one thing that I will do is keep the same typography and colour palette throughout. This is similar to what BBC 3 do by having a pink colour palette on all of their web pages - including for seperate documentaries. Although there won't be much text on the documentary, it can be kept the same for the main title when it appears in the opening sequence, and on the website. I will also include images on the website from places filmed at in the documentary, and may even have a gallery of photos. Also the audio visual could be filmed in a place that was also used in the documentary, to continue a link of the two together.

Planning: Website

I created a Wix account to look at different templates, play around with it and learn more about their format as I've never used it before.
I think that I am going to have my documentary as part of a 'series' based around sport, so my documentary in particular is focused on horse riding as one of the 'episodes' of this. Therefore, I can have the website more general about mental health and sport together, with a section dedicated to this documentary.

I chose this template as it is clear and precise, and not much going on. I want my website to have a clean layout and easy to access different things. There are many things that I would like to adapt within this.
For example, with the 'Latest News' and the linked pages below I could include a written article on a mental health story. Also I like the Quick Links section, which I think that I will use to link helplines and pages for advice and mental health information.

Planning: First Ideas

Here is a mind map of some ideas that I want to include in my 2 products. With many common conventions of documentaries incorporated, as well as some brief ideas for my website.

Generic Research: Language and Digital Convergence

How do media producers use language to communicate meaning?
Background music is very popularly used in documentaries. It can build on the drama and even emphasise something. For example, many documentaries have some background music with narration, which I plan on doing in my documentary too. This is done in both of the documentaries that I previously analysed. They have wide scene shots, with music building up and they give statistics and explanations. Slow paced editing goes really well with this. It communicates meaning by allowing the audience to really hear what is being said in the narration as they don't have much else to focus on when watching.
Media producers also communicate meaning through the mise en scene. It is very common for the people making the documentary to shoot in multiple locations. In my opinion depending on where it is, it can really effect the tone of the scene and how they want the audience to be responding at that exact moment. For example, if they wanted to increase the emotional climax they might have the scene with the person who is upset or struggling on their own, maybe with close up shots and background music. This would be effective in the audience feeling like they are either with them, or feeling sympathy. Also I think that the colour palette and lighting of the scene will emphasise on the meaning too. For example, having warmer brighter tones will give a positive representation and almost lighten the mood, whereas darker lighting will do the opposite and it may seem like a sadder scene. I have noticed this being used for example when looking back in the past. Often the subject is looking back at a sadder time when they may have been struggling, and the lighting drops. This immediately shows the audience that they aren't trying to portray this in a positive way, with the colours emphasising that and communicating this meaning.

How do media producers use digital convergence to link their products?
If we take Jesy Nelsons 'Odd One Out' as an example, there are many ways that the producers use digital convergence to make links. Firstly, on the webpage for the documentary is easter eggs linking to other parts of the page. As this documentary was specifically made for BBC 3, they still want to promote the BBC as a whole. For example, you can see the 'Last on' section, which is quite large and right next to the main documentary image which contains an Easter Egg. Although it is only discrete when you click it, you are taken to the main BBC One page. This could encourage the audience from Jesy Nelsons documentary, to now see some of what they have on BBC One, and take an interest in that.
 

Brand identity is also very prominently used by producers. Even from the example above we can see brand identity being created through the colour palette. Red is the colour many people associate with BBC One and not only is it in the logo, but they also used it in the web page as the background. This is again done with BBC 3. The BBC use these different colours to differentiate the different channels, and BBC 3 is Pink.


We can see that the Pink is used on the background of this page. When you scroll down, there is a hyperlink to BBC 3's main page. This is another way that digital convergence is being used. Looking at this further the brand identity can still be seen on this page as even though it is mostly grey, the play buttons are still clearly pink.

Textual Analysis 3 and Websites Research Stacey Dooley

Stacey Dooley is an English TV presenter, journalist, documentary filmmaker, media personality and author. She is very involved in the BBC Three's documentary list with many of her own social issue themed documentaries. Her filmography is largely taken up by 'Stacey Dooley investigates', which is her documentary 'series'. The BBC website states that in these she 'investigates current affairs issues affecting young people around the world'. When observing different ways of living and carrying out these investigations, Dooley does her best to fit in and really feel what it is like for these other people. I think that this is one of the reasons her documentaries are so popular, because the audience are able to see almost the behind the scenes of other people lives and it is interesting to see Dooley fully immersed in this.
From the examples below you can see how she really involves herself to truly capture what it is like. Instead of her just directing and filming these other people, actually doing the same things as them and what is normal for them allows her to even then be able to comment on the differences, because she is also experiencing it all herself too. All of these documentaries shown below can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer website.

As Dooley has produced a wide range of films and series, she also has her own 'website' which is a section on BBC 3 dedicated just to her work. This makes it much easier for the audience to locate all of what she has done, especially if they enjoy watching one they can then watch more and browse what else she has filmed, and where she has been. I also think that Dooley's success could possibly be because of the wide range of topics and issues she covers. She travels all around the world for this content, as we can see in the few examples above in Nigeria, Russia, America and many more. This is interesting to the UK viewers to see other parts of the world instead of just their own.

One of her really powerful documentaries in my opinion is when she visited Springfield Hospitals Psych Ward. She spoke to patients, workers and families whilst becoming a part of it, spending time there for three weeks to produce this and really understand everything she could about it. I think that spending 3 weeks there shows her dedication and how much she is willing to do in order to show the audience what she can. She faces many tough situations and I feel she becomes really involved and puts a lot into trying to help and do what she can as if she was actually a worker. This is an example of what I mentioned above, with her immersing herself in the new and unfamiliar situation.

This documentary begins with low, almost suspenseful music and a close up of Dooleys face walking along with the diegetic sounds of the ward and people talking. Then Dooley begins to narrate over the videos being played. The first sentence she speaks is really powerful and could easily immediately draw the audience in and definitely encourage them to continue watching the entire documentary. I want to create a similar effect when I make mine as I feel that around the first minute of what the audience see are the most important, as that will tell whether they want to continue watching.
'We all know someone who's struggled with their mental health'
 Even using the pronoun 'we' brings everyone together and makes the audience relate to the documentary straight away. This one line can get them thinking about their own experiences and interest them more.
This introduction continues to show snippets of what we will be seeing later on and throughout the documentary, working almost like a trailer with Dooley speaking over some of it explaining what she'll be doing as they continue to watch. After 40 seconds the title shot appears, and the documentary begins properly. After this disappears we see wide shots of scenes and places around the ward, not only helping the audience visualise it, but also allowing them to concentrate and listen on what Dooley says.
The first patient we meet is young, 24 year old Laura. She is battling anorexia and is back in '136' after a near suicide attempt off a bridge.

We see Laura enter the ward in an afraid and anxious state as can be seen from this mid shot above. She seems very timid and closed off, and extremely scared holding her arms almost folded in each other.
Dooley then interviews her in a very natural environment clearly not staged, whilst they are both in the corridor. The location of this emphasises the reality and adds a sense of realism, as neither of them are facing the camera or looking at them directly - we as the audience are just observing their conversation. Dooley starts asking questions to Laura about how she is feeling, etc.
How are you feeling?
You are anxious?
Do you want to sit down, or do you prefer to stand?
Would it be okay if I ask you some questions?
How long were you in hospital for?
So, you were just discharged two days ago?
I found watching this interview really interesting for many reasons. I think that for me it will be useful when making my documentary as it allowed me to see how the patient was like in terms of body language and they way she was speaking too. Laura was very anxious at this time and used many filler words in her speech, for example 'like' and 'umm'. This 'interview'/conversation that Stacey had with Laura wasn't even 3 minutes into the documentary and we are already seeing the harsh reality of some mental health patients, and how they deal with their own experiences. I like that it appears as if they aren't hiding anything from the audience, like protecting how people view the ward and instead just show it how it is. An example of this is one of Laura's responses about being discharged.

She replies in such way that we can immediately see the way she feels about the ward and how they treat her. This gives a negative viewpoint, however we can also see that Laura is in a fragile position, and even says herself that she isn't thinking straight.
I really like the use of this mid point of view shot taken from behind Stacey. It is natural and not forced, adding to the realism and perfectly showing what the documentary wants - for the audience to see inside the mental health ward.
Being able to meet a patient like this and seeing how Stacey behaves around them in interesting, and not only do we see this but we also see Laura 3 months on, in a more set up interview. Even just from this screenshot compared with the 2 above we can see the physical changes she has had. At the start when Stacey first met Laura she was extremely deep into an eating disorder, but has made so much progress since.

This was really effective in my opinion, and it makes the audience feel involved. I want to create a similar idea in my documentary so that my audience can also feel part of the story and understand it as well as they can. It is able to show the audience that her mental health has drastically improved, and she is in a position where she is able to look back and talk about it being in her past.

The webpage for this documentary is similar to Jesy Nelsons Odd One Out, as they are both part of BBC 3. However, as we can see on this one it is part of Stacey Dooleys webpage.
The main image is showing Dooley (the main presenter) sat on one of the beds.
Below this is 5 paragraphs describing what the documentary entails, and giving brief descriptions of some of the patients we meet. This is useful for the audience or potential viewers, and I plan to have something similar on my website.
  
As you scroll down there is a 'clip' which discusses working on a psychiatric ward, and interviews some of those working on the frontline of the mental health health services. I could incorporate something similar to this into my website and this 'clip' is like an additional audio-visual on their page, like I have to create. I could possibly have an interview for mine like what is featured in this.
When you click to watch the clip it opens a new page, specifically for this and next to the play button is a 'warning' that the episode deals with adult themes. Suggesting it may be sensitive to some, and not suitable for younger children.


At the bottom of the page, as they do for everything on BBC iPlayer, they are promoting and encouraging their viewers to look at more similar content - they provide a link for more of Stacey Dooleys documentaries, as well as more on mental health.

The rest of this web page is similar to Jesy Nelsons Odd One Out, so I have linked my previous analysis for that below.
https://602216607.blogspot.com/2020/04/generic-research-2.html

Generic Research: Websites Research MIND

MIND

Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales, offering information and advice to people with mental health problems. They provide support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. They state on their website: We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.

They have a large and full website, with so much available. They have links for someone to talk to, urgent help, and donations at the top of every page.

What interests me, and what I find really powerful is the amount of 'stories' they have about personal experiences that people have had and chosen to share. I think that this clearly proves that they really do want to empower, and shows people they are not alone - and would be able to read some of these and probably be able to relate. Even if people on their website aren't personally struggling - they may have someone close to them who is, or just want to learn more, which is exactly what the Mind website is able to do. It provides great education on so many topics and even has a section dedicated to 'Training'.

Relating to my documentary, they also have lots of information on 'Physical activity and mental health'. This also supports that exercise plays an important role for mental health, as such widely known and important charities like this one are writing about it. On this page there is:

'Support for people wanting to become more active'

'Training: Mental Health awareness for Sport and Physical Activity'

'Our newsletters'

'Thriving at work: A guide for the sport and physical activity sector'

'We are undefeatable' (this is a campaign led by Sport England, the National Lottery, Mind and the Richmond Group of Charities)

'We've launched our Regional Networks'

'Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation' 

'Mind and the EFL are #OnYourSide' (increasing awareness within the football community)

'Support for Coaches'

'Our toolkits'

This is just the titles of the additional links they provide - only for physical activity. 

I found this article below particularly useful - and will especially refer back to it when producing my documentary, and may include a similar article or information like this within my website.

https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/our-policy-work/sport-physical-activity-and-mental-health/

Generic Research: Websites Research Sport England

SPORT ENGLAND

Sport England are a 'non-departmental public body' that fund projects and other organisations small and large - helping people to get active. They have a page on their website about Mental Health (part of it shown below), including why they invest in it, how physical activity helps it, their partnerships, other resources and even case studies.

This article helps to fulfil the purpose of their company, as well as helping people around them, who could be struggling with mental health, or even just want to see the benefits physical activity can give.

I want my documentary to raise awareness about mental health and give people something they could try if they are struggling. Hopefully, the main story will be something that people could relate to, and see that they can get better if they feel like they can't.

The information in this article can help me in terms of factual pieces to give to the audience to show them reasons why exercise can benefit your mental health.

How physical activity helps mental health

There are various ways that physical activity helps mental health, including:

Improved mood

Studies show that physical activity has a positive impact on our mood. One study asked people to rate their mood after a period of exercise (i.e. walking or gardening) and after inactivity (i.e. reading a book). Researchers found that people felt more awake, calmer and more content after physical activity. 

For more information about the study, please see the Mental Health Foundation website.

Reduced stress

Being regularly active is shown to have a beneficial impact on alleviating stress. It can help manage stressful lifestyles and can help us make better decisions when under pressure. 

Research on working adults shows that active people tend to have lower stress rates compared to those who are less active.

Increased self-esteem

Physical activity has a big impact on our self-esteem – that’s how we feel about ourselves and our perceived self-worth. 

This is a key indicator of mental wellbeing. People with improved self-esteem can cope better with stress and improves relationships with others.

Depression and anxiety

Exercise has been described as a “wonder drug” in preventing and managing mental health. Many GPs now prescribe physical activity for depression, either on its own or together with other treatments. 

It’s effective at both preventing onset of depression and managing symptoms.

Revision of Pitch

When looking back at my original pitch and with all of the new and much more in depth research that I have now done, I realise that I could make it much more specific.
When writing that I was unsure on what to have the main focus of my documentary on - I knew that I wanted it about sports and horse riding just not enough.
Here is the link to my original pitch, where I explained how it would be able to meet the brief, how I can encourage audience engagement, and using digital convergence.
https://602216607.blogspot.com/2020/03/planning-pitch.html
However, as this documentary is for BBC 3 it needs to fit in with their previous documentaries and what you would be likely to see as part of them. After looking on their website and carrying out more research into this I decided that my documentary would be about a girls struggles with mental health, and how she coped with sports - in particular horse riding - helping her. I feel as though this may be a lot more relatable for some people and also interesting even if its not. Having a story will be much more entertaining and easier to watch and follow.
I also now think that voiceovers could be really powerful if included. For example I am thinking about starting the documentary reading out statistics that could shock people, and maybe interest them to want to watch more.

Audience Research Summation

What have you discovered about the leisure and media consumption habits of you target audience and in particular your focus?
When talking with my focus group I realised that all of them enjoy spending time going out with friends, and they all go out and socialise at least once a week.

How many times a week do you go out with friends?
Amelie: Other than seeing everyone at school, normally once maybe a Friday after school - because I work weekends.
Lauren: 3 or 4
Sam: 2 or 3
Alex: Around 2 or 3 normally

As my documentary is based around sports I also asked my focus group how often they spend a week doing physical activity of any kind and what they do.
Amelie: Everyday, with my horse every late afternoon/evening.
Lauren: 4 to 5 times a week, I love to go running and also the gym.
Sam: Around every other day if I can. Although I love exercise its hard to fit it in with Uni work and having a job, and wanting to see friends.
Alex: I love riding my horse as often as we can, and I go to the stables every single day. I also really enjoy cycling.
These are answers I expected from this group, and this is helpful to remember for my documentary when making it. I am thinking that I could include either in the main video, or a separate section as part of my website about how to manage your time, or how the star was able to cope with sports and socialising, and struggling with their mental health. I would like to do an article based around this.

In terms of media consumption they all also spent a lot of time dedicated to social media, and on their phones. When I asked what device/form they use the most it is being on their phone, and the most popular social media said was Instagram. I also asked older members of my family which they use just to get a general idea of the secondary target audiences interests - and they also said the same (with a few saying Facebook). This well help me when creating my product as I am now able to see that there is an overlap for users of Instagram and my 16-25 target audience. I can create an Instagram page for the star of my documentary and link it on my website as well, possibly the end of the documentary as I know this is the most popular social media for my audience - and even for those out of this age range.