a) For this assignment I was asked to create a script for a documentary or a short film that I will be making for unit 41 .The documentary requires at least 5 minutes of footage as it is only a short film. The target audience for my documentary is males ages between 14 and 18, as I feel as if this age range would be interested and mature enough to watch the production of hip-hop instrumentals/music. Also the Producer, which I am documenting, Morgon is male which adds further clarification. The NRS social grade of my documentary would most likely be C1,C2 as well as B, as music is form of art which any classification of person may be interested in creating Music and can relate to it.
I have met the client’s needs as I mentioned the key parts in producing a musical instrumental, and I have really developed certain subjects such as explaining what software the producer will be using. The client said that the person I based the documentary on was relatable as the producer, Morgon is still trying to find a way in the music industry and is a normal everyday person.
The writers group liked how I had the idea in the script of placing questions on screen via graphics with the producer of course answering these questions after. The writers group also liked the idea of me going into a record shop and making the artist choose some classic vinyl’s as this would really bring a vintage feel to the documentary.
The Narrative/Dialogue instructions are very important as they add structure to the script and without structure nobody watching would really know what is going on throughout the documentary. Narrative/ Dialogue instructions are also important to the actual person, in this case being the producer Morgon as he will need to know what aspects of his creative process to show throughout the documentary in order to make the documentary as helpful as possible to the audience.
Another reason for Narrative/Dialogue instructions being important is the fact that it helps me as the Producer plan which shots are going to taken, which is important as the shots in many aspects really help define the documentary and can change the perspective of how the audience view it.
a)
The main thing the Writers Group told me to change was the format of the script as the original layout was not in the right format, which therefore made it hard for me, or even the Artist to follow.
The writers group also told me to change some of the content as I missed some key questions relating to the artist’s music which were important as the audience watching would need to know more about the Producer in order to see if they can relate to him or not.
b) To change the Script, and of course amend the errors I will re-organize the way it is set out by placing clearly which shots I will be taking and from what angles to make it organized and as detailed as possible. I will also change the layout and put each shot, in small writing next to the where I wrote the questions. I will also add more content in order to improve my script, for example adding more shots and also adding more questions to ask the Artist, and adding a more detailed response from the artist so that the audience can gain a greater understanding of the artists production process.
a)
a. What type of LANGUAGE is the script written in? formal? Informal?
The script is written in more formal language as this makes it easier for the artist to understand, as he may not be able to understand certain slang terms, so it is therefore always safe to write the script formally.
b. What is the HOUSE STYLE of the script? Font style? What does it look like?
The font is written in courier and the font size is 12, it is layed out in the style of most convention scripts with the shot displayed on the first line, then the next line being the action and then on the line below the question asked to the Producer with is answer being underneath.
d. What is included in the script? (What are the layout conventions? ) Included in the script is the main narrative as well as all the questions which will be answered by the producer, and it is layed out in a way in which the question is displayed first, then an answer is displayed below.
e. What is the mode of address (peer to peer, parent to child, teacher to pupil)?
The mode of address used will be teacher to pupil, as the questions need to be asked formally for the audience to understand, however their will some peer to peer responses as the artists of course has slang in his own vocabulary, which makes the documentary more entertaining in some aspects and also makes the audience relate to the documentary as the age group it is aimed at being 14-18 year olds, who tend to speak in slang. However their must be a balance between formal and slang.
f. What have you missed off? I have missed off certain camera conventions like the time of day the shots will be taken, which I will need to add to my script.
- My script does meet the legal and ethical requirements that are required for my documentary. The Writers group recommended a BBFC rating of 12 for my documentary being the beats lounge
as there could be some bad language throughout the documentary, but not enough for the documentary to be a higher BBFC rating . With this being an appropriate rating, the documentary will be available to a wider audience, as young people will be able to watch the documentary. An example of 12 rated documentary is The Beatles: Eight Days A Week- The Touring Years where there is some inappropriate language used, however there is not enough used to make it a higher BBFC rating which therefore makes it appropriate for the age group and the BBFC rating that is set.
I will also need to gain copyright permission to use the artist’s music so I am not going against any laws that are in place.
The artist will not get his reputation damaged in this documentary as he is viewed in a positive light and is explaining to the audience his musical production process.
