Interview

I have interviewed Chris Walker the Regional Managing Editor of Trinity Mirror North West & Wales for my documentary. I have shot over ten minutes of footage which I will edit for my final piece.

What I have acomplished today.

In todays lesson i have began securing my fist interview for the documentary. It is with Chris Walker the Regional Managing Editor of Trinity Mirror North West & Wales. I believe his interview is vital to my documentary as I am studying the Hillsborough disaster's media coverage I believe an interview with someone with a journalistic background is crucial. I am now waiting for a reply confirming the date and time of the interview. I have also studies archive videos of the Hillsborough disaster to see if I can use any clips in my documentary. i believe using achieve footage is essential when producing a product mainly focused on an event 20 years ago.

Interview questions

I have devised some questions i would like to ask Chris from the Liverpool Echo. I will loosely follow these questions as I want to hear what he really thinks on subjects and believe a loose interviewing style is less intimidating.


What do you remember about that day at Hillsborough?
What was the reaction like in the city?
Do you remember the headlines?
Why do you think the sun got such a hard time when other tabloids printed very similar stories?
How do you feel that originally kelvin McKenzie was going to print the headline as ‘YOU SCUM’ instead of ‘THE TRUTH’?
As someone who works in the Newspaper industry, can you almost understand McKenzie's decision to use such a sensational headline?
Do you believe the city of Liverpool will ever forgive The Sun newspaper?
Would you ever buy The Sun newspaper?

Interview

I have replied to Chris from the Liverpool Echo regarding an interview.



Chris,

Wednesday the second of December would be brilliant. What time would suit you best and where would you like the interview to happen?

All the best

Michael

Interview

I have recieved an email back regarding an interview from someone in the Liverpool Echo. He has supplied me with times he is available.

Hi Michael,

I don't know how quickly you need to do the interview, but as things stand I could manage some time next Thursday afternoon (Nov 26) or the Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week (Dec 1 or 2).

Let me know how you are fixed.

Best wishes,

Chris

Advert Practice

Today I have practiced making adverts. I worked in a team with another member of the class to make a practice advert for his paper. Our advert was created on Adobe Audition. We used an up beat club track as the bed as our target audience was 18-30. We used both male and female voices as our target audience was not gender specific. I believe I have gained a greater grasp of the editing software and what is required to create a quality advert. I have had some experience in jingle making as I have worked on a radio station before but the software was new to me and I enjoyed the variety of effects available.

Analysing other documentaries

By watching the zeitgeist documentary about the Federal Reserve banks I have gained a far greater idea of how to create a documentary on a low budget. The documentary uses very few interviews, it allows the facts and figures involved in the documentary makers argument to push forward the piece.

Archive footage is most often used in this documentary. By using direct visual quotes from a person who may not necessarily want to be interviewed. This still gives the audience a real knowledgeable interviewee. By choosing there quotations carefully it further enhances there argument and makes it seem more plausible.
Furthermore, if archive footage does not exist they use a voice over next to the picture of the person who has been quoted. This can be used if the person is dead or is the quote is from a newspaper or book. This is a powerful method to use as this removes the need to gain a specific interview with the person wanted or if this is no longer possible. Once again by choosing specific quotes, regardless of the context they were originally from, it adds serious weight to an argument.

Clear research has been presented in this documentary. These facts and figures are the main focal point of the entire documentary. Without this complete research it would be impossible for this documentary to have been made. I will have to find clear facts and figures and present them in a fashion that is easy to understand to a working class audience as this is my target audience.

The most powerful method used in this documentary is that of using audio over a black background. This was used often towards the end of the documentary. This makes the audience truly listen to what the person is saying as there are no other distractions. I will use this in my documentary to add power and purpose to my piece.

Analysing other documentaries.

In this clip of Fahrenheit 9/11 Michael Moore begins to analyse the failings of the people in charge of preventing a disaster. He first begins by setting the scene of the disaster; 'On September 11th 2001 nearly 3000 people, including a colleague of mine Bill Weems, where killed in the largest foreign attack ever on American soil.'. Michael Moore uses a mixture of facts and emotional language to draw his audience in. By braking down the 3000 people and actually showing one person he knew that died that day allows the audience to become emotionally part of the documentary. I believe I will use a similar method in my documentary using facts and emotional text to allow the audience to be drawn in.

He uses several panning shots of pictures left by families of missing relatives, this is set over some slow operatic music.Once again this builds emotion and also a sense of tension as he reveals shocking facts and figures. The music used is a common convention of documentaries as it automatically tells the audience what to feel before any words are spoken.

Once Michael Moore has emotionally drawn in the audience he begins to critique the people in charge that day. By first of all emotionally drawing in the audience and then beginning his point he is leaving the audience less chance to disagree with him. Once again Michael Moore only uses facts in his argument stating that 'As the attack took place Mr Bush was on his way to an elementary school in Florida. When informed of the first plane hitting the world trade centre, where terrorists had struck just 8 years prior, Mr Bush decided to go ahead with his photo opportunity.'. When speaking of George Bush, the main target of criticism in this particular documentary, he refers to him as 'Mr Bush'. This is in stark contrast to when he refers to his friend in first name terms and tells us he was his colleague. Michael Moore does not want the audience to think of George Bush as a person but as a cold leader who is incompetent. by referring to him as Mr Bush he is giving him an elevated status which people will hate him automatically because of and also that can have a greater fall from grace in the long run.

Michael Moore uses a series of jump cuts after we find out the second plane has hit the tower. This is to show the passage of time between the tragedy occurring and anyone in charge acting. As the clock goes up and up the audience begins to feel a sense of tension and anger and this further proves Michael Moore's point and gets the audience on his side.

I believe this particular scene is highly successful in proving Michael Moore's point and getting his audience to agree with his point of view. I will use similar techniques in my documentary as I believe we cover a similar subject matter.

Questionare

Please Circle One Answer Per Question

1. Gender:
Male Female

2. How old are you?
18-24 25-39 40-60 60+

3. Would you consider yourself:
Working Class Middle Class Upper Class

4. What is your basic income per anum?
£0-£10,000 £10,001-£18,000 £18,000-£25,000 £25,001-£50,000 £50,000+

5. What level of education have you completed?
Primary Secondary College University

6. What area of the country are you from?
North North West Midlands North East South South West South East Other

7. What national newspaper do you buy?
The Star The Sun The Mirror The Mail The Times The People The Independent
The Guardian

8. How regularly do you watch documentaries?
Every Day Once A Week Once A Month Once A Year Almost Never

9.What Subject would interest you in a documentary?
Sport Politics Environment Journalism War Sex Drugs Other

10. Do you know anything about the Hillsborough disaster?
Yes No

11. Do you know anything about the media coverage of the Hillsborough disaster?
Yes No

12. Are you a football supporter?
Yes No Occasionally

The first question I asked on my questionare was that of the persons gender. This would help me discover what gender would most be intrested in my documentary.

I next asked what age the person was. My target audience is 40-60 so I am most concerned with making sure that my product would please them. After that the over 60s and 25-39 I believe would also be intrested in my product. Out of the 27 people I asked only 4 are between the ages of 18-24. That is because I do not believe they would have as much intrest in my particular due to the fact they where not born in 1989 or where very young.

I personally believe that my documentary would mostly interest the working class, especially those from the north. Also most of the people I asked either live or lived in Liverpool which is prodominantly a working class city. To find many people who would consider themselves middle or upper class is very rare.

I next asked what each persons basic wage was.

Research

I have emailed the research department of Liverpool Hope University to find out if they have any information about the sun newspaper or the Hillsborough disaster.


Dr Janet Speake

I am currently producing a documentary for my college A2 media qualification in Roby College about The Sun newspaper. The documentary is titled 'Don't Buy The Sun?' and it is about the views in and around Liverpool about the Sun newspaper. I am writing to ask if you have any information on the Sun newspaper in Liverpool or about the Hillsborough disaster? Preferably if you have any information on the readership figures of the Sun. Any help you can give me would be invaluable and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards
Michael Morralley

Interview reply

i have received an email back from the Hillsborough family Support Group regarding an interview. they have agreed to be interviewed.

Hi Michael,

Margaret Aspinall, Chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group has said she would be willing to be interviewed by you group. Please can you call her directly to arrange this on:

Many thanks and best regards,

Sue
Secretary HFSG

I have emailed the research department of Liverpool John Moores university to see if they have any information about my chosen documentary's subject:

Mr Young,
I am currently producing a documentary for my college A2 media qualification in Roby College about The Sun newspaper. The documentary is titled 'Don't Buy The Sun?' and it is about the views in and around Liverpool about the Sun newspaper. I am writing to ask if you have any information on the Sun newspaper in liverpool or about the hillsborough disaster? Any help you can give me would be invaluable and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards
Michael Morralley

Relpy from Rogan Taylor

Rogan Taylor emailed me back regarding an interview. he unfortunately declined an interview. this is disappointing as his help would have been invaluable. His email went as follows :

Sorry, Michael, haven't got time for this right now.

Good luck with the project.


Rogan

I have emailed Rogan Taylor about an interview. the email went as follows :

Mr Taylor,
I am currently producing a documentary for my college A2 media qualification in Roby College about The Sun newspaper. The documentary is titled 'Don't Buy The Sun?' and it is about the views in and around Liverpool about the Sun newspaper. I am writing to request an interview with you on this topic. Any help you can give me would be invaluable and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards
Michael Morralley

Interview

I have emailed the Hillsborough family support group requesting an interview. The email went as follows:


To whom it may concern,
I am currently producing a documentary for my college A2 media qualification in Roby College about The Sun newspaper. The documentary is titled 'Don't Buy The Sun?' and it is about the views in and around Liverpool about the Sun newspaper. I am writing to request an interview with anyone from the hillsborough family support group on this topic. Any help you can give me would be invaluable and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards
Michael Morralley

Synopsis

For as long as i can remember The Sun newspaper has been almost totally boycotted in Liverpool. As the 21st Anniversary of Hillsborough approaches I wondered, 'Has anything really changed?'. This documentary aims to find out if The Sun newspaper is still seen in the same light as it was on April 16th 1989. Do people who boycott The Sun really know why or is it a mob mentality? And will I be brave enough to challenge my own beliefs and ask the question, 'Why do I really not buy The Sun?'

Proposal

Name: Michael Morralley

Title: Don't Buy The Sun?

Target Audience: Gender - Male
Age - 30-40
Class - Working
Status - Football fan

Plot: As the 21st anniversary of Hillsborough approaches I will see if the attitudes towards The Sun newspaper have changed in liverpool. I will also question how I feel about The Sun newspaper and see what has really changed.

Equipment: Camera, Tripod, Tape.

Location: Around Merseyside and the general North West.

Style: Similar to Michael Moore but less biased, I will try and get a balanced argument.