Content Research

Welcome to the content research stage, this is where you will find all research that informs the content for my piece. This includes everything that the audience will see on screen, such as what’s included, how it’s put together and looking at the relevant theories that come along with that too.

I had previously discussed in the ideas development stage that I would wait until now to talk about the different modes of documentaries and understanding which one I would like to take forward into the production stages, so this is where I will now be looking into it. Understanding the mode of documentary you are following is important because, ultimately, it gives it structure and makes it much easier for the audience to understand. The reason behind this is that when you follow a structure, you will follow conventions – these can then be recognised by the audience. I will research into conventions further, but for the purpose of understanding what they are, a common content convention in a documentary is to have an interview with three-point lighting. What understanding your mode of documentary can also do is make your story, and the way in which it’s presented, far more unique: when you are able to understand the modes available to you and how they work, they can be merged to create hybrids. This is a difficult technique to do well, as you are essentially blending conventions together, but if this is effectively done well, it can result in an engaging, unique end production. I will speak on this further momentarily.

Now that we’ve gained a base understanding as to why understanding documentary modes are so important, I am now going to research into them so that by the end of this section I understand more about how I am going to create the doc and what might be included within it – this will then help to inform my future research.

To begin, it must be understood that theorist Bill Nichols is the one who states that there are 6 styles of documentaries. What the theory helps to do is breakdown this medium of moving image media into 6 styles that despite having some similarities across the board, are all unique in their own way. The 6 different styles are: expository, participatory, performative, observational, reflexive, and poetic. I will be looking into these different styles of documentary now, starting with expository:

Expository - Expository is perhaps the most conventional and easy to recognise ‘documentary’. These documentaries cover a specific story/topic from one point of view. They aim to inform an audience on the subject. It could also be seen that they are aiming to persuade too, considering the fact the topic is only being looked at from one side of the argument. A convention to this style is the ‘Voice of God’. Voice of God is essentially where you have a narrator commenting over what’s going on on-screen. A good example of an expository documentary is David Attenborough’s Planet Earth (BBC, 2006) as it uses the convention of having a voice of God, and discusses the topic of nature from a one-sided point of view (positive).

Participatory -The second style is the participatory style; this is where the filmmaker is included within the documentary itself. The filmmaker is often the interviewer in these types of documentaries as they can direct the questions and responses from the interviewee the way they like. Similarly to expository, we as an audience are only getting to see one side of the argument, particularly with the interviewer guiding the questions as they like. It could be seen that in fact all documentaries have some kind of participatory style about them because every decision the filmmaker makes will have an effect on the end result and the impact that it creates (even down to the editing which choosing what shots to use). Despite this, the main convention is that the filmmaker is literally in the documentary. An example of a participatory-style documentary is Bowling for Columbine (Michael Moore, 2002). The image below shows how Michael is in the documentary, speaking to a subject about the topic of purchasing guns in a bank. Michael is able to direct the conversation how he likes to gain the best and most entertaining result for the documentary.

Performative - Performative, the third documentary style on the list, focuses on the filmmaker's personal experience on subjective topics such as politics and more controversial topics like history. This style can be quite hard to understand as it is more of an experimental style, suggesting it does take a lot of components from other styles to create this one. What’s special about this one however is that it focuses on one point of view (the filmmaker) and juxtaposes this with a larger, world wide issue. A great example of this is Supersize Me (The Con, 2004) as Morgan Spurlock, the director/filmmaker eats McDonalds fast food for 30 days to see what effect it has on his body. Morgan Spurlock shows his point of view on the larger, wide world problem of fast food being bad for your body.

Observational - Contrastingly to the expository style of documentary, the observational style aims to showcase all viewpoints and both sides of the argument. In fact, it is common that there isn’t an argument at all. The reason behind this is that this style is sometimes seen as being the ‘fly on the wall’ style, suggesting that the audience is simply a fly on the wall, watching a story take place in front of them. There is no sides because everything is shown. Furthermore, as the audience is simply observing what’s going on, the filmmakers will give as little input as possible for the creation of the film to ensure that everything that happens is genuine and raw. Some of the conventions found here are long takes (fast paced cuts are not made to show how genuine it is) and there are no disruptions from interviews or voiceovers. A great example of this is the documentary Armadillo, where we as an audience follow soldiers who are sent to Afghanistan to fight. In this documentary we get to see what it’s really like to be at war in the army.

Reflexive - The reflexive style of documentary is all about the relationship between the audience and the filmmaker, rather than the more conventional view of it being with the subject and filmmaker in participatory style documentaries. In this style, ‘the subject of the film is often the process of documentary filmmaking itself’. Additionally, it can also mean for a much more personal documentary where the audience learn and build a connection with the filmmaker – it is common for the filmmaker to be included within the documentary visually. A great example of this is Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson, 2016) where we watch a collection of years worth of footage built up from Kisten’s past work throughout her life – it’s essentially a scrap book. What this means for the audience is that we are able to see the stories she has gone throughout her life, learn more about her and as a consequence, build that relationship and connection with her too.

Poetic - Lastly, the poetic style is far more abstract than any others we have discussed. This style uses sound and video in a way in which creates tone and rhythm. It does not follow a narrative so instead tells a story/makes a statement through challenging creative shots. A relevant, recent example of a poetic documentary is Voyage of Time: Life’s a Journey (Terrence Malick, 2016). Through captivating visual effects, powerful sounds and some narration, the audience get an insight into the universe's past, and where humanity might stand in the future. This style has the least amount of ‘rules’ to follow out of all 6 styles.

Now that I have understood all 6 styles of documentary, it is now time to make the decision on which style I should follow. As stated beforehand, understanding what style I am trying to work with, and create, is vital so that I can do further research into it and understand the conventions involved. Conventions are a must when following documentary styles as they give structure and allow the audience to recognise what they are watching.

To understand which style I should follow, I am going to go through it as a process of elimination. Firstly, I don’t think poetic style would be particularly appropriate for my idea as I want to get a personal account from someone with misophonia – this style does not accommodate for interviews. It is not observational because I am not intending on watching events unfold – I could technically interpret my idea to work with this style by watching someone with misophonia deal with it throughout life, but again, this is not what I would like to produce. Furthermore, I don’t feel as if it would be as effective as a more personal documentary with the interviewee. Using this principle, I can cross off the reflexive style and performative style too. This leaves me with participatory and expository styles. With participatory, the filmmaker is often in the shot and can be seen speaking to interviewees, allowing them to guide the conversation how they like. However, I don’t think I really want this: I want the audience to gain a personal connection between themselves and the interviewees on screen (the interviewee with misophonia and the mother specifically). In addition to this, participatory can also feel quite raw as behind the scenes crew are commonly seen. I don’t have much interest in showing BTS because I don’t think it would add much to the production and effect it has on the audience who watch it.

After looking at all the styles of documentary I can choose from, I feel as if the best choice for me to make is the expository style. This is the most common and ‘most conventional’ documentary. It includes interviews which I am intending to use to show a personal insight into misophonia and the effect is has on people. In addition, it also only shows one side of the subject, which is something I am aiming to do – I want to educate and essentially induce sympathy within the audience as they watch it. I don’t intend on using a ‘voice of god’ but instead am looking to use re-enactments and using the interviews to talk over re- enactments. This is of course subject to change throughout this research stage, but these are my current thoughts.

Harvard References

Websites

nofilmschool.com. (n.d.). 6 Modes of Documentary. [online] Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/6-modes-of-documentary.

‌MasterClass (2021). Film Documentary Guide: 6 Types of Documentaries. [online] MasterClass. Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-documentary-guide?irclickid=T7CxqkQ9xxyPRPUxoCTql0XVUkH1vT0tH0oFSw0&utm_source=impact&utm_medium=Skimbit%20Ltd.&utm_campaign=nofilmschool.com&utm_content=1317543&utm_term=10078&irgwc=1.

Aldredge, J. (2022). The 6 Types of Documentary Films. [online] The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat. Available at: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/6-types-of-documentary-film/?irclickid=TAD1DZQ9xxyPRPUxoCTql0XVUkH1vWSZH0oFSw0&irgwc=1&pl=10078-42119&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Skimbit%20Ltd.&utm_source=10078&utm_term=nofilmschool.com&utm_content=42119

‌ Become better creators — together. (2022). Observational Documentary Explained + 13 Top Films | Wedio. [online] Available at: https://academy.wedio.com/uk/observational-documentary-2/.

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Films

The Blue Planet. (2001). [Documentary] BBC.

Bowling for Columbine. (2002). [Documentary] Alliance Atlantis.

‌Free Solo. (2018). [Documentary] National Geographic.

Super Size Me. (2004). [Documentary] Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

‘Media codes and conventions are like the building blocks of all media around us’ (Robert Young, 2017). This description is the best I have seen to describe what codes and conventions are. Every production that is made, either consciously or sub-consciously uses codes and conventions within. Codes and conventions are often talked about together and very similarly to each other, this is because codes are the literal elements that make up what is being seen on screen, and conventions are the combination of these codes that the audience can understand and make assumptions about.

To begin with, I am going to look further into codes and understand and how these can be categorised into different types…

Codes have meaning and can be interpreted in different ways due to the connotations with which these can have. The two types of codes are symbolic and technical. Symbolic codes are essentially everything that you see in the actual frame of the video. This can include elements such as the setting, mis en scene, acting and colour. These elements will often connote further meaning for the audience to interpret. Opposingly, technical codes focus on the equipment used to tell the story, elements that you don’t actually physically ‘see’. Example elements include, camera work, editing, audio and lighting.

To begin with the breakdown and further understanding of codes, I am going to look into symbolic codes…

Symbolic codes are all about the connotations and meanings they have with them. A great example by media.codes is that if you see somebody give someone a rose in a film, you would assume they have a romantic relationship. This is the same in real life, handing a rose to someone has connotations with romance and love for that person.

Setting

Setting is the first symbolic code – it includes the location and time of the narrative taking place. Both the location and time of a narrative have a lot of links with the idea of genre, but I will speak further on this in the convention section. In reference to my documentary I want to produce, setting would play a big part in the interview aspect of it because it would be strange to have an interview on the top of a mountain at midnight with my interviewee about misophonia if there is no reason to. That concept is obviously quite extreme, but what I’m saying is that where and when the subject is must make sense and fit with the narrative/storyline of the piece.

Mis en scene

In English, this term means ‘everything in the frame’ – this means that mis en scene suggests that elements including set design, costume, props and the composition of everything on screen. Though this does also fall into the technical codes catergory, lighting is technically a part of mis en scene, and can infact have a huge impact on the mood of a shot/scene. The difference between a conversation of two people wearing clown costumes and suits can connote two very different things, so it’s important that the mis en scene for each shot in a production is aimed at gaining a preferred reading and response from the audience.

The idea of a ‘preferred reading’ comes from the Reception Theory by Stuart Hall. He states that an audience member can have one of three responses from a text depending on how they decode these codes that we are currently discussing. The first is to gain a preferred reading, one where the audience decodes the code in the way in which the director intended. Using the analogy I made, if a conversation of two people wearing suits was taken place, subject to context, the audience member would suggest it is a serious conversation. The second is to gain an oppositional reading, one where the audience member views the code in the opposite way in which the director intended it to be read. The last is a negotiated reading, the audience views parts of it how the director intended and other parts not so much. The director will want the audience to gain a preferred reading because they want them to gain the emotional response they are intending to induce, however they are may factors that can affect how large of a percentage actually gain this preferred response. These factors may include: age, race, gender, location, beliefs and life experience.

Acting

Characters and the story they have along a narrative are the main driving point of film and are what keep an audience engaged. Without characters there is no story because there is nothing to relate to or keep us watching. In order to have characters, actors are needs. These actors must do their job well in order to portray the character appropriately – this can be done through: facial expressions, body language, vocal qualities, movement and body contact. However, being specific to my documentary, I do not need actors for the doc, I need real people. The same concept applies, except they do not need to act as someone else, they are instead honest and true to who they are as they tell their story. They may be instructed to tell the story in a particular way by the director in order to get the best result out of them, but that is all.

Colour

Colour is perhaps one of the best examples of a symbolic code due to how many connotations can be associated with it. Every colour connotes a different mood or feeling, and this is important to think about when creating a production. Colour will have an effect on the mis en scene (props and costume) and lighting too, as this is how the colour would be represented. Some colours are what as known as polysemic (‘poly’ meaning many and ‘semic’ coming from the word semiotic, referring to the use of visual signs and symbols to convey meaning) defining they have multiple connotations. A good example of this is the colour red: it has connotations with both love and hate. It’s important that I think about this when producing my documentary, as it would be very bad to showcase negative feelings a signs of hatred with it instead being interpreted as love.

I will now be looking into the technical codes; as stated previously, these codes inform the technical aspects of the filmmaking process, and what impact these may have on the outcome of a piece.

Camerawork

This includes everything to do with the camera itself: positioning, movement, framing, exposure, lens choice and a whole variety of settings available on most DSLR’s. Camerawork is so important in filmmaking, it is the literal basic understanding of how a film is made - point camera at something and record. The idea of just pointing at something becomes irrelevant when you start to think about the list I previously mentioned: what makes a film engaging is the thought behind every shot.

Editing

Editing ties in with the use of camera work very well because without editing, every film would be one continuous shot (this is what the first films used to be; an example being the first ever recorded, ‘Roundhay Garden Scene’). Editing is used for all different reasons, some exampels being for: graphic edits, rhythmic edits, special edits and temporal edits. I discussed earlier the idea of preferred readings, well, the way in which a scene is edited can drastically change the way in which is perceived and read by the audience, so it has a lot of power.

Audio

Audio can either be diegetic or non diegetic. Diegetic suggests that the sound can be heard within the context of the world the characters are living in on screen, non diegetic suggests the opposite; sound that can only be heard by the audience who are watching the film. A great example of non diegetic sound is a clock getting louder and louder. We know as the audience that a clock in real life wouldn’t actually get louder, but because we can hear it getting more and more intense, connotations are made towards things like time running out. This ties in with the idea of editing too, as without editing, increasing sound would not be possible. This is something I was hoping to do in the introduction of my documentary as I want to make great emphasis towards the sounds being made to help describe and simulate what it’s like to have misophonia.

Lighting

This is not only about the use of natural light but also artificial light too. Artificial light, when used appropriately can change the mood of a shot entirely. I will be using artificial 3 point lighting in my interviews to create a moody dramatic look so this is definitely something to think about moving forward. The different elements of lighting include: quality, direction, source and colour.

Harvard References

Websites

Young, R. (2017). Media Codes and Conventions. [online] media.codes. Available at: https://media.codes/media-codes-and-conventions-c03423c06aa8.

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media-studies.tki.org.nz. (n.d.). Codes and conventions / Media concepts / Teaching media studies / Home - Media Studies Private Community. [online] Available at: https://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/Media-concepts/Codes-and-conventions#:~:text=Codes%20can%20be%20divided%20into.

Revision World (2019). Reception Theory - Media Studies - Revision World. [online] Revisionworld.com. Available at: https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/reception-theory.

‌Yellowbrick (2023). Decoding the Power of Film Semiotics: A Path to Success in Your Field. [online] Yellowbrick. Available at: https://www.yellowbrick.co/blog/film/decoding-the-power-of-film-semiotics-a-path-to-success-in-your-field#:~:text=Semiotics%20is%20the%20study%20of

Films

Roundhay Garden Scene. (1888). [Film].

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Now that I have looked into codes and why they are important to the filmmaking process, I will now be looking into some of the conventions of a documentary, specifically those that relate to the expository mode I decided my documentary would be best formatted in. The conventions I will be looking into will use aspects of both symbolic and technical codes.

What are Conventions?

To begin looking into conventions, I must first refresh my self with what they exactly are. From media-studies.tki.org, ‘conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something’. Therefore, what I can understand from this is that the codes I have looked at, build the base foundation for conventions to be a thing. For example, a common convention of a documentary is to have an interview. This interview style has conventional looks and feels (all subject to the context of the piece, but will follow very similar, conventional patterns). The interview style will be the first convention I look into…

Why are conventions important?

The next question to answer is, why are they so important? Why is it so important that I am able to fully understand how to use documentary conventions in my work and when to use them appropriately too. As we have understood that conventions are what the audience generally accept as a way to do something, it could also be seen that the audience expect something to be done in this way. If it is not done this conventional way, it may become not as easily recognisable to the genre of, in my case, documentary. It’s important that I am able to create an easily understandable documentary, in terms of the use of camera and other elements, so that the audience can have an easy, enjoyable watch – I don’t want the audience to have to decrypt to try and make out what I’m trying to say.

Interviews

The purpose for interviews in a documentary are to allow people to give their opinion on the subject of the documentary. Sometimes there are lots of interviewees, sometimes there are only 1 or 2, it depends on the context of the piece. These interviews will conventionally only include the interviewee in frame, with the background usually relating to their purpose for being in the documentary (professional being in a professional environment), in a homely environment (to add comfort), or in a neutral environment (such as a black or white background). The interviewer will be positioned just to the side of the camera so that the interviewee is speaking towards the camera but not directly so that they are speaking directly to the audience. There may also be multiple cameras on the interviewee so that they can be cut between in the edit. This second camera would be a close up, capturing a more intense shot of the face.

Archival Footage

Archival footage is great for giving context to a historical story. It’s essentially just a visual/audio element from the past used within the documentary. An example of archival footage could be old photos/videos from the war in a war documentary. Furthermore, it also helps the audience to understand the topic’s, and what’s being said, authenticity: the historical elements help to show its truth.

Re-enactments

To help tell a story where the filmmaker does not have any archive footage of the actual event, re-enactments can take place. They are used to help assist what the filmmaker is trying to make say, backing up their point of view, and therefore, the point of view for the documentary itself if it’s a expository style like the one I’m planning to make. The process in making these is similar to one of a film: they are scripted and played out by actors. It’s important that these recreations feel realistic and correctly represent what actually happened. The quote, ‘Critics argue that the use of re-enactments suggest a callous disregard on the part of a filmmaker for what is true’ highlights this perfectly, showing the importance for producing realistic and well representative re-enactments. To create this representativeness, for my own documentary production I will have to look into misophonia so I can understand more about what it is. I am planning to use something like this for the introduction of my documentary, so this will definitely be some to think about and keep in mind for the preproduction and planning stage.

An example of a re-enactment can be seen below from docu-film Touching the Void'. The story is about two mountain climbers who face life threatening danger on the descent of the mountain they climbed. There was no footage of this happening, so to tell the story, the filmmaker decided to use re-enactments to tell it. The image below shows an actor reenacting the scene.

Narration

As previously explored when looking into the different styles of documentaries, narration, or voice of god, is a common convention when it comes to documentary filmmaking, particular expository documentaries. The narration can either be from a narrator or can occur when the interviewee is speaking but cannot be seen on screen. What is being said should relate to what is being seen, sometimes commenting on the visuals as they take place. When it is from a narrator, these will be carefully scripted, and sometimes be wrote so that they are addressing the audience directly. Narration is a great way to add extra information, tell a story, and make it a more engaging experience as a whole.

Real people

What makes a documentary a documentary is that it’s about a real-world subject. A convention to a documentary is that the people we see on screen, the people we here stories from, are real people – they are not actors. To an audience, this adds authenticity and makes for a much more, personal and engaging story.

These documentary convention examples have given me a great reminder on the sorts of content I should be including in my production. It’s important I follow these documentary conventions carefully and only use them appropriately and when needed to as I don’t want to cause confusion. Using these conventions appropriately in my production will allow me to tell an engaging and easy-to-understand story.

Harvard References

Websites

Opening Class. (2017). Documentary Conventions. [online] Available at: https://openingclass.com/2017/07/26/documentary-conventions/.

Twinkl.co.uk. (2023). Available at: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/teaching-wiki/some-film-conventions#:~:text=The%20term%20convention%20refers%20to

‌ theasc.com. (n.d.). The Talking Head — Shooting Interviews - The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US). [online] Available at: https://theasc.com/blog/shot-craft/the-talking-head.

Stilwell, B. (2022). The National Archives Just Digitized Hundreds of World War I-Era Military Films. [online] Military.com. Available at: https://www.military.com/off-duty/history/national-archives-wwi-films.html

Films

Touching the Void. (2003). [Film] Pathé Distribution.

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Relevant Existing Professional Example

Now that I have understood the codes and conventions of a documentary, I will be looked in an existing professional example to see how they have used these conventions within their work. This particular documentary is one on misophonia, so it will be interesting to see how they have structured it too. (SPEAK ABOUT TODOROV NARRATIVE THEORY)

Interview

The screenshots above showcase a perfect example of an existing conventional interview shot. Within the context of the documentary, these people all have relations with the subject of misophonia, whether that is personally (having misophonia themselves) or through a family member. An example of it being through a family member is that the lady in the top left is a mother who’s daughter has misophonia.

An important note to point out from this shot is the environment the interview is set in. The lady is sat to the right side of the screen, meaning the entirety of the left side is background. We can see that she is in, what we presume to be, her home. I am also able to denote that there are family photos next to the warm, homely table night and comforting flowers. The simple denotations that the audience are able to make, allows them to interpret the connotations that these might have, suggesting further that she is a mother.

It’s important as a filmmaker that this background opportunity is not wasted, because as we have discussed here, the connotation opportunities that this has for the audience means the filmmaker is able to add further context. If she was situated in a dark warehouse, the audience may become very confused as it doesn’t link with who she is or what link she has with misophonia.

To add to this, the background elements also allow to balance the frame. Balancing the frame in an interview is important because in the context of the interview with the mother, the filmmaker wants the audience to feel comfortable watching her. If there was nothing in the background, and it was just a blank background, something would have felt off. Unbalanced frames have connotations with suspense and uneasiness. This can be good, but not for the purpose of the interview with the mother. However, the interview to the bottom right of this, with Karen Pannabecker, there is no background items to balance the frame apart from the wall behind. My guess is that in the instance of this shot, the filmmaker decided that it would look strange to position objects in the background here, so to overcome this issue, a low f-stop was used. A low f-stop makes the background, behind the camera’s focus, more blurry. This directs the eye’s attention towards the subject, overcoming the uneasy feeling that the audience may have felt.

Lighting an interview can also play a huge role when setting up an interview. Lighting an interview depends hugely on the context of the documentary and the mood the filmmaker is trying to create. If the interview is more corporate, or a conversation with a professional on the subject, the lighting would be more bright and airy, but if it’s a documentary, with a more intense, personal stories, then the filmmaker could be going for a darker, moodier look. Lighting can help to influence the audience’s mood, adding impact and engagement to what the subject is saying. A great example of the use of lighting can be seen in the top right interview image, with the man. Within the context of the documentary, this man has misophonia, and suffers from common triggers such as sniffling and coughing. He is a musician, hence the cleverly positioned conventional objects in the background, and uses music to discuss the problems he encounters every day. The lighting is fairly harsh on the side of his face, creating a high contrast look. This harsh, dark side of the face adds seriousness to the subject, and fits perfectly with the content he discusses. To add to this, the blue lighting in the background of the frame helps to differentiate the background to the subject, adding depth. Depth is important because it helps to direct the audience’s audience, helping the filmmaker to induce a preferred reading to the text. I will look into how lighting is set up to achieve shots like this into more detail within the production process research.

Re-enactments

The image to the left showcases a professional speaking to a family. The camera is positioned behind the professional as they speak so we as an audience can look at and understand the facial expressions/reactions of the family. The parents are sat together to show their support with each other, as the daughter (with misophonia) is sat next to the professional. As the audience understands their situation, the family then discusses what they have been trying to do to overcome the situation at home. It then cuts to a re-enactment, which also doubles ups as actuality footage too. This re-enactment is acted out using the family - not actors because it is relevant to the personal story they are recounting in the conversation. It gives the audience something to visualise as the audio of the conversation continues in the background. We are able to see, as an audience, how this family overcomes situations like dinner time with a child who has misophonia (she faces the other direction to those eating and wears headphones).

This is a great example that shows that re-enactments are quite versatile in what they are able to do and how they might be created. Not all re-enactments have to be shot like a film, and they do not need to be acted out by actors.

narration - talking about relationship 2.jpg

narration - talking about relationship.jpg

B-Roll

The image to the left showcases a couple discussing their relationship and the impact that misophonia has had on them. The lady is the one with misophonia, and actually becomes quite emotional when speaking about it. She states that although they have a good, solid relationship, if she did not have misophonia, it could be a lot better. It’s very sad to watch because she feels so guilty for something she can’t control. The image to the right is what is known as b-roll. From adobe.com, b-roll is described as all of the footage that isn’t the main action. The footage is simply there to add visual interest for the audience to view. This b-roll usually relates to the subject being discussed, as, if not, it would very confusing to see. The b-roll to the right showcases the couple sat on a wall together smiling in the sun. The man has his hand on her knee, and they seem a very happy couple.

The b-roll is thoroughly thought through so much that is composed to extract emotion from the audience. This is because the heart-felt image of them sat together is contrasted with the audio where the lady discusses the emotional problems it causes to their relationship – the audience is directed to feel sympathy.

Dissolve Technique

Fading to black is a common technique used across all types of filmmaking, not just for documentaries. Through my unit 12 study into the history of VFX, I was able to understand a lot about where it all originated from. Melies was a special effects and filmmaking pioneer, who created the dissolve technique by using the double exposure technique he had previously found. The dissolve technique is used to help communicate a change in time, scene or subject focus. It was first used by Melies in his film Cinderella (Melies, 1899) to show the changing of a scene – before this, it was often confusing to an audience as to why the shot was suddenly changing. Since 1899, the technique, along with technology, has advanced to create further meaning and depth. The reason I say this is because of the creative choice used in the example above to fade to black…

Within the context of the documentary, the mum’s daughter has just crashed in a driving race, and has come to her daughter ASAP. However, due to her mum causing her triggers, the mum is told to leave. It’s an awful, heartbreaking situation where the daughter and mother both want to hug each other but the misophonia in the daughter is pulling them a part. We see a long duration close up shot of the mother watching her daughter being cut out the car by firefighters and helped by doctors. The slow fade to black then comes in, closing the scene off to a sad end. The audience recognise this scene as ending and expect the scene to change. This technique is an effective way to, when supported by context, change from subject to subject.

VFX

VFX are used within this documentary to help the audience visualise what is being discussed. Within the context of the scene, we are hearing from a professional about the research gone into misophonia so far. Research and conversations with professionals can sometimes be quite difficult for the audience to understand due to the terminology they use. The VFX not only help to visualise what is being discussed, they also give visual interest that keeps the audience watching. VFX is something I am looking to use within my documentary too, so as of writing this, I am glad to see that it is also used in relevant existing professional examples too.

Looking at and deconstructing how they use conventions of a documentary in ‘Quiet Please…’ has helped me greatly. My insightful interpretations of this relevant existing example has given me great value in understanding the content for my piece. I understand that a few of the examples I have deconstructed relate to the production process research, but I have decided that I will place it here, as it informs the content, and I will look into it further with the production process research stage too.

What is Misophonia?

With the fact being that I am making a documentary about misophonia, and I, myself, do not have this neurological disorder, can see that it is only fair I must understand what it is before making a documentary about it. With the current knowledge and awareness I have on the topic, I am aware that misophonia is quiet a new disorder, meaning that not a whole lot of research has gone into it. What I am first going to explore within this stage is to look at what research there is currently. I think that it is most appropriate to look into the NHS website first, as this is the UK’s free national health service and is where there should be the most research gone into it.

Upon searching for misophonia on www.nhs.uk, I was shocked to find that there were no results found. With the personal experience I have with living with someone who has it, I know how severe it is, and I know that it should be on the NHS website. At this point, I feel even more sorry for those with misophonia as I can’t imagine how it feels to have this disorder and it not be recognised by the country's national health service.

The next step after finding this out is to look into the reasoning as to why this might be. My suspicions at this stage is that it is because of how newly recognised it is.

To begin this research, I typed into the Google search bar, ‘why is misophonia not’, and I was going to say ‘not recognised by the NHS’, but a suggested search caught my eye – ‘why is misophonia not in the DSM’. I was interested into what this might be so I clicked it. I was then met with an organisation’s website called soQuiet. soQuiet state that their mission is to ‘offer advocacy, support and resources for people who suffer from misophonia so that they may lead productive and serene lives’ suggesting that this organisation is a charity/support group, which is great to see. Returning back to the ‘DSM’, they state that ‘the DSM is a manual of mental health disorders and there is still heated debate among researchers and the public on whether misophonia is or is not a mental health disorder. It might be something else, such as a neurological disorder or a complex combination of numerous things’. From this, I can denote that the DSM is a manual of mental health disorders (I will research into this further momentarily), and that misophonia causes debates on what it actually is (due to the lack of research). The lack of uncertainty within the statement highlights, and reflects the outcome I had on the NHS website.

The DSM, as stated by psychiatry.org, is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders used by professionals all over the world. It’s important for professionals to understand a common language between them to accurately diagnose people. However, despite all of this, the fact that misophonia isn’t in the manual at all shows that professionals do not even understand what it is. If misophonia were to be a part of this book, people would all over the world would no longer feel confused, guilty or angry at themselves for being who they are – a misophonia diagnosis could save people.

DSM-5 is the manual’s fifth revision and was published in 2013. It has since been updated and published as a revised fifth version in 2022 called DSM-5-TR. Unfortunately, however, misophonia, as we have discussed, was not featured in it.

To further back up the points I have made about the DSM, in a conversation I had with a lady who has misophonia, she gave her own personal views on the subject matter...

She states that the tests she was sent to have done were Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (this has links with autism and anxiety disorder) and hearing tests (hypersensitive hearing), proving that there are no specific tests for misophonia. To add to this, she also backs up the point that there are no formal diagnosis’ because it is not featured in the diagnostic manual.

Now that I have been able to understand why the NHS does not have misophonia featured on their website, I am going to look towards other research sources online that have information on it.

Despite having said the NHS didn’t have anything about misophonia, I stumbled across a misophonia information page on oxfordhealth.nhs.uk. Oxford Health is still a part of the NHS but is more specialised and accepts donations for funding more specialised research, giving it the title ‘Oxford Health Specialist Psychological Intervention Centre’. The information on this page discusses what misophonia is and the treatment for it. These are the main notes I have been able to extract from the website page:

Misophonia is an extreme reaction to particular everyday sounds that most people would easily be able to ignore. This extreme reaction can include disgust, anger, distress or panic that escalates more and more if the sound stays. These reactions can cause physical sensations such as flight or fight response, high heart rate, shortness of breath, tension and feeling hot.
Common ‘trigger’ sounds are eating, nose/throat sounds, keyboard tapping and rusling of paper/plastic
They often feel trapped, helpless and describe themselves as being out of controlwhen they can’t get away from these sounds
It is possible for an individual to have clinically significant misophonia. It’s not a legal diagnosis, but it is something that can be considered. Individuals can have this if it has a big impact on their daily living, such as work and relationships. They will also have more reactions, such as anxious anticipation of sounds before they actually happen, replaying sounds after the event has taken place and feeling guilty about their own actions, despite not being able to control them.
‘misophonia is not well known’ – the fact that a specialist psychological intervention centre funded and supported by the NHS is saying this, shows how true it is. With it not being well known, those with it can often feel isolated and lonely.
Individuals can have lots of different experiences with misophonia – one person may react to a wide range of sounds, another may have one specific trigger.
Therapy can help with the before and after of a trigger taking place – understanding how to calm down quickly and stopping from always worrying about potential triggers

The flight or fight response is really interesting to me and it’s actually a perfect way to describe what my brother goes through each day. Every single time, because he has not yet been able to control his reactions as well as he could perhaps with experience, he ‘fights’ the situation, causing him to be angry at the person causing the trigger.

From looking at this research page, I have learnt a lot about the basics of misophonia and some of the most popular causes of it. This will help to inform the content areas that I will discuss within the documentary. Furthermore, it just helps me as a filmmaker to understand more about the subject I am creating a documentary for.

Moving from this point of research, I am going to look into Dr Jane Gregory’s ‘Sounds like Misophonia’ book. Dr Jane Gregory is actually a part of Oxford Health NHS, and had previously set up England's first specialist psychology clinic for misophonia. With the understanding she has for the subject, I think her book will be able to teach me a lot more about the subject I am working with.

The images below show the pages that, after looking through the context of the book, I am most interested in.

Harvard References

Websites

nhs.uk. (n.d.). The NHS website. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/search/results?q=misophonia&page=0

soQuiet Misophonia Advocacy. (n.d.). Why isn’t misophonia in the DSM? [online] Available at: https://www.soquiet.org/faq/why-isnt-misophonia-in-the-dsm#:~:text=Also%2C%20the%20DSM%20is%20a

‌ American Psychiatric Association (2023). DSM History. [online] psychiatry.org. Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/about-dsm/history-of-the-dsm.

‌ American Psychiatric Association (2023). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). [online] Psychiatry.org. Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm.

For all of my notes, and the interpretations of these, please look below…

Due to the lack of research gone into misophonia so far, it is impossible to tell if there is one single cause for it. Considering this book was only released on 14th September 2023 (5 months ago as of writing this), I think it shows how misunderstood the disorder really is. Despite not knowing whether it’s one single cause, experts can interpret and presume that it is highly unlikely that this would be the case. This could be something that I discuss with the expert within the documentary as it highlights that not everybody is the same. I want to represent everyone who has misophonia, meaning that I don’t want anyone with misophonia to not relate with what’s being said – I would hate for someone watching to still feel alone and isolated. (Pg.40)
‘Imagine you are a Meerkat’ – Dr Gregory descries those with misophonia as the ‘super guards’ of the meerkat family. Meerkats take turns to guard their homes and are at those times, are on high alert. She describes those with misophonia as super guards because these meerkats are always on high alert no matter if they are on duty or not. Every rustle in the leaves or footsteps around them, they take full notice and attention to it. What I can interpret about this is the instinctive nature about them used to save lives, now, with the lack of survival instinctive required to live, it instead causes them anxiety and worry every time they hear something.

These notes were from page 30 and 40, discussing the areas on why those with misophonia react to sounds. In terms of the content and how this research could be used to inform it, I feel like questions on this subject matter would be more appropriate to ask the professional. I have to be careful when discussing this to my interviewees with misophonia because there is a lot of confusion and personal stress that is built up from an individual when they think ‘why’. Guilt is sadly a very normal reaction after a event takes place, and individuals will often feel annoyed at themselves as to why they feel this way and why they are reacting to their loves ones in such a way. What I am trying to say is that getting a professional to talk about the neurological understanding and science behind why will make it sound much more believable to an audience.

Harvard Reference

Gregory, D.J. (2023). Sounds Like Misophonia . Bloomsbury Publishing, pp.30, 40

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Theories

‘Whether you’re aware of it or not, your brain is constantly coming up with theories. Your mind needs an explanation so much, it would rather have an outlandish theory than no explanation at all’ – this backs up my previous points about answering ‘why’. This theory that is made up in their mind can often result in it being a blame on themselves, causing other issues such as anxiety and depression. (Pg.125)

The idea of a ‘theory’ is that it’s your current thoughts at that point in time, not your final thoughts. She states that there are 5 factors that can have an influence on your theories in the moment: mood, physical state, prior experiences, prior knowledge and focus of attention. The idea that it is your current thoughts in time is important when thinking about misophonia reactions: snap reactions are not what the person might actually think. I can relate to this concept of snap reactions an awful lot. A personal experience of mine that I have had with my misophonia brother is: I walked downstairs to the living room where my mother and brother are sat speaking, I open the door to join the conversation, after a few moments of speaking I can see my brother making great attention to me and within a split second he shouts ‘shut up’ at me, throws a pillow and gets up to physically push me out of the room. Despite not breathing that heavily at all, the breath I took between my sentences caused him to feel anger and emotional pain. In the moment it’s scary how quickly that flick switches in his brain, but this idea of it being a current thought, and not a final thought, fits perfectly here because I know he wouldn’t mean to do that to me, we are family.

The image below showcases the relationship between the behavioral instincts someone with misophonia can have when hearing a trigger, the emotional outcome of that behavior, and then the theory behind why they felt that way.

This area of research has been very interesting to me because of how much I can relate to it and understand more about what they go through. I feel very passionate about what those with misophonia have to go through and I feel so much sympathy for them. Now that I have understood more about this area of misophonia, I definitely think that getting a personal story from someone in the documentary would make it feel a lot more representative and gain a much more sympathy-led response from the audience.

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Harvard Reference

Gregory, D.J. (2023). Sounds Like Misophonia . Bloomsbury Publishing, pp.125 - 128

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Coping strategies

For some, ‘context can play a large role in the reactions to sounds’. It’s important to note that they are not just reacting to the sound, they are reaction to the thing making the sound (most commonly, a person). One coping strategy to overcome this is visualizing something different to the actual source of the sound. As a part of this, trying to listen to the trigger sound whilst watching a calming video can help those with misophonia to relate the bad sounds with good things. This could also be seen as exposure therapy.
‘Coping strategies can be a part of all three cycles’ – The 3 cycles are The Meerkat, The Spiral and The Burden. The Meerkat, as previously discussed, aims to be more aware of sounds around you and prepare for them; The Spiral aims to escape the situation and get away from the triggers; The Burden aims to recover from the sounds that have happened

These coping strategies could be really interesting to speak with to the interviewees who have misophonia themselves. It could be interesting to compare how they differ, showing that not everybody is the same. In particular, speaking to the lady who is working and having to deal with real world triggers could be a really interesting talk. Furthermore, this area of research could be talked about from the professional. I must be careful not to include too much about actual information, as I think the personal stories are what is going to make the documentary interesting and engaging.

Harvard Reference

Gregory, D.J. (2023). Sounds Like Misophonia . Bloomsbury Publishing, pp.205, 225–227.

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All of this research into the understanding of misophonia has helped deepen my knowledge, which will hopefully allow me to create a detailed and informed documentary.

Conclusion to Content Research

This stage has been immensely helpful to me for 2 reasons. The first reason is that I have only ever made 1 other documentary before. This documentary was for unit 6, meaning it was in the 1st year of the course. I was a lot less experienced back then and the skills that I have gained since them have changed me entirely as a filmmaker. When I watch this documentary back now, I see many errors and flaws within it. This is not a negative thing however, its actually a positive: it shows my progression and ability to spot the differences and changes I would make now. It has been both a great refreshment opportunity to look over the basic conventions of

Additionally, it is also a very different style of documentary I intend on producing, so the research that I was able to look into within this section has been vital to support of the style I want to progress with. Furthermore, the actual topics are very different. My unit 6 documentary was about the impact plastic water bottles has on our environment, but this one is about a real life disorder that can be a very sensitive topic for a lot of people. It is something that is not talked about a lot, particularly when compared with plastic and the environment, meaning the content I have to talk about must be very true and representable. This leads onto my second reasoning as to why this research has been so helpful…

My second reason is that I do not know a whole lot about misophonia. I do have personal experiences with it, so I have been able to learn about it through having to live with someone who has it, but this was definitely not enough to support the creation of a documentary all about it. Getting the opportunity to dive into the subject and understand it far more has been very beneficial to me – I feel as if I am ready to produce something about it now, which is important.

Overall, I am very happy with the research I have completed within this stage as I feel as though I can visual see it pieced together a lot better. Though I had the idea before, I was struggling to see how it would come together and visually be a production. The main thing that I am going to think about and bring forward with me throughout production is to stick to the conventions. Conventions are going to be my best friend and help ensure that I am able to effectively engage the audience.

Additional Content Research

The research stage never really has an end throughout the course of my production, as there is always opportunity to learn and research into something if needed. Here you will find all additional content research I completed after the designated 'research stage' on my action plan

BBFC Rating

Its important that it my production I do not breach the BBFC’s 12A classification as this is the rules that both the college and exam board have set. Firstly, what is a classification? The BBFC state that ‘Classification is the process of giving age ratings and content advice to films and other audiovisual content to help children and families choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not’. It’s vital that I learn what the 12A classification’s rules are and how to stick with them.

The 12A classification suggests that no one under the age of 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema accompanied by an adult. It is the adult's choice to consider whether it is suitable for the under 12 to be watching the film. Therefore, my content should be suitable for under 12s, to consume. There are 9 different categories to discuss.

Dangerous Behaviour - ‘No promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons such as knives. No endorsement of anti-social behaviour’. This is okay for me because I have no dangerous behaviour within my film.
Discrimination – ‘Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned’. This is okay for me as I do not discuss any sort of discrimination or discuss discriminative actions within my film.
Drugs – ‘Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give detailed instruction’. The only drugs that may be referenced within my film are the use of medication that someone with misophonia may take. This will not be frequent, it will not be glamorised by any means, and it will simply be a passing comment, not into detail.
Language - ‘There may be moderate bad language. Strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification’. The only close thing I have to this would be the use of the words ‘Shut Up!’ at the end of the first scene. Although said in an aggressive manner, within context it is understandable as this is fight of flight reaction that someone with misophonia may have. Furthermore, it is not a swear word so will not fall under the category of bad language
Nudity – ‘There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must e brief and discreet’. I do not have any nudity within my piece so this is not a worry.
Sex – ‘Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Moderate sex references are permitted, but frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable’. I do not have any sexual references/topics within my piece so this is not a worry.
Sexual Violence and Sexual Threat – ‘There may be verbal references to sexual violence provided they are not graphic. The stronger forms of sexual violence, including rape, may only be implied and any sexual threat or abusive behaviour must be brief and negatively presented. I do not have any sexual violence references/topics within my piece so this is not a worry.
Threat and Horror – ‘There may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone should not be. Horror sequences should not be frequent or sustained’. The 1st scene of my documentary is going to be like a horror, and is meant to heighten your heart rate. I do not have any physical or psychological threat and the ‘horror sequence’ within my idea is very mild. The overall tone of my film as a whole is not disturbing, only the first scene is slightly overwhelming/unsettling, meaning that it also is not frequent or sustained. My film will fit into this guideline as it is mild and only lasts for one short scene.
Violence – ‘There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context’. The only ‘violence’ I have in my scene is the use of the term ‘Shut up!’ indicated at the child’s parents.

Despite a lot of these categories not causing any worry to my production, it was still good to look into this as it has helped me to better understand that I am producing a suitable piece of content. The particular category that was interesting to look into was the threat and horror one. It fills me with confidence to know that what I intended on producing in my ‘horror’ scene 1 is suitable for a 12A audience.

Harvard Reference

BBFC (n.d.). What is classification | British Board of Film Classification. [online] www.bbfc.co.uk. Available at: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification.

BBFC (n.d.). BBFC | BBFC. [online] www.bbfc.co.uk. Available at: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/rating/12.