Unit 27 - Factual Programme Production Techniques for Television

Activity 1

1) What do we mean by factual programmes
A factual programmes can be documentary's or news based and are non fiction and can be objective they select information that the audience see and designed for entertain. This is a type of representation of its topic,they are un biased programmes and gather information that they think the audience will want to see most. 

2) Give some examples of the different types of factual programmes on TV.  

• News - BBC News
• Documentary - Benefit Street 
• Reality - The Only Way Is Essex
• Fly on the wall - Gogglebox

3) What is a documentary? 
A documentary is a programme that is meant to educate its audiences and tend to show programs 

4) What are the different types of documentaries? Give examples to demonstrate your points. 

• Expository documentaries- These documentaries speak to the viewers this is normally done through voiceovers, giving a point of view to the audiences trying to persuade them to a certain way of thinking. 

• Observational documentaries - Tend to just show an overview of a certain topic and don't tend to give its own opinion on the topic.

• Participatory documentaries 

• Reflexive documentaries

• Performative documentaries

Activity 2

Watch the you tube (https://youtu.be/FgcwEfYBZIs)  identify and write down what you think are the conventions of a documentary.  
Interviews

• Interview
• Controversial subjects
• Voice over of presenter or narrator
• Text 
• Cut aways
• Opinions 
• Facts
• Statistics
• Hand held camera work
• Real people 
• Reenactments    

Activity 3 

Watch the you tube video (https://youtu.be/6JL9j9xv9Ms) dentify and write down what you think are the conventions of a news bulletin.

• Factual
• Studio 
• Outside Location
• Voiceovers 
• Graphics 
• Interviews
• Intro (theme tune)
• Presenters 
• Statistics
• Formal voice from presenters or reporters

Activity 4

What do you think are the three key issues that we need to be thinking about when we are watching documentaries and news programmes? 

Accuracy 

• Information correct?
• Truthful 
• Otherwise whats the point

Bias

• One sided opinion 
• Skewing the facts in favour of something is not on in a factual programme 

Representation 

• The way its shown to the audience - Subject/Topic/ Facts/ people
• misrepresentation of these things is unfair and unbalanced

Activity 5 

What do you think we mean by accuracy in relation to factual programmes? 


Activity 6 

What are the advantages for watching factual programmes? 

• Learn new things
• See things you don't normally see
• So you know about current affairs 
• Entertainment 
• Inform 
• Creating Empathy
• To encourage change 

Activity 7 

Watch the channel 4 clips on Benefit Street.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefits-street

Channel 4 described 'Benefits Street'  as a documentary series which reveals the reality of life on benefits, as the residents of one of Britain's most benefit dependent streets invite cameras into their tight knit community.

Do you agree with Channel 4's description of the programme? List your points under the following headings:

Accuracy

• participants are 'real' so information is likely to be accurate 

Bais

• Biased approach to people on benefits - negative

Representation

• People are represented negatively.
• they would argue they have been miss represented 
• Participants claim they had been duped into taking part in the show about community spirit. 

Activity 8

ITV Fake Footage
Accuracy 

• Inaccurate footage
• Makes them seem untrustworthy and unprofessional 

Bias

• This could be seen as their own opinion - mis selection of clip
• Wanted to show him negatively so used what ever they had

Representation

• The 1988 attack is being mis represented 
• This could lead to debates or conflict
• Could be seen offensive to soldiers / service woman

By lying to public and the audience members this is giving a mis representation of what actually happened in the IRA Terrorist attack in 1988 which would be mis leading to audience members and will make them feel cheated and will no doubt question the information ITV and makes them seen untrustworthy.

Frozen Planet 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16137704

Accuracy

• Inaccurate footage
• This could be an inaccurate display as animals may act different in the wild to in zoo  
• Can ruin the reputation of the BBC or David Attenborough 

Representation 

• mis representation of how they behave 
• Factual error for a native programme

Layout 

Assignment 1 

Power point or Prezzie 

1) define accuracy, bias, representation - Pass

2) Examples of these issues in a programme: 

Benefits street 

Itv slide

Frozen Plannet 

Your own bias e.g slide 

the programme showed issues of A.B.R (M1

The impact on the audience is ... (D1)

3) List the conventions of News programme (P2)

4) Give examples of these conventions in:

 BBC news

News round 
your own 

5) Why are these programmes using/ not using them ( D2)

6) Define the two modes of documentary + conventions (p2)

7) Examples of conventions in:

The impostor

Stacey Dooley 

Your own   = Stills and timecodes

8) Why these conventions and modes used (D2)

20TH APRIL- DEADLINE