Secrets of the Pop Song-

Breakthrough SingleOwn Documentary Analysis 1

Type of Documentary

• Mixed – contained observation and interviews

Themes

• Power of new media to create pop hits

• Creation of new success and future stars

• Popular music production

Narrative Structure

• Non Linear

• Single Strand

Camerawork• CU in interview – alternate sides, follows

conventions of interviews

• Handheld to imply press/paparazzi style shooting

• Mid shot, rule of thirds etc, zooming in and out from CU to MS

• Tracking shot, follows man paparazzi style

Mise-en-scene

• Background anchors mise en scene in interviews, production studio.

• Music and recording studios connects to the themes of music and media.

Sound

• Voiceover- young and standard English (RP) • Interviewees answer as voiceover archive footage

in studio

Editing • Transitions –footage flies across screen• Quick cuts in the studio-implying fast paced

action

Archive Material

• Music videos

• Live gigs,

• Footage from studio

• Cutaway of music videos from interviewee and artists/songwriters, e.g Mark Ronson’s Valerie.

Graphics

• White sans serif, opposite side to the interviewee, and helps capture and anchor the themes of the documentary.