Factual programming
- Drama vs documentary binary
- Both conventions use narrative storytelling techniques – characters, conflict, climax, emotional identification
- All fiction emerges from non-fiction
The special relationship to truth
- Factual information is one kind of truth
- Personal or ‘subjective’ truth
- Content producers have responsibilities when working within this space
- Contract with the audience
- Trust
- Contract with the talent/participants
Documentary
- Documentary is the creative treatment of actuality – we cant know the audiences reality, but can guess there actuality
What is a story?
- ISSUES (poverty, war, discrimination, pandemics, pollution) are NOT stories – issues are subtext and theme (in this course, change)
- Story is the demonstration of a type of truth
- Be specific – look for a person, event and place that expresses/encapsulates or demonstrates the issue you want to explore
- When your audience connects o a person, place, event – then the underlying issue can emerge
Bias
- Be wary of big generalisations. Assume half of the audience will disagree with the issue and allow audience to respond
- Be specific rather than generalise
- Find a person, event, place that demonstrates your thesis
- Find statistics and data that backs up your claim
- Be realistic
Textual analysis
- Overall issues
- What stations (commercial/public)
- What time
Pitching and Proposals
- Development
- Contracting (pitch and proposal)
- Pre-production
- Production
- Post-production
- Marketing
The pitch and proposal are the tools/media you use to sell your program idea and personal production skills to a broadcaster and or funding body (anyone you want support from)
- The pitch is an oral presentation/conversation
- The proposal is a written document
- Excite, entice, inspire
- Give an EP – strong sense and how you intend to make it
- Reassure an EP you have the skills
- Research – know what they want
Explanatory material = outline, treatment, script
