Media Advanced Portfolio: Documentary - Georgia Webb Candidate Number: 5149

I chose to do Brief Two and create an extract from an original documentary TV Programme. I considered various topics for my extract to focus on but decided finally on volunteering and charity work, after researching 'The Big Society'. This is my proposal;

The Not So Big Society is a new and powerful insight into communities and organisations up and down the country, the world we don't see. The second in the series 'Volunteerism' explores how independent charities survive without government funding and the importance of volunteers and if 'The Big Society' is doing enough to reach its goal of encouraging people to take an active role in their communities by volunteering or if it really is a campaign con.

I have used audience feedback throughout different stages of my portfolio and it has been very helpful. To gain some audience feedback I created an online questionnaire which I shared online via Blogger, Twitter and Facebook. My audience feedback showed that the readers/viewers thought that all three texts worked well together, showing that 80% of them would go on to watch the documentary after seeing either of the ancillary texts;

I used Photoshop to create a montage of words that my audience used to describe my documentary, click to enlarge:

Most people described my documentary as educational and informative. Other words used included, 'insightful' and 'truthful'. From this audience feedback I learned that my documentary extract fulfilled its purpose and aim as an Expository documentary to educate and inform the viewer. One response was 'slow' from this I was able to acknowledge how I could improve the pace of my documentary, perhaps by editing in and using a wider variety of camera shots and also possibly changing the selected music.

(Click here to view my questionnaire)

(Click here to view my questionnaire results)

I also used audience feedback at earlier stages by creating an online questionnaire. By using a tool called 'Survey Monkey' I was able to share this questionnaire and then gather and analyse results. I asked a variety of questions, including 'What type of documentary are you most likely to watch?' and 'Which aspects of a documentary do you enjoy the most?'. The results from these questions indicated how can I create an appealing documentary for my audience. For instance, 70% of people asked, said that they were most interested in 'Interviews' when watching a documentary and so I used this information in finalising my ideas. I have inserted a link to show my earlier blog post, displaying these questionnaire results. (Click here)

Throughout my Advanced Portfolio, the audience feedback has helped me evaluate and review my products and also make decisions; finalising my ideas. Therefore it has been a very significant part of my Advanced Portfolio.

What did my Focus Group think of my products?
I referred back to my focus group (click here to view my earlier blog post showing my focus group) to gain some feedback and this is what they said:

Name: Ellie
Age: 18
'I found the documentary really interesting and it looks great! My favourite product was definitely the advertisement. The simple design was something I haven't really seen before as an advert and it really grabbed my attention. The bold font stood out and just instantly performs its purpose of advertising. The TV Listings looked fantastic, really realistic! The review would one hundred percent convince me to watch the programme.'

Name: Scarlett
Age: 17
'I thought the documentary was really well done and informative! There was loads of information but it wasn't crammed in, the pace of the documentary made this information clear to me as a viewer. I would definitely share this documentary with my friends, especially those who study the same subjects as me. I found the documentary really helpful and could definitely use some of the info to help me with my studies and maybe even use some quotes from the excerpt!. The advertisement looks really professional it would definitely draw me in.'

Name: Patrick
Age:26
'This documentary extract was really truthful and educational. I thought the motive behind it was very thoughtful and this showed through the editing, such as the interesting footage of volunteers fundraising. The titles also showed the thought behind the project as they show viewers which questions had been asked. I loved the use of music as well, it really set the tone of the documentary. The TV Listings double page spread looked really professional, the clear layout caught my eye and so did the 'Pick of The Day' feature. The language used in the review really persuaded me to watch the documentary, I think all three products work brilliantly together.'

From this feedback I learned:

My products worked well to compliment each other
The editing was successful in showing importance of the issue and sincerity of the piece
The newspaper advertisement and TV Listings double page spread were seen as clear and professional, fulfilling their purpose
My documentary was successful in using forms and conventions of an Expository documentary and educating viewers about something they are not familiar with.