Analysis of Existing Products

As I have decided to create a documentary which focuses all around the history of live music in the North East and the difference in it today, upon researching, I've been unable to find an existing documentary / short film which focuses on gigs in one specific place - as they all focus on perhaps a specific event or band, not the actual place in which it's taking place. While this stands, I did research into different music documentaries which in this case did focus on either an event in particular, a certain band, or even a music label. 

Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)

When it comes to music documentaries, I have always believed Hitsville: The Making of Motown to be one of the best. The documentary tells the story of the Motown label, from how it began to the late 60s. Something I admire about the documentary is that in a way it's very personal, as it involves some of the label's greatest artists including Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and more, reminiscing on different memories and stories of their past. This is something I want to heavily involve in my documentary as I want people to be able to identify with the media, and I think when it comes to discussing our live music scene in, for example, the 70s, I plan to include different stories from people who attended the events to make it feel that more personal. On the other hand, when it comes to discussing the live music scene in todays day and age, I plan to include my own stories from being in the audience myself, hopefully letting the audience personally identify with what I say. 

Following this, I think the most important aspect in any documentary, including this one, is the visuals. From beginning to end, we see footage from those times in the 1960s: we see images with a voiceover discussing what we as the audience see in that moment, or we see still images with text as well as a voiceover, providing the audience with more information - like in this clip of Martha & the Vandellas. Again this is something I will take and use in my own documentary, and I think that when I use footage from perhaps a concert from the 80s which took place in Sunderland, the audience will be seeing it for the first time, so I need to make sure that I keep it fresh and interesting, just like this documentary did. Upon researching, there is a limited amount of footage I can use from the 50s / 60s era, so this will mean when I come to plan in more depth and create my script, I will need to ensure it is informative but also engaging for my target audience and their age bracket since I need to make sure that it is enjoyable overall. 

Something which makes up this documentary which I will have to think about is the use of music. Being a documentary about the history of Motown and all these fantastic artists, music is what makes it feel whole, it lets the audience enjoy the documentary to another level. In saying this, again when I begin to plan my documentary down to the smallest detail, I need to remember that I am unable to just use any music I'd like due to copyright claims, although I do plan to use music which is perhaps popular, if I am able, just like this documentary does, meaning it could appeal to a larger audience, but I will need to choose carefully.

When discussing the mise-en-scene, an aspect which stands out a lot is the location and set design. In this particular documentary, almost all of the scenes shown in the modern day are filmed at the same location - 'Hitsville USA' motowns first headquarters in Detroit, since it's where everything began, and, at times, was quite literally their home . When I come to create my documentary, while I will be discussing the North East as a whole, I want that same feeling when discussing Sunderland, as a home - again quite literally, and as a home for each of the venues I will be discussing. 

Identifying the audience, I believe that they would be of any gender and perhaps any age - while I think a specific age group may be those around their 70s and 80s, people who grew up with Motown and can personally identify with the music and once hearing it at its time of release, just like the stars in the documentary itself. On the other hand, I do believe that the documentary could appeal to any age group, since I myself am 18, wasn't able to grow up with this music, and yet I love it juts as much. The documentary would appeal to anyone with an interest in Motown, or just a passion for older music in general. Referring to psychographics, I believe that the target audience would be made up of Explorers - people who like to discover new things and learn, perfect for a documentary which discusses the history of a music label and its artists. Furthermore, the audience could also consist of The Resigned, people who are of an older age, since again when looking at the Uses and Gratification theory, these people may watch the documentary to personally identify with the media, having perhaps been there at time of release. Comparing the audience to the Social Grade, on one hand I believe that anyone from any social grade may enjoy the documentary, but perhaps in particular people in group D and E - meaning semi-skilled workers, pensioners and young people. Again I believe this would be the case as older people who may have grew up with the music would have a connection to it in which no one else would. 

To conclude, I think what makes this documentary so loveable is that it's simply a community of people who are passionate for the same thing - music. This is the main aspect I want to take and apply to my own documentary, coming across passionate for the topic being discussed. I aim to create a documentary which shines light on live music in the North East like it's a community, just like Hitsville: The Making of Motown is a community.  

Summer of Soul (... or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)

Unlike the previous Motown documentary, Summer of Soul is all about one specific event which took place in the summer of 1969. Over the course of six weekends, Harlem Cultural Festival took place celebrating black history, culture, music and fashion, showcasing artists like Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Nina Simone, and more. Unfortunately, due to the festival taking place at the same time as Woodstock, another music festival and also one of the most famous, it seemed to have been overshadowed and largely forgotten about, resulting in the footage never being shown, until now. 

Just like Hitsville: The Making of Motown, we see these artists looking back on the event and reminiscing on their past memories. Again this feeling is something I hope translates into my own documentary - the feeling of nostalgia to past events which took place here in the North East, despite not being there, all through different stories and experiences. While this stands, I do think this documentary was more footage based, which is important in this case since the aim was to finally show audiences what happened on those six weekends. 

I would like to say my documentary would be mostly footage based, but there is a limited amount from our live events dating from the 50s to around the 90s, but this being said, I do have my own footage which I am able to use when discussing modern gigs. While I have been able to find video footage from live gigs which took place here from the 80s for example, it seems I am able to collect more information like peoples stories and experiences to discuss, as well as images to match, rather than actual video footage.  

Furthermore, one thing in particular which stands out a lot in this documentary is the colour palette - when the event took place, each artist performed on the stage with a colourful backdrop behind them. I would like to have a continuous colour palette throughout my documentary, but in saying this I'm not sure how possible this would be since the clips I will be using are from different events and venues. While this stands, if I were to use visuals and text on screen, I would make sure the theme is the same throughout. 

Following this, something I will be taking inspiration from is the music itself - the festival includes soul, Motown, blues, jazz, even gospel. It doesn't just abide to one genre, meaning it would appeal to the large audience which was there and there was something for everyone. When creating my documentary, I won't be choosing a genre and sticking to it, I will be branching out to different genres and bands to ensure that there is something / someone which appeals to my audience throughout. 

Discussing the target audience for this documentary, I believe that again they may be of any gender, and of an older age, some perhaps attending the event themselves in the Sixties and personally identifying with the footage being shown for the first time. I know this because this also includes big names like Gladys Knight, shown in the documentary watching herself perform on that day for the first time. Once again, I do believe that no matter the age, the documentary would appeal to simply anyone interested in the event itself, or in the genre of music being played. Being a music documentary like Hitstville: The Making of Motown, the main focus being music from the 1960s, I think that the audience would be rather similar, and again would be made up of Explorers and The Resigned. 

Something I like about the documentary is that, while it's main aim is to inform the audience on an event many of us didn't know existed till now, it also focuses on the area in which it took place, Harlem, and what it was like there at the time. By including this, and not just focusing on the music, it lets us as the audience get a feel of what it was like not just at the festival, but in every day life, making it feel more real and authentic. Furthermore, this is something I myself would like to do in my own documentary - discussing life in the North East and out of everything going on, live music was the thing that could bring people together and let people escape reality for that short space of time.  

The Beatles: Get Back (2021) 

The documentary by Peter Jackson follows 'The Fab Four' rehearsing in what we know as the Get Back sessions leading up to the famous rooftop concert, taking place on January 30th of 1969, also making it the last time the band performed together as a group. The documentary is split into parts 1, 2 and 3, due to there being over 60 hours worth of footage, along with 150 hours worth of strictly audio. Something this chosen documentary and Summer Of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) have in common is that both events happened in the late 1960s, yet the footage has only just been released to the public during this year, which makes each documentary that more exciting, as we as the audience know that since we are seeing it for the first time, we don't exactly know what to expect. This feeling is something I would like my audience to experience, as hopefully they won't have seen the footage I will be using before, so it would be a nice surprise. This is also why it is important that I use my own footage, as well as already existing footage, since it will be original, and never been seen before. 

Something I admire is how Jackson chose to open up the documentary, setting the scene. Featuring no audio or moving image, we simply see text on screen, summing up the events about to take place in the documentary. While simple, I think this is quite effective, since it lets us almost prepare for part 1. Soon after, music begins to play as the company logo fades into the shot, which I believe this is something I could involve in my own documentary since I do now have my own logo, and I think it makes for quite a professional opening. Upon the opening, the documentary showcases the history of the band, leading all the way up to the Get Back sessions. For events which took place in the 1950s where there were no footage available, we see images paired with text explaining the specific point in time, such as when each member joined the band, or even when they required the group name. This technique was something also featured in Hitsville: The Making of Motown, and I believe is something I could take into my own documentary. Upon researching into local venues, I have found images in the 50s and 60s which I would like to include, but with there being no video footage at times, I can include the image and accompany it with text to give further context. 

Furthermore, something which immediately catches your eye throughout the documentary is the colour scheme used. Behind the band, we continuously see a colourful backdrop made up of a range of colours, which I think instantly sets the mood for the rest of the film, almost making it remain quite neutral and calm. As mentioned before, I am not sure how possible it will be for me to include a continuous colour scheme throughout due to me filming in different locations and using already existing footage from different locations and era's, whereas in this documentary the location remains the same. While this stands, I will try to include this in my own final piece, as I do believe having something continuous like this again creates a calm mood for the audience, despite what is going on on screen.

I  definitely think that the target audience for this documentary is quite a mixture, and not just one specific age or gender. Firstly the main audience for Get Back would simply be fans of the Beatles, since they are the main focus. To go into specifics, when discussing psychographics, I believe that the audience would fit into the Explorer category, this being because they are people who seek to discover new things and are attracted to new experiences. In saying this, I think the documentary may appeal to them because they may be discovering the band for the first time, or they may just want to learn more about them. Following this, I also think that the audience could fit into the Mainstreamer category. Mainstreamers are a group of people, made up of 40% of the population, who like tried and trusted brands, while seeking security. With the Beatles being one of, if not, the biggest band to come out of the music industry, they ultimately have a very large and diverse fan base which has existed since the late 50s and continues to grow to this day. This leads me to think that with the band being so popular, audiences will instantly trust the documentary and want to view it, as they know exactly what they are about to be shown. Thirdly, I expect the target audience to include those who are the Resigned - predominantly older people who have built up their attitudes over time. Being a band from the 1960s, we know that a large group of their audience and listeners are of an older age, having growing up with their music over time. 

I have found it difficult when comparing the target audience to a social grade, since being a documentary about a specific band, anyone can enjoy it as well as their music. To go into specifics, the social grade E, which includes pensioners and low grade workers, I believe could fit the target audience, again just due to the age category shared between them and the band members, since I know that a large majority of the band's fans are of that age, including my own grandparents. Again, I truly don't think there is just a single social grade which fits the target audience due to their music being loved by so many. Following this, it's difficult to label the target audience as a specific age. This being because I personally am a huge fan of the band as a young adult, where again people like my grandparents who grew up with the music are also tremendous fans of their legacy. Following this, I would also like my documentary to be similar in this way. While, upon creating survey's, I know exactly who my target audience are (their age, psychographics and social grade), I do aim to create a piece of media which perhaps doesn't just appeal to one group of people, in which I hope it appeals to almost everyone. 

In the1960s, fashion was something which was important to a lot of people. Compared to the 50s, people began wearing things which were typically different, and out of the box. Stars like Twiggy and Patty Boyd began setting trends, which remain memorable today. In the documentary, we see the band wearing a range of different, colourful, and patterned outfits. While in my documentary I won't be filming anyone and specifically their outfit, I think to include this aspect I will try to include footage and images from perhaps different era's to show how this has changed over time, specifically in the North East at live events.

What I have learned upon researching into existing documentaries

After looking into different music based documentaries, I am now able to pick out specific parts and use them in my own. From the beginning, I had planned to use, if possible, video footage from perhaps the eighties or nineties, but after watching already existing products and how they present moving image, I now have different ideas on how to present it - for example with text to explain the clip in more context or even with images simultaneously.