WEEKLY JOURNALS

This is where you think about your FMP learning journey and development.
Don’t simply describe what you did - consider what you have learnt and how this has benefitted
your project. What do you need to improve?

THIS IS JUST GUIDANCE THAT YOU NEED TO ADAPT TO YOUR OWN PROJECT. YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR
OWN PRODUCTION SCHEDULES AND YOUR WEEKLY BLOGS SHOULD REFELCT THAT.

THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE WEEKS YOU COMPLETED THEM. DO NOT JUST SUBMIT THIS
FORM FILLED IN FOR YOUR WEEKLY BLOGS. THERE SHOULD BE 11 WEEKLY BLOG ENTRIES (INCLUDING
EASTER).

Week Two - Research

RESEARCH

What did you learn from your This week, I completed my research on medium, genre and I
research? have begun to do research on content. I have learnt a lot from
my research especially medium research. I gained a working
knowledge of the evolution of documentaries and also famous
documentary makers/presenters. This contextual knowledge will
help me when making my own documentary, because I can use
some of the characteristics that Attenborough and Theroux use
to make mine more appealing to my audience. Keeping in
relation to medium, learning the difference between each type
of documentary has not only given me the knowledge to work
out what type of factual programme I want to make, but also
how to follow the appropriate codes and conventions of my
chosen style. In my genre research, I got a further understanding
of how to correctly apply the codes and conventions to my
piece. I looked into how to research content correctly and how
to develop an attention catching story. In my early content
research, I made an in-depth profile about Reading Speedway
and its history. I then started to research the subject of my
interview – Sam Norris.

How has the research for your When researching medium, it has given me a clearer idea of the
medium helped you improve your codes and conventions of my chosen medium. This has given me
ideas? guidelines to follow, so that I can streamline my ideas and can
allow me to get a more detailed idea of what I can produce
within the restraints of the documentary style.

How has the research for your genre My genre research has really helped me to understand what
helped you improve your ideas? aspects I need to put into my documentary in order to make sure
that my documentary will be working towards the correct
medium. When looking at specific codes and conventions, It has
given me good ideas to incorporate into my documentary. For
 example, cutting to the beat is an aspect that is used a lot by
Attenborough and also comes under the graphics section in the
codes and conventions.

How has researching the conventions Researching the conventions of my genre has helped me gain a
of your chosen genre helped you better understanding of not just how to make my piece qualify as
understand what is required from you a sports expository documentary but also how to use certain
in order to meet a distinction grade? conventions to make my piece a lot better. It has given me a
better understanding of what to look out for when I am
researching professional work so that I can gain a better
understanding of what makes the professional documentaries so
good.

How has including a variety of sources By doing primary research, i.e. focus groups and surveys, I have
(primary and secondary) helped with received a lot of different interpretations, so that I now believe
your understanding of your medium / that I have gained enough information to produce a
genre? documentary that falls well within the boundaries of my chosen
medium/genre. Secondary research has also given me a working
knowledge of how professionals use medium/genre to make
their pieces suit their medium/genre.

What sources of information did you I mainly looked at professional work so that I gained the best
look at that were different from your information on how a documentary should be produced in a
proposed project? final cut. I also looked at how to set up interviews, how to cut to
the beat and other tutorials on YouTube to teach myself what I
need to do behind the scenes to produce a final documentary
that is of a high standard.

How will this be useful to your When I come to planning, I will feel well prepared in how I can
planning? make every element of my piece stick to the correct genre,
medium and codes and conventions. This means I can focus
more on the actual production of the piece. I also believe that
during interviews I can have an appropriate set up that matches
the mood and tone on screen.

How has the research for your This research has really helped me in understanding who I am
content/topic helped you improve interviewing and the history of the clubs that he rides for. I feel
your ideas? that I can now ask more in depth questions because I
understand more about the subject. This means that when it
comes to script writing I will be able to go more in-depth from the
start rather than having to research as I am writing.

How has the research into By researching professionals, I have gained a much better
artists/producers helped you improve understanding of not just what to produce on screen, but also
your ideas? what to do off-screen so that my final documentary can be just
as good as a professional piece. I now understand what to do as
regards setting up the interviews, what camera angles to use
and how to edit my piece so that it can fit exactly with the
message it is portraying on-screen.

What work do you need to complete N/A

High Grade Tips

Research
● ‘Thorough research’ - include plenty of sources and detailed analysis of this information
● ‘relevant & coherent’ – make sure your research sources are not just the same as the Media
product you hope to make - and talk about how they inform your planning
● ‘sustained’ – continue your research throughout the eleven-week project and don’t just limit it to
the first two weeks
● ‘accomplished & considered’ – all of the above referred to in your daily/weekly reflections