The Nature and Purposes of Research

Primary research is research that is conducted by someone. For my primary research I sent out a questionnaire for parents of young children to fill in. I did this because I needed to find out if parents think that violent video games affect their children's behaviour or not. Other examples of primary research are interviews, observations, internet forums, focus groups and surveys. An example of this in the media is a pilot. A TV channel runs a pilot episode of a TV show then gives people a questionnaire to see if they liked the TV show. If people liked the pilot then they air the whole show.

Secondary research is research that other people have done but you look at to back up your primary research. For this I watched documentaries on YouTube about the same subject as I am doing. I  also watched news reports on the subject of violent video games affecting children's behaviour. Other examples of secondary research are books, dairies, newspapers and government statistics.

Quantitative research is research involves numbers and statistics. I didn't do any quantitative research. This is because the answers I needed were more qualitative. Examples of quantitative research are programme rating, website views, box office figures and sales numbers.

Qualitative research is research that involves words and written answers. The qualitative research I did was ask questionnaire on my questionnaire that would get qualitative answers. Like their opinions and views. More examples of qualitative research are film and game reviews, discussions and forums.

Data gathering agencies gather data for companies. BARB show figures of how many people watch each TV show. IMDB gives rating to films and TV shows. Boxofficemojo gives viewers reviews on films. Other examples of data gathering agencies are RAJAR. It stands for Radio Joint Audience Research. They are the official body that measures radio audiences in the UK. They are owned by the BBC and Radiocentre on behalf of the commercial sector.

For my audience and market research I looked at the target audience for my documentary which was parents of small children. I sent out a questionnaire to see if they thought that the games their children  were playing were causing them to act violently. I did this because I wanted to know the parents opioions.

For my production research I watched other documentaries that were similar to mine and see how they were made. I also had to check if my idea was likely to be made because I had to film young children so I had to be careful with some BCAP Code rules. I made sure that my budget didn't exceed £5 and that I was able to film at Brampton Primary School.

 

3 minute wonder pre-production paperwork

3 minute wonder proposal

My 3 minute wonder will be about if violent video games affect children's behaviour. I will interview 3 children, 3 adults and and an expert. I will ask the children about if they enjoy video games. The adults if they notice anything in their behaviour and an expert about whether they do affect children or not.

I will present it in a participatory mode. This is because I will be asking the people within my documentary questions. The documentary will only feature the answers rather than my questions to save time and I will be able to interview more people.

My target audience will be parents. . The demographics don't matter in this situation because it's not about what job they do. It more about what their children do in their spare time.

I am trying to inform them that playing violent video games doesn't affect their child's behaviour for the worst.

I will need an expert in violence affecting children. I will use a teacher form college. I will not need any other crew members because I can set the camera up myself and ask the questions myself.

I will not need any equipment or props because it will be straightforward interview.

I will not need to buy anything therefore the budget is £0. I have everything I need.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

CHILDREN -
Do your enjoy video games?
Can you name a few that you play?
How long do you play on them for?

PARENTS -
How old is your child?
Do you notice any behaviour changes after they finish playing these games?
What age rating do they play?

EXPERT -
your views on the impact of playing violent video games on a child's brain?
Any relation between playing violent video games and acting out violence?

3 Minute Wonders

A 3 minute wonder is a short film that features on Channel 4. They focus on first time directors in the middle of the weekday primetime schedule. The purpose of a 3 minute wonder is to inform the viewer about a subject in a short amount of time. You can make a 3 minute wonder about anything that can be simplified and that you are enthusiastic about.


These are 3 examples of a 3 minute wonder -

 
The reasons I like this 3 minute wonder is because it is fun to watch because the guy in it is always laughing and is lifting everyone who sees his spirit. I think this is an observational documentary because there was no documentary maker influence. It's all about the king of laughter.




I also like this one because it's about a different style of music which these people are really enthusiastic about. I think this is a poetic documentary because it expresses an artistic view on a new kind of music.


I like this one because it gives a simpler view about life. I think this is a Expository documentary because it's just Karl talking about a subject to inform the viewer.

Research Dossier

Conducting Secondary research:

- I have found research videos on YouTube that agree with my statement saying that Violent video games don't make children more violent. In fact they have the exact opposite effect. In the last 30 year as video games have become increasingly more popular, crime and violent outburst in children have be steadily declining.

Documentary - This is a documentary about violent video games and whether they affect behavior. The main point that was discussed was about there being no link between watching violence and acting violence out.



This is a news report about the links between violence and video games. It's about a news channel in America discussing violent children playing video games. They eventually find out that more video game playing is actually associated with less real life violence.

Conducting Primary research -

- I made a questionnaire to find out whether children's behaviour change for the worse after playing violent video games.

Questionnaire data -

Once I received the answers from my questionnaire it was clear that the parents that answered my questionnaire thought that their children played on their games console too long and that that playing on their too long changed their behaviour for the worst. But most of them think that it's because they play on it too long rather than the games they play. One of the questionnaires say that their child play on their console for more than 4 hours a day. This is quite excessive but their mood doesn't change when they are playing these violent games. The shortest amount of time that a child played video games for was  about half an hour a night and this parent didn't notice any mood changes within their child. The other people who said their children play violent video games for a short amount of time said that they don't witness drastic mood changes in their children after they have finished playing their games.7 and of 10 people said that their child(ren) pick the games they play and don't stick to the age rating that they are.

Therefore this means that the children experience these mood changes but they are playing these games for a long period of time rather than the content of these games.

There are no laws against filing in public and police can't stop you. But you still need permission from the local council or the appropriate local authority.  But if you want any police/ police vehicles in the film then you have to get permission from the police them selves.

Offcom rules state that any child under 14 being used in a film shouldn't be involved in any filming that would be shown after the watershed at 9 Oclock. As I will be using young children in my documentary I'm not aloud to use them in anything that they should not be involved with. But as my documentary wont have anything offensive in it, I won't have to worry about that.

Whilst on the Channel 4 page looking at Viewer trust guidelines, I found that:  

Rule 2.2 of the Ofcom Code states that:

"Factual programmes or items or portrayals of factual matters must not materially mislead the audience."

This means that my 3 minute wonder must not lead the audience astray from the truth. Even though I am portraying my views on a subject does not mean it will only be one sided. I must give valid points to both sides on the story. 

Questionnaire about kids playing violent video games

Question 1 - What is your age?

Question 2 - What is your gender?

Question 3 What is your job?

Question 4 - Do you have a child?

Question 5 - Is there a games console in your house?

Question 6 - Does your child use it?

Question 7 - What’s your stance on letting your children pick the games they play?

Question 8 - Do they play any violent games/ games with an age ratting older than they are?

Question 9 - How long do they play video games?

Question 10 – Do you notice any change in behavior after they have played these games?

If yes explain what it was...

Question 11 – Do you think this is to do with the games they play?

Question 12 -  Do they struggle making friends?

Question 13 - Do they play their video games with their friends?

Introduction to news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b073qplg/bbc-news-at-ten-21032016  - This is the broadcast I have chosen. Its from BBC at 10 Oclock on the 21st of the 3rd 2016.

Welfare cuts 

20 year old who killed a police man

Scotland yard close down investigation into pedophiles in parliament

Man who rescued a baby from a sinking car

Barack Obama goes to Cuba

England's women cricket

At the start of the news the news presenter says all the stories that will appear in the news that day with attention grabbing drum beats in the background. This is used to get the viewers' attention and to tell them the news stories that will feature on that day's broadcast. The visuals that appear in the opening shot were news reporters working hard trying to find the latest stories to be shown at a later date. As the news reporter talks about the news stories that will feature on the news program a video plays that sums up the report that will feature in full later on. The opening sequence was of a red world rotating to show that the news will report stories from all over the world rather than just local news. The camera then pans round the newsroom then a mid shot of the news reporter about to talk about the first news story. Then it goes into the main news.

The role of the news reader is to tell the news story to inform the views of what is happening in their local area and around the world. The skills that are necessary to have for this job are to be able to read off the auto-cue. To be able report the news in  a clear way so the viewer can understand them. They must also be un-opinionated when interviewing someone so the viewer gets a unbiased and complete knowledge of a subject.

A news story is chosen to be shown first because this is the most interesting or affects everyone the most. For example a story about war or a natural disaster. The ability to act quickly in the news is important because it is filmed live and anything could happen. Another reason why is that a another news story that is more important might come in and the news reporters would have to react it this is adapt accordingly. A slow news day means that no news has happened and the news reporters would have to report old news. News values are a guideline or criteria used by media companies such as newspapers or TV news programs to determine how important a news story is.

Galtung and Ruge wrote about news values. They explained that news vales were culturally effected rather than naturally effected due to human culture. They think that the more a news story related to the viewer the more likely is is to get showed. For example a celebrity wedding is more likely to be showed than a world disaster.
 


Bias through selection and omission is when an editor expresses bias by choosing whether or not to show a news story or not. Some details can be ignored and left out. This is bias because not all of the news story will be shown.

Bias through placement is when stories are placed throughout a news paper. For example an important news story would be placed at the front of the news paper or at the start of a news program whereas a not so important news stories are placed at the back or at the end.

Bias by headline is when the headline is misleading and portrays false information. The headline is the first thing you see when you look at a news paper or hear the news. The head line is very small so won't have all the information. They are also trying to sell so the headline is often exaggerating to grasp the readers attention.

Bias through shot selection and camera angles is very influential. A picture can show a lot but it can also hide a lot. For example something good might be happening but the photo might only show a bad thing.

Bias through the use of names and titles means that sometimes persons views get in the way. It all depends on who writes the news report. One persons enemy is another persons friend.

Bias through use of language is when negative ans positive words influence the news report. This is why the news readers have to be non bias.

Documentary Mini task

Expository documentary - This is when the documentary speaks directly to the viewer, usually to inform them about a particular subject or to persuade them to do something. These are mainly fact based and informative so the audience knows about a subject.

.An example of expository documentary is one of David Attenborough many documentary's about wild life. For example Frozen Planet. This is about the frozen landscape and the life that lives there .This is a expository documentary because it tells the viewer about global warming and the effects it has of the planet.

Observational documentary - This is when the documentary just follows everyday life natural things with the target of just showing people a way of life or how something is. They are often known for what they don't consist of like no voice over, no interviews and no intertitles. This is because they just show everyday things with no interference of a film maker.

One example of this would be Hoop Dreams. This is about 2 gifted black teenagers from poor families in Chicago. The documentary follows their life over 3 years as they try and escape the ghetto and make it into the national basketball league. It is a Observational documentary because it shows the struggle for these 2 boys trying to play pro basketball.

Another example is Armadillo. This is about the story of a few young Danish soldiers when their platoon is deployed on a tour of Afghanistan. This is an observational documentary because it shows the platoon and shows how brutal war can be with out commentary so the images get this across.

 

Interactive documentary - This is when the documentary film makers presents in known and everything is shown through their prospective. A film that is made well will show a definite lean towards on side of the story but will show both sides. 

An example of this is when Louis Met Chris Eubank. This is about when Louis Theroux met the ex-boxer Chris Eubank. This is an interactive documentary because we see Louis interviewing Chris and we see his answers. 

Another example is Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. This is about whether President Bush used the 9/11 attacks to justify a war in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is an interactive documentary because we see Michael Moore and we see him interviewing people. 

 

In a reflexive documentary the film maker is know and can be seen on screen. The way the documentary is made and how it comes together is just as important and what the documentary is about. Reflexive documentaries are more about the link between film maker and audience rather than film maker and subject. 

An example is more Louis Theroux documentaries. This is because we see him in front of the camera and also takes place in the activities on screen but still staying detached and casual. 

Another example of a great reflective documentary film maker is Nick Broomfield. He is know for documentaries like Kurt & Courtney and Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer. 

A performative documentary is strongly personal, unconventional and poetic. They involve reconstructions and performances of what is being explained. These are added in the get the audience involved and try to get them to understand what the people are going through. 

An example of this is supersize me. A normal health guy only eat MacDonald's food a 30 days to prove to people that it is incredibly unhealthy. He has to see a doctor most days and is warned it is extremely dangerous.

 

I like performative documentaries the most because not you get to see reconstructions of whats happened and get a better understanding of what happened. I also think that observational documentaries are the most honest because they just follow their subjects around without any interference by editing and film makers. 

Documentary's

Workers leave the factory - This is a short film and workers leaving the factory, it is one of the first ever film made. It is real and shows workings walking out of the door of the factory. This was very truthful.

Night mail - This follows the adventure of a train that is carrying mail. We see everything from the train leaving, a person changing the tracks, to the train travelling around. This isn't completely true as it shows different angles to the same thing happening which can only be done is the thing is done multiple times. We even see an aerial shot of the train travelling which is impossible for that time so a model train was filmed on a model track. This wasn't very truthful.

Bowling for Columbine - We only saw the opening scene form this documentary. In the scene we saw a guy go into a bank and get a gun. This is showing how easy it is in America to get a gun, you get even get one at a bank. The interviewer cheats a little and only shows the viewer some of the events and then show them how easy it is to get a gun rather than all the paper work that's involved. This is the twisted truth because it's only seen how it was supposed to and not the full truth.

Louis and the Nazis - Louis visits Nazis in America and shows us that they still exists and how many there are. He tries to understand why they think what they do. He visits a public figure for the Nazis and a family of a mum and two daughters who sing racist songs. This is truth.

The Thin Blue Line - This is about the justice system and how it can fail really badly. It is about a wrongly convicted murder and someone who did the murder. We saw eyewitnesses, police, both people, judges and lawyers. This was truthful but we only saw what people think they saw so it wasn't all truth.

Types of Documentary

Expository documentary - This is when the documentary speaks directly to the viewer, usually to inform them about a particular subject or to persuade them to do something. For example Govenment messages or voted videos.

Observational documentary - This is when the documentary just follows everyday life natural things with the target of just showing people how everything is. For example this might be used to show how a type of people live their lives.

Interactive documentary - This is when the documentary gives both sides to the story and an honest opinion. For example a documentary that wants the audience to know both sides of a story.

Reflexive documentary - This is used to show the audience how a documentary is made to make the audience relate to what they are watching.

Performative documentary -