COMMISSIONS UNIT: Research - The F Word And Me - BBC Three Documentary

I decided to research another BBC Three documentary to give us a clear idea of the format our documentary should follows. I decided to research The F Word by Charlie XCX.

This is another documentary with a presenter - the same format we wish to follow.

Upbeat, fun music is instantly used from the beginning of the documentary. Even though the subject matter this documentary (feminism) isn't an upbeat and fun subject, the fun music helps people to engage with the subject matter and lighten it a bit.

Charlie begins by explaining how feminism is an issue in the music industry whilst a montage of music videos plays. She then introduces herself - her name, her age and what she does. This is important so that we can relate to her and connect to her and therefore engage with the subject matter.

Charlie XCX is a pop singer and therefore will attract fans of her music to watch the video. Unfortunately, we cannot get a celebrity to present our documentary, but it shows the importance of having a likeable and relatable character as the presenter.

The titles used throughout the documentary are fun - helping the audience to enjoy the documentary as well as learning about feminism. The titles also suit the character of the presenter and her style of music - the font and colours used in the titles are similar to those found in her music videos.

The documentary includes a lot of interviews throughout. These break up her commentary and the facts she's presenting. She talks to other females in the music industry to gain their opinion on feminism.

There is a lot of actuality footage of her performing and sequences of her walking between locations. These help to set the scene of the documentary.

How Has This Influenced Our Documentary?

- This documentary has again shown the importance of having a likeable and relatable presenter. This helps the audience to engage with the subject matter, no matter how dull it may seem to some people.

- Having upbeat music at the beginning of a documentary targeted towards young people is key. It immediately lifts the mood of the documentary and instantly suggests a fun and interesting viewing.

- Sequencing has been shown to be very important. It can help to connect locations and tell the story. It helps to transition from one subject to another within the documentary.

- Lots of interviews make the documentary interesting - especially when they're merged throughout the documentary. This helps to make the documentary flow and make sure it's not too linear.