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Title of Documentary - Catfish

Channel / Time - Released in cinema, 2010
Target Audience - People who talk to others online
Summarise opening 5 minutes - it is all about
introducing the reason why this documentary
started, and summarising everything that led up to
starting filming.
What is the documentary about - A man (Nev
Schulman)'s brother records what happens as his
friendship with someone he has only spoken to
online and on the phone and has never met unfolds.
What is the documentary purpose - To raise
awareness that people can easily lie about who they
are online
What type / mode of documentary is it Performative Mode, filmmakers are subjects, they
are going on the journey of discovery. This
documentary has elements of fly-on-the-wall,
because their is no designated narrator or presenter
to do a voiceover. Only sometimes is the dialogue
from footage in the documentary used as a
voiceover, but this is only when an insert or
cutaway is used.

Who is the target audience?

- Anyone who has had an online friendship /
relationship and needs to know the dangers.
- Anyone who has had an online relationship end
this way and wants to know they're not alone.

How are people being represented?

- People so nave about online relationships, believe
everything they are sent from someone is true.
Don't see the red flags until someone else raises
suspision.
- The people who lie online often have some kind of
insecurity they genuinely want to hide from others,
they feel it will make them less likeable if they tell
people.
- The one who lied has a hard home life, used the
fake profiles to feel closer to parts of herself and
who she wanted to be.

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What Conventions are used?
-Text appears on screen explaining what has happened prior to the
documentary so we know why this documentary is happening.
-Archival footage of a girl's youtube videos.
- Google Maps animation to show where those involved in the
documentary live / are.
- Characters are often introduced through a facebook photo type style,
where if the mouse hovers over the face their name appears.
- All text is written in 3rd person, as if it is a story.
- While a phonecall is going on about travelling somewhere, cutaways to
many clips of going through airport security is played while the call from
the pervious scene is used as a voiceover.
- Camera click mid-filming is capturing the monent he has realised that
something is suspicious - adding tension.
- filming filmmaker filming the subject -> shows how this isn't a big
producution, they're learning as the audience is learning.
- Including footage of an arguement between subject and filmmaker,
shows how real and unplanned the filming of this documentary was.
- Vox pops w/ people who have something to do with online relationships
-> waitress disucsses friend's experience with beiung 'catfished'. Shows
they're not the first, reinforces purpose.
- Hand held camera throughout.
- Photos of those who Angela pretended to be start to fill the screen,
showing how much it has consumed her life and how many people
become involved in both her and Nev's lives.
- Cutaway from Nev at home back to Angela's home -> Angela's
significant other explaining how the term 'Catfish' came to be what we
use to refer to those who lie online.
- Black screen with text at the end summarising what they learnt following
it, about who were the people in the photos, what became of Angela's
family, and clears up any final lies.

significant other explaining how the term 'Catfish' came to be what we

use to refer to those who lie online.
- Black screen with text at the end summarising what they learnt following
it, about who were the people in the photos, what became of Angela's
family, and clears up any final lies.
What type of sound is used?
- Music as a montage while showing the young girl, shows innocence.
- No sound during anything filmed by the filmmakers, shows how amateur and spontaneous
documenting this story was.
- Sometimes the sound from the footage being shown continues when the insert of the black
screen with extra information comes in, which shows the info on the screen is relevant to the
scene we will return to.
- Music starts to be used once he realises something is different, swapping between actual
filmed footage and shots of internet searches or photos online.
- Sound of song that girl pretended was her own playing continued through footage of them all
elsewhere -> shows she is stuck in the back of his mind no matter what he's doing.
- Music continuous when showing their journey when going to meet the person Nev's been
talking to - adds to tension.

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What narrative structure are they applying?
- Linear structure, follows one story straight through
as it unfolds
Follows Propp's Narrative Structure Theory;
- Preparation is Nev recieveing packages from Abby
- Complication- suddenly realises that what they are
sending as things they have done is not theirs, hurts
Nev
- Trasference - Thanks to the documentary, they
have a reason to go explore their quest.
- Struggle - Angela still tries to maintain her lie even
when faced with Nev.
- Return - Nev gets Angela to come clean, they both
come to terms with it.
- Recognition - recap on what happens after story,
'hero' Nev keeps in touch with 'Villain' Angela, like a
reward.
-Hero is subject (Nev) talking to someone online
-Villain (Angela) is one who lied to (Nev).
-Helper is his brother (Rel) and filmmaker friend.
-Quest is to find who he is really talking to.

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Are there any stereotypes?

- Nave subject goes on an adventure to learn the
harsh truth.
- Main subject aruges with others that they are
right, even though they end up proved wrong.
- Typical male, discussing sex in a relationship
before he's even met her -> male focus, whereas
female focus is on emotional connection.