Documentary Analysis One – ‘Andrea, Queen of Mantas’

In order to understand the different techniques that are used in the production of a
documentary, I will be analysing the mise-en-scene, sound, cinematography and editing of a
recent documentary that was shown on BBC One. The title of the documentary is ‘Andrea,
Queen of Mantas’ and was both produced and directed by Mark Woodward. The intentions
of the documentary are to both entertain the audience and educate them on a specific breed
of ocean creatures. Throughout the documentary, Andrea Marshall, a marine biologist that
specialises in Manta Rays, provide interesting facts, figures and her own personal
experiences. She is also accompanied, who provide an informative voice over.

The first opening title sequence

(Figure 1) clearly depicts that the
institution which is broadcasting the
television show that is about to
follow is the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC). This is shown by
the BBC logo that is centred at the
bottom of the screen.

The genre of the documentary is

also clear due to both the title that is
in the center and the background
photo. The use of these tells the audience that it is going to be based around something
factual and to do with nature. Al Lethbridge was responsible for choosing the appropriate
music that was to be used not only for the opening sequence but for the rest of the
documentary. Picking the right soundtrack is crucial as it helps to carry the documentary
through and also implies genre, engages the audience and also acts as a bridge between
interviews and voiceovers. Not only this, but music is able to change the mood of the
audience even provoke empathy. During the opening sequence, a brief clip of a piece of
score music is played, this same eerie and very nature influenced music carries through a lot
of the documentary.

Cutaways play a significant role in successfully

filming a documentary. The cutaways must relate
to the topic and also be engaging. An example of
this is the cutaway used directly after the title
sequence (Figure 2). Straightaway it suggests the
topic and genre of the documentary, this is
because it shows a scuba diver observing and
taking pictures of a Manta Ray. The score music
that was introduced during the titles also carries
through the cutaway, both are then joined by a
voiceover that introduces the marine biologist
Andrea Marshall and explains her first encounter with Mantas. The voiceover also informs
the audience of Andrea’s background, the goal she is trying to achieve, what it is that she
wants to overcome and exactly what the documentary will be about
 Framing an interview correctly is extremely important when both planning and filming
a documentary. The cameraperson needs to be able to portray the interviews identity and
purpose all in one shot. The rule of thirds is generally used as a template for anyone wishing
to frame an interview correctly.
As you can see in Figure 3, the
cameraperson that filmed this
interview has also used the rule
of thirds as a rough guide to
character positioning. Also, the
interviewee is not looking directly
at the camera lense, this
suggests that there is also an
interviewer and adds a more
‘question and answer’ style to the
interview.

The location in which an interview is filmed appears to strengthen the importance of

the interview and also adds a sense of identity to the interviewee. In Figure 2 we can see
that Andrea Marshall’s interview is by the ocean and the ocean takes up the majority of the
background. This flows well with the genre and topic already established previously in the
voice over

In Figure 3 we can clearly see once again that the rule of thirds has been used as a basis of
the character positioning. Also,
relevant props are present in the
image. The world map in the
background connotes that Andrea
Marshall is well travelled, educated
and interested in topics relating to
the earth. The laptop in the
foreground shows that she is
currently studying or typing up the
information that she had collected
earlier on in the documentary,
before this interview. Choosing the
right mise-en-scene can make the difference between successfully portraying someone and
not. In order to represent someone in a certain light it is essential to get the location right,
their clothing and any props that may be used. For example, if Andrea had been dressed in
a suit, sat in an empty dark office, then what she is trying to communicate verbally would not
match up with the way she would be communicating to the audience through other dress
code etc.

Editing together a documentary or any other type of video needs to be done in a way that
successfully communicates the message that you’re trying to get across to the audience,
and also to successfully engage them. For example, certain techniques would be specific to
a documentary and not a horror film. Within a documentary, it appears that it is important to
provide the audience with many cutaways, but these must flow together well and must be in
sync with the voice over/soundtrack. In Figure 4, two images have been brought together in
order to show two different things at once. At this point in the documentary, the voice over is
telling the audience the migrating patterns of a specific breed of Mantas. Rather than just
show the map, the editors has shows the Manta swimming underwater in the background.
This engages the audience as it is providing several different engaging things. The editor
has also used cross fades
between some of the cutaways
so that the image steadily
changes, rather than make a
harsh change and coming across
as very blunt and fixed.

One thing that wasn’t present in

this documentary was titles for
each individual that was talking.
Although I expected to see this
technique used, I assume that
the reason they were absent was because the documentary mainly revolves around one
person, and when this one person interacts with others, the voice over clearly tells us who
they are. An example of this is when Andrea Marshall visits a fellow marine biologist with
whom she is familiar, the voice over gives the audience a brief description of his name and
title.

In conclusion, from closely studying this documentary, I have found that it is not just one
specific thing that makes a documentary successful, but instead it is a number of different
areas all working closely together that allow a person to create a documentary that will be
enjoyed by its audience. I have also found that certain things need to be adapted to suit a
type of message that you are trying to put across, and that not every technique will be
successful for every documentary.