1.3 Textual Analysis' on Documentary films

1.3 Textual Analysis' on Documentary films 

Supersize Me

















Louis Therox Documentaries

Documentary – Louis Theroux, behind bars in San Quentin.

This is a documentary based on the San Quentin prison which was released in 2008. In the film he meets and speaks to serial murderers, gang members, at-risk inmates and guards.

The codes and the conventions of documentary film are shown well in this as the opening really draws your attention because it starts with Louis talking to a man called David Silver who is in the prison for 500 years. This “hook” gets audiences intrigued and makes them tune into the program for the whole hour because they want to find out how the man got 500 years in prison. Also in a documentary there are central questions that are asked at the beginning of the program for example, “What is the necessity of wearing this” Louis asks this when he is putting his Protective layered jacket. The reason he is asking this question is not for his benefit as he would most likely know as he is a very smart man. In fact Louis is doing it for us, so that we know more about what the atmosphere is like so he is showing us how dangerous the prison actually is.