Analysing a Documentary: Addicted to Surrogacy

(Documentary I analysed, Addicted to Surrogacy)


Title
Addicted to Surrogacy

Type of Documentary
Mixed

Themes
surrogacy and child birth


Narrative Structure
Linear,
multiple strand,
closed Narrative

Camerawork
Interviews- framed left or right of screen, medium close up or close up, eye line 3rd of the way down the screen- Conventional
Low angle two shot, for one interview
Tracking shot, following women into hospital, general everyday lives.
Zoom- used as an establishing shot in the first sequence, also used to show still images.
Tilted frame- outside house
close up- pregnancy test
some hand held camera work- conveys the 'fly on the wall' image, camera is ignored.

Mise-en-scene
mainly surrogate's houses
lake in France
typical American house, American surrogate.
Hospital

Sound
Voice over- Male, calm, spoke standard English, of a relevant age to the subjects of the documentary, voice over also ties up narrative at the end.
piano, woman plays
babies crying,
harp like music over the end interview with the surrogate mother,
heart rate monitor in hospital, fades out to ad break.

Editing
mostly cutting used
also, audio of interview was over woman driving to meet surrogate, actual interview not seen

Archive Material
still images- surrogate babies, couples wedding photographs
news footage and chat show footage of 'Britain's first surrogate'

Graphics
simple, white, sans seriff font, all lower case lettering.
name of person, relevance to documentary