The Music Biz

TYPE
This is a mixed documentary. This is evident as there is a mixture between archive footage, narration, interviews, cutaways and observation.

THEMES
on top in the music industry/Success/ The competitiveness of the industry

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The documentary follows a linear Narrative. It begins by introducing the audience to the artist Meatloaf and that after his hit ‘Like a Bat out of Hell’ he just didn’t seem marketable. In the middle, we are shown the vast amount of problems that were had, making Meatloaf a successful and profitable artist with his comeback ‘I will do anything for love’. The end concludes the exposition when we are aware that the marketing campaign surrounding the single was entirely successful, profitable and concluded with Meatloaf winning a Grammy.

CAMERA WORK
There was an Extreme Close up in several interviews and archive footage of Meatloaf, to emphasise that he is the star of the documentary.

There were also several tracking shots through conferences, placing the audience in an eye-witness position of the events, which is visually appealing to us, but also makes us feel like we are involved and also are a part of the success of Meatloaf.

There was a shot reverse shot when Meatloaf was talking to the director of his music video to show their intimacy and how much they both care for this product and see it as crucial in Meatloaf’s success. The director was often filmed with a low angle to highlight his power over the production and his importance in the make or break of Meatloaf’s comeback.

MISE-EN-SCENE
All of the Green screen’s used in the interviews were relative to the documentary topic and/or what the interviewee was discussing. Several of these were not just still images, but the green screen was a video, making this aesthetically pleasing to the audience.

All of the cutaway shots were relevant to what the interviewee was talking about or whatever the documentary topic was on in that section of the narrative

SOUND
This documentary relied heavily on music tracks to convey meaning. Several songs were played whenever interviewees would talk about specific tracks and artists.

When the camera panned up the charts ‘Mpeople’s’ ‘Moving on Up’ was playing which was symbolic of the rising success of Meatloaf’s ‘I’d do Anything for love’

There were no sound effects in this documentary; the narrative was mainly lead by music tracks of relevant artists.

EDITING
When Meatloaf was asked about his song in one of the interviews, he answered by reciting lyrics from the song, after each line, it would cut to another interview where was reciting the same lyrics. By using 2 interviews to get across the same message is visually pleasing for the audience  and doesn’t bore them as much as it would to see Meatloaf just read out a verse of lyrics in one shot.

Another visually pleasing aspect of the documentary is that interviews would dissolve in and out which also stopped the viewer getting bored.

ARCHIVE MATERIAL
Music videos
top of the pops
Grammy’s
Brits
News

GRAPHICS

There was a section when the graphics on screen were repeating what the narrator was saying, to reinforce its importance.

Print based Media Font was used for the title which relates to the media theme of the documentary