This is an investigative/crime documentary as it shows how people can destroy and ruin not only places and monuments but lives as the two girls shown in the film believe strongly in religion but let the influence of music and lyrics take control of their minds and therefore commit serious crimes e.g. murder. However, it also has a reflective element as it enables you to think about your actions and why we do them. Music can be powerful especially the lyrics but could they really influence you to live your life depending on them as this is the message which is broad casted throughout the documentary.
The themes which are linked to this documentary include crime such as murder, religion /satanism and the influence of music and role models. The role model during this documentary is Marylin mason and how his lyrics and actions influence how other people behave in order to live the life of a musician in which they choose to follow. Another theme which complements this is rebellion. The two girls choose to rebel against rules and laws in order to prove themselves but it only causes upset to the people around them.
The narrative structure is linear as the story follows straight through from the beginning to the conclusion in chronological order. The documentary is circular as it begins with the story introducing us to the two girls and ends with the madness in which they caused and what happened to them.
The way in which the camera was used shows the emotions of people and what type of people they are. By using a handheld camera, it reflects irrational actions and chaos. Talking head shots represent authority and this is shown by the local policemen giving their views on the murder. Low level shots are used to show people as more superior than others such as, Jesus on the cross, Marilyn Manson and the police. In this documentary, this shows that different types of people are seen as superior to audiences. In contrast to this, high angles were also used to highlight weak and inferior people throughout the film. Stock footage was also used as CCTV was shown during the concerts and footage of the girls rampage on the village. Covert and point of view shots were also used throughout.
Mise-en-scene consisted of religious symbols and Gothic accessories to accompany the theme of satanism relating to the two girls and how they strongly disbelieved in Jesus and they were willing to show how they felt which involved the murder of a nun.
The sounds of a heartbeat during the opening connotes crime as the feeling of panic and anxiety enters the mind. The music played mostly relates to Marilyn Manson and contrasts the sound of religious music (choirs). This reveals emotion and how different beliefs share the same feelings.
The editing involves cut aways throughout the documentary - during voice overs to show visuals which relate to the topic being discussed. The pace of the editing also changes depending on the content and the topic being discussed.
Archive material was used when viewing music videos, concert footage and the film from the trial.
The Meth epidemic
This documentary is investigative as there is a lot of criminal activity due to the use of drugs and ways in which they are used to abuse and degrade the human body. The police are also involved and make multiple arrests. There is also a scientific nature to this film as throughout the documentary, professional scientists and pharmacists are interviewed to make it aware that non prescription drugs are dangerous in large amounts and if taken irresponsibly. The themes which run throughout the film include addiction and abuse of drugs and crime and government issues surrounding the topic of drug abuse and how it affects different people.
The narrative structure is linear because the documentary runs through the years in order of dates showing the impact Meth is having in America as time passes, so we see what happened when Meth was not being taken to when it caused chaos and deaths throughout America.
The camera work used throughout the documentary is clean and well presented. It is obvious that the documentary is produced on a large scale budget and had good quality equipment available. This is shown through professional camerawork and how the production team had flown a member of the crew to Mexico to film live footage of Meth being manufactured and also to interview people that are involved within the Meth industry. This gives the audience a clearer and broader understanding to what Meth actually is and what a huge impact it has on people. Hand held camera work is shown throughout the documentary to show footage of Meth being produced which gives the audience a sense of reality into what is actually happening in the world and how easily people are able to get this drug. Frequent archive footage is shown a lot throughout making the audience get more of an understanding to the theme from different view points and makes it more interesting and entertaining, such as CCTV footage and police footage from raids and arrests.
The sound which is used is consistent throughout the documentary which helps to portray people's emotions. For example, positive music is played to retain hope for the person talking and to get an insight into their life and how being in this situation has affected them and their loved ones. On the other hand, negative music is used for people who have no intention in giving up the drug and continuing to abuse their body without caring about anything. A low beat which sounds like a heartbeat is used to show that when taking Meth your heart will beat slower so it has a big impact on the story and it also becomes faster when raids and arrests are shown to highlight how the people are feeling and that they are scared and afraid for what is to come.
The editing used is clear cuts throughout the documentary which help to determine the pace of the story and fast cuts are used when there is a lot of movement and action e.g. arrests. Fades are used between emotional scenes, especially when the woman expresses her feelings about losing all of her children due to the addiction of meth and how she could have been a better mother without it. This simple transition helps to symbolise that her life is fading away and unless she changes, it will only continue to do so. Therefore the message is clear and shows clearly not only the physical damage but the emotional and mental damage it causes between friends and families.
Loose Change
Loose change is based around the disaster of 9/11 and all the reasons for it and what exactly happened and why it happened on that specific day, answering unanswered questions. It has many themes around the story, including: terrorism, planes, politics, the government, police and fire brigade. It shows who they thought was behind the attack and why and how the authourity were completely unable to prevent it or that is what was thought of at the time. The narrative structure of the documentary is in a linear order and adapts a diary form of the whole month of September and the aftermath in October/November.
It looks into both sides of the story involving George Bush and his part in the attack and where he was when it happened and the terrorist Bin Laden, explaining his impact in the attack so we get many suspects for it and different views and opinions which make valid yet contrasting points. It also supports people's views with factual information and evidence that the twin towers could not have fallen down from just the impact of the aeroplanes.
Through out the documentary most of the camera work is taken from archive material such as phone footage, CCTV footage and news footage. This is the main camera footage throughout as it shows the same plane hit over and over but from different angles: above it, side of it and below it, gaining a true understanding as to what happened. Aerial shots are used to give us a clear view of 9/11 and its affects; we also see the use of handheld camera work to make it more interesting and factual as the true feeling of shock and fear is reflected through the use of a camera which is unpredictable e.g. video phone.
During this documentary a music motive is used which links all the clips together as it helps to interpret the mood and visual picture for the viewer. Quotes are used such as "so what are we going to do about it" which addresses the viewer directly to make them more involved, as it gives them time to think and reflect about the visuals that have just been shown.
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