It also contains a strong narrative structure, it starts with interviews and filmed material of women going through labour and this footage is continued throughout to show the different stages of labour and the process of birth. It then goes on to individual footage of each of the patients leading to the narrative ending with the birth of the babies.
When looking at the camera work, talking head interviews are used where the interviewee is filmed in front of a blue or green screen making it easier to edit the background later on. There is an establishing shot used at the beginning of the documentary of the hospital which could be used in order to make the audience feel more involved in the documentary as it leads them into the hospital for the beginning of the journeys which the women go on when giving birth. Close-ups are used of the mothers when interviewing them and there is also an extreme close-up used of the baby bump. Shot reverse shot is also used when the nurse is talking to the expectant mother which may be used to show the facial expressions of both participants.
Through the mise-en-scene it has been clearly communicated that there is a hospital setting due to this being where the birth is taking place. When interviewing there is hospital equipment in the background and hospital beds in order to reinforce the hospital setting and make the audience feel more involved and drawn into the documentary. When the nurse is interviewed she is filmed at her desk in order to show her authority and importance to the process.
Lots of diegetic sound is used of babies crying and the sounds the mother makes whilst giving birth. There is also non-diegetic sound used of a heartbeat in order to make it more realistic as new life is being brought into the world. Unlike in other documentaries I have looked at, this documentary uses a female voice-of-god, I think this is due to the target audience being females and the fact that it is females giving birth, also a woman's voice sounds a lot calmer. More non-diegetic sound is used of music, which is calm and relaxing and cheerful when the babies are born, showing this as being a joyful moment.
When considering the editing, it is very clear that at the beginning of the documentary the footage has been speeded up a lot in order to make it seem more fast faced and adds more excitement to the documentary. Cutaways are also edited into the interviews in order to relate back to the topic of giving birth.
When looking at graphics there isn't many to be seen, however there are a few of peoples names and subtitles, there are also graphics at the end of the documentary which are used in order to say thankyou to the nurses.
Very good notes, Chloe, well done.
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