Research:Documentary publicity material

The press shot featuring the main participants of the documentary fits the codes and conventions of TV Drama ensemble cast shots, rather than a representation of real life events . At first glance, this looks like a promotion shot for a gritty fictional crime drama

24 Hours in police custody

Whole cast shots for gritty Dramas use high contrast and deep focus giving the image itself a sense of gravitas as well as the product it represents.

Breaking BadThis particular publicity shot of a highly stylized ensemble does not appear to convey the brand identity and distinctive production style of Breaking Bad as a drama series.

Misfits

It is clear from a simple Google search how the pre-released images have generated a press frenzy around 24 hours in police custody. Reviews from the telegraph, guardian and the independent all respectable broadsheet respectable newspapers demonstrate how a documentary can have an exaggerated marketing strategy without loosing its credibility as a piece of filmmaking.

The effectiveness of using a dramatic promotional image in terms of creating a buzz around a documentary inspired me to consider adopting the codes and conventions of a fashion orientated drama poster.‘The Carrie diaries’ is a drama series set in the 1980s following the life of a teenage girl interested in vintage clothing. Although it is entirely fictional and conventional of a TV Drama series, the marketing campaign establishes a clear brand identity.

After further research, I came across a second Carrie Diaries advert, this time solely focusing on the protagonist. The stylized colour scheme, bold youthful graphics and unusual clothing establish the subject of the drama as fashionable, retrospective and youth orientated. The studio shot, high contrast image adheres to the rule of thirds, a convention of mass market aimed film posters and publicity shots.

The Carrie diaries publicity shot bares striking resemblance to the banner on the channel 4 website for Dawn O’Porter’s This Old Thing. Despite the carrie diaries being a fictional drama, This Old Thing the documentary still appeals to the codes and conventions established by glamorous teen drama programs like the former.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact codes and conventions for documentary publicity shots, as they have become so deeply enmeshed in the conventions of American, mass market aimed drama franchises. When I begin to create my own documentary ancillary productions I will definitely consider adopting the conventions of a drama franchise. This will hopefully defy the stereotype that exists amongst my target audience of documentaries being boring to watch.