Documentary Proposal Form.

Student Name:

Daniel Arkell

Working Title:

The Hidden Mines of Wiltshire & Somerset

Synopsis of the
documentary:

In this Documentary it will follow a presenter who is learning about the caves
and mines in Wiltshire and Somerset. I will be interviewing someone from the
Wiltshire and Somerset council about the History of the Mines and what they
are used for now. I will also try and get an interview with locals to ask what it is
like to live nearby.

Genre

How would you categorise your documentary (i.e. on current issues,

celebrities, nature, health/science, human interest, experimental, etc.)
I would categorise it as nature.

Your beliefs
and bias on
the topic:

My personal belief about the subject is that:

I find the caves and mines interesting in Wiltshire and I believe others will.

My film will show the following point of view:

My film will show the points of view from the Wiltshire and Somerset council
and how they feel about people visiting them. I will also get the views from the
locals and how they feel people looking around

The main conflict is between the following points of view (if there is one):
There is no real conflict although I could say how there is mixed opinions if they
should be open to the public.

Ultimately I want the audience to feel and understand:

I would like the audience to understand what there is in their local area and
how easy it is to go and see them.

What background information does the audience need to understand the

topic of your film?
In this Documentary the viewer does not to know any other information about
the caves or mines because the documentarys aims to educate the viewer by
learning with the presenter
My personal belief about the subject is that:
I believe that people should know about the amazing things in their area which
not many people know about which gives them a sense of adventure.

Characters

Who are the characters in our documentary and what is their role or purpose?
Is there a particular point of view they are meant to get across?
There will be interviews with a Wiltshire and Somerset Council member about
the subject. They will both be presented as average people telling the viewer
about the history. There will be one presenter who will be presented as an
average man who has taken an interest in the local area. This allows the viewer
to learn about it easier.
How do you intend to represent these characters?
Each character will act the way they would in general life. The presenter will
also play themselves but will not express their personal views on the matter.
Will there be any conflict between characters with opposing points of view? If
so, how will you show this in your film?
N/A

Bias of
Audience

The audience of your documentary might have preconceptions or fixed beliefs

about your topic that you would like to change. What might these be?
One thing that some people might think is the dangers there are of going into
the mines. It is very hard to change this view as it is dangerous although they
might see that is not that bad.
What evidence will you show to get the audience to see things differently?
I will have lots of shots of inside the cave and in the interviews I will get them to
explain the safety issues

Codes &
Conventions

What codes and conventions of documentary filmmaking will you include and
why?
I will have a voiceover some of the videos to explain to the viewer where we
are. I will also have interviews to give the audience a range of views.

In what ways will your documentary be realistic or unrealistic? Certain

parts may contain aspects of verisimilitude, whereas others may possess
aspects of actuality.
One way that my documentary will be realistic is that it will have a slight
handheld look while we are out in the caves; this indicates to the viewer that we
are actually out doing it. My film contains actuality because we are interviewing
actual members of the council and members of the public.

Production
Style

Identify any key imagery or metaphors you would like to include:

I would like to have a shot of it being pitch black in the cave then the presenters
head torch comes on. This shows the audience how dark it is down there.
Do you intend to use a particular shooting, editing or narrative style to help
get your message across?
All the shooting will be done with a camera stabilizer so that it is easily
manoeuvrable and it makes it more realistic. I will be using primarily cuts but
after the introduction it will fade to black to the next scene with the presenter
sitting down. There will occasionally be a voice over from the presenter to give
the viewer some information about what the footage is showing, this gives the
audience a stronger knowing of what is happening.
How do you intend to handle the passage of time in the film?
I plan to start it early in the morning with the soft morning light then make it so
it is based on one day, visiting a range of locations.

Structure &
Resolution

To dramatise human issues a documentary might follow a narrative structure

starting with the introduction of characters, the building of tension and
suspense between opposing forces, a confrontation, a climax and then a
resolution. Can this be applied to the structure of your film and if so, how?
This cannot really be applied to my documentary although at the start we will
be introduced to the presenter who will be guiding the audience through the
film.

Write a brief paragraph about how you intend to end your film. This is
important because it will determine what you leave the audience thinking
about and remembering. You dont want to finish on a dead note or in a dull
way. You might think back to your beginning and make a full circle by coming
back to that point somehow.
The end will feature the presenter walking outside the cave and sitting on a
rock. He will then talk about where he has been and why people should have a
look round.

Scheduling

Do you have a target audience and how can they be defined? Be as specific as
you can.

The target audience for my documentary is from people aged 16 to middle aged
in Wiltshire and Somerset. Although if people from outside the area watched it
they may visit some sites local to them.
What suggestions do you have for the scheduling of your documentary? Is
there any particular time in the year, day of the week or time of day/night
when it should be shown?
I think that my Documentary should be scheduled at 9pm on a weekday
because it Is when people are home from work and education, and most people
will have finished their dinner and will be watching television.

Shot Plan of
Opening
Sequence

Rationale

Compliance

Look into the scheduling of documentaries on ITV. When would an

appropriate time be for the showing of your documentary on ITV? (You must
attach search to support this)
I believe that the best time to show my documentary is between 9 and 11pm. I
have chosen this time slot because it is past the watershed and after looking at
Itvs channel guide most of their documentaries are between 8pm to 11pm. An
example of this is Countrywise which starts at 8pm. Another example is Harrys
South Pole Heroes which starts at 10:25.
Describe the first 10 shots of the opening sequence of your documentary.
1
Shot following presenter in cave pitch black, he then turns his light on
2
Fades too presenter sitting down with editing computer behind him
3
Interview with member of Somerset council
4
Shots of Somerset country side
5
Long shot of entrance to cave
6
Shot of presenter entering the cave
7
Interview with Wiltshire Council
8
Shot of entrance to cave in Wiltshire
9
Long shot of inside the cave
10
Interview with local to the cave
Why Should your Documentary be selected for production?
My documentary should be selected because a small majority of people know
the hidden underground world in their area and I believe that it is an interesting
subject. I feel like it would inspire a range of people to go and out and explore
their local area to see what they can find.

What actions will you take to address the following issues in your
documentary?
Ensuring the accuracy of the information presented:

To ensure my information is accurate I will get my information from Wiltshire

and Somerset council because they have all the files that you cannot find on the
internet.

Ensuring balance in any arguments presented:

N/A

Respecting the privacy of contributors:

N/A