Formal Proposal

Topic: Pets
Type of Documentary: It will be a mixed documentary because there will be a range of
features included. Firstly, we will be interviewing people from the field such as pet owners,
vet and pet shop owners. There will also be archive material displaying footage that is
related to the themes. We will have a voiceover throughout the documentary introducing
the exposition and giving further details on the topic. Cutaways will be put over the
interviews as well.
The content and themes that we will cover in the documentary will be:
Domestic pets
Exotic pets
The treatment of animals
Pet maintenance
The cost of keeping a pet
The purpose of pets
Style of Documentary: There will be an informal tone to the documentary as we are aiming
at a family audience therefore it needs to be of interest to all of the target audience.
Channel and Scheduling: We have planned for the documentary to air on ITV as this is the
most popular terrestrial channel and to be aired on a Sunday evening at 4:30pm. This time
has been chosen so that all of the target audience are able to watch the programme.
Target Audience: There is a target audience of a mixed gender as both males and females
will have an interest in the topic, with the age range being from 10 years and over as people
from different ages have interests in pets.
Primary Research Needed: We will do primary research on what the audience wants to see
in the documentary through a questionnaire. We will need to find people related to the
topic field who we will need to interview, such as domestic pet owners, vets, pet shop
owners, exotic pet owners and an owner that is blind. Adding to this having a range of
people interviewed for voxpops. Also, we will have to plan the mise-en-scene and the props
that will be used in the interviews.
Secondary Research Needed: For secondary research, we will need to find archive materials
like footage of exotic pets in their natural habitat. We will need to find statistics to be
included in the exposition. Plus we need to research for existing music that is relevant to the
topic, is recognisable by all of the audience and can be used in the background.
Narrative Structure: The documentary will be single stranded as there will be only one focus
on the topic of pets. It will be in a non-linear structure as it will not be in chronological
order. We will make the documentary a closed documentary because all of the information
that the audience needs to know will be told and there will be no unanswered questions

Outline of Content:
Beginning- There will be a male narrator who introduces the expositions themes and to
address the audience. We will also have a title sequence to present the name of the
documentary and there will be snip clips to show what will occur further into the
documentary.
Exposition- The middle will begin with interviews through a range of different people
related to the topic, like pet owners and owners of independent pet stores. Over the
interviews we will include cutaways as well as facts about the themes in the documentary.
All of the themes mentioned will be covered with no questions being left unanswered.
End- Towards the end of the documentary, we will add credits and end details to summarise
the exposition.
Resource Requirements: The resources that we will need contains both SLR and Video
Camera to take relevant images and footage. A tripod will be needed for the interview
setup, whilst the blue screen may be needed to change the background of the interviews. A
track may be needed to record alongside a pet owners walking their pet, with a jib used to
record from above. The computer will be necessary to research on the internet, as well as
create the documentary on both Photoshop and Premiere. The radio suite and microphones
are also needed to record the voiceover for the documentary.