Super Size Me uses a variety of documentary techniques to tell the story of the filmmaker's experience eating only McDonald's food for 30 days. These techniques include direct address to the camera to make the film feel more realistic, interviews with experts and people on the street to provide different perspectives, and chronological storytelling to show the physical effects of an all McDonald's diet over time. The film aims to educate viewers about issues of public health and corporate influence while entertaining through its observational approach.

2. Super Size Me can be considered to be a mixed documentary as it uses a 'mix' of
observation, interviews, and narration to continue the story/argument of the
documentary.The Narrator often comes into the frame and it not just an
omnipresent voice.This style is often used in new reporting as well, as it allows the
creators to give a variety of thoughts and facts on whatever they are discussing.This
would also be considered a self reflective documentary as the narrator often looks
at the camera and understands that it is an documentary.This is used to ground his
documentary in reality and ensure the documentary's audience understand the
documentary is 'real' and not just a dramatization. For example, in the screen grabs
below we can see that Spurlock both directly addresses his audience (self reflective)
and shows footage of his talking with a doctor outside of an interview style.

3. Some central themes presented in the Documentary are the ideas of being
health conscious in an country, or world, surrounded by a culture of fast
foods that are cheap, easy to get and hugely calorie dense. It also
explores how these very same industries manipulate the schooling
system and even the government to ensure they are always popular.On
the other hand, it also looked into how people purposely ignore health
warnings in favor of short term enjoyment (The narrator would even
point out that he later developed an addiction to the food, experiencing
highs and lows depending on how long ago he had eaten) Finally, it
develops ideas on the obesity crisis and how dieting corporations do
not even care about the truth as long as they turn a profit.
For example, here they discuss how
much sugar he consumed on the 30
day diet and how much more he
had vs a cleaner diet.

4. The Documentary presents itself in chronological order; it jumps between Spurlock eating
through the days and interview with various people involved in the industry, such as
Doctors, Fast Food Representatives and people on the street. It’s a mutlistranded
documentary as it doesn’t only cover it’s central topic of fast food, but also obesity, the
laws surrounding it, and peoples knowledge of what they consume, among other things.
Furthermore, it could be argued as to whether the documentary is open or closed stranded
– On one hand, it could be open and Spurlock never got to interview a representative from
McDonalds, but on the other hand one could argue that the documentary achieved what it
set out to do, and answered whether or not fast food was unhealthy, whilst providing facts
about the state of not only America’s relationship with companies like McDonalds but also
the worlds.
Having the Documentary end without contact with McDonalds furthers the agenda of the
documentary as it makes it look as if they have something to hide and do not want to talk
to Spurlock to avoid admitting anything. Moreover, presenting the film in chronological
order is the obvious choice as it allows the audience to ‘meet’ Sprulock before he started
the experiment and allows them to feel empathy for him as he effects of eating McDonalds
so much starts to take a toll on him. It also allows them to quickly show his worsening
condition by only showing particular days instead of all 30 days, cutting the in-betweens
with interviews to make it flow naturally.

5. Most of the footage the documentary uses is direct cinema – there are not enactments present in the
film.This was purposely done to make the documentary, again, seem more grounded on facts and
real, current events rather then something to worry about in the future, or something that is old or
outdated. It also ensures the audience all the data they are presented with in new and not taken from
information about a past event.
Many documentaries used B-Roll during the interview in order to keep things fresh and interesting-
people may become bored just listening/watching someone talk about a topic for a period of time, so
directors will often film footage of objects relevant to the subject matter. When Spurlock is doing a
direct interview with the lunch lady at a middle school, for example, it will often cut from the two
talking to footage of the students receiving/ordering food from the cafeteria. This is done to anchor
the information learned from the interview to the impact of it – in this case we learn that the food it
not freshly made and is instead just reheated. By then showing footage of students receiving the food
it ensures the audience understands/makes the personal connection that these children are not
eating properly without having to explicitly say it, although they do earlier in the segment on
children's eating in schools. Overhead, crane, closeups, ect are used to film B Roll – typically whatever
the director thinks will look the most visually interesting or impactful.

6. Through out the Documentary, constructed scenes are made and shown to gain the
audiences trust and hopefully receive a positive reading of the films message. For
example, when talking to the many health professionals at the beginning of the
documentary, one of the doctors in particular has a smart looking office and talks
to Spurlock while still in her blue/green scrubs.This fits in with one of the
stereotypical idea of an doctor and reinforces that this is someone the audience
can trust to provide them with good information.There are also male doctors
wearing the ‘proper’ white coats to ensure what they say anchors and links to the
themes of the documentary.
Many shots of McDonalds are used

7. Supersize Me uses a lot of indirect interviewing techniques, meaning that we don’t get to hear Spurlock asking the questions to
the person being interview, but instead get a natural feeling discussion of the interviewee talking to the audience of the
documentary.This is an effective technique as it makes the audience feel as if they are being directly addressed in the movie
and makes it more likely for them to absorb the message the people creating the film are trying to tell. By interviewing a range
of people they also ensure that they do not look too biased for the average viewer to pickup, furthermore it avoids the audience
seeing any leading questions. Whilst Spurlock may as a his interviewee ‘Why is McDonalds bad?’ the audience may see this as
too on the nose, so by cutting out the questions it make the answer, or flow of conversation more natural and unbiased. – seen
by interviewing a representative of fast food companies and trying to get in touch with McDonalds.A lot of diegetic sound is
used as Spurlock is ordering/eating McDonalds to allow the viewers to feel like they are going on the journey with him, again
drawing them into the documentary to ensure it anchors the documentary's message with them.
Furthermore, right at the beginning of the documentary it opens on a group of
children singing a song with lyrics consisting of the names of popular fast food
chains.This is a clever opening as it immediately tells viewers that the documentary
is going to be dealing with ideas of children and how the fast food industry is having
a negative impact on them. Most people also know that children should not be
having fast food instinctively so right from the start it paints fast food in a negative
light without being overly obvious about it.
We also have more examples of sound during, for example, the hospital scene as classical, ironically used, music is used to
give the documentary a lighter feel in contrast to the pretty graphic gastral surgery going on on screen. This technique is
used often in the film in an attempt to make it easier to watch and less like you’re watching a depressing documentary about
childhood and general obesity. It also contrasts directly to the scene the takes place afterwards as he talks to his doctor
about his health in a much more serious tone, with no music present. Here, only diegetic noises play, to anchor the idea of
Spurlock worrying about his health. If they had used serious, or no music for the medical surgery scene, audiences may have
taken it too seriously and be worried for the man instead of absorbing the message of ‘don’t eat McDonalds or you’ll become
obese and need this surgery too.

8. When Spurlock is trying to contact McDonalds for an
interview montage editing is used to showcase how the
company keeps avoiding talking to him – this anchors
the message of the documentary as it shows the
McDonalds do not even believe their food is good or
even worth standing up for, and do not want to slip up in
an interview or face any difficult to answer questions. It
also displays Spurlocks frustrations with the company
and encourages the audience to become frustrated too;
we also want to see the pay off of the documentary, to
see how McDonals explains itself to

9.  Archive Material consists of things the film
makers may have found on the internet, in film
footage from older documentaries or
advertisements, and is often used to cut
between interviews in order to make the film
flow better for viewers – 2 interviews back to
back on the same topic may become boring for
an audience. Here, it could be used to anchor
any images and ideas the documentary is trying
to convey, such as an old McDonalds
advertisement to show how things have
changed into the modern era.

10. Graphics are used in documentaries to convey information to the audience
that may be difficult to explain concisely in just words. Furthermore, some
audience members may be more likely to trust in what the narrator is saying
if it’s backed up by statistics or graphs, usually displayed through graphics
during the film.These have been described as ‘visually seductive’ by some
filmmakers as they are an easier way to convey large amounts of
information, such as the fattest countries inAmerica without only relying on
‘boring’ narration.They can also provide exposition, without having to
‘waste’ time explaining it, or can be used to provide clarity to complicated
topics.
In Supersize Me, a quote from McDonalds founder is displayed at the
beginning of the film, contrasting to the footage of the kids singing the fast
food song of the beginning.This also informs the audience that McDonalds
has an ulterior motive of making money (although this should be common
sense)