The documentary analyzes the popular Lara Croft video game franchise. It uses a mixed documentary style incorporating interviews, narration, archived footage, and actual footage. Key themes explored include examining the game's players and developers, Lara Croft being the first prominent female video game character, and the influence of media on feminism. The documentary has a single narrative strand solely focused on Lara Croft. It employs a variety of camera techniques, editing styles, archived materials, graphics, and sound design to engage audiences and immerse them in the world of the video games.
2. Type of Documentary
the documentary is a mixed documentary, this is because it includes a large
amount of content, it includes interviews, narration, archive footage and
actuallity
3. Themes
the documentary is about the lara croft video game, we get an
idea of who players the game and we get to know the
developers. There is also a the theme of feminism as it talks
about how she is the first female video game main character.
We also have the themes of the power of the media on the
subject of feminism and how the game has been marketed
4. Narrative structure
The documentary is single strand as it is all about the lara croft
video game. It is non linear and it is closed. It is informal as it
includes sarcasm and it has areas in which the interviewees
talk informal
5. Camerawork
In this documentary there is a large amount of shots used, this
means that the documentary is very creative, the
interviewees are framed off centre and eyes are usually a
third of the way down the camera. In the documentary there
is a pov of us in lara crofts shoes, this has been used to
interest the audience, there is also a track and a pan which
has been used and these shots have been used to make the
audience engage with the programme as it is giving us a look
from the point of lara croft.
6. Mise en scene
In the documentary all of the interviewees are framed slightly differently.
They do use green screen as large amount of times and they also use a
front projection over the top of an interviewees face. This creates a feeling
of the interviewee being in the game. For one of the interviews the
interviewee is placed inside the a computer screen and this has been used
as he is the person who has created the game so it is giving us a very good
idea that hes is like a creative guru. Most of the time thought they do use
conventional filming techniques although they are mostly on canted
angles
7. Sound
In the documentary the sound is predominantly game music and
interviews, the music which has been included is fast paced
and upbeat, i think the reason why this has been used is so
that it will appeal to a younger audience (the people who play
it). The voiceover which has been used is youthful to fit with
the audience of the programme. There is also a Madonna
track used to link in with the theme of feminism as she is a
female icon
8. Editing
In the documentary the main editing technique used is the basic
cut, this has been used to keep a fast pace the documentary.
There is also use of fast motion and slow motion used when
we have shots of the internet cafe. There is also use of jump
cuts to leave out the questions and this is because if there
was no edit the interviewee would just jump to the next time
in which he/she begins the talk.
9. Archive material
In the documentary there is use of game footage magazine covers,
websites and movies. In the documentary there is an interview with
Angelina Jolie, this interview looks like it has been filmed by the
documentary creators but it is actually off the special feature which
have been included as promotional purposes and the documentary
creators have been given the interview to use in their documentary.
There is also stills of posters and game play footage which anchors
the interviewees reason for being there.
10. Graphics
In the documentary the main graphic which has been used is the
one of the interviewees name and their title, this is used to
anchor the meanings for the people to be there, every single
graphic that has been used in the documentary is linked to
the game, all graphics that have been used are all including
something about the game.
