Expository documentary analysis; Another me - Cosplay Documentary

This documentary is an expository documentary that looks into the life of a cosplayer, which relates to the topic I want to investigate for my own coursework. It lasts for 9 minutes, which is longer than my documentary however a documentary can last from 2 - 30 minutes and it still sticks to the conventions of a short documentary. 

The narrative follows a non-linear structure, in which the documentary cuts back and fourth between the interview and the conventions as well as various other locations, in which the narrative doesn't follow an orderly structure and is therefore a non linear narrative. They have used interesting editing techniques in this documentary including the convention, montage editing and cross cut editing but they have also used layering and layered pictures ontop of video footage as well as fade in between clips ;

The editing in this shot has used fade to transition between one interview to another. The purpose of this editing technique is to show the audience ending of one interview and the beginning of another, rather than just cutting to the next shot.

This GIF shows how the editing has used image layering to give the audience a better understanding about the character she is cosplaying. The shot uses various images that fade into the shot, whilst the video is running in the corner of the woman explaining her cosplay character and there is also another video of her character in the anime to illustrate a clearer idea to the audience about who her character is.

The non diegetic soundtrack used in this documentary is only used during the titles and credits and fades out completely during the actual documentary itself. This has been done so the audience can pay more attention to what the interviewees are talking about in the dialogue (diegetic and also non diegetic voice overs) in which by making the music fade out completely emphasises the important in what they are talking about. 

The interview shots have been placed at the conventional setup of mid shots and medium close ups;

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All of the interviews have used talking space in which each interview has only got one shot angle which is not very varied. During the interviews, the cosplayers have been asked; 

- What is cosplay?
- What is your name/age/profession? 
- Who are you cosplaying as?
- How do you choose who to cosplay?
- How much did it cost?
- Why do you think some people might not understand what you do?   
- How seriously do you take cosplay?
- What do you like about cosplay?
- What's the cosplay community like?
- Who is your favourite anime character?
- How long have you been cosplaying for?
- Who was the last character you cosplayed?

The documentary genre can be established as expository as even though there is no voice over,  which is a conventional feature of an expository documentary, there is also no presenter, in which there would be if it was an interactive documentary. The investigator is unknown to the audience throughout the entire documentary and remains out of shot and cannot be seen or heard. the documentary follows the conventional structure of a expository documentary in which;

- The documentary uses a variety of footage and interview material which is assembled to support the topic case.
 - The editing is used for continuity, to link together images that support the argument put forward.
- The documentary uses interview shots from either a mid shot, a medium long shot or medium close up.
-The documentary uses incidental music in the introduction to create an uplifting and upbeat vibe to get the audience into the documentary

The topic of the documentary is represented through the use of iconography. In the talking space of one the interviews, it is taken up by props and costumes in the mis en scene;

As shown in this mid shot, the props and costumes used in the background are there to reflect on the cosplay culture. This is done through use of books, action figures and the outfit on the manikin next to the woman being interviewed. These items are iconic to cosplay as they are associated with anime culture, in which anime is heavily linked into cosplay culture and also the inspiration for most cosplay costumes.

 
This documentary also uses props and mis en scene to reflect on cosplay culture;

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The props and mis en scene focus primarily more on the anime part of cosplay rather than the range of subcultures that also fall into the cosplay category such as Star Wars and Doctor Who. By using manga comic props as well as photos and video clips from animes give the audience more of an insight into what the interviewees like to cosplay. It has also been used as an icon of cosplay, in which we associate anime with cosplay as cosplay is a reflection of expression of peoples love for anime.

This documentary has also used costume as an icon for cosplay;

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This documentary focuses purely on the anime part of cosplay, in which is reflected in the costumes used as well as the props and mis en scene. Costumes are iconic to cosplay as the cosplayer will express their favourite character through costume, in which the word cosplay is a combination of "costume" and "play". Some of the interviewees were interviewed in their costume during this documentary which further adds to the importance of costuming and how iconic it it for cosplayers. 

The use of icon through the costumes, props and mis en scene appeals to the target audience. By interviewing the cosplayers in their outfits shows their dedication to the audience in which the audience can determine characters and figures from their favourite  films and shows in which creates more of an interest in the documentary. By filming at a convention location it appeals to the target audiences interests, and shows them the vast contrast of different cosplay styles and possibilities. This then makes the audience feel exclusively part of the documentary as it connects to them on a personal level.

using props and mis en scene gives the audience a better understanding of the cosplay culture and where their inspirations originate from. By using props and merchandise from shows the audinece can distinguish the franchise they personally enjoy in which engages them more with the documentary as they feel they have a personal connection.

The documentary uses titles to represent the topic of the documentary;

This GIF shows the main titles. They are animated and represent the topic of discussion which is cosplay. The use of the wig and crown prop represents an icon of cosplay which is an important part of the cosplay costume. The typography is white on a black background and is very plain, in which doesn't reflect as much on the nature of cosplay which is seen as unique and different from the "norms" of society.

The titles in this shot transit onto the screen using fade. It sticks to the same colour theme used in the main titles as well as the same font. As explained with the main text, this typography colour and style doesn't reflect on the nature of the of the cosplay culture, neither does it reflect on the mood created by the documentary.

The credits used in the documentary use the same colour scheme and font as the previous titles. Unlike the main titles, it doesn't use images or videos and are very plain and simplistic.