Research into an existing product – Louis Theroux Behind Bars

This documentary is where Louis Theroux goes into one of the oldest prisons in America, San Quentin State Prison has chronic overcrowding. Famous for its death row the prison's main task is to house a transient 3000 murderers, sexual predators and small-time criminals. He spends two weeks inside of the prison. Especially with a criminal called David Silva who has 521 year sentence in prison. Plus 11 life sentences.

·                     Like many documentaries begins with opening scene of David Silva describing his thrills.

·                     Then into main programme. To start appetite to watch programme.

·                     Main introduction of what it’s about, with voice overs for images at start.

·                     Fact and figures: home to 3000 prisoners

·                     Incidental music

·                     Prisoners daily routines

·                     Title screen showing a casual prison scene comic. Spotlights as you can image for police     questioning.

·                     Start is an establishing shot of framing of an extreme long shot.

·                     Where the action with take place.

·                     Low angle shot and barbed wire to show that David Silva is dangerous.

·                     Handheld shots show the realism, lots of pans

·                     Quirky and pleasant music (geeky), same as presenter. 

·                     BBC is a brand, basically is well formed program. High quality (BBC - trustworthy). It's formal and well educational (Brand). BBC has convention of being well made.

·                     Montage of visual images, prisoners moving about the prison.

·                     Shocking image of that even he is in danger of something happened.

·                     Has to wear protection in jail, shocking, could easily get hurt possibly. Sense of danger gets  the audience interested.

·                     Louis Theroux has to ask the questions that are on people’s minds. For our benefit to understand why these things happen.

·                     Police office has close up of him to show scar, during the protection he is given. Shows that he may have been 'shanked' in the face, in danger.

·                     Man in cell, can't really see out of cell. Man in jail not well - show that incardinated. Doesn't feel safe at all. 

·                     Ambient sound (violent voices, banging - intimidation to get on the camera).

·                     Playboy Nolan in trouble for gassing. Carjacking in for 3 years. Using substances to attack officers. Using interview out of cell again to then see realism.

·                     Looking in cell, so thin going into the cell. Again to see the type of stuff they go through. 

·                     Different gangs - gangster music when walking outside.

·                     Show new prisoners also.

·                     Prisoner means that it’s too easy to do the time - saying real time is harder. Being able to live in prison better, better lifestyle for them. Dental care etc. is free.

·                     Shows a young man who has a murder charge. Shows all the dangers that he will come into, again more realism. 

·                     Shoot to disable people. 

·                     Nervous guard as they could get overwhelmed.

·                     Relationships in prison can happen. Even the men get in physical interaction. 

·                     David Silva - 12 home invasions = torturing people in their own homes (Nobody was killed). Worse than murder as the victims have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

·                     Shootout with the police at the end. (Intimate interview = very revealing).

·                     Trying to detach him from crime. "Some people were saying".

·                     11-20 years old in a young people’s institute. Was in prison at 22.

·                     Fade to black and then to another master shot.

·                     Going into drop out of gangs section. Able to interview all of them, to again add to the realism.

·                     Adding to the tension by going into dangerous areas of the prison.

·                     Tension as all prisoners sit down, Louis has to walk through all of them, looked dangerous.

·                     Relationships in prison can still take place.

·                     Playboy Nolan has been segregated from other groups, so it is for his own safety really. Doesn't want to be in the gang anymore, is in big danger.

·                     Gang has placed a hit on his head, will never really be able to get out of the gang. Gang has list of dropouts and are always identified.

·                     In prison they have an identity. Outside they are nobody.

·                     One round-up about relationships are that they are stronger in prison than out of it.

·                     Started with David Silva interview, ending with a David Silva interview.

·                     Has remorse, thinking of the positives