Lifeworld Documentary Analysis

4. Restate the purpose of the video, intended audience and key messages that the director want to send to audience.
This documentary is intended for 15-35-year-old English-speaking Australians, of all genders and educational backgrounds, who have an interest in music. The film engages the target audience by both showcasing a popular Australian band, and featuring interviews with youth from a diverse array of cultural backgrounds, genders, and occupations.
The documentary investigates varying human experiences with music, illustrating the multiplicity of ways in which people interact with, and perceive music, both as a form of popular culture, and a verbal and non-verbal communication. The key messages of the film include the unifying power …show more content…

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The film explores the theories of Semiotics, Barnlund’s Transactional Model of Communication, and “Lifeworld”, in its study of human experiences with music.
Firstly, semiotic analyses were conducted when interviewees were asked to both identify and explain the emotions elicited by music, with reference to musical techniques (such as pitch and rhythm) (Diao 2016a; Schmidt 2011). Audio and visual recordings of The Temper Trap’s music were also included in the film to encourage viewers to reflect upon their own emotional responses and compare their experiences to those depicted.
Furthermore, the film explores Barnlund’s “Transactional Model of Communication” in its investigation of a manifold group of interviewees with differing “fields of experience” (Diao 2016b). Specifically, the film examines the ways in which music changes audiences’ fields of experience and thus influences how they perceive and cope with their lives (Diao 2016b; McQuail 2005).
Finally, the documentary illustrates the impact of music on audiences’ “Lifeworlds” and how it influences their values, beliefs, dreams, and myths (Diao 2016c).
6. Reflection on the process of making the …show more content…

Initially, I struggled to find appropriate and reliable software to facilitate these processes, since Windows Live Movie Maker failed to run on my device. After downloading and trialling a wide variety of film editing software, however, I eventually decided to use Audacity to remove background noise, and to transfer the video files to my Macintosh computer to edit with iMovie. Although I am still not fully satisfied with the documentary’s sound quality, I think I have successfully created an engaging and interesting film.
Thus, the process of creating a documentary film has required me to practice patience and perseverance, reaffirming the importance of starting early to accommodate for any unexpected setbacks (and assessment tasks from other units). Moreover, I was required to develop my interpersonal communication skills by challenging myself to approach strangers and conduct interviews with them, an experience which I initially found to be intimidating. I also needed to be flexible and compromising with my vision, having to make crucial editing decisions and omit footage in order to adhere to the 5-minute time