Louis Theroux: Behind Bars (Single Camera Documentary)
Louis Theroux: Behind Bars (2008) Louis Theroux
This documentary uses a singular camera, which is perfect for it, multiple cameras would not be necessary, The camera, at the beginning of the interview starts by showing key details and points to perhaps show the steps gone through to get to the interview stage. This is prevalent in a lot of his documentaries, before the interview truly begins there'll be perhaps a minute or less of shots showing the stages taken to get to that final interview point, for example in Dark States when he interviews a pimp there is about 35 seconds before it begins, these 35 seconds are used to show Louis' journey there, setting the scene and allowing him to explain some background information.
During the interview the camera simply moves between Louis and the inmate as they talk to one another, this means not many cuts are required, although some are used, it's not too often. However the cuts that are used don't break up the scene too much, they're arguably not very visible, however there is no sense of continuity and a need for seamless editing that would be required anyway since this a factual, non-fiction documentary.
On the subject of continuity, there is no real sense of it, or attempt to retain it for that matter so it's not a problem. However there is a cut-on-action at 0:12 where the shot of the guard handcuffing the inmate cuts to a shot of the guard opening the door with the inmate inside handcuffed. Since viewers are aware that the guard is more than likely going to open the door after he's finished handcuffing the inmate it comes as no surprise to them when the shot cuts to a door opening, this enable passive viewership to remain which means audiences will continue to be engrossed.
Due to the camera being handheld by a cameraman it is very shaky, this isn't a bad thing though since it adds a sense of unease and disorientation, which could reflect the feeling that Louis or anyone would/could have when in a prison, perhaps not so much the latter but still a possibility. This helps to gain a reaction that Louis wants us to get, and that is one of fear, this will make us viewers, again, more engrossed in the scene at the expense of perhaps painting a false image over the inmate.
As for negatives of the fact this is single camera production, again there is a lack of diversity in shots. There is only really one shot (during the interview, not the scenes when the guard is letting the inmate out). This shot is a wide, mid-shot, which instead of cutting, pans from left to right between the two main subjects (For the most part). Despite the fact this enables us to see both subjects and see how they're related as they are both in a shot together (They're related through the fact that they're partaking in the same interview) it doesn't allow a huge variety of shots, considering the interview lasts about 3 minutes.
The usage of a large depth of field, enables us to see thefurthest depths visible of the prison and cell, it enables viewers to see the living conditions the inmate is living under, and give us more information on this prison and this inmate's life.
This documentary uses a singular camera, which is perfect for it, multiple cameras would not be necessary, The camera, at the beginning of the interview starts by showing key details and points to perhaps show the steps gone through to get to the interview stage. This is prevalent in a lot of his documentaries, before the interview truly begins there'll be perhaps a minute or less of shots showing the stages taken to get to that final interview point, for example in Dark States when he interviews a pimp there is about 35 seconds before it begins, these 35 seconds are used to show Louis' journey there, setting the scene and allowing him to explain some background information.
During the interview the camera simply moves between Louis and the inmate as they talk to one another, this means not many cuts are required, although some are used, it's not too often. However the cuts that are used don't break up the scene too much, they're arguably not very visible, however there is no sense of continuity and a need for seamless editing that would be required anyway since this a factual, non-fiction documentary.
On the subject of continuity, there is no real sense of it, or attempt to retain it for that matter so it's not a problem. However there is a cut-on-action at 0:12 where the shot of the guard handcuffing the inmate cuts to a shot of the guard opening the door with the inmate inside handcuffed. Since viewers are aware that the guard is more than likely going to open the door after he's finished handcuffing the inmate it comes as no surprise to them when the shot cuts to a door opening, this enable passive viewership to remain which means audiences will continue to be engrossed.
Due to the camera being handheld by a cameraman it is very shaky, this isn't a bad thing though since it adds a sense of unease and disorientation, which could reflect the feeling that Louis or anyone would/could have when in a prison, perhaps not so much the latter but still a possibility. This helps to gain a reaction that Louis wants us to get, and that is one of fear, this will make us viewers, again, more engrossed in the scene at the expense of perhaps painting a false image over the inmate.
As for negatives of the fact this is single camera production, again there is a lack of diversity in shots. There is only really one shot (during the interview, not the scenes when the guard is letting the inmate out). This shot is a wide, mid-shot, which instead of cutting, pans from left to right between the two main subjects (For the most part). Despite the fact this enables us to see both subjects and see how they're related as they are both in a shot together (They're related through the fact that they're partaking in the same interview) it doesn't allow a huge variety of shots, considering the interview lasts about 3 minutes.
The usage of a large depth of field, enables us to see thefurthest depths visible of the prison and cell, it enables viewers to see the living conditions the inmate is living under, and give us more information on this prison and this inmate's life.
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