1. Vigilante Documentary

I looked at a variety of different types of Documentaries over the internet via Mediastorm, Youtube & looking into specific codes and conventions on other documentaries shown on Channel 4. One of my ideas was to do a life of a Vigilante baring in mind this would be a dangerous project to conquer due to Ofcom and University rules & regulations but also being illegal. I researched multiple stories in the local area of Hampshire via Southampton, www.thisishampshire.net posted a story about a vigilante gang jailed for a total of more than eight years. As one of my ideas for the group documentary, I thought i'd better go in to more research of the background of this subject. It seems for a few years now, people tend to the take the law into their own hands mentally thinking it's right for the good of the community whilst the government and their laws are ineffective which results in public taking care of the criminals themselves. The advantages filming this documentary as it's very daring, original, you don't hear much about the life of vigilante only outside of United kingdom due to Ofcom rules, no one knows about vigilante & what they think about the laws the government regulates. 

The definition of the documentary will be more of a participatory mode feel to it, we would like to encounter the subjects (Vigilantes) by asking them questions relative to the point we are trying to prove in the documentary and points we'd like to know more about. Advantage could be socially being accepted by the subject, being comfortable with his surroundings may lead to more personal information they'd like to share. The point about the idea of Vigilante is being very cautious especially when filming, interacting with them whilst illegally obtaining a criminal is against the law and pushes university rules over the edge simply ruling out observational mode; but walking round with them for a day doing their daily routine and not anything too excessive would be perfect. 

I researched into the idea of Vigilante by looking at interviews with real life heroes on http://www.reallifesuperheroes.com/, I learnt various amounts about the person inside the costume rather than everyone wanting to know what they get up to and why they do this. Even though it's just interviews, you can tell a lot from them and how they are, immediately being very insecure about camera's, publicity and showing his day to day self without the costume. The website offers a wide range of vigilantes and their different believes, external social networking sites, latest updates on the heroes. I looked at the groups & pages linked with this site http://www.facebook.com/RealLifeSuperHeroProject and gathered huge amounts of information about the audience, over 8000 followers showing their appreciation towards them . Peter Tangen is an interviewer to interview these types of vigialantes'. I followed Peter on the telegraph which their was an article about his superhero project in the making explaining why these set individuals taking up the mantal to fix the 'Broken society'.  

There was an documentary on real life superheroes produced by HBO, but only get a glimpse of the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiirLEhQw1A. This was very engaging and the path we'd like to go down, not aggressive towards others. There were others I checked out on youtube as Mediastorm had no results found for 'Superheroes'. I found one called 'Behind the mask' produced by The Frosty Factory following the life of 'Knight Warrior' patrolling the Manchester area situated on youtube but very amateur looking; filmed as it were a student to begin with, at first i thought it was a hidden cam when the subject invited them back into his home showing them his uniform, armour and weapons but realised the interview was professionally done afterwards. 

The main influence I feel with these different types Superheroes is a big impact with the Media especially Marvel & DC production companies relishing the chance to bring out the next big Superhero blockbuster three times a year at most. The majority of the young audiences wants to grow up doing what they do on TV. If we could get hold either by e-mail or phone call productions companies involved with these sort of productions or get in contact with known Superhero vigilantes called 'The Statesman', 'Vague', 'Swift', 'Black Arrow', 'Lionheart' and 'Terrorvision' all established round the United Kingdom.

2. Boy Racer Documentary 

My second idea for boy racers was more to do with me growing up when I was seventeen, constantly being pulled over because of my age. Negative stereotype is a major influence on the public, the public believe every young male or female but majority male are inconsistent and angry rampage drivers behind the wheel. Over the years, this is been socially acceptable for teenage drivers to crash just because of their 'stupidity' being untouchable in a car but that is only an opinion. The point of our documentary is to not take anybody's side but counter argue each opinion in the view of the public and especially take note of the teenage drivers view and how they see themselves being stereotyped, are they angry? do they care? I'd like to know. 

Health and Safety is major factor filming young teenagers, not only being stereotyped to be boy racers; young people round the equipment that cannot be trusted is a real dilema so we'll be making sure the equipment will be in sight at all times. However being very hostile it's not fully clear if we can film them but we'd inform them in with the details as much as we can without them being disinterested. Finally making sure ourselves will be in a safe environment.

Documentary breakdown could be interchanging with the boy racers, members of the public with their opinions on the teenagers, interviewing the police asking them how many times do you get notified by young teenagers getting up to mischef? and just general questions about car crashes which this could link with us going to local hospitals/A+E asking a few questions and what their opinion about boy racers. Also general filming of the teenagers from a far speeding in car parks, wheel spinning and just causing misconduct. 

Another way of filming a boy racer documentary is going to events for racing, destruction derbys and ralleys. Following around people who modify their cars in a way to make them more powerful, louder, faster and extravagant. We'd go more in to depth with the people in our documentary, what they doing outside of boy racing, their culture and not just some young man sitting low in his seat.

We could mention how the media has brainwashed young audiences in to believing modifying your cars is completely fine to do and won't enhance your car to go faster putting people at risk. I looked in to news articles and how strongly the public feel about boy racers, whilst looking at the metro I found an article how some members of the public had enough of the loud screeching all the time by hoisting his car up a near by tree. http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/898583-fed-up-neighbours-put-boy-racers-car-up-a-tree  

You could say it could be filmed for a performative mode by acknowledging an emotional meaning and changing the view of the public or even the filmmakers in the sense of changing their perpective.