SKIN - A Body Modification - Genre Analysis

Title: SKIN - A Body Modification 

Type of Documentary:

‘SKIN - A Body Modification’ is a short expository documentary showing the reasons for body modification. 

Themes:

This documentary is about body modifications and society’s thoughts on people changing their bodies to look more original. It’s also about stereotypes and the concept of normality.  

Your/Audience Responses:

I found the short documentary quite freaky and bewildering as I can’t understand why people would want to modify themselves to such extremes.

Structure/Narrative:

The narrative structure of the documentary talks about his reasons for body modification. He feels that it is needed to show his individuality. During the documentary you find out that he is supported by his mother but his father who was a military man, can not understand why he modifies himself. The documentary in itself is a bit of a success story as in the end he gets what he wanted. The narrative of the documentary it told solely by him.  

Mise En Scene:

The documentary is set in a tattoo artist studio that belongs to him. There are sections in the documentary where medical equipment to complete the modifications is shown as well as the different types of piercings. The lighting is very focused on him and is low key to emphasis his weirdness.

Camerawork:

There is a variety of camerawork used within this documentary to help with the exposition in the documentary. There is a large use of extreme close-ups in this documentary to show each of his modifications close and personal. There is also a use of pan ups. An over shoulder shot is used to show him making modifications and the person who is having it done. This signifies how involved the he is with doing modifications. A hand-held camera is used to make the documentary more personal.

Editing:

The use of editing in this documentary helps to play a part in the process of modification. The majority of editing throughout this documentary is the use of cuts. They use these to cut away to B-roll footage from A-roll footage linking what they are talking about to the actual thing. Jump cuts are used to shorten the footage of him doing the modifications. Long frames are used to emphasis his oddity more.

Sound:

Within the documentary there is a large use of accent voice and voice-overs that overlaps with other video clips to help the audience see visually and also hear about what the person is saying. The non-digenetic music in this documentary is a soundtrack by DJ Shadow. The music is a basic drum sound thought the documentary. The volume differs during the documentary when it skips from A-roll footage to B-roll footage.