Documentary Analysis - 'The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf'

The second documentary that I analysed was The Music Biz - Marketing Meatloaf. The documentary is about the success of American hard rock singer Meat Loaf and the problems involving re-igniting his popularity in the 1990's. 

Legendary rock icon Meat Loaf, the central topic of discussion in The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf.

Type of Documentary

The Music Biz - Marketing Meatloaf is a mixed documentary - it mixes many different codes and conventions of documentaries such as interviews, observation, a voiceover, cutaways and archive footage.

Themes

Themes explored in The Music Biz - Marketing Meatloaf include Meat Loaf himself, the music industry, marketing and the problems involved with marketing alternative artists, and global success. The documentary heavily focuses on Meat Loaf's 1993 album; Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell - this includes the marketing, the sales, and the eventual success of the album. 

                                           

Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell

Narrative Structure

The Music Biz - Marketing Meatloaf has a linear narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of the documentary showcased Meat Loaf's success prior to the production of Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, discussing his success with the original Bat Out Of Hell album, such as how he was awarded a Grammy award for the album. The beginning of The Music Biz - Marketing Meatloaf sets up the story for the rest of the documentary as he was marketed and built up to be a global success. The middle of the documentary focuses on the problems in repeating the success of Bat Out Of Hell with Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, heavily focusing on the production of Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single; I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). The middle of the documentary also discusses issues such as financial problems and competition from other artists such as Take That. The documentary ends by showing how Meat Loaf pulled through, completing the 'success story' theme of the documentary - Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell wins various awards such as 'Album of the year' and stays in the number one chart spot for many consecutive weeks.

                                        

The iconic Meat Loaf track, I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) is a heavy focus of the documentary. The song eventually became Meat Loaf's first Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles chart number one single and also earned him a Grammy for the best solo rock vocal performance - as explained in the conclusion of The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf.

Camera Work

Low angle shots were used during footage of Meat Loaf performing to make him appear powerful from the audience's point of view. Low angle shots were also used whenever the director was shown for the same reason, to make him look powerful. Panning shots with a slow zoom were used to show the Virgin headquarters. Head and shoulder shots were used in most interviews to create a sense of equality between all of the people being interviewed. Close ups of the Dana Patrick, the woman in the music video of I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) were used to show her beauty. Two shots of people such as Meat Loaf and director Michael Bay were used to create a relationship between the two people and to create a feel of equality between these two significant figures. 

                                        

Low angle shots looking up at Meat Loaf as he performs makes him appear to be more powerful.

Mise en Scené

Relevant Mise en Scené was used throughout the documentary in the background of interviews. Virgin headquarters was frequently shown in the background (Meat Loaf was signed to Virgin records at the time). Sets for Meat Loaf videos were also used as backdrops for interviews, as well as other film sets and award ceremonies such as the Brit and Grammy award ceremonies. A radio station where promotional work was done was also used as a background. A green screen was also used to make people appear in front of images such as CD case covers and magazine covers, as well as music videos and record shops.


                                                           

Virgin headquarters was often used in the background of interviews.

Relevant articles such as magazine covers were also used in the background of interviews, via the use of a green screen.

Sound

Diegetic sound was used in The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf: the sound of people being interviewed is an example, as is the narrator - the narrator actually answered to the narrative, answering questions asked by people in the actual interviews for example, a technique not commonly used in documentaries. Music was obviously in the documentary, both from music videos including artists such as Take That, The Village People and Meat Loaf himself, and relevant non-diegetic music placed over the top of images. Ambient sound from on location of places such as film sets was also present, such as birds in the background of interviews. 

                             

The documentary has a heavy focus on Meat Loaf's 'signiture' song I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), and the song is featured multiple times in the background of the documentary.

Editing

Two shots of Meat Loaf and editor Michael Bay were used to create a relationship and friendship between them. A montage of Meat Loaf's previous endeavours in the music industry was shown at the start of the documentary. Dissolving was also used, as people dissolved in and out of images through the use of a green screen. Cutaways were frequently used when people were being interviewed to keep the image interesting and varied for the viewer. Flipping was also used in interviews so that the interviewees would alternate between being on the left and right of the screen (this caused some problems - one man appeared to be wearing his watch on the 'wrong' hand as a result of flipping. I must be sure to avoid continuity errors such as this in my documentary).

                                            

Green screens (or more modern blue screens) can be use to create an image behind a person or object in interviews, music videos, performances, etc. Here, the fabled bat from the Bat Out Of Hell trilogy appears behind Meat Loaf as he delivers a speech.

Archive Footage

Music videos are used throughout The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf, including music videos from Take That, Mr Blobby, The Village People and of course Meat Loaf. Promotional material such as adverts were also used. Archive footage of the filming of Meat Loaf's video for I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) was also used, as well as footage from popular television programme Top Of The Pops, as well as other music programmes such as Ozone. Award ceremony footage from the Brits and Grammys was also featured, as were press conferences. 

                             

Meat Loaf's performance from the 1993 Christmas edition of Top Of The Pops, which was also featured in The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf.

Graphics

White text on dark backgrounds was used as it is in many documentaries, as it stands out but does not distract the viewer from what else is happening on screen. The font was quite 'Gothic', to match Meat Loaf's style. Logos were also displayed, of companies such as Virgin Media - graphics were used to introduce places, such as the Virgin headquarters. At times, the documentary was set up in a 'magazine' or comic book style, with interviewees and moving images appearing in the 'panels'. All in all, the graphics in The Music Biz - Marketing Meat Loaf were simple and were more informative than appealing on the eye.

White text on a darker background allowed information to be provided without distracting the viewer from the actual image on screen.