in order to explore various examples of shows that document reality whilst combining a comic twist. The Office manages to take the format of a real documentary but take doc's to a level that has never been seen before.An award winning sitcom conveys the lives of office workers at a Slough paper merchant called Wernham Hogg Paper Company. Set in the satellite town of Slough, Berkshire in London, it was created, written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It first aired in the UK and has continued success in other countries with various adaptations worldwide. Its original run was from 9th July 2001 til 27th December 2003. Although fictional and scripted, it takes the form of a documentary or mockumentary sometimes with the presence of the camera acknowledged. When first shown on BBC 2, low ratings nearly caused the show to be axed, but since then the show has gone on to being one of the most successful British comedy exports of all time. The situation comedy highlights the many issues office workers face from: incompetent co-workers, petty and pompous managers and their overall drab lifestyle.
The Office UK - Season 1 Episode 1
The show begins with an establishing shot of office buildings with a slow pan to the left. The camera cuts and various establishing shots of t
he city are conveyed. The shots appear quite dull and grey and could be said to represent a typical city in Britain through Pathetic Fallacy. This is where the weather reflects the mood of people and the city, which could link to the office workers included in the show. A sign appears as the shots continue which features the words: "Slough Trading Estate" which indicates the city it is set in. A drum and piano intro begins at the start which continues as a short instrumental piece which could also be used to reflect the mood of the city. The music used is quite sombre and subtle. As the shots continue the title "The Office" appears and the music ends. The next shot cuts to a long shot of a man (Ricky Gervais) sitting in a chair, this highlights his position in the work place as he appears quite high up due to his appearance and body language. We as audience later find out that he is the mangaer of the company, character name David Brent. The shot appears as if the manager is talking to the audience but the continued shot reveals a man opposite. Here the camera reverse zooms to an over the shoulder shot of the manager and the man. The manager exerts his position on to the lower down workers which gives them reason to find him obnoxious and pompous. We can see this by the words and phrases he uses when communicating with the other workers. It reveals his character and the reactions of the characters to him. The camera then cuts to low angle establishing shot of the workplace. This is used to convey the normality of the surroundings and make it appear as realistic as possible. The nature of the camera is quite shaky done on purpose to indicate that it is filmed in a documentary format this is hand held. The manager takes the position of a narrator and introduces the rest of the characters, this also lets the audience know what the other characters think of him. The character Dawn Tinsley is introduced by David and can be seen sitting at a desk. This shot highlights gender and the typical role of women in an office as a "receptionist" or "secretary" Here the camera is quite fluid and still very shaky which continues through the rest of the shots. A conversation between Dawn and David appears to become hostile once the subject of drinking alcohol is mentioned. This is reinforced through the camera zooming in on both their reactions to gain an understanding of their emotions through facial expressions. This is also an indication that Dawn isn't fond of David. Throughout the show the camera often draws upon clashes between David and the other characters.
he city are conveyed. The shots appear quite dull and grey and could be said to represent a typical city in Britain through Pathetic Fallacy. This is where the weather reflects the mood of people and the city, which could link to the office workers included in the show. A sign appears as the shots continue which features the words: "Slough Trading Estate" which indicates the city it is set in. A drum and piano intro begins at the start which continues as a short instrumental piece which could also be used to reflect the mood of the city. The music used is quite sombre and subtle. As the shots continue the title "The Office" appears and the music ends. The next shot cuts to a long shot of a man (Ricky Gervais) sitting in a chair, this highlights his position in the work place as he appears quite high up due to his appearance and body language. We as audience later find out that he is the mangaer of the company, character name David Brent. The shot appears as if the manager is talking to the audience but the continued shot reveals a man opposite. Here the camera reverse zooms to an over the shoulder shot of the manager and the man. The manager exerts his position on to the lower down workers which gives them reason to find him obnoxious and pompous. We can see this by the words and phrases he uses when communicating with the other workers. It reveals his character and the reactions of the characters to him. The camera then cuts to low angle establishing shot of the workplace. This is used to convey the normality of the surroundings and make it appear as realistic as possible. The nature of the camera is quite shaky done on purpose to indicate that it is filmed in a documentary format this is hand held. The manager takes the position of a narrator and introduces the rest of the characters, this also lets the audience know what the other characters think of him. The character Dawn Tinsley is introduced by David and can be seen sitting at a desk. This shot highlights gender and the typical role of women in an office as a "receptionist" or "secretary" Here the camera is quite fluid and still very shaky which continues through the rest of the shots. A conversation between Dawn and David appears to become hostile once the subject of drinking alcohol is mentioned. This is reinforced through the camera zooming in on both their reactions to gain an understanding of their emotions through facial expressions. This is also an indication that Dawn isn't fond of David. Throughout the show the camera often draws upon clashes between David and the other characters.The appearance of the office workers are quite smart and sophisticated however this doesn't reflect their personalities, this also shows that working in an office is quite a "common" job and may reflect the working class background as very little intelligence is needed for that particular job. Piece to cameras are included from the workers who introduce themselves and their position in the work place. This may be used in a real documentary to gain an insight into what their really like and to inform the audience. This is also used for comic effect as the characters lack the appeal for the job they do. Between some shots a photo copier is shown to indicate that work is getting done and to reinforce the surroundings. Voice overs of David are used on some shots to give the audience his point of view on the workplace and the people.
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