Vending Machine

Reece Pocklington
AV2004
 Choose Item, Insert Card, Get Watched.
​People stare at vending machines, deciding what to get. What is it like when the machine stares back?

In this observational documentary, I put a simple everyday activity under the microscope and analyse it
thoroughly. What goes through people’s mind during the much-
needed pit stop at the nearest vending machine? How would people respond when their snack time is
interrupted? Do you take too long to decide, or is it something everyone else struggles with too? People
usually visit the vending machines in their free time, so I expect to capture people letting loose or venting
about random topics, giving a light-hearted sense of humour to my documentary. I want to capture a glimpse
into the everyday lives of people and see if reoccurring characters crop up. I will be watching different vending
machines at different places so there will be a variety of characters in my documentary, perhaps producing lots
of patterns. This fly on the wall approach could quite possibly turn into a social study to see what
demographics choose what and why; will students repeatedly get energy drinks? Will gym people constantly
grab the protein bars? What is the most popular option and is each vending machine unique? The biggest
mystery of all is: who is behind the vending machine? I want to capture the person responsible for filling the
machine and visualise the connection between the worker and the consumer; usually I just think the machines
refill themselves and don't really consider the provider. There will be some abstract cinematography used
throughout the documentary: close ups of different snacks to represent characters and shots of the machines
functions to symbolise what is being discussed. By the end of the documentary, you will be more mindful
about the ongoings around vending machines and that each purchase comes with a little story.
Mode and
Inspiration
• Observational
• Reflexive, Participatory qualities
(reflections, potential conversations with
characters).

Other Examples:
• High School (Frederick Wiseman, 1968)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEc
CxKLwkA
• Public Housing (Frederick Wiseman, 1997)
https://kaltura.uga.edu/media/t/1_p4jko2
b7
• Grey Gardens (Maysles Brothers, 1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI62e
0fRieo

Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)

The Tramshed
The Student Centre
Preston Bus Station
UCLan Library
Preston Train Station
UCLan Media Factory
 • Confectionary Colours • Long takes – Realism
• Locations: Wooden/Metallic
Aesthetic • Mundanity, Simplicity
•
•
Robotics
No Music
Distribution
• one off piece for festivals.
• Potentially pilot for a series
• Looked at BBC Documentary Commissioning Brief (
https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/documentaries)
• Premium Mini-Series
• “ ideas that tell us who we are, how we live”
• “clear hook and ‘bingeability’ value”
• “Telling contemporary stories that always deliver on drama and also take us into valuable
subject matter”