CSR Questions:

My crime documentary project focuses on the social group of teenagers, particularly South-East Asian teenagers communities, by capturing their vulnerabilities and interactions within the context of online dating. As nowadays it has become more common amongst teens and might create an issue. This documentary, with characters of Sasha, Clara, and Kyler, brings forward critical issues of trust and identity in a digital age. Sasha, the protagonist, is portrayed as a friendly and genuine teenager, but her gullibility makes her vulnerable to the dangers of online relationships. Whereas, Clara, her best friend, represents the complexities within teenage friendships, where loyalty and possessiveness can blur the lines. Kyler, the boyfriend Sasha meets online, is associated with online dating, portraying a character who is suspicious and dishonest. These characters represent social groups and how the characters will be unfolded throughout the scenes.

Moreover, we also pay a lot of attention to the technical elements such as camera angles and movements, edits, and sounds (ND/D). Through the documentary research, I also noticed that usual crime documentary conventions including handheld camera shots and high angles create a sense of unease and vulnerability, reflecting the characters' unstable emotional states which really creates an empathy to the audiences. We also include establishing shots of the house for the crime scene to create familiarity to the audiences and so that our documentary would conform to the conventions. For the mise-en-scene the uses of dark/dim lighting and a contrast in clothing colours with Sasha in light-coloured shirts (white) symbolising innocence whereas Clara in darker colour helps to reflect her more sinister sides as dark coloured which symbolises foreshadowing and negative traits which adds layers of meaning to the narrative as the colour is contrast to Sasha’s. Moving to edits, the editing style includes quick cuts and montages to convey the escalating tension and suspense, followed by non-diegetic or suspenseful scores that sets to create an eerie, thrilling mood. This combination of elements creates an atmosphere that keeps the audience engaged and questioning, making them want to watch more of our documentary and not get easily bored as we are subverting the typical conventions of crime documentaries by not immediately revealing the culprit. Instead, it challenges viewers to piece together the clues, fostering a sense of active participation and engagement with the narrative.

Furthermore, branding plays a crucial role in the documentary, ensuring that the film's themes and tones are consistently communicated across all its elements. The thumbnail is an essential part of this branding strategy, featuring a laptop screen with the picture of Sasha and Clara. Especially with our target audiences being young-adults that are mostly above 17+ with this thumbnail I believe they could relate more and become more interested due to them being digitally literate. The laptop screen in the thumbnail immediately connects the story to the digital world, making it relatable for your target audience, who are comfortable with technology. Since they spend so much time online, seeing a familiar interface can grab their attention and spark curiosity about the topic. The glitch effects and overlapping windows add to the idea of confusion and deception, showing that what you see online might not always be trustworthy.

The colour choices are also key. The bright red hints at danger and gives a sense that something bad is about to happen in the documentary. Meanwhile, Sasha in her light-coloured shirt stands out against the darker, glitchy background, making her seem innocent and vulnerable in this shady online world. This contrast sets up the feeling that the story will involve tension, mystery, and maybe betrayal. Including CCTV footage in the documentary adds a realistic touch. Using actual surveillance footage makes the story feel more grounded, as it taps into themes like being watched or hidden truths. Stuart Hall's representation theory is evident here, as the preferred reading of these characters is constructed through consistent visuals, we guide viewers to interpret the story in a certain way.

The consistent look between the thumbnail and the documentary helps the audience recognize and understand what to expect. Branding is key for building trust and connecting with the target audience, especially South-East Asian high school students. By keeping the colours, tone, and style in sync, it creates a sense of familiarity and draws viewers in. The thumbnail grabs their attention, and the documentary follows through by exploring the complexities of teenage life in the digital age. The documentary engages the audience by using a cast that reflects their demographics and psychographics. Our target audience includes teenagers at the ages of 17, primarily South-East Asians who are curious and empathetic toward mysteries and unfolding events. The film appeals to their personal experiences, particularly those involving online dating and digital interactions. Uses and Gratifications Theory by Blumler and Katz is applied here, as the documentary fulfils the audience's need for diversion through suspense and tension. It also offers personal identity by presenting relatable characters and situations. Social relationships are explored through the characters’ connections, allowing the audience to form bonds, while surveillance is provided by incorporating interviews and raw CCTV footage, offering a realistic perspective on the story.

The thumbnail and narrative work together to create a hermeneutic code, as outlined by Barthes, by withholding the identity of the killer until the end. This suspense draws viewers in, stimulating their curiosity and desire to uncover the truth. The uses of technical elements such as mise-en-scène, camera angles, sound, and editing collectively reinforce the narrative's thematic depth and complexity, encouraging the audience to engage with the material on multiple levels. Additionally, our research into crime documentary conventions informed the production's approach, such as guiding me and my teammates to use handheld shots, dim lighting, and a suspenseful soundtrack to conform to the crime doc genre. However, the documentary also subverts expectations by focusing on the emotional complexities of the characters rather than just the crime itself. This approach provides a nuanced exploration of the human elements involved, moving beyond simple genre stereotypes. By including elements like screen recordings of Sasha and Clara’s call to show characters' personal lives in more depth and makes the audiences relate to it.

In short, the documentary uses a mix of technical elements, branding, and storytelling to connect with its audience and highlight the issues that they are encountering. It plays with crime documentary conventions while diving into the emotional and psychological sides of the story, making it both relatable and intriguing to keep the audiences engaged.