Critical Reflection

This blogpost contains the critical reflection of my documentary project

Our brief was to create a documentary opening. We produced a crime documentary opening called Valedictorian, aimed at young audiences, exploring rivalry, ambition, and hidden conflict within a school setting.

Branding is the use of consistent styles, visuals, and themes to create a recognisable identity. It is important because it makes the documentary professional, connects the thumbnail and the film, and helps audiences quickly understand what type of story to expect. In Valedictorian, both products share consistent visual codes, such as colour choices, typography, and imagery that reflect the theme of crime and hidden identity (fig 1). This consistency ensures the thumbnail feels directly connected to the documentary. The thumbnail’s purpose is to capture attention and attract viewers, while the documentary’s purpose is to develop the story in depth and engage audiences with narrative detail. Together, they work as a package that hooks the audience and then delivers a full viewing experience. Audiences decode meaning through repeated use of visual codes and language. Actors’ expressions, body language, and costumes all reinforce rivalry and tension. These codes signal that the documentary explores hidden truths, encouraging audiences to expect conflict within their familiar school environments.

(fig 1)

Our research shaped how we used or challenged crime documentary conventions. Typical conventions include camera choices such as interviews (fig 2), zoom ins, re-enactments, and establishing shots. Mise-en-scène uses dark or neutral colours, costumes showing social class, and symbolic props like books (fig 3) or trophies. Sound usually features suspenseful music or tense silences, while editing often involves quick cuts, flashbacks, or text overlays. Costumes like Hazel’s mysteriously quiet,  nerdy style and Rain’s fresh, richer appearance, along with props like trophies and books, clearly represented rivalry and class difference. Suspenseful background music added tension, creating a murder mystery atmosphere. However, we subverted editing conventions. Instead of only realistic investigative edits, we included stylised and dramatic cuts to exaggerate teenage rivalry. This made our documentary more appealing to young audiences. Our biggest influence was Netflix’s What Jennifer Did. Its suspenseful editing, contrasting portrayals, and slow reveal of motives inspired how we developed Rain and Hazel’s story. Its use of dark visuals and tense sound also influenced our mise-en-scène and editing.

(fig 2)

(fig 3)

Our documentary targeted teenagers and young adults aged 17-30. It appeals to both male and female viewers, particularly students who can relate to the academic setting. Psychographically, our audience enjoys mystery, crime, rivalry, and hidden identity. To connect with them, Valedictorian uses a school setting and recognisable groups such as nerds, rich kids, and counsellors. These characters reflect relatable and familiar teenage social experiences, while the crime and rivalry storyline adds suspense. The thumbnail also played a crucial role in engagement. Its split image, combining trophies with dark red imagery, suggested hidden danger behind success (fig 1). The bold title Valedictorian made the theme of rivalry instantly clear. Both our products also connect through the Uses and Gratifications theory. It provides diversion with suspense, personal identity through academic pressures, social relationships by sparking conversations about ambition, and surveillance by warning about toxic competition. Hermeneutic codes in the thumbnail create mystery and unanswered questions, encouraging audiences to uncover what really happened. Together, the thumbnail and film engage viewers with tension and relatability.

The documentary represents four main social groups: nerds, rich kids, bystanders, and a counsellor. The dominant reading is that nerds are intelligent but excluded, making them appeal more vulnerable. Rich kids were displayed privileged and careless, bystanders were ordinary and powerless, and the counsellor was a trusted authority. These were shown through mise-en-scène and performance. Hazel, as the nerd, wore glasses, sat with books on his desk as he took notes, and showed awkward body language. Rain, the rich kid, appeared confident, extroverted, and social with trophies and open gestures. We made Mischa, "Rain's Friend", put on hoop earrings and long lashes making her appeal "Bratty" (fig 5). Bystanders wore basic and neat school uniforms or basic casual t-shirts (fig 4) and avoided direct involvement, enhancing their neutrality balancing within the two main characters, while the counsellor wore a professional teacher’s uniform. A challenge was thinking of the actors’ wardrobes, since our schedules were also tight. We relied more on stereotypes and technical elements like props and gestures. This made roles instantly recognisable despite limited costuming. Stereotypes were effective because they are clear and efficient for audiences to decode. This helped represent rivalry, class differences, and authority clearly within a school setting.

(fig 4)

(fig 5)