Script

 

This is the script for our documentary opening project. The script was made by Kim and Eileen, with the help of some ideas from alex and bams.

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT TEMPLATE

PROJECT TITLE: Valedictorian 

GROUP MEMBERS: kim, eileen, bams, alex

DATE STARTED: 19th August 2025

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SCENE HEADING

(CLASSROOM – DAY)

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SHOT NUMBER: 1

DESCRIPTION:

[quick cuts of different people about to be interviewed sitting down / adjusting their chairs / fixing their mic. Then the interview starts, the interviewer asks questions to the interviewees about the academic rivals and how they behaved at school. Quick cuts from each responses are used to highlight main points said from the interviewees answering the questions. Interviewer asks the first question.]

DIALOGUE:

INTERVIEW - FIRST QUESTION

INTERVIEWER (CHARLENE):	“How would you describe (name) (rich student)?”
RICH STUDENT’S FRIEND 1 (MISCHA):	“He was… perfect. Top of the class. Everyone knew him.”
COUNSELLOR (MS. NINA):	“Confident, charming. Very popular.”
BYSTANDER 1 (HAZEL):	“He had everything. Money, brains, friends…’
RICH STUDENT’S FRIEND 2 (CAVIN):	“And he worked hard. It wasn’t just handed to him”

(Include any narration or voiceover. Use brackets for [sound effects] if needed.)

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SHOT NUMBER: 2

DESCRIPTION:
[Quick cuts from each responses are used to highlight main points said from the interviewees answering the questions. Interviewer asks the second question.]

DIALOGUE:

INTERVIEW - SECOND QUESTION

INTERVIEWER (CHARLENE):	“And what about (name) (nerd)? What was he like?”
(NERD’S) FRIEND (REYNER):	“He kept to himself. Didn’t really hang out with anyone.”
COUNSELLOR (MS.NINA):	“He was… intense. Lived for the academics.”
BYSTANDER 2 (VANYA):	“People knew him… but not the same way. He was different.”
(NERD’S) FRIEND (REYNER):	(Hesitant) “I knew he didn’t like (rain). But not to the point where he would… kill him.”

 (Include any narration or voiceover. Use brackets for [sound effects] if needed.)

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SHOT NUMBER: 3

DESCRIPTION:
[Quick cuts from each responses are used to highlight main points said from the interviewees answering the questions. Interviewer asks the third question.]

DIALOGUE:

INTERVIEW - THIRD QUESTION

INTERVIEWER (CHARLENE):	“Did anyone notice any tension between them?”
(RICH KID) FRIEND (CAVIN):	“There was… competition. Always”
COUNSELLOR (MS.NINA):	“(Nerd) felt invisible next to (rich kid). That kind of rivalry can… escalate.”
BYSTANDER 2 (VANYA):	“Some people said he was obsessed. Like… it wasn’t just grades anymore.”

 (Include any narration or voiceover. Use brackets for [sound effects] if needed.)

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SHOT NUMBER: 4

DESCRIPTION:
[Quick cuts from each responses are used to highlight main points said from the interviewees answering the questions. Interviewer asks the fourth question.]

DIALOGUE:

INTERVIEW - FOURTH QUESTION

INTERVIEWER (CHARLENE):	“What did they both want?”
(RICH KID) FRIEND (MISCHA):	“(rich kid) wanted valedictorian.”
BYSTANDER 1 (HAZEL):	“(nerd) wanted it too. Desperately.”
COUNSELLOR (MS.NINA):	“One of them had everything to lose. The other had nothing.”

 (Include any narration or voiceover. Use brackets for [sound effects] if needed.)

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✅ Formatting Rules for Students:

• Scene headings in ALL CAPS.
  
  

• Character names in ALL CAPS before dialogue.
  
  

• Keep dialogue short and clear.
  
  

• Add notes in brackets if they are for production, not for the audience.
  
  

Location Scout & Risk Assessment

This blog post contains the location scout and risk assessment for our filming locations of our documentary opening project. This was made by Kim

(School)
Location Link:	https://share.google/IxOvrdJ7bj9meDGOz
Events in scene:	What will happen? Interviews Silly vlogs / videos from students
Pros of location:	Accessible  Familiar environment => easy to film + can engage audience (adds realism) Free  Controlled environment (can manage or adust the setting of props like table/chairs) Convenient (all casts and group members will be available to film with during school days)
Cons of location:	We would need permission to film in different areas in the school, we would also need to ask some teachers whether they are okay or want to be a part of the documentary Noise control, some locations like the canteen can be noisy during lunch time or break time which can affect the quality of the sound Time limits, we might have to film outside school hours to get darker scene, we would need to ask permission first on whether we could film during those hours.
Alternatives:	What other locations can you shoot at if there are issues here? Someones house
Risk Assessment
Potential hazards:	What dangers are there? Crowds of students Slips / trips while filming Harm of privacy
Evaluate risks:	What bad things could happen? It will be noisy => making the sound quality of the scenes bad / damage of filming equipment  Cast / videographer can slip or trip over bags or object on the floor Other students may be caught on camera without consent
Control measures:	How will you prevent these from happening? Avoid filming during break/lunch times  Keep the floor/area clear Only film with cast members who already gave permission
Responsibility:	Who will be in charge of the control measures? Group members Group members Group members
Time frame:	When will you have the control measure in place by? Before filming  Before and during filming  Before and during filming
Other notes:

 

Statement of Intent

 This blogpost contains our group's statement of Intent

This blog post contains the statement of intent. This was made by kim. 

Statement of Intent

Sub-genre (crime)
Murder	Reason: we chose this sub-genre because school based violence like murder can be very rare and can have a significant impact to students, teachers, staff and the whole school environment.
Topic
student kills student / academic rivals
Primary Target Audience
Demographics: Teens to young adults Aged 17-30	Reason: we chose this age range because they can be mature enough to watch and understand crime related topics and handle sensitive or gory scenes like violence or substances like blood.
Psychographic Students in high school / university  People interested in true crime / mystery Top students / smart students	Reason: we chose students because they can relate to the school setting and environment, they can understand how it is in the school environment and can be engaged by the sudden shift or change of the murder.  We also chose people who are interested in true crime or mystery films because they We also chose smart students as our psychographic target audience as they can relate to the academic pressures and competition with one other in a school setting. This can hook them as the academic rivalry goes beyond what is normal or is expected.
Message (Dominant Reading)
How academic pressure can escalate into dangerous and tragic consequences	This message shows how constant academic competition can create tension that builds into something no one could expect. It explains that rivalry, jealousy and pressure can push people beyond their limits, leading to tragic outcomes.
Characters
Interviewees => 4 students (2 victim’s friends, 1 nerd’s friend, 1 teacher/counselor, 2 bystanders) Victim (rich student) Suspect (nerd) Interviewer Victims friend group (4 friends)
Representations (groups, places, events)
Groups:  Rich / privileged students Nerds / hardworking students  Places:  School  Events:  Murder Academic rivalry	Reason:  => they are represented as powerful and having advantages due to wealth which shows inequality in the academic environment. => they are represented as intelligent but socially excluded. This highlights how pressure, jealousy can build frustration.  => the school is represented as a competitive and high pressure environment where different social classes stand out which symbolises how rivalry grows in academic spaces.  => this shows that there is more than just competition in the school environment which is caused from academic rivalry and jealousy.  => this is represented as a shocking climax of the tensions which shows the impact of rivalry and social inequality.
What will be the hook? (The mystery that keeps audiences watching)
“How did a simple academic rivalry end in a murder?” this keeps the audience curious to know more about how the murder happened and who is the perpetrator