Research

 This is my research for the project

Questions:

#1 American Murder: The Family Next Door. 

1, What sub-genre of crime documentary would you categorise this as?

Crime, homicide

2. Who is the target audience

16+ grown up teenagers who is fully succeptible to horror murder stories and brutality

3. What typical documentary conventions were used?

Real footage, voiceover (from victim)

4. Did this opening conform or subvert the conventions for this genre

The opening of this documentary includes real life footages of the victim (shannan watts) when she was alive and happy, before she got killed by her own husband alongside her children. 

5. How does it create suspense using the following

-Mis En Scene

Its kind of a contrast as it was showing bright coloured, happy videos with a bright background, where Shannann Watts was mostly wearing bright coloured clothes on their actual camera footage on Shanann Watts' social media of when she was alive and well. This creates suspense in confusion as it makes the reader question, "what actually happened to this happy family on social media". 

-Sound

Same as the first, it contains joyful recounts of when the family was alive and well, all of the good stuff and comments that were aimed at the killer Chris Watts before his crimes. All Diegetic to make the experience feel real to the viewers as if they are watching them 

-Camera Angle?movement

-Random movement in order to create the sense of uncertainty to the audience

-Static camera movement that focuses on the family to further make the audience sympathize and feel some sort of attachment

-Mostly Medium shots in order for audiebce to view the whole perspective of the camera

-Edit

-Quick cuts in order to disorient and confuse viewers on what is happening

J Cut in order to immerse the audience first and make them have a good anticipation of this happy family just to get hit on throughout the documentary.

6. What parts of the opening did you find inspiring

The clips of the once happy family kind of affected me as it questioned humanity in my opinion as to what Chris Watts eventually did to his family. The J cut really hits especially how the documentary turned out in the end. 

#2 What Jennifer Did (2021)

1, What sub-genre of crime documentary would you categorise this as?

Gritty, homicide, murder, set up

2. Who is the target audience

Teenagers who likes to think out and solve mysteries of murders. 

3. What typical documentary conventions were used?

They used actual archived footages and interviews which are a part of documentary conventions, they also use suspenseful music and dark themed colouring especially in the topic of murder. and live interviews with people and the murderer herself. 

4. Did this opening conform or subvert the conventions for this genre

This opening really conformed as this opneing really uses the typical media conventions of a crime documentary, footage, interviews with witnesses and murderer herself. The colouring of the whole opening was dark, this is done in order to create a sense of suspense and add some kind of spooky effect in order to build up tension for whats about to happen

5. How does it create suspense using the following

-Mis En Scene

- Plain, white room, in order to audience to focus solely on the interviewee (murderer) and make her the center of attention and be attentive to what she is listening to in order for the audience to stay on the edge of their seats in order to find answers.

- Dark colouring and setting of the house that the criminals broke in to for the voiceover in order to create a sense of spook and in order for the viewer to visualize on what happened in the house or outside the house and how it happened to keep them guessing=suspense

-Dried tree=connotates with death and negativity, gives the audience some vibe to expect from the whole documentary

Sound

Mostly Diegetic sounds were used in order for the audience to obtain facts and think, as mentioned, they focus on this in order to make the audience think and think, trying to figure out some possible signs before the movie reveals it (competitive viewing is what I call it)

 Non Diegetic sound- all suspensful music to  enchance the vibe and add spook. 

Edit

-Quick cuts in order to disorient the audience and create a fast pace that suggests to the audience that these events happened quickly

Camera angle

-Almost all long shots, in order to focus on the whole scene, the whole facial expression, get the mystery vibe. The interviewer and the interviewee, and as usual, it is made to direct all attention to the main character being interviewed (Jennifer)

#3 The Final Attack on Wembley

1, What sub-genre of crime documentary would you categorise this as?

Sports Crime Documentary

2. Who is the target audience

Teenagers-Mature teenagers 17+, adults if possible, sports geeks, people in England especially as all people are english

3. What typical documentary conventions were used?

-Interviews and anecdotes from witnesses

-Real life footage of whats happening 

-CCTV footage from several security forces and sources

4. Did this opening conform or subvert the conventions for this genre

The opening really confroms typical media conventions as it has interviews and real life footage which always appears in typical documentaries regardless of the topic. Especially crime topics as they involve introducing the chaos and builds on how the day goes. 

5. How does it create suspense using the following

Mis En Scene

- Chaos in order to suggest that something wrong is going to happen to the readers or it will make the reader question in suspense of how all of these chaos happened. 

-Flares and rousy supporters in order to give the audience an impression that these fans are savages and something wrong is going to happen soon. 

-Blood, always and will forever be connoted and associated that something wrong is going on and something is not right. Shown in an England fan drenched in blood being escorted out of the fanzone. Immidietly tells audience that yes, something may be wrong here. 

Sound

 Diegetic sound of the interviewee's and witnesses explaining step by step in order for the viewer to get a better insight and guess what actually went wrong later on. 

 Diegetuc sound of cracking glass, people screaming, gives impression that people are hurting or suffering, makes viewers want to know what actually happened to these people. 

Non Diegetic, fast paced trumpet music, more like a war call type of trumpet, to suggest that there will be two sides to this story, and its going to be opposing=theres gonna be something wrong.

Edit

Quick cuts and jump cuts in order to emphasize that things are happening fast and real time, makes viewers feel disoriented and curious on what is happening

#4 Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso

Camera angle1, What sub-genre of crime documentary would you categorise this as?

Mystery, Homicide, Law.

2. Who is the target audience

Late teen adults, crime geeks, people who like to think and solve. 

3. What typical documentary conventions were used?

-Actual camera footage

-Actual sound footage

-Slow, suspenseful piano

-Interviews with witness, prosecutor, all of the people involved for the factual information. 

4. Did this opening conform or subvert the conventions for this genre

Yes, this opening really conforms to typical conventions of the genre, there are not HD camera footages of the trial, exclusive interviews with Jessica (killer) archived photos of Mirna (killed) when she was alive and interviews with witnesses about their side regardless if affirmative or contra. 

5. How does it create suspense using the following

-Mis En Scene

-Courtroom and law related attire in to suggest that this documentary is more to a law themed, more talk and debate than act, more classy one rather than a gritty and full of violence one. literally inside a pretty lavish courtroom with many people on watching how it unfolds.

-Neat clothes in every one of them to suggest to the audience that these people involved are elites with money and power, almost all of them wear suits of formality. 

- Paparazzi flashes to show that this case is massive and viral, all eyes on it, everyone is watching in (surveillance).

Sound

-Trans Diegetic voiceover from the interview to create a dark vibe by making the viewers sympathize with what is currently happening

- Non-Diegetic sound is suspenful piano in order to engange in viewers, creating the vibe of mystery and thoughts. 

Edit

Always using J cuts towards the interview, connects the story and the transition between scenes better in order for the viewer to get the impression while visualizing how everything happened at that time. 

Camera angle

Random movement to show the chaos that surrounded the case. Gives viewers the sense of disorientation and confusion, of rush and urgency. 

Long shot and close ups to focus on the characters doing, expression and emotion on how they are currently telling the story. And the overall feeling of the whole ordeal..

#5 Conversation With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

1, What sub-genre of crime documentary would you categorise this as?

Violence, Mystery, Homicide

2. Who is the target audience

Young adults-adults 17+, crime geeks. 

3. What typical documentary conventions were used?

-Real life footage from the events and interviews

- Real life sound recordings of Ted (killer)

-Prison, policemen 

-Authority

-Paparazzi

5. How does it create suspense using the following

Sound

Suspenseful music (Non diegetic)

Sound of the interview of Ted, diegetic, makes the viewer figure out what is this guy actually thinking. 

Edit

L cut, in order to quickly introduce the bakcground and setting and gives the viewer an impression of what is going to happen (prison=crime case)

Long duration between cuts to slow down the pace and get the viewer to fully immerse him/herself in the situation and process on what happened. 

Camera angle

Static camera movements to emphasize quietness and focus on topic

Slow movements in order to let the viewer process how charismatic this man was that made him a crazy killer.

Close up angles on interviewees to focus on emotion

Extreme long shots of prison to tell viewers what it is like from a POV of a wanted killer

Random movement of court case footage to give the viewer a sense of chaos too. 

SELF REFLECTION

I feel like this is the most hectic part of all besides all of the others research and development as we have to constantly balance media terms and paragraphs, I am somewhat struggling to find the offical sources. This part really enforced my view on genre conventions and how to convey meaning through research.