Critical Reflection

Here is the critical reflection of my project.

Politicians and political activists were at the centre of the narrative in this project, focusing on the failed assassination attempt of a political leader (in this case, Campbell Newman, the leader of the National Patty). Politicians are normally seen in documentaries as figures of authority and power. But they were represented as victims, by using formal settings, and speeches, to frame them as respected and serious individuals. this is in line with the preferred reading of the documentary, which encourages the audience to view these politicians as good people, harmed by an act of hate.

The documentary's technical elements such as the usage of lighting, camera angles, and editing were important in conveying this representation. Wide and establishing shots provided context, showing the politician in formal surroundings that symbolises authoritys. Moreover, the mise-en-scene, such as the the formal attire of the politicians, reinforces their social status and the weight of the issue. In contrast, the suspect of the assassination was portrayed negatively, with the framing and editing outlining their actions. This thing supports the narrative of the documentary, which aimed to present the politicians as people who are in need of help.

An important aspect of the documentary was its use of stereotypes to portray a broader social messages. In this project, politicians were portrayed in a conventional light as serious and authoritative, while the assassin was covered in mystery. These stereotypes serve to enhance the narrative, making sure that that the audience can quickly identify the good and bad characters. Hall's theory on representation says that media representations mostly rely on fixed stereotypes to communicate complex ideas efficiently and that by using these familiar features, our project reinforced the dominant social ideologies about power, authority, and deviance. 

Branding is a important component of media production, and it plays a significant role in crime documentaries by providing the final product with an identity like no other. As seen in the project, the crime documentary's branding was closely tied to its visual appearance. The thumbnail, which featured the politician in a formal setting with a mysterious statue in the background, showed the tension between authority and danger. This small yet effective imagery provided potential viewers with a sense of intrigue, drawing them into the plot of the assassination attempt.

Dyer’s branding also shapes how audiences decode meaning. The abstract and detached quality of the imagery in the thumbnail, invites viewers to go deeper into the complexities of the political narrative. This is supported by Altman’s genre theory, which suggests that successful media products must conform to already existing genre conventions while also offering unique elements that differentiate them from other content. In my project, this was achieved by including familiar crime documentary features, such as interviews and live footage, while at the same time focusing on a lesser-known political figure rather than a high-profile one like John Howard.

The audience’s interest and interactiveness with the documentary is another important aspect of crime documentary production, as highlighted by the uses and gratifications theory, it suggests that audiences always seek out media content to satisfy specific needs, such as entertainment, information, and social interaction. My crime documentary fulfilled these criteria by offering not only a gripping narrative about a political assassination attempt but also opportunities for viewers to reflect on the broader hidden meanings of political violence. For example, my documentary engaged the audience through a mix of suspenseful sound design and thought provoking interviews with politicians, who gave their recollection and opinions on the event.

Sound played a role in enhancing the emotional impact of the documentary. One of the scenes leading up to the assassination attempt used heartbeats and tense music to build suspense. As seen  in the research, sound is a yet powerful tool in production and is capable of guiding the viewer’s emotions and the visual narrative. This use of non-diegetic sound to build tension is a normal technique in crime documentaries and is in line with the conventions of the genre. By increasing the intensity of the music as the assassination attempt unfolded, the documentary increased the audience’s emotional attention in the story.

I realise that a better understanding of the genre conventions would have enhanced the project's overall quality. While the documentary did conformed to many of the core elements of a crime documentary, there were moments where a more better approach to sound and editing could have increased the narrative. For example, using more camera angles or more interesting soundscapes could have added layers of complexity to the portrayal of the political figures.