The document outlines the initial research and planning stages for a documentary about Molly Moselle, focusing on Sunderland culture and audience engagement. It details the integration of true crime conventions, production techniques, and the development of creative storytelling elements, including the use of green screen effects and 1940s detective aesthetics. The final product aims to create an engaging narrative while remaining respectful of the real-life events and individuals involved.

1. B2 Evaluation

2. Initial Research and Planning
In the initial steps of creating this project I conducted thorough research on the client
and audience which allowed me to understand both their likes and dislikes. By
researching Sunderland culture, it enabled me to first of all understand who they
were as a company as well as their values and ethics and what they do for the
community. After understanding what they stand for and what they provide as well as
finding out their target audience it allowed me to grasp what the client would be
happy with and like me to make as well as giving me a target bracket age to focus my
piece to so that what I would create would engage the audience not only making the
audience happy but providing the client with a product they are happy with as well.
Carrying out research on my audience allowed me to understand what they wanted
from the product. Looking at the Uses and Gratifications Theory alongside Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs I was able to understand why and how my audience would engage
with my product through diversion and surveillance with diversion/escapism letting
viewers escape their real lives and immerse themselves in what they are seeing and
surveillance where the viewer wants to acquire information, knowledge and
understanding by watching programmes like The News or Documentaries. Using this I
was able to influence my ideas and planning in order to create something that not
only hit the criteria required by the client but allowed me to understand not only
what my audience would enjoy but what they would get out of my product.
Maslow's Hierarchy
of Needs

3. I took all of my research on board when planning my product starting by mind
mapping all of my ideas that would fit in with the theme then researching
each idea further to learn more about what would work after this, I then
selected 3 ideas to progress further including potential locations, cover photo
artwork and content. After this I then got feedback on each idea and decided
to progress with an idea that had strong links to Sunderland, worked well
with my audience and would please the client landing on the idea of the story
of: Molly Moselle. I chose this idea specifically due to its strong links to
Sunderland and the theatre(Sunderland Empire) which I have a great passion
in and knew I could create something with. The case was in Sunderland
when Molly Moselle was touring with the show 'The Dancing Years' as an
assistant stage manager when she disappeared. Being an assistant stage
manager, it allowed me to understand the story further meaning I could pull
from my own experience when discussing this portion. With the strong links
to Sunderland this story would please the client and make it apparent to the
audience that the city is a major factor in the documentary. Through my
audience research I knew what impact it would have on the audience and
how they are much more likely to watch something on social media rather
than television therefore I figured that I would create the documentary for
YouTube which comes with its own codes and conventions to engage the
audience. With 1.9 billion monthly active users YouTube conducted an
analysis of UK demographics found around 24% of users were aged between
16-24 years compared to Ofcom's findings saying that 16 to 24-year-olds
spend just 53 minutes watching TV each day with my documentary being over
10 minutes this would mean that I would have to engage the audience's
attention for up to 20% of their daily TV intake making the documentary a lot
less engaging and or noticeable.

4. With going with the genre of true crime which I knew would engage
my audience however I had to make sure to get facts right and tell this story
in a tasteful manner that would not offend anyone whilst conveying the
story of a real person in Sunderland's history. With its own conventions true
crime documentaries have become a gripping and popular genre,
captivating audiences with real-life mysteries, investigations, and criminal
cases. Some of these conventions include reconstructions to depict events
that allegedly occurred and help the audience understand crucial moments
in a case as well as talking heads usually interviews carried out with people
involved in the crime, professionals in their field and or family members
with the product I made it allowed me the creative freedom of both a
documentary and a short film whilst staying in this genre, it allowed me to
use elements of a documentary blended with the more cinematic and
creative elements of short films allowing me to expand my knowledge
through two different media formats. Upon starting this project, I had
some experience of filming a documentary using methods and
conventions of only documentaries this led me to understand how to create
a documentary and the theories behind it however I had never created
a short film but as this was something I had always been interested this is
something I definitely wanted to include in this project. During
the production process I made sure to give myself time to take test shots
and time to reshoot things if I needed to as this was something I didn’t do
in the past, this allowed me to not only review the footage and
camera angles but shakiness as most of the documentary was shot in
handheld as well as reviewing audio quality. This not only allowed me
to manage my time better (a skill that is required to be successful in the
industry) but I was also able to shoot more high-quality footage.

5. To be able to film in certain location I had to reach out
to participation and venue owners which taught
me vital communication skills that I could carry with me into
my career and the industry and although some of them
denied filming this experience allowed me to make my own
creative decisions for the documentary and also gave
me more experience in adapting original plans and being
able to change direction quickly vital for the industry. In post-
production I also explored new video effects that are commonly
used in the industry but were new to me such as working on a
green screen. To add another creative element to the documentary
I wanted to use a green screen to add elements as they could not
be achieved practically. Since I had no experience
using a green screen overlay, I decided to do some
research through the internet and found a tutorial on YouTube.
Through this research I found that in the search
bar on premiere pro, if I searched for the ultra-key and found it, I
was able to add it to the clip which removed the green screen
allowing the effect to ​be layered over existing footage.​I also
developed my skills in audio by learning how to dampen
background noise and increase the audio I needed as well
as blending audio tracks adding sound effects and creating an
overall soundscape. This project allowed me to develop my skills in
Premiere Pro allowing me to become more confident and skilled in
editing through many mediums such as audio both diegetic and
non-diegetic along with transitions effects and understand
the importance of capturing high quality footage to edit with
as well as raising the profile of my documentary making it
appear more professional.

6. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
Establishing shot
A common convention of both a documentary and a short film is
shown here. The usual cinematic shots of a location is classified
as an establishing shot this confirms for the audience the location
of the documentary/short film and the atmosphere of the piece.
It was important for me to include establishing shots and signs as
it reinforces to the audience the location the documentary is in; it
also reinforces the message of the brief which was to highlight
Sunderland culture and with these shots of some iconic
Sunderland landmarks I feel that I was able to achieve this.
Information Cards
These information cards were made to imitate police files and give
background information which is a typical convention of true crime
documentaries, this allows the audience to gather more
information and backstory about the person. Creating these
allowed me to give this information in the absence of the real
police files or evidence whilst keeping it simple enough to remain
on screen for only a few seconds but allow the audience to gather
the information so that they can come to their own conclusion.

7. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
Archived Footage
A typical convention seen in
most documentaries is the
use of archived footage this
can not only be used to move
the story along but in this
case provide background
information. It can be used
to not only visually show the
audience what is being
discussed but evoke emotion
from the audience making
them more engaged and
invested in the
documentary.
Talking Heads
Talking heads features heavily in documentaries, especially in
this documentary. This creates a more personal feel to the
documentary as it allows for the audience to hear and see
the emotion from the people directly involved in the case.
There is a clear difference between the two talking heads
scenes however they both feature medium close-up shots at
an eye level angle with one looking off camera and one
directly to camera they are both as impactful and both
convey the message effectively.

8. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
For this section of the documentary although I wanted the documentary to have fluidity,
I wanted to break up the amount of video included so I decided to use a more of a stop
motion style for this sequence using around 200 photos to create this sequence it
allowed the documentary to flow whilst breaking up the mundanity of video throughout.
This effect in production took me around an hour to shoot avoiding traffic and members
of the public to the best of my ability as well as trying to keep the camera steady to
create similar shots and make it less jarring for the audience. For this section I didn’t
want it to be perfect however as I wanted the audience to be slightly jarred by this
sequence to foreshadow the ending of the documentary and put the audience on edge
not knowing what to expect next as although the piece was primarily a documentary I
wanted to piece and drop elements of a short film throughout the documentary allowing
creativity to be shown as well as not only my own versatility but what a documentary can
stretch to whilst remaining in the genre. The post-production process for this sequence
took around two days making sure all the images were first suitable and clear and then
making sure they were all the same size and would appear on screen the same and
uniformed with the same anchor points, rotation and adjusting the length of time each
individual image would appear on screen for and the transitions between them. I also
added an overlay of a camcorder effect I did this to replicate a common convention of a
documentary which is evidence and reconstructions and even though I didn’t have any of
this available to me I wanted to create something that would emulate this convention
reinstating the pieces position of a documentary when put into a group.

9. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
For the end of the documentary, I wanted to go with something that
pushes the boundaries on the line between short film and documentary
throughout the documentary and if you look up the name Molly Moselle it
references that she is a ghost that haunts the Sunderland Empire, so this is
something I wanted to reference not only audibly but visually. I had done
some research into ghosts and how to create them via greenscreen and
after effects as well as researching short films and media that included
them as I wanted to create something tasteful and not making fun of the
situation due to the woman being a real person with family and relations
that may have found what I created offensive if I had done it wrong. This
led me to researching different green screen ghost effects distinguishing
them picking out bits I liked and didn’t like until I found the effect that
features in the final product. This green screen effect had to be edited
heavily with sections completely cut and some scenes repeated. Overall, I
am happy with this effect and like what it brings to the documentary as the
audience doesn’t expect it whilst also being tasteful and not offending or
scaring potential audiences.

10. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
Throughout the documentary the detective is a
prominent feature in the documentary acting as a
narrator that drives the documentary forward.
Something I wanted to create was a blend of short
film techniques and documentary techniques to do
this I used the character of the detective and his
surroundings to drive the short film elements. One
thing I included was a circular structure this allowed
for the opening and ending to be coherent with the
first scene in the detective's office as he enters it
and the last scene in the detective's office as he
exits it this rounds the documentary creating a full
narrative for the documentary. When creating the
structure of the documentary I was also inspired
and influenced by Todorov's narrative structure
theory commonly used in fiction pieces to create a
structure to a product and can be used in a range of
different ways including positive and negative
endings.
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
Equilibrium- Detective arriving at work and sitting at his desk
Disruption- A note saying a girl is missing- Molly Moselle
Disequilibrium- The investigation process
Repair- They can't find her and the case is left
New Equilibrium- A ghost appears on screen-references her haunting the
Sunderland Empire
Example – Moana
Equilibrium-Polynesian island of Motunui
Disruption/Disequilibrium- all the food is depleting and rotting
Repair-Moana then goes on a quest to find the heart of Te Fiti to fix this
New Equilibrium-Once the heart is returned to its rightful owner, the world is
healed
Todorov's Narrative Structure

11. Documentary Analysis and Evaluation
The Mystery of Molly Moselle
(youtube.com)
The short film element of the documentary was important for me to get right as I
have always had a passion for creating and making things. This section allowed me
to dive deeper into the fiction side of media and understand composition, mise-en-
scene and camera angles. The fiction scenes were depicted in a 1940s detective
office therefore I conducted extensive research around costume set props and
lighting. This allowed me to understand and imagine what I wanted to create for this
scene. I also decided to pay homage to films in the 1940s by filming in black and
white this allowed not only for the audience to be able to distinguish between the
time periods but also allows for instead of colour texture to be explored. By
removing colour, it allowed me to think more creatively about how I wanted to light
the scenes as well as textures and set/props that would be featured. Through
research I was able to devise set and props that would work for the era In which I
wanted the scenes to appear in such as a bowler hat, a magnifying glass and a
typewriter aiding the mise-en-scene of the piece to reinstate the time period. For
the costume I decided to keep it formal and time period appropriate of a suit as not
only does this reference the time period, but it also connotes the luxury lifestyle and
status of detectives in the time period. When planning how to film this section I
decided to expand on what I have done before and use/experiment with different
camera angles and positions as though it was a fly on the wall looking into the
detective's world following him.

12. Poster Analysis and Evaluation
Including the Sunderland Empire Theatre on the
poster gives the product a sense of identity this
allows the audience to place themselves in a
location for where the documentary will take place.
Seen as though my target audience demographic is
primarily people from the North East specifically
Sunderland and as it is such an iconic staple in the
city center it allows the audience to recognise and
relate with the piece as they can see somewhere
that they have seen in person or been inside
grounding the piece in reality. The Sunderland
Empire although it is a prevalent location in the
documentary it is also steeped in Sunderland
Culture as not only a high-profile touring theatre
but is said to be one of Britain's most haunted
theatres with three ghosts said to haunt it. This
reinstates the essence of horror/true crime
connoting the genre of the documentary before
the audience see any of the documentary.

13. Poster Analysis and Evaluation
A convention seen on all posters with a specific prevalence in mainstream films however it is seen across all
posters in every genre. Credits at the bottom of a poster in this specific font allows for creatives such as
writers and directors to be credited and recognised for their contribution to the project. The title of the
documentary was important for me to create something that would stick in the audiences mind I decided to
use alliteration to create emphasis on the subject and the theme of mystery that runs through the
documentary. I decided to use the colour red for the wording as not only does red connotate love it also
connotates passion and danger and although these themes do not feature as a forefront but as
an undertone coincidingly with the genre of true crime. For the background of the title I wanted to create
something that would be clear to read but also link back to the documentary, in the documentary there is a
reference to a letter, so I decided to go with that theme and create what is meant to emulate the edge of a
letter to foreshadow events in the documentary. I wanted to use a character in the documentary on the
poster to introduce them to the audience without giving anything away; to do this I decided to use a
black silhouette with the colour black connoting power and mystery, this reflects the character and the true
crime genre linking them together possibly creating presumptions for the audience on who this character is
and what impact he has on the story. With the significance of the story that Molly Moselle is a ghost that
haunts the Sunderland Empire and the inclusion of a ghost at the end of the documentary I wanted to show
a visual representation of this theme therefore I decided again to use the theme of a silhouette however in
a different format so that the audience would be able to see and understand what it is but not expect it to
feature in the documentary leaving the audience in a false sense of security.

14. Cover Photo Analysis
and Evaluation
For the cover photo as well as the title card I wanted to create something with strong connotations of
the True Crime Genre for example Police tape and blood as these can both be found in true crime
fiction and non-fiction products with strong preconceptions for an audience to recognise this is a true
crime product and what to expect. These connotations also bring in an existing fan base of over 50%
of the population engaging with a true crime media product whilst attracting new audiences with its
regional identity of the North East. The colour palette of red and black creates a dynamic colour
palette with connotations of red signifying love and or danger whilst black connotes mystery and the
unknown. Mystery and the unknown is something I wanted to feature heavily and have a running
theme of throughout the documentary included in the title of the documentary red and black is a
running colour scheme throughout the product and is something that the audience can recognise in
the piece reinforcing that feeling throughout the documentary whilst never actually having to say it or
reference it on screen.

15. Looking at the project through the pre-production phase I am
happy with my research and preparation for the production
process as it allowed me to, be prepared and know my subject
matter thoroughly in preparation for production and I
wouldn’t have changed anything about the pre-production
process. Overall, the production process ran quite smoothly
with little to no problems as I gave myself over seven months
of shoot time this allowed for errors and issues to occur but
then be sorted or figured out without disrupting the
production schedule or leaving me with minimal time. If I had
another opportunity to do this task again, I would again
plan my production time like this as it was beneficial to the
whole process and left me with footage, I was very happy
with. If I was to change anything about the post
production process I would have potentially given myself more
time to work on it as although I gave myself 3-4 months the
majority wasn’t edited until the final month due to having to
reshoot sections and scheduling conflicts however, I am happy
with the overall look and edit for the documentary. Looking at
the final 3 products I feel that they work well in relation to
what the client wants and what an audience would want from
a documentary like this based on the feedback I
have received I am happy with my final products and what I
have created and learned over working on the project. Such as
improving my time management, project management skills
and technical skills such as camera angles and editing all skills
that are transferable to the industry and my future career.