A2 Critical Reflection

In this essay, I will critically reflect on the process of creating and producing my media campaign, "Trust Me, I'm the Son of a Workaholic", which addresses the issue of burnout and its impact on both individuals and families. The campaign consists of a documentary series, a social media page, and a magazine article. My objective was to create a comprehensive and multi-dimensional narrative that could resonate with audiences and encourage reflection on the often-overlooked consequences of workaholism. Through this reflection, I will analyze how the products represent social groups or issues, how they create a sense of branding, how…

My research began by analyzing existing health-focused documentaries and burnout-themed content. I drew inspiration from Netflix’s “Explained” series for its blend of storytelling and statistical grounding, and from BBC’s “Mind Over Marathon,” which emotionally involves the audience through personal transformation stories.I found that typical documentary conventions include on-location shooting, voice-over narration, real interviews, and a narrative arc centered on struggle and resolution. I followed these conventions—especially the use of expert (or experiential) interview, and the inclusion of contextual statistics to lend credibility. However, I also challenged some norms. For instance, unlike conventional health documentaries which often feature third-party experts, I…

Audience engagement is a central element in my multi-platform campaign. Each component of the project was designed with specific engagement strategies tailored to its format. The documentary aims to provoke emotional engagement through its confessional tone and real-life storytelling. The use of direct address me speaking to the camera builds trust and immediacy, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences with stress and burnout.The social media page functions as an interactive hub. It includes posts that ask viewers to share their own stories or tips for dealing with burnout. By including polls e.g., “Have you ever experienced burnout?” and…

In media, branding refers to the consistent aesthetic, tone, and thematic identity that allows audiences to recognize and emotionally connect with a product or series. For my project, I constructed a cohesive brand around the tone of honesty, healing, and transformation. The documentary, social media page, and magazine article all carry this identity through shared visual and narrative elements.Color grading and visual tone are critical to this. I used soft, natural colors and natural light in all video scenes, especially during park sequences, to evoke calmness and transparency. The fonts used across all media - clean and modern (i.e. for…

My documentary series focuses on a significant modern issue: burnout, particularly among highly educated professionals in Romania. Through personal storytelling and interviews, I explored the physical, emotional, and mental toll of workaholism, which is underrepresented in Romanian mainstream media. By anchoring the narrative in a family context and using a first-person perspective, I presented the issue through the lens of a young person reflecting on the long-term consequences of a parent's work-induced burnout. This angle represents the often overlooked voice of children in high-performance households.The mise-en-scène plays a central role in constructing this representation. For example, the setting of Citadel…