Tumbnail Research and Development

This blog post, written by Beatrice and Aurel, details the process of researching crime documentary thumbnails conventions and the development of our own thumbnail to effectively achieve the desired results. 

Conventions of crime documentary thumbnails in general :

- All of these conventions are researched by me.

 

1. Colour Palette 

Red is frequently employed in crime documentary thumbnails since it's often associated with blood and danger, making it a powerful tool for drawing attention to crucial elements like titles or key objects. Across various cultures, red often symbolizes warnings and important signals which helps to make it more noticeable and impactful to the audience. Additionally, dark tones such as deep blue, black and grey are commonly used to evoke a sense of mystery, and seriousness. Monochrome or black and white thumbnails are also prevalent as they convey a somber and intense atmosphere, emphasizing the emotions of the subjects involved.

2. Imagery 

Close-up shots of faces, particularly those of victims or suspects, are often used to create an emotional connection with the audience. These faces, usually showing intense or uncertain expressions, help to build intrigue by hinting at underlying drama. Crime scene visuals such as police tape or establishing shots of the crime location are commonly featured to set the context. Additionally, collages of various images related to the crime are often used to convey a sense of complexity and depth. This approach helps build a tense, serious atmosphere, making the audience feel as though they are on the verge of uncovering something unsettling.

3. Typography

The titles in crime documentaries typically use strong, bold fonts, often in white or red, to stand out against a dark background. This choice ensures the text is easy to read while immediately capturing the audience's attention and reinforcing the crime theme. The bold design also adds a sense of authority and seriousness, aligning with the documentary’s tone.

4. Lighting and Composition

Dramatic lighting is often employed to heighten a sense of mystery, with the main focus (typically a key character or piece of evidence) highlighted, while the rest remains in shadow to reduce distractions. This technique allows the audience to quickly grasp the mood of the scene. The rule of thirds is also used by placing the key character or object off-center to create visual interest. Additionally, parts of the image may be blurred to suggest secrecy or to draw the audiences' attention more sharply to the main point.

Conventions of crime documentary thumbnails related to medicine :

Colour Palette 

Thumbnails related to pills and medicine often feature colors like white, blue, and sterile grey to evoke a clinical or pharmaceutical environment. Red is commonly used to connote danger or urgency, often tied to themes of overdose, malpractice, or drug-related crimes. However, I noticed that white is the most frequently used color, as it conveys cleanliness, trustworthiness, and purity, which are elements typically associated with the medical field. At the same time, it can subtly suggest that something darker may be concealed beneath the surface.

Connotations of each colour may be : 

White > cleanliness, purity, trustworthy

Blue > calmness, stability, professionalism

Red > wrongdoing, danger, urgency

Sterile grey > coldness, hopelessness, sterility 

Imagery

Visual cues like pills, medicine bottles, and syringes are often used to hint the type of crime in the  documentaries. Professionals such as doctors or pharmacists are frequently included (typically with specific facial expressions) to suggest their role in the unfolding events and build intrigue about what might happen next. Addiction-related imagery, such as hands holding pills or distressed individuals, is commonly used to highlight the effects of pharmaceuticals on individuals or suggest addiction. Medical settings, such as hospitals, are often depicted with shadowy lighting, creating an ominous atmosphere. This alters the mise-en-scene to evoke a sense of mystery and tension, subtly instilling feelings of unease and suspense in the audience.

Typography

San-serif fonts are typically used in the thumbnail due to their clean, modern, and professional appearance, reflecting the clinical environment of the medical field. The simplicity of these font aligns with the straightforward nature of medical settings. However these fonts are sometimes paired with distressed texture or slightly skewed angles to create a sense of unease. In line with general crime documentary conventions, the typography often features bold font, with red or white colour. White text is used for key terms to stand out against the background, while red text highlights words associated with danger or crime.

Lighting and Mood 

High-key lighting, such as bright, sterile lights, is often used to emphasize the clinical and controlled nature of medical settings, reinforcing their realism. However, low-key lighting is used by incorporating shadowy areas to create visual contrast between the perceived safety of these settings and the darker realities of the crime being investigated. This use of chiaroscuro (the contrast between light and dark) adds a layer of dramatic tension and mystery. Additionally, the combination of clinical lighting and desaturated colours evokes a cold, detached atmosphere, further enhanced by the minimalistic mise-en-scène, which strips away warmth and human connection.

Reflection : Since crime documentaries aren't something that I usually watched, I initially struggled to come up with ideas for my project’s thumbnail and felt overwhelmed at the thought of designing it right away. As a result, I decided to research the conventions used in crime documentary thumbnails which, allowed me to gather inspiration and develop a clearer direction.

Further Analysis

After researching the conventions of thumbnails, I choose to conduct more in-depth analysis on two specific thumbnails that are likely to serve as key sources of inspiration for the concepts I have in mind for this documentary project.

The two analysis below are researched by me.

Killer Nurse (2022)

A documentary about Charles Cullen, a nurse who was convicted of killing patients by administering lethal doses of medication.

For my team's documentary, which also involves medical tampering leading to death, I find this thumbnail to be a valuable source of inspiration. The use of a close-up camera angle that focuses on the body rather than the face abstracts the nurse's identity, emphasizing the role and actions of the nurse over personal characteristics. This anonymity creates a sense of unease, highlighting the impersonal nature of the crime and suggesting that anyone in a similar role could be dangerous.

The mise-en-scène in the thumbnail also plays a crucial role. The nurse’s uniform conveys the authority and trustworthiness associated with the medical profession, while the central placement of medicines and a syringe on the tray subtly directs attention to the method of harm. These props symbolize the nurse's role in dispensing medication and the potential for abuse of that role. The empty background ensures that the focus remains on the nurse and the medicine. Additionally, by concealing the nurse's face, the thumbnail creates a sense of ambiguity and mystery.

What I like from the thumbnail and how I plan to incorporate them into my documentary's thumbnail : 

• I really like how the thumbnail effectively shows the nurse holding the medicines on a tray, which intrigues the audience by suggesting potential ill intentions done by the nurse. This detail creates a sense of danger associated with the medicine and evokes unsettling feelings. Inspired by this approach, I plan to use a close-up or medium shot of someone holding medicine in our documentary to achieve a similar effect. This will help to suggest the possibility of harmful intentions and build suspense.
• I am particularly intrigued by the concept of abstracting identity, as it adds a layer of mystery and prompts audiences to question why the face isn't shown, thereby keeping the character anonymous. To achieve a similar effect in our documentary, I plan to conceal the face but I'm planning to use the perpetrator rather than the nurse. This approach will help maintain the sense of mystery and keep the audience guessing about the identity of the perpetrator.

The Business of Drugs (2020)

A documentary about the complex global drug trade, focusing on both illegal and legal drugs. It reveals how these substances have become highly profitable commodities.

I selected this documentary thumbnail because it is highly intriguing. The use of a medium shot of the person handling what appears to be a green substance (likely drugs) emphasizes the detailed actions involved in the drug business and underscores the secrecy and precision required. The motion blur in the shot conveys a sense of speed and movement, effectively evoking a feeling of secrecy and urgency.

The mise-en-scene in the thumbnail is crucial. The individual is seen to be wearing mask, gloves, and a long-sleeve shirt. While these elements typically signify cleanliness and safety in medical settings, in the context of a crime documentary, they suggest an attempt to avoid traceability, adding an element of criminal secrecy and precision. The props, though not explicitly shown, are implied through context, emphasizing the drug-related nature of the activity and drawing attention to the documentary's focus on the drug business. The maroon walls contribute to an unsettling tone, suggesting a controlled environment that evokes feelings of danger and seriousness, fitting the themes of illicit activities and the hidden world of drug dealing. Additionally, the individual sitting on the floor implies a low-level or concealed aspect of the drug business, potentially indicating a lower-tier operation.

What I like from the thumbnail and how I plan to incorporate them into my documentary's thumbnail : 

• The use of low-key lighting, with its deep shadows and minimal illumination, really intrigues me as it effectively creates a sense of mystery and concealment, perfectly emphasizing the secretive nature of drug operations. The contrast between the dimly lit background and the illuminated subject isolates key details, making the central focus stand out more prominently. Inspired by this, I plan to apply the chiaroscuro technique when editing my documentary’s thumbnail to achieve a similar effect. I also appreciate how this lighting choice builds a sense of tension and impending danger.
• I like how the title is centrally placed in the thumbnail, as it immediately captures the audience's attention and ensures quick recognition of the documentary’s title, even with a quick glance. The bold font makes it stand out and leaves a lasting impression. Drawing inspiration from this, I plan to center the title on my documentary thumbnail as well. However, I will opt for a slightly smaller font to create a clearer visual hierarchy within the design.

Reflection : After conducting a more in-depth analysis of these thumbnails, I have developed a broader range of ideas for my documentary’s thumbnail. This has helped me better visualize the direction I want to take. As a result, I am now ready to begin creating and designing the concepts outlined below.

The additional analysis below is researched by Aurel.

After that I decided to do a more in-depth research. I decided to pick Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders as our documentary was inspired by the Tylenol murders.

Liked:

• The Tylenol murders case is a case of medicine tampering that killed people through the Tylenol that people bought and unknowingly consumed. If you look closely, the dark background is actually a map. This paired with the contents of a broken pill spilling out all over it may symbolize how the medicine tampering has affected various people across a certain area.
• The 'PAIN-' half of the word painkiller is coloured red while the '-KILLER' part is coloured white. This parallels with the pill shown on the cover

Disliked:

• It's not really clear that the background is a map unless you look closely as it is quite dark and the text on the map is quite small. If I were the one creating this thumbnail, I would have made the details on the map (text, roads, etc) in white so that it contrasts with the black and becomes visible

Here I will be presenting the process and development behind the creation of the thumbnail.