Not another true crime : creative practice, survivor collaboration, and the challenges of representation

Lucine, Blue

Not another true crime : creative practice, survivor collaboration, and the challenges of representation

Lucine, Blue

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2025

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lucine, Blue
dc.date.accessioned	2025-12-15T02:34:57Z
dc.date.available	2025-12-15T02:34:57Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190930
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	The relationship between a documentary’s subject and its maker is critical in shaping the film that emerges. This relationship impacts the way a subject is represented on screen and determines the subject’s agency; however, it is mostly invisible to those outside the project. This creative practice PhD investigates the relationship between documentary makers and subjects in a sub-genre of true crime films, focusing on individuals who have experienced sexual assault and abuse. Since the #MeToo movement gained significant attention in June 2017, there has been exponential growth in this subsection of the documentary field. In this context, risks arising from power imbalances between maker and subject and the need to ensure informed consent are heightened. My research interrogates my practice and relationship with the documentary subject, Niki Wilkie. The accompanying film, Niki! Shot by Blue, combines footage from our projects and explores methods of representation, informed consent, and the relationship between maker and subject. My written thesis critically analyses prominent works in the genre of true crime sexual assault films within a conceptual framework that combines critical analysis and creative practice. The feature film offers a distinct perspective on the evolution of our maker-subject relationship. It acts as a longitudinal examination of our filmmaking partnership spanning over ten years and multiple projects, while also shedding light on innovative strategies for consent negotiations. Additionally, it provides insight into the subject’s personal experience during the filming process and the lasting effects of having key events documented on camera.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/190930/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2025 Blue Lucine
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	Not another true crime : creative practice, survivor collaboration, and the challenges of representation	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

The relationship between a documentary’s subject and its maker is critical in shaping the film that emerges. This relationship impacts the way a subject is represented on screen and determines the subject’s agency; however, it is mostly invisible to those outside the project. This creative practice PhD investigates the relationship between documentary makers and subjects in a sub-genre of true crime films, focusing on individuals who have experienced sexual assault and abuse. Since the #MeToo movement gained significant attention in June 2017, there has been exponential growth in this subsection of the documentary field. In this context, risks arising from power imbalances between maker and subject and the need to ensure informed consent are heightened. My research interrogates my practice and relationship with the documentary subject, Niki Wilkie. The accompanying film, Niki! Shot by Blue, combines footage from our projects and explores methods of representation, informed consent, and the relationship between maker and subject. My written thesis critically analyses prominent works in the genre of true crime sexual assault films within a conceptual framework that combines critical analysis and creative practice. The feature film offers a distinct perspective on the evolution of our maker-subject relationship. It acts as a longitudinal examination of our filmmaking partnership spanning over ten years and multiple projects, while also shedding light on innovative strategies for consent negotiations. Additionally, it provides insight into the subject’s personal experience during the filming process and the lasting effects of having key events documented on camera.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190930