Short Film CR

 How do your products represent social groups or issues?

The social group being represented in this project is a teenage friend group. This is meant to appeal to the current generation and showcase the common relationship between the youth. The genre of the short film allows for some realism of the social group while also maintaining an entertaining element to keep the film exciting and unique. The social issues being represented can be interpreted in many ways. The primary one is miscommunication and neglect among friends. The reason this applies as a social issue is because it’s a common issue nowadays where people leave their friends out on situations, which can distance relationships. This applies to our film “The Unseen” as it’s a metaphor on friends leaving each other in the dark. The script I made shows that the story happens because the teenage friend group hasn’t been paying attention to their friend and something ominous happened because of it.

·        How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of ‘branding’?

The elements in my production work together to create a sense of branding by creating a similar atmosphere in all the promotional material. The website my group created uses a picture of an eerie abandoned mall. Similarly, the postcard I made uses the same picture to create a connection around one concept. The short film also primarily takes place in one mall. I knew I wanted to develop this location further and make it the center of the film. Creating an iconic location for a film can be difficult to stick with, which is why I made sure to include a mall in the card and website.

·        How do your products engage with the audience?

My product engages with the audience in a multitude of ways. To begin with, the cast is of all teenagers assumed to be in high school, this was chosen as it helps relate to the primary demographic, that of teenagers. The genre chosen also helps engage with the audience. I wanted to choose a genre that can give people a thrill while still being comfortable and casual enough for non-horror fanatics to appreciate. The theme is also relatable and is intended to resonate with the audience as most people naturally go through a bump in their friend group at some point. The mysterious elements of the product help to create a sense of caution in the audience and create discussion on the characters actions/choices. Another aspect I enjoy about the short film is the changing location. As my group filmed in a mall, we had access to several stores to film inside, this allowed us to be creative with our scenery and helps to stray away from a stationary film. This can help build a more colorful background for the audience and prevents the shots from being dull. Other ways the product engages with the audience is through the use of social media. Due to the demographic being primarily teenagers, social media is especially popular amongst that age range. This allows us to reach out to them and promote our film whilst also engaging with our audience through the usage of accounts on various platforms. My group also created a website to help the audience stay informed and excited on our upcoming short film. Lastly, the postcard I created is meant to provide information to the audience similarly to the website. Unlike the website however, the postcard also creates excitement through the use of a picture and slogan being present in the front.

·        How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?

The research element wasn’t done in a conventional way due to the theme of the short film. The idea for the film came from me and my groupmates personal experiences and thoughts. While preparing for the creation of the short film we knew we wanted something that could be enjoyed by people our age, us included. One convention I wanted to challenge was regarding the ending of the film. I knew I didn’t want a happy ending as that often gets overdone and I believe not every story deserves a happy ending. For this, my group also considered whether it should be an open or close ended story as one leaves the audience wanting more and can build discussions regarding the ending, while the other can give the audience a satisfying resolution to the film. On the contrary, a convention I use is the typical “Person is not what they seem” cliché. I decided to use this as it is already well established in the media community and often is the base for some of the biggest films in history. I did decide to hold the twist off until the end to give it some build up before the reveal. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aGe9eSZUpGKUtypj1YJnOfWNPGB0lR-5jowtkRHAJp8/edit?usp=sharing