CR

• How do your products represent social groups or 

issues? 

. The way that my short film Lucky represents social groups and issues as the film plays out is that it displays a certain audience which is that of young individuals and it mainly deals with the issue of stalking. The film follows a young adult named Gabriela who is lured out by a stalker who stole her friend’s phone and is pretending to be her. In the modern society that we live in, individuals heavily depend on technology which can serve as a gateway for stalking. This issue can be relatable for any audience member, especially the young adult viewers as they are commonly the main targets when it comes to the issue of stalking therefore leading to my representation of the social group of young adults for my short film. This adds realism to the short film due to that even though it is a fictional scenario, there is truth behind it as stalking is a huge issue in modern day society, especially because of technology as they can contact you through any social media platform, gather information about you, or even text you through your phone number . Further, my representation of this social group and issue through my short film came to be as a way to raise awareness to the large issue that stalking causes to the group that it usually affects, however even though it commonly targets young adults that does not mean that it does not target any other social group. Therefore, the way that the issue and social group is represented through my short film allows the audience to know that what is happening on the screen could happen to them which is the reason as to why I believe that the short film carries a special lesson that will leave an impact on the audience. 

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

. The way that the elements of my short film Lucky which are the social media accounts for the film including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, my postcard, and my website work together to create a sense of branding is coming all together to advertise the film and engage the audience. For instance, the social media platforms allow the film to spread with more ease due to that if your friend follows the account for the film, the app is more likely to suggest you follow the account as well as if an individual sends you the trailer or clips of the film it is rather likely that now information related to the film will appear on your feed. The accounts provide images and information that give the viewer an idea of the type of short film they are engaging with therefore allowing them to get a feel of the suspense that the film possesses, which helps the audience form a clear image of the film. Further, the postcard gives the viewer the mood of the film through the design as it provides them with the suspenseful feeling the film carries and gives the viewer quick information of the film such as all the social media platforms where they can find more information about the film. Additionally, the website continues to provide the feel of the film as its background images have all been darkened to make it more mysterious and suspenseful for the audience as they scroll through the website. Overall, all these elements come together to create a sense of branding as they all provide the audience with a cohesive image that represents the film which gives them a clear idea of the brand therefore helping the advertisement of the film as now the viewer/consumer has a concrete image of what they are engaging in. 

 

 
• How do your products engage with the audience? 

. The way that my short film named Lucky engages with the audience is that it is relatable to some extent for the young viewers who watch the film. This is due to that even though the film takes place in a fictional thriller setting, it still holds some realism. In this modern society that relies on technology, events such as the ones that take place in the film could possibly happen to anyone in real life, especially young individuals. The film mainly revolves around the topic of stalking. Through the stolen main character’s friend phone, the stalker lured the protagonist to the exterior through a text message which exposed her to a dangerous circumstance. Further, this is something that could happen to anyone in real life through any technological platform ranging from social media to something as simple as a text message. Therefore, making it relatable for all different kinds of audiences, especially for younger audiences such as young adults as they are one of the most targeted social groups for stalking thus making them vulnerable. Overall, the short film engages with the audience as it is relatable to them due to what they are watching on the screen could happen to them in real life. Furthermore, the way that my social media accounts, website, and postcard for the film help engage the audience is that they inform the viewer and gain their interest in film. For instance, through the social media platforms, even in the simplest manner of following someone who follows the account of the film can lead to that account to pop up on your side which makes you more likely to engage with the film. Additionally, the postcard offers quick information about the film with all the social media platforms in which you can keep up with the film and the website where you can find more information about the film. The postcard serves as an attention grabber for the viewer due to its design that conveys the chilling/suspenseful feel of the film. Overall, these are the different ways that my products engage with the audience.  

 

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

. The way that my research of thriller short films informed me about my product is that it showed me the conventions that are normally found around the genre of thriller. I discovered that the common Mis-En-Scene of the setting taking place in dark locations, costumes be everyday clothes, minimal/natural makeup, and various low levels of lighting. Further, thriller films commonly have non-diegetic sounds of piano and diegetic sounds of that ranging from gasps to screams. Also, the common camera angels, movements and shots are those of high angels, low angels, canted angels, panning shots, wide shots, and different camera movements such as zooms just to name a few. Furthermore, my research on the thriller genre influenced the way that I used and challenged those conventions in my short film Lucky. For the Mis-En-Scene area, I used the conventions for Makeup and Costumes as my actresses had very minimal/natural looking makeup and wore casual clothes. This was in order to add realism to the film and make it relatable for the audience as the fictional scenario that is happening on the screen could possibly happen to them in real life. Further, a convention that I somewhat challenged from the thriller genre is that of lighting and setting. Most of the film takes place at an exterior location which is a mall, therefore meaning that the lighting was mainly bright in contrast to the convention of thriller films taking place in dark surroundings with various levels of low lighting. However, I still wanted to create that suspenseful feel that the viewer receives from that low lighting and dark location. I filmed in the areas that had the most shade and lowered the lighting for some scenes in the editing room such as during the scene where the protagonist Gabriela discovers that her friend Nancy had nothing to do with the raffle ticket and is having a whole confusing/shocked moment that is shown through an arc shot. As the camera moved around her, I lowered the lighting little by little in order to add a more mysterious/suspenseful feel for the audience. Further, I applied some of the conventions of the thriller genre onto my film such as the non-diegetic instrumental piano at the end of the film as a way to ended on a suspenseful note and the diegetic sound of gasps which happens when the stalker grabs the protagonist by the shoulder. I also included a high angel and a low angel, various panning shots, as well as slow dramatic zooms such as at the end to add that final touch of suspense and applied some of those conventions onto the postcard, website, and social media accounts in order to maintain that suspenseful feel through all the areas of the project. Overall, this explains the conventions of the thriller genre that I discovered through my research and the way that I applied them and challenged them in my film.