CR

The social group that was being represented in this short film were teenagers between the ages of 15-17. The  reason for this was because our film is meant to target that specific audience and appeal to them by showing how common friendships between these groups are like. Films such as ours is a powerful medium for storytelling, and they have the ability to shed light on a range of social issues such as the one we represent in our film. The social issues in our film could be interpreted as a representation of the impact of mental health issues on individuals and their relationships with others. With our character Erica, she represents those who are without a voice and need the help of others to help guide them instead of leaving them in the dark, which is what our title “The Unseen” closely refers to. The lack of attention towards a friend who needs help can highlight the importance of recognizing and addressing mental health issues in society as a whole. Additionally, with what Erica wants to shed light on is the fact that her friends had done something to her that she did not like, this in itself could bring attention to the issue of bullying and the negative effects it can have on individuals. 

 

The visual designs and tone of our film are our major elements of our production work that help our film create a sense of branding. This was done by using specific color palettes to match the tone of our film, since this film was under the mystery genre, we tried using very mute colors like muddy browns and dark reds to create a sense of unease and to create that feeling of abandonment that our film represents. We also used the pictures of the inside of an abandoned mall to show what were trying to convey, which makes our short film distinct from others and can be recognized just by looking at these specific elements. The dark and mute  lighting used in our scenes is also to create our sense of branding and it makes close connections to our main idea. These elements work together seamlessly and create a sense of branding that is unique to the production, which can be recognized to our target audiences and create a loyal following.

 

In order for this film to reach our audience in the right ways, we use a multitude of techniques to help capture the attention of our demographic. The casual tone of our dialogue between our cast which is mostly made up of teenagers and they way they interact with one another  helps share a connection between how conversations between friends in high-school would speak and interact  to each other in a real world scenario.  This is meant to help our target audience be able to connect with the characters on a personal level since most of the dialogue seems very familiar to them, this creates a sense of connection and empathy between the audience and the characters on screen, meanwhile having that undertone of mystery and suspense for audiences of other age ranges to understand and still be able to enjoy even though they aren’t the target audience. Additionally, the visual storytelling techniques that were used in our film such as the special effects, angles and lighting, helps our film create a sense of atmosphere and tension that draws the audience towards the story. Finally, our film engages with our audience by telling a relatable story to some audience members and tells an impactful story that resonates with their experiences and concerns, this is aimed to capture the important social issues that are relevant to their lives.

 

Research plays a crucial role and thorough research can help identify with our target audience to understand their preferences and interests. By personal experiences there wasn’t much research that needed to be done in order to connect with our target audience compared to how people outside of the age range creating this film would need to do in order to get it right on the spot. However we did have to gain insights into the social issues that the production aims to address which is mental health awareness. Two cast members had already had their personal experiences so that added onto our thorough research would make the character were representing spot on to how someone who truly struggles like the character does to create a sense of relatability. Our research informed changes in our creative decisions made during our production process, in order to help ensure the accuracy and authenticity in portrayal of the social groups and issues represented in the production. The research we had done also gave us an opportunity to challenge and subvert the stereotypes and tropes with the representation of our social group and our social issue.