Critical Reflection: Short Film Package

How do your products represent social groups or issues? 

The easiest task for me and my group to complete when creating my group’s products was the representation of a social group. The social group represented in our media was the stereotypical American teenage friend group. This is easily represented through the short film’s props/setting, costumes and the characters behavior. In the short film, the first setting appears as a room belonging to a juvenile due to stereotypical props/decorations. Props in the room include neon lights, speakers, and instruments as well as other décor that is stereotypically in a teenager's room. Another stereotypical teenage attribute associated with the characters is their clothing/costumes. Two characters are wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts, these are typically associated with teenagers. The third character is wearing a beany hat which is also associated with youth. Next, the character's behavior clearly resembles that of a teenager. This is represented through their dialogue and actions. First, as the film begins, the characters are watching as one of the boys raps over a rap beat, rap music is often associated with teenagers in media, and this stereotype is used in my short film. I also uses background music in the opening sequence to represent the social group of a stereotypical American teenager. The music for the opening sequence is a rap instrumental beat for the same purpose of representing American teenagers as a social group. The characters also use terms such as “bro” and “yo” typically used by teenagers in real life and in media. This social group was also represented in my website and postcard. The main image used in these projects' main focus was sunglasses. This is a prop the character wore and is typically a symbol of youth. The social group represented in our media was the stereotypical American teenage friend group. 

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

One of my goals in my production was to make all three pieces of media feel connected so there was some sort of brand surrounding my short film, website, and post card. I accomplished this by using a primary image and a color scheme on all three pieces of media and made sure they related to the short film. I thought the easiest thing to do was to theme the post card and website to the short film and things that happened in the short film. To do this, I had to create the short film first. Then I created a main image to use to put on the post card, website, and social media. I used elements from the film in creating this image. I used the sunglasses the main character “Clay” wore during the movie against a backdrop of money as well as the title of the short film, “Can’t Be That Hard”. The money is related to the film because in the movie the characters are robbing a bank. This image went on my post card and website interlinking all three pieces of media and forming a sense of “branding”. I also used a color scheme on the post card and website to create a sense of “branding” by giving my media signature recognizable colors. I also used the name of the movie in everything including the post card, website, and social media so everything was under the same name to really solidify the sense of “branding”. 

How do your products engage with the audience? 

My website, post card, and social media engage with the audience differently than how my short film engages with audiences. My website, postcard and social media all use the aspect of mystery and curiosity to engage with the audience. These products give just enough information for the audience to be interested in but not quite enough to know fully what is going to happen in the short film. This leaves the audience with a sense of curiosity and a desire to watch the short film and see what it's all about. An example of this is the website gives a description of the story line but leaves out what the outcome of the story is and tells the audience to find out by viewing the short film. This leaves the audience on a cliff hanger and a feeling of need to find out what the outcome of my short film is. My short film engages with the audience by having a twist at the end of there being no money in the cash register and their plan being unsuccessful besides the post card and website with the money theme making it appear as if their plan was going to be successful. It also engages with the audience through fun dialogue and an action-packed bank robbery scene. It also uses fun music that the audience such as a teenager can really get in to. I also created social media which is very popular and a good way of promoting my short film to teenagers and others. Because of this, my short film is very appealing to the teenage audience. 

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

My research informed my products in the way they used conventions and challenged conventions. After researching my specific genre of bank robbery movies, I realized I wanted to use the convention of the robbers being in disguise as well as the robbers having a getaway driver. I did this because the characters got their idea from a movie which used all these conventions; therefore, it would make sense If they also used these conventions. After researching, I also realized I wanted to challenge a few conventions. One of these conventions was that in bank robbery movies the scene usually involves a person being held at gunpoint. I knew I did not want to do this because I wanted my film to be lighthearted and fun, so instead I challenged this and used a different approach to how my characters robbed a bank. I also realized and challenged the convention of bank robbers usually being adults. Instead, my characters in my short film were teenagers going against this convention and making my short film more unique and different than any other movie within my genre. My research on my genre informed my products on how they could both use and challenge conventions.