Creative Critical reflection

 • How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? 

In my opening film I tried to portray a typical dramatic night out for teenage girls.

These girls belong to the high social sector, living their lives in luxurious accommodations and enjoying the wonders that money can buy, like clothes, makeup and social status. They are getting ready to go out partying, which is why  I decided to include various shots of the getting ready process with an infinity of makeup products and fancy outfits. I also made sure to use an abundance of mirrors to reflect a society that focuses on appearances, is obsessed with themselves and are blinded by the bubble they have created. At least these are the only things that seem to matter at that age, and despise other values like loyalty or friendship. I specially focused on these themes, portraying the malicious and traitorous side in teen women. To construct this dynamic I focused on constantly showing how the character of Olivia was somehow being left aside or treated differently, even before the ending in which she is pushed out of a car. For example, when she is taking the picture of the other girls instead of appearing in it, or when she is mocked for “fangirling” over a Taylor Swift music video. She also differs physically from the others as she is much shorter, has a less striking fashion style, and likes to make up in a more natural way. It could be said that she is perceived as more innocent in some way. So, these conventions present the character not only as different but also as inferior to the others.

In contrast, the character of Ashley represents the complete opposite. She is the stereotypical popular blonde mean girl who believes is beyond everyone else. I constructed this idea by making her character the tallest, using the most dazzling and sparkly outfit, making her the leader of the group with a manipulative power superior to the rest. She was the one who introduced Olivia into the friend group, but is also the one who kicks her out, portraying a traitorous and dishonest personality. Deep inside she feels Olivia as a threat and wants to keep her under her control. That is why I made Ashley get into the car last, so that she could be the one performing the act of pushing her. To her side she always has Maddie, her accomplice who enjoys watching Ashley's shaming of others. Still, doesn't always care enough to take part herself. That is why she is the one who has less affinity with Olivia. To complete the group, I created Emily. She is the one character that collides with both Maddie’s and Ashley's personality but still has always been friends with them. She is like the “good” one in the trio who balances the friendship. She differs in their values and doesn't find satisfaction in others suffering. I tried to convey that characterization through her boho style and charming charisma. She is actually kind to Olivia and tries to include her in the group. Even showed her disapproval when Ashley kicked her out of the car, letting her know that this time they had gone too far. 

Paying attention to the ending, I used high angle shots when framing Olivia, to portray that she was at her most vulnerable moment. Encountering with a male figure, presented from an opposite angle. This boy, Matt, is dressed in black, wearing a hood and as soon as he makes an appearance, a siren begins to sound. All of these, indicators of a possible unfortunate event to come. I thought that would be an interesting way to end an opening film because it makes the audience intrigued and opens a broad path of possibilities to continue the narrative.

Another concept I have included is substances as in alcohol. As the characters get ready, they decide to take some drinks. This desire is many times conducted as a way of elevating the level of fun and by the euphoria of doing something illegal, creating a feeling of maturity and freedom. When in reality, it implies the opposite. In my opening film I wanted to show alcohol as an inconvenience and how it can make people take impulsive decisions, without being in the moment conscious of the repercussions and risks of their actions (as violently pushing someone towards concrete). Apart from that, I designed the first series of filming shots (the girls getting ready) in a way that they didn't necessarily have a chronological order and I intercalated different settings and moments, representing the blurring and loss of time when being under the effects of alcohol.

Analyzing the song, S&M by Rhianna, the chorus says, "I'm maybe bad but I'm perfectly good at it” . Even though the song might have other means for that phrase, I also found that it fits well with the narrative of my opening film. Because of course Ashley and Maddie were aware of their malicious bullying, but they also knew that it worked for them and brought them the satisfaction they wanted. So in the end, they couldn't care less about morality.

• How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? 

My product is mainly intended to attract teenagers. Still, it is appropriate to watch for everyone above. I feel like the people that will be able to connect with the characters of the film are the ones that are going through that same stage in life. Teenagers are usually more into dramatic productions since that is how their lives feel. And some of the situations performed may be real experiences to many. I would like my film to have an impact on them and offer a different view into the years they are exploring. Even though I have not pictured how my film would continue to an end, I know that I would like it to navigate through the different challenges in young lives and teach on values that really matter. 

I feel that my product would have better success if distributed on a streaming platform, like Nextlix. For publicity, nowadays social media works as a great space in which users are easily influenced to watch a film and feel attracted by its narrative. Especially since the algorithm will distribute each user into publicities that will most likely be of their interest, making my film reach people that will want to watch it. I view my film to be a kind of comfort movie that someone can go and watch whenever they want to.

• How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

I started this year with very basic knowledge and practice in the subject. since last year was the first year we ever started learning on it. So seeing it from where I am now, I feel like I have incredibly progressed and learned throughout this project year. I basically learned how to build a production and even though I know I still have a long way to go, I feel that I made good use of this chance. I remember on the first assignment I was glad I wasn't asked to focus on shot sizes because I didn't quite understand the purpose of many. Some of them seemed the same but just a bit closer or farther away. But now I can't watch a film without unconsciously thinking and analyzing them. And not only with shot sizes, but with every single media element. I feel that is a capacity I will carry forever with me from now on. I don't watch films the same way I did before. Now I can appreciate such a wide variety of details that create that whole world, instead of only acknowledging the narrative. I can now understand that things don't just happen or appear randomly; every single detail is constructed with meaning.

• How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

The program I mainly used in this project was InShot. Thai is an app that I downloaded on my phone and used it to edit all three of the productions I did this year. I has already used this program in previous occasions editing personal videos or works for other subjects and I have always had a positive experience. I find it is a very easy program to workout, still it has a great variety of useful tools. At least, the necessary one to do works with this level of elaboration. It offers cut and paste of  clips, adding of sound and music, filters, time lapses, letter fonts, within others.

There is one other program that I used for a specific part in my Exercise. 2. As I wrote in that entry, I had a complication with the wind and the sound when filming. So, I used an app called CapCut that can eliminate background noises. Normally this function works great but the quality of my audio was so poor that it still didn't turn out perfect. However, it was of much help.

Personal Appreciation

I am beyond grateful that I have chosen this subject and taken the opportunity to learn about Media. I discovered a passion that I didn't have and loved exploring its different aspects. Especially, as I mentioned previously,  learning how every single detail is through thought to create a fictitious world. This has been a long and exhaustive journey that hasn't quite ended but still a big part of the cycle has concluded. I am content to say that this has been a project I have fully adored. Even though I faced harsh times in which I felt uninspired or like I wasn't going to make it, there wasn't a single class of Media Studies in which I didn't want to be. It became my favorite school AS Project because I realized that I was not doing it because I was forced to, I was doing it because I enjoyed it and felt good every time I realized I was capable of it. Accomplishing the different tasks required a lot of hard work, but for me it also meant fun and adrenaline. Especially this las Opening Film, I truly worked on it with a lot of love and effort. I was able to work with my friends doing something that I find joy in, and for me there is no better fusion.