Critical Reflection

How do your products represent social groups or issues?

My short film, ‘Nostalgia’, and the minor tasks that accompany it represent social groups and issues in a variety of ways. With my narrative being centred around a young woman who reminisces on her childhood as she encounters the everyday struggles of adulthood, the short film touches on the issue of social expectations and pressures. 

The main social group that is represented in ‘Nostalgia’ is young adults. Luna’s journey represents the challenges that many young adults face as they try to navigate their way through the complexities of adult life. The protagonist faces the pressure to conform to society's expectations of what it means to be a successful adult, and she must navigate these expectations while trying to find her own path. This theme is particularly relevant to young people who are trying to find their place in a society that often values conformity over individuality. Therefore, Luna’s struggle with personal fulfilment is a common theme that this social group can generally relate to. 

Moreover, an important representation in the short film is that of young women. Centring the story on a female protagonist is an important aspect to consider as women face unique challenges in a society that is still grappling with issues of gender equality and representation. Therefore, the film sheds light on the challenges that young women face as they navigate their way through adulthood. It highlights the pressures that young women feel to conform to societal expectations of femininity and success, and how damaging this is in their adult life. 

The film also serves as a reminder of the importance of representation and the need for more stories that convey the experiences of young women. There is a universal and prevalent gender gap in the film industry that requires Women-led feature and short films to drive change. And by telling the story of a young woman's journey through adulthood, my short film offers representation of the challenges that women face and provides a much-needed perspective on the female experience. 

Overall, ‘Nostalgia’ is a representation of the issues that affect many young adults today, specifically women. Through its portrayal of the struggles of growing up and finding one's place in the world, the film offers a message of hope and resilience, with the ending scene reminding us that even in the face of difficulty, we can find the strength to overcome our challenges and strive to live fulfilling lives.

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

The elements of my production – specifically the use of a production company, social media page and postcard advertisement – work together in many ways to create a sense of ‘branding’. 

Having a film production company vastly contributes to creating a strong sense of branding for a short film. A production company often has a specific style or focus, which can be reflected in the branding of the films it produces. Therefore, by creating ‘Independent Productions’ and identifying its visual identity, I was able to utilise the brand as the foundation for creating my major and minor tasks. By knowing that I wanted my short film to be produced by an independent company from the start, I was able to closely connect my products with the production company’s name; the film’s contemporary aesthetic and message, as well as its Instagram page and postcard advertisement, were all able to work unanimously.

‘Nostalgia’, as its own product, is a drama that delves into the life of a young adult. Throughout the short film, there is a focus on creating a relationship between the protagonist and the audience; the theme and tone depicted aim to be appreciated by teenagers and young adults as they are more likely to resonate with the narrative. Therefore, there is a consistent look based on the film’s visual style, colour palette and tone that helps create a strong brand identity and build credibility to the production company. 

Moreover, a postcard advertisement and an Instagram page for the short film work together to further generate a strong sense of branding. These mediums feature cohesive branding elements, such as consistent colour schemes, fonts, and imagery, to create a strong visual identity for the film. Utilising both tangible and digital mediums to showcase the film's quality allow for a memorable brand identity to be established and reinforced. For example, the postcard advertisement for ‘Nostalgia’ acts as representation of the film's branding – featuring eye-catching visuals and key information about the film. The Instagram page, on the other hand, showcases a more dynamic and interactive approach to branding – through carefully curated posts, the page engages with fans and expands the film's audience. 

Overall, Independent Productions and ‘Nostalgia’, as well as the minor tasks, are collectively utilised to create a sense of branding – which, in turn, promotes the short film and attracts its specific target audience.

How do your products engage with the audience?

My Advanced Portfolio products engage with the audience in several ways. As my short film explores the nostalgia of childhood memories while depicting a protagonist who faces the realities and challenges of adulthood, it is likely to resonate deeply with the target audience of teenagers and young adults. 

‘Nostalgia’ and the minor tasks that accompany it are developed in a way that is accessible and engaging for young audiences who are accustomed to consuming media in bite-sized portions. The film's relatable themes of nostalgia and self-discovery can evoke a range of emotions in viewers, drawing them into the story and creating a sense of empathy for the protagonist. Additionally, aspects of visual storytelling captivate the audience through the use of effective cinematography and editing techniques, such as using a tracking shot – which immerses viewers in the protagonist's world – and a definition to 'inner child' in the opening of my film – which pays homage to 'Pulp Fiction' (1994). 

In today's world, social media platforms like Instagram are crucial tools for filmmakers to promote their films and engage with their audience. Therefore, by using Instagram as an official social media page for my short film, I was able to create an online presence and showcase my work to a wider audience. The page created acts as a hub for all the promotional content related to the film – with reviews, story highlights and watch parties encouraging the audience to engage with the content. This helps build a relationship between the short film and the audience, which leads to a loyal following that is significant for the success of the film. 

A postcard advertisement, on the other hand, helps ‘Nostalgia’ to establish connections with those interested, specifically individuals who are influential in the film industry, and attract potential viewers during film festivals. By using this product, important information is distributed to festival attendees that will help build an audience for the short film and promote networking - such as the film festivals where the short film will be presented and its screening times, contact details and the production company's website. 

Overall, both the Instagram page and postcard advertisement are able to provide a consistent visual theme, which reflects the style and tone of the film. These are powerful tools that generate excitement and promote engagement from the audience. To add, by exploring the complexities of adulthood throughout my short film, the audience is left with a lasting impression that provokes meaningful reflection.

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

Through extensive research, ‘Nostalgia’ and the minor tasks that accompany it use and challenge conventions. Common conventions that were used throughout all of my products were mostly based around genre, symbolism and technical elements – which were all aspects of the short film that were researched. 

When it comes to short films, it is known that the length of such media texts requires simplicity in the storyline. Inspired by ‘Paperman’, an animated short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, my short film also has one protagonist and no dialogue. Following these conventions allows the film to convey bigger ideas in simple ways. Therefore, the representation of the short film’s protagonist relied on the portrayal of body language and surroundings.  Additionally, because short films are less common, they will often vary in genre and try to appeal to a niche audience. I believe that the overall theme and tone of ‘Nostalgia’ is able to specifically appeal to disillusioned teenagers and young adults, as a strong connection to the character is developed. 

When it came to genre, my decision was centred around ‘drama’, with a ‘coming-of-age’ sub-genre. Before producing a clearly defined narrative plot structure, I was able to look at John Hughes and Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016) for character development, dialogue and social commentary. The research conducted on coming-of-age dramas allowed me to focus on young adults, conveying a narrative that follows a protagonist on a journey to personal development. Therefore, with this genre of storytelling featuring stories about critical stages in the life of the protagonist, this specific approach to the short film allowed me to produce and direct the portrayal of a realistic character and to focus on the transitional ages of 12 and 23. 

Symbolism, on the other hand, allowed for the very subtle and seamless hints given throughout the film to guide the audience towards a deeper understanding of the narrative. This aspect of filmmaking is conventional as the set design of a film provides details that provide more context to the story being presented – specifically that of ‘Moonlight’, which uses simple and everyday costume design and props to convey its characters. Subsequently, my mise-en-scène provided written codes, as well as the less evident clues. This can be seen in the use of a letter to the protagonist's future self and the costume choices for both periods of the protagonist’s life – with young Luna being dressed in bright colours, while adult Luna was portrayed in dark and neutral tones. 

Additionally, technical elements were also incorporated into the film to convey its theme and tone. This involved the use of camera angles, lighting, editing and soundtrack to create an atmosphere that complemented the storyline. Medium close-ups and over-the-shoulder shots were used – which is congruent with the genre as it uses such shots to show the relationship of characters and their surroundings. For example, most scenes with adult Luna are complementary to the rule of thirds, revealing items that help portray the fact that Luna was unable to achieve the goals she set herself. Lighting and soundtrack were also utilised to match the feelings and character traits of the protagonist throughout the film – with the first half conveying more natural lighting and playful music, while the second half relying on atmospheric lighting and music. 

However, ‘Nostalgia’ also challenges codes and conventions through representation. For example, when it came to representation of social groups, I tried to convey young adults and the struggles they face at times due to their age. As society puts a lot of pressure on young adults, I tried to show and represent realistic situations involved with societal expectations. This was done by portraying Luna as a 23 year old who still lives with her parents and struggles with self-identity and maturity - which comes in great contrast to the typical success stories that dominate the media. To add, with Women in the media and entertainment industry being under-represented, ‘Nostalgia’ would be one of the few Women-led short films where women are at the centre. 

In addition to researching the conventions of genres and short films, looking at Instagram accounts and postcard advertisements for films helped to inform the marketing strategy for promoting ‘Nostalgia’. By analysing these marketing materials, capturing the attention of potential viewers, and creating a strong visual identity for the short film becomes successful. 

Instagram has become a popular platform for promoting films, with many production companies and filmmakers using the platform to showcase promotional material. By studying successful Instagram accounts for films, such as those of A24 and ‘Normal People’ (2020), I was able to gain insight into how to use visual storytelling techniques, hashtags and interactive stories to build buzz around the short film and engage the audience. Altogether, the techniques used to engage the audience through social media were conventional – this was important to have certainty in the ability to build followers and generate excitement around ‘Nostalgia’. 

Similarly, my research into postcard advertisements allowed me to create a visual identity for my film that is memorable, impactful and communicates the essence of the narrative. I was able to use the conventional elements that postcard advertisements typically include, such as the title and main image of my short film, film festival selections, screening times and contact information. All of this helps establish connections with those interested, specifically individuals who are influential in the film industry, and invite more of the public to attend the screening of the short film.

Overall, my research informed my products effectively and enabled me to create a compelling final short film, Instagram page and postcard advertisement through, mainly, the use of conventions.