Critical Reflection

Link to Critical Reflection document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wv02iU8XPnwHerS8Ixp43KrYaRQxN8sKNJueMmSktoc/edit?usp=sharing

 1.         How do your products represent social groups or issues?

All the products of this project represent the social issue of substance abuse, specifically alcohol abuse. Today, alcohol use has become so widespread and normalized that many people forget the multitude of negative effects that come with it. This is a problem that affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and causes so much pain to both the users themselves and those around them.  I wanted to help bring awareness to this problem through the film “Echoes of Awakening,” which portrays a character who suffered from a drunk driving accident. To truly share the depth of the severity of this issue, the film uniquely makes it so that the audience does not know that the character Jack was in an accident until the very end of the film. The film first shows Jack living a seemingly perfect and happy life, which is essentially supposed to show a reality Jack could have had, had he not traveled down the path he did. By first showing that perfect reality, and then shattering that illusion with the reality of Jack’s condition, the plot shows the audience how alcohol abuse can ruin lives at any moment and explains the severity of the situation in a way that is both engaging and targeted to reach large audiences.

The advertisement products for this film also help bring awareness to this issue as they all promote the film. By using the website, postcard, and social media, the film is able to generate greater viewership than it would have been able to otherwise, and the promotion of the film simultaneously helps spread the knowledge of this social issue. Even further, the Instagram page, the postcard, and the website all have a twenty-four-hour hotline number for addiction that people in need can access. In this way, all the products not only bring awareness to such a heartbreaking issue, but it also will hopefully help those suffering find a way to acknowledge, heal, and recover. 

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

            There are many aspects within each of the production products that work together to create a strong sense of cohesion. A surface level connection between the products is that within each of them, there are easily accessible links to direct the viewer to other portions of the short film package. Another easy-to-spot connection is the use of the film’s catchphrase across multiple platforms. The catchphrase is “Experience the Awakening,” and is a play on the title of the film that helps link the advertisement products to the film itself. The catchphrase is incorporated in the postcard, the website, and the trailer, which is linked on social media and the website. This is all so that when the audience sees the phrase, they make an immediate association to the film.   

On a deeper level, each of the products incorporated parallels in appearance that creates a theme. One way in which this was done was by creating a sense of mystery that applied to each portion of the short film package. This was accomplished through the pictures used for both the website and the postcard, as each picture was carefully chosen to create a sense of suspense. The postcard cover pictures show shadows of a man facing loneliness and separation from the woman he loves, while the back of the postcard uses the same photos found on the website which show the character, Jack, holding his head in pain. This strategic use of pictures to represent the final film simultaneously links the website and postcard, creates a sense of mystery to entice viewers, and shows the audience a sneak peek of what they should expect to see.  

The social media platforms also contribute to the theme of the short film package. All social media use the same profile picture, which is the logo of KAMY Studios. However, the importance of that logo is that it was created using the same color scheme found within the website and the film. Specifically, the colors red, white, and black are used on the website page, the titles of the film, as prop colors, and as editing effects used in the film. Those colors were chosen because together, they exude a feeling of foreboding and mystery that correlates to the film. All these aspects were incorporated to further the goal of creating a cohesive branding that will attract audiences. 

3.         How do your products engage with the audience?

            Each product engages with the audience in different ways. Regarding the film, an intricate storyline that finishes with a shocking plot twist maintains the audience’s interest and keeps them on the edge of their seats throughout the entire film. This is an attractive feature to both traditional mystery lovers, and other audiences of any preference, especially because the story is easy to follow, it's intriguing, and the characters are likable. The use of the song “Ulterior Motives” throughout Jack’s “dreamlike state” is also another prominent feature in the film. It is used to connect the flashbacks that Jack has, and creates the connection that this song, his favorite song that has been playing during his dreamlike state, is the same song that he was listening to when he got into the car accident. This allows the audience to actively make connections throughout the film and enjoy the moment that every aspect of the story line clicks into place and everything begins to make sense. These connections are what helps the audience appreciate the nuances of the film which are what make it so unique. 

            The way the advertisement products are structured also helps make it appealing to audiences. The film package uses a wide range of social media accounts, including YouTube, Instagram, X, and Facebook, that all post regularly, so that viewers of any platform can stay up to date with information and generate excitement for the film. On social media, posts of trailers and upcoming release dates all help build fun anticipation. On the website and postcard, anticipation is also built with the use of clever easter eggs. The website uses snapshots of the film that include a picture of an alcoholic drink in the car so that audiences can begin to speculate what they think will happen. In the postcard, images of a shadowed man disappearing from his wife and a man in isolation also provide hints at the storyline to come. Through all these techniques and tactics, the short film package was made to engage with and entice audiences to watch “Echoes of Awakening.” 

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

            Based on the extensive research conducted before the planning and filming process, the knowledge gained helped shape the final products in many ways, such as the types of camera shots and angles used. One characteristic of the mystery film genre is the use of both close-ups and dutch angles, both of which were incorporated in this short film. For example, a close-up was used immediately after the character, Jack, woke up from his coma. The angle captured his wide, scared eyes, and helped create a feeling of trepidation, and a snapshot of that close-up was also incorporated in the website photo. In the film, a dutch angle was also used to show that Jack was losing his connection to this dream world and beginning to regain consciousness, creating a feeling of unease. 

            The mystery genre is also known for the use of darker, mysterious colors, such as black, gray, and red. In most of the products of the short film package, from the website to the social media logos, these colors are also used to carry out a cohesive sense of suspense that entices audiences of this genre. The postcard however does not use these traditional colors, but it still creates the characteristic sense of curiosity by using darker palettes and intriguing images of loneliness and dark shadows. 

            Despite all the ways in which the film and products follow conventions and themes of the genre, it also strays from them in a few ways. When researching films of this genre, a commonality found was that many start with an ordinary and happy scene, and then, abruptly, there is a change to show something uncertain or sinister. This was clearly shown in the short film “Whittling Away,” as the producers started with a peaceful forest backdrop with ambient sounds of nature, and then the illusion of serenity is abruptly shattered when a weapon is shown on screen, and then the mystery unfolds. I wanted to take a different approach with this film, and so the film opens with dark lighting and sinister music, to make the audience think that something is going to happen, and then the scene abruptly changes to a happy scene of a man cooking dinner, filled with jovial music. The real mystery doesn’t unfold until later. This film essentially reverses the conventional order of things to create an almost comedic feel, but more importantly, to keep the audience interested in how the mystery will unfold.