Critical Reflection

How do your products represent social groups or issues?

    My product illustrates how social groups are represented by two guys who, like most people, simply anticipated to go camping and everything would be OK. They did, however, choose to venture out and explore the region while on their trip, and it was at this point that one of them mentioned something he had discovered while researching the campground they were staying at. Riley responds that Jean (the white shirt) is exaggerating when he adds that during his investigation, he discovered that a child they once knew had been reported missing after entering that woodland.This may be seen as friends making fun of one other for being terrified of something they know or are afraid of, which could make people reluctant to express their feelings while discussing a certain topic. People not being cautious enough while they are out exploring an area they are unfamiliar with is a problem our film may highlight. Before going there, one of them looked up the address online and didn't think to let his companion know about his reservations. This demonstrates the need for caution and investigation before visiting a new location as you never know what can occur. We also demonstrated the problem of persons going missing when they venture out on their own (Samuel/Sam). In order to demonstrate how frequently individuals go missing in dangerous areas, like forests, if they aren't careful, we attempted to tell the tale of the person we knew who went missing.

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

    The components we employed enable us to develop a mystery and horror brand. We incorporate things like individuals recording themselves while exploring an unfamiliar wilderness. This fits in with the plot of most horror films, which usually begins with them traveling to an unfamiliar place before something horrible happens. We also employed frightening outfits to aid in the development of the "horror" brand. The fact that we shot at night rather than in the brilliant sunshine outside helps us further convey that this is a horror movie. I made an effort to select a typeface that would emphasize the horror theme of our film when I was creating the postcard and website. We looked for a picture that would help us convey that our movie was a horror movie, so we chose one in which all of the villains are dressed in the outfits they wore in the movie. We also had them standing in front of the tent that the two guys who were camping had set up to pique viewers' curiosity about what had happened to them. If all they did was stand in front of the tent without any background information, potential viewers would be left to imagine what might have occurred to the campers and during the movie. In an effort to build a horror brand, we also attempted various strategies. We attempted to make the conversation as unpleasant as possible to aid with the horror element, and the candles we used throughout the movie helped generate a sort of eerie sense. Here are a few examples of how we employed certain production aspects to contribute to the horror branding.

How do your products engage with the audience?

    We made every effort to ensure that the audience was as involved in our short video as possible. We created a few situations in which the audience choose what happened next. An illustration of this may be whether or not Sam was the primary leader of the evil guys. We described the history of a buddy of ours and how he vanished in the very woodland we were investigating. Then, as we approached a group of people who appeared to be acting strangely, we assumed it was Sam, but we received no reaction. The viewer will have to decide whether or not it was Samuel in this situation, but because we know for a fact that it is, if we were to produce another short film, it would tell Samuel's and the group's past. Another instance in which we interacted with the audience was at the end of the movie, when we were attempting to leave. As we did so and conversed, Samuel, the group's leader, appeared from behind me, and the movie ended there.This ends the movie so that the viewers may imagine what might have happened when he showed up, if he was able to get Riley and me, and how he even entered without our knowledge. We thought this would have been a fitting conclusion because it would have allowed us to get audience feedback and see how they wanted to see the film developed beyond the short film's conclusion, should we ever need to make another one instead of being limited to simply repeating the events of the previous one. This also pertains to Samuel's narrative and how others are unaware of his leadership status, which he actually has. So if we had to create another short film off this we could make a prequel of sequel, where the prequel follows Samuel and how he got lost and what had happened and how the group formed and the sequel follows the events of what happened in the sequel. Therefore, if we had to do a follow-up short film, we could make a prequel and a sequel. The prequel would cover Samuel's journey of being lost and the events leading up to the formation of the gang, while the sequel would follow the events of the sequel.

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

    Our prior study helped us figure out what made a short film a terror and how to produce one. We could have made it more of a horror movie, and I have this uneasy sense that it's somehow mysterious. Together, we watched a lot of horror movies and attempted to draw conclusions and ideas from them. We didn't really question any conventions, I believe. The one tradition that we, in my opinion, somewhat questioned was the fact that, in the majority of horror movies, the main characters are typically not killed off and experience no real consequences. However, since we chose to finish the movie there and let the viewers choose what occurs, it is unclear what happens to us in our finale. In their perspective, we may have died, challenging the previously established criterion. Though we did our best to adhere to a horror and short film flow based on our study, we weren't really sure how to break norms in this movie.

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