CR Blog

How do your products represent social groups or issues?

The film, “The unseen” is about a girl who seeks vengeance upon her friends after seemingly behaving paranormally. The film itself was to follow a mysterious/horror type of film. The  issue being represented in this film is anxiety. The whole aim was to spark curiosity and anticipation into our viewers. They would soon be met with many surprises in this film as they dive deep into the lore of our most interesting character Erica. At first glance she may seem like an ordinary teenager however her true self comes to light as she is put in a space where she is severely socially anxious in a mall. Throughout the film, the sound design plays a crucial role in capturing the sense of isolation and unease that comes with social anxiety. The use of mall background noises and a distant, echoing quality to the character's own thoughts highlights the feeling of being disconnected from others and trapped in her own mind. Erica can relate to audiences that feel very similar to the feelings of Erica in the film as she is shy and timid. She bashes her friends for making her come out to a public setting where she felt alone and awkward causing her to act in distress. She feels alone although she is out in public with her friends and resents them for making her come out to the mall. She is highly afraid of public settings.

 

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

The film doesn’t necessarily brand anything however it does over exaggerate anxiety in a way to shine on the topic and make it more interesting. We wanted to maintain a mysterious/horror type of display all throughout the film in order to keep viewers hooked. We Erica being possessed would keep viewers in awe as they delved deeper into lore. Although all this is happening we do find ways to shed light on social anxiety by demonstrating a scene where Erica is seen standing alone in the middle of mall. She is anxiously looking down at her phone as two friends walk up to her expressing shy and timidness. In this scene we crack a light open on social anxiety. We show the effects this has on our character “Erica” as she later then reveals her true identity and expresses her real feelings towards the group. The audience after this film may reflect on this issue as some thoughts and feeling may seem relatable.

How do your products engage with the audience?

The film engages with the audiences on multiple levels. Firstly, the topic of social anxiety is a relatable issue that many people have experienced at some point in their lives. By highlighting this issue in our film, we made something the audience could relate to on a personal scale. Erica is seen alone standing in the mall on her phone depicting loneliness. She stands there anxiously on her phone. She purposely avoids people due to her shyness and social anxiety. People may find Erica as a good character although through her actions it may not seem like it. She can relate to audiences that feel very similar to the feelings of Erica in the film as she is shy and timid. She bashes her friends for making her come out to a public setting where she felt alone and awkward causing her to act in distress. She is highly afraid of public settings which we think people in our audience can greatly relate to in today’s society. By exploring the various ways in which anxiety can manifest itself, our film provides multiple valuable insights about how this condition usually can affect people wherever. Erica is seen often alone or timid to display the type of feelings people under social anxiety may express in a public setting. On a personal level many may be able to find Erica extremely relatable which is why we believe most of our audience would actually favor her out of the film. The use of mall background noises and a distant, echoing quality to the character's own thoughts highlights the feeling of being disconnected from others and trapped in her own mind. I believe with this effect, our film would seem more relatable. People with anxiety are often overthinking and trapped in their mind which is what we wanted to display to our audience. The audience after this film may reflect on this issue as some thoughts and feeling may seem relatable.Erica is seen often alone or timid to display the type of feelings people under social anxiety may express in a public setting.

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

Our film doesn’t necessarily challenge a convention. Instead it reveals an issue in today’s society. Social anxiety nonetheless mental health awareness needs to be more established as an actual crisis in today’s world. Our film shines more light on this important topic. Anxiety is a complex mental health issue that affects millions of people around the world. By exploring the various ways in which anxiety can manifest itself, our film provides multiple valuable insights about how this condition usually can affect people wherever. Although all this is happening we do find ways to shed light on social anxiety by demonstrating a scene where Erica is seen standing alone in the middle of mall. She is anxiously looking down at her phone as two friends walk up to her expressing shy and timidness. In this scene we crack a light open on social anxiety. We show the effects this has on our character “Erica” as she later then reveals her true identity and expresses her real feelings towards the group. The audience after this film may reflect on this issue as some thoughts and feeling may seem relatable.

Erica is seen often alone or timid to display the type of feelings people under social anxiety may express in a public setting.