CR Essay

Media representations are not often neutrally constituted; they either reinforce or disrupt existing power dynamics. As such, youth representation was integral to the overall creation of Finding You. Mainstream media usually represents youths in a subtractive manner, which portrays them as reckless and impulsive or still growing emotionally until adulthood. This type of representation aligns with Cohen's moral panic narrative ("folk devil" theory), often disregarding youth's ability to make autonomous decisions and act with independent ability. Therefore, I attempted to represent the "youth" category via the prism of emotional intellectuality, thereby overturning the conception of adolescence as purely a biologically unstable period.

An example of this can be seen in the pivotal moment when Brad goes after Laura despite having his own internal conflict. The over-the-shoulder shot gives both characters a sense of target usually denied to this group. The camera was placed at eye level with tight framing, forcing the viewer to respect the seriousness of what is happening between the two characters. The choice to use a "top-down" camera angle is subverted by the way adults often perceive teenage issues are trivialized in adult-centric media. The film addresses issues affecting Gen Z more broadly, as well as individual character development through claustrophobic framing and a shallow depth of field in order to show how isolated the main character is even in a room full of people. The film serves not only as entertainment but also as a socio-political commentary regarding the pressures of living as a member of Gen Z. By encouraging the viewer to relate to a lived experience many consider unimportant or merely "angst", the film creates an alternate narrative to what is typically accepted as the norm.

The "DNA" of a film is its branding; this includes all visual and audio aspects that contribute to making a film recognizable on different platforms (e.g., opening credit sequence, social media marketing). Film brands are necessary components of creating a film's brand identity; they help to promote (or cut through) the saturated digital market. Finding You uses a distinctively curated colour palette as part of its branding. The colour motif provides a visual cue to understand the film's themes without spoken word. The same colour scheme used in the film's grade and on the promotional poster contributes to brand recognition. The beginning of Laura's storyline includes a bleak environment, Using a lot of grey to express the despair and tortured feelings that Laura is experiencing; These colours are visual indicators for the viewer to speculate on Laura's emotional status. Gradually the colour palette shifts to include warm amber tones which indicate Laura's progression toward a positive "Finding" as identified by the title. We are utilizing the same sequence used in our Instagram campaign where we show how Laura's visuals of grey are transitioning to the colour of amber as the page moves through its grid. The use of "synergy" (i.e. the same words used for the film, website and social media materials create brand momentum) creates unity across our brand.

A key part of my design involved selecting the "handwritten" font Diary, which offered a level of intimacy and personal attachment with the film. The "confessional" quality created a link between the film and a personal diary; therefore, to create the ‘Aural Branding’ for the film, an identifiable musical motif was established – light, airy synth notes – that was played during the climax, giving the brand not only visual representation, but also an aural representation. By implementing this much consistency on all touchpoints, the production can be regarded as a unified, marketable brand that can be identified by its niche audience rather than as an independent piece of content. The bridge connecting the creator's intention with the audience's interpretation is through audience engagement. Gen Z and younger audiences (specifically teens experiencing the struggles of post-modern relationships) are the primary demographic target for my film, Finding You . In order to appeal to this demographic, I utilized a "subjective" cinematographic approach. This was achieved using POV shots that drew audiences into our protagonist's perspective and fostered radical empathy. The use of "Eagle Eye" (high angle) shots during points of crisis involves the viewer in understanding the plot and emotional stakes through their participation as an active rather than passive consumer of the story.

In today's media world, attention can be obtained through various channels and recently through multiple methods. To create a community around my film, I created a marketing strategy that included several levels of promotional materials such as behind-the-scenes content posted on my production blogs. By providing this type of content, I've given the "prosumer" (a term coined first by Alvin Toffler and later by Henry Jenkins) the opportunity to explore their interests of the film more thoroughly by discovering and understanding its story and the technical aspects of creating the film. In addition to releasing behind-the-scenes images, I also created lighting diagrams, outtake videos, etc. to turn the viewing audience into participants in the filmmaking process. At the end of the day engagement is based on emotions; the choice to use Coldplay’s “Sparks” song during powerful, starkly lit (high-contrast), "point-of-view" shots of each character is a way for them (the audience) to relate physically & nostalgically; by identifying (using Blumer & Katz's Uses & Gratifications model from the 1900's) what my target audience needed socially and personally, especially in this era of fragmented attention spans where they require constant stimulation/a reminder that they aren’t alone; I structured the pacing of my film to keep them interested. The film can also act as a reflection for my audience to see their struggles validated on the screen.

Global successes of film productions are founded upon rigorous genre research and a comprehensive overview of past film works. Initially, my personal research has explored the Romance film genre, paying particular attention to the "Coming-of-Age" subtype of this genre. To ensure that what I produced was legible to my audience, I adhered to some "codes and conventions" as a way to facilitate an easy relationship between the creator and the audience. Researching both classical and contemporary Romance films revealed to me that "Yearning" is the psychological state of tension that exists between two characters (or the anticipation of what might happen between them). Following these codes and conventions allows the audience to have an understanding of how the story's world has been constructed and presented to them. Although imitation without creativity will create a lack of creativity, my research into the history of Romance films has led me to alter the natural flow of events in any new work I am creating to keep the story progressing in a "modern" way. Most Romance films will end with a "happily ever after" or are produced in such a manner that both lead characters have perfect physical looks or emotional characteristics. In creating my story, both lead characters will experience various different forms of non-glamorous/depressing, real-life situations. Additionally, I have intentionally avoided creating a "Hollywood glamorous" style, to create a "Kitchen Sink Realism" style.

The research I conducted for Finding You was not only aesthetic; it also had a strong technical element. My study of current indie romantic comedies' cinematography (for example, using a specific type of lens) influenced my choice of how to use the similar lens and also influenced my choice of lighting technique; I knew by doing research about how lighting ratios work, for instance, that using more low-key lighting would accomplish the emotional intimacy I desired from the audience. By looking at how both diegetic music and lighting ratios contribute to a particular "feeling" or "mood," I found a way to make the film look professional when it was actually produced on an Indie Budget. This mix of theoretical and practical research helped me bring together both elements of cinema historically while keeping a fresh, modern take on cinema. I hope that my combination of research and production resulted in a film that has roots in independent cinema yet offers something new in the independent film market.