CR

 How do your products represent social groups or issues?

My product represents many social groups and issues, targeting minorities, socio-economic classes, and substance abuse. In this product the story focused and revolved around a minority as a main character, with an exclusively minority cast and crew. While it wasn't the idea when starting the project it was our outcome. In doing so our main cast being minorities showed them in position of power. At the same time it also showed how minorities in lower classes struggle with many issues such as substance abuse. Our main character portraying a minority and an alcoholic woman with an addiction goes into many stereotypes revolving minorities. Having our antagonists be portrayed by African-American actors further represents are use of social groups in different roles than perceived on a conventional film. As I said before it wasn't purposeful that our cast was minority only, but in doing so it had a better impact on the film and representation of our characters. Keeping the minority cast allows us to show both a minority in power and as someone struggling. 

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

The elements of my production work together to create the sense of "branding," by portraying multiple uses of getting my work across multiple platforms it also creates the sense through the names of many things in my production. Using social media, creating a website, and a post card, allows me to reach a multitude of people and show them my production. By creating a website I am to able to have a place that can hold all the information on my production, including my cast and crew, behind the scenes and ways to contact my team and I. Using social media allows me to access a new generation of people who receive news through it. Appealing to this younger audience and releasing my production through videos and pictures is a way to bring everyone together. Finally, using the post card allows me to reach many people at a film festival. It's easier than having to print business cards and its more effective on getting my message across. Throughout all these elements of my production they all include a similar color scheme showing the branding, they also follow a similar format where each show either our crew or cast in the front. In the production itself we named the main characters in one sense or another after important roles pertaining playing cards. Our main character Jackie, her mother Queenie, as well as the production company and studio, King Queen Jack and Spade Films, respectfully. All these elements in my production contribute to the sense of branding. 

How do your products engage with the audience?

In many ways my product targets the audience, the main way is through the dialogue that takes place in the beginning of the film, followed by the obscurity in the film when confronted with a problem, and lastly at the climax of the movie when it is revealed that the character gambled her mothers life. In the opening scenes with the dialogue the audience is forced to understand what is happening from the beginning. Many assumptions can be made from Jackie walking into a messy house and with an alcohol bottle. It continues through when it is revealed that Jackie is not a character that practices a good life. As the story progresses and Jackie loses, the confrontation is switched into a different room with darker lighting, this forces the audience to focus more on the characters as well as what's happening on the screen. Lastly, the previous scene along with the outside wide shot and screaming in the back, finishes to tie everything together and explains what the previous scene was about. By keeping the plot obscured from the beginning and slowly unraveling to the grand finish I am able to engage with my audience.  

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

The film is mainly a drama and follows a lot of conventions found in one. However there is a use of

thriller conventions in order to let the story fit. For the beginning of the film it is mainly focused on the

life of an addict and the troubles in it. It focuses further on the minor things in Jackie's life like a clean

house and making sure that bills are paid. The reason behind this is to follow the convention of a focus

on minute details in a persons life. It does begin to change as it shifts into more thriller kind of

conventions. Including the hyperbolic ideas of losing a lot of money and risking ones life in a game of

BlackJack, when this becomes the focus of the film it further strays from drama conventions. Commonly

found is the effects of one character into others, throughout the film life of other characters aren't seen.

Toward the end of the film when it becomes apparent that Jackie has failed, the dark lighting and the use

of low and high angle shots portray the common struggle found in thrillers. The rise in the music as we

wait to see what happens to Jackie's family leans more toward thriller. The final scenes of Jackie crying

and laughing draws the attention of the audience more, and with the final cut leading to a threat the film

then seems to make a transition to thriller.