Media Theory - representation

 For this research post i'm going to talk about representation theory, mainly based on Stuart Hall (since it connects really well with the story i'm planning and the themes im focusing on)

Representation theory is basically about how people and groups are shown in media, 

and how that affects the way the audience understands them. Instead of just showing someone as a stereotype, media can either reinforce those stereotypes or challenge them by showing more realistic and "human experiences" 

In my project this theory is important because the main character (which i'm not set on the name yet.) Cami, has a constant drug addiction (spoiler!). A lot of the time in films and shows addiction is either overdramatized or romanticized which can make it feel either craved in a way or just unrealistic. 

I want to represent her in a more 'grounded' way by showing her more casually but not boring and dreadful instead of only focusing on extreme moments specially since its only the start of the film. Simple actions like organizing weekly pills, or listening to her dad’s voicemail unaffected as if shes used to it, or being alone in her kitchen help display her as mentally unstable/avaliable without pushing it to a whole dreamy, or even euphoric way.

This is something that is also done really well in Euphoria. 

Euphoria - Rue

The show represents addiction and mental health through everyday moments, visuals, and emotion rather than constant drug dialogue which always makes it so tiring to over hear about, and overall sounds forced but Euphoria really displays the characters and their actual personalities so well...

For example Rue is often shown alone or doing some voiceover from her perspective, or going through routines that show her dependence without needing to explain it directly. This makes the audience understand her situation while also feeling more connected to her as a character as well as actually enjoying the show.

By using representation theory in my project I'd really want the audience to see "Cami" or whatever name I end up using as a real person rather than just “a drug addict.” The overall goal is to show her struggle in a realistic way but intriguing way that just from my film opening someone would actually want to see more! 

Using visuals and actions to communicate meaning, this theory will influence how I take certain shots, use lighting, and decide what moments to include in the opening so the representation feels intentional and not just random.

If representation theory caught your attention, these links might help give further understanding I probably didn't provide

https://guilsboroughschoolmedia

https://fiveable.me/understanding-media/

https://www.youtube.com/watch

Group Meeting #1

 Last class we had a group meeting, where basically a group, or person working on the project would stream their blogs and we'd all give each other advice and tips.

This is how it went.

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Originally I got put in a group meeting with 5 people, myself included

(For privacy reasons faces were covered)

One of the boys in my group had a (in my opinion) really.. questionable idea,

The idea overall wasn't bad at all, just really hard to achieve since it requires a whole army, and its not that I don't believe he is skilled enough as I'm sure he is, especially with a camera, but making a whole army with actors under the age of 18, and only around 6–10 people, might not be the best idea. Although it wasn't the brightest idea mentioned, it gave me a reality check on who to cast and use as my actors.

Another girl in my group agreed with me, she basically listed the same facts as me as well as gave me some suggestions on my own film.

I went last when it came to group suggestions since my group was really excited to share their ideas and I didn't want to get in between anyone, but that gave me less time to receive any advice and barely enough time to explain my plot. Because of that, I didn't receive as much feedback as I'd wish, but just hearing everyone share their ideas gave me a really good validity check as well as new inspiration.

Specifically about my plot which is almost finished (get excited...) as well as great ideas like intro shots and new lighting techniques I should definitely use.

At first I know I originally wanted a very heart heavy, lighting based, intro film, but after the meeting I got my mind set in a more teen drama direction. I don't know if my idea is the best, but so far I am very excited about it.

For this post im going to summarize my project idea as well as my main inspiration, since at this point I finally have something close to a solid plan (i'm spooked)

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The genre i'm going with is a teen drama mixed with psychological elements but very teen-young adult based. I wanted something that feels emotional and realistic, but also slightly unsettling, without fully crossing into thriller... since I was having a pretty hard time with the storyline for this, I finalized an idea about mostly entertaining but still realistic,

 The story is about a girl who for now is named Cami, who has this drug addiction and and due to some past incidents she has been going to rehab for around 3 weeks now but has been skipping it regularly. 

The opening starts with a voicemail from her dad talking about her needing to go, which sets the tone right away before anything is actually explained specially by showing that she is unbothered by it as if she has heard this before. (i'm very excited about this part)

Most of the opening focuses on small moments instead of big dramatic scenes, so mostly rising action instead of the climax. Cami is shown in her kitchen dancing around and organizing her weekly pills, which is meant to feel normal at first. 

When she spills them from either grabbing something, or dancing, and crouches down to pick them up, she ends up finding a box under the fridge which is later revealed with drugs. This moment is kind of the shift because it shows how addiction follows her even when she’s "trying to move forward" (not really but thats the best way I can word it). She then takes the box to her friend Madi’s house, and the opening ends shortly after a interaction where Madi doesn't want to talk to Cami from a insinuated previous fight, then she ends up getting lured in by Cami's finds.

My biggest inspiration for this project as mentioned in every blog... is Euphoria, 

especially in the way it tells the story visually instead of overexplaining everything. The show focuses a lot on routines, music, and emotion to show what a character is going through, which is something i want to reflect in my own project. 

The use of voiceovers and audio, but instead of doing my own characters voice over as that sounds tacky and childish if not done right, I want to give context with voice messages, setting, and character design

I also have some specific shot ideas that i want to try. One of them includes getting a shot of my friend riding her bike while im filming from the back of another friend’s truck driving in front of her.

 I think this could create a really smooth and cinematic shot that still feels natural and fits the tone im going for. Shots like this would help the project feel more "dynamic" without overcomplicating it

For now, this is definitely the storyline im going with, although small changes might be made as i continue planning and testing shots, specially since i have other ideas of how the plot may progress. I still want to keep the project flexible since ideas usually change once filming actually starts. But for now this idea feels the most exciting and realistic for me to produce, and it fits the genre and inspiration im aiming for as well!

Please checkout Euphoria clips to further understand the character I am heavily inspired by,

Clip - Party

More realistic clip that really inspired me

Another Clip

Research Of Choice - Target Audience

For this research post im focusing mostly on target audience as well as kind of mixing in representation and planning since they all connect (and i cant really talk about one without mentioning the other)

Since im still fully deciding between a teen drama and something more mature psychologically, the main target audience would be teenagers and young adults.

 Most films and shows in these genres are made for people around my age since they focus on emotions, relationships, pressure, and mental struggles, which is basically what the "teen life" revolves around anyways. Even if the situations are dramatic or unrealistic the feelings behind them usually arent, which is what makes them so relatable.

Genres in TV (this article gave me so much inspo towards other films i can look into for this project, thought it was pretty cool and you should take a glance at it)

A lot of teen based productions rely on the audience seeing themselves in the characters (which will be really hard to do in 2 minutes...). If the characters feel fake or forced,then the audience isnt really going to care about what happens to them or mostly what they go trough

Teen dramas usually show things like identity issues, friendships falling apart, family problems, feeling isolated, or not knowing where you belong, which are all things most teens experience at some point of their lives. This is something i want to keep in mind when planning my project, because overdoing it could make it feel corny and cheap in a way, but underdoing it could make it so boring

Representation also plays a biggg role here. If the characters dont feel realistic or human then the whole story wont really land. I want the characters to feel like real people not just some stereotypes or exaggerated versions of teens you usually see in movies. Small things like facial expressions, body language, or silence can say more than dialogue sometimes, which is something ive noticed a lot in the productions ive been researching. (like Thirteen for example)

Another thing ive noticed is how simple most settings can be in teen dramas. A lot of scenes take place in schools, bedrooms, hallways, or other everyday locations that even tho very casual they have so much small details that really give information about the plot/character without just throwing it in your face. Using familiar locations makes the story feel more believable and less like a movie thats trying too hard. This is something that will probably help me later on when it comes to location finding and planning shots (specially since it makes it much easier for me to find everyday settings)

Keeping the target audience in mind will help me figure out the tone of my project. I dont want it to feel childish or overly dramatic (even tho its literally only 2 minutes.)  Finding that balance is probably going to be harder than I think, especially since i tend to overthink things the second i finish planning.

Overall, this research helped me realize that knowing who im making the project for is just as important as the idea itself. If i dont keep the audience in mind early on ill probably end up making it more biased for what I'D want to see not the audience

Regardless i will continue to research and update you all through my journey of media.

Project: Timeline

 1/27/2026 - week 2 

Making Time

When I first got switched into AICE media, as well as assigned one of my first projects we were required to create our own schedules for the recordings and whatever else. Honestly I truly believed that it would be so easy to make a schedule and a timeline, after all you just have to write down what you'll do each week, so I thought it was something I needed little to no effort in...

I was wrong.

Timelines are essential for nearly every project, specially in this class. Without an idea of time of a plan to follow, you are completely lost. You'll have no lead and by the time editing comes about you realize for forgot clips, sounds, and other key factors that could easily change your project from leaving an impact to just being the bare minimum.

Yea I'm strongly opinionated about this... so if you're in any media form class, learn from my mistakes and do NOT skip planning... but again who am I to tell you what to do?

Regardless planning will take me around a few days since i quite literally have to plan the planning.

TIMELINE (sort of...)

FIRST 2 WEEKS

• Research
• Officially decide genre

WEEK THREE

• Start planning
• Storyboard 
• Find Locations
• Find out who will be in it
• Prob make a proper schedule...

WEEK 4

• Finish planning
• For sure have shots I want
• Have my mind set 

WEEK 5

• Recording
• Start with basic shots
• Record the parts I know for SURE i'll want

WEEK 6

• Probably still be recording

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Honestly this is all I have as of right now,

I know this is an 8 week project but since I have a lot of ideas and I'm still entering week 3 (planning week... scary....) I think it's not a horrible idea to leave an extra 2 weeks opened to better plan later on,

I'll make sure to update as soon as I have an official schedule set up as well as ideas I can say i'm pretty excited to incorporate and share on my amazing blog.

Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Portfolio Project Genre #2 - Teen Drama

For my second genre, while taking me a while to make up my mind, for now i'm considering doing a teen drama like production. 

The teen dramas sub genres, as the name suggests, are made for teenage audience, usually focusing on the everyday lives, relationships, struggles and the contrast between teen and adult life experiences. Teen dramas are defined by the stories they tell and the experiences they display, wether its relatable to the audience, or very different from what is usually experienced. (https://www.imdb.com)

These types of films explore the everyday life's of teenagers and young adults and highlights both their personal and social challenges,

 (for example a very common element would have the setting be at a school)

If we're not speaking of daily life and relationships teen dramas can also also often include high stakes events or turning points that drive the story (like breakups, betrayals, competitions, or major personal decisions. They also frequently explore what is referred to as moral dilemmas, social hierarchies, and the consequences of choices, which is used to add tension and keeps the audience engaged.

I think i could really work with this theme as a teen myself, i could highlight and really show the themes i'll be producing, but I do intend to do something more serious and more mature yet still in that genre.

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As i explained on my last blog, intuitional conventions focus on networks and studios marketing and influence. These institutions target specific audiences by scheduling streams or when its released at times where teen could and would usually be likely to watch them. 

For example, releasing the production on Netflix which is highly popular among teens. Their marketing strategies just like many other teen based genres usually focus on social media campaigns and teasers, as well as merch and posters. 

Teen dramas use certain techniques to make the story and emotion feel real and relatble (which is key for teen dramas). Close ups are often used to display characters feelings while sound and music helps set the atmosphere of the characters personality or what is going on. (ex: sad songs for breakup scenes) Voiceovers or inner thoughts are usually presented as well, but likely wont be used in my project as I personally view it something cheesy.

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Pretty Little Liars (Tv series, 2010–2017) – 

This show is a very popular and classic teen drama that mixes in some mystery and thriller elements as well. I got inspired by it because it’s a perfect example of a teen drama, it focuses on friendships, school life, relationships, and the struggles of growing up, while also showing the pressures teens face with secrets as well as social drama and themes like peer pressure. (link) I find it interesting because it makes everyday teenage issues look intense and emotional making it relatable but also keeping the audience entertained.

Thirteen (Film, 2003) – 

This film is a raw and somewhat realistic teen drama that shows the events of teen years that aren't usually as shown on TV. I got inspired by it because it shows the struggles of friendship, family, and growing up, but mostly because of the way its produced with the lightening techniques and how every emotion is displayed with a different technique. As well as I, myself, really enjoyed the film.

https://post45.org - teen drama article

https://www.cinema.com - Thirteen article

Portfolio Project Genre #1

 Portfolio Project Genre - Psychological/Thriller

Hey everyone..! It's been a while...

For my AICE Media Portfolio Project I was told to pick two genres to research for a film opening, as soon as I heard that, I can't lie, I was already overwhelmed. I'm really indecisive and I constantly change my mind or get better ideas after already making a choice, so when it comes to picking something I usually require way more time I don't have for this decision...

For the first genre I'm considering for my project, I've been thinking in doing a psychological thriller/drama.

I know I would like to produce something that will catch the viewer's attention and maybe even allow me to be used as an example for the following classes...

As I've always been into psychology and truly fascinated by the shock factor in thrillers when I discovered psychological fiction is a thriller sub-genre I can't say I wasn't excited.

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"Psychological fiction takes readers deep inside the minds of its characters" https://fictionary.co/journal/psychological-fiction/

When it comes to psych fiction the general audience is more mature (obviously) most being rated and recommended for an 18+ audience as it may include violent and naturally a more disturbing atmosphere a younger audience wouldn't be able to see through the meaning and the allusions presented.

On a realistic note, it might be challenging to filter to this sub genre and make it appropriate for a classroom since it depends on "uneasy" factors and feelings, but it's nothing I can't figure out...

The thriller genre itself is all about suspense and tension, it focus on keeping the audience hooked and on edge throughout the entire film instead of only at the climax. It usually involves a sort of danger or a mysterious atmosphere which I was thinking could be achieved with a lot of lighting techniques (specially low-key lighting) the only thing I'm a bit puzzled upon is the fact that thriller, specially psychological ones tend to have a weird crossover between reality and what's in the characters head ,making it harder to tell what is actually happening, which would usually not be an issue but since I have to produce a film opening with barely any context, it will be challenging to elaborate that in such a short clip (2 minutes).

When it comes to genre convention based on content, meaning, "a group of themes and topics that make the genre what it is" (https://www.studiobinder.com) In the thriller genre, this is usually presented by producing films with a tense storyline (murders, kidnappings, secrets, investigations, etc.) but when it comes to techniques, it mostly relies on camera angles, sound, editing, setting/props, narrative techniques and as mentioned before, lighting. The shift from a close up to fast cuts, or hidden meaning props highlighted with lowkey lighting is essential to embrace the suspenseful atmosphere.

Institutional conventions in thrillers are the best way studios and networks are able to form/shape the story and its atmosphere. This includes marketing like trailers, merch, posters, choosing where and when to release it and other key factors to intrigue and bring in audiences all over the world. 

Some productions that have inspired this genre for me, would be Euphoria  and Girl, Interrupted.

(Now I know both of these productions may be a controversial selection since they're obviously not appropriate for school projects, yet since the project only relies on the start of the film and not the following development I believe id be able to filter it and pull it off while still displaying they're hard feeling emotion. And yes both productions are listed as a psychological thriller.)

Girl, Interrupted (Film, 1999)

This film is a strong example of psychological thriller because it explores the mental struggles of the characters mental struggles in a psychiatrist hospital, focussing on their thoughts and emotions.

Euphoria (Tv series, 2019)

Although technically a "teen drama" it still includes strong psychological elements of mental health and struggles, as the series develops it transitions into a thriller by highlights trauma factors, and other thriller like genre conventions.