CCR 2 outline

  CCR 2 Outline Below is the script I will follow during my response to the second CCR

 

Genre/Type of Audience: 

My films genre falls under the Drama category. I chose this genre because it allows for emotional depth throughout the story line. This emotional depth increases the relatability of the film, allowing the audience to connect personally with the characters on screen. Drama is heavily made up of character driven narratives and emotional realism, especially young adults and teenage characters. My film incorporates the themes of partying, addiction and recovery, trust, and betrayal. These themes explore feelings that have likely been experienced by the viewers at least once in their lifetime. Because some of these themes can be sensitive to young children, my films targets viewers ages 16-25 with a movie rating R.  

Audience:  

This film would appeal to a large group of people interested in this genre. Viktors' extroverted and impulsive personality contrasts with Jeremiah's introverted and responsible personality. These contrasting personalities between our two protagonists are similar to social dynamics in real life. This allows different audience members to identify with different characters, increasing appeal and engagement of our film. The party setting also reflects youth culture, making the narrative feel authentic and relatable. 

Audience Theory: 

Through my research I discovered that my product can be connected to numerous audience types.  

First, the Reception Theory by German literary scholar Hans Robert Jauss suggests that audiences interpret media in different ways based off their background and experiences. For example, Viktors actions can be differently based off the person. Some may sympathize with Viktor due to his recovery journey while others may see Viktor as reckless and a risk to himself and the people around him. This encourages people to think more about the film as multiple interpretations come about. Increasing engagement. 

The next theory I researched was the Cultivation Theory by George Gerbner. This theory suggests that after a person watches TV for a long period of time their perception of reality can become distorted and adjust to the stereotype conventions in film. That idea that even a safe environment surrounded by friends can pose a threat to a person is presented in my film. This can shape a viewer's perception of reality, and they would begin to feel more aware and guarded of their surroundings, especially in a social setting. My product can also promote drink safety among its audience, potentially helping reduce the risk of drink spiking as more people acknowledge the threat it poses. 

 

 

The third theory I researched was the Participatory Culture by Henry Jenkins. This theory describes when people make the shift from simply passively consuming media to becoming active users where they begin to produce their own spin of a piece of media. This comes in many forms. For my film, this can be in the form of people sharing their opinions on other online outlets about who spiked Viktors drink. People can discuss how they relate to the struggle of addiction and how they have dealt with the issue themselves. Others can take it a step further and create alternate events that happen in the film. Nonetheless, this engagement from the audience would extend the popularity of the film and help it spread to more people. 

Lastly, the final theory I researched was by Harold Lasswell. Lasswell is the author of the hypodermic needle theory. This theory suggests that the audience passively absorbs a message while watching a film. Applying this theory to my film, there's a couple of messages that can be learned from it as well. One being the misuse of substances can have serious consequences. In the film, the boy was drinking at a party, but his drinking was not necessary. While there may be a few benefits to drinking from time to time, overall, more harm than good comes from alcohol consumption. But not everyone in the audience may see it that way. Another message that can be taken from the film is that trust in a social environment should be limited. As stated, the film portrays Viktor being spiked in an environment surrounded by his friends. The message the audience can take away from this is to always be aware of their surroundings. For example, if you are at a party, keep your food and drinks in front of you and be aware of anything that gets close to it. At no point should you leave these things unattended. These actions can help prevent harm to a person more than they likely understand. 

Marketing/Distribution: 

Marketing- 

To market my product, I would take advantage of the digital platform we have available to us today. YouTube would be used for longer videos such as actor interviews and trailers. TikTok would be used for shorter content such as small clips from the movie showcasing the different elements to keep the audience guessing what will potentially happen until the release date of the full film. I would also add hashtags to these post related to the movie. For example, #TheDecision #Drama #AlcholAwareness These tags would help people interested in these topics come across our movie even more. Along with people who make content related to our movie, following the ideas of Participatory Culture, they could also use these hastags on their post, increasing the films promotion. Additionally, I noticed the recent success of the movie “Wicked”, and I looked into how their movie was marketed. While my resources for the marketing campaign are not as lush as those at Universal Pictures, I would try replicating some of their stragies such as getting a partnership with local franchises such as an advertisement in the local Tampa Bay Bucs stadium. Since this stadium is a venue for events outside of just sports, many people of different interests will come across this ad. The ad in the stadium would be something simple but impactful such as a graphic with the title of the to catch people's eyes. The graphic will have a QR code for the people to scan. Apon scanning the code will take the person to our films website where they can watch the trailer and set a reminder on their phone to be notified when the movie becomes available.  

Distribution- 

For distributing our movie, I would avoid using a theater. With the reason being increased ticket prices, high marketing coat, and increased use of streaming services, I feel it would be best to distribute our film through a streaming service as well. Partnering with independent-friendly brands like Tubi would help reduce the cost while increasing profits. This would also help consumer convivence as they will be able to watch the film from home.