The set brief I have chosen is Set 3, which is to create three movie posters and three TikTok videos to advertise a coming-of-age film. My target audience is mainly teenagers, aged 15 to 18, who would relate to the themes of growing up, relationships, and self-identity. I’ve chosen to use TikTok because it’s a huge platform with over one billion viewers daily and it’s one of the most popular platforms on social media at the moment, especially for my specific target audience. My film is about drama, change, and the struggles that come with being a teenager in today’s society.
I’ve looked into Laura Mulvey’s idea of the “male gaze,” which suggests that women in movies are often shown as objects for men to look at, sexualized and treated badly, i.e. women have no rights or women should stay in the kitchen and clean. However I wanted to challenge her idea in my posters and movie by making both the woman and man as equal and important to the story, as I think in the 20th century this is becoming a rising issue. Therefore, this shows I’m not reinforcing gender stereotypes and I’m showing both characters in an equal way, which challenges Mulvey’s theory.
For my first product, I have created three digital movie posters to promote my film. I have taken inspiration from the 2006 film Boy Girl Thing. I decided to use these colours for my posters as it fits the theme. It uses blue and pink colours for the title which is a stereotypical colour for ‘boy vs. girl.’ These colours highlight the relationship between the main characters. A dominant signifier is a shared object or scene that symbolizes the connection between the girl and boy, such as a park bench where they sit together, which is in my poster. This shows the boy and girl sitting on the bench to represent the relationship between two characters.
The three TikTok videos are 45-60 seconds, with clips from the film that capture what it’s about. For my first TikTok, I have created an interview with the lead actor to gather insight on what the movie’s about and learn more about the characters. For my second TikTok, I made an interview with the cast in the film and behind the scenes to see the set and what we get up to. For my trailer, I’ve included fast-paced montages, dramatic, emotional moments with dramatic music in the background. The trailer teases you with some clips from the film that give you an insight to what happens in the flim, but not too much is revealed.
Overall, my aim is to create media products that will appeal to a young audience and attract them to my film. I want my movie to stand out to it’s specific target audience. I hope my work makes people want to watch the film and connects with them on a personal level. You could link this to uses of gratification. Audiences are active seekers who seek personal (escapism, enjoyment) and social (connection) needs. I think that in my movie poster, it’s for enjoyment and escapism for the teenagers, as there are highs and lows of the characters’ journey, which could help them navigate their own complex feelings of growing up if times are tough. My film offers entertainment, the main reason for media consumption. The drama, humor, and emotional depth provide enjoyment, making it appealing for my target audience. This all relates to Katz and Blumler’s theory of uses of gratification.