Hear me out!

Important Update! 

Hi friends... We are going to do something that is very wrong, I know... but I can not help it. It is very unlikely of me to leave filming till last minute, maybe editing for sure, but not something important like this. The reason I have not been able to film any more footage is due to some personal reasons of my own like I mentioned before and Kyle my main actor is on a trip right now. I'm not too stressed because I already edited the beginning part of it which is like 1/3 of my film and it was quick so I am not that worried. We finally settled to film on Tuesday of next week which I can still make work I promise. But for the meantime, I thought to just keep updating my insta, work on my postcard and start researching for my critical reflection, which is what I am going to do!

My plan is this week dedicate to do three in depth critical reflection question research posts and then finally next week do four blogs on the final research question, production process, editing, and start reflecting. 

I know I can work around this and it's going to be ok. 

So, the first question I am researching is:

 "How do your products represent social groups or issues?"

When thinking about my film, it might seem at first like it’s just a psychological thriller about a crime. But when I really break it down, it actually represents a bigger issue, how people deal with guilt, accountability, and the consequences of their actions. To do this I got inspiration from doing some research online I used websites like:

- Social Groups in the Thriller Genre

- Horror films: Reflections of society's deepest fears and cultural anxieties

 "With worries about mental illnesses, depression, social anxiety and lack of supports to help people through difficult times, internal anxieties manifest externally." - Jason Wallin

These helped a lot. 

My film focuses on a man who committed a hit-and-run and was never caught. On the surface, he looks like a normal person. He has a life, routines, and probably blends into society like anyone else. This is important because it represents a social idea that people who do bad things are not always obvious villains. Sometimes they are just regular people who made a terrible decision and chose to hide it ( Is it me or was that like poetic and sounds like Spencer Reid would say it in a Criminal Minds episode). 

This links to a real world issue: avoiding responsibility. This is something that can be as little as not wanting to do chores like doing the dishes or taking out the trash, to actually end up killing someone and not saying anything about it... In society, there are many situations where people do something wrong but don’t face consequences, either because they aren’t caught or because they choose to stay silent. My film explores what happens internally when someone carries that guilt instead of taking accountability.

Another key issue my film represents is mental and emotional struggle. The main character is not being chased by police or physically punished, instead, he is dealing with psychological pressure. The strange events happening around him (like the clock, the sounds, and the hallucination of the girl) can be interpreted as his mind reacting to years of suppressed guilt. This reflects how people can experience internal consequences even when there are no external ones.

In terms of social groups, my film represents:

- young adults/adults who are trying to maintain a normal life while dealing with past mistakes

- people who struggle with mental pressure, anxiety, or guilt 

- individuals who feel like they are being “watched” or judged by their own actions. 

The victim in the film, although not deeply explored, also represents a group that is often overlooked in media, victims of accidents or crimes whose stories are left incomplete. By including subtle elements like the shoe or the presence of the girl, the film reminds the audience that even if the main character moved on, the victim never got that chance. I actually got inspired by this due to Gaby's mom, if you forgot she is who is playing Emily. Her mom was telling me a story on how when they lived in their old house, strange things would happen (like a typical Conjuring movie but more realistic). She told me she went to get the house blessed and they found out after doing that an old man actually died in that house alone from a heart stroke. A spirit like Emily's is usually seen to be evil in movies trying to hurt the main character, but what I really wanted to do was highlight that fourth wall like I did last year between life and death. That tunnel that connects the both but these kind of people can't cross yet. I am sorry for yapping guys, but let's keep going!

Additionally, my film avoids making the story overly dramatic or unrealistic. Instead of showing extreme violence or action, it focuses on realistic emotional consequences, which makes the issue more relatable. The audience is not just watching a crime, they are experiencing the aftermath from the perspective of the person who caused it. The use of psychological elements also allows the audience to question what is real and what is not. This creates a connection between the viewer and the character, making them think about how they would react in a similar situation. 

Overall, my film represents the idea that you cannot escape what you have done, even if society never holds you accountable. It highlights internal conflict and the lasting impact of one decision. Instead of focusing on punishment from others, it shows how the mind itself can become the punishment. ONCE AGAIN I AM SPENCER REIDDD

A mom would love the theme of this story ngl, it’s a story about consequences that don’t go away. Also I don't know why but this was a very fun blog to do. 

Man holding face