CRR

For my Portfolio project, my partner and I developed a promotional campaign for a short film, which spans across multiple different media spheres. Our short film One Flip Away is based on a teenage boy, Felipe, played by me, tosses a coin and is transported to random places. Whenever he teleports, he must do some nice things to get back home, but every time he tries, his efforts backfire in the humorous ways. The core message that the film tries to put out is that it is not always easy to be nice, especially in a world where being rude has become the norm. As previously discussed in addition to the film, we also created a promotional postcard and an Instagram page in order to advertise the film using different mediums. The products combine to reach a teenage and young adult audience that appreciates light-hearted comedy and real world situations that everyone can relate to. 

One of the most effective ways my project represented social groups and issues, was by highlighting the emphasis on normalized rudeness among the youth and the daily challenge of being nice. The film opens with a bunch of individuals ranging from teenagers to full grown adults. Flipping off the camera with voice over narrating how rudeness has become the default reaction. The sequence reveals the social issue that being, how individuals are so quick to act disrespectful rather than be kind. These real-life scenarios are blown out of proportion to create humor, with numerous attempts of kindness by Felipe that fail miserably, including holding a door open but unfortunately making someone fall or waving at the wrong individual in an embarrassing scenario.

(Danny)

As for the representation aspect, it’s shown through the mise-en- scene. For instance, the characters are the typical teenagers in real life settings such as a mall, the street, and a national park. Their outfits also match their environment. An example being with the character Danny, a tourist who’s visiting The Everglades for the first time, was wearing a green shirt and khaki bucket hat, matching the look like any other tourist. Felipe, on the other hand, is easy to notice with his bright red hoodie and jeans; this was on purpose to attract the attention of the audience, portraying his role as the main character. In addition to all of this, the cast is also diverse with actors who belong to various backgrounds. This variety of backgrounds makes teenagers of different ethnicities connect with the story without it seeming forced. 

(Felipe's hoodie)

The elements across all three products worked together in producing a constant branding perception. The most obvious connection is the red color borrowed directly from Felipe’s hoodie. My partner applied the red on the title of the postcard and the text and combined with neutral backgrounds to make the design clean and modern. The same font is used on the postcard, the Instagram post, and the title card. Even the penny plays a role in branding as it’s a repetitive symbol. It activates the teleportation of the story and is actually seen on the postcard and in Instagram visuals. Such repetitions of visuals like the red accents, the coin, and the same font help the campaign be immediately recognizable also providing it with the professional constant appearance  

(Post Card)

Going more in depth with the postcard. The front is dynamic, with the red title and small symbols giving hints as to where the teleport was, without giving the plot away, where as the back has practical information on the film festival screening. This appearance is furthered in the Instagram post with the same red and neutral color scheme. Put together, the film, postcard, and Instagram post support the same brand seamlessly. 

These products are effective in reaching the tar
get audience (teenagers and young adults aged 13-25) in a number of ways. The Instagram posts are highly sharable, that combine funny captions, emojis, and appropriate hashtags to make it look like it is a natural piece of social media and not just a random advertisement. Since the scenarios in the film are relatable, awkward social interactions, attempting to do the right thing and failing, teenagers can easily relate to Felipe and laugh and still get the message. 

The digital (Instagram) to print (postcard) campaign generates several engagements that will keep the audience interested and create an anticipation of the film. The humor tone in all the products reduces obstacles. Obstacles such as the audience not having to feel like they are being preached about goodness, rather, they are entertained and walk away with the theme in their minds. 

Our research heavily informed both the creative decisions of both me and my partner and how we used or challenged conventions. We studied short comedies like Skipped, which rely on repetition, escalation of awkward situations, and building humor through failure. This directly influenced the structure of the film. As in the short film before his successful act of kindness, Felipe fails a few times, and the eventual success is even more fulfilling. Contrary to most traditional narratives where the protagonist finds success within a very short period of time, our film takes a different approach, demonstrating that adopting to a new lifestyle is not easy and reinforces the idea that kindness can be achieved but not easily. On the promotional part, we investigated the way independent short films and comedy campaigns advertise themselves on Instagram. Posts such as behind-the-scenes and shareable funny videos were heavily influenced by other campaigns. 

Overall, the campaign for One Flip Away successfully blends humor and a valuable message about how even though sometimes it is difficult to find it, you will always be one flip closer to it. The film delivers this message, the postcard provides audiences with a memorable piece, and the Instagram post drives engagement within the digital sphere providing with a form of marketing especially when the target audience is composed of predominantly media heavy generation. All three aspects of the campaign play a role in achieving the film to be successful, all coming together to create a strong sense of branding.