Critical Reflection

W*tch a short film thats seeks to represent highschool life and the problems present on the experience of a teenage girl. Follows Claire in a a narrative with first person interrumptions, this shortfilm focuses on the desire to belong. 

This shortfilm took big inspiration from Mark Waters' mean girls. Analyzing this film's structure and its characters was a vital for the writting of the script. Mean girls uses stereotypes as a base to build its commentary. A particular scene were all the clique's are identified in the cafeteria exemplifies this point. But its characters don't just stay at the stereotype level, as their evolution is either tied to breaking free from their stereotype which would become a flaw, or it is independent to it.  Witch uses stereotypes in different ways. For the antagonistic figure witch takes a very similar approach as Mean Girls on how it introduces Regina George. The Queen Bee stereotype. But this shortfilm also uses this conventions almost as a cover, just like how people may have a facade that isn't their true self. This can be seen in the basic concept of the plot, the popular girls hide the fact that what tags the group together is witchcraft. And it can also be seen on the characters as their for example Sarina, one of the popular girls in the inside is conflicted with selfth worth and insecurity. This inspired in a big way by Mean Girls, as the final resolution to this film is the splitting of the group, ending the steryotype, and moving on.

Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

Mean Girls also makes use of very particular storytelling. A very subjective narrative is present in different shapes and forms throughout the whole film. The comparision to teenagers to animals and highschool to a zoo are only tied to Cady's character due to her context. A similar but more direct comparation is seen in W*tch as the word Witch gains a second meaning, not only due to the practice of witchcraft, but also due to the superficial and mean behaviour of the popular girls. The main convention that meangirls helped break is the third person narrative, which is almost default to cinema. Mean girls uses a first person narrator in Cady and as mentioned other elements attached to her perspective. Among them some of the other characters break the fourth wall and for moments it feels like an interview. For W*tch the fourth wall is broken and combined with a first person narrator. And also a physical space  "The void" that represents the characters mind were she is described to be trapped, and she would be forced to fall deeper into due to the spell at the climax of the piece. This unconventional elements brings audiences closer to the characters, and allow to present a clear thesis on how 

Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

(Claire breaking the fourth wall while in the void)

This narrative was neccesary in order to achieve the main goal of representing highschool teenage girls. Allowing the character to adress the camera, when the other characters couldn't hear her gives a space for all those thoughts that remain trapped due to the environment and struggles that come with it.  Women have been alwaays subject to very high expectations of many kinds. A patriarcal society has made them play by standards that are not their own, when they should seek to be their own person. This enhaces the already inherent search of belonging present in highschool, developing other problems such as social hierarchies based on superficial matters, insecurity and performativity. The combination of all of this problems has enough strenght to carry the whole conflict of  the film. Through characters like Claire and Sarina, the film highlights the thin line that sepparates the ego, from insecurities. Enhacing this through the use of witchcraft as a metaphor for what people hide, portraying how some teenagers hide their true selves in order to fit into social expectations. Being a feeling that the target audience, all the way from teenage girls to young and even older adults, could relate too, as it represents a stage of their life that they went trough or are currently on. 

(Claire is nervous before she enters her classroom)

Worrying more about looks, seeking approval, among others are behaviours that are developed for some on highschool. A common and universal expierence has to be portrayed in order for the ending of the film were the characters break free from this cycle, can have more impact and resonate as an aswer for its audience. In order to reinforce the representation real life research was neccesary. A man doesn't have much to say about the life of a teenager girl in highschool. And he must not write other people stories for them, but with them. Here some credits to his girlfriend and sister who helped in the process of writting. By telling their experiences. Special importance to the ones about separating ways with friends from middleschool when highschool came. 

This personal experience driven story leads to a very intimate tone. The film engages its audience primarily through its use of direct address and subjective storytelling, but this also oppened the door to engage audiencestrough a balance of comedic and dramatic elements. During research, coming from the previous abandoned idea, tragicomedy was the chosen genre. As it was the most common genre in which the fourth wall was broken. As this approach would also allow a deeper connection with the main character, as different facets of her person could be expressed to the audience, making them care more. It could get saturating if the only thing the main caracter did when she directly adressed the audience was complain. Thus the importance of tiny moments were she can just joke with the audience, and show herselfvulnerable in different ways. This without abandoning the dramatic components, since as mentioned it is an intimate story were the drama moves the story, while the comedy decorates it. 

(Claire adressing the audience directly)

With the importance of both comedy and drama explained. It is important to state the challenge that it is to make them coexist. A bad change between this two can really ruin the engagement of the audience. So the change can't be so abrupt. Thus W*tch's answer for this was carrying this changes thorugh music. It plays a fundamental role to really changing the mood of the scenes, while still mantaining a similar tone on its dialogues. For instance,  Andreina's first appearance is accompanied by a playful jazz song, that helps exagerate her characterization as the Queen Bee.

Understanding who the film intends to represent, the branding orbitates around its target audience, and the witchcraft which comes to be the differential element of the piece. From an aesthetic the witchcraft is dominant, as the use of the tarot cards represents a main design element. This resembling a very common practice of modern witchcraft and an important scene on the film. Other aspects like the recurring stars in the background comes from the connection between tarot and astrology as many of the cards are directly linked to astrological signs or planets. The phonts also recall the ones one could find on magic books, or fairy tales mantaining a cohesive aesthetic. 

An important way in which W*tch resonates with its target audience is by parallels with other movies. Aligning aspects of other movies branding to its own. With a target audience focused on woman, the film relies on relatable experiences that a big portion of them could connect to. With a widder age range, the brand is developed on instagram through posts of different movies from three different decades. Enhacing how it seeks to portray a sort of universal female experience. 

Lehmann, M. (Director). (1988). Heathers [Film]. New World Pictures.

Fleming, A. (Director). (1996). The Craft [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

This shortfilm illustartes how by understanding your audience and the purpouse of a story guides all your decisions. From what you research, to how you advertice on social media. A sense of branding comes with the interaction with an audience, it is crucial to make sure your audiences can tell who is being represented on the story. As a writter this was a big challeged, but by collaborating with my team and the use of different elements such as first person narrative, sound design, conventions of comedy and drama, I was able to push trough a challenging story.