#61 Research: How Campaigns Use TikTok and Instagram

    Hey everyone, today I will be talking about the social media trends for campaign engagement. I will explain furthermore as part of my own research. 

    Today I’ve been looking at how real campaigns actually use TikTok and Instagram (aka my favorite social media apps) to get people’s attention. I’ve been thinking about how people go from just scrolling (which I do a lot) to actually engaging with content and how campaigns use that to build an audience.

    I’ve learned that short videos are the main way campaigns grab attention now. TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are designed for fast scrolling, so the content has to be quick, engaging, and easy to interact with. Most of the videos I’ve seen are around 15–30 seconds and focus on one thing like catching attention, explaining a single idea, or getting people to comment or share.

    I started noticing patterns, especially on TikTok. A lot of trends go viral across different platforms, but it’s not just random it’s the algorithm. I did some research and found out that posting random videos doesn’t really build an audience. It’s actually how the algorithm pushes content based on watch time, interaction, and relevance.

This video helped me understand how TikTok’s algorithm works and why it matters for campaigns:

What Else I Found:

Trending hashtags are another big part of campaign success. They help create an identity and make the content easier to find. When someone clicks on a hashtag, it brings them to all the related posts — which is perfect for building a community around a campaign.

Challenges are also super effective. They invite people to be part of the content instead of just watching. I’ve seen campaigns ask people to duet a video, share their own version of something, or respond with their story. It makes the media feel interactive and personal.

What I’m Planning:
Now I’m figuring out how to use all this research for my own campaign. My main focus is:

        - Creating TikToks and Reels that grab attention quickly and make people want to interact
        - Using hashtags that connect to my campaign and help build a bigger audience
        - Designing a challenge that people can join in on something fun but meaningful that fits the                   tone of my project

#60 Research: Building the Mood of Static

    Hi everyone! Today I’m building a mood board to help me plan the visual style of my film campaign. I’m working with Madison Velasquez and Ethan Sanchez on our psychological thriller Static, and right now we’re collecting ideas for how our trailer and poster should look. This mood board is part of our research it’s helping us figure out what kind of colors, lighting, fonts, and layout match the tone we want.

Focus:
I’m collecting recurring aesthetic features, color palettes, and stylish choices that match the psychological thriller genre and the emotional tone of Static. I did research more on the genre because I’m still not sure if I’m going to keep going with the whole psychological genre but I’m liking the looks of it and I can’t wait to tell my team makes. As well as it also fitting in with our theme!

Since my case study is A24, I’ve been looking at films like The Front Room, Talk to Me, and Hereditary. These campaigns use a lot of dark tones, minimal layouts, and emotional close-ups. I’m focusing on how those choices create suspense and vulnerability without giving too much away.

Evidence:
Here’s how I’m organizing my mood board so far, and I've listed it the best way I could show because I don't like all that clutter

MOODBOARD:

- Color Palette
    - Deep reds and blacks = danger, fear
    - Muted greys = emotional tension
    - Occasional gold or white = contrast, hidden truth

- Lighting
    - Shadows across the face = mystery and vulnerability
    - Backlighting = isolation or emotional distance
    - Low-key setups = suspense and unease

- Typography
    - Serif fonts = serious tone
    - All caps or spaced letters = cinematic feel

    - Minimal text = focus on emotion

- Framing and Layout
    - One central character with layered visuals = emotional focus and hidden layers
    - Empty space = tension and isolation
    - Reflections or distortion = dual identity or secrets

- Mood and Emotion
    - Vulnerable expressions
    - Glitch effects or visual noise
    - A sense that something’s wrong but not obvious

Reflection:
    This mood board helps me stay focused while planning the campaign with Madison and Ethan.
We haven’t started filming yet, but this research gives us a clear direction. I want Static to feel tense and mysterious, but also emotional and personal. By collecting these design features, I can make sure our trailer, poster, and social media content all match in tone. That way, everything feels like part of the same world.

    I’m also thinking about how the audience will read these visuals. If we use shadows and glitch effects, they’ll expect something psychological and intense. If we show vulnerable expressions and layered visuals, they’ll know the story has emotional depth. That’s why this mood board matters it helps us make intentional choices instead of random ones.

#59 Research: Representation in The Front Room

    Hi everybody! Today I will be talking about applying Stuart Hall’s Representation theory to my film trailers. Since my case study is based on A24, I decided to look at The Front Room (2024), which is a psychological thriller that really caught my attention. It’s a great example of how representation can be used to challenge stereotypes, especially around gender and power.

    My focus is that I’m analyzing how The Front Room represents women using Stuart Hall’s theory, which is all about how meaning is created through language, imagery, and how audiences interpret what they see.

    In this film, Brandy Norwood plays a pregnant woman who’s forced to live with her controlling mother-in-law. What stood out to me is how the film doesn’t just show her as a helpless victim instead, she’s portrayed as strong, emotionally complex, and quietly powerful. This challenges the usual stereotype of women in horror or thriller films being passive or weak.

    My evidence, here’s what I noticed in the trailer and poster that shows this representation:

Trailer: The trailer uses dim lighting, slow camera movements, and close-ups of Brandy’s face to show her emotional state. She’s often framed alone, which creates a feeling of isolation, but also makes her the clear focus. Her expressions shift between fear, strength, and suspicion showing that she’s not just reacting, she’s thinking and surviving. This supports Hall’s idea that meaning is created through performance and how the audience reads it.

Poster: The poster shows Brandy’s character sitting in a dark room, lit from behind. The shadows around her create a mysterious and tense atmosphere. She’s dressed simply, but her posture and expression suggest she’s not someone to underestimate. The use of red and black in the background adds to the feeling of danger and psychological pressure. This visual language tells us she’s in a threatening situation but also hints that she might not be powerless.

Reflection:

Looking at The Front Room helped me think about how I want to represent characters in my own film project (Static) that I want to do with my teammates. 

I don’t want to rely on basic stereotypes like the “damsel in distress” or the “evil villain.” Instead, I want to create characters who feel real and have real people's day to day emotions. If I include a female lead, I want her to have agency and complexity, just like Brandy’s character, which I think Madison Velasquez should play which Ethan and I have discussed with Madison to give her that lead role. I also want to use mise-en-scène like lighting, costume, and framing to show hidden emotions or power dynamics just to show off some of the things I've learned from my AS and A level classes of Media Studies.

Stuart Hall’s theory reminded me that audiences don’t just accept what they see they interpret it. So, I need to think about how different people might read the characters, and make sure I’m being thoughtful and purposeful with how my team and I represent them.

#58 Research: Studying A24 Through Hesmondhalgh’s Theory

    Hey everyone, today I’ll be talking about Hesmondhalgh’s Cultural Industries theory and how it connects to A24, the independent film company I’ve been researching. I chose A24 because it’s known for producing bold, creative films like Moonlight, Hereditary, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Even though it’s not part of a massive conglomerate, it still works like a media company that wants to reduce risk while supporting artistic voices. That’s why I think it’s a great example for understanding Hesmondhalgh’s ideas.

My focus:

    I’m researching the ownership and control of A24 and applying Hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries theory to understand how they balance creativity with risk.

    A24 is privately owned and not part of a big media group like Disney or Warner Bros. That gives it more freedom to take creative risks, but it still has to think about profit and audience reach. Hesmondhalgh’s theory says that cultural industries try to balance creativity with risk, and I can see how A24 does this by choosing films that feel original but still have emotional or visual appeal that can attract wider audiences. 

    Like I went over in my blog #55 A24 has a lot of luck because although it's not as big as Disney A24 has more ability to take risk and that's what makes some of these movies more popular than other movies.

Evidence:

Here’s what I found when breaking down A24’s structure and goals:

• Ownership: It’s privately held, founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges

• Valuation: It was recently valued at $3.5 billion after investment from Thrive Capital

• Distribution: A24 handles its own releases and works with platforms like Apple TV and Showtime

• Marketing: They have their own team and a strong social media presence

• Goal: To support visionary filmmakers while still staying commercially successful

Even though A24 isn’t part of a huge conglomerate, it still uses vertical integration meaning they control production, distribution, and marketing. That helps reduce financial risk and keeps their brand strong.

My own reflection: 

Thinking about my own film project (Static), I’ve learned a lot from how A24 works.

    A24’s campaigns always look professional and stylish. Whether it’s The Front Room, Talk to Me, or Lady Bird, the posters, trailers, and social media post all match in tone and visuals. That’s part of how they manage risk by building a strong brand identity that audiences trust. If a film looks like “an A24 film,” people are more likely to watch it, even if the story is unusual or risky.

    For Static, I want to use similar strategies. I’ll focus on strong visual aesthetics, a clear genre (psychological thriller), and a serious tone that feels professional. But I also want to keep it creative maybe by using glitch effects, surreal lighting, or unexpected character choices. Hesmondhalgh’s theory reminds me that I don’t have to play it safe to succeed. I just need to make sure my trailer and poster feel polished and connected, so the audience knows what kind of experience they’re getting.

    All in all, A24 for me just worked and I felt like there films have many genres and that has helped me a lot because I'm using information from my case study to further my research for my own film with my teammates Ethan Sanchez and Madison Velasquez.

#57 Research: Applying Barthes' Semantic Codes to a Poster

    Hey everyone, today I will be talking about how Barthes’ Semantic Codes apply to the poster for The Front Room (2024), a psychological horror-thriller from A24. I chose this poster because I’m currently researching ideas for my own film campaign (Static), and I want to understand how professional posters show genre, tone, and character through visuals. I haven’t started filming or planning my own poster yet, but I’m collecting inspiration and this one really stood out to me.

Barthes’ Codes in The Front Room Poster:

• Action Code: The way the character is framed sitting still but surrounded by darkness makes it feel like something is about to happen. It’s like the calm before the storm, and it gives off this creepy tension that fits the thriller vibe.

• Enigma Code: The poster doesn’t tell us much. We don’t know who the character is or what’s going on, and that mystery pulls you in. It makes you ask: what’s her role? Is she in danger? Is she the danger?

• Symbolic Code: The contrast between the dark shadows and the bright light on her face really stood out to me. To me, the light behind her shows that she’s the good person in the story like she’s surrounded by darkness but still holding onto something pure or safe. It’s a small detail, but it says a lot.

Evidence:

 

Denotation (What We See):

• A dark, shadowy background

• A woman (Brandy Norwood) sitting alone, lit from behind

• A red and black color palette

• A clean, sharp serif font for the title

• A simple layout with no extra characters or text

Connotation (What It Means):

• The red and black colors give off a feeling of danger, fear, and maybe even violence which fits the psychological thriller genre.

• The shadows create a mysterious and scary atmosphere, like something is hiding or watching.

• Her formal clothing and serious expression suggest she’s important to the story, maybe caught in a situation she can’t control.

• The bright light behind her face, to me, shows she’s the “good” character like she’s trying to stay strong in a dark situation.

• The clean font makes the poster feel serious and controlled, which adds to the tension.

Reflection:

What specific codes must you embed in your poster to ensure your audience immediately understands the genre and message?

    Even though I haven’t started designing my poster for Static yet, this research gave me a lot of ideas. I want to use a dark color palette too maybe blacks, greys, and deep reds to show that Static is a psychological thriller. I also want to play with lighting, like using shadows to hide parts of the character’s face or background, and maybe a small light source to show hope or truth. For the font, I’ll probably go with something clean and sharp like The Front Room uses, because it makes the tone feel serious and intense. I also like the idea of keeping the layout simple one main character, one strong emotion, and not too much going on in the background. That way, the audience focuses on what really matters.

#56 Research: Textual Analysis of Campaign Synergy

    Hey everyone, today I will be talking about, textual analysis of campaign synergy about the film The Front Room released in (2024). 

Poster: 

    Poster: The official poster features Brandy in a dimly lit, eerie setting, with a muted color palette and bold serif typography. The image of her isolated in a shadowy room sets the tone for psychological tension and domestic horror.

Trailer:

    Trailer: The trailer uses slow pacing, unsettling music, and close-up shots to build suspense. It matches the poster’s mood claustrophobic, emotional, and tense.

• Social Media: A24’s Instagram and Twitter posts use stills from the film, quotes from Brandy’s character, and behind-the-scenes clips. The posts maintain the same color tones and emotional intensity, reinforcing the film’s identity.

Repeated Visual:

• Color palette: Using the same colors (e.g. dark reds, neon blues, muted greys) across all platforms.

• Lighting style: For example, The Front Room uses dim, moody lighting to create suspense.

• Main character focus: Showing the same character in similar poses or expressions across poster and trailer.

• Props or symbols: A creepy object (like the embalmed hand in Talk to Me) or a location that keeps showing up.

• Typography: Using the same font style and size in the title, credits, and social media posts.

• Mood or tone: If the trailer feels tense and claustrophobic, the poster and Instagram posts should match that feeling.

Examples from The Front Room:

• Visual motif: The mother-in-law character is shown in shadow or staring directly at the camera this builds unease.

• Color: Posters and trailer use dark tones with soft lighting to create a closed-in, eerie feeling.

• Font: A24 uses clean serif fonts that feel serious and classic, matching the psychological tone.

#55 Research: Regulation Project

    Hey everyone, the video I will be showing today is my regulation project I did. I broke down regulation as well as connected it to my case study, I hope you all enjoy!

This is my video:

My thumbnail I created on Canva:

#54 Research: Credits & Cuts

    Hey guys, so for this part of my research, I’m looking at final credits and opening titles, and honestly, I didn’t realize how much they matter until I actually paid attention. Like, there’s a whole science behind the typography, the timing, and even the order things show up. It’s way more intentional than I thought.

Here’s a YouTube example that fits what I’m talking about:

This video is perfect because you can literally see how long each name stays on screen, how clean the layout is, and where all the production info goes. It’s simple but still looks super professional.

Opening Titles:

When I look at opening titles, I notice they always match the vibe of the film. Since my film is a thriller, I’m probably going to use sharper fonts, weird shapes, maybe even flickering text to give it that creepy, tense feeling. Opening titles are basically the first impression, so I want mine to set the mood right away.

Credits are usually the opposite clean, simple, white text on a black background. Very organized. Very controlled. No distractions.

Legal Stuff & Acknowledgements:

Another thing I didn’t expect to matter this much is all the legal information. Stuff like company logos, copyright dates, and music credits always show up in professional examples. And they’re placed neatly not just thrown in randomly. It makes everything look way more official.

What I’ve Learned:

Honestly, I didn’t think final credits and opening titles were that deep… but now I get it. They actually make your whole project look way more put‑together if you do them right.

For my film, I want my titles and credits to be clean, readable, and consistent with the rest of my project. So I’m going to:

- pick a thriller‑style font that’s still easy to read

- avoid anything too decorative or distracting

- match the color scheme with my posters and trailer

- make sure the text stands out clearly against the background

- time each credit so it’s not too fast or too slow

I’m also going to include all the production roles director, editor, camera, actors, and anyone who helped plus music credits. Little details like that make the whole film feel more professional instead of rushed.

Overall, planning out my titles and credits properly is going to make my film look way cleaner and way more official.

#53 Research: Hesmondhalgh in a Nutshell

    Hey guys, so today I’m talking about Hesmondhalgh’s theory and how it connects to a big media company but this time using my own case study with A24 and Sean Baker.

    I ended up looking into A24 because they’re basically the “Goliath” in the indie film world. They’re not a giant like Disney or Warner Bros., but they’re still super influential and have their hands in some of the biggest modern films. A24 works across production and distribution, and they’ve built this reputation for supporting bold, original movies like Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Even though they’re independent, they still operate kind of like a mini‑conglomerate because they control a lot of the process and know how to market their films to big audiences.

    Sean Baker is the total opposite he’s my “David.” He’s an independent filmmaker who writes, directs, and produces his own movies with tiny teams and small budgets. He uses real locations, non‑actors, and focuses on people who don’t usually get represented in mainstream media. Films like Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and Anora feel super raw and personal, which is exactly what makes his work stand out.

Flow Chart:

- Goliath: A24
- David: Sean Baker
- A24 Focus: Production + Distribution of original films
- Baker’s Focus: Independent filmmaking with small teams and real‑world settings
- A24’s Reach: Theatrical releases, streaming partnerships, global marketing
- Baker’s Reach: Festivals, online buzz, social media, word‑of‑mouth

What I’ve Learned:

    For my own film trailer, I actually used A24 and Sean Baker as inspiration. A24 gives me ideas for strong visuals, a clear genre, and that clean, professional vibe that makes a film feel polished. But Baker inspires me in a different way he reminds me that you can still be creative, personal, and original even without a huge budget or a massive company behind you.

    Hesmondhalgh talks about how media companies try to balance creativity with what audiences expect, and I see that so clearly here. A24 tries to be artistic but still marketable. Baker takes risks and doesn’t follow the “safe” formula at all. So, for my trailer, I want to mix both: keep it visually strong and appealing like A24, but still make sure it feels like me and not just a copy of something that already exists.

Basically, this case study helped me understand how different levels of power in the film industry affect creativity and how I can use that balance in my own work.