CCR Post

     My film is called " The Pain You Don't See"; it takes a small glimpse into how depression might appear for some and how it makes an individual feel. It can alter behaviors and even interfere with a person's social life. 

     I title it " The Pain You Don't See," because when people are struggling, they often don't share that with others. A lot of times, they find comfort in themselves and shut others out. I originally wanted to show how different depression can be for some people, but I feel the audience didn't understand.

 So, after a few editing changes, I portrayed the film I had in my mind. My film represents three teens and how alone they feel. It also showcases the thoughts that these kids have every day that no one ever knew about.

    At the beginning of the year, I created a short film based on things I experienced. I began to think about my high school experience and how that impacted me. As a teenager and someone who has taken advanced classes, I noticed that many people around me suffered from some form of mental illness. 

    I saw that many of my classmates suffered from depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, and anxiety. Their mental health issues developed over time, and no one ever noticed. I have had struggles with anxiety and depression due to a high-stress environment, and it was the same for many of my friends. 

    I chose this film topic because I wanted our voices heard. I wanted people to notice those around them and see their struggle. While my film has to do with those battling depression, it also helps the people around them identify the signs. My product is an ideal representation of advocacy toward mental health. Mental health issues play a significant role in other underlying negative behaviors and are one of the most critical social issues in the modern world. 

    Researching before I began my life gave me a sense of direction. In addition, it provided me with insight that was necessary to depict the emotions people feel when struggling with depression accurately. It also helped me direct my actors.

     I had to explain what to do, what feelings to express, how to sound, and even something as simple as how they should walk. I understood how to depict and execute mental health struggles as both the screenwriter and director. I portrayed the thoughts, feelings, and behavior that added depth to my characters. This depth made my characters feel more authentic and further established the theme of my film. 

    The film overall is very engaging with its audience. As I mentioned, the film was inspired by my personal life and classmates' experiences. This makes it relatable to a broad audience. I targeted teens and young adults because there has been a recent rise in mental health issues in these age groups. 

    My film allows my audience to look at their own lives and reflect on how this specific issue has affected them or played a role in their lives. It also builds awareness of the issue. Depression is an issue that affects roughly 3.8 percent of the world's population. 

    There are also many skewed misconceptions about depression and how it affects people. Society tends to assume that struggling with depression only includes sadness. It is more than that and consists of poor concentration, mood changes, lack of energy, and often a sense of guilt. That is what people feel when they are experiencing depression. 

    It allows the viewer to feel a genuine emotional connection with the characters and understand and pay attention. They might even see themselves in the film. What started as a glimpse into another's life can quickly become a mirror that allows people to face their reality. 

    I wanted to represent my product, especially regarding the elements I used and the stylistic choices. I originally wanted a typical short film, but then I reconsidered because I saw that the message behind my film was impactful. It became more of a notice video and sought to educate others on the signs of depression.

     As a result, I kept everything relatively simple, from the text to the colors I used—essentially, it's a matter of branding and maintaining the overall look and feeling somewhat cohesive. One of the elements I focused on the most was the colors I used, which were black and white. I picked the colors because of what they represent. 

    Black alludes to depression and adds weight to the film. There is also a means of sophistication when utilizing the color black. Black also portrays the bleakness that the character feels at the moment. The music I used was also gloomy. I wanted the film to be portrayed as very somber, and my music choices set the brand. 

    My branding did not only apply to my film but also to the social media pages. I created an Instagram account for the film that kept the same color scheme and style. My film also utilzed dialouge as an elemt. The dialogue was the same throughout the film. The voices were isolated and sounded sad. I created this uniformity in order to truly represent the thoughts of someone with a mental health crisis. 

Overall, I enjoyed making this film because it is an issue that is dear to my heart. The message behind the film also makes it very impactful for me and, hopefully, to my audience as well. This film not only discusses mental health but it showcases it in a way that could potentially help decrease the negative stigma. I hope that after watching my film, people will be inspired and will want to help others. I also hope that it bridges a gap in society and sheds more light on how dangerous this issue could become.