Participants had a chance to view and consider the film prior to the meeting. Some reported that they tried to view the film on their phones; however the link to the film did not work. This is concerning as my target demographic tend to rely on mobile devices for information so I wanted this to be rectified for easy access. I therefore researched this problem online, however was disappointed to find I would have build the whole website again from scratch and apply a different format for it to work on a mobile device. I did not have time for this before my final deadline, but came up with the solution of including two possible play buttons for my film on the website, one suitable for a computer and one for a mobile device, which redirects the viewer to Ostracised on my YouTube account.
I arranged my final focus group to analyse the final draft of Ostracised and encouraged discussion based on the following questions. Some particularly relevant comments are below.
1. After reading the project description, did you find the film challenging as a viewer, or easy to interpret? Did it keep your attention?
"The message became clearer as the film progressed although I was a bit puzzled by the white paper initially; however I realised it could represent the hope of self expression, indicating that individuals can express their own story and take control, even though they find it difficult and many seemingly futile attempts to be strong are made."
"Certainly held my attention. Quite dark and oppressive."
"The element of uncertainty at points kept my attention as I wanted to fully understand the message within the film."
"Some scenes are very clear on their meaning such as the beginning with the actress in the pyjamas, however some other scenes could be left to the viewer’s imagination. Watching the video it kept my attention enough that I wanted to know the ending."
"After reading the project description I did find it fairly easy to interpret and understand. It definitely kept my attention, it was incredibly engaging and very interesting to watch."
"I found it gripping and very hard to watch in the sense that it was very dark and scary. I was intrigued to see where each scene was going and I could really feel the raw emotions portrayed in this film."
"Very attention-grabbing visuals and sound effects. The clearest element was the final scene when 'She' was stripped of her 'acceptance finery' and laid bare in her renewed isolation. The earlier elements were less clear and needed the description of the film to bring out the meaning."
The overall feedback suggested the film had kept everyone's attention throughout, though some found interpretation of parts easier than others. All participants were engaged enough to try to interpret the scenes, which was an objective of the film as I wanted to encourage its viewers to question the imagery and make their own interpretation. The variety of interpretations encouraged conversation about how the character was feeling in each scene and therefore how victims of discrimination would feel and how they felt they would feel in her circumstances, encouraging empathy with the victim. The pile of white paper became a main focus of our discussions, as it was one of the less clear reference points. It was very rewarding to hear how engaged my participants were with trying to understand each others viewpoints and I was delighted to hear that every participant found the film thought-provoking, encouraging appreciation of the victim's emotions.
2. How did you feel when watching the film? Did you empathise with the main character's emotions and circumstances?
"The judgemental whispering coming from others, heard from her perspective was powerful. But was some of the whispering the anguish in her own head?"
"I did empathise with the main character. She did not express any facial emotion, an indicator of inner turmoil when someone is putting on a face for the world."
"The emotion was felt by the viewer through the laboured and stressed breathing."
"While watching this film, I felt deeply involved with someone’s struggles with depression, loneliness and the feeling of having to do everything in a certain way – the way that society wants them to and could feel the frustration of attempting to achieve this."
"It is a physical interpretation of what discrimination has had on someone’s mental health."
"The part as ‘She’ was at the desk with the man watching over her was also slightly haunting, which I related to way in which the worry of what society wants from people can be haunting to someone’s mentality."
"I could understand how they were feeling and in a way relate to wanting to fit in with society norms."
"Then watching ‘She’ being stripped back down after coming so far within society became emotional as a viewer as I felt I had followed a journey of acceptance and then watching this be stripped away created a sense of despair towards ‘She’."
"Internalisation, self questioning and self doubt."
"It made me feel sad to see how she was being treated and how she must have felt. Especially with the bit where her hair has been styled to cover her face, she looked as though she felt trapped."
"I cant begin to imagine how she must have felt with that sort of constant whispering going on. I definitely empathised with the main characters emotions and circumstances."
"I felt very scared as there were a lot of very sudden and sporadic movements which made me feel very uneasy and on edge. I think this was good as it made it very easy to share the emotions that a victim may feel and to really experience the emotions rather than just watch it. If felt very interactive."
"I found that the character appears to be in quite a dark place in their life, the part where they removed most of the clothes and makeup, followed by whispering, I saw it has her feeling very naked and exposed to everyone talking about her and judging her."
"Where she was being undressed from being incredibly made up, to being almost naked, it made me think that she was wearing a facade to hide how she truly felt and who she was, in order to fit into society. The whole film shows just how vulnerable she is."
I felt extremely overwhelmed by the volume of positive feedback. I was delighted to hear that all my participants felt empathy towards the main character and how it made some of them reflect on their own feelings. I was pleased with the accurate interpretation of She's emotions throughout her journey and found it rewarding how connected the participants became to the character's fragile mental state. I felt this question was extremely successful as creating empathy was a main objective of the film. The last comment intrigued me, because her interpretation was not as intended. It was interesting how she viewed the removal of the blazer differently, but still concluded with the same message of She wanting to fit into society. I don't see this feedback as a negative, as individual interpretation is encouraged by the film.
3. How does the content compare with other educational films you have been shown? Have you watched an avant-garde educational film before?
"This educational film differs to others as it is only made with sound effects and not with songs, narration or text, which means that the viewer is able to interpret the film and messages portrayed for themselves."
"It allows people the opportunity to relate it to themselves and can create feelings within that maybe they have not felt before. For example, I understand loneliness in my own head but watching the first part of this film it created feelings that were haunting and how loneliness can be a very haunting feeling for some people."
"I have never watched an avant-garde fashion film before."
"I haven't watched any avant-garde educational films before and I think it's good as it leaves the viewer up to their own interpretation to some extent, of what is happening to this character. What I noticed was that it sparked real emotion in me while I was watching it."
"I think it's good to hear about real life experiences and as much as they make you feel awful and very sympathetic I think this film really helped to see exactly how the victim may feel; trapped, uneasy, worried, anxious."
The focus group had little experience of avant-garde films and I am excited to introduce a wide range of students to this genre. The participants responded positively to the opportunity to interpret the story to possibly relate to their own feelings as opposed to when an educational film tells a victim's story, however feedback did suggest that there is a place for both types of educational film. I think my project offers both formats in that I am working with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which does offer a victim's own personal story, which is easily accessible through my website. The feedback that most participants were unfamiliar with the avant-garde educational format confirmed that my film is innovative in this sector, making it more intriguing and engaging as it has such a unique approach. I deliberately did not use narration, text or song lyrics in my film as I didn't want them to sway the viewers' interpretations; I was delighted to hear some participants thought the ominous sound effects aided their individual interpretation as a comparison.
4. Most educational films about anti-bullying/anti-discrimination have a victim talking directly to the camera about their experiences. Do you think this type of film would be well received by your age group as an alternative?
"I believe that Ostracised would definitely be well received by my age group as it conjures up feelings and questions for us to interpret and understand."
"Throughout the film it allows the viewer to question themselves. Maybe society would change its view on what it can do to someone mentally not just physically."
"Every viewer becomes an individual by being allowed to interpret the film in their own way, without a narrator or words telling them how to interpret it."
"Because the model is anonymous to the viewers, she represents bullying as a whole rather than an individual victim. I feel that a victim talking directly to the camera may not be as engaging as a storyline/video, therefore more accepting for the age group that it’s aimed at."
"I personally think that listening to other people's stories provokes more empathy and feeling from the viewer, but saying that it can be quite boring just watching a person speak into a camera, I think it may depend on the person and their understanding of what the educational film means."
"I think it's a very useful tool but personally I would say to have as well as real life stories as examples."
"It's easy to hear someone say "it made me feel sad and alone" but this film really portrays the deep, dark and raw emotions that victims may experience and makes you really understand the emotions and question your own behaviour."
I was eager to hear whether my participants thought this new format would be effective as an alternative to the more conventional style of educational film, as it challenges their expectations.
I was pleased that the majority of my feedback was positive, with most participants agreeing that this new format conjures up more emotion through interpretation. However, one participant preferred the traditional format, feeling it evoked more sympathy from the viewer to hear a real story, and a second felt a combination of film in both formats would be most effective. I feel fortunate to be collaborating with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, as both these formats are therefore available, as watching my film will lead the viewers to being introduced to the charity and subsequently Sophie's story. I did not expect every participant to be completely accepting of this abstract approach. However, I hope to target a wide audience to make this format become more acknowledged as a successful tool.
5. After seeing the film, did you just dismiss it, or did some of the content leave a lasting impression on you?
"The self harming, hurting on the skin of herself and of others to her was shocking but the pummelling of others then turned to a message of support from others which is what victims of bullying and abuse need."
"The use of different age groups was great as abuse is not exclusively within the realm of the young."
"There is no way to dismiss this film because the whole thing left a lasting impression."
"Continual self-questioning and reflection were created throughout the film and even after watching it this continues."
"The lasting effect of this film shows how overwhelming the feelings of being discriminated are and how someone’s battle with it can be frustrating and depressive."
"After having watched the film I feel sorry for the character and can feel empathy for her experiences. If I became aware that someone I knew was being bullied/feeling this way, I would be inclined to step in."
"I want to help the main character! I think it gives a great insight into the mental implications of bullying and discrimination that you don't really get from accounts as such."
I think the ability for an educational film to leave a lasting impression is vital in changing people's attitudes and views. I was delighted to hear that my participants felt Ostracised had an profound emotional impact on them. The comment I was most proud of was when a participant said if she became aware that someone she knew was being bullied or felt this way, she would be inclined to step in. I felt this comment was very rewarding because the film had clearly made enough of an impact on her to change her views on discrimination and it motivated me to continue to circulate the film and produce further educational films on similar social issues. Another rewarding comment was the feedback that a participant wanted to help the main character as it confirmed that she had connected emotionally with the character and would therefore hopefully apply this empathy to other victims. An aspect that I think helped to create this lasting impression was the self-questioning and self-reflection encouraged from the audience.
I am so grateful to all the participants for their honest feedback. It helped me to determine whether my project's final outcome was successful in meeting my initial objectives.
I arranged my final focus group to analyse the final draft of Ostracised and encouraged discussion based on the following questions. Some particularly relevant comments are below.
1. After reading the project description, did you find the film challenging as a viewer, or easy to interpret? Did it keep your attention?
"The message became clearer as the film progressed although I was a bit puzzled by the white paper initially; however I realised it could represent the hope of self expression, indicating that individuals can express their own story and take control, even though they find it difficult and many seemingly futile attempts to be strong are made."
"Certainly held my attention. Quite dark and oppressive."
"The element of uncertainty at points kept my attention as I wanted to fully understand the message within the film."
"Some scenes are very clear on their meaning such as the beginning with the actress in the pyjamas, however some other scenes could be left to the viewer’s imagination. Watching the video it kept my attention enough that I wanted to know the ending."
"After reading the project description I did find it fairly easy to interpret and understand. It definitely kept my attention, it was incredibly engaging and very interesting to watch."
"I found it gripping and very hard to watch in the sense that it was very dark and scary. I was intrigued to see where each scene was going and I could really feel the raw emotions portrayed in this film."
"Very attention-grabbing visuals and sound effects. The clearest element was the final scene when 'She' was stripped of her 'acceptance finery' and laid bare in her renewed isolation. The earlier elements were less clear and needed the description of the film to bring out the meaning."
The overall feedback suggested the film had kept everyone's attention throughout, though some found interpretation of parts easier than others. All participants were engaged enough to try to interpret the scenes, which was an objective of the film as I wanted to encourage its viewers to question the imagery and make their own interpretation. The variety of interpretations encouraged conversation about how the character was feeling in each scene and therefore how victims of discrimination would feel and how they felt they would feel in her circumstances, encouraging empathy with the victim. The pile of white paper became a main focus of our discussions, as it was one of the less clear reference points. It was very rewarding to hear how engaged my participants were with trying to understand each others viewpoints and I was delighted to hear that every participant found the film thought-provoking, encouraging appreciation of the victim's emotions.
2. How did you feel when watching the film? Did you empathise with the main character's emotions and circumstances?
"The judgemental whispering coming from others, heard from her perspective was powerful. But was some of the whispering the anguish in her own head?"
"I did empathise with the main character. She did not express any facial emotion, an indicator of inner turmoil when someone is putting on a face for the world."
"The emotion was felt by the viewer through the laboured and stressed breathing."
"While watching this film, I felt deeply involved with someone’s struggles with depression, loneliness and the feeling of having to do everything in a certain way – the way that society wants them to and could feel the frustration of attempting to achieve this."
"It is a physical interpretation of what discrimination has had on someone’s mental health."
"The part as ‘She’ was at the desk with the man watching over her was also slightly haunting, which I related to way in which the worry of what society wants from people can be haunting to someone’s mentality."
"I could understand how they were feeling and in a way relate to wanting to fit in with society norms."
"Then watching ‘She’ being stripped back down after coming so far within society became emotional as a viewer as I felt I had followed a journey of acceptance and then watching this be stripped away created a sense of despair towards ‘She’."
"Internalisation, self questioning and self doubt."
"It made me feel sad to see how she was being treated and how she must have felt. Especially with the bit where her hair has been styled to cover her face, she looked as though she felt trapped."
"I cant begin to imagine how she must have felt with that sort of constant whispering going on. I definitely empathised with the main characters emotions and circumstances."
"I felt very scared as there were a lot of very sudden and sporadic movements which made me feel very uneasy and on edge. I think this was good as it made it very easy to share the emotions that a victim may feel and to really experience the emotions rather than just watch it. If felt very interactive."
"I found that the character appears to be in quite a dark place in their life, the part where they removed most of the clothes and makeup, followed by whispering, I saw it has her feeling very naked and exposed to everyone talking about her and judging her."
"Where she was being undressed from being incredibly made up, to being almost naked, it made me think that she was wearing a facade to hide how she truly felt and who she was, in order to fit into society. The whole film shows just how vulnerable she is."
I felt extremely overwhelmed by the volume of positive feedback. I was delighted to hear that all my participants felt empathy towards the main character and how it made some of them reflect on their own feelings. I was pleased with the accurate interpretation of She's emotions throughout her journey and found it rewarding how connected the participants became to the character's fragile mental state. I felt this question was extremely successful as creating empathy was a main objective of the film. The last comment intrigued me, because her interpretation was not as intended. It was interesting how she viewed the removal of the blazer differently, but still concluded with the same message of She wanting to fit into society. I don't see this feedback as a negative, as individual interpretation is encouraged by the film.
3. How does the content compare with other educational films you have been shown? Have you watched an avant-garde educational film before?
"This educational film differs to others as it is only made with sound effects and not with songs, narration or text, which means that the viewer is able to interpret the film and messages portrayed for themselves."
"It allows people the opportunity to relate it to themselves and can create feelings within that maybe they have not felt before. For example, I understand loneliness in my own head but watching the first part of this film it created feelings that were haunting and how loneliness can be a very haunting feeling for some people."
"I have never watched an avant-garde fashion film before."
"I haven't watched any avant-garde educational films before and I think it's good as it leaves the viewer up to their own interpretation to some extent, of what is happening to this character. What I noticed was that it sparked real emotion in me while I was watching it."
"I think it's good to hear about real life experiences and as much as they make you feel awful and very sympathetic I think this film really helped to see exactly how the victim may feel; trapped, uneasy, worried, anxious."
The focus group had little experience of avant-garde films and I am excited to introduce a wide range of students to this genre. The participants responded positively to the opportunity to interpret the story to possibly relate to their own feelings as opposed to when an educational film tells a victim's story, however feedback did suggest that there is a place for both types of educational film. I think my project offers both formats in that I am working with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which does offer a victim's own personal story, which is easily accessible through my website. The feedback that most participants were unfamiliar with the avant-garde educational format confirmed that my film is innovative in this sector, making it more intriguing and engaging as it has such a unique approach. I deliberately did not use narration, text or song lyrics in my film as I didn't want them to sway the viewers' interpretations; I was delighted to hear some participants thought the ominous sound effects aided their individual interpretation as a comparison.
4. Most educational films about anti-bullying/anti-discrimination have a victim talking directly to the camera about their experiences. Do you think this type of film would be well received by your age group as an alternative?
"I believe that Ostracised would definitely be well received by my age group as it conjures up feelings and questions for us to interpret and understand."
"Throughout the film it allows the viewer to question themselves. Maybe society would change its view on what it can do to someone mentally not just physically."
"Every viewer becomes an individual by being allowed to interpret the film in their own way, without a narrator or words telling them how to interpret it."
"Because the model is anonymous to the viewers, she represents bullying as a whole rather than an individual victim. I feel that a victim talking directly to the camera may not be as engaging as a storyline/video, therefore more accepting for the age group that it’s aimed at."
"I personally think that listening to other people's stories provokes more empathy and feeling from the viewer, but saying that it can be quite boring just watching a person speak into a camera, I think it may depend on the person and their understanding of what the educational film means."
"I think it's a very useful tool but personally I would say to have as well as real life stories as examples."
"It's easy to hear someone say "it made me feel sad and alone" but this film really portrays the deep, dark and raw emotions that victims may experience and makes you really understand the emotions and question your own behaviour."
I was eager to hear whether my participants thought this new format would be effective as an alternative to the more conventional style of educational film, as it challenges their expectations.
I was pleased that the majority of my feedback was positive, with most participants agreeing that this new format conjures up more emotion through interpretation. However, one participant preferred the traditional format, feeling it evoked more sympathy from the viewer to hear a real story, and a second felt a combination of film in both formats would be most effective. I feel fortunate to be collaborating with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, as both these formats are therefore available, as watching my film will lead the viewers to being introduced to the charity and subsequently Sophie's story. I did not expect every participant to be completely accepting of this abstract approach. However, I hope to target a wide audience to make this format become more acknowledged as a successful tool.
5. After seeing the film, did you just dismiss it, or did some of the content leave a lasting impression on you?
"The self harming, hurting on the skin of herself and of others to her was shocking but the pummelling of others then turned to a message of support from others which is what victims of bullying and abuse need."
"The use of different age groups was great as abuse is not exclusively within the realm of the young."
"There is no way to dismiss this film because the whole thing left a lasting impression."
"Continual self-questioning and reflection were created throughout the film and even after watching it this continues."
"The lasting effect of this film shows how overwhelming the feelings of being discriminated are and how someone’s battle with it can be frustrating and depressive."
"After having watched the film I feel sorry for the character and can feel empathy for her experiences. If I became aware that someone I knew was being bullied/feeling this way, I would be inclined to step in."
"I want to help the main character! I think it gives a great insight into the mental implications of bullying and discrimination that you don't really get from accounts as such."
I think the ability for an educational film to leave a lasting impression is vital in changing people's attitudes and views. I was delighted to hear that my participants felt Ostracised had an profound emotional impact on them. The comment I was most proud of was when a participant said if she became aware that someone she knew was being bullied or felt this way, she would be inclined to step in. I felt this comment was very rewarding because the film had clearly made enough of an impact on her to change her views on discrimination and it motivated me to continue to circulate the film and produce further educational films on similar social issues. Another rewarding comment was the feedback that a participant wanted to help the main character as it confirmed that she had connected emotionally with the character and would therefore hopefully apply this empathy to other victims. An aspect that I think helped to create this lasting impression was the self-questioning and self-reflection encouraged from the audience.
I am so grateful to all the participants for their honest feedback. It helped me to determine whether my project's final outcome was successful in meeting my initial objectives.
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