Spotlight: Feminism and Film, 2023
Concept
Spotlight: Feminism and Film is an exploration of the one thing people of all ages and cultures spend their time enjoying - film and television. Film and television create meaning about what the world is through representation, and which shapes what feels normal. As such, film and television harness what philosopher Michel Foucault described as a “normalising power” that can marginalise those outside the norm. Spotlight aims to defamiliarise feminine film and television representations that have become normalised due to the way they are repeatedly used to portray women and female-presenting people. Spotlight’s audience will be able to see them as manufactured products of cultural norms and historical patriarchal ideologies. As such, Spotlight transforms the way audiences will view film and television media, with a renewed, critical awareness of the ideological implications of on-screen representation.
Spotlight engages its audience in this educational process through three mediums. The centrepiece of the project is an interactive website which tells the story behind the featured feminist film theory concepts. This will walk viewers through an explanation of the concept, its historical background, and examples from film and television that illustrate it, delivered through text accompanied by animated visuals. The written component is detailed and informative while the animation maintains intrigue in the viewer and aligns with the project’s visual focus. To promote the project to a wide audience of young people, Spotlight will utilise a TikTok filter which shows its users which feminine film trope they would be. By using the popular randomiser filter model, this promotional tool has a higher chance of spreading awareness of the project through a link to the educational website. Another form the project will take is a mobile app that allows them to draw a digital oracle card each day that is based on a feminist film theory concept. This part of the project functions to keep Spotlight’s audience connected to the concepts they have learnt about through this affirming, symbolic ritual.
Skills Developed
Illustration
Frame by frame animation
Compositing
Brand identity design
Logo design
Website UI design
Mobile App UI design
This is the prototype of Spotlight's educational website, which is the core of the project. Click the title to explore the prototype using Figma in a new tab.
Illustrated cards representing each concept explored in Spotlight's educational website
Left Oracle cards inspired by significant figures of feminist film theory Right Figma prototype for Spotlight's mobile app that allows users to draw an oracle card each day. Press the 'R' key to restart the prototype.
Left Demonstration video of Spotlight's TikTok filter, used to spread awareness of the project Right Spotlight: Feminism and Film logo
Monochromatic versions of concept cards used as their unhovered state on Spotlight's educational website