- "How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?"
- "How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?"
Jessica: Hey Chlo, welcome back to the podcast.
Chloe: Aw thanks so much for having me. I missed ya.
Jessica: Congratulations on the new film, The Valedictorian, I loved it.
Chloe: Aw thank you so much
Jessica: Before we start, would you like to tell our viewers a little about it?
Chloe: Yea of course so basically I directed and starred in a film called The Valedictorian about a smart, popular, 18-year old girl named Lily, who has recently received Valedictorian but also has a big secret that she's been hiding which is that she is pregnant.
Jessica: I have so many questions to ask you!
Chloe: What do u want to hear about?
Jessica: Well of course this is a little bit of a controversial topic, so what made you want to do a film on it?
Chloe: Yea great question. actually one of the main reasons I wanted to do it was because it IS controversial. You know, we don’t see a lot of films about teen pregnancy, especially in a school setting excluding Juno which is a great film by the way.
Jessica: One of my favorite movies. But I get what you mean, teen pregnancy comes with social stigma, judgment, and shame.
Chloe: Yes, this is seen a lot in the media field. Teen pregnancy in films, television shows, and social media is frowned upon and can contribute to controversy by influencing public perceptions and attitudes which I wanted to challenge in this film.
Jessica: Preach
Chloe: The topic of teen pregnancy is very hard to showcase in a coming-of-age genre as the audiences tend to be younger like I don't want to normalize it
Jessica: Ya no def
Chloe: Because in coming-of-age genres the audiences are typically teens and I don't want to encourage risky behavior but rather promote safe sex practices and responsible decision-making.
Chloe: EXACTTLLLYYYYY, And like depicting Lily's interactions with classmates and teachers, the film like really explores themes of social judgment like this pregnancy could really mess up the way everyone sees this smart, popular girl
Jessica: And the part when Lily starts to zone out... I was like girl is STRUGGLING to focus and it really impacts her academic journey
Chloe: Mhhhmmm. Especially having Jake in the same class as Lily caused her focus to really drift. I wanted to highlight themes of accountability and the consequences of past choices and relationships. It showed how symptoms of a pregnancy aren't the only thing that girls may struggle with.
Jessica: The tension between Lily and Jake had me on the EDGE OF MY SEAT. Like having him actually in the film AND IN THE SAME ROOM added another layer of excitement
Chloe: Thank you (smiles)
Jessica: So Chlo, I also wanted to ask you how your film will engage with audiences
Chloe: Yea so like I said before, our film is primarily focused on teens. This setting engages audiences by offering an authentic portrayal of high school and teenage life (emphasized), including its highs and lows.
Jessica: I think it was so smart to also do it about a teenager like you lowkey ate with that one
Chloe: Well I wanted it to be relatable to teens that actually go through this or maybe relatives of those who are pregnant and who may not see the struggles they go through.
Jessica: LOVE
Chloe: Thanks (blushes)
Jessica: I found this film on YouTube but like where else can our viewers find this film or how else will you distribute it?
Chloe: So guys I actually just submitted my film to "Sundance Film Festival" so you should definitely check that out. I made it available on free streaming sites like "tubitv.com" and online digital platforms such as Vimeo On Demand and YouTube Movies. I also partnered with local schools like Cypress Bay for classroom use and educational purposes.
Jessica: That's amazing, I'm so proud of you Chlo, you've come so far
Chloe: That means a lot Jess I love ya
(Hug)
Jessica: I have so many questions to ask you!
Chloe: What do u want to hear about?
Jessica: Well of course this is a little bit of a controversial topic, so what made you want to do a film on it?
Chloe: Yea great question. actually one of the main reasons I wanted to do it was because it IS controversial. You know, we don’t see a lot of films about teen pregnancy, especially in a school setting excluding Juno which is a great film by the way.
Jessica: One of my favorite movies. But I get what you mean, teen pregnancy comes with social stigma, judgment, and shame.
Chloe: Yes, this is seen a lot in the media field. Teen pregnancy in films, television shows, and social media is frowned upon and can contribute to controversy by influencing public perceptions and attitudes which I wanted to challenge in this film.
Jessica: Preach
Chloe: The topic of teen pregnancy is very hard to showcase in a coming-of-age genre as the audiences tend to be younger like I don't want to normalize it
Jessica: Ya no def
Chloe: Because in coming-of-age genres the audiences are typically teens and I don't want to encourage risky behavior but rather promote safe sex practices and responsible decision-making.
Jessica: Yea, in your film, I think it was really important to include the friend helping her out in the bathroom because it really helped show that like you have support and people that love you
Chloe: EXACTTLLLYYYYY, And like depicting Lily's interactions with classmates and teachers, the film like really explores themes of social judgment like this pregnancy could really mess up the way everyone sees this smart, popular girl
Jessica: And the part when Lily starts to zone out... I was like girl is STRUGGLING to focus and it really impacts her academic journey
Chloe: Mhhhmmm. Especially having Jake in the same class as Lily caused her focus to really drift. I wanted to highlight themes of accountability and the consequences of past choices and relationships. It showed how symptoms of a pregnancy aren't the only thing that girls may struggle with.
Jessica: The tension between Lily and Jake had me on the EDGE OF MY SEAT. Like having him actually in the film AND IN THE SAME ROOM added another layer of excitement
Chloe: Thank you (smiles)
Chloe: Yea so like I said before, our film is primarily focused on teens. This setting engages audiences by offering an authentic portrayal of high school and teenage life (emphasized), including its highs and lows.
Jessica: I think it was so smart to also do it about a teenager like you lowkey ate with that one
Chloe: Well I wanted it to be relatable to teens that actually go through this or maybe relatives of those who are pregnant and who may not see the struggles they go through.
Jessica: LOVE
Chloe: Thanks (blushes)
Jessica: I found this film on YouTube but like where else can our viewers find this film or how else will you distribute it?
Chloe: So guys I actually just submitted my film to "Sundance Film Festival" so you should definitely check that out. I made it available on free streaming sites like "tubitv.com" and online digital platforms such as Vimeo On Demand and YouTube Movies. I also partnered with local schools like Cypress Bay for classroom use and educational purposes.
Jessica: That's amazing, I'm so proud of you Chlo, you've come so far
Chloe: That means a lot Jess I love ya
(Hug)
There might be minimal changes while filming this, but this is pretty much my script!
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