INTRO
HOST:
Hello everyone and welcome to Cold Ones, the show where we ask hot media studies questions while our guest slowly freezes their brain with increasingly cold drinks.With each round the drink gets colder and your brain gets more frozen. If you stop answering questions… we assume the brain freeze won.
Today we’re joined by the brilliant mind behind the thriller horror film opening User Error.
GUEST (waves)
HOST:
Alright, let’s start easy. Take a first small sip.
(Guest sips slurpee)
ROUND 1
HOST:
First question What genre is your film and why did you choose it?
GUEST:
Our film User Error fits into the thriller horror genre, which combines suspense and fear to create tension for the audience. Thriller horror movies often make audiences feel nervous about what might happen next because there is usually some kind of mysterious danger around the main character.
But instead of using monsters or ghosts like a lot of horror films do, our film uses something much more realistic: technology.
ROUND 2
HOST:
Alright things are getting colder. Take another sip.
(Guest drinks again)
How does your product use or challenge genre conventions?
GUEST:
In thriller horror films, audiences expect certain conventions. These usually include tension, suspense, unpredictable events, and isolation of the main character.
Our film uses these conventions in several ways.
For example, the main character Stacy is home alone at night, which creates isolation and vulnerability. The tension also increases because technology in the house begins malfunctioning unpredictably.
For instance, the blender turns on by itself and the electric door lock stops working, which creates suspense because Stacy slowly realizes she has lost control of the technology around her.
However, we also challenged some typical horror conventions.
We intentionally avoided gore or supernatural monsters because we wanted the fear to come from something realistic.
Instead of a haunted forest or abandoned building, the film takes place in a normal suburban home, which makes the situation feel more believable.
The idea is that this could realistically happen in someone’s everyday life.
ROUND 3
HOST:
Alright next round. Bigger sip.
(Guest drinks a lot)
How does your film represent social views or issues?
GUEST:
One of the biggest social issues shown in User Error is the influence of technology on teenage life.
At the beginning of the film, Stacy spends most of her time scrolling, checking notifications, and taking video calls. This reflects how many teens today rely on technology for communication and social validation.
The film also explores how much personal information people share online.
Research from the Pew Research Center found that a majority of teens post personal information such as photos, status updates, and location check-ins on social media, often without adjusting their privacy settings.
This means a lot of their personal life becomes accessible to strangers or large tech companies without them fully realizing it.
Our film plays on that idea. the technology that Stacy trusted slowly begins to use that information against her.
ROUND 4
HOST:
Alright next round. Take an Even. Bigger. Sip.
(Guest sips)
Does your film reflect any social pressures teens experience today?
GUEST:
Yes. Our film also reflects issues related to teen self-image and emotional wellbeing online.
At the beginning of the film, Stacy constantly checks messages and notifications because her social life exists through technology.
Research shows this pressure is very real.
One study found that constantly comparing yourself to others on social media can increase anxiety and lower self-esteem, especially when people compare their real lives to the “highlight reels” that others post
This shows how digital platforms can create pressure to appear perfect or popular online.
By showing Stacy constantly connected to her devices, our film represents how technology can shape how teens view themselves and their social status.
(Guest breathes through brain freeze)
ROUND 5
HOST:
Lets do another question ONE MORE SIP!!
(Guest drinks slowly)
How did you determine your target audience?
GUEST:
We researched who typically watches horror and thriller films.
According to Statista, young adults aged 18–29 are the most likely group to watch horror films regularly.
Because of this, we decided our target audience should be teenagers and young adults, roughly between 15 and 21 years old.
These viewers are also highly connected to technology, which makes the themes of the film more relatable.
HOST:
And how does your film actually engage that audience?
GUEST:
We designed our production choices to reflect things teens experience every day.
For example, the film includes FaceTime calls, notifications, and online communication, which are common parts of teenage life.
Research also shows teens spend a lot of time using digital devices. According to Common Sense Media, teens spend over seven hours a day using screens for entertainment.
Because of this, seeing technology play a major role in the story makes the film feel relatable to our audience.
ROUND 7
HOST:
Final question. Final Sip.
How would your film be distributed as a real media product?
GUEST:
As amateur filmmakers, the most realistic distribution platform is YouTube.
YouTube allows independent creators to upload videos for free and share them with a global audience.
Research shows that over 2 billion logged-in users visit YouTube every month, which makes it one of the most widely used video platforms in the world.
Since our target audience already spends a lot of time online watching content, distributing User Error on YouTube would allow the film to reach viewers who are most likely to connect with its themes.
OUTRO
HOST:
And that concludes today’s episode of Cold Ones. Surprisingly, our guest survived a devastating brain freeze, maybe It was by answering all those Buuurning Questions!
GUEST:
Please stop
HOST:
Thank you for watching, See you next time!
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