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Blog 5 : Research on settings

We know that choosing the right setting is a really big part of shaping Karma High. Since our story takes place mostly in a high school filled with rumors, secrets, and drama, I wanted to look at how some professional teen dramas use location to create mood and convey realism.


I started by studying two shows, Euphoria and 13 Reasons Why. Both series use school hallways, classrooms, and bathrooms as emotional spaces, not just backdrops. In Euphoria, the camera angles are tight and the lighting is very moody, showing how stuck the characters feel in their own lives. In 13 Reasons Why, the school feels cold and serious, reflecting the show’s themes of everyone’s guilt on the situation.

IMG_9141.webp

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/euphoria-hbo-meet-the-characters-cast


Putting it into our Film

In Karma High, our goal is to mix that sense of realism with a somewhat mysterious tone. We chose our school’s hallway and the classroom as the main locations because they’re familiar to the viewers, but we’ll use different lighting techniques and camera movement to make them feel unsettling.


I also researched different filming techniques for school settings and found a guide that explained how the camera framing affects how the audience feels. It made me think about how I could position our characters in each shot, like keeping one person in focus while another stands in the background to quietly build tension.


đź“Ť Possible locations : classroom, hallway, school courtyard.

—> the classroom = control, the hallway = exposure, the courtyard = (fake) sense of safety.



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