Our Story
For our final project, we wanted to do something truly memorable. Since the essence of all the work displayed at the exhibition involves a core message, we decided to center this project on a topic that hits close to home, which led to the creation of 'Content.' While this project is being submitted for a grade, it holds deep significance for us. This is not only because of the immense time and effort we invested in the short film but also because it covers a topic that is deeply relevant to our lives.
Our Story - The film
Content is a short film that primarily focuses on the evolution of third spaces within our recent reality. The film follows a group of four friends who attempt to spend the day without access to their phones. These circumstances force them to not only find a place where they can simply be, pushing them to pull inspiration from small windows of their personal experience and the general past, but also to rebuild their ability to truly socialise and connect again.
The project utilises the medium of narrative film as an investigative lens, immersing the viewer in the visible decline of physical third spaces and the resulting over-reliance on digital alternatives. Rather than artificially intruding on the spectator with overt messaging, the film utilises generational relative lingo and authentic dialogue to create a world that feels fully realised and grounded.
Our Story - Third Spaces
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s “The Great Good Place” (1999) serves as the theoretical framework for this film’s exploration of social spaces. Oldenburg defines the “third space” as a public environment that’s different from the “first space” (home) and the “second space” (work), which is essential for a healthy society. These spaces are depicted by their neutrality, accessibility, and their role as “levelers,” where people can gather regardless of social status. In this project, Oldenburg’s theory inspired the film’s central conflict: four friends attempt to reconnect in the physical third spaces after spending a lot of time online in their online personas and try to engage in genuine, unfiltered dialogue. The film uses Oldenburg’s concept of the “Third Space” not just as a setting, but as a symbolic goal. The film portrays the third space not merely as a backdrop, but as a functional tool for repairing strained relationships.
Unlike the third spaces we had seen in the past, ones of which were accessible and available to the public, the third spaces we see now no longer hold the same values as before. These places have now become either too expensive, available for shorter periods of time or both. Furthermore, spaces that fail to adapt or refuse to conform to modern patterns risk closure due to their inability to sustain the associated financial costs or current trends. The need for physical connection is no longer as considered as it was before, and it has become more evident. This helps online third spaces to flourish more than physical spaces, as these online spaces have simply become more accessible.
By exploring themes of isolation and third spaces in relation to the current state of contemporary communities, the group aimed to examine patterns of socialisation among recent generations and to evaluate whether digital third spaces should be removed or subject to greater regulation. The research gained from this project will inform others of the current state of physical and digital third spaces and how to utilise such communication for multimedia purposes.
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