The Self-Identity and Content Creation Strategies of a Film Reviewer on TikTok: A Case Study of the “Pizza Movie” Channel

Abstract

In the context of contemporary social media, research on TikTok film reviewers still lacks sufficient explanations regarding the creator identities and strategies that contribute to their distinctiveness, as well as the relationships between communication styles and the unique characteristics of digital platforms. This study aims to examine the self-identity and content creation strategies of film reviewers on TikTok through a case study of the Pizza Movie channel. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study utilized textual analysis of the channel’s film review videos, which have accumulated more than 10 million views. The findings revealed that Pizza Movie possesses a distinctive storytelling identity utilizing voice as the primary communication tool to clearly convey emotions and attitudes toward films through tone, facial expressions, and gestures, together with the use of visual elements and editing techniques that enhance audience understanding. The content is concise, consistent with TikTok’s short-video format, and capable of capturing viewers’ attention from the beginning of each clip. In addition, this study finds that the channel stimulates viewers’ emotions through accessible captions, reaches diverse audience groups, and creates uniqueness by connecting films with relatable everyday issues. The channel also strategically employs hashtags and optimized posting times to maximize audience reach. This study indicates that the identity of TikTok content creators does not arise solely from personal style or individuality, but is also shaped by a communication design that aligns with the structure, culture, and viewing behaviors of the platform, including video format, storytelling techniques, presentation rhythm, and emotional engagement. Furthermore, the findings can serve as a guideline for analyzing and developing communication strategies for social media content creators which highlight the critical factors that enable creators to establish distinctiveness, maintain their identity, and reach large audiences within the contemporary digital landscape.