Evaluation question 2

"How does your media product represent particular social groups?"

With regards to representation, our film and the budget of our film is very closely linked to the level of social groups being represented in our short film opening. As our film is of the social realist genre, we believe that to follow all the big companies such as universal with our representations and stereotypes then it wouldn't be as effective in portraying a true representation. 

Kieran (Counter type)

The second character to be introduced into the film opening is Kieran. After seeing the first few scenes involving this character, Kieran would be stereo typically regarded as working class, delinquent, criminal and a 'chav'. We have reinforced these stereotypes by using things such as props, costumes and locations associated with this specific character. The first signifier of Kieran being identified with this working class lifestyle is before you actually meet the character and see his house which is a stereotypical council flat which can be often associated with the working class segment of the population. Other signifiers included the props which we used to associate with Kieran. For example the fake drugs we used when Kieran wakes up signifies his level of criminal involvement which will allow the viewer to create a perception of a bad person. The use of Kieran's costume also adds to the stereotypical portrayal that the viewer will have of the character at the start of the opening. The tracksuit is a black Adidas originals tracksuit with is very often associated with gang culture and the working class lifestyle. However despite all the conventions and stereotypes regarding the UK's working class culture, which has been followed and reinforced, we believe that our character is actually a counter type of this negative image. As the viewer will see, in the last scene of the opening before the main title, Kieran actually goes out of his way too help the old man to come down from the bridge in which he is threatening to jump from. This random act of kindness fights and stereotypical assumptions of this character in the sense that he is not a self indulged and delinquent individual which he might be perceived to be.



Michael (Stereo type)

With regards to our other central protagonist, we believe that we have created a character in which follows the conventions and stereotypes of a middle to upper class male. These stereotypes are reinforced by many things so that the viewers get a universal understanding and perception of the character. These reinforcements include things such as the house which is in the first shot of the film. This house is the house in which our upper class protagonist lives. The house is of a big size and is made from nice aesthetically pleasing stone. This itself connotes a vast amount of wealth which helps show the viewer an insight into what the character is essentially about from the offset of the opening. Another reinforcing factor in which we have used is the use of the smart attire in which the character is wearing with a nice blazer and shoes etc. This also creates a sense that the character is wealthy and allows the viewer to understand this quickly.

Age

With regards to age I believe that our film represents an age between our intended primary target audience of 15 years to 30 years of age. This is because I believe as our characters fit within this age ,with the exception of mike being slightly older, it will allow the viewers to more easily internally relate to the film and the themes in which it explores such as poverty or even wealth.

Gender

In terms of gender, we admitt that our characters and film in general can be seen as unadventureous due to the lack of female characters and involvement in the film in general. The chance for female parts to come into the film at a later stage however is definate. This means that if we were to make the whole film a 90 minute production then we would be able to use many female characters which would then allow our film to represent both genders equally. 

Nationality/Regional identity

With regards to nationality, it is blatant that it is filmed in a town based in the UK which is reinforced by language spoken and the accent of the speakers. The accents which are spoken are both of a regional identity which belongs to Yorkshire. However both accents are of a Yorkshire sound, They are both different in the sense that Kieran uses a more broad accent as Michael uses a more posh and well spoken accent. This can be concluded to being due too the difference in social class in which the two characters belong to. This is also a clasical example of binary opposition in which both protagonists are the opposite. Another identifier that the character is of a Yorkshire background is the flat cap in which Michael is shown wearing. This signifies Yorkshire as it represents the level of agriculture and the farmer style of clothing here in Yorkshire.

Socio-Economic class

We believe that with regards to social class, our film represents both sides of the spectrum, poor and wealthy. The poor side is represented through Kieran and his delinquent and criminal activities such as drug dealing and violence towards others. Our other protagonist however represents the upper side of the social class spectrum as Michael's character is from a stately home in a affluent area. This allows our opening to represent all kinds of people economically throughout the country which will disregard any ideas that suggests the film isn't intended for a social group.

Sexuality

With regards to sexuality we believe that our film is not necessarily the most adventurous as relationships are not really a theme which is explored in our film. However you learn that Michael was once married to a woman who tragically died but apart from this you don't see any other exploration into intimate relationships between characters.

Ethnicity

In terms of ethnicity our film can again be argued to be unadventurous due to a prominently Caucasian cast which suggests the film is mainly representative of the white population.