Evaluation 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My film is based in a country town, similar to the towns in our surrounding area, and the trouble began in a bigger city like London. I have chosen to set the majority of my film in the country, as I would want to attract the middle class teenager/young adult audience. I have included the harsher side of London to outline the towns’ extreme contrasts that will come together throughout the film. This would help my film represent more social groups which are involved in today’s youth. The main social group I want to target is young adults between the ages of 15-26, this is because I think they should be around sixth form/college/university age and this is the age that thriller film stereotypically attracts.

In my preliminary task, even though I was meant to appear as a teacher, and my partner as the student, this was unclear and I don’t believe it worked as we did not correctly characterise ourselves.

My film’s main character is a young female, aged between the ages of 17-19. This is clear by the way she sits whilst being interviewed, her clothes, and the way she speaks. Her previous social group is a rough image from a city that would appear as a gangster image.

The contrasting character is her cousin, who is a mature teenager who has a clean record and is completing her education. Her outfit shows this by contrasting Katie’s puffer jacket and hoodie with her smart black jacket and neat jeans.

The contrasting social groups help me represent a larger section of today’s youth. I have presented them through the character’s clothing, attitudes and speech. When Katie is seen in the same scene as Rachael, Katie is wearing a puffer jacket which contrasts to Rachael’s subtle jumper.

By including Rachael’s car into the filming connotes that she is able to afford to drive and buy a car which contrasts to Katie who has to phone Rachael in order for her to go home. They are both seen with phones however Katie’s is not seen close up but Rachael’s in a BlackBerry which connotes that she is wealthier than Katie.

I feel I have represented my contrasting social groups through clothing and props that are seen being used by the different characters.