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

How does the product represent

my target audience?

The Target Audience

The target audience for my film opening was adults, both male and female, in their late twenties to their late thirties. This was due to the themes of the film being sophisticated and mature. They would be people that are quite career driven and enjoy watching crime dramas.

I believe that my film opening reaches this target audience, as it does represent their social group. Although they may not yet have children themselves, they will be mature enough to understand the themes of the film as the characters are of similar ages to them. Also, the fact that there is a detective in the film opening dressed very formally presenting a very stereotypical career driven character, which would also be relatable to many of my target audience.

What does the mise-en-scene I have

used communicate about the

characters?

Setting

The setting of the film opening would also be very relatable to the target audience. There is a sky HD box, widescreen TV, the room appears well decorated and styled. It shows that the people who live there take pride in the way they live and they look after themselves well.

This is what I was aiming for as I believe this is what stereotypical adults in my target audience would live in the same manner.

it also suggests that it is a middle-class family home, that real people live in – which will also be relatable to the target audience.

Costuming

I selected my costuming so that they would be relatable to my target audience. I wanted the family to appear middle class. The character Helen Miles – the mother, was dressed in very casual clothing as I wanted her to come across as though she had let herself go. This would be very apparent to the audience, and I believe that they will recognise why she is dressed the way she is and would see that they would do the same if they were in her shoes.

The character Sergeant Moss was dressed very formally as he is high in the police force and works very hard, therefore was in a formal suit. I think that my target audience would relate to this as they would generally people with successful careers and that are career driven.

The character Lucy Miles is dressed as though she normally would, a shirt and trousers. I wanted her to appear that she comes from a middle class family that take care of themselves – which would be what my target audience represent. She also is wearing a lot brighter clothing that the mother, showing that whilst the mother is grieving and wearing dark clothes to represent this, Lucy is trying to push forward with life and move on from the tragic event that has happened to their family.

Performance

I directed my actors in order for them to be presented to the audience in a certain way. I wanted the characters language to be pronounced correctly, and talk politely and with consideration to one another. This was important to convey as it would back up the idea that the characters are middle class and the audience would be able to recognise them in themselves. I wanted to ensure that my target audience would want to watch the film, and by getting the characters performance correct in presenting certain features, this would look much more achievable.

The characters in their costumes

Helen Miles

Sergeant Moss Lucy Miles

Did the film opening conform to conventions of its social groups?

I think that the representation I have offered does support ideas about the social groups I have presented to an extent. The mother has had her daughter kidnapped, and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Therefore the ay she is dressed isn’t how it would usually appear so isn’t necessarily conforming to the ideas of the social group at that time. However, the environment of the characters and the way her daughter is presented at 13 does suggest that they are a middle class family, and the mother would usually conform to the ideas of the social group she belongs to.

I believe that I have conformed to the social group of middle class adults in their late twenties and thirties. I have represented my characters to conform to the conventions through the mise-en-scene I have used and through the way they appear to the audience, however…

If I was to create this film as a Hollywood film, then I would make the setting of the film opening much more modern. I would have all of the latest appliances present. I would do this because I believe that my target audience would live in this kind of manner, therefore it would be much more relatable to them and would fit in better with them.