How does your media product represent particular social groups?
1.) The Ward
The postures of both characters seem similar in the sense that they are up right and shoulders are slumped and not tense. Both characters here are shown to have let down lengthy hair, meaning that they do not have the resources to tie it up which may be because they are in a situation where they cannot obtain this kind of thing. Neither of the characters wearing makeup and both have cuts/bruises which tell us that they are not in a situation where makeup matters and that they have previously been through one or many tough events which led them to become hurt. Their clothing is also similar, showing simple white tops which can give the assumption that they may have come from a place which demands white be warn, i.e. a mental hospital. The two shots used here are mid shots, used at a subtle angle to show the character along with important parts of the background. This has shaped the portrayal of our character by showing only the main aspects of her body, her face, and so provided information to suggest that she isn't in the correct frame of mind and is oblivious to her surroundings. We tried, to a certain extent, to conform to the conventions of a teenager in a horror film by keeping to the long hair, vulnerable character but in contrast tried not to make her the 'typical blonde'.
In terms of cinematography, we waned to present our character as delusional and to have a vivid imagination, leading to disruptive flashbacks as well as presenting her age, indicating what she is capable of. We showed this through editing, using a blurred effect which allowed an unreal sense to become of the image, pinpointing that fact that it was a delusion. The similarities between this and The Ward is that the character in it is also in the same state of mind as ours, showing her to also be having vivid, disruptive delusions.
In our task, we presented the normal conventions of a young adult - making her seen vulnerable and in need of help. Contrasting this to The Ward gives off similar results as the character also needs help, not only from the hospital itself but also from a patient that she befriends in it. Other conventions include the fact that both characters are presented to seem suspicious and wary of their surroundings, done by directing our character to walk at a slow pace whilst looking around her and then indecisively call her friend, made to sound suspicious and worrying, allowing it seem as though it is a question being asked rather than simply calling he friend with no thought behind it.
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2.) After.Life
The bruising of the face is present in both, settling around the eye area showing that they have both been in a situation where someone or something has impacted. They also share similar hair with both being down, brunette and close to the same length. Both have equivalent facial expressions, showing them to be looking at something even though one is straight ahead and the other is at an angle. Medium shots have been used in both, and shows how our character, Rosaline, is being portrayed - Wary and cautious with a skittish nature which could show the impact that previous events have had on her which we have done to try and stick to the conventions of a horror movie teenager.
Both are presented to seem vulnerable, which can also relate to their age and how it is a common convention of the horror genre. Comparing our extract to After.Life with how conventions of a teenager have been presented, our product is very similar to that of After.Life and so conveys this point and shows that both have done this well. An example of this is when both are seen to emphasise their vulnerability and weakness, normally associated with the female gender in horror films.
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3.) Girl Interrupted
Both character facial expression here show that they are focusing on a certain point of the environment around them, whether this be an object or a person and, with their mouths being open, may indicate either convocation, deep thought or disbelief. Again, both of their hairs are let down, maybe showing that they are in a place or situation that does not allow them to be able to do this. It an also so a sense of insecurity - the hair being there to hide the face from reality and other individuals. A side close up on Rosaline's face we chosen so that it was clear what angle she is viewing instead of letting the audience decide. We have tried to conform to the conventions of a typical horror movie teenager by her reaction(s), personality and overall take on the event that she is witnessing.
Our character is also presented in a similar way to the one in this film through the use of the camera, as the angles and shots have been used in a way to remind the audience that they are still young adults, although this is not seen in their personalities since in The Girl Interrupted she is much more confident and cocky compared to our character. this then links to the presentation of our character, showing whether we have conformed or broken the conventions of a common teenager throughout our task. We began with her waking up on a children's climbing frame which could be associated with the point of teenagers often 'hanging out' in the part with friends, therefore giving the assumption that she may have chosen to sleep there due to it being somewhere she is familiar with.
The conventions associated with the horror genre are taken from the way the characters are both looking unfamiliar and questioning as to where they are and who they speak to, which is similar to that of other horror characters who are also commonly shown to seem displaced and uncomfortable with their surrounding. To show this we used the same technique as before, making the character call her friend in a suspicious, questioning way, making it seem that she is confused whether or not she is alone. We also directed our character to walk slowly and look around the room whilst walking into the shot, creating suspense as to why she is is walking like this in an eery atmosphere, created by the non-diagetic sound which slowly builds up to a typical horror sound.
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