CHARACTER CONVENTIONS

Oliver Tate is a 15 year old teenager whose life is consumed with two things, losing his virginity and keeping his parents together. He is a very confused boy who isn’t sure about what he wants his life to look like, he is obsessed with being remembered after he is gone, and strives to be an unusual teenager, not mainstream like all the others who surround him. He is a very self centred character who you’re never sure if he feels true emotion. The film is based off a book, which in turn I have read, oliver is not really meant to be a character that you like as a person but more like a projection of how we all really feel when we’re a teenager. Richard Ayoade managed to emphasis this and brings the character oliver to life. Oliver Tate’s character is presented mainly through his body language and his costume, this is because oliver is presented as being so aware of himself, it is almost as if he is planning his movements precisely, to cause as much effect as possible, that is why he is so easy to interpret because he is an open book. Oliver Tate is a springboard for our own character in our short film.

Our character Sam is very alike to Oliver’s and we have decided to use Oliver's costume as inspiration for Sam's costume. This is mainly because firstly we like so much how the costume looks on Oliver and how it almost effects his body language making him more stiff, somehow emphasising how uncomfortable he is in his own skin, his coat is a protection, he wears it when he is most vulnerable. For example oliver is presented as wearing his school uniform for the majority of the film, however when imagining Oliver's character you would picture him primarily wearing his large black coat reminiscent of a fisherman's uniform. Which links Oliver to the sea which is a main location for Oliver in the film.

Oliver is constantly wearing this coat much alike to his co-star/ love interest who is seen to be constantly wearing a similar large red coat, however unlike oliver Jordana wears her coat open for the majority of the film, this technique of mise en scene to emote the characters personality and inner conscience. Also the specific colour choice for Jordana’s coat emphasises the difference between the two, she is fire, again linking to her pyromaniac tendencies. We have taken this idea of a large coat and placed it in our character costume description,

Oliver is also presented heavily through his age and class, these effect how he speaks and appears to different people. His explorative nature is presented throughout the film, he is always trying something new, something to change his life. According to the young and Rubicon's cross cultural consumer characterisation oliver is classed as an explorer. In a way this is how we want to present Sam. Ever moving about, never staying still. Oliver is a teenager close to reaching adulthood but still at a stage of immaturity, he is obsessed with sex and emotion and the experience of living properly and not being a typical/ cliché teen, of course he is unsuccessful but it does change how oliver presents himself, he wants to be admired and wants to stand out he dabbles in unique experiences and speaks as if he is being watched constantly, presenting every moment like he is in a film.

Sam alike Oliver will use his coat as a form of protection, a barrier against the outside world. Oliver has a very closed off relationship from his parents, he cares for them but their relationship is strained, awkward and impersonal, scenes filmed with oliver and his parents is even filmed to be uncomfortable for example the placement of the character, their body language and the lack of music and/or masses of dialog, this is also something we have taken for Sam’s character, as we feel it is important to represent this lack of paternal relationship.

Although oliver shows signs of conforming to the stereotypical statements about teenage boys like Perkins theory of stereotypes, that they do not need to be false or offensive, he is an unusual character and breaks many stereotypes. However the characters around him are somewhat typical in there stereotypes. For example Oliver's friend Chips fits perfectly into the stereotypical expectation of a 15 year old boy, he is ruse, sex obsessed, arrogant and unclean. In a way by using such a stereotypical view of Chips emphasises how un-stereotypical oliver truly is. His class effects his personality, he is more accepting of the world and isn’t plagued be a judgment of other classes.

Oliver and Jordana are a very interesting choice for a relationship, this is because they are both such binary opposites. Levi Strauss claimed that in media we need binary opposite in order for the audience to understand the narrative better. This is because it relies heavily on our own ideological values and beliefs, understanding what is good and what is bad. Oliver and Jordana are such polar opposites because essentially Jordana is a horrid person who takes delight in tormenting and bullying others, she does not see the wrongness of the situation she puts herself in, however oliver can see this and feels the empathy that Jordana seems to lack.When applying Propps narrative theory to the characters, you find that oliver is the hero or the narrative, throughout the film he is constantly looking for love, for acceptance, and to be remembered. He is in love with the princess archetype, aka Jordana who would be seen as his reward for his achievements. The other characters in the film, such as Oliver's dad who can be seen as many character types, the false hero, or the best friend. Another character is Oliver's mother who could be seen as the donor/dispatcher. Finally the villain is Graham the man who Oliver's mother has an affair with.