How does my media product

represent particular social

groups?

By Amirah Newton

Social Groups Within Our Film

Throughout our film we address a number of different social media groups, both within the 2 minute opening we created and throughout the plan for the rest of the production.

Within our opening our main focus points were gender (primarily woman) and age (primarily teenagers) .

Stereotyping

Our media product uses many stereotypes, especially that of women within the horror genre. We introduced the two main characters, who are both female, which supports the ‘last girl standing’ stereotypes used in most horror movies.

Other gender stereotypes, such as the accusation that girls are weaker than men are supported by the girls death in the opening sequence of our production, however we would later challenge this stereotype by having the remaining female character save a male comrade who would have die without her.

This would be used to imply a sense of equality between the sexes and once again also to support the ‘last girl standing’ theory as the female character who was portrayed as weak in the opening scene as she fails to save her friend then becomes stronger when empowered by her emotions.

Representation Through Our: Camera Work

As previously said we played with gender stereotypes within our movie, in the two minute opening we used our camera work to portray woman as being quite weak.

For example we used many low angled shots, looking down on the girls, showing them to not be in a position of power and to make them seem in peril and vulnerable.

Representation Through Our: Sound

We used sound to present the social group of females (gender) and teenagers (age) within our project, within the script of the two girls we incorporated screams of desperation (which all tie in with the concept of weakness) and for the zombies we used moans and grunts which sound more threatening and more powerful.

This however challenges two stereotypes, firstly the idea that the female characters are weak is challenged due to the fact all of the zombies who are also female are presented as being powerful. And secondly challenges the concept of age effecting capability, as both the two girls and the zombies are all teenagers of the same age. No adults are present within this scene, however later contrasts between how teenagers and adults respond to certain situations would be made.

Representation Through Our: Mise-en-scene

The Mise-on-scene is representative of many different social groups such as teenagers presented by the style of clothing worn by both the two girls and the zombies, These cloths are mainly informal, and stereotypical of a young persons fashion.

The costumes also hint at the different social economic groups within the product, as the quality of the clothing worn differs, such as with the two girls, one is wearing a branded jacket, were as the other is wearing an old shirt.

Representation Through Our: Iconography

We also challenge stereotypes of social groups through our iconography throughout the film, once again mainly focusing on woman within our two minute product.

The gun is a key example of this, Guns and weaponry in general often connote ideas of more masculine interests, women are not often portrayed to be in possession of weaponry in the media and the men do most of the fighting, however we challenge this by having the girls be in possession of both a gun and a bullet showing their strengths in adapting to situations.