Shown within this powerpoint is how my media product represents particular social groups. I have discussed and evaluated my film opening to be able to consider the issues involved.

1. EVALUATION
QUESTION 2
How does your media product represent particular social groups?

2. Social Groups
A social group is two or more people who interacted with another and share similar characteristics
and have a sense of unity. Every media product is designed to be aimed at a certain or a group of
social groups within the society. This is thought about in order to challenge, accept or develop
certain stereotypes.
Our film opening, ‘Bonnie’ we are representing series of different social groups throughout. We
have decided to represent social class, age, gender and mental ability. In order to correctly
represent these we have carefully thought through and researched how these social groups are
represented within other horror film and then either developed, accepted or challenged these
social groups in order to make our film unique.

3. Social Class
There are a range of different social classes which everyone within the society will fit into
somewhere. These social classes are:
Upper class: Usually have inherited wealth and ascribed status. They have the highest status in
society.
Middle class: In skilled non-manual and professional occupations. This often constitutes about
one-third of the employed population of the country.
Working class: Individuals that are paid an hourly wage. Usually includes manual-labour
occupations and in skilled, industrial work.
Under class: The lowest class in society usually composed of the disadvantaged including those
who are poor and unemployed.

4. Social Class
Social classes are often very stereotypical when they are represented within films. Upper class are mainly represented
to be very wealth and have big houses. Then the middle class is represented a person who is quite up themselves but
represented to have a ‘normal’ life. The working class are represented to be less wealthy and have to work all the
time. Finally, the under class are always represented to be poor and homeless. In horror films the social class that is
usually represented is the middle class as the family is seen to go to work and bad things happen to the house when
just one of them is home. This stereotype is show to be quite negative about the upper class as it shows that they
are all snobs but in real life that isn’t the case. Also, it shows all under class to be poor and homeless which again isn’t
the case.
Within our media product we have represented the underclass as we have filmed in an abandoned house which is
what Joel (the main character) has decided to be his house after he lost his family members. Also, he is now
unemployed as he decided to isolate himself from society. However, after the film opening that we made we decided
to do a flashback on his life before his wife and daughter departed. Within this part of the film we would have
considered him to be within the middle class as well as his wife. He also wears a shirt which is appear to be quite
middle class so we have portrayed juxtaposition with how he used to be. Our film develops but also challenges
typical horror films as within the rest of the film we would have included the fact that he used to be middle class.
However, within the film opening we showed that he was underclass which would signify that we have challenged the
typical horror film stereotype. We represented this by making Joel live in an abandoned house all alone with no
money or anything for him to live for. He is also shown to be very unstable by rocking in the corner due to the fact
that his family has died.

5. Age
Within horror films and many other genres of film, age is also stereotypically represented. For example, the children
are shown to be vulnerable and unable to do anything for themselves and that they do as they are told as well as the
old are represented to be too old to do anything for themselves too. Within the horror film genre the middle aged
people are usually the people that are able to take the danger away from the situation. Adults are shown to be in
control and authoritative to the children. The stereotypes shown within films about age is shown to be quite positive
and an accurate representation of real life.
Within our film it is completely different. We have the child who is able to keep Joel away from anymore danger and
help him come to realisation about what he has done. Also, Bonnie allows him to end his life in order to stop his
suffering so he doesn’t have to deal with this bad life anymore and he is able to die before he is able to do
something stupid now that he knows that he has been the cause of the deaths that he has had within his life. Joel is
then represented to be a middle aged man which should (if we were following the stereotype) be able to get rid of
the danger and he will be quite strong. Within their clothing we have portrayed them to show their ages as bonnie is
wearing the typical little girl innocent clothing and Joel is wearing typical male casual clothing. However, within our
media product he is represented to be a weak vulnerable man who isn’t able to do anything for himself. Until he is
shown what he needed to do to be able to be reconnected with his family. This then shows that we have challenged
the typical stereotypical view of horror films. We have also shown role reversal as Bonnie is represented within our
film to be in control and she is telling Joel what to do. Where as Joel is just seen to do as he is told to do which in this
case is follow Bonnie.

6. Gender
Within society and films, in general males are seen to be the superior figure within all media that is produced. This
means that they are stronger and in everyway better at everything than the females. Then the females are shown to
be emotional. Within horror film the same applies as it shows that the females are scared and generally unable to
help themselves due to fear. The males are shown to be the saviours and able to help the women. Also, the males are
represented to be the villain within the horror film too as they are usually the cause for all of the danger and murder.
Stereotypes about females in horror films are seen to be very negative as it shows them to be weak which isn’t an
accurate representation of them. However, the stereotype of males are shown to be positive for them but also it isn’t
an accurate representation of them either.
Our film develops this stereotype, as we have a female who yes has died which shows that she was vulnerable.
However, she is able to show that she is strong as she shows her father were to go and helps him to end his
suffering. The male is represented to be a weak and fable male as he is unable to even stand up without the aid of
the wall. Until the end where he is shown to be strong as he is then about to end his life. This follows a stereotype as
he is the one that has caused the death and misery for himself but is unable to remember that which causes him to
become weak. However, the rest of the film opening challenges a stereotype as both genders have switched roles
which them suggests that overall this develops the typical horror film stereotype.

7. Mental Ability
Within regular films we found that males are usually represented to be quite strong mentally and physically. Also, they are
portrayed to look after the women throughout the film. Within horror films they are shown to be the people that can think
about how to get out of danger. Where as the women are shown to be worthless as they don’t do anything for themselves
due to fear. However, in usual films they are shown to be mentally strong and challenging. Mental ability of both females and
males are shown to be positive as they are both shown to be mentally sane and strong even though the males are shown to
be stronger. However, this is an accurate representation of a real life situation.
Within our media product we have challenged this film stereotype. The female has been shown to be mentally strong and
able to help Joel be able to end his grief. Also, even though she has been murdered by her own father she has still decided to
help him not have to live miserable throughout his life. This signifies that she is strong because she is able to help someone
that ended her life. Joel is shown to be very mentally unstable as he was the one that actually murdered his wife and child.
Also, he has ended up being homeless and unemployed through grief and spends his time sitting on the floor rocking and
whispering to himself as he wasn’t able to protect them. When he sees ‘Bonnie’ he then believes that she is really there as he
isn’t completely right in the head and he has spent his time after they had died wishing they would come back. He then
proceeds to follow her until she leads him to some steps and up them is a noose. As Bonnie has led him there he believes
that it is the correct thing to do to be able to become back with her. Suddenly, realisation kicks in and he is able to become
more stable as he remembers that he is the murder. Our storyline is shown to challenge the convention as there was a time
when Joel was stable but after the grief he became unstable. Also, there will have been a time when Bonnie acted like a
typical little girl and didn’t have to help anyone do anything and she had the mental ability of a child. But she changed when
she died and was able to after a few years come round and help her father.

8. Conclusion
In conclusion the majority of our film ends up challenging or developing typical film stereotypes
in films. This is because we tried to tell a creative true story. We had a male that in every horror
film is a strong man and helps the family get out of danger. Where as in ours we reversed the
roles and changed it so that Bonnie was able to relieve her dad of danger. The male was shown to
be completely different to a typical male shown within the majority of films. Also, the female child
is again completely different to a child and how they should typically behave. As she thinks of
things a child couldn’t possible understand at that age in real life.