The document discusses the representation of social groups in a film opening. It describes the main protagonist as a mother grieving from mental health issues caused by past trauma, shown through her "confessing" in a hospital. The mother's loving relationship with her son is portrayed through happy family activities. The main antagonist, a ghost, conforms to horror movie stereotypes of being dark and sinister, wanting to scare the living. It is introduced strangling the son. Similarities are discussed between the mother and one in another film, while differences are in the source and timing of their distress.

1. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT REPRESENT
PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

2. FOR MY FILM OPENING, I USED
DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES TO
REPRESENT AND COVER
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT
CAN OCCUR FROM DIFFERENT
HORRORS THAT HAPPEN IN
SOMEONE’S PAST, WHICH IS
SHOWN THROUGH THE
MOTHER.

3. MY MAIN PROTAGONIST IS THE MOTHER
• THE MOTHER AND SON RELATIONSHIP IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE IN THE
MESSENGERS, WHERE THEY ARE PORTRAYED TO HAVE A CLOSE BOND THROUGH
WHICH IS SHOWN THROUGH A MONTAGE OF HAPPY FAMILY ACTIVITIES SUCH
AS; THE MOTHER TEACHING THE SON HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO, READING TO
HIM AND PLAYING GAMES WHICH ESTABLISHES THE STABLE AND LOVING
RELATIONSHIP WHICH IS TYPICAL OF A MOTHER AND SON. THIS HAS NO
PARTICULAR CLASS BUT PARENTS AND CHILDREN UNIVERSALLY COULD IDENTIFY
WITH THIS.

4. THE MAIN PROTAGONIST IS THE MOTHER
• AT THE BEGINNING I WANTED TO REPRESENT SOMEONE WHO IS GRIEVING AND
SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THIS IS SHOWN THROUGH THE
MOTHER ‘CONFESSING’ IN A HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH SHOWS THE WAY
PEOPLE CAN BREAK DOWN AND BECOME UNWELL AFTER TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS
IN THEIR LIVES.
• I REPRESENT THE MOTHER SYMPATHETICALLY BY GIVING HER A VOICEOVER
EXPRESSING HER FEELINGS, SO THE AUDIENCE CAN EMPATHISE WITH THIS
GROUP OF PEOPLE AND PERHAPS GAIN AN INSIGHT INTO THEIR FEELINGS AND
WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH.

5. MY MAIN ANTAGONIST REPRESENTS THE
STEREOTYPICAL GHOST FROM HORROR
MOVIES.
• THE GHOST IN MY FILM, DOES CONFORM TO THE STEREOTYPES SET OUT FOR
THEM AS TYPICALLY, IN A HORROR MOVIE, THE GHOST OR ANTAGONIST ALWAYS
HAS A DARK AND SINISTER MOTIVE BEHIND THEIR ACTIONS, USUALLY EITHER
REVENGE OR WANTING THE ‘LIVING THINGS’ TO BE SCARED OUT OF THEIR
TERRITORY.

6. • WHEN AUDITION FOR THE ROLE OF THE GHOST, I CHOSE A 25 YEAR OLD
WOMAN WHO IS THE SAME AGE AS THE GHOST WAS WHEN SHE WAS KILLED IN MY
FILM OPENING. IN THE FILM, SHE WEARS A TYPICAL BLACK DRESS AND HAS BLACK
HAIR, WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR GHOSTS IN HORROR FILMS TO WEAR AS IT
REPRESENTS HOW SINISTER THEY ARE.
• THE GHOST IS FIRSTLY INTRODUCED WHEN THE MOTHER (MAIN PROTAGONIST)
SEES HER STRANGLING HER SON TO DEATH, WHICH IMMEDIATELY PORTRAYS THE
GHOST AS THE ANTAGONIST IN THE FILM. THE SHOT IS A CLOSE UP OF THE
GHOST HAND ON THE SONS NECK WHICH ALSO ADDS MYSTERY AS THE
AUDIENCE CANNOT SEE THE GHOSTS FACE.
• THE ANTAGONIST REPRESENTS THE HORROR IN THE PROTAGONISTS PAST AND
HOW EVIL IS ALWAYS HAUNTING HER. THIS IS SHOWN IN THE OVER THE
SHOULDER SHOT OF THE GHOST CREEPING UP ON THE MOTHER WHICH ALSO
ACTS AS A REMINDER OF THE GUILT THAT HAS OVERCOME THE MOTHER
BECAUSE SHE DID NOT HELP HER SON.

7. SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN
CHARACTERS
The mother in my film opening
is very similar to the
messengers, Mrs Rollins. They
both are distressed when in
difficult situations and both
strive to protect their much
loved son, even though both
fail.
Differences between
characters
However, the mother in my film
opening presents her distress and
regret after he son is dead rather
than whilst. Whereas the mother in
The Messengers is distressed
because something is attacking
them both rather than just one.

8. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
CHARACTERS
Differences between characters

9. SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN
CHARACTERS
Differences between
characters