The film develops and challenges conventions of real football hooligan films. It develops conventions by only showing male actors and portraying young fans engaging in violence, starting at a young age. However, it challenges conventions by featuring younger actors than typical football hooligan films. The film represents young, white football fans negatively as violent hooligans who fight, carry weapons, and are drunk. It reinforces stereotypes of masculinity and shows football fandom as male-dominated. The intended audience is males ages mid-teens to early 40s interested in football or gang culture. The film would be distributed by Vertigo Films due to their experience with similar gritty British football films.

1. By Elliot Steel
Evaluation

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
 Our media product develops forms and conventions of real media products. I say this
because we use only male actors in our film to show the brutality of football violence, this
conforms to the idea portrayed by other media products such as the football factory of The
Firm as they also only show men fighting. However we do challenge the forms as we use
much younger actors to show that football fighting is between a much younger audience now.
This converts from other football hooligan films as they usually show men lat twenties or
early thirties fighting each other where as we show more late teens an early twenties getting
involved. This is done to show the audience that this is a habit that starts from a young age
and isn't just adopted latter in life.

3. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product represents young, white football fans as violent hooligans. It does this
because all footage in the film shows young football fans letting off flares and carrying weapons.
This means there is a negative portrayal of football fans as it portrays them as all violent and
vandals. However it also shows them as proud of their club and that they have a sense of
friendship with each other as shown by footage in the opening credits. It also can be shown by
when my character is jumped in the alleyway by three other hooligans around my same age
group. This reinforces that young football fans are all hooligans and are violent although will stick
together. It also shows how football fans will confirm with each other as the three people who
jump me all stomp an kick me as the others do.
Another way it shows football fans is as loud and drunk because of the opening scene as this is
them walking out of a pub and down an alleyway. Gender wise or film is very male dominated
which backs up the theory of the male gaze as it does not show any women fighting along side
the men, this means our product represents football fans as a very male dominated group. It
also shows us the idea of masculinity between the fans as they are fighting for power and
strength which is commonly associated with men. It also reinforces the stereotype that young
adults from London all wear hoods and carry weapons, although we are only showing a minority
who do so. Another representation we represent is that football hooligan is mainly a white
dominated area and is strongly racist, you can see this by the footage used at games as the
crowed is a all white crowed. This is done to show how football hooligans single others out and
have very low regard to human life.

4. What kind of media institute might distribute
your film?
 I believe vertigo films would distribute my films because it is a British company and this is a
British film. I also believe vertigo would distribute it as they have previously distributed similar
films such as the football factory which is another English football hooligan film. They are
also famous for doing over gritty British films such as the sweeney and another football
hooligan film called the Firm which they helped produce and distribute with the help of
Warner bros. So I believe it would be the best distribution company for our film as they would
know how to advertise it and sell it as they have done with films that are similar to mine.
Another reason I would go with vertigo is because they do it on a smaller budget than say
Universal. This means we would be more likely to make profit from the film and the
distribution from it, and Vertigo have links with Universal to help them distribute their films
outside of the UK. Another reason vertigo might distribute our film as that there is a gap in the
market for a new firm film and as they aim to distribute four films a year our film would help
them fill this gap, and meet their criteria for this year.

5. Who would be the audience for your media
product?
 I believe our target audience would be between mid teens to early forties who like football or have an interest
in social groups or gang culture. I say this because these are the age groups who are most likely to go to
football and have watch football. I believe it would also be a mainly male dominated group as that is the
gender with the higher number of attendees to football matches, and as it is a violent film it would also be
more likely to appeal to a male group. The country I believe it would do best in would be England as it is a
British film about a gritty sub culture in England d reveals a dark underworld that some people indulge in.
This means Americans would not see this films as it would not meet their criteria for what is British as it isn’t
posh and pompous . Although saying this I believe it would do well in a European market as many eastern
European countries are very much into football hooliganism and are fascinated with hooligan films such as
The Football Factory and The Firm. Also it would do well within the football community as there is a lack of
hooligan films now days so there is a gap in the market for our film. Also I believe a younger audience such
as mid teens would go to see this film as it shows gritty life in the UK and people rebelling which is
something they can relate to. Although I doubt most people who would go to see the film would actually be in
a firm but they would like it as it gives them an insight into what firm life is actually like. I also believe the
audience would be working class as this is the audience most commonly associated with football and that
there is a feel within the football community that you are representing your area and seeing as most
supporters come from working class backgrounds, and are film is aimed at these supporters they are the
ones more likely to go and see it.

6. How did you attract/address your audience?
 We would attract our audience by advertising near football grounds and in football grounds. Also by
advertising on sides of busses and in pubs near grounds. We would address the audience as if they are in
the film, this way they would feel more attracted to it as the film applies to them and has a sense of meaning
to them. We would also advertise during football games on tv this way your also appealing to an audience
that don't go to football matches but do enjoy football and are interested in football but are also interested in
the lives of violent fans. We also did a survey around our class and school to see what most people aged
early to late teens liked. We found girls preferred comedies, romcoms and horror, where as boys preferred
action, violence and comedies. This then showed us that the audience we would be trying to attract would
be more male orientated. We also would advertise on radio stations such as five live or talk sport. Another
way to attract a wider audience would be a question and answer session with the cast of the film at a festival
as this would get more people involved and encourage more people to go and see it.