Presentation to help us dynamically answer evaluation question 3: "How does your media product represent certain social groups?"

1. Evaluation: How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

2. Character Profiles
The first character introduced in the project is the character played by Liam Austen.The
character played is a young, white male, dressed in black/dark clothes. The storyline of the
project portrays this character as a rogue, vigilante style survivor, doing whatever he can to
survive. This could be compared to the character of Max Rockatansky, played by Mel Gibson in
the film “Mad Max”. In both our project and in “Mad Max” the characters are out to survive,
looking for a resource. In “Mad Max” the resource sought after by the main character is fuel,
whilst in “Survivors” the character is searching for water.
One other thing that is similar in the two characters is their costumes’ colour scheming. Both
Liam And Mel wear mainly black, layering items so that a lot of them is covered up. This style
reflects a dangerous/mysterious effect that also implies power.
Despite having similarities, the costume in Mad Max is slightly more exaggerated, for example
Mel Gibson’s black outer jacket is leather, which creates a biker style image, whereas Liam’s
jacket is a black waterproof, which creates a more sensible, calculated image – orientated
around survival instead of fashion. This also compliments the difference between independent
British cinema and Hollywood blockbuster.
Here is another example of how Mel Gibson’s
“Max” character and Liam’s “survivor” character
compare: These two screengrabs show the
characters attacking/dominating other characters
which shows their characters as dominant and
aggressive, a presentation created through both
characters and their profiles

3. Character Profiles
The secondary character in the media product is the second survivor, who is played by
Adam Bacon. Again, to fit the style of the film project and theme, he dresses in mainly
black and dark colours, and carries a military issue-style rucksack on his back. This
creates the image of a more prepared individual. Throughout the on screen action that
takes place in our sequence, it is made clear that Adam’s character is a victim of some
sort, yet not completely helpless, as he manages to ‘fight back’ against Liam’s character
by chasing him, switching the roles around.
This character profile is more comparable to the character of Robert Neville in the 2007
film “I Am Legend”, played by Will Smith. Again, the key similarities are seen in the dress
of the two, both wear a bag, suggesting an element of being prepared or equipped in
some way. The clothes are mainly dark, However whilst Smith’s character wears leather
and army style boots, our character wears a black hoodie and more fashionable
footwear. Although this is partially down to limited budget and wardrobe for our film, it
is also a way in which we have tried to make the characters in our project more
relatable to, and more reflective of members of our target audience.
One similarity that is also noticeable is the inclusion of military-issue props seen in both Adam and Will’s costume, this could
suggest an army/military background, which would suggest a level of experience and perhaps hardiness. This may also
indicate why both characters need to be attacked from behind or in a cunning way to be overthrown. In “I Am Legend”, Smith
is lured into a trap and then victimised as a result of a blow to the head, similarly, Adam is attacked from behind by Liam in
our film. This implies that both characters would come out on top in head on combat, also explaining their willingness to be
out in the open

4. Character Behaviour
Another way that our project represents its characters as belonging to certain social groups is through the way in which they behave. There are some key
differences between the characters that define them in different ways:
Liam’s Behaviour/presence:
In the film sequence, Liam’s character portrays himself as being quite calculated and insular, which can be seen by the way he wears his hood up, and tries to
cover more of his face by wearing a hat. In the first shot of his character, he can be seen hunched on the ground with his coat thrown over himself, which
adds to this look and persona. Then, when we see him walking through the wasteland, he holds his hands in his pockets, with shoulders hunched. This,
coupled with the way he walks away from open spaces, and staying low, suggests a possible weakness or cowardice within him, an idea which is solidified by
the fact that he attacks Adam’s character from behind.
Adam’s Behaviour/presence:
Adam’s character and his on screen presence creates a slightly different image to that of Liam’s. He is more proud
and confident, choosing to stand and be out in the open while he searches through the rubble. This indicates an
almost fearless persona, whom is so confident in himself that he feels comfortable stood in a large, unprotected
environment, open to ambush. This accompanies his overall image: The dark clothes; the military equipment, the
stance, shoulders back, chest out- Adam’s character is definitely more of a ‘hero’, despite being the secondary
character.