This focus group discussed a short film called "Cubs" about a group of youths who go fox hunting for fun under a bridge. The opening engaged interest by showing an unexpected turn from dealing drugs to fox hunting. The main character was found interesting due to his internal conflict between wanting gang approval and doing the right thing. While the setting was deemed realistic, the storyline of urban fox hunting was not believable. Key themes included boredom, animal cruelty, and desperation for excitement among youth. The film was seen as having a message about losing innocence in unexpected ways and facing consequences of reckless actions due to boredom. Some saw its purpose as criticizing older generations and lack of opportunities for today's youth.

1. Focus Group 1
Cubs [short film]

2. 1. Direct Reference -

Direct quotes from interviewee’s responses which evidences their
own words and phrases

3. Q.1 Did the opening of the film engage your
interest to make you want to watch the rest of it?

Phoebe (17 years): “They were under a bridge, crowding and
smoking with two dogs. You'd stereo-typically think they'd be
dealing drugs or dog fighting but instead they end up hunting a fox.
This unexpected turn of events makes me want to watch the outcome
of the film."
Jordan (17 years): “I wanted to know what they were going to do
with the fox.”
Direct Reference

4. Q.2 Did you find the main character
interesting? Why?

Myles (18 years): "The main character is torn between wanting to do
the right thing but also wanting approval from gang members so
when we see him deciding whether to unveil the foxes location we
know he is struggling . He ends up choosing to hunt the fox making
his character more interesting because he does know he is wrong."
Jordan (17 years): "He seemed determined to try and get on the good
side of the gangster so its his main aim to gain approval from him and
socialising with the gangsters friends and doing what he does so he
ends up losing his innocence in a unique way."
Direct Reference

5. Q.3 Is the setting, character action/reactions and
storyline believable/realistic?

Jordan (17 years): "The setting was definitely believable as I have seen
parks/playground areas like that and there are bridges in the woods
you can go under. The storyline is definitely unique as I've never heard
or seen of a gang fox hunting for fun before so the realism of the story
is debatable."
Myles (18 years): "The setting is realistic and the boy chasing after the
approval of a respected gang leader is also. The storyline doesn't seem
realistic because I've personally never heard, seen, read anything about
urban fox hunting."
Phoebe (17 years): "I think it was realistic. Especially the boy wanting
to be part of the gang and when he decided to tell everyone where the
fox was to avoid embarrassment and disrespect of losing it in the first
place."
Direct Reference

6. Q.4 Can you think of any issues and/or themes
running throughout this text?

Myles (18 years): "Boredom of the youth and gang culture."
Jordan (17 years): "Definitely the issues of animal cruelty, its
become a sport. Its like they really lack so many opportunities to
play actual real sports."
Phoebe (17 years): “Yeah animal cruelty, being bored, maybe
desperation for something exciting or entertaining.”
Direct Reference

7. Q.5 Is there a message or meaning to this film?

Phoebe (17 years): “I feel like it wants to show how little there is to
do for young people these days. A new height of boredom has
been reached with sinister consequences.”
Jordon (17 years): “Yeah that’s true but there’s also the message of
losing innocence in ways you don’t expect so be careful what and
who you get involved with.”
Myles (18 years): “That people tend to over-exaggerate their own
capabilities as the main character struggled to decide whether to
keep chasing the lost fox and took a long time to kill it.”
Direct Reference

8. Q.6 What are your thoughts on the purpose of
this short film?

Myles (18 years): “It showed fox hunting but in a different context. It
used a younger generation, maybe to show the brutality and violence
that the older generation lived by for so many years. This way its
giving a more shocking response because of this change of generation
and age.”
Phoebe (17 years): “I think it wants to show how little youth have left
in this generation but also what Myles said about the fox hunting
being put into a different situation: if more experienced, older adults
did such a thing it would be considered okay and congratulated
when they caught or killed the fox. I think it could have been made to
criticise the hypocrisy of the older generation.”
Jordan (17 years): “Maybe to show the extent of the boredom of the
youth.”
Direct Reference

9. 2. Discrete Analysis -

A methodical breakdown of the responses, offering a clear
explanation of the insights they bring

10. Q.1 Did the opening of the film engage your
interest to make you want to watch the rest of
it?

The interest in wanting to know what the youths were
going to do underneath a bridge at dusk with two
stereotypical urban vicious dogs.
Once the fox hunting had begun, this engaged interest
as the motives of the characters were unknown.
Discrete Analysis

11. Q.2 Did you find the main character
interesting? Why?

The internal conflict of the main character was what
intrigued the most. The unknown motives and reasons
behind his actions encouraged the audience to become
more interested in the mysterious character.
How the main character reacts to potentially losing his
innocence in a way he did not mean to or expect.
Discrete Analysis

12. Q.3 Is the setting, character action/reactions
and storyline believable/realistic?

The setting the text takes place in is very realistic.
It's narrative is realistic in terms of the main character
wanting approval and to be part of a gang but the way
in which this is achieved plants a seed of doubt as
urban fox hunting has not been heard of other than this
text, so it may be fiction.
The main character wanting to be part of the gang is
realistic.
Discrete Analysis

13. Q.4 Can you think of any issues and/or themes
running throughout this text?

The boredom of the youth and gang culture.
Animal cruelty and the little opportunities available
nowadays.
Desperation for entertainment/lack of stimulation
Discrete Analysis

14. Q.5 Is there a message or meaning to this film?

That you must be careful what you do out of boredom
as the consequences may not be what you wanted.
Message of losing innocence in unexpected ways.
The message of over-exaggerating your own
capabilities can lead to unwanted outcomes.
Discrete Analysis

15. Q.6 What are your thoughts on the purpose of
this short film?

To criticise the older generation who praised and
prized fox hunting yet, when placed in a different
context it seems cruel and sinister even though it is to
begin with: just because someone young is committing
an act of cruelty, it doesn’t mean they are less or more
guilty.
There needs to be more fun and productive activities
for the youth to participate in.
Discrete Analysis

16. 3. Comparative Analysis
-

A variety of responses to the same question should be weighed
with or against one another

17. Q.1 Did the opening of the film engage your
interest to make you want to watch the rest of
it?

The anticipation and the not knowing what the unique
situation is leading to is what lead to interest and
audience engagement with the film and its narrative.
Comparative Analysis

18. Q.2 Did you find the main character
interesting? Why?

It is likely that the visible internal conflict of the main
character is what interested the audience.
But it could be that his internal conflict is so visible
because he is afraid of losing his innocence?
Comparative Analysis

19. Q.3 Is the setting, character action/reactions
and storyline believable/realistic?

Each response agreed that the setting of the text was the
most realistic.
The need, want and obligation of the main character
was realistic but the narrative lacked realism when the
fox hunting began.
Comparative Analysis

20. Q.4 Can you think of any issues and/or themes
running throughout this text?

Several different issues and themes were suggested but
the main one was believed to be youth boredom.
Comparative Analysis

21. Q.5 Is there a message or meaning to this film?

The most dominant message/meaning to the text was
loss of innocence. By comparing the different results
you can see that loss of innocence can be achieved
through the other message/meanings, like boredom
and the consequences of impulsive actions.
Comparative Analysis

22. Q.6 What are your thoughts on the purpose of
this short film?

It is often thought the purpose is to highlight the need
for more productive opportunities for the youth to do
in modern society but closer inspections point out that
it may have been produced to criticise the older
generation and how sinister a generation they were. An
activity they happily participated in and celebrated
being placed in a different time, place and with modern
characters reveals the older generations cruelty that
they may not have realised.
Comparative Analysis

23. 4. Applying Theory -

Can you apply any relevant theory to the analysis and evaluation?

24. Todorov

Todorov's theory involves the narrative following the structure of
equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.
This text, Cubs, clearly follows this being that it begins with the main
character achieving his wants in an equilibrium, but then he loses the fox.
This caused disequilibrium to follow due to the known fact that he will no
longer achieve his want if the disequilibrium continues. A new
equilibrium is restored when the main character hunts the fox and is
initiated into the gang. But there are hints that it is not the equilibrium that
the main character had imagined, so an internal disequilibrium continues.

25. Propp

Vladimir Propp devised a theory proposing that every story will always have
a certain set of characters: a protagonist (hero), an antagonist (villain), a
heroine, a father (an authority figure), helper (helps the hero), donor (gives the
hero something) and a mentor (guides the hero).
Cubs doesn't necessarily follow this theory, although it includes most of the
characters.
We can debate about whether the main character is the protagonist or another
antagonist in pursuit of heroism by pursuing gang initiation. The antagonist is
clear (main gang leader) but dialogue between him and the main character
reveal that he is also mentor and authority figure but also donor when he gives
him the gun. These character traits are that of a hero but the antagonist has
adopted them, creating a much more interesting narrative.
The heroin in this text is also the helper as she helps him obtain initiation.

26. 5. Conclusions -

Analysis and reasoning through of the responses should lead to
judgements and decisions being reached by the filmmaker

27. All questions

1. Anticipation and mystery was used to entice the audiences interest .
2. Internal conflict is what made the character interesting.
3. The setting was natural and therefore realistic. Unheard of events
causes realism to diminish; conduct audience research on what they
consider realistic to make sure realism isn't lost.
4. Issues and themes featured involved the youth as it is a very large
demographic with a tremendous amount of substance to derive
intriguing and relevant issues and themes from.
5. The messages were derived from the issues and themes, such as loss of
innocence in unexpected ways, potentially teaching the audience
valuable lessons about the consequences of reckless actions .
6. Its purpose was thought to be to criticise the older generation and
present day society for lack of care for its current generations.

28. 6. Action Statement -

In view of these conclusions, how will the findings impact on the
creative process?

29. All questions

1. Going to make sure there is a sense of mystery within/throughout my
product to ensure a captivated audience.
2. Visible internal conflict makes an interesting character so I shall include
this.
3. Using a natural, unaltered setting is very important in creating realism.
Need to make sure the narrative isn't too far fetched or includes events
that are so unique the audience is unable to recognise or relate to .
4. Issues and themes surrounding the youth tends to be a common
platform to include but the material derived is rich.
5. The meaning/message is heavily linked to the issues and themes. I will
keep them linked to ensure maximum impact.
6. Criticism can be a purpose. I can use my product to criticise a feature of
society I don't believe to be right.