The document analyzes how two characters from a student's thriller opening represent particular social groups. The main character, a schoolgirl victim, and the serial killer character are both compared to characters from the films It Follows and Orphan. Both the student's characters and the film characters could be placed in the social groups of young teenagers/girls based on their innocent appearances. However, the serial killer character subverts expectations by taking on the unexpected role of the predator/killer rather than the victim. Meanwhile, the Orphan character is even more surprising given her portrayal as an innocent young child before being revealed as the killer.

1. How does your media
production represent particular
social groups?

2. Our character
Character from It
follows

3. The main character in our thriller opening is a schoolgirl (played by Stephanie Taylor)
who gets kill by the other character in our thriller. This character is our main character
as she has the prevalence throughout the clip and she plays a bit part in the storyline.
A film character that is very similar to our main character is Jay, the main female
character in the film it follows.
Both characters are similar when it comes to appearance, as both of them look quite
young, so they could easily be placed in the social group young teenagers/adults. As
they look youthful and are female they would be seen as innocent by other people as
the stereotypical representation of a young female is that they would be innocent and
vulnerable, therefore seen as a victim. However the main character from it follows
may be seen as more vulnerable and more prone to being a victim than the other
character. This is because her hair colour is blonde and a stereotypical representation
of a blonde girl is that they are a bit stupid, so they may be easily fooled into to being
a victim.
Both main characters are also similar because of the costumes they wear in the films.
Both character are wearing quite normal clothing you would imagine a young adult or
teenage girl to where. This adds to the idea that their characters are vulnerable and in
danger as they could both be placed in a social group of young girl based on the
clothes that they are wearing.

4. In terms of the roles each of the characters play in their films both characters are very
similar as they both get followed. In both films we see the characters getting
stalked/followed by someone who will bring them danger, like a predator seeking out
its prey. So the fact that both the main characters are in the place of the victim and
are female links back to the stereotypical representation of girls, that they are
vulnerable, weak and more exposed to being harmed or put in danger.
One difference between our character and the main character from it follows is that
the character from it follows is seen fighting her attacker back whereas in our thriller
she is killed and that’s it. The fact that the main character from it follows fights back is
unexpected as one of the representations of females its that they are weak and
harmless, so the fact that she does fight back places her in the social group of a female
hero.

5. Our characterCharacter from
Orphan

6. Another character from our thriller opening is a schoolgirl serial killer (played by
Louise Richardson) who kills the main character in our thriller, the victim (played by
Stephanie Taylor).
One film character that has very close similarities to our character is Esther, the main
character from the film Orphan who poses as an innocent orphan but actually goes
around killing people who she is very familiar with.
In terms of appearance both our character and the main character from the film
Orphan are very similar as both would be placed in the social groups of young children
and innocent girls based on what they look like. They both are young looking and are
wearing some form of clothing which looks like a uniform, this makes them look like
schoolgirls, which makes them look innocent to someone watching as one of the
typical representations of a schoolgirl is that their a victim and seen as vulnerable.
One difference between these character is terms of appearance is that our characters
looks older than the other character as she is wearing clothes that you would expect
an older child to wear rather than a very young child, also she is wearing make up
which you would associate with the teenagers age range. As well as this, the girl from
the film Orphan is seen wearing ribbons in her hair and light colours, which are some
features you could use to describe the image of a little girl.

7. Also both characters can easily be portrayed as a part of the social group young girls as they
both appear to look harmless and innocent from what they look like in their picture.
However the girl from the film Orphan could fit in with the social group more as in the film
she is very quiet and comes off as shy, these are normal connotations used to describe the
character of a little girl. Also she is seen playing with toys with other girls her age, this links
back to the social group of young girls as playing with toys and dolls is something they you
would expect them to do.
In terms of the parts that they plays in each film, both characters are similar as both roles
that they plays fit in well with the social group of a killer or as they are both seen with
blood on their hands and are seen following someone who plays the victim, that they seem
murdering. One of the differences between the characters roles in the films is that the
character from our thriller would likely been seen as a killer as in the opening she is seen
doing things that would make her look like a predator for example watching and following
the person she is planning to kill. As well as this she is up close in the thriller and when she
is she is seen with her hair covering her face. This implies that she is a killer as her actions
are not normal and would be seen as scary or freaky from a viewer’s point of view.
The main character from the film orphan would be harder to perceive as a killer or a
dangerous person as in the beginning of the film she is seen playing an innocent little girl
who you would expect to play the role of a victim. So generally you wouldn’t imagine she is
capable of killing someone as her role of an innocent girl is so convincing. So the fact that
we see her in the role of a killer/murder is unexpected and shocking as one of the
representations of a little girl is that she is harmless and not capable of doing anything evil
as they are seen a innocent and pure.