The document discusses the representation of social groups in a film opening. The target audience is described as adults aged late 20s to late 30s who enjoy crime dramas. The mise-en-scene aims to represent this group through settings like a nicely decorated home, and costumes like a casually dressed mother and formally dressed detective that appeal to career-driven viewers. However, the document notes that making the setting more modern would better conform to how the target Hollywood audience lives.

1. Question 2:
How does your media
product represent particular
social groups?

2. How does the product
represent my target
audience?

3. The Target Audience
 The target audience for my film opening was adults, both
male and female, in their late twenties to their late thirties. This
was due to the themes of the film being sophisticated and
mature. They would be people that are quite career driven
and enjoy watching crime dramas.
 I believe that my film opening reaches this target audience,
as it does represent their social group. Although they may not
yet have children themselves, they will be mature enough to
understand the themes of the film as the characters are of
similar ages to them. Also, the fact that there is a detective in
the film opening dressed very formally presenting a very
stereotypical career driven character, which would also be
relatable to many of my target audience.

4. What does the
mise-en-scene I have
used communicate
about the characters?

5. Setting
 The setting of the film opening would
also be very relatable to the target
audience. There is a sky HD box,
widescreen TV, the room appears well
decorated and styled. It shows that the
people who live there take pride in the
way they live and they look after
themselves well.
 This is what I was aiming for as I believe
this is what stereotypical adults in my
target audience would live in the same
manner.
 it also suggests that it is a middle-class
family home, that real people live in –
which will also be relatable to the
target audience.

6. Costuming
 I selected my costuming so that they would be relatable to my target
audience. I wanted the family to appear middle class. The character Helen
Miles – the mother, was dressed in very casual clothing as I wanted her to
come across as though she had let herself go. This would be very apparent to
the audience, and I believe that they will recognise why she is dressed the
way she is and would see that they would do the same if they were in her
shoes.
 The character Sergeant Moss was dressed very formally as he is high in the
police force and works very hard, therefore was in a formal suit. I think that my
target audience would relate to this as they would generally people with
successful careers and that are career driven.
 The character Lucy Miles is dressed as though she normally would, a shirt and
trousers. I wanted her to appear that she comes from a middle class family
that take care of themselves – which would be what my target audience
represent. She also is wearing a lot brighter clothing that the mother, showing
that whilst the mother is grieving and wearing dark clothes to represent this,
Lucy is trying to push forward with life and move on from the tragic event that
has happened to their family.

7. Performance
 I directed my actors in order for them to be presented to the
audience in a certain way. I wanted the characters language
to be pronounced correctly, and talk politely and with
consideration to one another. This was important to convey as
it would back up the idea that the characters are middle class
and the audience would be able to recognise them in
themselves. I wanted to ensure that my target audience would
want to watch the film, and by getting the characters
performance correct in presenting certain features, this would
look much more achievable.

8. The characters in their costumes
Helen Miles Sergeant Moss Lucy Miles

9. Did the film opening
conform to conventions of
its social groups?

10.  I think that the representation I have offered does support
ideas about the social groups I have presented to an extent.
The mother has had her daughter kidnapped, and doesn’t
know what to do with herself. Therefore the ay she is dressed
isn’t how it would usually appear so isn’t necessarily
conforming to the ideas of the social group at that time.
However, the environment of the characters and the way her
daughter is presented at 13 does suggest that they are a
middle class family, and the mother would usually conform to
the ideas of the social group she belongs to.

11.  I believe that I have conformed to the social group of middle
class adults in their late twenties and thirties. I have
represented my characters to conform to the conventions
through the mise-en-scene I have used and through the way
they appear to the audience, however…
 If I was to create this film as a Hollywood film, then I would
make the setting of the film opening much more modern. I
would have all of the latest appliances present. I would do this
because I believe that my target audience would live in this
kind of manner, therefore it would be much more relatable to
them and would fit in better with them.