The document discusses how costumes can represent particular social groups and stereotypes. It describes how the actors in a student film wore smart business suits to portray "gangsters" and appear older, even though they were younger. The suits helped stereotype the actors as higher-class criminals rather than youths, and the dark colors made them seem mysterious. Overall, the costumes allowed the actors to take on stereotypical gangster personas that differed from their actual ages.

1. How does your product
Represent particular social groups?
By Darcy Way

2. The use of a smart phone stereotypes the younger generation as they
people it is ‘in fashion’ to have the latest technology. The use of the
Eduardos glasses
case over the smart phone also enhances youth and how they try to
also add a
add decoration to their belongings. The way in which he is holding
sophisticated
the phone also shows that he is comfortable and relaxed with the
smart look which
situation.
enhances the suit.
In a way you
could say that
they glasses
make him appear
intelligent and
more older. The
glasses look at
use of the
smartphone
contrast from
each other as
there are two
stereotypes put
into one.
The fact that Eduardo is wearing a
youthful bracelet also shows the The smart suit contrasts with the bracelet and smart phone here as
stereotyped idea off young people, in a you are seeing two different stereotypes coming together. The suit
way it distracts the audience eyes away makes Eduardo appear to be a smart middle age man but the
from the smart suit and on to the fact that bracelet and phone make him look like a typical teenager trying to
he is a young actor, it also relates to the hold on to their youth. I think they work effectively together and draw
young target audience. in the idea of the modern feel.

3. The expression on ciarans face also shows that he is
In this print screen Ciaran is stereotyping a ‘gangster’. This can be comfortable with the gun enhancing the fact that he
seen by the use of the gun and the shirt untucked makes the suit look is trying to be ‘hard’ and act like he has more
less formal. authority within amongst them both.
The conventions of
a gangster include…
The gun
The walk
The facial Ciarans walk also suggests that he is stereotyping a ‘gangster’ as he
expression walks up through the car park with a confident and causal walk, The
The costume idea of the suit becomes insignificant as both his prop and actions
portrays the fact that he is no longer a business man within the film.

4. Costume… Our chosen outfit choice for our production was smart
business suits. We felt this was most suitable as we was
trying to link the ‘working class’ look in with the ‘police
detective’ style. Even though we felt that if the actors
dressed youthful it would conform more to the
stereotypes of the younger generation, we wanted to
make them look more like ‘gangsters’. In most films
gangsters are stereotyped wearing smart suits as a way of
improving their appearance and make them look higher
class, even though we was not trying to put this point
across in our production to a certain extent I do believe
that we portrayed this and the actors seem older then
what they initially are and they look more presentable.
The dark colours also made the actors look more
mysterious and mischievous which created a sense of
unknown.
These images show roughly what the suits looked like, we
stuck to grey and black suits in order to make it seem
more professional and realistic.