Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My film opening actually only features two main characters and a few extras and therefore doesn't give much opportunity to represent different social groups. My protagonist is a white 18 year old girl because I wanted to challenge the conventional male leads and develop the introduction of female protagonists, especially in the crime thriller genre. She is 18 years old to help me appeal to a younger target audience (18-25 year olds) whilst still being able to carry a mature, dark storyline. I didn't have a specific ethnic group in mind when I was casting Emma, Lucy was simply the best fit with the specific categories I needed to cover and the greatest acting ability.

However, because I'd cast Lucy, I needed my other main characters to be similar in appearance as they were playing members of her family - her sister and her mum. This is when I cast Alannah as she looked the most like Lucy to achieve greater verisimilitude.

When I created Emma's character I wanted her to be strong and independent, challenging gender stereotypes about women being weak and needing the assistance of a man. Therefore  I believe Emma represents her social group in a very positive way, showing young girls that it's okay to break societies rules and be headstrong and powerful. Also, the fact that she carries most of the film, especially the opening sequence, shows that her character is able and complex enough to support the weight of the film - a great example of self-worth and confidence for young women.
This is developing throughout the industry with major films such as 'The Hunger Games' starring a strong female protagonist.

As my film develops I would want it to continue this theme of strong women. I have a specific character in mind who I really see as an integral part of the film - a chief investigator who I imagine as a woman. Emma becomes very close to her as she acts as a maternal figure, offering Emma the safety and support she lost with the deaths of her own parents. However, this character manages to maintain a position of authority and power, controlling the investigation with determination to discover who is responsible. This shows that women don't have to be pigeon-holed as strong and independent or loving and maternal, they can do both effectively with neither side of them holding back the other. This role of a strong business woman and mother was also played by Sarah Paulson when she perfectly portrayed 'Marcia Clark' in the crime drama 'The People vs OJ Simpson'. This shows how female characters are starting to become more multi-layered and complex reflecting a social movement towards more equal women's rights.

My film is set in the north of England in Yorkshire and therefore also challenges stereotypes surrounding regional identity. People in Yorkshire are often considered to be friendly and trustworthy however, this is a story of corruption and lies, challenging the idea of safety and welcome which surrounds the dales. However, people in Yorkshire, especially areas such as Bradford, can sometimes be considered to be less intelligent than people in other areas of the country. Therefore Emma's character positively contrasts these stereotypes as she helps aid an official police investigation.
I chose to set the film in Yorkshire as successful crime thriller TV shows have also been set in this area such as 'Happy Valley'.

However, it is still quite unconventional to have a film of this genre set in Yorkshire rather than a bustling city as most crime  thrillers are set in heavily populated, fast paced areas to help create the complex plot lines and characters which characterise this genre. However, the landscape and scenery of this region lends itself perfectly to my film idea and I enjoy challenging the stereotypes which surround the north, proving that a successful crime thriller film can actually be set in Yorkshire.

The only other character really shown in my opening is Emma's sister who speaks in the scene right at the beginning. I really wanted a younger child here to bring an innocence to the situation which which really increases the tragedy of the film and, consequently, the catharsis felt at the end by the audience. She appears as weak, vulnerable and ignorant, all these representations designed to make the audience sympathise with her and her sister, our protagonist, to immediately identify them as those with whom the audience is supposed to support.
The fact that her scene is right at the beginning instantly emotionally engages the audience and gets them to invest in the characters very early on in the film. This means other events will have a greater impact on the audience as they care about what happens to the characters. Therefore, presenting Alannah as weak and ignorant was necessary to get the emotional response I desired from my audience. Unfortunately this does play to stereotypes surrounding young girls but hopefully, the bravery and strength of my other female characters balances this out. I decided to make this compromise as I believe Alannah's character was the fastest and most effective way to get the audience to sympathise and emotionally engage with my characters, something that was very necessary to my film.