Updated 31st march Evaluation, question 2- How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our thriller opening represented different social groups, particularly gender as we played with stereotypes.

Our main character, Eva, represents that young women are vulnerable. This is conveyed though not only her kidnapping, but many other media elements. At the end, there is diegetic sound of her whimpering conveying her weakness as a character, the addition of the removal of non-diegetic background sounds emphasises this further. The shadow cast across her face emphasises the oncoming darkness brought by the kidnappers almost removing all innocent senses. The multiple extreme closeups of her face bring us to her vulnerability as she becomes exposed and hopeless due to the actions of her kidnappers. 

In regards to mise en scene aspects, the prop of the door contains a window in the section, this makes it not opaque and more easily accessible to what’s inside. This emphasises the vulnerability of young women stereotype within our media product.

Moving over to another representation of social groups within our thriller, we challenge the stereotype being that criminality is masculine and replace it with a female dominance. We have a male and female kidnapper and the female appears to be in control of the male emphasising how it’s not only men who can conduct kidnappings, a way we differ from our influence, “The Disappearance Of Alice Creed”.

We emphasise this element of female dominance in a number of ways in shots. For example, she rearranges his tool layout, pulls out the tool to open the door, pushes his jacket into him and stares at him as he gulps his water inappropriately.

In this shot, our male character ties his shoelaces in a single knot. Our female character then doubles the knot in a shot that comes immediately after. This displays her dominance over him suggesting he can’t live up to her standards or expectations. It also conveys her perfectionist personality traits. In addition, the shoe being black contrasts the light colour palette used in the background. This displays there is metaphorical goodness around them yet them themselves don’t contain this and develops their negative connotations as characters. The fast cut makes her action seem faster in pace further conveying her power and dominance.

Furthermore, our thriller challenges stereotypes and conventional representations of crime as a male domain. The lead male character doesn't orchestrate the kidnapping and isn't represented as vulnerable yet he is conveyed as inferior to his female partner in crime.