Evaluation 2 - Media Product Representing Social Groups
What social groups appear in your opening sequence?
In our opening sequence we used a girl to play the clown to be the killer. We originally planned to use a male actor for the clown but the idea fell through and so we decided to use a girl as it had an unconventional look towards the opening sequence and challenge the conventions of social groups of clown being played by men.
What is the stereotypical representation of these social groups?
Usually in films a key stereotype of clowns is that they are played by men. This representation is shown through males being portrayed as more aggressive and violent. The picture shown to the left has been taken from the film Batman: The dark night; it shows the stereotypes with the image clearly showing a clown played by a man.
However, in our opening sequence we had the male character play as the victim which meant it would give an unconventional theme to our sequence of the clown being played by a female and the victim as a male, this would be unconventional as the male is always seen as the more dominant figure over the woman from the audiences point of view and so seeing the man getting killed is something that adds a surprise to the opening sequence.
How has your opening sequence represented them in a conventional or unconventional way?
What is the stereotypical representation of these social groups?
Usually in films a key stereotype of clowns is that they are played by men. This representation is shown through males being portrayed as more aggressive and violent. The picture shown to the left has been taken from the film Batman: The dark night; it shows the stereotypes with the image clearly showing a clown played by a man.
However, in our opening sequence we had the male character play as the victim which meant it would give an unconventional theme to our sequence of the clown being played by a female and the victim as a male, this would be unconventional as the male is always seen as the more dominant figure over the woman from the audiences point of view and so seeing the man getting killed is something that adds a surprise to the opening sequence.
How has your opening sequence represented them in a conventional or unconventional way?
Our opening sequence has represented females in a supposedly unconventional way, although the character who play the clown in the opening sequence still goes against the common stereotypes. We do not see her in need for help, dependent on others and soft and vulnerable.
However we do see her as the motionless and heartless. To get this across to the audience, the camera is shown looking at violent features such as the bat covered with blood and the mask of the clown. The wide shot helps the audience to understand that she is alone with not a care in the world as she swings on a swing. The boy that is the victim, connotes an unconventional representation as the majority of victims seem to be female when the man is the killer. Also the female shows more dominance that the male connoting another unconventional representation.
The representation of girls is portrayed as being innocent, vulnerable and most of the time dependent on others. However the example shown above Shows that not all girls are like this and can okay a role which males play. The picture is of Harley Quinn, also another character from batman.
However in our opening sequence we used a female clown to get the audience thinking about the unconventional use of a female character, this was to confuse the audience and create that narrative enigma for what they might expect from a female clown, how will she go about her killing?
Why have you chosen to represent them in an
The representation of girls is portrayed as being innocent, vulnerable and most of the time dependent on others. However the example shown above Shows that not all girls are like this and can okay a role which males play. The picture is of Harley Quinn, also another character from batman.
However in our opening sequence we used a female clown to get the audience thinking about the unconventional use of a female character, this was to confuse the audience and create that narrative enigma for what they might expect from a female clown, how will she go about her killing?
Why have you chosen to represent them in an
unconventional way?
I believe that by choosing to represent the clown unconventionally that it will make the opening sequence more engaging with the audience. The audience may not understand what is going on or even why it is but at the same time they will want to keep watching and thus creating narrative enigmas. The audience may not have seen a girl playing a clown and so creates a twist in the plot making the opening sequence more interesting and causing the audience to carry on watching.
I believe that by choosing to represent the clown unconventionally that it will make the opening sequence more engaging with the audience. The audience may not understand what is going on or even why it is but at the same time they will want to keep watching and thus creating narrative enigmas. The audience may not have seen a girl playing a clown and so creates a twist in the plot making the opening sequence more interesting and causing the audience to carry on watching.
Theories:
Due to the use of having a female play the antagonist and a male play the victim may mean
that female social groups maybe willing to watch our opening sequence rather than boys as in a way our opening sequence shows how the female is more dominant than the male which is an unconventional stereotype as it is usually other way around. This thus fits with McRobbie's theory as in our opening sequence the female is in a way more free from stigmatisation of other people, those people most likely to be 'men' and so this means that they can then make more well informed decisions for themselves.
Also, our opening sequence goes against the views of Mulvey's theory as the female plays the antagonist who wears a mask, dirty clown clothes and kills. This goes against mulvey's theory as our female character is definetly not displayed as a sex object in the sequence and does not "traditionally stop the stroyline from going forward as without the female clown, there would be nothing to move the storyline foward. Similarly, she is not an 'accessory' to the males dominant persona but it is the male victim who is in some way and accessory to the females persona instead.
Due to the use of having a female play the antagonist and a male play the victim may mean
that female social groups maybe willing to watch our opening sequence rather than boys as in a way our opening sequence shows how the female is more dominant than the male which is an unconventional stereotype as it is usually other way around. This thus fits with McRobbie's theory as in our opening sequence the female is in a way more free from stigmatisation of other people, those people most likely to be 'men' and so this means that they can then make more well informed decisions for themselves.
Also, our opening sequence goes against the views of Mulvey's theory as the female plays the antagonist who wears a mask, dirty clown clothes and kills. This goes against mulvey's theory as our female character is definetly not displayed as a sex object in the sequence and does not "traditionally stop the stroyline from going forward as without the female clown, there would be nothing to move the storyline foward. Similarly, she is not an 'accessory' to the males dominant persona but it is the male victim who is in some way and accessory to the females persona instead.
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