Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups? Sonam Nguyen

What type of characters are in your film? In our opening title sequence, there are three different characters. These include: A young mother, Sarah Mills in her early 20’s (middle class, white British and professional detective). Tabitha Mills, Sarah’s 6 year old daughter (middle class, white British and student). The antagonist/kidnapper (identity unknown).

Are they typical or untypical of the genre? All three characters are typical in the thriller genre. To begin with, Sarah Mill’s is a single mother (this can be seen as a weakness/easy target because she doesn’t have a husband to protect her) who is presented as a workaholic, takes her daughter to a park after school. Tabitha Mills, a naïve and innocent and average 6 year old, plays on the swing obediently by herself after initially wanting her mothers attention, as Sarah Mills answers an important business call. Both of these characters are commonly found in this genre, as they are ordinary and vulnerable making it easy for the audience to relate with them. The mysterious kidnapper is also a typical villain for this genre, as the audience is unable to see him, however they are able to see parts of the scene through his view point and perspective which creates a closer relationship between him and the viewer. Added to this, the element of hearing his heavy breathing and footsteps offers a heightened sense of anticipation and concern.

What can you say about their representations? Sarah Mills is wearing a black smart coat and black tights which can represent formality and also a sense of elegance with her high profile detective career. Tabitha Mills is wearing a grey and white school uniform. The color white reflects on her innocence whilst the color grey adds to the twist of the narrative, as it can be signified as a stain on the white material, as her purity is about to be taken when she is kidnapped. The audience are able to hear the heavy masculine breathing of the kidnapper and his clumsy footsteps, this adds to the suspense of the whole opening title sequence, especially when Tabitha Mills goes missing. The non diegetic sounds are crucial in portraying the antagonist.

How does your choice of mise en scene give the audience clues to the ‘type’ of character(s) you have in your film The scene is set in a remote park where a mother brings her daughter after a long days work. The fact that they are the only two characters visible, makes the scene more thrilling because no one else is there to help them. The trees surrounding the cold gloomy park also adds to the eerie vibe of the narrative. There are two props used in our opening title sequence, a cellphone and a swing. Sarah Mills receives a business call which she takes, while leaving her daughter alone on the swing, the phone was a vital prop as the phone call to Sarah Mills changed the whole narrative. The swing represents Tabitha Mills’s youth and innocence as swings tend to be used by children. Sarah Mills was wearing a black elegant coat, this shows that her job is formal and she is being paid well. Whilst her daughter, Tabitha Mills wears her school uniform, as the scene takes place after her school day.

Do your characters reflect those you have studied in other films? Two films that we have based our film, Fourteen Years, include: The Bourne Identity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/) This film is based on ‘The Bourne Identity’ due to our plot having a similar narrative because the protagonist has been brainwashed into becoming an assassin. Jason Bourne, who portrays the protagonist in this suspenseful and action packed movie can relate to the main character in Fourteen Years, apart from that fact that our lead role is played by a female character. Salt (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/) Similarly to Salt, our main character is played by a girl (woman) which brings a sense of uniqueness, as the typical crime/thriller film is usually played by a male lead role. This means there will be a larger female audience, as they can relate well with the main character. In terms of narrative, Salt is also comparable with our film because the story is about a young girl being brainwashed into being a spy for a Russian criminal organization and focuses on her life as she grows up and the challenges she faces.