Compare how teenagers are represented in two action adventure films: The Amazing Spiderman and The Hunger GamesBoth films are action adventure and are aimed at teenagers, because of the female protagonist The Hunger Games is directed towards teenage girls between 13 and 19, but the male protagonist in The Amazing Spiderman means it is aimed towards teenage boys of the same age and maybe older boys between 20 and 40 who read the comics when they were younger. The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where 12 districts are ruled by the Capitol. The Amazing Spiderman is set in this world but a fantasy version where there are monster and villains who Spiderman has to fight. Both movies follow the typical action-adventure conventions of having a hero and a villain and they both have love interests in them to appeal to the teenage audience. The Hunger Games and Spiderman key messages are to fight against injustice; this would appeal to teenagers because they may feel as if they are being controlled unfairly by adults so its relatable. It also shows rebellion when she takes out the berries at the end and when Peter goes into the room with the spiders which appeals to teenagers wanting to be rebellious. The unique selling point is that the actual hunger games are a unique idea and the topics covered are more mature which may appeal to older teenagers who want a more mature film aimed at them. Spider-man sells because he is a well-known character. Katniss Everdeen is a similar age to the target audience and is shown as powerful and a role model which makes them want to watch the movie because their age group is represented in a positive way. She is a girl which is why this film mainly appeals to girls, because seeing a girl represented as powerful, strong and a leader makes girls want to watch the film because in a world where males are still shown as more powerful and films still contain more male protagonists women are more likely to watch a film that actually represents them as being powerful. Katniss is shown with a bow and arrow which adds to the idea of women being powerful and she is just as capable at using a bow as men. The actress chosen, Jennifer Lawrence, is also a popular person with the target audience because her personality is similar to them which might make them want to watch the film more. Shes in other action films such as x-men which will attract fans of the same genre. The way her hair is done also shows that she can be powerful and feminine. In the film Katnisss character traits are being strong, both physically and mentally. She is shown as caring because she doesnt want to kill people; she only kills three people because she needs to. This will appeal to the target audience because they will relate to her and they will see that she is a nice person and like her so they will support her. Showing her looking after Peeta in the arena is good for teenage girls because they are often portrayed as being weak and protected by males whereas this is reversed. She is also smart because she knows which berries are poisonous and she figures out how to blow up the supplies, this is a good character trait because it shows people can be strong, smart and still look feminine at the same time. Her crying when rue dies shows she has an emotional side to her and isnt always as strong as everyone portrays. It makes her seem more vulnerable and brings back the thought that she is only a teenager but is forced to act more mature and put up front most of the time, this will appeal to the target audience because they will relate to her and if they are aspiring to be someone who is shown to always be strong they wouldnt be able to do it. Her relationship with rue is similar to her relationship with her sister because they are a similar age and Katniss sees her sister in rue. This may be why she is so protective over rue and why she gets so emotional when she dies, teenagers who have younger sisters or are younger sisters would relate to this and it shows one of the messages running throughout the film which is how important family is, this is shown from the beginning when Katniss volunteers for her sister in the hunger games. In the games her relationship with Peeta is shown romantically and although her relationship with Gale isnt shown much in the film but you can tell they are close, this would appeal to teenage girls because it can be perceived as a love triangle which may make them more interested in the movie. Her maturity can be seen when she is with prim in district 12 because she acts like a parent to her rather than a big sister. You also see her more joking side when she is in district 12 with gale mocking the Hunger games slogan May the odds be ever in your favour which makes her more likeable. The target audience for Spiderman may be slightly higher than the hunger games because people between 20 and 40 who enjoyed the Spiderman comics or cartoons when they were younger might want to see the film. The main character is in his 20s and has become and adult man, this may appeal to the target audience because they can see themselves growing up and becoming a strong man who does the right thing like Spiderman. The target audience is people who read comics who may be considered geeks which Spiderman represents when he is peter parker and when he becomes Spiderman he is seen as cool and looked up to which is something the target audience may dream of becoming, they relate to him in the beginning and then when he becomes something amazing they feel like they can too. The actor chosen is popular with the target audience because of his likeable personality and the fact that he is in a relationship with the actor who plays the love interest in the film may make people who are fans of them want to go and see it. In the beginning of the first scene in The Amazing Spiderman the first sound you hear is a school bell ringing, this sets the scene and shows that it is in a high school and you can also hear other synchronous sounds to do with a high school. There is and over the shoulder shot of peter which shows him putting up photos on a board, the use of the photos as props shows that he is interested in photography which isnt a stereotypical teenage interest and begins to show that he is more of an outsider, this will appeal to teenagers in the target audience because most boys who like superhero movies will be able to relate to him. Then he is hit in the head with a basketball and the camera flips around to show three other teenagers who are laughing at him. This shows that he is a victim of bullying so people can relate and connect with him more. One of them moves towards him and Peter flinches back which shows he doesnt have a lot of confidence. There is non-diegetic music playing in the background which fits the generic high school scene of teenagers walking around but is too positive and happy compared to whats happening to Peter so it shows contrast of how he feels about school compared to everyone else, the fact its set in a high school will also appeal to the target audience because they are that age and are at school. There is then a medium shot of him walking down a school corridor which gives you a chance to see his costume; all of his clothes are dark colours and casual, he is carrying a rucksack and a skate board which are all stereotypes of teenagers. He is then approached by a conventionally attractive girl who is wearing pink clothes and acts flirty towards him which is a stereotype of that kind of girl. There is then over the shoulder shots of their conversation and shot reverse shot editing, which is zoomed in closer to them and focuses on their voices, this makes the audience feel like theyre involved in the conversation. The camera then zooms out to a medium shot so you can see his body language and how he acts awkwardly which is a stereotype of most teenagers, a lot of people in the target audience watching will relate to this and it might make them like the main character more and support him. He is then told to stop skateboarding in the corridor by a teacher and when he gets around the corner he begins to skateboard again which shows he is a rebellious person. This is all done using continuity editing so the audience feels like they are there.The camera then switches to a birds eye/ Ariel view of a school lunch table and there is a boy bullying someone. He tells peter to take a picture but he refuses which shows he is a kind person, he then tries to stand up to the bully and get him to stop which shows he is courageous and defiant, this hints at him becoming spider-man and will appeal to the target audience because it gives them hope that they can stand up to people like. Shot reverse shot editing is used when the bully is confronting Peter and then he begins to beat him up. As this is happening the camera shots speed up to replicate the action, using fast-paced editing. All of this means that teenagers will relate to Peter Parker and start to care about him more. The shots then slow down again when Gwen comes into the scene and calms the bully down; the slowing of the shots replicates her calmness. Gwen is dressed in smart business-like clothes and her hair is tied back neatly which shows she is a smart and preppy person, this character would appeal to the girls who like superhero movies and they can relate and aspire to be like her.In the reaping scene in The Hunger Games the editing is more non-continuity editing because the cameras cut from different viewpoints and you can tell its been edited, it makes you see it both how the Capitol are filming the event and as if you were there. There is a long shot and an establishing shot so you can see a lot of characters. The lighting is ambient lighting which means its just natural and looks like daylight. The teenagers there arent wearing stereotypical clothes teenagers would wear because its set in a different time. The clothes are dull colours because they are from a poor district and cant afford good clothes and also represent how they are all feeling and make the whole scene feel dull and depressing. The white colours may also show that they are innocent because they are only young. Their facial expressions are all quite blank which makes it seem like theyre either so scared that they aren't showing any emotion or they are used to the reaping every year, this may appeal to teenagers because they may feel like they have to hide their emotions and be brave.There is then another shot, this time there are only a few characters in it and it shows you the setting of the stage in a lot of detail. the camera angle is looking straight at the stage as if you where part of the group of teenagers, this makes the audience, especially teenagers, feel more involved in the film and as if it was happening to them. More of the setting is shown in this shot and you can see how poor the district is because this is their big meeting place and it looks grey and old and not nice. It looks like its a prison because of the colours and the big doors and you can tell its old because the stones at the front are worn away. Effies costume is bright pink which contrasts with the setting and the other people around her, this shows that she is from a different place and has more money because she can afford better clothes . She looks out of place, like she doesnt belong there and is a representation of the Capitol. After Katniss volunteers for her sister there is a medium close up and a two shot because you can see two characters in it, you can also see their body language and how prim is burying her face into katnisss chest and they are holding onto each other because they dont want to leave each other, this shows their love and might appeal to people in the target audience because they can relate to loving their siblings. Prims dress is white which symbolises her innocence. Compared to the reaping scene the high school scene between Gwen Stacey and Peter Parker in The Amazing Spiderman is a lot more steretypical of teenagers and is easier to relate to because it is set in our world. The first shot is a medium shot and also a two shot because you can see both of the characters as well as some setting. The setting shows that they are teenagers because they are in a school which is recognisable because they are in front of school lockers, posters and other things that would be in a school. Gwen is holding a book which shows she is a smart and well behaved student. Her costume also reinforces the stereotype of her being one of the clever, well-liked students because her clothes are neat and smart looking with the clean white shirt and her more professional looking skirt. On the other hand Peter Parker is wearing browns and darker colours which makes him look less neat and clean which makes you think that he is more of an outsider and he hasnt got a school book so you dont think that he cares about learning as much as Gwenn. He also has his hands in his pockets and is slouching forward which shows that he doesnt care as much and is lazy which is a stereotype of teenage boys. Gwen is standing upright with a straight back and her hands are out holding her book which is the opposite of Peter. They are both looking at each other and making eye contact which makes you think they are talking about something serious but the way Peters hands are in his pockets makes it look like he feels a bit awkward which is the stereotype of teenage boys who are outsiders feeling uncomfortable talking to the pretty and popular girl, so people can relate and feel more of an emotional connection. On the other hand, it might be more unappealing to some teenagers because of how stereotypical the characters are at the beginning; however this changes throughout the movie. In the beginning of the fight scene between Spiderman and The Lizard the lighting is dark and there is dust coming up from the ground, there is then the sound of the monster growling and the music in the background builds suspense, all of these things are to make it seem like more of a horror scene. It then cuts to a long shot scene of the high school corridor and you hear a student scream in the background, the music then gets more upbeat and intense to let you know somethings about to happen and everyone is running and screaming. Peter then tells Gwen to go and his voice is louder and assertive which shows he has more confidence when he knows he has responsibility. Peter then trips The Lizard, which is made using CGI, and they go into a science lab. This is because the monster used to be a scientist and they are shown destroying props which adds to the drama. He then changes into his spider-man costume and you can see how he becomes more confident afterwards by joking around whilst fighting and trying to talk to the lizard. As the intensity of the fighting increases the speed that the camera angle changes also increases, there are diegetic sound effects such as spider-man shooting webs and the lizard roaring as well as the sound of the wind as they move which adds to the atmosphere and how realistic the fight is, it also means the audience feel more involved as if they are actually there. The non-diegetic music gets more cheerful and upbeat when spider-man is winning the fight and darker when he is losing to create mood and effect. The Lizard destroys some lockers which reminds you that the fight is taking place in a school. There is also a lot of humour in the scene for example when he pulls the lizards tail off and says thats disgusting and somebodies been a bad lizard, this makes sure the scene doesnt get to intense and serious and makes him more likeable and seem more like a normal person. All of this appeals to teenage boys because they can relate to Peter Parker before he becomes spider-man and seeing that he can do that they think that they could do it to and it makes them more confident.while they are fighting fast-paced editing is used to show the speed of the fight and makes the audience feel like they are more involved. When spider-man begins to lose Gwen comes over and hits The Lizard on the head with a trophy which distracts him. The camera quickly cuts from spider-man to Gwen which shows how the monsters attention cuts to her as well. Showing Gwen being powerful and strong appeals to girls in high school because it shows that they can be strong and powerful too not just boys. It also shows the love story between them more which will appeal to girls in the audience but also boys because they relate to spider-man and want him to get the pretty girl. He then starts to fight back a lot harder because he is trying to save and maybe impress Gwen and he wraps up the monster and the music is much more upbeat and enthusiastic as if it is supporting spider-man and makes the audience support him as well. There is then a part where it almost becomes romantic but it is broken with more humour when he says Im going to throw you out the window now this appeals to all ages in the audience. This also shows him saving a girl which may appeal to teenage boys who want to be a hero who saves a girl. There is then more humour to entertain the younger audience and because just violent fighting all the time would get boring so there is a part where they are fighting in the background whilst an old teacher is listening to classical music with his back to them and the music plays louder over the sound of them fighting which is funny because the music doesnt match what is happening and the teacher is completely oblivious to it. The scene then ends with the music cutting off and its suddenly more serious again because spider-man ends up getting thrown into the bookshelf and The Lizard escapes leaving a lot of damage behind. At the end of the scene cross-cut editing is used to show Gwenn at the scene with police cars whilst peter is in the sewers looking for the lizard.Both of these films represent teenagers in a positive way, showing that they can make a difference and do good things which is different to the usual stereotype of teenagers. This is because the target audience for both movies is teenagers and they wont be interested if they are represented in a bad way and not how they think they are. Both movies are also action adventures and are quite negative, especially The Hunger Games but both have happy endings, although in The Hunger Games there is a hint that everything isnt actually happy which leads on to the sequel. Overall the target audience is teenagers, although for different genders, similar techniques are used to appeal to them.Word count-3,457