How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Lighting• The high key lighting in the beginning represents Dylan as a

positive person as he’s experiencing his first day at his new school. The low key lighting when Dylan walks through the first door into school, shows the audience that things are about to get worse for Dylan in the next sequence. The general high key lighting in the opening sequence represents the outcome of the film which is a positive one.

Costume

. Dylan, our main character, is wearing the most bright clothing of all our characters (underneath his dark coat). This tells the audience that he is the moral compass of the film and represents him as a nice guy. However, Carl, is wearing a much darker top which represents him as the meaner character and that he possibly has some dark secrets. The costume used in our opening sequence is what gives away the type of people the characters are. This also represents the fact that teenagers are fashionable.

Location• The main part of the opening is in a school, which could

represent teenagers in a good light because they aren’t doing typical things that teenagers are related to like drinking or drugs.

• The location used in the beginning (Dylan’s house and the general place in which he lives) it shows us that Dylan is just an normal boy and could also suggest his social class as he lives in suburban type place (usually working class)

Body language/ facial expression• Dylan’s body language here represents the fact that he is

anxious and lonely as he is looking down and is holding his hands together after being talked down on by other characters.

• Carl’s body language suggests that he feels like he can dominate other people. Whilst he is slouching in a chair (suggesting that he’s unimpressed with the situation), his friend is standing up and seems more engaged with the conversation. This represents him as more understanding.

Positioning of characters/ camera angles

• In several instances, the 2 ‘meaner’ characters are shown to be looking down on Dylan whilst his head is turned towards them which exaggerates their commanding personalities (mainly from Carl as he appears to be looking more closely at Dylan)

• The close up shot at the end of the opening sequence represents Dylan’s emotional state as he’s concerned. This possibly puts him in a social group of an outcast at school.

Sound• The silence used when Dylan is sat in the classroom

represents the fact that he’s under authority (in school) but also portrays him as uneasy.

• The voice overs act as an inner voice for the audience and again, represents Dylan as fairly lonely as he’s talking about his own actions to the audience.

• The music used in the opening sequence represents Dylan to be calm and collection as it’s not up beat and is mainly composed guitar music that fades out. It also represents the carefree nature of teenagers that isn’t always shown and how people can grow and become better.