Evaluation Post 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Throughout our project, our main focus of representation was gender representation. Though we wanted identifiable characters, we wanted to break negative gender stereotypes and provide more developed characters. We conveyed these representations through dialogue, costume, and story.

Though we do include some recognised gender stereotypes, we do differ somewhat from traditional action films.

Blake is the alpha male lead in the film. Although he does conform to some action film male gender stereotypes, he breaks them too. His dialogue presents him as assertive and determined. He states he "will do everything" in his power to find the kidnappers and save his fiancée,Rachel. This clearly demonstrates the determination within his character to the audience, this quality is similar to most action film male protagonists. His assertiveness is conveyed when he calls the criminals "low life thugs", projecting his confidence as well, he has no fear of them.

Blake's "masculine" characteristics were inspired by the male protagonists in films such as the James Bond series, and Die Hard.

Blake in heated discussion with Jen.

Despite wanting Blake a recognisable lead character, we wanted to add depth to his character. We wanted to show the audience that he wasn't just some charismatic perfect male lead who gets all the girls and kills all the baddies. We wanted to make him more real.
We try to connote the fact that he is only doing what he is to save his beloved Rachel, and that he would do anything it takes to do so. In the opening we connote this through his dialogue, ("I will do anything").

Bond with the same determined expression

Blake visibly shaken after the shooting.

However, we wanted to further reduce the stereo-typicality of his character; we wanted to give the audience a view into this developing character having to adapt to change. One of the ways we attempted to do this was to have him look visibly shocked after the shooting.



Jen's character also threw gender stereotypes out of the window. Compared to most action film female leads, she is neither a love interest for the protagonist, nor someone needing to be rescued. The prior is connoted through Blake already having a fiancée, the latter through her strong actions when the criminals raise their weapons to harm her and Blake.





Jen's strong, hardened characteristics were inspired by female leads such as 'Lara Croft' in Tomb Raider (2001), (although she was more sexualised than Jen), and 'Ellen Ripley' from Alien (1979). Ripley in particular was portrayed with the sort of stereotype-breaking features we wanted.

Ellen Ripley in Alien

Lara Croft in Tomb Raider

Despite Jen's character not conforming to common gender stereotypes, in hindsight, Rachel, although not seen in the opening, would be conforming to the gender stereotype of the damsel in distress, having to be saved by Blake.