Unit G321: Evaluation of Snatched

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Our thriller is influenced a lot by urban thriller films like Essex Boys (2000) and The Third Man (1949). The locations mirror these films, being unglamorous and isolated, as we shot the film on an empty car park roof in a rough area of the city. This location of the run-down car park gives the film the edgy look we wanted to achieve; the lighting there allows the action to be seen well. Our editing, although quite choppy and messy at a few points, allows the film to flow smoothly. The use of cross dissolves and dip to blacks signifies the confusion and chaos at certain points in the film. There is also some slow motion clips we used, I think this has a really strong effect on the film, making it more lively and intense. The characters themselves reflect generic conventions of the thriller genre, with a young vulnerable girl being targeted and a dodgy looking man taking her away. This idea is seen in films such as Along Came a Spider (2001), with the small girl, Megan Rose, being kidnapped and also in The Vanishing (1993) where Diane is stalked and kidnapped before she is finally killed. The music used, the soundtrack of ‘Nu Piano Project’ by Grime Unearthed, adds tension and uneasiness to the atmosphere, predicting that something bad is going to happen, the music changes with a rocky electric guitar coming in as the bad guy enters the scene. It has an edgy tone and keeps in with the urban theme. We used shadows and close ups in our thriller, influenced by The Third Man (1949) scene when Harry Lime appears for the first time in the doorway. For example: the close up of Mary’s face screaming and the shadows as Grace is lifted into the car. We also used tilt shots at this point, as is seen in The Third Man, when Harry Lime is chased through the streets and the sewers. Tilt shots are used in that scene to demonstrate the trouble Harry is causing. We used them to show the corruption of the characters actions and the injustice of the crime taking place.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our thriller represents the victim as helpless, vulnerable and in danger, although trustworthy of her friend who betrays her. The bad girl, Mary, was good but has fallen – here archetypes are utilised. As a false friend, she has the power and ability to sense her friend’s weakness which is drugs. Thus in a sense females are stereotyped negatively as stupid and untrustworthy. This is seen in other media texts, such as the character of ‘Nile’ in the Hollyoaks Television series. The bad guy, Tom, is shown as a considerate stranger at first, although this twists as he puts the girl in his boot and the audience discover he is in ultimate control connoted by him driving the get-away car. Thus the film conforms to conventional gender representations. The two girls are unsensible, thus the film exploits the risky nature of youth, experimenting and exploring new experiences. The costume supports the idea of the two young girls conforming to antisocial cultured groups, with both of them dressed in hoodies and jeans.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Our film would be shown on an internet outlet first, to get an initial audience reaction. We have uploaded the film to ‘YouTube’, a popular video sharing website, where users can comment and rate other films. If our film was developed into a full-length feature and script of Mary and Tom continuing their criminal lifestyle, this could attract the attention of Warp Films or Working Title, as our ideas are new and original. We would need funding from these companies, so by sending them a script and posting our film on internet sites like ‘YouTube’ and social networking sites like ‘Facebook’ and ‘MySpace’ we could gain attention and interest. As the film has no well known actors and a very low budget, it wouldn’t be big enough to show in a mainstream cinema alongside other kidnapping thriller films like ‘Taken’ or ‘Along Came a Spider’. It is also produced by our independent film company, ‘MTL’ who aren’t well known. Like ‘This is England’ the film would rely mainly on its fresh faces and gripping plot. The film would have to be shown after the watershed if it was shown on Film4, as the violence and drug use is not suitable for a younger audience. We could also encourage people to download the soundtrack ‘Nu Piano Project’ from the internet download store iTunes, for people to listen to on their Mp3 players or iPods, as some may have an interest in it after watching the film. This would target a younger audience who are up to date with their modern technology and enjoy downloading and listening to music from internet sites.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Most thrillers are aimed at a higher audience due to the extent of violence and language used, this is shown by my thriller research; my case studies on the films Fight Club, Along Came a Spider, Lucky Number Slevin and The Client are all over a 12 certificate. Snatched wouldn’t be much different, however the drug use, may appeal to an older, more mature and experienced audience, as they may be able to relate to it more, in the demographic of 17-25. However I think the audience would be quite a large range, from about 17-35, as young people can relate to the younger cast with Tom, Mary and Grace all being under 25, although an older audience will enjoy the twisting storyline ,with the false friend and betrayal, and also realism of teen drug use and crime.

Gender wise, I think ‘Snatched’ appeals to male and female audiences. The female audience can relate to Grace’s vulnerability and Mary’s betrayal, and will be intrigued by the relationship between Tom and Mary. The male audience will watch it for the violence and exploitation of the masculine desire to control; male may be hostile to any abusive relationship between Mary and Tom. Our audience demographic would be mostly C-demographic, as they are the largest group and may understand the issue of drugs and rough street life and youth more. Audiences, male and female aged between 18 and 25 can relate to the characters situation more and therefore find the issues of drugs, crime, betrayal and relationships more relevant.

How did you address/attract your audience?

By using quite contemporary music, in the alternative/drum and bass genre, the modern location of a run down car park roof and the issue of drugs, ‘Snatched’ appeals to the younger audience, also drawing in an audience concerned with current affairs like drug use and youth crime. The audience can relate with the young cast and their situation in the film. Through thriller research questionnaires, I found that kidnapping was a popular thriller crime for young audiences to watch. The target audience would also enjoy Along Came a Spider (2001) and Kiss the Girls (1997), both films by Gary Fleder. Audience feedback from Year 12 indicates the soundtrack and cliffhanger were popular and the film held their attention well.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout this project our group learnt many camera and editing skills. The main lesson we learned was to include a variety of shot types and camera angles, rather than focusing on capturing all the action. Matthew took this task on well, including all the action whilst still changing camera angles and distances. I also learnt how to use Adobe Premier Elements to edit film clips, using transitions to ensure smoothness and cutting out any unnecessary clips. I learnt how to slow down and speed up certain clips, for example in our film we sped up the car driving off at the end, to make it more hectic and desperate to get away, and we used slow motion when Mary and Tom were carrying Grace to the boot to highlight the crime and emphasise the victim being kidnapped. I have learnt that a tripod comes in very handy when you want smooth filming, if you can’t keep the camera steady handheld.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

We have learnt that planning is key, our preliminary task had little planning behind it and didn’t turn out as well as planned. However, producing storyboards and a simple storyline for our thriller worked well. We also found that assigning different roles within the group affected how well our product was filmed. For the thriller, Lauren and I performed and Matthew filmed it all as he managed to capture a range of shots with varying camera angles and shot types, whereas I did not manage it so well during our first shooting. All of us directed the film; we learned to flow together as a team, making group decisions and all having an input. As Lauren is a drama student, this advantaged us having her as a character in the film. The preliminary task gave us some good practice with the camera, which was well needed for our thriller. Whilst our first cut of our original thriller film was abandoned as it was all shot at medium range in the dark and thus unreadable.

Compare the ways in which ‘This is England’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ were packaged, marketed, distributed and exhibited in the UK.

This is England and Hot Fuzz are both successful British films which target different audiences through their packaging, marketing, distribution and exhibition.

Hot Fuzz is an action comedy directed by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Edgar Wright and Pegg directed ‘Shaun of the Dead’, a comedy spoof, starring Simon Pegg as the main character. Pegg is also the star of Hot Fuzz; therefore audiences were attracted to Hot Fuzz based on ‘Shaun of the Dead’s success and Simon Pegg’s acting. Wright used other well known actors such as Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Bill Bailey, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton and Paddy Considine. Shane Meadows, however, (This is England’s director) is not as recognised, and has only produced about ten films in total. Meadows uses actors like Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley and Perry Benson, who have not been heard of before, to introduce fresh faces to the screen.
Instead of using the actors and producers names to attract an audience, This is England uses a location, music and genre relevant to those familiar with England in the early eighties. They filmed in Northern Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, creating the generic Northern background, using abandoned RAF bases and old villages to show the working class setting and youth cultures of the time. The music used in This is England also reflects the British eighties impression that the film has, songs like ‘Tainted Love’, ‘Come on Eileen’ and artists including U.K Subs and Wayne Shrapnel. Hot Fuzz however uses artists like The Kinks, The Fratellis and music from Bad Boys II, attracting a younger audience or fans of Bad Boys; it uses 80’s bands to draw an older generation, making the music overall very versatile to attract a wider audience.
Shane Meadows is also greatly influenced by ‘Kitchen Sink’ realism; This is England presents British life as it really was. This honesty may attract a larger and mainly British audience, the film is packed with history and meaning. Although Hot Fuzz is packaged as a comedy, it also attracted other audiences. Its humour is aimed at the British, mocking the accent and lifestyle of people from Somerset.
Hot Fuzz is produced by British production companies like Working Title and Big Talk Productions, yet also has input from the large USA company- Universal Pictures. This company can be related to films such as ‘King Kong’, ‘Atonement’ and the ‘Bourne’ films, therefore showing it is a high quality and Hot Fuzz will be of good quality. This is England is produced completely by British film companies, Warp Films, Film4 and Big Arty Productions. The film could attract Warp fans, as they will expect the film to be of the same quality as ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ and ‘My Wrongs 8245-8249 and 117’.

The Hot Fuzz team used a variety of marketing techniques, including the internet, TV advertising, posters and teaser trailers. The trailers reflect those of other crime/cop films like Bad Boys and Miami Vice. They are kept short but ensure to show the comic moments in the film. It is emphasised that Hot Fuzz is brought by the same team as Shaun of the Dead, to attract a similar audience. Trailers were shown in cinemas before films of the crime genre, some were posted on youtube and some were shown on television shortly before the film was released. The adverts also emphasise the actors as one of the focus points of the film.
The posters that Hot Fuzz released, on billboards and around cities and cinemas, each had reference to similar police movies- Miami Vice, Magnum Force, Bad Boys I and II. The positions, poses are replicated in each poster, as well as the lighting and colouring. The title block is nearly perfectly positioned in every one, also a rough take with the two lines, one above and one below, from Bad Boys.
Along with Working Title, Hot Fuzz toured to promote the film, travelling to Wellington, New York, Amsterdam and Stockholm. Here they partook in photo shoots, Q+A sessions and interviews. They also went to the MCM Expo convention in London, where they gave away free merchandise and also talked about the trailers, mingling with fans and promoting the film.
Hot Fuzz created a website where fans or potential viewers could play games, listen to music and find out about the production companies.

Conversely, This is England did not use such mainstream marketing techniques. Instead they kept to the media of television. There was no advertisement in cinemas, because the film was not released on cinemas, it was shown on Film4 and therefore was only allowed to show trailers on Film4 and Channel 4. The trailers illustrated the history behind the film, focusing on the director, storyline and awards won. It was also premiered at various film festivals, where it picked up some awards. The premiere on Film4 attracted an audience of over one million viewers. This is England, also had a website where fans or those interested could look up actors, music and the background to the film, much more subtle and informative compared to the Hot Fuzz website.


Hot Fuzz had a total of eleven distribution companies including Universal Pictures, Rogue Pictures, Studio Canal and Motion Picture Distribution.This is England did not show much difference with seven distribution companies however they were much smaller companies, and not as high quality as Universal. Unlike many other films, This is England was premiered on Film4 rather than in the cinema, this could be because it is more of an arthouse film and is aimed at a smaller target audience. Hot Fuzz however was shown in cinemas worldwide where it was a huge success.

How is sexuality portrayed in Torchwood?

There are many stereotypes of homosexuals in today’s society, in the fight scene in Torchwood, Series 2, we see some of these stereotypes confirmed and some are reversed.

Homosexual people are often represented through the media as overly feminine and concerned with their appearance. In this scene, close ups are used to show the character Captain John pouting and to show how groomed the two men are. With a closer look at the characters we see that they have feminine ways and care about their appearance, with perfect teeth and slick hair. There is also a close up of the drinks, being spirits and shots rather than beer, which most men are expected to drink. These reinforce the stereotype of homosexuals being feminine.

After the fight, the camera pans around the characters, keeping to the 180 degree rule, and cutting from one face to the other. This movement shows the characters closeness after the fight, which was used as a metaphor for sex, showing their passion and enjoyment through violence. The intimacy and passion shown by this movement, presents their relationship as a homosexual relationship, representing gay people as being openly intimate with one another. This passion is also presented by the colour in the scene being mostly red, the colour of passion, and a fire on the plasma screen behind them when they kiss.

The dialogue in this scene contains each character making jokes about their appearance, ‘you’re losing your hair’, ‘you’ve put on weight’, their banter and flirting shows their flirty nature with one another but also shows a bitchy tone, representing gay people as flirty and fun, although very bitchy in confrontations. In the cab, we see the other characters talking about Captain Jack as more fun and mysterious, which supports this idea.

Some of these stereotypes in this scene however, are reversed. The violence in the scene breaks the feminine stereotype as it shows them as more manly and tough. The heavy drinking and fighting also shows this. The violence is accompanied by the non-diegetic soundtrack of Blur-Song2, presenting the chaos but also enjoyment of the fight. The sounds of the fight are emphasised to involve the audience and make the fight more intense. The fight is also shown as fast paced, by the exclusion of certain shots during the hitting and getting up again. This shows that it is an intense fight but also aggressive, as very masculine men would fight, again reversing the feminine stereotype of gay people.

The mise en scene has a western feel, with the ‘Bar Reunion’ and the action of walking in from either side, through the swing doors. As Western settings are associated with cowboys and fighting, this again reverses the stereotype, representing homosexuals as manly, and able to fight. The costume also subverts these ideas, Captain Jack is wearing a long military style jacket, the camera pans up this outfit to emphasise the lack of fashion and style, and the fighting, violent image.

Overall, this scene represents homosexuals as quite versatile, whereas they are sometimes represented as feminine and girly, Torchwood reverses some of these ideas, showing them as violent and fighting.

G321: Research into Thriller Films- Mock Exam

‘The Client’ is a 1994 thriller-mystery film on the book written by John Grisham. It was produced by Alcor Films and Warner Bros in the USA, most scenes are shot in Memphis and this is shown through the use of dialogue, street signs and the tribute to Elvis Presley. The film is a UK 15 certificate although shows no extreme violence, instead it shows character’s reactions to the violence and the effect it has on them, this could be because the story involves two young boys so may also have a younger audience. The story follows a young ‘Mark Sway’ as he witnesses a suicide after being told informed of the location of a US Senator’s body, shot by a mafia hit-man. As the FBI and lawyers come after him, he hires himself female lawyer ‘Reggie Love’, the film focuses on this relationship and the threats that Mark receives.

Joel Schumacher uses a hospital lift in one particular scene. This conforms to the convention of claustrophobic spaces. There are a variety of close ups showing a hand come round the corner, a knife pressed to the boy’s back and the killer’s face as he threatens the boy. The lighting is cleverly used; it is non-ambient red lighting from the emergency light in the lift. This represents danger and predetermines something fatal could happen. The building-up, high pitched music keeps the audience on edge and creates a sense of fear. The killer wears a surgeon’s mask on his face and a bandana on his head, hiding his identity and creating a suspicious, threatening image. In another scene, Mark and Reggie are searching a deserted boathouse, where the body is hidden. Schumacher creates a desolate setting, using shadows, silence and the only ambient light coming from the moon. It is an unglamorous, broken boathouse by a river and woods, showing little escape. Warning signs are hung around by the residents saying ‘Danger’ and ‘You will be shot’, these reinforce the danger that the characters are in. Diegetic sound is used as the characters creep around, stepping on creaky floorboards and heavily breathing. This adds to the tension and fear of being caught. Three of the mafia men arrive, kept in darkness and only seen by their silhouettes and shadows; this keeps their identity hidden and shows their suspicious, menacing images. The camera in this sequence is mostly tracking the characters, showing events from their point of view, making it seem realistic and involving the audience. There are close ups of the victims faces, showing their fear and vulnerability. A tilt shot shows the mafia men digging up the body from a high angle, presenting their actions as wrong and mixed up. It shows them as the ‘bad guys’. Mark is filmed from a low angle shot when climbing into the boathouse; this is predetermining him as the hero, when the situation is finally overcome.

The film is told from Mark Sway, the child’s point of view, showing his perspective of lawyers and police. Flashbacks are shown of the children seeing the man committing suicide and the evidence left at the scene, this reminds the audience what happened and reinforces whatever action is being taken. It is also in view of the child’s brother, suffering from post traumatic stress, who is remembering the images he has seen.

Schumacher uses a scene from ‘Coma’, a medical thriller from 1978, in which the killer chasing Mark is locked in a refrigerator in the hospital. This reference shows that Schumacher wants the scenes set in the hospital to reflect those of a hospital thriller, reinforcing the genre of these particular scenes whilst paying tribute to the director of ‘Coma’, Michael Crichton.

Although Memphis is shown in a friendly, West American way, where people join together to help one another out, it is seen also as a dingy, poor place with people living in trailer parks or on the street. It pays tribute to Elvis Presley, showing his character more than once, in full Elvis costume, complaining about his guitar being ruined. Memphis is contrasted with upper class neighbourhoods in New Orleans, where the body is found. The hospital is promoted, as it is clean and friendly and the staff are shown to help Mark and his family.
‘The Client’ uses the traditional ideology of the child lead, in danger, pulling through and becoming the hero with the help of the sympathetic female cohort. He is then safe, going into the witness protection programme with his family and his brother’s improving health. This would please the audience after they have developed a sense of sympathy for the boy and his troubles.

There are many stereotypes in the film, the lawyers and attorneys are presented as liars, through the way they question Mark and Mark’s view of his mother’s divorce lawyers. ‘Reverend’ Roy Foltrigg, the DA, is seen as slick and manipulative, flirting with Reggie Love to get around her and her client. However, he is also seen as fierce, only using Mark’s knowledge to further his own political ambitions. Reggie is shown as being motivated by her past of a broken marriage, drug and alcohol addictions. Her and Mark, helping his mother, after having an abusive, alcoholic father, both have sad background stories, to engage the audience and encourage sympathy for the characters. Dianne Sway, Mark’s mother, is a single mother, who works in a sweat shop; is always losing her job; living in a trailer park with two (less than ordinary) sons and had her children at a very young age. This is a very stereotypical view of single mothers and may offend some who can cope well. Her social situation and struggle is used again to evoke sympathy from the audience and show her vulnerability. Mark Sway is presented as a street wise kid, leading his younger brother astray. His costume reinforces his tough image, with a gold hoop earring, ripped vest tops and oversized ‘Led Zepelin’ t-shirts. This represents boys as the tougher gender, although Mark acts older than most boys his age. In one scene in the prisons, two cells are shown full of entirely black women, in their orange overalls, all yelling at Mark. This illustrates the racism in America and at that time, although the guards were also black, showing the segregation between blacks and whites and how black people were negatively represented because they were associated with crime. The ‘bad guys’ in this film are also very cliché, wearing black leather and modelling ugly, barbed wire tattoos and greasy hair, the response is one of disgust and dislike.

Females aged 18-29 are shown to have found this film most appealing. This is due to the rare, strong female role of Reggie Love, the lawyer. It goes against the stereotypical male lawyer role, and through this, provides a second mother figure for Mark. Females can relate to this, and using such an intelligent female role, will encourage them to watch it. It is rare with thriller films such as Along Came a Spider and Fight Club, for females to rate it higher, as men enjoy the action and violence, whereas women tend to prefer the relationships and sympathy. This film focuses strongly on the relationships between Mark and Reggie, and the Sway family, which brought in a larger female audience. Most reviews of the film are positive, although concerned with the number of stereotypes and clichés. Many watched it for the cast and the fact that it is a John Grisham story. The target audience therefore, would be John Grisham fans, or people who enjoy thrillers about law and justice. They may also enjoy ‘The Firm’ and ‘The Pelican Brief’, both law based adaptations of the Grisham books.