Attack the Block (2011)

Director: Joe Cornish

• How are the main characters introduced?

The youths in the opening sequence are represnted typically as working in a pack, again at night time suggesting a demonic and animalistic theme. They are threatening and violent, grouping around the woman and forcing her to give them her phone, purse and ring using a knife as a threat. They are all wearing the sterotypical symbol of hoodies as well as scarves around they faces to hide their identity. They all use coloquial language which is part of their identity as well as their clothing and large group. Even though there is a large explosion inside the car, they still want to take any valuables out of it, which then leads to the gang leader getting attacked by an alien, mocking the representation of British youths. The film sets them up for them to be the monsters, which is then replaced by the actual alien monsters. This is challenging what we would expect from "hoodie horror films" as it is joking about the fact youths are not really monsters by showing them against actual monsters.

• How does this representation change by the end of the film?

The youths turn out to become heros in the film, fighting the aliens. This is really challenging and mocking the representation we see of British youths as usually they are the enemies within films. The film aims to show a resolution between working and underclass showing an idealology that doesn't fit with the usual representation of the two classes. By having the youths fight against real monsters this gives us a more positive view and shows us that these youths are not actually how they are represented.

Eden lake (2008)

Director: James Watkins

• How are Jenney and Steve (the main couple) represented?

From the start they are represented as innocent, happy people. They are represnted as dominant idealogies which is then challenegd by the group of youths that rebel against this. We can tell they are probably middle class from when she mentions her friend is being taken to Paris and the car we see them driving. They seem to be enjoying themselves on their trip, meaning no harm. Throughout the rest of the trailer they are the vulnerable victims that are being totrured by the youths. They are overpowered which makes the youths seem more threatening as they manage to overpower adults twice as old as them.

• How is this contrasted with the representation of the other characters?

The young couple Jenny and Steve are represented positively and also as vulnerable victims, really contrasting with the threatening youths we see. The youths are confident and violent which really juxtaposes against Jenny and Steve polite, placid behaviour. The young couple are represented as dominant idealoligies which is then challenged and confronted by the youths that are against normality. The film has a typical structure of there being an equilibrium (where the couple are peaceful and happy) then some kind of distrubtion (the youths interupting and then attacking) then the characters having to overcome this, then returning to a new equilibrium or the old one.

• How important is the issue of social class?

Jenny and Steve seem to be of a higher class, mentioning their friends are going to Paris and they themselves can afford a trip away. They are well spoken and have polit mannerisms, as we see from when Steve asks the youths to turn their music down. However the youths have completely opposite behaviour and their use of language as well as their clothing suggest they are from a lower class. The location also shows that there is nothing to do, often used in similar films therefore raising the issue that they have nothing else to do. This is suggesting that all youths from underclass behave in this way and that the working and middle class are the innocent victims.

• How are young people represented?

The youths are represented in the same way a demon or serial killer would be in a horror film. The film clearly employs many aspects of the horror genre which makes it more disturbing as these monsters are children. The youths are represnted as rude, inconsiderate teenagers at first, but as the trailer continues their characters evolve in to something much more sinister and dangerous. The way there is a large number of the youths suggests they are "hunting in packs" which gives an animalistic vibe. The horror that happens is also always at night, again suggesting they are monsters and demons, relating to fictional enemies such as vampires and werewolves. The youths also carry weapons such as knives but we also see a rotreiler which is a threatening symbol. Viscious dogs are often used as a violent, threatening symbol by gangs.

How Do Contemporary Media Represent British Youth and Youth Culture in Different Ways?

Harry Brown (2009)
Director: Daniel Barber

How does the film 'Harry Brown' represent youths?

• Iconic symbols are used to represent British youths - hoodies suggest to us what are we to expect, the pitbull, guns, knives are a symbol of violence.
• Drugs are also a theme which we know is associated with crime.
• Sexual Confrontation - males are dominant and overpowering to females.The female officer challenges stereotypes as she works out what Harry Brown did but her male collegues refuse to believe her.
• Criminal Behaviour - Youths are persistently associated with crime
• Colloquial language
• Binary Opposition - Harry Brown's opposition is Noel, the gang's opposition is Harry Brown and the police. There is opposition between different age groups, youths, middle aged and elders. Social class also creates opposition, working class and lower class.
• Enviroment - has an influence on how British youths behave but also how they are represented
• Lighting - shadows and darkness, can't see who's hiding, evil, fear, hiding identity
• Genre - horror elements such as lighting, colour, location and gore but plot is more of a thriller.

Hoodies Strike Fear in British Cinema (2009)
The Guardian

• Suggests "hoodies" are not even human - they are represented as the monsters in films, relation to vampires, zombies, demons, aliens and other supernatural elements
• Often related to horror themes - again supernatural elements and horror characters
• Some films look at what is behind these youths - "Fish Tank", they are actually human with emotions and relationships, connections with other people
• Fiction and Non-fiction - Non-fiction is scarier to us as it is real and it's something we know
• Council estates and underclass - survival is harder, the enviroment is grim
• Binary Oppositions - Upper class who are not represented so negitively "But if you had a bunch of public school kids in blazers, it just wouldn't be that scary." The films lead people to right wing politics and opinions, power of the ruling class. Worried the udnerclass are going to undermine and distrupt what they believe to be society.
• Moral Panick - fear of youths and tells us that they are out of control, undermining society
• Fullfilling Prophecy - being told what they are like and following it

Harry Brown (2009)

Director: Daniel Barber

• How are youths being represented? (specific examples)

Youths are being represented negatively from the very first scene where we see a group of teenagers in hoodies taking drugs. Their stereotypical clothing makes the audience identify them as thugs that intend to hide their identity with their hoods. They colours are this scene are dark and dismal which also emphasises the negative image. At the end of this short scene we see the group attack a boy they were forcing up against a wall. There is next a more serious negative representation as two boys film as they drive on a motorbike shooting at a woman with a baby. This is dramatic and perhaps an over exaggeration of what youths would actually do. The rowdy teenagers are contrasted with the first scenes we see of Harry Brown where he is quiet and sad. The silence and emotion within the hospital emphasises the disrespect and drama we have previously seen of the teenagers. There seems to be a general fear of the youths we see in the film for both the characters and for the audience. We see the violent acts they commit and how the characters in the film react to them, most significantly when Harry Brown's friend tells him how he is "scared" and threatens to kill them. There is also shock when we see the teenagers cause a fire in his flat, and in the next scene discover he was assaulted and killed. This is extremely shokcing to the audience and gives a very negative opinion of youths for the audience. When the characters are further introduced when they are being questioned by the police, they use abusive langauge that is disrespectful to the detectives. The main character that we saw get arrested is particularly focused on and most threatening and abusive which is shocking.

• How are the audience being positioned? (to identify with the characters)

The audience are positioned firstly to dislike the youths because of the negative representations we see. They are placed in the first scene very close the the group, as if they are part of it, which puts them directly in to the situation. They are again placed close to the characters as they see a point of view shot as they boy on the bike films, again placing them directly in to the situation to feel as if they are one of the characters, but they can do nothing about what's happening which adds more of an effect to the drama. The audience is intended to feel sympathy for Harry Brown as when we first see him to extreme quietness creates the effect of loneliness. After this, the audience are placed throughout the film looking against the youths and being for the main character Harry Brown.

• What is the significance of social class?

Social class is very important in the film because it suggests that this is the influence that lead the characters to commit the crimes. Their upbringing is particularly significant and suggests all teenagers from the same sort of background will have this attitude. For example, the main thug character talks about his Dad in prison when he is getting arrested and tells the detective he is still out there, because he is his Dad and is carrying on his work. This is an bovious influence from parents and the boy feels he should carry on his father's attitudes and crimes. The character Mikey in the gang is also questioned by the detective about his many foster homes and history of being seriosuly sexually abused which we also later see, which suggests to the audience this is what has led him to crime and drugs. We also see the main thug's mother as the police raid the house and arrest the man. His mother wakes up from the banging as if she is hung over and lights a cigarette. This negatiive image of mothers from a lower social class also suggests this is what causes these youths top act in such a way.

Britishness

What is Britishness?
Britishness is the state or quality of being British, or of embodying British characteristics, and is used to refer to that which binds and distinguishes the British people and forms the basis of their unity and identity, or else to explain expressions of British culture - such as habits, behaviours or symbols—that have a common, familiar or iconic quality readily identifiable with the United Kingdom.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britishness

What does it mean to be British?
To be British is to be from Britain or live in Britain and/or have characteristics and attitudes from British culture.

What do you associate with being British?

• Union Flag
• Tea
• The Queen
• London
• Accent
• Bad weather
• Buses
• Fish and Chips
• Moaning
• Queing
• Pubs
• Mini
• The Beatles
• NHS
• Post boxes
• Telephone Box
• Oxbridge
• BBC

Exam Outline

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production (50 marks)

• 1a) Theoretical evaluation of skill development over the course of the two years (both AS and A2 c/w productions including preliminary and ancillary tasks)
• 1b) Theoretical evaluation of the production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept

Section B: Contemporary Media Issues (50 marks)

• 2) Contemporary media issues (The representation of British youth and youth culture)

Section A Question 1a

• Canddiates answer two compulsary questions. The first requires them to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work., from foundation portfolio to advanced portfolio. The second asks them to identify one productiona and evaluate it in relation to one theatrical concept.
• Questions 1(a) requires candidates to describe and evaluate their skills over the course of their production work, from foundation portfolio and advanced portfolio. The focus of this evalution must be on skills develpopment and the question will require them to adapt this to one or two specific production practices. The list of practices to which questions will relate as follows:
• Digital technology
• Creativity
• Rsearch and planning
• Post prodcution
• Uing conventions from real media texts

Section A Question 1b

• In the examination, questions will be posed using one of these categories.
• Where candidates have prdocued relevant work outisde the context of their a level media course they are free to initially refer to this experience
• Question 1b requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept. The list of concepts to with questions will relate is as follows:
• Genre
• Narrative
• Representation
• Audience
• Media Language

Section B

• How do the contemporary media represent British Youth and youth culture in different ways?
• How does contemporary representation compare to previous time periods?
• What are the social implications of different media representations of british youth and youth culture?
• To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated?

In order to be fully prepared for the specific requirements of the question the material stuied by candidates must cover these three elements

• Historical - dependant on the requirments of the topic candidates must summarise the development of the media forms in question in theatrical contexts
• Contemporary - examples from five years before the examination
• Future - condidates must demonstarte personal engagment with debates about the future of the media forms/issuses that the topic relates to

What is Identity?

• Age
• Social Group/ Class
• Ethnicity
• Actions
• Lifestyle
• Religion
• Enviroment
• Media consumption
• Music
• Parents
• Education
• Characteristics
• Geographical Location
• Stereotypes

Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations (such as national identity and cultural identity). The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology. The term is also used with respect to place identity.

"Identity" may be defined as the distinctive character belonging to any given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social category or group. The term comes from the French word identité which finds its linguistic roots in the Latin noun identitas, -tatis, itself a derivation of the Latin adjective idem meaning "the same."The term is thus essentially comparative in nature, as it emphasizes the sharing of a degree of sameness or oneness with others in a particular area or on a given point. “Identity” may be distinguished from “identification;” the former is a label whereas the latter refers to the classifying act itself. Identity is thus best construed as being both relational and contextual, while the act of identification is best viewed as inherently processual.

A psychological identity relates to self-image (a person's mental model of him or herself), self-esteem, and individuality. An important part of identity in psychology is gender identity, as this dictates to a significant degree how an individual views him or herself both as a person and in relation to other people, ideas and nature. In cognitive psychology, the term "identity" refers to the capacity for self-reflection and the awareness of self (Leary & Tangney 2003, p. 3).

Sociology places some explanatory weight on the concept of role-behavior. The notion of identity negotiation may arise from the learning of social roles through personal experience. Identity negotiation is a process in which a person negotiates with society at large regarding the meaning of his or her identity.

Psychologists most commonly use the term "identity" to describe personal identity, or the idiosyncratic things that make a person unique. Meanwhile, sociologists often use the term to describe social identity, or the collection of group memberships that define the individual. However, these uses are not proprietary, and each discipline may use either concept and each discipline may combine both concepts when considering a person's identity.