Representation of Age (social groups)

In our opening, the killer is around 28 years old because he is a doctor and this requires years of training. The victim is 19 years old, we wanted her to be a teenager to make her seem weaker, but also to shock the audience that she is a prostitute who is early into pregnancy.

Our group wanted there to be a distinction between their ages to emphasize his power and intelligence juxtaposing her desperation and vulnerability. A stereotypical convention of any killer/victim films is for the killer to be older than the victim to purposely connote experience and wisdom. This makes the killer seem more intelligent and tactful so the audience believe the killer will get the victim. For example, Jigsaw from the Saw films is significantly older than the victims (who are usually teenagers to 30 year olds).

Other films which conform the convention of the killer being older than the victim(s) include The Collection (2012) and The Human Centipede (2009) which are two films that are similar to ours. The TV series Hannibal also presents this convention. Both the antagonists are well-educated and use that to kill victims. In both films the killers 'collect' parts of their victims and sculpt them into insects. This is similar to our film opening with the killer collecting his victims' foetuses.










For example, in Hannibal the killer used to be a surgeon but instead became a psychiatrist, playing with the victim's mind whilst killing people. In The Human Centipede, the villain is a retired doctor who is fascinated in joining human beings together.








However, some horror films which subvert these conventions are Scream 4 (2011) and Let Me In (2010) where the antagonists are younger so they seem less likely to be the killers because they are assumed to be not as intelligent or tactful as older people.

Attracting & Addressing Audiences through Age

Our killer is only 9 years older than the victim which this conforms typical horror conventions of the killer being older than the victim to connote wisdom and intelligence to make victim seem powerless against the killer. However, usually the killer is significantly older than the victim so our film opening subverts that aspect.

Our film opening represents adults (28 years old) as being as experienced and skilled as older people. The victim conforms to horror conventions by being young. Her young age may also appeal to younger audiences, thus attracting them and persuading them to watch it. For example, many horror-like TV series such The Vampire Diaries is set in school to appeal to younger people so it is more relatable.

Jennifer's Body (2009) and Carrie (2013) was also a horror surrounding teenager's at school.

Having a younger character will attract younger audiences (our age rating is 15) and, if this were a real film, would earn the film more commercial success. Having older characters will do exactly the same but with older audiences so having a mix will make the film more appealing and will attract many people.

In Jennifer's Body, Jennifer is presented as a stereotypical teenage girl primarily through her clothes, she often wears pink or her cheerleading outfit. Our character is dressed as a stereotypical teenage girl as well because she is wearing a red tight top and a tight skirt (red = love & danger) (tight = sexualised because she is a prostitute).

Another way in which teenagers are represented as teenagers is in Carrie, the main destruction scene is set at prom which is at school. Carrie is dressed in a silk pink dress and causes the place to burn down. The prom aspect is relatable to teenagers however the destruction is not and that is what makes it entertaining. In our film opening we have realistic and relatable themes such as a prostitute and a surgeon however the surgeon's foetus obsession is what is different and therefore entertaining.