Evaluation 2

Evaluation 2:How does my media product

represent particular social groups?

There are four social groups that thecharacters introduced in my product

represent.

The four groups, as part of thenarrative of my film, all mold together to

create a dysfunctional family dynamic,such as those commonly found in

(melo)drama films.

You have:The intimidating businessman fatherThe “girly-girl” teenage daughterThe “jack-the-lad” best friendTransgender son

I am going to focus this presentation onthe transgender social group, as the

protagonist in my product (George, whois transgender) has the main storyline of

the film’s narrative.

The LGBTQIA community

LesbianGayBisexualTransgenderQuestioningIntersexAsexual

(also includes Pansexual, Transsexual, Demisexual and many others)

What’s the difference?

Transvestite: a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification

Transsexual: a person whose gender identity is the binary opposite of their biological sex, who may undergo medical treatments to change their biological sex, often times to align it with their gender identity, or they may live their lives as the opposite sex

Transgender: denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender

Examples of transgender characters on TV:

Orange is the New Black

Transparent

Degrassi Glee

WaterlooRoad

I had to represent the transgender “tribe” in quite a subtle way because the

narrative of my opening sequence doesn’t fully reveal that the protagonist is transgender until the final 24 seconds.

Although there is a flashforward scene at the beginning of the sequence, showing George

wearing makeup and a dress, it has no dialogue and it doesn’t flow chronologically

with the following scenes (this is intentional).

Therefore it is not officially clear yet that George is transgender. The viewers are

thrown off guard and will be trying to come up with their own reasons as to why he is

dressed as a girl.

The first shot in the sequence shows George in “drag”. When male-to-female transgender

people first begin to experiment with fashion, it is often confusing and daunting for them because they have limited experience with

the matter and they may feel added pressure to look as realistically feminine as possible.

At the beginning of my product, the protagonist is

shown wearing a long, curly, blonde wig and a black dress. Transgender people will often experiment with the clothes and hairstyles worn by the

opposite sex to find out what style feels most comfortable

to them.

Commonly, people who experience gender dysphoria struggle to tell anyone about the way they are feeling so will try

to act as society tells their certain biological gender role to. In this case, George is trying to fit the mold of a

teenage boy by playing football.

Here, George and Eddie are wearing sports gear to give the impression that they have just walked back from a football practice/match

If a person feels as though they have been born with the body parts of the opposite sex, and they have not gone through the process

of any reassignment procedures, it can be upsetting for them and can cause them to be

ashamed of their bodies.

In the shots towards the end of the opening sequence, as George exits the bathroom after

having a shower, she has a towel wrapped around her chest and covering most of her

body. Usually male figures in films would be shown with the towel wrapped around the

waist baring the chest.

George’s bodylanguage is very

tense and cautious, connoting that she is worried someone may see her, even though she knows that

she is the only person in the house

This social group has faced many difficulties over the years, due to pressures and rules

placed on members by society. Homophobia and transphobia do currently exist heavily across the world and through the support

and exposure of information about the LGBTQ community in the media, the faster it

will become understood and accepted by more people.

Useful sources of extra information:

http://www.transawareness.org/what-is-the-difference-between-transgender-and-transsexual.html

http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term-definitions/

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/transhealth/pages/transrealstorymother.aspx