Representation

Another key aspect that has to be taken into account while doing our project is representation of age. In this category, there are 7 main groups. These are:
· Children
· Young people
· Young adults
· 30 year olds
· Adults
· 40/50 year olds
· Elder

The group which we are using in our project is young people. Within this section there are two main images that are associated with young people. These include:

· Teens who cause trouble – knife crime, asbos, rude, rebellious, drug takers etc.
· Teens who are fun – attractive and happy, aiming for success etc.


Teens as troubles
In general young people are seen as a threat by adults as they are thought to be the next generation who will rise up to take power from them, causing threatening changes to society. One great example of this is the teddy boys in the late 1950’s early 60’s. This group of young boys were demonised in the papers and accused of causing the social meltdown this created a 'moral panic.' This was the media taking advantage of a certain group (which they continue to do) as teddy boys didn’t have the power to fight back against the accusations.



Teens as fun
If a product is targeted at teens which has a negative attitude towards them it is unikely that it will succeed. However with the right technique a film producer can turn an intended negative meaning into a positive one. One example of this is the 1947 film “the wild one”. The character Johnny Strabler (played by Marlon Brando) was meant to be seen as “a social evil” that had to be “stomped out”. It was even stated in the opening titles. However, the leather cap, leather jacket and Harley Davidson attracted young people as it was “cool”. As a result the sales of all three items rocketed as American teens wants to be just like their idol. This proves that there is more than one way to respond to a text.



The money maker
However, producers and directors have realised that if they change the representation of young people then it will become more appealing and make more profits. One of the most recent examples is the “clean teen” image which has been used by the Disney channel. This is shown in such things like the worldwide phenomenon “High school musical” and “Hannah Montana" which have moved from a film (High School Musical) and a programme (Hannah Montana) into a global brand with the release of merchandise and CD's etc to capitalise on the films success. In these shows the youngsters are shown in a positive ways which is meant to attract more viewers and act as a positive role model for other children. However, some teens become hostile towards this because they see it as “too good to be true” or "fake."



Teen appeal
A new technique is creating teen characters in programmes that appeal to other teens and make them want to emulate the people they are seeing on the screen. One example of this is the E4 show “skins.” This is aimed at older teens and young people and is written by a team that are the same age as their target audience (the youngest member is only 18 years old), therefore they know what their viewers want, what their interests are, etc. The actors are the same age as the characters they are playing so the audience will find them more relatable. There is also a teen consultant that is there to ensure authenticity. The characters shown are not “clean teen” but neither are they the rebellious type, they are just portraying the reality of what goes on in teens today.


Hollie