Adulthood Analysis

Adulthood Analysis

(2008)

This evaluation links to my previous text about 'Kidulthood' and this was the long awaited sequel. Both were incredibly successful films and obtained a huge audience.

The official film description: 

''Six years after Sam Peel is released from jail for killing Trife, he realizes that life is no easier on the outside than it was on the inside and he's forced to confront the people he hurt the most. Some have moved on, others are stuck with the repercussions of his actions that night, but one thing's for certain - everyone has been forced to grow up. Through his journey Sam struggles to deal with his sorrow and guilt and something else he didn't expect - those seeking revenge. As he's pursued by a new generation of bad boys, Sam sets about trying to get the message across to his pursuers that they should stop the violence, much like Trife tried to tell him all those years ago. Can Sam stop the cycle of violence and make something positive from the destruction he caused or will his journey into Adulthood end here?''

Target Audience

Target Audience for 'The Fear and the Desire for the Strange' by ClockWork Pictures

For any film/ trailer a clear target audience needs to be depicted in order to create a direction for the team to work towards, otherwise it may be inefficient in reflecting a genre. I believe in playing to the strengths of any team therefore taking our interests into accounts we discussed a teenage-based, light thriller/ dark comedy. Based on aspects found in the 1980's film 'Heathers', which follows four girls in a clique at high school in Ohio. Their relationship is explored though sex, drugs, social status etc...

Our film trailer is based on two students and the location is primarily at a school, therefore it appeals greatest to a teenage target audience. There are many ways to promote films to a teenage audience and many have come about through the development of modern technology. For example a effective techniques used by a range of media to reach out to 13-18 year olds, is through the internet and social media sites, such as FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube. News is easily spread through social media and topics can become viral in a matter of minutes. Most social media such as FaceBook, Twitter and Tumblr are all free to join and have no costs whilst a member, therefore it is extremley effective and low-cost which is appealing to any film distributor. Survey's reveal that teenagers feel most comfortable and easily accessable when online and are more likely to respond or take in information.

A significant aspect to our film trailer is the use of video blogs, as the characters will be shown to be recording their experiences of 'the switch'. This form of communication is really relatable to our target audience of teenagers as the internet is the most widely used technology of our age.  

Target Audience Profile:

Age: 15-19 years old

Gender: Female

Interests: Music, Fashion, Films, Socialising 

Location: London (any main city in the UK)

Heathers trailer

The 1988 film 'Heathers', was a great source of inspiration for our trailer. The idea of dark comedy, interconnected with teenager issues that we could recreate was a prominent one for our genre. The setting was accessible as we could film it at school and also were the actors as we were in talks with the drama students who were excited about the possibility at filming such a unique film.

Heathers Synopsis: 

Heathers is a 1988 dark comedy film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional Ohio high school. The girls — three of whom are named Heather — rule the school through intimidation, contempt, and sex appeal.
A regular girl, Veronica, tries to survive the social jungle of high school by sticking with the three most popular girls at school who are all called Heather. As she meets a sociopath named JD, her life spirals into a continuous cycle of hate, unintentional murder and indifference, as she exacts revenge on her enemies, also known as her best friends.

The trailer offers an intense build up to many significant events without giving the ultimate ending away. As I have seen the film I know that the ending is bitter sweet and typical of a late 1980's drama as there are no repercussions for the individuals rather a melancholy acceptance of the events.


-The opening shot of the trailer (shown in the youtube link) begins by a medium shot of all three girls on a sports field, followed short individual shots that characterise each girl in order for the audience to recognise them as important figures in the film.
- Secondly a comical shot is used by showing the blonde girl whack a ball against brunette 'Heathers' head, with minimal visual effects typical of an 80's film.
-The next sequence explores the social relationships between the four girls in their own clique and it is revealed how they are 'the top dogs' of their high school.
-The camera work from then on is not particularly expert however the simplicity works well with presenting the dark comedy and the diagetic sounds (such as dialogue) are essential in revealing the films nature.
- An extreme close up used into Heathers eye that is extremely wide suggest a shocking and crucial event.
- A spinning effect is used shortly after symbolising the distortion of Heathers mind as she begins to slowly kill certain students of her high school with the assistance of her violent boyfriend.