textual analysis- Kidulthood

Media forms

What techniques doe the trailer use to persuade its audience to see the film?

In the trailer of kidulthood, the use of language helps persuade the audience to see the film because it is very coherent, using words that the intended target audience can understand and identify with. By using slang words that the audience can identify with, such as “blad” and “sweardown...bang then up”, this allows the audience to understand what is being said in their own language of what young teenagers use today and have a better insight into what is happening.  There is non deigetic used which is music, the music at first starts quite calmly but gradually gets faster as it goes on, perhaps symbolising the situation getting out of control and the audience can recognise this because it is easily identifiable. For example at the beginning it is calm but the pace quickens when a character is shown in the car handing over a gun, telling the audience that it is bad because of the sudden change in pace, but again it quickens suddenly when the protagonist is told to be violent and unfair towards another vulnerable person, and with the pace of the music getting quicker it indicates to the audience that things are spiralling out of control. This makes them want to watch it as they wonder what the situation is and why it is actually taking place, the actor’s motives for doing the activities they are doing.

The pace of the whole trailer itself is quite quick, keeping the audience’s attention focused on the trailer so that they are concentrating on it at all times. The pace makes the audience want to focus because it is so quick and they don’t want to miss a part of it, encouraging and persuading them to want to watch the film. The trailer also uses violence, such as fights and weapons, which is all very appealing to the intended target audience, as violence is associated with mainly males. The use of all the violence is very entertaining for them and encourages them to want to see it. By using props such as guns makes the whole film look “cool” because guns are a very dangerous weapon to use. Also the clothes that they wear and the setting is very persuading because they are common, the audience is able to identify with it. For example the actors in the trailer are dressed in very common tracksuits and hoodies, allowing the audience to identify because it is a common type of clothing. The setting also helps them persuade because it is in a low budget area, shown with estates and tubes, all very common in the London area, allowing the audience to identify because they may have seen the area before.

Media representations

How is gender represented in this trailer?

Males are represented as very dominant; they are shown in a lot of low angle shots, showing that they are a lot more dominant than the audience themselves.  It also emphasises the power that they have over people, such as when an actor was standing on top of another character this showed that he was very powerful, and had more control of them and the audience. Males are also shown as very violent and possessive, as the characters activities shown, violence, fighting, and all very aggressive behaviour. Males are represented as their stereotypes, aggressive, violent, powerful and dominant; the trailer does not attempt to show them in an alternative ideology, emphasising how violent they are, for example three male actors are beating up one male actor, highlighting the aggressiveness. Males are shown in very dark lighting, connoting power among males and dominance.

Women are not shown a lot in this trailer, suggesting it is a very male  based film, however when they are shown they are seen as quite vulnerable, when a character is punched in the face, and also they are shown in high angles emphasising that they are inferior to the male audience, shown in a vulnerable light.

Media audience

What target audience would be attracted to this film?

The target audience would be very male based, because it is male dominated, women are seen very little throughout, therefore appealing more to males than females. Aimed at a target audience of males aged around 15-19 years old because there is a lot of violence and bad language used suggesting that children under the age of 15 would not be suitable to view it. Also the actors are shown as youths, therefore highlighting that it is for teenagers because of the surroundings and that there is parts of a school shown, suggesting that they are still students, therefore students would be attracted to view the film. It would attract a C2DE audience because of the setting, the setting is very low class suggesting that it is a poorer place to live, therefore aimed at a C2DE audience. Also a lot of it is filmed on estates and the intended audience will be able to identify with that, as it has poor connotations.

Media institutions

What low budget values and characteristics can you identify in this trailer?

In this trailer the setting emphasises that it is a low budget film, because of the settings such as the estates, tube station, showing London transport, this indicates to us that it is of a lower class area, allowing the audience to see that it has been used on a low budget. The story line also tells us this because it is a very typical narrative to use, and the stereotypes being kept to shows that it is low budget.