Target Audience Research: Qualitative - Focus Group Results (In Class)

Overall Response's

Issues and Problems?
- bullying
- disability
- rebellion
- strong vs. weak
- jealousy
- independence
- neglect

Unfair representation?
- sort of because the teacher doesn't know the full story.
- represented as hostile people. > you wouldn't threaten a child with a belt or get other students to attack him.
-

Perspective- Good technique to represent someone with difficulties?
- We see it from his POV which is true and gives a stronger representation and more detail, so yes.
- It's interesting because they haven't just shown it from him struggling as a child
- We understand from mise-en-scene like costume and cleanliness that he has difficulties

Realistic?
- yes,
- but no, because it is a bit fairy-tale due to everything working out well in the end (the positive ending is a bit too nice)
- represents child bullies well

Sympathy towards the protagonist?
- he seems unstable and vulnerable so yes. and he seems unable to communicate with and connect with people.



A few of Jordan's responses

Do you think the film represents Andy’s piers and teachers etc. in an unfair way?

·         Yes, they deviate from the social norms of what we stereotype to be the normal ways of teaching (e.g. the threat of “the belt”)

POV – is it a good technique to represent someone with difficulties?

·         His face clear to audience – facial features represents he has difficulties

·         Yes – we see things from his aspect

Social Realism – is it true to life?

·         The opening is realistic.

Is there any sympathy towards the protagonist?

·         Yes – he seems vulnerable/unable to hold his own ground/make proper connections with other people

What issues/problems did you notice in the film?

Disability

Dangerous actions

Rebellion

Bullying

Jealousy

A few of Katie's responses

What issues/problems did you notice in the film?

neglect - you can see that he can't read yet and is not looked after by his piers or teachers.

What it realistic?
At the beginning, yes. But then becomes unrealistic with the set up of the bullies listening to the child being beaten and also with him winning the competition at the end.

A few of Phoebe's responses

Issues and Problems?
disability - you can see by his face and the way he keeps himself, that he is disabled.
bullying - it was bullying at the start, but when he got the two young boys to take him to the teacher, it was a bit over-exaggerated bullying.


A few of Mr Parson's responses

Unfair representations?
- representation between the absence of his parents, hes a very troubled boy. health issues? his cleaniness? we don't see his parents but we feel they aren't doing a good job cos they have not been showed at all.
- bullies in the school are only shown when they are being bad towards the protagonist, therefore this isn't fair.