Thursday 5 December 2013
'Drive'
Drive shows some conventions of Film Noir, we see within the first scene that low key lighting is used, this suggest a darks tory line that that danger is ahead. Within the first scene also the location is established, to be in an urban environment which is typically used within 'Noir' films. `for example, when we are first introduced to Sin City, we see that the film is set within an urban environment, suggesting similarities between the two. Another convention of film noir is that rain drenched steers and damp weathers used frequently, we see this is established when the disequilibrium begins to occur, also the same as it does throughout the whole of Sin City.
The introduction to the femme fatale in Drive is also an convention of film noir. When we first see her character, she is wearing red lipstick and is smoking these are two very common uses of iconography within film noir as it suggest danger. The villain also states that she is a 'beautiful lady' which tells the audience that she may be dangerous throughout the film. This believes us to think that this film has the same conventions as a film noir, as the use of a beautiful woman wearing red lipstick is used in films such as 'The last seduction' and 'Sin City'. This then contradicts the idea of her being a femme fatale during the end of the scenes in which she is in, this is because her character dies, which is usual as it is usually the male character that she has become involved with that end up dead or severely injured.
Drive also shows another convention of film noir, is the use of neon lights on typical american places such as american dinners and motels which are frequent in other noir films. for example in Pulp Fiction the opening scene is set in typical american place in the dinner, whereas in Drive, this is set in the typical american place in a Motel.
Tuesday 3 December 2013
District 9 Question
"Most texts today are mixed genres, how is this true within the film 'District 9'"
In the film district 9, in the first scene, the film is set out in the style of a documentary which gives the idea of realism within the film. The idea of the showing the opening as a documentary gives us an idea of the events that are ahead. During this first scene, it is also established that it is Sci-Fi by the portrayal of aliens and the use of CGI. Within this first scene, the idea of the documentary is ported by the mid-shots of the people who are presenting this information to us, this style is used to show how the disequilibrium is presented on the news. The use of the tracking shots that appear to the audience like they are being filmed from a helicopter to present the aliens and there home to the audience, this shows the apparent mix of genres between the science fiction genre and the documentary techniques. the idea of documentary techniques is shown throughout in scenes, with the idea of news footage and interviews. During the end scene within district 9, the idea of Wikus' family and friends being interviewed, shows the idea of realism, which suggests that the genre is mixed as we still have the element of sic-fi with the scientific experiments and the damage and remains of the aliens.
Science fiction is the main type of genre that is used within this film, we see that the genre of sci-fi is presented in the scene where Wikus' begins to transform into a Alien, this is a common convention of Science fiction and is ported as a growing progress throughout the film. Another reference to the conventions of the science fiction genre is also established near the end of the scene where Christopher and his son are going home. It is a convention of the sci-fi genre as religious references are shown here, when the space ships lifts up out of the ground, it is apparent to the audience that the ship itself is in the shape of a crucifix, another reference to religion is the that the main alien is called "christopher" which refers to christ, he also has a son, so it gives the idea of 'the father, the son, and the holy ghost'. The holy short is presented as the rise to the space ship, which suggest that christianity is a theme within district 9. The idea of transformation also occurs within district 9, this is a common convention that occurs within the idea of Sci-Fi, which links to the film Sci-Fi film avatar, we see that in both film, full transformation hasn't occurred and there are still elements of a human within the characters within bot of these films.
Another genre that is ported within Distict 9 is the idea of the Horror genre, this is presented within certain parts of the film, for example the scene where Wikus goes to get weapons, we see him being tortured by the people who are illegally selling weapons in the slums of Johannesburg. Within this scene we see people explode and die, we see the elects of the horror genre by the blood, gore and distress. The horror genre is also presented within this film by the droning, low key music, which builds tension and creates a negative atmosphere within the disequilibrium.
Distict 9 presents the idea of a mix genre film, throughout the film we see aspects of Sci-Fi, documentary and Horror though out by the use of low-key lighting and different camera angles that suggest close up to show tension and upset on the characters faces. the idea of mixed genre shows that many conventions have been pit together to create this film.
In the film district 9, in the first scene, the film is set out in the style of a documentary which gives the idea of realism within the film. The idea of the showing the opening as a documentary gives us an idea of the events that are ahead. During this first scene, it is also established that it is Sci-Fi by the portrayal of aliens and the use of CGI. Within this first scene, the idea of the documentary is ported by the mid-shots of the people who are presenting this information to us, this style is used to show how the disequilibrium is presented on the news. The use of the tracking shots that appear to the audience like they are being filmed from a helicopter to present the aliens and there home to the audience, this shows the apparent mix of genres between the science fiction genre and the documentary techniques. the idea of documentary techniques is shown throughout in scenes, with the idea of news footage and interviews. During the end scene within district 9, the idea of Wikus' family and friends being interviewed, shows the idea of realism, which suggests that the genre is mixed as we still have the element of sic-fi with the scientific experiments and the damage and remains of the aliens.
Science fiction is the main type of genre that is used within this film, we see that the genre of sci-fi is presented in the scene where Wikus' begins to transform into a Alien, this is a common convention of Science fiction and is ported as a growing progress throughout the film. Another reference to the conventions of the science fiction genre is also established near the end of the scene where Christopher and his son are going home. It is a convention of the sci-fi genre as religious references are shown here, when the space ships lifts up out of the ground, it is apparent to the audience that the ship itself is in the shape of a crucifix, another reference to religion is the that the main alien is called "christopher" which refers to christ, he also has a son, so it gives the idea of 'the father, the son, and the holy ghost'. The holy short is presented as the rise to the space ship, which suggest that christianity is a theme within district 9. The idea of transformation also occurs within district 9, this is a common convention that occurs within the idea of Sci-Fi, which links to the film Sci-Fi film avatar, we see that in both film, full transformation hasn't occurred and there are still elements of a human within the characters within bot of these films.
Another genre that is ported within Distict 9 is the idea of the Horror genre, this is presented within certain parts of the film, for example the scene where Wikus goes to get weapons, we see him being tortured by the people who are illegally selling weapons in the slums of Johannesburg. Within this scene we see people explode and die, we see the elects of the horror genre by the blood, gore and distress. The horror genre is also presented within this film by the droning, low key music, which builds tension and creates a negative atmosphere within the disequilibrium.
Distict 9 presents the idea of a mix genre film, throughout the film we see aspects of Sci-Fi, documentary and Horror though out by the use of low-key lighting and different camera angles that suggest close up to show tension and upset on the characters faces. the idea of mixed genre shows that many conventions have been pit together to create this film.
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Research Investigation
Does the representation of young females in 'Mean
Girls' and 'Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging' reinforce or challenge
stereotypical viewpoints?"
In this investigation I will be examining the representation of teenage girls in Mean Girls [1] and ATAPS [2], I will be applying Mulvey's theory to key scenes within the films, and I will investigate if the stereotype within the films challenge or reinforce the representation. Femininity is defined as a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated with girls and women [3]. Attributes and behaviour and roles within film still tend to stick to the traditional idea of women being domesticated and take main roles of being a house wife and aim to please and attracted male attention.
The theorist Laura Mulvey proposed the idea of a male gaze, this 'gaze' is
'analysing visual culture, that deals with how an audience views the people
presented' [4] it states that "The defining male gaze projects its
phantasy on to the female figure who is styled accordingly. In their
traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and
displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so
that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness" [5]. Daniel
Chandler reads into Mulvey’s theory and comments that 'Many objected to the
fixity of the alignment of passivity with femininity and activity with
masculinity and to a failure to account for the female spectator' [7] this
suggests that in many films, many of the actors and actresses are used for male
pleasure only, as he quotes 'failure to account for the female spectator'. In film, Mulvey suggests the idea of "dominant patriarchal order"[15] which portrays that women in films are only used to make the leading male playing the main role more appealing and masculine, by using a woman, how in most cases she appears to be in distress or is trying to catch the males attention like in Mean Girls[1] and ATAPS[2]. By using women in this way to make a male characters seem like the 'Hero' as Propp's 'Character Theory'[16] it shows that men's role within film and folklore 'take care of' and 'rescue' the character of the 'Princess', in most cases being a woman, who is in distress or is seeking male attention.
In the film industry, only 8% of directors are female, 13% of writers female and 19% of producers were female [8]. In ATAPS [2] the director of the film is female, therefore the representations of the girls in this film are from a different viewpoint of how girls and women are usually portrayed. In film, we see that the business is still 'male orientated' which is why most people who have been casted and the way the scripts are written are all aimed to please the male audience, speech and looks play an important role within in Mean Girls [1] the main characters that are cast, are young, good looking, popular girls, and all are well established actresses. According to Jeremy Tunstall, women in films with well-established actresses, are seen as ‘sex objects’ and that “media representations emphasise women’s domestic, sexual, consumer and marital activities”[9] this suggests that within film, women are represented as domesticated, sex objects within the roles they play in the film and are seen to be participating in typical house chores. "The portrayal of women in the media tends to sexualise commodify and trivialise them"[10] showing that typically women will wear clothes that aim to attract a male audience. For example in the film Mean Girls[1] which was directed by a male, the girls tend to wear shorter clothes that are more sexualised, like shorter skirts and lower cut tops.
In the film industry, only 8% of directors are female, 13% of writers female and 19% of producers were female [8]. In ATAPS [2] the director of the film is female, therefore the representations of the girls in this film are from a different viewpoint of how girls and women are usually portrayed. In film, we see that the business is still 'male orientated' which is why most people who have been casted and the way the scripts are written are all aimed to please the male audience, speech and looks play an important role within in Mean Girls [1] the main characters that are cast, are young, good looking, popular girls, and all are well established actresses. According to Jeremy Tunstall, women in films with well-established actresses, are seen as ‘sex objects’ and that “media representations emphasise women’s domestic, sexual, consumer and marital activities”[9] this suggests that within film, women are represented as domesticated, sex objects within the roles they play in the film and are seen to be participating in typical house chores. "The portrayal of women in the media tends to sexualise commodify and trivialise them"[10] showing that typically women will wear clothes that aim to attract a male audience. For example in the film Mean Girls[1] which was directed by a male, the girls tend to wear shorter clothes that are more sexualised, like shorter skirts and lower cut tops.
Compared to ATAPS[2] which was directed by a female,
in this we see that the girls tend to wear more covered up, childlike clothes,
to show that girls do not have to be sexualised to attract an audience. A recent article on gender equality in 500 popular films, shows that in top-grossing films without a female director or very few female influence behind the scenes suggest that 'females are more likely than males to be shown in tight, alluring attire' [17] the lack of the women in the industry has lead to girls as young as 13 to be shown in a sexualised way, due to the influence of audiences that women should be shown in a sexualised way and follow domestic role. The article states that 'females 13-20 are more likely to be shown in sexualised attire or partially naked'[17], also stating that the lack of female directors within the film industry it is increasing the negative effects like objectification of women. Gurinder Chada, the director of ATAPS[2] wanted to challenge these stereotypical views of teens and women being sexualised by showing a positive representation of young women and create a stronger role model within film[18]. In ATAPS[2] she wanted to take the 'emphasis off superficial beauty and glamour' and break away form the idea of women being 'restricted to familiar and domestic roles in the aims to please men'[18]. Chada challenges the stereotype in the fact that she does not want women to feel like they have to play a marital role and be sexualised to make men be attracted to them.
Women are typically sexualised especially in film, the idea
of having an attractive woman in film appeals to males to attract a more
dominant audience, in an article it suggests that 'blockbusters only make room
for women as eye candy' [13] in the film Mean Girls[1] when we first see the
'plastic's' their clothing suggests the idea of the being sexualised which is a
typical stereotype within film, the short shirts and skin tight tops show that
it aimed to please the male audience. The uses and Gratifications theory is demonstrated within Mean Girls[1] is that it allows many teenage girls to connect with the main character, Cady. As she has to change her appearance and become someone she doesn't ant to be to fit in. Many younger teenage girls can personally identify with her character which makes the uses and gratification theory strong within Mean Girls[1]. The scene at the start of the film
is constructed to show how males are attracted to the character
Regina George, the idea of the males surrounding her gives the impression that
women will get more male attention, this is a character within this film in particular that reinforces the stereotype in the sense that women are sexualised and crave for the male attention. We see the same kind of person in ATAPS[2], Lindsay Marling who is presented in low cut top and tight fitted clothing, in the film we see she is represented as a sexualised character via the non diegetic sound of whistles when she first appears on screen, again reinforcing the stereotype of women being sexualised. The 'Phone Scene' in Mean Girls [1] shows
typically how young females are presented to an audienc. The adit of this scene and the camera shots used
are medium close-up which first shows the character Cady, which places power
straight to her due to the clear focus and concentration on her face. The
camera then pans to the right and creates a 'split screen, showing Cady and
the character Regina in a longshot, whilst Cady is still in a close-up shot,
suggesting the dominance that young women portray to each other when with
friends. As the scene proceeds to be split into four sections, medium close-ups
are presented of each character, when a particular character begins to speak
the camera is then seen panning side to side, indicating visually which
character is speaking bringing what was otherwise a still shot to life.
Within the 'Phone Scene' in Mean Girls [1], audiences are
presented with four different environments which illustrate each characters
personality. The mise en scene in this scene we see that all four of the girls are seen wearing stereotypically girly
clothing, focusing on pastel colour such as blues, pinks and purples. The
clothing is seen featuring lace and jewelled studding, indicating that these
characters represent an extremely girly and feminine group. The locations are all seen to be extremely neat, giving the effect of a 'show home'
furthering the idea that these girls are almost 'unnatural', the 'show home'
idea infused with the clothing seen on the characters raises this idea of
'perfection'. In this particular scene a representation of an upper class lifestyle
is shown through the clothing each character is seen in. The costumes
each character is seen wearing almost eliminate the idea of these characters
being 'villains' due to the innocent and 'girly' nature of the clothing they
are wearing. This 'innocent' and 'girly' persona given to these characters is
then immediately contrasted by the manipulative nature of the conversation
being held within the scene. However as the scene progresses, we see the girls becoming more and more agitated with each other, as these characters are seen
as strong, it is when they are plotting against each other
immediately reinforces the idea of the stereotype in which woman all
'stab' each other in the back.
Mean Girls [1] shows the classic ideology of a typical girl,
which is how audience view young females as self-obsessed, bitchy and
boy-orientated, however as ATAPS [2] has a female director we see how
differences occur, from a female point of view along the same topics of self-obsession,
catty teens and dealing with boys within the film compared to Mean Girls [2].
In ATAPS [2] we also a 'phone scene' which is similar to the one that occurs in Mean Girls[1]. Instead of using the idea of split screen the camera keeps cutting back and forward towards the two main characters Georgia and Jazz. The camera angle is eye level in all of the shots in this scene, this is
so the audience feel like they are a part of the conversation with the girls.
Also, the camera shots are mid close ups for both of the girls, which suggest
that the two have dominance within the film even though the two are apparent
best friends. Compared to Mean Girls [1] the girls’ clothing does not show the
idea of their femininity by having darker, more 'covered up' clothes that tend
to not attract a male audience.
Within this scene in ATAPS [2] as the clothes do not represent the idea of the girl showing there femininity, the background does. The mise en scene shows us their femininity by the pink coloured rooms and sparkly decorations which are stereotypically decorations and colours that would be found in a teenage girls room. The high key lighting within this scene suggests positive conversation, which is a typical style of lighting for a teenage film, as it shows positivity to teenagers about the problems that affect their lifestyle. As ATAPS [2] has a female director, we see that the girls are presented to be less sexualised throughout the film compared to Mean Girls[1]. This challenges the stereotype as typically in film, women are used in roles as sex objects and 'visual pleasure' for men [4]. By challenging the stereotype it allows a female audience to connect to the characters more without feeling that they need to become more sexualised to get males attention, as ATAPS [2] comes to the closing scenes, we see that the main character Georgia doesn't dress to impress males, and acts herself, which is similar ending to Mean Girls [1]. The magazine 'Men's Health' [14] shows how women are more likely to get attention from wearing low-cut tops and acting the 'dumb blonde' for male attention, these challenge the idea in this magazine that is aimed for men.
Overall I feel that the two films Mean Girls [1] and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging[2]the films in which I chose to analyse have a balance between reinforcing and challenging the stereotype, for example the colours that are used throughout the films typically represent the idea of a typical teenage women, and with the catty attitudes and man orientated life style that teenagers want to be a part of. On the other hand I feel that these two films try and challenge the idea of a typical teenage girl and how they act due to the at that they realise that they do not have to change to get people to like them, and they should be true to themselves. I also feel it challenges the stereotype as the female characters take the main roles within the film, whereas women are normally not the main roles and used simply for the visual pleasure for men [4] these two films make females the main dominating characters and men the visual pleasure for the women. if this is the case, it is only us to blame for creating these stereotypes of women, and it is up to women themselves to break away from the idea of being sexualised, domesticated and dependent on men, a recent article online says that 'Society reflects fewer attitudes that support discrimination and inequality between men and women' making the idea of teenagers and women being trapped within the strong old fashioned view of how they should be presented, leaving it down to women to change and challenge this stereotype within the modern world.
Within this scene in ATAPS [2] as the clothes do not represent the idea of the girl showing there femininity, the background does. The mise en scene shows us their femininity by the pink coloured rooms and sparkly decorations which are stereotypically decorations and colours that would be found in a teenage girls room. The high key lighting within this scene suggests positive conversation, which is a typical style of lighting for a teenage film, as it shows positivity to teenagers about the problems that affect their lifestyle. As ATAPS [2] has a female director, we see that the girls are presented to be less sexualised throughout the film compared to Mean Girls[1]. This challenges the stereotype as typically in film, women are used in roles as sex objects and 'visual pleasure' for men [4]. By challenging the stereotype it allows a female audience to connect to the characters more without feeling that they need to become more sexualised to get males attention, as ATAPS [2] comes to the closing scenes, we see that the main character Georgia doesn't dress to impress males, and acts herself, which is similar ending to Mean Girls [1]. The magazine 'Men's Health' [14] shows how women are more likely to get attention from wearing low-cut tops and acting the 'dumb blonde' for male attention, these challenge the idea in this magazine that is aimed for men.
Overall I feel that the two films Mean Girls [1] and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging[2]the films in which I chose to analyse have a balance between reinforcing and challenging the stereotype, for example the colours that are used throughout the films typically represent the idea of a typical teenage women, and with the catty attitudes and man orientated life style that teenagers want to be a part of. On the other hand I feel that these two films try and challenge the idea of a typical teenage girl and how they act due to the at that they realise that they do not have to change to get people to like them, and they should be true to themselves. I also feel it challenges the stereotype as the female characters take the main roles within the film, whereas women are normally not the main roles and used simply for the visual pleasure for men [4] these two films make females the main dominating characters and men the visual pleasure for the women. if this is the case, it is only us to blame for creating these stereotypes of women, and it is up to women themselves to break away from the idea of being sexualised, domesticated and dependent on men, a recent article online says that 'Society reflects fewer attitudes that support discrimination and inequality between men and women' making the idea of teenagers and women being trapped within the strong old fashioned view of how they should be presented, leaving it down to women to change and challenge this stereotype within the modern world.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
Bibliography
1.) Mean Girls - April 2004 - Mark Waters - Paramount Pictures
2.) Angus Thongs And Perfect Snogging - July 2008 - Gurinder Chadha - Paramount Pictures
3.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism
4.) Stereotypes in teen films - http://teenstereotypeportrayals.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/stereotypes-in-teen-movies.html
5.) http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/faq-what-is-the-“male-gaze”/
6.) http://photoquotations.com/a/493/Laura+Mulvey
7.) imlportfolio.usc.edu/ctcs505/mulveyVisualPleasureNarrativeCinema.pdf - Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema - Laura Mulvey
8.) http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/Documents/gaze/gaze09.html - Daniel Chandler - Notes on the 'Gaze Theory
9.) http://abcnews.go.com/US/men-dominate-film-industry-study/story?id=13439590
10.)http://revisionworld.co.uk/a2-level-level-revision/sociology/mass-media-0/media-representations-age-social-class-ethnicity-gender-sexuality-and-disability
11.) The Media Book - Gender and the Media: the representation of women and femininity(ies) - Chapter 29 - Alina Bernstein, Edited by Chris Newbold, Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Hilde Van Den Bulck
12.) The Media Book - Representation and the media - Chapter 28 - Alina Bernstein, Edited by Chris Newbold, Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Hilde Van Den Bulck
13.)http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/05/female-representation-in-film-is-the-lowest-its-been-in-five-years/#ixzz2kdJzKAVt
14.) Mens Heath Magazine - issue 12, 2012 - article, 'Trying to Get Your Attention?'
15.) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Originally Published - Screen 16.3 Autumn 1975 pp. 6-18 - Laura Mulvey
16.) Theory and History of Folklore - Vladimir Propp - November 1984 - Translated by Ariadna Y. Martin and Richard P. Martin - Edited with an introduction and notes by Anotoly Liberman - 'Theory and History of literature, Volume 5'
17.) Gender Inequality in 500 popular films: examining on-screen portrayals in motion pictures between 2007-2012 - Dr Stacy L. Smith, Marc Choveit, Elizabeth Scofield and Dr. Katherine Piper
18.) http://www.urmila.de/UDG/Lehre/SS05/Film/Gersmann_Brombeiss.pdf
19.)http://www.psychalive.org/sexual-stereotyping/
2.) Angus Thongs And Perfect Snogging - July 2008 - Gurinder Chadha - Paramount Pictures
3.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism
4.) Stereotypes in teen films - http://teenstereotypeportrayals.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/stereotypes-in-teen-movies.html
5.) http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/faq-what-is-the-“male-gaze”/
6.) http://photoquotations.com/a/493/Laura+Mulvey
7.) imlportfolio.usc.edu/ctcs505/mulveyVisualPleasureNarrativeCinema.pdf - Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema - Laura Mulvey
8.) http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/Documents/gaze/gaze09.html - Daniel Chandler - Notes on the 'Gaze Theory
9.) http://abcnews.go.com/US/men-dominate-film-industry-study/story?id=13439590
10.)http://revisionworld.co.uk/a2-level-level-revision/sociology/mass-media-0/media-representations-age-social-class-ethnicity-gender-sexuality-and-disability
11.) The Media Book - Gender and the Media: the representation of women and femininity(ies) - Chapter 29 - Alina Bernstein, Edited by Chris Newbold, Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Hilde Van Den Bulck
12.) The Media Book - Representation and the media - Chapter 28 - Alina Bernstein, Edited by Chris Newbold, Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Hilde Van Den Bulck
13.)http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/05/female-representation-in-film-is-the-lowest-its-been-in-five-years/#ixzz2kdJzKAVt
14.) Mens Heath Magazine - issue 12, 2012 - article, 'Trying to Get Your Attention?'
15.) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Originally Published - Screen 16.3 Autumn 1975 pp. 6-18 - Laura Mulvey
16.) Theory and History of Folklore - Vladimir Propp - November 1984 - Translated by Ariadna Y. Martin and Richard P. Martin - Edited with an introduction and notes by Anotoly Liberman - 'Theory and History of literature, Volume 5'
17.) Gender Inequality in 500 popular films: examining on-screen portrayals in motion pictures between 2007-2012 - Dr Stacy L. Smith, Marc Choveit, Elizabeth Scofield and Dr. Katherine Piper
18.) http://www.urmila.de/UDG/Lehre/SS05/Film/Gersmann_Brombeiss.pdf
19.)http://www.psychalive.org/sexual-stereotyping/
Wednesday 9 October 2013
Fish Tank And Social Realsim
Fish tank represents the film genre of 'social realism' in many different ways, social realism is a text that represents real life in Britain, the narrative and characters and portrayed as everyday people and what they would say, usually from working class backgrounds. Typically social realism films are gritty, urban dramas about the struggle to survive the everyday grind. This type of film generally uses predominantly diegetic sound, hand held cameras and a narrow depth of field, with linear narrative. this medium reflects the concept that social realism films try to show. They try and use unknown actors/actresses to make the film feel more real compared to a mainstream, big budgeted film. These types of film also have a use of natural lighting at all times.
The themes that are generally seen in social realism films like fish tank are; prostitution, abortion, homosexuality, alienation, relationship issues, alcohol, drug use and domestic violence. They also have more explicit sex scenes in and become more sexualised.
Fish Tank; Brief Analysis;
The setting is shown immediately, we seen a run down council estate with flats and the typical sub-urban run down city look, this gives us the first insight to the idea of the film being a social realism genre, due to the harsh reality of where people are actually growing up, making the film more real to the viewers and in some cases relatable. During the first scene we see that all the sound is diegetic, this also suggests that the film is social realism as no non-diegetic music is added in to create an affect on the person who is watching it, the raw sound of the frame itself is enough for the viewers to understand the concept of the area and gain an insight to Mia's surrounding.
The camera itself also gives us a clue, we can tell that there is not a huge film crew being used by the use of constant tracking and panning shots, and also the slight camera shake, this made be placed on a tripod but the constant movement has slight areas where we see the frame become slightly off centred. As the first scene goes on we are introduced to the main characters, we see than non of these are well established, or even unknown people to the public, the use of these people allow the film itself to look and feel more real to the public, as if there were people who are always in the public eye and well known, the idea of 'social realism' would not be true, as it would not feel real and connectable. Within the first scene, the highlighted typical topics are established by poverty, violence, alcoholism and sexualised characters.
The mise en scene suggest a real place from the urban traffic noise that is all diegetic, the gritty downbeat content that is shown within the first scenes, the use of the natural lighting also suggests that this is a social realism film as all throughout no light is added in to make a room feel happier or run down with either high-key or low-key lighting, all lighting is kept natural to add to the aspect that this is what happens in real life to real families, so my keeping the lighting natural it in effect recreates scenes that can be seen all over Britain behind closed doors.
During a scene where Mia is dancing in a empty room alone with a CD player, we know the sound is diegetic and it has not been added in to make it sound better and clearer, we establish the diegetic sound as we see her press play, although this may not be a good enough indicator to suggest the diegetic sound is there by the tinny sound within the room, we also are able to hear echo's and dull sounds of the music from within the building where it was filmed, this suggests that it is apart of the film and not added in.
The language that is used in fish tank has accents which suggests the 'real' aspect of the film, as most actors/actresses have to put on a accent to suit a film role, here the employed actress/actor can speak without trying to create a voice. In this film we see that Mia, her Mum and little sister have a twang t there accents, form the ages that Mia and her little sister are, we are bale to understand that they are 'too young' to put on a voice, this also gives us the idea of social realism as everyone from certain areas over the county have specific accents that allows us to identify where they are form. The language that is used is also 'trashy talk', by the constant swearing and negative words used, no affection is used when is talking as we establish that throughout the scenes that the social issues begin to unfold as we learn that the children have picked up they're language and the way they speak to people from how there mother speaks to them.
The theory of 'The Gaze' is also presented in this film, as the film is all from Mia's point of view with a more female perspective (also from a woman director) this challenges Mulvey's theory of the male gaze as we see that she is the one staring at him, and the camera fragments his body, as we see that the camera is look at him through Mia's eyes and creates the idea of a female gaze, also it rejects the male ideology as Connor walks away.
Slow motion and heavy breathing are a reoccurring theme that happens in various parts if the film, the idea of the slow motion part is to draw the viewer in =to the idea of it being her fantasy of what she wants, the slow motions moves away from reality as she feels alienated within the place she is, so the slow motion allows us to get into her thoughts as see what she is thinking. also to show the idea of a fantasy , non-diegetic sound is put in, this also gives us a clue that we are being pulled away from realism and into Mia's fantasy world or thoughts.
The scene where Mia and Connor are involved in sexual intercourse is a key scene within the film, we hear Mia's heavy breathing again, but we soon realise by the diegetic sound and no slow motion involved that it is really happening, and is not another of Mia's fantasy's, even though it is over quickly, it is all done in real time and there is no romance there what so ever. As expected the curiosity from her little sister she sees this take place as they all live in tight conditions, and behaviour is learnt from each other, the social issues are recognised in a social realism way.
Through out the films Mia has a connection with animals, for example the horse she tries to set free from the gypsy's, her connection with this is shown in an animalistic way, her first sight of emotion and femininity is when she finds out the horse has died, like Mia, the horse was trapped in something she/he couldn't get away from without hurting herself or breaking away. The horse was 16, and as Mia is 15, the film suggests that Mia has one more year until she is 'shot down' like the horse and trapped, she has to break away or she will feel trapped in the life she is in forever, and by making amend of her life and following certain aspirations she will be able to break away from the poverty.
The very end scene shows a balloon floating away just as Mia leaves to go to Wales with a boy she has became friends with, the balloon symbolises her freedom and the 'breakaway' from her current life style of an economic hardship.
The themes that are generally seen in social realism films like fish tank are; prostitution, abortion, homosexuality, alienation, relationship issues, alcohol, drug use and domestic violence. They also have more explicit sex scenes in and become more sexualised.
Fish Tank; Brief Analysis;
The setting is shown immediately, we seen a run down council estate with flats and the typical sub-urban run down city look, this gives us the first insight to the idea of the film being a social realism genre, due to the harsh reality of where people are actually growing up, making the film more real to the viewers and in some cases relatable. During the first scene we see that all the sound is diegetic, this also suggests that the film is social realism as no non-diegetic music is added in to create an affect on the person who is watching it, the raw sound of the frame itself is enough for the viewers to understand the concept of the area and gain an insight to Mia's surrounding.
The camera itself also gives us a clue, we can tell that there is not a huge film crew being used by the use of constant tracking and panning shots, and also the slight camera shake, this made be placed on a tripod but the constant movement has slight areas where we see the frame become slightly off centred. As the first scene goes on we are introduced to the main characters, we see than non of these are well established, or even unknown people to the public, the use of these people allow the film itself to look and feel more real to the public, as if there were people who are always in the public eye and well known, the idea of 'social realism' would not be true, as it would not feel real and connectable. Within the first scene, the highlighted typical topics are established by poverty, violence, alcoholism and sexualised characters.
The mise en scene suggest a real place from the urban traffic noise that is all diegetic, the gritty downbeat content that is shown within the first scenes, the use of the natural lighting also suggests that this is a social realism film as all throughout no light is added in to make a room feel happier or run down with either high-key or low-key lighting, all lighting is kept natural to add to the aspect that this is what happens in real life to real families, so my keeping the lighting natural it in effect recreates scenes that can be seen all over Britain behind closed doors.
During a scene where Mia is dancing in a empty room alone with a CD player, we know the sound is diegetic and it has not been added in to make it sound better and clearer, we establish the diegetic sound as we see her press play, although this may not be a good enough indicator to suggest the diegetic sound is there by the tinny sound within the room, we also are able to hear echo's and dull sounds of the music from within the building where it was filmed, this suggests that it is apart of the film and not added in.
The language that is used in fish tank has accents which suggests the 'real' aspect of the film, as most actors/actresses have to put on a accent to suit a film role, here the employed actress/actor can speak without trying to create a voice. In this film we see that Mia, her Mum and little sister have a twang t there accents, form the ages that Mia and her little sister are, we are bale to understand that they are 'too young' to put on a voice, this also gives us the idea of social realism as everyone from certain areas over the county have specific accents that allows us to identify where they are form. The language that is used is also 'trashy talk', by the constant swearing and negative words used, no affection is used when is talking as we establish that throughout the scenes that the social issues begin to unfold as we learn that the children have picked up they're language and the way they speak to people from how there mother speaks to them.
The theory of 'The Gaze' is also presented in this film, as the film is all from Mia's point of view with a more female perspective (also from a woman director) this challenges Mulvey's theory of the male gaze as we see that she is the one staring at him, and the camera fragments his body, as we see that the camera is look at him through Mia's eyes and creates the idea of a female gaze, also it rejects the male ideology as Connor walks away.
Slow motion and heavy breathing are a reoccurring theme that happens in various parts if the film, the idea of the slow motion part is to draw the viewer in =to the idea of it being her fantasy of what she wants, the slow motions moves away from reality as she feels alienated within the place she is, so the slow motion allows us to get into her thoughts as see what she is thinking. also to show the idea of a fantasy , non-diegetic sound is put in, this also gives us a clue that we are being pulled away from realism and into Mia's fantasy world or thoughts.
The scene where Mia and Connor are involved in sexual intercourse is a key scene within the film, we hear Mia's heavy breathing again, but we soon realise by the diegetic sound and no slow motion involved that it is really happening, and is not another of Mia's fantasy's, even though it is over quickly, it is all done in real time and there is no romance there what so ever. As expected the curiosity from her little sister she sees this take place as they all live in tight conditions, and behaviour is learnt from each other, the social issues are recognised in a social realism way.
Through out the films Mia has a connection with animals, for example the horse she tries to set free from the gypsy's, her connection with this is shown in an animalistic way, her first sight of emotion and femininity is when she finds out the horse has died, like Mia, the horse was trapped in something she/he couldn't get away from without hurting herself or breaking away. The horse was 16, and as Mia is 15, the film suggests that Mia has one more year until she is 'shot down' like the horse and trapped, she has to break away or she will feel trapped in the life she is in forever, and by making amend of her life and following certain aspirations she will be able to break away from the poverty.
The very end scene shows a balloon floating away just as Mia leaves to go to Wales with a boy she has became friends with, the balloon symbolises her freedom and the 'breakaway' from her current life style of an economic hardship.
Thursday 26 September 2013
Mainstream and Niche Audiences
Mainstream; X-Factor
The x-factor IVT1 at 7:00pm, this is so the target audience of younger people and an older audience are able to watch it, the idea of x-factor being a mainstream program is shown by the advertisements and sponsors of the show, this all contribute to x-factor being a mainstream program. other reasons to suggest that x-factor is a mainstream program are that the production values are higher than a lot of programs, we identify this with the excessive lighting, place in which it is filmed in (audience in studio), the staging and amount of crew and it has well known people who present, or take part into the program.
A use of this mainstream program also allows the public to get involved by phoning in and giving a vote, this allows the audience to feel apart of the program, this is a feature of the mainstream programs, these kind of programs also give the idea of escapism, and relaxing in which is a gratification of the program, we also can identify with the people in which take part in the program, this is classed as social integration, this gives us an insight into the circumstances of others and allows us to relate to there own issues and compare with our own.
The idea of the contestants shown in there everyday life is also a use and gratification gives the mass audience something to relate to, this could be because they do a certain job or are living in a certain way. X-Factor cultivates an audience, by winning and engaging them throughout the week, X-Facors creates an audience that will get attached to a particular contestant.
Niche;
Road Wars is a program in which is aimed at certain audience, this is an older audience who will not be offended by the swearing, drug use and violence which is shown to the public. This programme is shown on TV stations such as sky one and pick TV, these stations are particularly used to show a certain area or topic, by doing this it allows them to have an area of interest and attract certain people who are interest.
Tuesday 24 September 2013
Male Gaze and Stereotypes - James Bond, Die Another Day
The opening to the scene shows a panning shot of the place, this sets the scene and gives the idea we are in a majestic and secluded place, it is slow moving so it allows us to get a better view of where this Bond film is set. The camera shots in this scene are mostly zoom shots, the zoom shot that we see is when the Bond girl is in the water about to get out, we see this through the male eyes and creates the male gaze in which Mulvey talks about, as the bond girl is a bikini and is sexualised, we see her theory coming into play at women are there to please the male audiences. However, Richard Dyer's theory overrides Mulveys theory, we see that when the bond girl has a very active role in the sequence, and creates the illusion that the man is being objectified by her confidence and dominance in the narrative, we see that he tries to resist the male gaze by looking away at other people are diverting away from the idea of the male gaze.
The camera shots also show that when either one of the two, depending on whoever is speaking, either character will be blurred out/unfocused so we as an audience can concentrate on whoever is speaking and who has the mist power within the conversation.
The sound within the scene is non-digetic, and a largo tempo, this is show and emphasise the sexual tension between the two, the use of this music also plays a part in setting the scene...
The camera shots also show that when either one of the two, depending on whoever is speaking, either character will be blurred out/unfocused so we as an audience can concentrate on whoever is speaking and who has the mist power within the conversation.
The sound within the scene is non-digetic, and a largo tempo, this is show and emphasise the sexual tension between the two, the use of this music also plays a part in setting the scene...
American Beauty - Male Gaze Analysis
In the film american beauty Laura Mulveys theory of visual pleasure and the male gaze is emphasised and plays up to the typical idea of this.
The camera shots in the scenes suggest that the male has an active role without moving, the slow zoom towards the mans face suggests that we are seeing things through his eyes, we see that by doing this the female is the one that has to please the male, after the slow zoom to the males face, the get an extreme close up of the mans eyes, this allows us as an audience to get the idea of who's eyes we are seeing through whist watching the cheerleading routine, this allows the audience to feeling like they are physically seeing the routine through his eyes. After this the camera reverse and has a slow zoom towards the girl, this then allows us to engage with the man as this is what he is seeing, and all focus becomes on one person. Once the camera is fully focused on the girl and we are seeing her through his eyes, we see a slow camera tilt and is a fragmentation of the girls body, during this part of the film, we do not see the male dancing or becoming as a sexual object, we only see his face, whereas with the girl we see the camera tilting in a slow moving way, this gives the element that the camera is caressing her body. Another camera shot used in this film is the long-shot that is used as a to show that in his eyes, he is the one the girl is dancing for and no one is there, this shows the idea of the male gaze as it suggests that the girl is aware that she is dancing in a sexual manner just to please the male. We show a strong element of the male gaze here as we see that the male is represented as the most important figure in the film. By doing these types of camera angles it suggests that all males should feel the need to look and presume women will play up to the stereotype of the male gaze, it also makes women feel obliged to act in a sexual manner, and please males by the clothing that they wear.
The lighting in the clip once the camera has zoomed in on the girl, shows the ligthing focused becomes high key around her and everyone else around her is in low-key lighting so an unable to be seen or focused on, the use of this type of spotlight lighting shows a focus to the person that the male is staring at, the use of this lighting also separates her from the rest of the cheerleaders giving her the element that she is superior. The use of the lighten int he long shot is also created by spot-light lighting, the use of this shows that he is important as the main focus, it also gives the element that he is the only one he is dancing for, and by highlighting him with no one else around him, it shows his importance and dominance over the woman.
The characters in this film...
The camera shots in the scenes suggest that the male has an active role without moving, the slow zoom towards the mans face suggests that we are seeing things through his eyes, we see that by doing this the female is the one that has to please the male, after the slow zoom to the males face, the get an extreme close up of the mans eyes, this allows us as an audience to get the idea of who's eyes we are seeing through whist watching the cheerleading routine, this allows the audience to feeling like they are physically seeing the routine through his eyes. After this the camera reverse and has a slow zoom towards the girl, this then allows us to engage with the man as this is what he is seeing, and all focus becomes on one person. Once the camera is fully focused on the girl and we are seeing her through his eyes, we see a slow camera tilt and is a fragmentation of the girls body, during this part of the film, we do not see the male dancing or becoming as a sexual object, we only see his face, whereas with the girl we see the camera tilting in a slow moving way, this gives the element that the camera is caressing her body. Another camera shot used in this film is the long-shot that is used as a to show that in his eyes, he is the one the girl is dancing for and no one is there, this shows the idea of the male gaze as it suggests that the girl is aware that she is dancing in a sexual manner just to please the male. We show a strong element of the male gaze here as we see that the male is represented as the most important figure in the film. By doing these types of camera angles it suggests that all males should feel the need to look and presume women will play up to the stereotype of the male gaze, it also makes women feel obliged to act in a sexual manner, and please males by the clothing that they wear.
The lighting in the clip once the camera has zoomed in on the girl, shows the ligthing focused becomes high key around her and everyone else around her is in low-key lighting so an unable to be seen or focused on, the use of this type of spotlight lighting shows a focus to the person that the male is staring at, the use of this lighting also separates her from the rest of the cheerleaders giving her the element that she is superior. The use of the lighten int he long shot is also created by spot-light lighting, the use of this shows that he is important as the main focus, it also gives the element that he is the only one he is dancing for, and by highlighting him with no one else around him, it shows his importance and dominance over the woman.
The characters in this film...
Thursday 19 September 2013
Dominant Ideology
Opening to CSI - Tv Program;
In this program it represents a strong ideology that men and women are equals, as all the characters shown to the viewer are all intelligent and have a good position in the job they are doing, we see that in the program that she is just as dominant as the male as she has an active role in the case, this creates the illusion that both men and women are equal in real life in this form of job. By showing this as equals it encourages the audience to believe the idea of the two sexes being equal. This is also very patriotic to Americans have strong american accents, this makes the target viewers of the american public feel safe, as all the places shown are set in america, to makes them feel like it does not take a lot to solve the case and gives a false sense of security that all cases will be solved in this manner.
The Opening to the TV show also shows that women are more vulnerable in the program, as we discover that all the dead bodies that are being found are all women, this gives us the idea that the young women are easily lead into situations that could be potentially dangerous, as no males are found we see that men are presented as violent in the opening as the main target is the women. Another ideology represented is that 'women are more emotional than men' - we see this is shown in the part of the flashback, only a woman is presented as emotional.
In this program it represents a strong ideology that men and women are equals, as all the characters shown to the viewer are all intelligent and have a good position in the job they are doing, we see that in the program that she is just as dominant as the male as she has an active role in the case, this creates the illusion that both men and women are equal in real life in this form of job. By showing this as equals it encourages the audience to believe the idea of the two sexes being equal. This is also very patriotic to Americans have strong american accents, this makes the target viewers of the american public feel safe, as all the places shown are set in america, to makes them feel like it does not take a lot to solve the case and gives a false sense of security that all cases will be solved in this manner.
The Opening to the TV show also shows that women are more vulnerable in the program, as we discover that all the dead bodies that are being found are all women, this gives us the idea that the young women are easily lead into situations that could be potentially dangerous, as no males are found we see that men are presented as violent in the opening as the main target is the women. Another ideology represented is that 'women are more emotional than men' - we see this is shown in the part of the flashback, only a woman is presented as emotional.
Analysing 'The place beyond the pines'
During this film trailer the first thing we see is a man who has six-pack, we see that all males are represented to be masculine and have to have a six-pack to look appealing to women, the use of this close up of the mans six-pack would be mainly for the female gaze, this pleases women and leads them to a false sense that all men should have this quality.
As the trailer carries on we see that men are made out to take on manly roles and jobs, they are represented to be the dominant sex as people make a path for them when they are walking, the power of riding motorbikes and leather jackets also gives them a sense of power, this suggests that all men should have a job that is dangerous and is physically demanding, this them an ideology that all men have to take on a job as a masculine roll.
in this trailer, the women are presented as the ones that seem to the the main provider for the family or couple, we see that the women are the ones that are at work, even if they are in low paid jobs, we see the balance between parenting and jobs are quite tough, we recognise this by the constant scenes of women clutching to their children/babies.
The parenting aspect of both men and women is strong by what we have seen in this trailer, the men in this are keen to support their children financially and feel they have the right to see there children, this suggests that behind the strong masculine figure that is portrayed is only a cover up to show that they do care about the idea of family and being committed, over the ways that are portrayed of being strong and manly. we also see in the trailer that that the women are all shown as a typical motherly figure, are fit in with the stereotype.
As the trailer carries on we see that men are made out to take on manly roles and jobs, they are represented to be the dominant sex as people make a path for them when they are walking, the power of riding motorbikes and leather jackets also gives them a sense of power, this suggests that all men should have a job that is dangerous and is physically demanding, this them an ideology that all men have to take on a job as a masculine roll.
in this trailer, the women are presented as the ones that seem to the the main provider for the family or couple, we see that the women are the ones that are at work, even if they are in low paid jobs, we see the balance between parenting and jobs are quite tough, we recognise this by the constant scenes of women clutching to their children/babies.
The parenting aspect of both men and women is strong by what we have seen in this trailer, the men in this are keen to support their children financially and feel they have the right to see there children, this suggests that behind the strong masculine figure that is portrayed is only a cover up to show that they do care about the idea of family and being committed, over the ways that are portrayed of being strong and manly. we also see in the trailer that that the women are all shown as a typical motherly figure, are fit in with the stereotype.
Tuesday 17 September 2013
Sleepy Hollow Analysis
The genre of this film is quickly recognised as a horror film, we soon can identify this by the use of the miss-en-scene, we see that everything is all very dark and there is low key lighting available to the audience from candles and fire, which as represent the element of danger. it also gives us the idea that this film is a horror film by the use of the the lightening which occurs on a regular basis, this also give a sense of fear and danger to the vier as stereotypically in most horror film when lightening strikes something bad is about to happen.
Another element that suggests that this film is in the horror gender is the style of music that has been used within the scene, the non-digetic music itself is tension building as it gradually gets louder, the music crescendos as the lightening hits the villains face, this is good use of non-digetic sound as we have a sense of fear when this happens.
the camera angles which are used are also very important to give the element that the film is a horror genre, we see low camera angles which look up at the villain, this shows her power and dominance over the rest of the people in the film. We also see Long shots within the scene as its shows us where the people are and the dark graveyard setting and misty forrest suggests the typical scenes from a horror, this allows the audience to have the sense of worry and the scenes are taking place in dark places where death is usually common.
Skyfall and Casino Royale
Skyfall;
During the scene we viewed in sky fall, it suggests a strong connection to Todorov's equilibrium theory, we see this as in the scene first there is disruption, as the scene gradually progresses, we see that James Bond is trying to solve the situation as we get towards the very end of the scene we see that he solves the problem and restores the equilibrium, even though we have sense of worry that not all problems are solved.
During Skyfall, we also see that Propp's theory is put into place about characters has been put into place with James Bond being the hero within the scene as he is trying to save the girls life, we recognise that he is the hero by his actions, as he is quick to respond to the shooting, his clothing also allows us to identify that he is the hero within the scene, the tuxedo what he is wearing suggests his importance. Another things that makes us define him as a hero within this scene is that the non-diegetic music at the end is heroic and the theme tune to the James Bond Sequels.
We also recognise that Silva is a villain by the way he has treated the girl, we see that by forcing James Bond to shoot the glass off her head suggest that he wants to injure the girl in some way, we can also tell this by the way the camera angles are mainly full body shots of the way that he is pacing around, this shows that he is in control, this camera angle also allows us to see his body language as he is talking to people.
The mise-en-scene within this clip is in a secluded area which suggests danger, this also back up Propp's theory of set characters, as we gain a sense of security that even though we are set in a secluded area, James bond will save they day. The clothing that James Bond is wearing, the all famous tuxedo, suggests his importance which also shows the idea of him being a hero.
Casino Royale;
The mise-en-scene within this clip is in a secluded area which suggests danger, this also back up Propp's theory of set characters, as we gain a sense of security that even though we are set in a secluded area, James bond will save they day. The clothing that James Bond is wearing, the all famous tuxedo, suggests his importance which also shows the idea of him being a hero.
Casino Royale;
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Feminism In The Media Today
In the media, women are presented as sexualised and portrayed as an item in which they should try to 'attract' the males. The feminist theory aims to understand the nature of gender inequality, it examines women's social roles, interests and experience.
Feminism in the media today is show in a range of different ways,from teenage 'chick flicks', album covers and film posters to commericals and advertising strategies, we have now entered the Third wave of feminism is now the stage of the feminists in which we have entered - the third wave of feminism in the media today is highly sexualised, the idea of the third wave is that it is no longer about politics, it has become that women are more engaged and are willing to use the power of the media for a good outcome.
The prefect vision of a third wave feminists are that you have to be independent, self-reliant, very fashionable and a perfect image all the time, giving the impression of being highly sexualised and out to attract the males.
The third wave was made possible by the greater economic and professional power and status achieved by women of the second wave, the massive expansion in opportunities for the dissemination of ideas created by the information revolution of the late 20th century.
Feminists argue that the conflict between the quest for gender equality and the desire for sexual pleasure has long been a challenge for feminism. In fact, the second-wave of the American feminist movement split over issues related to sexuality. Feminists found themselves on opposite sides of a series of contentious debates about issues such as pornography, sex work, and heterosexuality, with one side seeing evidence of gender oppression and the other opportunities for sexual pleasure and empowerment. Since the mid-1990s, however, a third wave of feminism has developed that seeks to reunite the ideals of gender equality and sexual freedom. Inclusive, pluralistic, and non-judgmental, third-wave feminism respects the right of women to decide for themselves how to negotiate the often contradictory desires for both gender equality and sexual pleasure. While this approach is sometimes caricatured as uncritically endorsing whatever a woman chooses to do as feminist, this essay argues that third-wave feminism actually exhibits not a thoughtless endorsement of “choice,” but rather a deep respect for pluralism and self-determination.
Feminism in the media today is show in a range of different ways,from teenage 'chick flicks', album covers and film posters to commericals and advertising strategies, we have now entered the Third wave of feminism is now the stage of the feminists in which we have entered - the third wave of feminism in the media today is highly sexualised, the idea of the third wave is that it is no longer about politics, it has become that women are more engaged and are willing to use the power of the media for a good outcome.
The prefect vision of a third wave feminists are that you have to be independent, self-reliant, very fashionable and a perfect image all the time, giving the impression of being highly sexualised and out to attract the males.
The third wave was made possible by the greater economic and professional power and status achieved by women of the second wave, the massive expansion in opportunities for the dissemination of ideas created by the information revolution of the late 20th century.
Feminists argue that the conflict between the quest for gender equality and the desire for sexual pleasure has long been a challenge for feminism. In fact, the second-wave of the American feminist movement split over issues related to sexuality. Feminists found themselves on opposite sides of a series of contentious debates about issues such as pornography, sex work, and heterosexuality, with one side seeing evidence of gender oppression and the other opportunities for sexual pleasure and empowerment. Since the mid-1990s, however, a third wave of feminism has developed that seeks to reunite the ideals of gender equality and sexual freedom. Inclusive, pluralistic, and non-judgmental, third-wave feminism respects the right of women to decide for themselves how to negotiate the often contradictory desires for both gender equality and sexual pleasure. While this approach is sometimes caricatured as uncritically endorsing whatever a woman chooses to do as feminist, this essay argues that third-wave feminism actually exhibits not a thoughtless endorsement of “choice,” but rather a deep respect for pluralism and self-determination.
Monday 17 June 2013
My Chosen Question And Why
Does the representation of young females in 'Mean Girls' and 'Angus Thongs And Perfect Snogging' reinforce or challenge stereotypical viewpoints?"
In this investigation i will be examining the representation of teenage girls in Mean Girls and ATAPS, i will be applying Mulvey's theory to key scenes within the films, i will investigate if the stereotype within the films challenge or reinforce the representation that comes with the film and the typical layout of a teenage film.
Femininity is defined as a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated with girls and women. I chose to explore this to show how teenagers are shown and represented in different films depending on the audience or age. when researching this I will chose to focus on the way in which they are dressed, speak and act.
The films I have decided to view and study in the research of this part of my media course work are, Mean Girls and Angus Things And Perfect Snogging I have chosen to look at these three films when researching how is Femininity represented in teenage films.
I have chosen to use this as my research question because i have a strong interest in the way women are presented in different type of teenage films, creating representations and comparisons to real life, I have also decided to study this as it allows me to see how in the different type of teenage films are presented by the message that they are trying to portray.
As well as this, it will allow me to compare how teenagers act differently in different parts of the world, Mean Girls id set in an american high school and ATAPS is set in a british high school, it then gives me a chance to also compare how femininity contrasts between America and the UK.
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