Representation Blog Task

1) List the different people/groups represented in the trailer (men/women/Americans etc.)

• Representation of women
• Representation of men

2) For each group, decide whether the representation is a dominant or alternative portrayal.

Bradley Cooper joins a dancing competition and alternative portrayal - challenges traditional pov of male role. Jennifer Lawrence's character speaks inappropriately at dinner in trailer - challenges traditional version of typical, ideal, sympathetic woman (shown by blonde 'sister' character), but conforms to traditional male gaze otherwise, which is a dominant portrayal. 

3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer?

• Jenifer Lawrence a white female a recent Oscar winner - known for Hunger Games (teen audience - another book adaptation) - is blonde in that movie but hair dyed black for this movie
• Her costume is black (black 'sexy ' visual indicators also mark out her depressed state - widow- mourning - depression linked to casual sex. The audience invited to view her sexual encounters voyeuristically and also as comedy through quick, off beat edits in trailer. 
• Association of depression/mental illness-casual sex - tradition of portraying depression as a sex fantasy? Suspect morality of doing this? Conflicts with constructions of reality in mise-en-scene in this trailer.
• Romance constructed throughout trailer.
• Triumph depicted in trailer - both protagonists dressed in white and are then cheered on by community- promise of fulfilment of generic promise of romantic comedy.

•  Use of a token black background character, a stereotypical representation of people of colour.
• Use of a typical foreign (European?) therapist

• Bradley Cooper a white male also nominated, is shown to be bi-polar and body obsessed- running in black bin bag to sweat more etc.
• Conforms to traditional pov -He is positioned as central holder of the gaze
• Conflicts in the film are often caused by male anger and aggression and the film/trailer shows this style of hyper masculine conflict resolution isn't working.
•  Sex role stereotyping via the representation of the parents- mother more caring but father is not but through the movie starts to slowly accept son.

Christmas Ads (in November)

1) Which do you think is the most appealing and why? Try to use some of our audience theory in your answer. 

To me, the Sainburys' advert struck a chord in modern day audience and tries to make a personal bond to the audience by: having both parent of hetro/homosexual backgrounds for the audience to identify to these different  families. Also, the use of a jingle in the ad is really popular for the advert to distinct themselves from others.

2) Are there any audience pleasures that two or more of the adverts have in common? Choose two examples to illustrate your point. 

The Sainsbury and Heathrow ads create a sense of family and togetherness for the year. Also, both use voyeuristic pleasure with a perception that everyone has equal values.

3) Choose a different advert and identify the target audience for the advert. Answer in terms of demography and psychography. What tells you this?

John Lewis which is an elite store appeals to the middle class rather than those of a higher class in their 'Monty the Penguin ad'.

4) Why do you think Christmas adverts, in particular, often use emotive language and narratives to appeal to a wide audience?

To create an equal sense of intimacy within the ads, of the 'moral' of Christmas 'family and togetherness' and so by creating a more emotive ad grasps the mass rather than the few. Because they are trying to create a warm, loving image for their brand and they are trying to appeal to the mass audience. 

5) Choose an advert with a narrative and, just for fun, apply one of our narrative theories to it. Why does a narrative have a place in an advert? 

The M&S advert uses their narrative to connote togetherness and family, but also, showcasing the not thought of idea that Ms.Claus also has a job on Christmas. By using a two young siblings imposes the idea of normal family quarrels. However, the basic narrative of family is brought when the siblings after fighting only wanting the best for each other, a really emotive advert. 

Audience: Effects theories (Media Factsheet 30)

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

There are documentaries which I watch commenting on issues which are faced globally. I do watch violent movies and play violent games but not violent in life. Yes, there are many Ads which may target thongs such as technology and made me want to buy products of that sought. 

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

The Diffusion theories, Direct Effect theory, Indirect Effect theories and the Pluralist approach.

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

 Marilyn Manson for the Columbine High School shootings, Natural Born Killers for the murders of couples and Child's play was blamed for the murder of Jamie Bulger,

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the fact sheet.
The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999. Where two students, been previously bullied, went into their school with guns and killed 15 people.

5) What are the reasons listed on the fact sheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?
The easy access to be ablt to get automatic weaponsin America, being able to access violent images which may change their psyche and the way social groups and subculture in school may have played a part.

6) What does Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggest?

People becoming desensitised with the repeat of attitudes and thoughts which become more normalised because of the representatives. 

7) How does this front page of the Daily Mail (from this week - Wednesday 16 November) link to Cultivation theory? The Mail Online version of the story is here.

We are known to hear about these certain events that they claim that the people fitting in this category will be placed within these ideals. 

8) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

That action movies represent 'good' violence as a means to help others/ help some through hardships but 'bad' violence would be applied to the villain/antagonist which would be against other people for their pleasure.

9) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the fact sheet?

Criticism are that the direct effect theories saying that the mass of people are more likely to be unaware and be easily led to stray into a certain path.

10) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

There is a sense of a dynamic change as before people dint assume one certain meaning behind a text and didn't create a sought of image/meaning for themselves. However, rather now people have this problem.

Media Fact Sheets

Genre: Categorising texts 

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

Visual iconographies are enough alone to show a genre.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?
Narrative is important as it helps viewers/reader in identifying the genre through specific plot lines .

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?
In action movies there is a main protagonist who is isolated and makes the final decision in the end. While, in disaster movies it is a group, with different abilities, who make the final decision.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

Period, Star, Technical, Style, Series and Audience.

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

Prior knowledge, comparison, rejection of texts and preparation.

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

Prior knowledge, to rejection of texts and preparation.

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

Gangster films are the genre mentioned and it lists Reservoir Dogs, Scarface and The Sopranos.
Superheroes: A Genre Case Study 

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

Spiderman, The X Men, Avengers Assemble,  Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron man. 

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

The chages made to the Batman logo to be taken more seriously.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

The superhero genre made their key conventions known until it was implimented and the audience became familiar with it. They were mocked in a parody ,and so, reconstructed again within the films that followed the intentionally funny parody.

General: Stranger Things(Netflix)

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I chose it because the premise of the show is short but complicated.

2) In what context did you encounter it?

Netflix the streaming service

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

The streaming aspect gives of a serious cinematic feel.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

Science fiction, Supernatural fiction and Historical period drama

5) What is your experience of this genre?

Little. I do not have a particular fondness of jumpscares and horror.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

Unravelling series of mysteries involving secret government experiments, unnerving supernatural forces, and an unusual little girl.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

It is slightly atypical in the sense that you can't know the whole plot without watching each extract and little hints are given which complicate the story excel in making it quite bearable to watch.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

Scary, gory and unpredictable

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

Imdb have classed it as a Drama, Horror and Mystery

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

Rotten Tomatoes classed it as just Drama.

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?

Having jump scares and tension built through eerie music. Having props know to the 90s specifically(keeping to their theme) 

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

Slightly

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

In Horror we normally see the enemy/villain. However, Stranger Things uses sound and small shots of the enemy to proper submerge the viewers. It is also uses the ideas of action genre as the main character Eleven is seen to be the one with all the power.

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s)?

Having a romantic aspect of a boy meets girl type relationship being built in the foreground of the main story. Typical of a 90s teen drama and not much into Horror.

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

The constant gurgling sound when the alien is near or is ready to attack, which was foreshadowed at the beginning with the children playing a board game and being a attacked by a creature. The contentious motif of light when a mother is searching for her son.  

Mode of address

1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

A young demographic of teenagers and anyone born in the 90s era. No specific gender demographic.

2) How does the text address you?

Assumes I want to part from the normal apocalyptic type action and into a more in depth drama.

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

Someone who enjoys a deeper and more sinister look on making a child's board game come to life.

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

Middle-class white male from 12-17 or millennials. 

5) What interests does it assume you have?

Interest in Detectives, Supernatural and Covert secret government organisations. 

Relationship to other texts

1) What inter-textual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?

Inter-textual references N/A

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

Sense 8 as they both use the idea of Science fiction, Drama and keep true to their time settings.

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

Both use the sense of supernatural and a secret organisation going after super powered beings. Also using excruciating cliffhangers to leave audiences sceptical and wanting to keep watching.

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

Sense 8 goes beyond simple curiosity with its longer season and uses a lot of know faces for popularity in for its show. While, Stranger Things is able to compact intricate detail and cliffhangers foreshadowing to the next interlude/season into 8 episodes.