Mainstream
Example- X-Factor
X Factor is shown on ITV1 which is a big TV channel, it is shown at 8:00pm which means that the programme can appeal and be shown to a mass target audience. People watch the programme for entertainment and escapism, they use it for filling time and relaxing and gain gratification out of this. Watching somebody do badly and embarrassing themselves makes people gain gratification through emotional release through laughter and entertainment.
The X-Factor also gets the audience involved through the voting system. The programme is shown on a popular channel which encourages people to phone in and vote, this allows the audience to interact with the programme and this can lead to social integration with friends and family etc. as well as allowing the channel to make money. If somebody watches the programme or votes for their favourite contestant then this allows them to talk about it and interact socially with other people, this gives them a topic of discussion with their friends which they can gain gratification from. The audience can also identify with the people in the programme, this links with social integration and it allows the audience to relate to the contestants.
Niche
Breaking bad
Breaking bad appeals to a more niche audience than the X-Factor. It is shown on Netflix which requires a subscription to watch, this means that you have to pay if you want to watch the latest programmes which creates a more niche audience. The audience for this programme is older people as the programme contains drugs,violence and swearing, as a result of this it is shown quite late in America. The audience can identify and relate to characters in the programme, they can build a relationship with them and this could help them have a subsitute for real-life companionship which they can gain gratification from. The programme can also lead to social integration between people. If people watch an episode and want to discuss it then this can give a topic for people to talk about and connect with their friends and families.
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
James Bond- Die another day
Die another day
In this clip we see that the woman is sexualised if we analyse it using Mulveys theory of the male gaze. We see a close up of Bond looking through his binoculars and then see a close up of the woman, this makes the audience see the woman from the male point of view. When we see the woman walking out of the water, the film changes to slow motion and non-digetic music is played. The camera then zooms and only focuses on her and certain parts of her body, this objectifies her and sexualises her and makes it look like the woman is a fantasy for most men.
Both the man and the woman are active in this scene.The female is aware of what is going on and talks to Bond in the clip instead of just being watched. When she talks to him, everything else is blurred out behind her, this focuses the attention on her.
In this clip we see that the woman is sexualised if we analyse it using Mulveys theory of the male gaze. We see a close up of Bond looking through his binoculars and then see a close up of the woman, this makes the audience see the woman from the male point of view. When we see the woman walking out of the water, the film changes to slow motion and non-digetic music is played. The camera then zooms and only focuses on her and certain parts of her body, this objectifies her and sexualises her and makes it look like the woman is a fantasy for most men.
Both the man and the woman are active in this scene.The female is aware of what is going on and talks to Bond in the clip instead of just being watched. When she talks to him, everything else is blurred out behind her, this focuses the attention on her.
Male gaze analysis- American Beauty
American Beauty
In the scene that we analysed, we can see that the cheerleaders were sexualised by applying the male gaze theory . The camera shots and music emphasise this. There are close ups on the blonde cheerleader, these close ups focus on her body parts such as her thighs and this shows fragmentation of the female body. This fits in to the male gaze theory as the girl is objectified. There is also a use of high key and low key lighting to help objectify the cheerleader. Her surroundings are covered by low key lighting and she is shot in high key lighting, this makes her stand out and draws attention to her. The way the camera films her fits the theory of the male gaze too, we see a close up of the males face and then there is a slow zoom towards the girl. This makes the audience view the girl from the males perspective.
As the cheerleaders start dancing there is digetic music playing from inside the stadium. As the camera zooms in on the cheerleader and we see the male staring at her, the music becomes non-digetic and becomes a fantasy as this shows that the male has become obsessed and attracted to the girl. The camera then tilts and follows the actions of the girl as she touches her body, this looks like the camera is being operated by the male as it only looks at certain parts of her body, again this shows fragmentation of the female body and sexualises her.
There are also elements of stereotypical characters throughout the clip. The males daughter is represented as being a stereotypical moody teenager. We see this because she doesn't smile when she is dancing and she is telling her friend that she doesn't like her mum and dad at the start of the clip. The mother is a stereotypical proud mother. She only focuses on her daughter when they are dancing and she claps and cheers for her.
In the scene that we analysed, we can see that the cheerleaders were sexualised by applying the male gaze theory . The camera shots and music emphasise this. There are close ups on the blonde cheerleader, these close ups focus on her body parts such as her thighs and this shows fragmentation of the female body. This fits in to the male gaze theory as the girl is objectified. There is also a use of high key and low key lighting to help objectify the cheerleader. Her surroundings are covered by low key lighting and she is shot in high key lighting, this makes her stand out and draws attention to her. The way the camera films her fits the theory of the male gaze too, we see a close up of the males face and then there is a slow zoom towards the girl. This makes the audience view the girl from the males perspective.
As the cheerleaders start dancing there is digetic music playing from inside the stadium. As the camera zooms in on the cheerleader and we see the male staring at her, the music becomes non-digetic and becomes a fantasy as this shows that the male has become obsessed and attracted to the girl. The camera then tilts and follows the actions of the girl as she touches her body, this looks like the camera is being operated by the male as it only looks at certain parts of her body, again this shows fragmentation of the female body and sexualises her.
There are also elements of stereotypical characters throughout the clip. The males daughter is represented as being a stereotypical moody teenager. We see this because she doesn't smile when she is dancing and she is telling her friend that she doesn't like her mum and dad at the start of the clip. The mother is a stereotypical proud mother. She only focuses on her daughter when they are dancing and she claps and cheers for her.
Thursday, 19 September 2013
A2 Media research
A2 Media
In what ways is masculinity challenged with particular focus on Fast 5 and Casino Royale?
In this investigation I will be examining how masculinity is represented in the two films Fast 5 and Casino Royale. Both films are from the action genre with Casino Royale being more of a spy film and Fast 5 focusing more on crime. However both films represent ideas of masculinity and I will be applying theories such as the female gaze to specific scenes within the films to analyse whether they challenge masculinity or use it conventionally.
Fast 5- shows hegemonic masculinity- males maintain their power throughout- rarely get overpowered
Casino Royale- shows glimpses of masculinity- e.g when Bond walks out of the sea- shows female gaze which was originally linked to women and the male gaze. The film shows how roles are now switching.
The representation of males in movies varies from genre to
genre, with the two main representations being the alpha male and the
metro-sexual. I will be exploring the way males are represented in different
ways with reference to the films Fast 5 and Casino Royale. The two films I am
exploring represent males in completely different ways, in Fast 5 males are
represented as being rough and rugged and are masculine and dominant. However
in Casino Royale James Bond is represented as being more metro sexual, he takes
more care over his appearance and is more in touch with his emotions.
Dominant ideologies
Dominant ideologies- CSI
Males and females have equal power in this clip, there is a male and a female officer, they both have the same job and the same role within the job showing that no single gender is more dominant and giving the ideology that men and women are equal.
The clip is also very patriotic towards America, all of the characters have strong American accents and the programme is set in America, this targets the American audience. Also, the FBI and and police forces solve the crimes very quickly, this give Americans the ideology that their country is very safe and that their crime investigators are efficient.
We also see that women are more vulnerable than men in the programme. We see that the dead bodies that are found are all women, this suggests that they are less dominant than men and have less power within the programme.
The programme opens with an enigma code. We see the dead bodies and want to know why they have been killed and why they are there. It makes the audience ask questions and want to watch more of the programme. The deaths signify disequilibrium within the programme.
Males and females have equal power in this clip, there is a male and a female officer, they both have the same job and the same role within the job showing that no single gender is more dominant and giving the ideology that men and women are equal.
The clip is also very patriotic towards America, all of the characters have strong American accents and the programme is set in America, this targets the American audience. Also, the FBI and and police forces solve the crimes very quickly, this give Americans the ideology that their country is very safe and that their crime investigators are efficient.
We also see that women are more vulnerable than men in the programme. We see that the dead bodies that are found are all women, this suggests that they are less dominant than men and have less power within the programme.
The programme opens with an enigma code. We see the dead bodies and want to know why they have been killed and why they are there. It makes the audience ask questions and want to watch more of the programme. The deaths signify disequilibrium within the programme.
Analysing a film trailer
The place beyond the pines
The representation of gender is strong in the film. Males are represented as being masculine and slightly sexualised. We see this in a close up shot at the beginning of the film when Ryan Gosling takes his shirt off and has a muscular body, this is linked to the female gaze and the ideal body image that women think men should have.
Males are also take on more masculine roles, for example riding motorbikes and robbing banks, these things are not usually associated with women. Men are also represented as being the ones who look after their families. We see the man in the trailer putting his arms around his wife and child showing that he is protecting them and showing his masculinity.
Women are represented as having less power and being less dominant than men. We see a clip where the woman is being overpowered by a man who is arresting her this shows that women are less dominant than the men in the film.
The representation of gender is strong in the film. Males are represented as being masculine and slightly sexualised. We see this in a close up shot at the beginning of the film when Ryan Gosling takes his shirt off and has a muscular body, this is linked to the female gaze and the ideal body image that women think men should have.
Males are also take on more masculine roles, for example riding motorbikes and robbing banks, these things are not usually associated with women. Men are also represented as being the ones who look after their families. We see the man in the trailer putting his arms around his wife and child showing that he is protecting them and showing his masculinity.
Women are represented as having less power and being less dominant than men. We see a clip where the woman is being overpowered by a man who is arresting her this shows that women are less dominant than the men in the film.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Genre
Explain the genre of your chosen research texts
The genre of my chosen research texts are both action. The two
texts are James Bond Casino Royale and Fast 5. The audience for these types of
films are typically male.
The conventions films of this genre contain are:
·
Guns
·
Girls
·
Dramatic non-digetic sound
·
Fast paced editing to show drama and action
·
Cause and effect chain of events
·
Close ups/long shots
·
High/low key lighting
·
Sub plot- usually romance
·
Dominant males
·
Vulnerable females
·
Binary opposition – good/bad – hero/villain
The action genre usually has a similar narrative in each film. They usually follow Todorov's theory of disequilibrium. The film usually starts with a normal scene before something disrupts the peace and happiness of the film. This is the disequilibrium. Action films then generally have a romantic sub plot between two of the characters before the hero restores the equilibrium in the film. The audience generally expect these generic conventions from any action film.
Narrative examples- Skyfall and Sleepy Hollow
Example of Narrative Theory - Skyfall
In the clip that we analysed in Skyfall, I applied the Propp theory. There were three main character archetypes in the clip. The hero was James Bond, this is shown through the use of non-digetic sound, heroic music is played at the end of the scene when the helicopters arrive. The villain was Silva. This is shown through his actions. He has the girl tied up and is followed by his bodyguards. We also see that he has power, we see a close up of his face at a low camera angle looking up at him which makes him look powerful and important. He also forces Bond to shoot the shot glass of the girls head, this shows that he is evil and again he is showing off his power by making Bond do something that he doesn't want to. Finally there is the princess. She is tied up and looks vulnerable, we see this from a close up camera shot on her face where she has blood on her face suggesting she may have been beaten. James Bond tries to save her which suggests she is sought after.
The clip has binary opposition, there is good and evil in the clip with James Bond being good and Silva being bad.
We can see that the film is an action film. We see a long shot of the deserted area that the scene is set in, the long shot gives the viewer a better picture of the setting. The area looks slightly run down and looks like it is set in a hot country, this is sterotypical of most action films. There is also an extreme close up on a gun when Silva gives it to Bond. Guns are a stereotypical part of an action film and this close up shows that the gun is significant and suggests that some action, for example a shoot off may be about to happen within the film.
Sleepy Hollow
In the clip that we analysed in Sleepy Hollow we can see that the film is a horror. We can see this through the use of low key lighting and non-digetic sound. The low key lighting gives an eery feel and a sense of fear. The non-digetic music is there to build up tension in the clip, it crescendos throughout and makes the audience think something bad is about to happen as this is the stereotypical use of sound in a horror.
There are clear references to Propps theory throughout the clip. The villain is the woman with the blonde hair. We can see that she is a villain through the use of lighting and camera angles. There is a low camera angle shot looking up at her, this shows that she is powerful and makes others feel vulnerable. She wears dark colours and there is a bolt of lighting when she turns around, this shows that she is evil. The hero in the film is the character played by Johnny Depp. We can see that he is a hero through his actions. He saves the children and ends up killing the character that is trying to kill them. The hero in a film stereotypically always saves the day and has a positive effect on the characters in the film.
In the clip that we analysed in Skyfall, I applied the Propp theory. There were three main character archetypes in the clip. The hero was James Bond, this is shown through the use of non-digetic sound, heroic music is played at the end of the scene when the helicopters arrive. The villain was Silva. This is shown through his actions. He has the girl tied up and is followed by his bodyguards. We also see that he has power, we see a close up of his face at a low camera angle looking up at him which makes him look powerful and important. He also forces Bond to shoot the shot glass of the girls head, this shows that he is evil and again he is showing off his power by making Bond do something that he doesn't want to. Finally there is the princess. She is tied up and looks vulnerable, we see this from a close up camera shot on her face where she has blood on her face suggesting she may have been beaten. James Bond tries to save her which suggests she is sought after.
The clip has binary opposition, there is good and evil in the clip with James Bond being good and Silva being bad.
We can see that the film is an action film. We see a long shot of the deserted area that the scene is set in, the long shot gives the viewer a better picture of the setting. The area looks slightly run down and looks like it is set in a hot country, this is sterotypical of most action films. There is also an extreme close up on a gun when Silva gives it to Bond. Guns are a stereotypical part of an action film and this close up shows that the gun is significant and suggests that some action, for example a shoot off may be about to happen within the film.
Sleepy Hollow
In the clip that we analysed in Sleepy Hollow we can see that the film is a horror. We can see this through the use of low key lighting and non-digetic sound. The low key lighting gives an eery feel and a sense of fear. The non-digetic music is there to build up tension in the clip, it crescendos throughout and makes the audience think something bad is about to happen as this is the stereotypical use of sound in a horror.
There are clear references to Propps theory throughout the clip. The villain is the woman with the blonde hair. We can see that she is a villain through the use of lighting and camera angles. There is a low camera angle shot looking up at her, this shows that she is powerful and makes others feel vulnerable. She wears dark colours and there is a bolt of lighting when she turns around, this shows that she is evil. The hero in the film is the character played by Johnny Depp. We can see that he is a hero through his actions. He saves the children and ends up killing the character that is trying to kill them. The hero in a film stereotypically always saves the day and has a positive effect on the characters in the film.
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