Representations

Representations

Archetypes - This is the 'ultimate' stereotype. An example of a archetype is the white stiletto wearing, big busted, brainless blonde bimbo.

Countertypes - Representation that challenges tradition stereotypical associations of groups, people or places.

Stereotype - Media institutions use stereotypes because the audience will instantly understand them. A stereotype is sort of a 'visual shortcut'. They are repeated so often that we assume they are normal or 'true'.

Representation - The way in which people, events and ideas are presented to the audience. To break it down, the media takes something that is already there and represents it to us in the way they chose.

These representations are created by the producers (anyone who makes the media) of media texts. An example of a producer is a reporter for a newspaper. However, what they chose to present to us controlled by gatekeepers.

Gatekeepers

A media 'gatekeeper' is any person involved in a media production with the power to make decisions about something the audience are allowed to read, hear or see or not to see. E.g. a newspaper editor.
Moguls
They are the people who owns the company. E.g. Newpapers, film companies and TV stations; Rupert Murdoch owns Fox, The Sun, The Times.
Who, What, Where and Why

When you are analysing representations you need to think of who, what, where, and why.

What are they doing? 

Why are they present? What is their purpose? 

Where are they? How are they framed? Are they represented as artificial or natural?

Who or what is being presented? Who are the preffered audience for the representation?

distinction

Distinction

Describe

In detail

Setting - year, time, place, location, interior, exterior, season, day and night.

Themes - revenge, love, justice, friendship, etc.

Icons - significant objects.

Narrative - plot/character.

Character - nice, old, young, impressions.

Textual analysis - mise en scene, camera.

Juno

Juno
For this task we were put into pairs and asked to recreate the opening scene of the film Juno by using a camera recorder and filming our own videos to recreate the scene. We did this by one of us wearing a red jumper and carrying a milk bottle to symbolise the bottle of drink that the girl is drinking and holding throughout the opening scene of the film. We used different sections of the school and outside of the school as scenes for our videos. We also used to more props in the video which were a guitar and a chair as these objects where in part of the opening scene. After we finished filming I edited the clips to create one video that matched the Juno opening scene.

Premiere

This is my first video I created using Adobe Premiere Pro. I used different clips of videos and audios to create this video, the purpose of this task was to get used to using the software and learning how to mix different videos and play audios over the videos. I chose the music I wanted to play, and then I chose which clips of bears and scenery I wanted to use. I put the clips in the order I wanted them to be in. I added text to the video which is another thing I learnt how to do when putting this video together. I also used the snip tool to make the clips shorter as some of them were to long. If I did this task again then I would use more video transitions and audio effects to make the video more exciting and interesting.

Genres

Genre

Genre puts all films into category in which they are themed, they are separated into what styles and audience they have.

Genre types include:

Sport

Fantasy

Musical

Comedy

Rom Com

Horror

Action 

Thriller

Adventure

Mystery

Crime

Family Drama

War

Historical

 This picture is showing the genre horror.
The use of low key lighting makes the picture scarier than it actually would be. this emphasises the genre horror.

This picture is representing a Rom-Com.
The colours of the picture represent love and romance and the brick wall contradicts the romance which suggests that the plot of the film is not just a romance.

Ressurection

Our Film - The ressurection

We were put into a group and given the genre sci fi and we had to come up with a simple plot that would intrigue people. Our film is going to be about a group of young, academic adults, lead by a physician, who discover a new solution to create a new earth as our current earth is dying. The plot is that these young adults create a new planet sustainable for life to survive on, they will go on an adventure to space to find where they will create the new planet, they are limited to 20 days before life on the current earth will be destroyed. It's a race against time for them. Life or Death.

Dr Moore: We chose Maggie Smith to play the expreienced physician because she is a well known actress and has played many different roles in well known films. She is a respected actress. Her role is to lead the 3 boys throughout the journey.

Marcus: We chose Logan Lerman to play the youngest boy but yet the most academic. He is a strong physicist and keeps the group together. We chose him because he is a new actor and this would be a great chance for him to start his acting career and also it will be cheaper than the other actors. He is also an influential character and will be good role model for the people watching the film.

Alex: We chose Daniel Radcliffe to play Alex as he is also another well known , popular character and the public love him so it will attract more attention to our film. He is the oldest boy out of the 3 and has the most experience as he has studied space and physics.

Peter: We chose Ansel Elgort to play Peter as the comical character but also very smart. He lightens the mood when things get hard. He is the second youngest and causes distractions because he gets on really well with marcus. We think he will attract a lot of the female generation because of his charming personality.

film language

Film Language

Film language is made up of four categories:

Sound

Music

Voiceover

Contrapuntal/parallel

Diegetic/non diegetic

Off screen/on screen

Emotion

Dialogue

Editing

Transition

Order of narrative

Pace

Special effects

Mise En Scene

Costume

Lighting

Makeup

Actors

Props

Settings

Camera

Frame

Angle

Movement

Camera

Extreme close up-This is when the frame is filled with an object or a subject.

Close up-This is when an object fills the frame and appears to be larger than it is.

Medium shot- This is when the frame is filled with moderate view of something. It is the most natural shot.

Long shot- This is when the subject is captured in full length.

Extreme long shot-  This shot is used to establish time and location and is an important shot.

Sound

Music:

Describe what the sounds are like and if there are any instruments, also if there is any clear genre to the music E.g. classical, rock, western, pop.

Contrapuntal/Parallel:

Contrapuntal

Footage/image that doesn't match the sound/music playing

Parallel

Footage/image that does match the sound/music playing

Diegetic/Non-diegetic:

Diegetic

Sound that is being filmed in the shot

Non-diegetic

Added music and voiceovers on top of the footage

Off screen/On screen:

Off screen

Sound that isn't in the shot and you can't see it happening

On screen

Sound that is happening in the shot and you can see it happening

Voiceover:

Added sound of someone talking

Lighting

Low key lighting - created by using the key and back lights. It produces a sharp contrast of light and dark areas. Deep, distinct shadows/ silhouettes formed. E.g Horror

High key lighting - More filler lights are used. Lighting is natural and realistic to our eyes. Produces brightly lit sets or a sunny day. E.g Rom-com

Production Logo

I created a logo and a name for my own production studio, I came up with the name Palmy Production Studios. I got a simple photo of the internet and edited it using Adobe Photoshop CS.5.

semiotics

Semiotics
Semiotics is the study of signs. We read images and pictures in attempt to decode them and make sense of what they mean to us.

Denotation- what we see when we look at an image (what it is)

Connotation- what we understand from this image (what other meanings it has)

The denotations of this image are : 

• A close loving family is shown.
• An ill girl (no hair).
• Happiness-smiles.

Connotations of this image:
Happiness- making the most of the life she has left.
Turquoise colour in the bottom picture - could represent a peaceful and calm environment, also a peaceful death.
Blurred focus on the top photo to bring the attention to the main characters in the film.

Film opening analysis

This is a comedy film about a normal family living in a neighbourhood and then it all changes when a fraternity move in next door and they are disturbed with loud parties.  This film has the conventions of what a comedy is meant to have, it is exciting, amusing and enjoyable to watch.