RESEARCH REPRESENTATION
Representation - 25.Oct.2018
I think REPRESENTATION is something that is shown or told as something instead of what it really is. It is the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way.
Media Representation:
Representation is concerned with the way that people, ideas and events are presented to us by the media.
This could be represented in magazine, news, soaps, films, TV, games, shows etc.
The Media rely on the audience understanding these representation and accepting them.
They Live - What is being represented in this video?
This video from a scene in They Live, it shows what kind of society we are living in. We see this through what is all around us and can see this through the vicarious view of the sunglasses as it shows the two different pictures of the same media platform. One is what normal people sees daily, advertisements and money., and the other is the hidden intention behind those. For example, in one particular scene where the protagonist looks at money, he would see it as a normal piece of dollar like what normal people would, but when he puts on the sunglasses, it says "This is your God." It shows how money is seen as the same power as God as it have to power to control people and make or separate them.
In this extract, the protagonist represents the society. The society represents the audience. This can be split into active or passive audience. For example,
The media re-presents the world to the audience. The idea are a re-presentation o the original (reality). It is impossible to recreate reality so the media interprets on what reality actually is which is represented in different ways.
Who is represented? L CAGES life style class age gender ethnicity sexuality
Identifying a lack of representation - is one group of people person place or situation being represented more than another?
Deconstructing how the are represented to the audience - media language technical and cultural codes.
"The role of film is to accurately represents real people, places and situations."
Evaluate whether you agree or disagree with this statement. - 29.Oct.2018
Film representations are to describe and portray someone or something in a particular way. The role of film isn't to accurately represent real people, places and situations. This is because as films try to recreate reality which is impossible to because each individual tries to interpret their own reality in their own way. There is no such thing is perfect accuracy to represent real situations.
For example, in fantasy works such as the Avengers or Harry Potter, it is difficult to find a situation in which its tries to represent reality because it is set in a fictional world. Here it tries to get audience to understand and show it's 'representation' by attracting the main stream audience and try get them to agree on the same thing which results in mass empathy. It then gets integrated as part of society and as a result people accepts these supernatural occurrence as part of reality, which is not possible in the original way of life. But if you look at the films in the alternative way, there are stances which actually represents real life through friendships and connections between the characters of the film. The characters are only human, so the writers have recreated real life situations in which the audience empathize with and understand the representation the film makers are trying to make.
Characters of a story are not actual remake of human beings, they are created by the author to tell a meaning or moral of a story. For example in westerns films or series such as Suicide Squad or Glee, each character have their own distinct and unique characteristic which makes it easier for the audience to differentiate them and remember them. In the film, Suicide Squad, the main character Harley Quinn is a character based on someone who is very obsessed with love and attraction which turned her into an evil character or an anti-hero. She does not posses all qualities of a normal human being (which she is not in this case of the movie) which supports the fact that films to do not accurately represent real people, places and situations. This have to do with the fact that the movie is supernatural and also similarly to the above example, it is a mainstream film.
But if you look at non-fantasy or sci-fi films, such as Me Before You or They Live, it is likely there are more chances of seeing actual representations much clearer than those mainstream fantasy movies. This is because they focus more on real life and how to represent them in a way that the author can tell his or her story and meaning of the film. For example in Me Before You, the two protagonist and the plot of the story represents true love. The author have tried to recreate his or her meaning of true love by showing the two character's unconditional love for one another and it had the most impact on the audience by the end of the scene. Truly, love can be interpreted in different ways. But in this movie, it is represent through two characters each with specific LCAGES category such as busy lifestyle with high-class and young age of both gender and straight sexuality. We see it also have a specific target but it takes us (the audience) through different stages in which everyone likely goes through but in this particular film it's through fate and coincidence.
In movies like They Live, it takes us through deeper meanings and shows the audience the truth by representing what we all see in real life. This movie fulfills the role of representing people and places accurately because that's what most people believe what the movie is trying to say; all the media outlet is trying to brainwash us into believing what they say and behave what they do.
In conclusion, I don't think the role of the film is to accurately represent reality because it is impossible to recreate it. What ever each individual try to represent it, it will always differ from one another. With the fact that in reality, fame and popularity is important for people to watch your film to relay your message, films are differentiated with mainstream and niche audience. There are different types of films which the director would try to use in order to relay their messages, such as just movies or in short films or in animations or in series. They would also use different genres to do so. All of it exists in reality but it's hard to put all of it in one film. So I don't think it's to represent real people, places and situations, but with the reference and representations of one specific situation or condition, it is to get the audience to sympathize to it and tell the meaning/moral/story behind the film.
Semiotics/Semiology - 29.Oct.2018
"The science of the life of signs systems in society." - Ferdinand Sasussure 1875-1913 (Swiss linguist)
The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Explores how words and others are
Signs are categorised into those that are mental and private and those which re spoken for written in order to be made public.
Sassure highlighted the difference between what is on display in society and how the human made meaning from it.
Semiotics and this new process creating meaning from society signs underpinned a new logic and way of thinking.
Signs - 30.Oct.2018
"A sign is anything the stands in for something other than itself."
Signs do not have innate meaning humans assign value to words and signs.
Example - Schindler's List
Why is the movie in black and white? What does it represent?
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To represent greif and sadness
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Set the mood and tone of the film
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To represent the old times
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Set the mood and bring the audience back to the WWII time.
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representation of reality and realness to the audience. cinema veritae - a technique of documentary filmmaking in which the camera records actual persons and events without directorial control.
There is one scene in which the girl's dress is wearing red. The only color in the entire film. What does the represent?
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Innocence
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Represents difference between the children and the adult
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Red - color of anger, bloodshed, passion, death.
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A powerful statement to separate the audience's perspective of the child and the adult characters.
Note:
The Institutions manipulate signs through the media to ensure the audience construct their meaning (preferred reading).
Denotation - What you see?
eg. I denote a red apple with green leaf
Connotation - What it means?
eg. I connote a sweet yet poisonous apple in Snow White.
I connote Steve Jobs with the Apple brand.
I connotate Adam and Even with temptation.
Stereotypes - 1.Nov.2018
It is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular person, group of people or thing.
Example: The Breakfast Club
How is this film representing stereotype?
representation of school, clock, awards, locker, I dot like Mondays. rubbing, senior spirit soars, HELP, MESSY ROOMS of different types of student.
white girls and her father, rich.
the jock sits next to her.
other boy , sister and her mother, abusive mother, rebellious son
sits in the middle, but alone
another boy and his father, jock. sport shirt.
strange man walking. weird clothing and sunglasses.
sits alone.
another girl with padding coats. do not show talking scene. quiet, heavy clothes, sits at the back of the class.
Answer:
This film represent stereotypes through it's characters. Each characters have its own unique-ness but the way they are dressed and their actions simply can show the audience of what type of people they are. For example the characterization of the first white girl with brunette hair in the beginning tells me that she is a rich popular girl in their high school. We can see this in the first scene she's introduced in; the car her father drives with her is far more modern looking and expensive. The clothes she wears are also very different from other characters that we've seen; they are also very modern and her makeup also indicates she's very interested in looking good and having a good impression on people she meets. The idea of her father giving her a present to for the teacher also shows how they are wealthy enough to be buying things for bribery. This characterization is very one-sided and biased as a rich and popular white girl who attracts many boys' attention and this opening scene shows a very fixed but oversimplified as a rich girl.
Example answer:
In the extract from the opening of The Beakfast Club, ....... Costume creates sterotypes by using connotes which the audience decodes. The color and clothing are categorized in one type of stereotype. For example the delinquent wears a dark trench coat defying the weather that day. Or the popular girl wearing a sophisticated fashion.
"... And then children
that you spit on
as they try to change their worlds
are immune to your consultations.
They're quite aware
of what they're going through..." - David Bowie
This quote directly addresses the audience and hooks the audience immediately.
"Stereotypes are always about power - those with power stereotype those with less power." - Richard Dyer (1979)
Hegemony - leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.
Stereotypes are created and/or encouraged through the mass media.
As media students, what questions do you need to think of when APPLYING our understanding of STEREOTYPE to a MEDIA TEXT?
1. Who is represented?
L lifestyle , C lass, A ge, G ender, E thinicity , Sexuality
2. How they are represented?
Media Language (costumes, makeup, props), Technical language (editing, etc.), Cultural codes (language).
3. Identify a lack of representation?
Is one group of people or characteristic of that person/people being represented more or less that another?
Exercise - Matching ethnicity with their 'stereotype'
A. African American - 1. Athlete, gang member, police officer - Shadow Hunters: Isaiah Mustafa
B. Arab American - 7. Terrorist, convenience store, clerk
C. Asian American - 5. Physician, lawyer, CEO, factory worker -
D. Hispanic American - 6. Gang member, factory worker -
E. Irish American - 2. Drunkard, police officer, factory worker
F. Italian American - 4. Crime boss, gang member, restaurant worker -
G. Jewish American - 3. Physician lawyer, CEO, teacher
3 minute debate - with your partner next to you. One of you debate why stereotypes are positive and the other why they are negative.
Why stereotypes are positives -
There are many positives stereotypes created to the social group such as positive abilities such as good at maths, good a sports, woman are caring good and very thoughtful The Iron Lady.
They may be generalized about the public in general and we know that it does not represent everyone but belonging to a part of a group can bring positive effectives to the people by bringing good spirits to the people.
they bring advantages to the institutions and makes it easier for them to create a meaning to manipulate the audience. they can also use the stereotypes to break it . and make the misunderstood people able to fight against negative stereotypes. there are movies to making them think and question reality.
mise en scene - 8.11.18
Mise en scene is a French term meaning what is put into a scene or frame.
Visual information in the frame.
- Communicates essential information to the audience. - Represents people, places and events.
It is made up of 5 elements:
1. Settings and Props
- Background, location, settings
- Objects in the scene that belongs to the character
- Props: Properties. It shows about the behaviors and identity, lifestyle or emotions of the character.
- It can help us tell the story, It helps with engaging the audience, Props can create meanings for the story.
- naturalism, time period, symbolism, atmosphere, emotional
response, dramatic irony/tension, color symbolism.
2. Costume, hair and make up
- It is part of the character's physical appearance.
- It helps us identify and represent the characters.
- Characterization, status, symbolism, colors, emotion,
similarities/differences, alliance, enemies.
3. Lighting and Color
- Color wheel of emotions, different color evokes different emotions.
- Hard lighting, soft lighting, lowkey/highkey lighting, different directions
- Shadows, spotlight on? - emotion, color symbolism.
4. Facial Expressions and Body Language.
- emotions,
- actors, directors must be aware of this.
Character status, emotion, stereotype,
Where character look.
5. Blocking/Composition positioning of characters/objects within the frame.
- movement of the person within the frame.
Conflicts / alliances, status
centre of attention / outcast, spacing - positive, negative space.
Each aspect of mise-en-scene has hidden meanings within a media text, that uses signs to send signals to the audience about how we .........
Discovery Zone!!!1!!!111!
Settings & Props - play an important role in manipulating an audience, the narrative, expectations and the genre of a media text. Sets are either built form scratch or located through a setting that already exists.
'Settings are character too' explain why you agree or disagree with this statement?
Task: Make notes on these videos. Can you use these to help develop your media product and add to your blog.
Video 1:
Not only big settings can create meaning, even small props add a whole lot of representations and meanings for the story plot and characters. "Once they're attached to a character's emotions, they gain power." Props can also reflect on how the character is. The more unusual the prop, the more meaning it adds to it. It can also that the role of being a metaphor in the story.
1. We learn more about the character as it shows where they spend their time.
2. It can set the mood/tone, add more meaning to the story and plot.
3. Represent a society or a place that's taking place.
4. It could represent the relations between characters.
5. They are subtle meanings in the background that are hidden or subconsciously telling the audience about the character.
6. They contain meanings, the ability to give off mood, tone like characters do. They have their own representations and methods of how to represent it to create certain meanings
COSTUME HAIR AND MAKEUP - Act as an instant indicator to the audience of a character's personality, status and job. Tells us immediately where and when the media text is set in terms of timeframe, society and culture. Certain costumes signify certain individuals.
Task: Look at the images below can you guess which film characters they are? How is costume and makeup use in these shows?
From left to right - Johnny Depp
Edward Scissor-hands, Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka.
The makeup and costume signifies these characters which is one of the main character in the movie. They portray their personality; for example, crazy colors and abnormal makeup for Mad Hatter. It also gives the character a meaning for example in Edward Scissor-Hands, the black/greyish color scheme represents his dark past and the dangerous weapon he carries.
Rambo - Slyvester Starlone
The hair and his image in general distinguishes his character from others to the audience. This iconic character of Starlone had remained legendary in many people's minds, for example his messy barbaric like hair and muscular body.
Maleficent - Angelina Jolie
The costume and makeup is of a fantasy character which makes it a lot easier for everyone to differentiate it because many people may already have seen it. We know it by nature that she is an evil character and her horns are part of her nature.
Facial Expression and Body Language - Provide a clear representation of how someone is feeling. It also indicates how a character feels towards another character or may reflect relationship. In film, body language can be used as brand identification.
Watch these videos and discuss with your partner. Can you relate what he is saying to your production? Watch and make notes on these.
Lighting and Color - Used t highlight important characters or objects within the frame. To reflect a characters mental state/hidden emotions (i.e bright = happy, dark = disturbed, strobe effect = confused)
Task: Research these websites and develop your production and add to your blog:
How does the lighting and color manipulate the meaning, audience and narrative?
https://learnaboutfilm.com/film-language/picture/light-and-colour/
https://www.cinema5d.com/film-color-schemes-cinematic-color-design/
1. Sets mood and tone and attention.
2. Different type of lighting inflicts different emotions towards the audience from the character.
3. Tells the film genre apart.
4. Different color palette and different saturations, contrasts, and tones (muted, etc.) are used differently depending on type of film.
Blocking/Composition Position of Characters and Objects - Position within a frame can draw audiences attention an important character/object. It can also indicate relationships between people.
Task: Explore the videos on this webpage and use these help develop your media product and add to you blog.
Spielberg's talent to be able to tell stories within his shot is amazing. The long takes he does is also fantastic. The movement within the frame of the character shows a lot about the characters themselves.
Uses symbols and icons to represent what's in the frame. It's like a storyboard but it tells you about the shots you're about to make. It makes it easier to plan.
Blocking sometimes tells us about a person; their personality/character, the situation they're in (their emotions) or their relationship with other people.
There are ways in which blocking is excecuted in a frame. It's through shapes or line. It indicates the viewer's point of interest or could even show the difference between characters or irony in a film.
In our film production, we do not have many long takes. Instead, we focus on a lot of camera angles and cuts to show the fast pace life of our high school lives (which is our theme). But we could use the idea of incorporating shapes and lines to how we place things into the frame to create certain meanings.
