Representation of Class/Status.

Usually divided into two different classes. 

Upper Class:

• Well paid job
• Powerful/ the boss
• Snobbish - look down on people
• Think money can buy everything
• Well dressed - conservative clothing
• Rely on friends when partner is away
• Jewelry, gold, pearls
• Use standard English

Working Class:

• Work for person/ company
• Less formal clothing
• Terraced housing
• Large family - lots of children
• Follow orders
• Use slang/ not proper English

Representation of Sexuality.

Homosexuality:

• Confident/loud if out
• Quiet/reserved if "closeted"
• Flamboyant/camp
• Usually shown having a large amount of female friends
• Shown having creative jobs - fashion/music/dance

Lesbian:

• Successful/controlling
• Extremes of very feminine or masculine
• Used to attract straight men

Represented through clothing, behaviour, relationships, society's view

The labels are often used to show narrow-mindedness.

Representation of Disablity in The Street.

In this extract of The Street disablity is represented

Representation of Age.

Children are represented as:

• Have a lot to learn - lack common sense
• Naive
• Vulnerable
• Not in control
• Loud/demanding
• Naughty
• Easily influenced
• Believe fantasy is reality
• Playful
• Rely on parents
• Cute
• Annoying
• Easily bored
• Bad dress sense - dressed by parents
• Lovable

Teenagers are represented as:

• Loud/ anti-social/ hang around streets
• Hoodies - criminals
• Wasters
• Sleep a lot/ lazy
• Sex obsessed
• "Nerds" / studying, obsessed with school - no social skills
• Smoking/ under-age drinking
• Out partying
• Rebellious
• Want to be cool/ in with latest fashion
• Relationships
• Teenage pregnancy
• Fights - arguing with parents

Middle aged are represented as:

• Busy working/ career obsessed
• Interested in settling down
• Are parents
• Have a routine
• Interested in hobby/ travel
• More disposable income

The elderly are represented as:

• Unfashionable
• Rambling
• Unemployed
• Disabled/slow/ zimmer frame/ walking stick
• Have carer
• Shout at each other - hard of hearing
• Speak their mind - don't care if they offend
• Bowls/knitting
• Drink - tankard at the pub/ brandy and sherry
• Smoke pipes
• Pets
• Vulnerable
• Moods - grumpy/ short tempered
• Reflect on past
• Simple life - like cooking/ gardening
• Get ill easily
• Racist/ homophobic
• Fancy china, tea, cakes
• False teeth
• Generous with money/sweets

Kidulthood - the effects of camera angles and editing techniques.

The mid-to-long shot and over-the-shoulder shots of the parents show the distance between them physically and the lack of communication in their relationship. The mid shot of the Dad where he is closer to the audience and the Mum is out of focus behind him suggests that he doesn't really listen to her and that he gets the last say, which is proved when he ends the conversation "There you go, she's fine" and walks off. The camera then pans round to show the expression on the Mum's face. She then looks at the ceiling which cuts to shot of Katie in her room. The diegetic sound of the music becomes louder when it cuts to a shot of Katie. The camera moves around the room with Katie she walks towards the desk, there is then a jump cut to her sitting down so that the audience don't have to see every action. The high-angle shot of her at the desk makes her seem small and powerless to the audience. The shot also shows a bit of her room, there is a photo of her family on her desk. The camera then moves to an over-the-shoulder shot of her looking at herself in the mirror, this shows the audience Katie from her point of view, and shows her expression - she looks miserable and is shaking which could suggest that she is scared. It also implies that she is lonely and has feels that she has no-one to turn to.

There is then a cross-cutting transition to show the other characters. This implies that there is other action going on at the same time and the cutting makes the action seem simultaneous. The long shot of Becky in a crowded setting contrasts with Katie alone in her room which suggests that Katie is more isolated and lonely than Becky. The shot then dissolves into a the mid-long shot of Alisa in the toilet, which again is an empty room which suggests the character is isolated. The dissolving transition between the characters suggests that Katie is more cut off from the other characters and that the others are closer together. The fact that the montage shows the characters separately suggests that they lead separate lives.

The canted shot of Katie shows her distress and that she is not thinking straight. The shot then moves into a wipe shot montage of the other characters. The song is non-diegetic sound and becomes the sound bridge between the shots. The lyrics of the song "Just keep positive" relates to the story and the characters. The montage adds suspension and shows that time has passed since she went up to her room.

The jump shots of Katie in different areas of her room suggests that she is pacing up and down, that and the variety of different shots and quick cuts adds to the tension. The canted shot of Katie curled up on the floor is a high angle shot which makes her look helpless. It's a long shot which distances the audience from her which makes her seem even more helpless. This contrasts from the other characters because they are in close-up or mid shots which makes them seem less isolated.

The wipe shot montage starts again with a two shot of Becky and a unknown man. The man has his back to the audience which makes him seem dangerous or suspicious. It is obvious that he is older because he is not in uniform and she is, also he is towering above her which shows he has power over her. Shot then wipes to a close up of Alisa which allows the audience to see the emotion. The audience presume that the baby is Trife's because of an earlier conversation and the wipe shot then moves to him. The montage ends with Moony throwing his controller and cuts to a over-the-shoulder shot of Katie writing a letter suggests to the audience suggests that the other characters' problems are trivial compared to Kaite's. The amount of shots of Katie writing suggests she is putting thought into it, it could also suggest that she is unsure about her decision.

A close up shot of Alisa looking away from the pregnancy test shows her emotion and suggest that she is actually pregnant.

Katie indicates that she has come to a decision when she looks up at the ceiling, the cut to a shot of her family downstairs suggests that something bad is about to happen. The soundtrack also implies this because the lyrics aren't heard anymore but the repetitive melody carries on and becomes quite ominous.

The mid-shot of the Dad on the laptop makes the rest of the room look out of focus and distant which suggests that he is distant and uninterested in his family. This is also shown when Lenny refuses to tell his sister to turn the music off, which shows he has a good relationship with is sister because he doesn't jump at the opportunity to tell her off. The high-angle shot of the Mum looking up the stairs makes her seem powerless in this situation and shows that the audience have a better understanding than she does. The cut to the living room increases the suspension and shows that the family are oblivious to what is going on.

The shot of Katie's room from the inside implies that Katie is dead and lets the audience know before the characters however the shot is a low angle shot which makes the audience feel helpless in the situation. When Dad and Lenny burst through the door the camera zooms out to show Katie's feet hanging in mid air. The Dad and Lenny look up at Katie which makes them seem powerless and small but the audience are looking up at them which makes the audience feel even smaller.

There is a pause in the action where there is a blank shot so that the audience can take in what has happened. It also implies that time has passed, the next shot is light which suggests it is the morning after.

A panning shot shows the audience that the action is happening in a different setting - before it was in a relatively large house at night, now they are in an urban area with council flats. The different setting suggests that the story has moved on to a different character rather than continuing with Katie and her family.

The shot pans to Jay knocking on a flat door, the non-diegetic sound of the radio acts as a sound bridge from the outdoor shots to the indoor shot where the audience presume the radio is on in the kitchen where Trife's mum is cleaning. The shot pans round to the door where Trife opens the door for Jay, this allows the audience to see that the flat is quite small compared to Katie's house.

Typical Conventions of TV Drama Genres.

Crime:

• Multiple suspects
• Complex plot
• Good cop/bad cop
• Enigma - makes viewer speculate
• Clear explaination at the end

Examples:

• Lewis
• Miss Marple
• Sherlock
• Inspector Morse
• A Touch of Frost

Sci-fi:

• Special effects
• Fantastical/extravagent storylines
• Humans vs aliens
• Often mixed with action
• Set in outer space or different time periods
• Humans usually the "good guys"
• Based on comic book characters
• Characters with magical/supernatural powers

Examples:

• Doctor Who
• Primeval
• Merlin
• Being Human

Hospital:

• Set in hospital
• Main characters are doctors/ patients/ paramedics
• Plots about dealing with illnesses for both patients and family
• Give viewer insight to unknown illnesses

Examples:

• Casualty
• Holby City
• Scrubs
• House
• Doctors
• ER 

Male Gaze.

Male Gaze - Laura Mulvey Theory (1975)
“Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”

For feminists it can be thought of in 3 ways:

• How men look at women - hot/see what is attractive
• How women look at themselves - need look good for men
• How women look at other women - get ideas/ influence look at competition

Laura Mulvey believes that in film audiences have to “view” characters from a perspective of a heterosexual male.
Features of Male Gaze

• Camera lingers of curves of the female body
• Events which occur to women are presented through the context of a man’s reaction to the events
• Relegates women to the status of objects
• The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily by identification with the male character/s

Some theorists have noted that the female body is often sexualised in situations where female sexiness has nothing to do with the product or event being advertised.
Gaze can be directed toward members of the same sex in other ways than sexual such as in comparison of body image or in clothing.

Facial Expressions:

Female theory- Marjorie Ferguson (1980)

• Chocolate box
• Invitational
• Super smiler
• Romantic/sexual

Male theory- Trevor Millum (1975)

• Carefree
• Practical
• Seductive
• Comic
• Catalogue

Kick Ass.

Mark Millar was the executive producer. He had previous produced Wanted but in this film he got more involved in the post-production work like casting, drafting the script, costume, sets and location. He was also involved during filming, which took 14 weeks, 14 hours a day. The film was based on the Marvel Comic, Kick-Ass, which was written by Mark Millar. Millar started writting the comics in 2008 but the last comic of the series came out just before the film came out.

There were some problems with script, Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughan, the director, disagreed on the way it should end. Matthew Vaughan wanted to have a happy ending where the boy gets the girl, however Mark Millar had written a different ending for the comic where the boy doesn't get the girl. Another problem they had was they couldn't even afford a C-grade Marvel comic character so they had to release the film around the same time the last comic was released. Matthew Vaughan had a huge problem in finding people to finance his film because it was about a C-grade Marvel character, so he decided to raise the $30 million that was needed himself.

Matthew Vaughan said "I think that the British Film Industry has the potential to be the biggest and best film industry because we have the best actors, directors,studios and production crew the only thing we don't have is the money. We should stop being service providers" He says that British directors tend to make arthouse films because they have failed to make it big in Hollywood. He thinks that if "greedy" directors and actors didn't ask for large amounts of money up front and took a smaller salary it would give the industry a chance to grow.

Matthew Vaughan saved money in production by shooting in London rather than having to deal with the difficulties of transporting sets etc to Manhattan, where the film is set. They did a lot of the action scenes in Estree Studios with large green screens, high-resolution images of Manhattan was then added later using Media Composer program. The SpectraMatte feature can adjust details to make the backdrop look very realistic. Matthew Vaughan wanted to get high quality recordings of the original production sound so the actors didn't have to re-create the emotion later. He used multiple radio and boom mics, the audio was then imported onto Pro Tools program and edited.

The film was rated a 15 which may not have helped the box office sales because the target audience was meant to be young teenage boys who are into the superhero genre. However, Matthew Vaughan was not surprised at the rating and had ignored suggestions from Sony, the distributors, to tone down the language.

There was a lot controversy surrounding the film, some objected to the 11-year old girl using strong lanuage, also the strong theme of violence throughout the film. However, this did not effect the success of the film as much as it could have. Usually protests against that kind of thing would boost sales because it promotes awareness of the film and people want to see what the fuss is about for themselves. However, the main controversy talks came from the filmmakers themselves in a bid to increase promotion, and no large scale organisations made publicized protests so the controversy didn't really effect the box office sales.

The soundtrack used a lot of well-known songs and artists, like Elvis, a cover of Bad Reputation (although in the film Joan Jett's version was used) The Prodigy, Ellie Goulding and The Pretty Reckless. Some critised the use of well-known and "overused" songs as distracting. "Kick-Ass is let down by a soundtrack with too much baggage of its own"

Four Quadrant Film and Advertising.

Male: 0-24
Female: 0-24
Male: 25+
Female: 25+

A film targeted at all audience quadrants. Cross-marketing is used to attract all groups. However they are criticised for being too simple and not having a very good storyline.

A four quadrant film would have to be a U, PG or a 13 certification.

Advertising
Above the line - is advertising through media like TV, cinema, radio, magazines/newspapers, web banners and web search engines. This type of advertising is conventional and is considered impersonal.

Below the line - is efficient and cost-effective for targeting limited and specific groups of the audience. This can be tie-ins with other products and companies.

Film Financing.

The producer (studio or production company) has to get all the funding for the production before the filming starts. There is always the problem of not knowing whether or not the film will make money - whether it will a success or a failure.

The Government sometimes provide grants for productions, they sometimes have schemes designed to encourage creativity and develop new talent.

A film production can benefit a country by:

• employment opportunities - in the production, catering, accomatation, transport etc.
• develops culture
• advertises the area/location to an international audience - promotes tourism. For example, the Twilight series increased the amount of tourists visiting Forks, where the book/film is set and filmed, considerably.

The UK Film Council used to offer subsidies to filmmakers in the UK meeting a certain criteria. The National Lottery also offers subsidies and grants to UK-based filmmakers. 

The UK introduced the Producers' Tax Credit in 2007 to encourage film producers to film in the UK. This helped bring large scale productions to the UK. For example, The Dark Knight was filmed at Pinewood and Shepperton studios.

Pre-sales involves the producter selling the rights to distributors of the film before it is made, which is the most common method of film financing. In order to secure their investment, distributors expect certain elements that will guarantee success. For example, certain famous actors/ directors/ storyline etc. Pre-sales are usually done by region e.g. Europe, North America. They can also be made of DVD and TV distribution rights which is likely to be the case if the movie studio distributing the film is part of the same conglomerate as a TV station e.g. Horizonal Intergration. This also stops piracy.

Representation of Ethnicity.

Extract from Misfits --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcngcqA6zHw&feature=channel

There are lots of different representations of ethnicity in this TV drama.

This is Curtis. He portrays the typical stereotype of black British teenagers because he is doing community service for being caught with drugs and he seems blase about getting a criminal record in this extract because his anwser to what he has learnt is "Don't get caught". However he is often seen wearing a Cross on a chain around his neck connotes that he consciously aware that it was wrong and he is feeling guilty about his actions. He is an ex-athlete which represents another typical stereotype.

Nathan is Irish. He is portrayed as quite a sarcastic, insensitive character. He doesn't get on with his Dad and his Mum has kicked him out of the house. He represents the typical Irish stereotype with his funny charm. He is quite confident and laid back which is a typical Irish quality and he is not afraid to speak his mind.

Kelly is labelled a "Chav" by the others, she is quite a gobby and aggressive character and will often jump into defensive mode if anyone crosses her. She doesn't use proper English and often talks quite loudly. She wears hair tied back tightly in a ponytail to the side of her head and often wears large gold hoop earrings and other gold jewellery. Her superpower is the ability to read minds which shows a different side to the character and challenges the stereotype of Chavs and that she does actually care what people think of her.

Alisha is represented as slightly more glamorous than Kelly as she wears more feminine clothes. She is very aware of her attraction and likes the male attention she gets. She is representaed as a street-wise confident character.

American and British Film Production Essay.

American and British Film Production Essay

British and American Film Industry.

To qualify as a British film the needs to meet three of the following six criteria:

• A British director
• A British producer
• Predominantly British cast
• British production company
• Subject matter that informs on the British experience
• British identity defined by the BFI in Sight and Sound

Co-productions with British input are often classed as British films.

BBFC - An independant, non-governmental body which classifies and censors film, video as well as computer and console - based games released in the UK.

British Council - The official UK agency for international cultural relations. Its film department promotes new British film internationally principally through festivals and showcases.

BFI - Aims to support, develop and promote the art forms of moving image.

UK Film Council - Promotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's rich film and TV heritage and culture.

British Film Council - Government backed agency for film in the UK ensuring that the econmoic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad.

What do the British Box Office figures tell us about the British Film Industry?
It shows that American films are more popular in Britain than British films. Due Date, Jackass 3D, Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity 2 are some of the most popular films at the moment. This is slightly unusual as they are not four-quadrant pictures however they are sequels of popular films which would have drawn people in. This shows that the British Film Industry produce more specialised/ niche films which don't appeal to wider and larger audiences which is why they get low box office figures both in the UK and the US.

What do stars bring to a film? Why do producers use certain stars?

• Guaranteed sales - good box office figures
• Brings in their fans
• Narrative image - star persona/ typecast
• Interest and attention from the press = publicity
• Expectations of genre
• Used as main market feature

How much do you agree with this statement "Hollywood films have movie stars, That's why they are more appealing to UK audiences that UK films"
I partly agree with this because Due Date, the highest grossing film in the Box Office at the moment starred Robert Downey Jr. who would attract fans of action films and it might appeal to some women as he is considered to be an attractive actor. Also Zach Galifianakis is a comic actor and would attract audiences who enjoyed The Hangover. Movie stars are often very successful at attract an audience to a film which they might not otherwise see. An example of this would be Valkyrie which is about the final assassination attempts on Hitler's life a story which is unlikely to have a wide appeal. It was a drama rather than an action film which would have appealed even less to some however the appearance of Tom Cruise boosted the box office figures to over $200 million which is unlikely to have been the case if there had ont been a very popular movie star cast as  the main character. 

However Hollywood films do well without having well-known movie stars for example Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity 2 did not star well-known actors but came 4th and 5th in the UK Box Office which suggest that audiences don't watch a movie just for the stars. The movies' genre might go some way to explain why these films did so well because the appeal of horror/thriller films is the special effects, the plot and how the fear is portrayed rather than who is playing the main characters. So I disagree that the movie stars is the only reason Hollywood films do better than UK films. I think the budget available for the films is another reason why UK films don't do as well. Hollywood films have major production companies behind them who can afford to spend money on special effects, CGI etc that makes films, especially action and fantasy/sci-fi films so successful. Whereas British film companies often don't have enough money to use a lot of special effects which makes action films so appealing to worldwide audiences.

Overall I agree that Hollywood films with movie stars are more appealing to worldwide audiences than UK films however in some cases the film can carry itself without a star in the lead role. Other factors which lead to Hollywood films having more appeal than UK films would be their higher budgets which often results in better quality and more special effects which hold a wide appeal for many different film genres.

Would the world be different if we relied only on the US film industry?

• US films about wealth/money
• White male dominance
• Foreigners/English are the bad guys
• Women are represented as skinny/ petit/ blonde/ lacking intelligence/ vulnerable

Hypodermic model - The audience is passive and are injected with ideas and beliefs by what they see.

If only American films were available we would lose British identity/culture. British Film Council offer grants to film makers to keep British culture "alive".

Moon.

Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.com from Top Critics:

A heartfelt, if self-consciously derivative drama of human loneliness. Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Moon actually gets a little dull in the later reels, just when it should be peaking in mystery and tension. Dennis Harvey, Variety

The film's ideas are interesting, but don't feel entirely worked out, and Mr. Rockwell's intriguingly strange performance (or performances) is left suspended, without the context that would give Sam's plight its full emotional and philosophical impact. A.O. Scott, The New York Times.

 A well-assembled sci-fi thriller. Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter.

This film received mixed reviews - some people think that it was a powerful, moving performance by Sam Rockwell about loneliness. However some think that its a bit slow, dull and nothing much happens because it is slow paced action and basic special effects.  

This is not a Four Quadrant picture because it is certificate 15 which means a children would not watch it. Also, it may not appeal to most teenagers and adults - it would appeal to sci-fi fans and people who have seen Space 2001 because there are strong links to that film's style, with the basic special effects, slow paced action and set. Also people who like lots of special effects, CGI and fast-pace action are not likely to watch and enjoy this film because there are not many special effects and the story is more about Sam's experience in space alone, and it's effects on him rather than action-based story about exploring space.

British and American Film.

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED.



THE HANGOVER.

Disability Representation.

Adam Hills is a stand-up comedian who has an artificial leg. In this clip he talks about his experiences at airports and the Paralympics.





I really like him, I think he's hilarious and I really like how his stand-up is not just about his disability, he has a wide range of topics. But I also like how he can laugh at people's situation without sounding offensive or insensitive. The way he represents himself shows the audience that he isn't all that different from them - he talks about everyday life, things everyone can relate to and other topical subjects. When he talks about his disability, he usually mocks the awkwardness and uncertainty that people feel around disabled people.


This is the beginning clip of Coming Down The Mountain, a one-off drama about a boy who as a brother with Downs syndrome. This clip shows the negative side of disability and the effects it has on the lives of people around them. In this story, David feels neglected and resentful towards his brother, Ben, because he is made to look after him and Ben seems to be unaware of the effect he has on his brother,which adds to David's frustration. In this clip, Ben is represented as childlike and totally dependant on his brother and parents. Also, the way David is represented is important to how the audience see Ben, because David is the narrator he is bias and his feelings effect the description of Ben. David is represented as a typical angst-ridden teenager, argumentative and frustrated with the way he is treated by his parents and the fact he has to look after Ben all the time. This representation shows that people can react negatively, almost violently towards disabilities rather than feeling awkward and not wishing to offend. This clip shows that David (and other siblings of people with disabilities) can feel resentful and angry because their parents and other people treat the two brothers differently.

Audience Types.

Mainstream: Unlikely ever to view anything other than major Hollywood style blockbusters.

Mainstream plus: Generally mainstream but apt to see less mainstream films on a few occasions.

Aficionados: Tend to view a mix of films including major foreign language titles and can be encouraged to become even more adventurous in their viewing choices.

Film buffs: Eschew mainstream films in favour of more extreme, esoteric challenging and difficult subject matter/ specialised films.

Britishness in Hot Fuzz Introduction.

Hot Fuzz Part 1

Britishness in London
The non-diegetic sounds at the beginning over the titles of the production companies are references to the British police force and how it has changed over time. The whistle, bell, air raid siren, modern siren. It is also an indecation that crime is increasing because the volmune increases and sounds less distant.

The first shot of the character is instantly recongisable to a British audience as a police officer because of the hat and shoulder pads. The ID baadge that he holds up links to Britain because of the crown on the coat of arms, it is also recognisable to a British audience that he is from the Metropolitan Police Force who are based in London.

The music is Adam and The Ants which is a popular British band. When he narrates he speaks about famous British places; London and Canterbury.

In the shot of him in a riot, the area is a run down urban area, with factories which could be a reference to the industrial revolution and also the recession and closing of British businesses in the late 20th Century. 

The Metropolitan Police logo is used a lot - on the test and in the background when he gets the baton of honour. The Union flag is also used which is recognisably British, also the Lions in the coat of arms is a reference to royalty.

There is a reference to two well known places in London, Soho and China Town, showing that it is a popular tourist destination.

During the presentation the image of the chav is the stereotypical idea of the British youth.

To a British audience the Vauxhall Astra is seen as a police car. The cycling reference is slightly taking the mick out of the police which is a typically British thing to do. The fencing is traditionally quite a posh sport so it links to upper class British tradition.

The stabbing incident is a reference to the problem with knife crime in Britain. Also, he was stabbed by Father Christmas which is British version of Santa Claus.

Britishness in the country
He arrives in a taxi which is the British version of a cab.
As he is entering the town he goes past a sign that says "Model Village" is recognisably British to a British audience - the brown colour is used for all tourist/places to visit around Britain. Also the rose is the Tudor rose which is a reference to a famous part in English history.

It is raining as he arrives and this is widely known as typical British weather.

The hotel looks like a old traditional country house - the open fire, the coat of arms over te mantelpiece, the wooden panel walls which makes it look very Victorian.

The woman in the hotel has a different accent to PC Angel which represents the regional accents in Britain. When they both say "I beg your pardon" it links to the idea that the British are very polite even if they have been offended.

He is put in the Castle Suite which is another link to old world Britain.

When he goes out into the town it looks like a typical old market town with a town square, memorial and cobbled streets. The British youth in the country are also represented as chavs because they all have their hoodies up and look like they are up to no good.

He then goes into the pub which is a typical British past time which is recognised mainly with Britain. Also the hand-pumps represent real ale which is typically British. The landlord and landlady call the newspaper the "local fishwrapper" which a British audience recognise as a reference to fish and chips because traditionally fish and chips were wrapped in old newspapers.

The man at the bar next to him is wearing a football suit which is very popular in Britain and people tend to support their local team.

Merlin Gender Representation.

What representations of gender are constructed by the extract through the use of mise-en-scene, editing, use of camera and sound?


Trailer -


Merlin is the first character to be introduced, this and the fact the programme is called Merlin shows he will be the main focus of the series. When Merlin is introduced, he is sitting a dusty dirty room which represents the idea that men are not very organised and untidy. It could also suggest that he is not important in the sense that he does not have a maid or servant to clean for him. (Whereas Athur's room is usually clean and tidy) The next character that is introduced is Arthur, this shows that he is also an important character to the story. He is introduced talking to Merlin, instead of a high-angle shot of Merlin and a low-angle shot of Arthur - to show that Arthur has more power than Merlin - they are shown on the same level which suggests that Merlin's magic makes him and equal to Arthur in terms of strength. Arthur is wearing armour which shows the audience that he is rich, powerful and high in society because not everyone could afford armour. Arthur is shown fighting and always doing something which represents the stereotypical male - active, strong and slightly aggressive.
The first woman in the trailer is shown with her back to the camera which adds the the mystery of the character. She is wearing a long elegant purple gown which shows she is high in society, this is also represented in the fact she is entering the royal hall. In the hall, there is a raised area, on it the King is sitting on the throne and behind him there are two men who look like knights because they are wearing the same long red cloaks as the King is. This shows the the King is heavily guarded because they are armed and there are also two guards at the door. The King looks quite proud and slightly arrogant because he is leaning back in the throne and has his arms firmly on the arm-rests. There are two other women who stand out slightly in this shot, Morgana and Gwen. It shows that they are not as important because they are lower down than the King, this represents the traditional idea that women aren't as important as men and should have less rights - if they were on the same level as Uther it would show that they were equal. However, there is also a difference in power and status with women as well because the way they are standing - Morgana in front of Gwen - and their clothes show that they are not eqaul. Morgana is wearing a long purple gown whereas Gwen is wearing plain clothes and a apron which shows she's a maid. However, the fact she is in the royal hall and not off cleaning shows she is not an ordinary maid. The fact she is standing behind Morgana suggests she is a lady's maid.
The shot of King Uther on the balcony is a low-angle shot which shows he has power and control over the people. This also suggests he does not mingle with the commoners and takes the traditional role of the noblility. The crown and medalions round his neck sets him apart from Arthur and the other knights.
Gaius represents the idea of the wise old man. He has a relatively large room filled with bottles and books, he is also quite well dressed compared to Merlin which suggests he not the average working man.
The next representation of a woman is the witch. The audience assume she is a bad character because she is old, ugly and has bad teeth which shows the stereotypical idea that ugly = evil and beauty = good. Morgana and Nimueh represent the stereotype that woman care about their appearance because they are fully made up - bright lipstick and perfect hair. Gwen represents the natural beauty because she looks like she has hardly any make up on and has her hair down and wavy. However, this could show that Morgana can afford to look good whereas Gwen is only a maid so it wouldn't matter how she looks.
The voice-overs are only male voices which could represent the fact women didn't have a voice in those days.

Britishness.

• Posh
• Royalty - the Queen
• Council estates - run down
• British cultural experience - 80's, 60's pop.
• Countyside, rural life
• British music - punk
• Private schools
• Self-derecating
• Bad teeth
• Irony/sarcasm

Iconic things associated with Britain:

Uses and gratifications.

McQuail and Katz

Reasons for  media:

• Information about our geographical and social world
• Identity - by using characters and personalities to define our sense of self and social behaviour
• Social interaction through experiencing the relationships and interaction of others
• Diversion by using the media for purposes of play and entertainment

Institution and Audience.

Audience = the people who would watch it
Institutions = the production companies who make/ fund the production

Blumer's Audience Theory - (early form)

• Audience comes from "all walks of life"
• Mass audience members are anonymous - they don't know each other
• The audience don't share their experience because they don't know each other
• Mass audience is not organised and they can not act as a crowd

However, his theory doesn't work because not everyone will want to watch the same film - that's why there are different genres and plots. Also, if people go to watch a film they usually go with someone and are most likely to talk about the film after - whether to say they liked and would recommend it or to say it was not as good as they thought it would be and not worth seeing again.

Most media texts appeal to a certain group in society or type of person. However, some films would be watched by  For example, an animated comedy is aimed at kids however there may be some teenagers or adults who like to watch less serious films.

Some media texts seem to have audiences from all different type of people:

• Avatar - because it was the first film designed for 3D and a different world - unusual setting
• Toy Story 3 - aimed at kids, but teenagers and adults would watch because they saw the original, wanted to see if it changed

Consumption of media texts has changed. Now watching and downloading films online is more popular than going to the cinema, because it is cheaper and more convenient. However, people will still go to the cinema to see popular films that have been highly recommended or have their favourite actor in. Also, people will go to see 3D films at the cinema because it is a different experience and better quality on the big screen than at home.  

Personally, I watch new films that I really want to see and when I have the time at the cinema, if not I wait for it to come out on DVD. I sometimes watch old films on the internet if I can't find the DVD version - however if it's a film I really want to watch I'll buy it because it's better quality on DVD.

Ways people share their film experiences:

• Facebook - join fan pages, status
• Twitter - follow and tweet to actors/ directors etc involved in making it
• Comment on trailer on Youtube
• By word of mouth
• Rate on cinema website

Michel Gondry Prezi.

Michel Gondry on Prezi

Directors.

Michel Gondry
Born in Versailles, May 1963. Grew up influenced by pop music. Joined a band, Oui Oui, in art school as the drummer - made music videos for the band. Bjork liked his style so asked him to direct "Human Behaviour" Also made feature films - Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind and The Science of Sleep - which was criticised for being too weird.

Style -

• Bright, bold colours
• Distorted images/ fast cutting shots
• Weird, unique and a bit arty

Audience - People who like his odd style - has been described as being too weird and different however other directors use his ideas and tone them down a bit.

Examples of his work:




Wes Anderson
Born in Texas, May 1969. Met Owen Wilson at uni and casts him in a lot of his films.

Style -

• Casts the same actors - makes work more popular if people recognise the actors
• Uses similar soundtrack for his films - uses The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles a lot
• Uses similar shots - mid-shots with symmetrical setting behind
• Busy setting/ action

Audience -

• Strong fan base
• Children - Fantastic Mr Fox
• But also teenagers and adults who like his imaginative/
• Are relaxed while watching his work

Example of his work:




Shynola
Group of directors - Gideon Baws, Richard Kenworthy, Chris Harding and Jason Groves. They have made music videos for Coldplay, Blur, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age and many more.

Style - Use animation and unrealistic themes in videos

Audience - Generally middle age, middle class people but also other people who were fans of the bands

Example of his work:



Hammer and Tongs
Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith. Made music videos for Vampire Weekend, Blur, Hot Chip and others. Also made two films - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow.

Style -

• Underlining British theme e.g. preppy style in Vampire Weekend videos
• Pupperty/ hands used in videos

Audience -

• British audience because of British themes
• Music videos - older teens, indie type music
• Son of Rambow - appeals to young and older audience because its about kids but there is adult humour as well
• Hitchhiker's Guide - appeals to sci-fi lovers, older generation who watched the original

Examples of their work:





Spike Jonze
Born in Maryland, USA. He has won an oscar and several Golden Globes. Has directed adverts for GAP and Ikea. Also made feature films - Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malokovich and Jackass.

Audience -

• Where the Wild Things Are - children, teenagers who read it as a child, parents who read it to their kids
• Jackass - male teens

Example of his work:



Anton Corbijn
Born in the Netherlands in 1955. Originally a photographer. Influenced by Joy Division - made a film, Control, about the band's frontman, Ian Curtis. Made music videos for various artists including U2, Joy Division, Nirvana and Coldplay. 

Style -

• Meloncholy themes to videos
• Usually black and white

Audience -

• Teens to middle age who like the music

Example of his work:

Preliminary film.

This is the final edit of our preliminary film. I quite liked the filming and editing process, and I prefered it to creating the magazine cover and contents page on photoshop.

Period Drama.

• Not always a literary drama/ text
• One of key pleasures could be from consuming a classic text
• Expensive to produce - authenticity (location/ costume/ props) Bleak House cost £8 million to produce
• Needs a contemporary impact
• Appeal to international market
• Balance needed between dramatic licence and historical accuracy

Examples of period dramas I have watched:

TV Drama.

TV drama is a story that is presented in a dramatic way however the characters are usually believable.

Genres:  

• Comedy
• Costume drama
• Crime
• Docu-drama
• Hospital
• Sci-Fi
• Sit-Com
• Soap
• Teenage

Examples (some of which I have seen):

Comedy - Gavin and Stacey

Sit-com - Vicar of Dibley

Hospital - Casualty



Docu-drama - The Untold Battle of Britain



Sci-Fi - Doctor Who

Teenage - The Inbetweeners



Soap - Eastenders



Costume drama - Merlin



Crime - Lewis