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Introduction to Representation

Representation Representation is a crucial key concept in A level media. Here we explore how the media represents different people, social groups, places and events- and discuss the impact on society and individuals. the key notes on representation: is a process by which the media persons the "real world" to an audience. media texts are artificial, constructed versions of reality. even factual media- such as news- goes through processes of selection, organisation and editing that shapes its content. Mediation media texts are a construction of reality, and pay an important role in the way we view the world. reality is therefore subject to mediation which is the process that takes place when a media text's meaning is created. when mediation takes place, an institution, individual or even technology comes between he actual event and the audience. Stereotypes Media messages have to be communicated quickly which often mens relying on stereotypes

Exam Questions

Discuss theories of gender in relation to the killing       (20 marks) Laura Mulvey- Male Gaze   In the killing they use Mulvey's theory to show that the way we see Nanna in a very inappropriate dress running in the woods that we are meant to know that she is scared and not meant to fight back the person that is following her. we also see that when we see sarah lund we see the opposite as she wears jumpers and doesn't let the men inner office like meyer take over things his way as she can see what is wrong or not.  Van Zoonen-  Gender is constructed through what we see. Women's bodies are like objects and people study it and end up being like that. culture has shown people view the male body differently from those used to objectify the female body. In the killing they don't use Zoonen's theory as we never see shah lund's body being an object and they don't show that her male colleges are more important and more superior than her. on the oth

The Killing Picture Analysis

From this image you can see that the killer has a flashlight. We can use cinematography to show that the killer has power as he is the only one with the light. This shows that the girl is very weak and powerless as she has no flashlight and is wearing little to no clothing. This shows that the trailer is trying to show us that she is alone and is in danger. From this image we can see that the girl is scared and defenseless. We can see this by mise en scene and also lighting and editing. We can see that she has no lighting which means that she has no power over the killer. We can also see that she is wearing little to no clothing and has nothing with her. This shows that she is very fragile and looks like she is very unprotected in this situation. From this image you can see that the girl is scared of the light. this is because she knows that the killer will be able to see her and take her back to the car. we can see that the girl nanna has no power as she is afraid th

T.V series Theorists

Deborah Knight Thrill comes from prolonging the inevitable. Van Zoonen Gender is constructed through what we see. Women's bodies are like objects and people study it and end up being like that. culture has shown people view the male body differently from those used to objectify the female body. Bell Hooks Feminism is for everyone. Struggle to end patriarchy from make domination. the idea that feminism is a political commitment rather than lifestyle. People can be who they want to be and don't have to look like what en want the too. eg. in the killing, the detective never reveals her body and always wheres the same black suit. Stewart Hall The Encoding/decod ing m ode. What  do es the producer intend for them to see and what do they really see. Eg. in the killing, the producers have "encoded" to show that some of the characters are presented to be dodgy (the politicians) and from this we "decode" that they are suspicious and not trust

Essay Question

Essay Question "The killing is a show that gained critical acclaim and was seen as innovative in terms of its representation of its female characters. In what ways do you agree/disagree? I feel like the killing does both in the sense that they do have a powerful dominated lead female but also investigating a murder of a fragile vulnerable "blond" girl. Firstly, i could argue that the lead her self is a very powerful character where this is demonstrated by her taking on a case and investigating and physically chasing and being a detective. in addition this is further emphasized by her male partner who tries to be the dominant and try to take over the case, but she being the dominant women that she is, she fights back and retains control. The clothes that she wears is very repetitive, dull and smart clarifying she doesn't care about her looks and just wants to get the job done, not thinking about what men think of her which contrasts with Mulveys theory of the &

The Killing Silence

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I would put silence at 0.28 secs as it would build more suspense as well as give the audience concern with what is happening and where they are. I would also make it silent when we see the killer as it makes the killer more mysterious and makes the audience nervous.

The Killing Analysis

Editing In the killing they use a range of fast and slow jump cuts to show that the girl is taking a breath from running while the credits are being shown. This can show the luring of false security for the girl as we can see that she may not be able to escape. This can show that she will always be afraid no matter what happens as she is hoping for safety but may not achieve it due to how quickly the cuts are between the credits. Sound In the killing we hear diegetic and non-diegetic sound throughout the first two minutes of the pilot episode. We can link this to Strauss' theory of Binary Opposition as we hear the sound of the girl that is running away with her footsteps as well as her in the water where as we don't hear anything when we look at the killer as he is trying to catch her up without her knowing how close he is to her. Mise-en-Scene In the killing we see the use of dark lighting throughout the pilot episode. We can see that the killer has a flashlig

Narrative codes appropriate to genre

Neale  "Genre is instances of repetition and difference" One example of this theory in the killing is that they used a flashback to show what happens to the girl before anyone found out that she was missing. Another example of this theory in the killing is that they used a detective however it was not a male detective it was a female detective and they show that the other male detective was not as smart as she was when she figured out that she was in the watery. Todorov  "The 5 stages of Equilibrium" 1. equilibrium  2. A disruption of that equilibrium 3. A recognition that the disruption 4. An attempt to repair the damage  5.  new equilibrium One example of this theory in the killing is when their was recognition of the the girl being killed and they will try to repair the damage by finding who killed her and stop them. Another example of this theory in the killing is the equilibrium of a happy family and they had everything going the ri

Roles for Women Actors

 Strauss' Theory Binary opposition drives a narrative forwards. Stereotypical characters of women in movies: Beautiful dumb/blond skinny white young abject- doesn't conformed to certain things. A patriarchal narrative- a society run by men Laura Mulvey- male gazes

Mock Exam Re write

Mock Exam Rewrite 1. Steve Neale states that ' Genre is instances of repetition and difference'.  To what extent does this apply to the clip viewed?  Steve Neale states that ‘ Genre is instances of repetition and difference’. The clip suggests  a modern colour version of a film noir. Film noirs have many features in them such as, an investigator, the crime, the plan, flash backs/ flash forwards and the slight change that you can see in the clip doesn’t change the idea with film noir. We can see that they have used many film noir techniques such as there is crime involved with Ron and how he promotes child pornography, there is an investigator, which is the main character. The clip also shows a flash back to when he was in the coffee shop, this shows that the clip is based on a film noir due to the many resemblances to the structure of a film noir.  This supports Neale’s theory as a film noir has many key features within the film and Mr Robot used them exact feature

Montage

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film noir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKNJP1ZsTO4&feature=youtu.be 

Film Noir Conventions

Film Noir Investigator Crime Heavy smoking/ drinking Flashbacks/ Flash-forwards Urban locations BLEAK VIEW OF HUMANITY Detectives Blinds, shadows, mirror breaks the conventions of filming high contrasts, black + white lighting use reflections to increase sense of drama + un-reality extreme high + low camera angles

Mise en Scene Example

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Mise en scene Example Props- They show the different factions roles in the society and also their jobs and how they achieve peace and happiness. It also shows the specific emotions and characteristics they show. Costumes- The different costumes show the different factions in the scene and throughout the film.  Erudite  (the intelligent) - are in blues to show that  intelligence is more important than the emotions that they should show. Dauntless  (the brave)- are dark greys and blacks that show they shouldn't show emotions as they need to protect the city from any dangers. Amity  (the kind)- they wear yellows and oranges to show happiness as it is usually shown in bright colours if they are happy. Abnegation  (the selfless)- they are in muted grey tones as they should not be thinking about helping others instead of what they are wearing. Candor (the honest)- they wear either black or white  cathodes  to show their is  either the truth or a lie. Fractionl

Mise en Scene and Other Important Terms

Mise en Scene Mise en Scene A french term, which literally means 'put into the frame'. When analyzing a sequence the term refers to everything you see in the frame Props A prop is an object used on stage or on screen by actors during a performance or screen production  Costume The colour and style of the actor/subject can have an important connotations and denotations about their character, role within narrative etc. Lighting  The harshness or softness of light has differing effects on representing the mood of a scene. Colour The colours used in popular brandings are significant in determining their identity.  Makeup Can be used to bring the character or subject to life Other Important Terms Artificial Light A source of light created by lighting equipment, rather than from natural sources Convention A frequently used element which becomes standard. Disequilibrium The period of instability and insecurity in the film's narr

Editing

Editing Editing The stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised into an overall narrative Continuity Editing The most common type of editing, which aims to create a sense of reality and time moving forward. Also nick named invisible editing referring to how the technique does not draw attention to the editing process. Jump Cut An abrupt, disorientating transitional device in the middle of a continues shot in which the action is noticably advanced in time and/or cut between two similar shots, usually done to create discontinuity for artistic effect Credits The information at the beginning and end of a film, which gives details of cast and crew etc. Cross Cutting The editing technique of altering, interweaving, or intercepting one narrative action with another- usually in different locations or places, thus combining the two: this editing technique usually suggests Parallel action. Often used to dramatically build tension and/or

Sound Types

Sound Types Diegetic Sound sound that can be heard by the characters within a scene/sound part of the imaginary world. https://youtu.be/sbKL5g5i8MI Non-Diegetic Sound sound that the characters cannot hear and is not art of the imagery world of the story. https://youtu.be/sbKL5g5i8MI?t=1m9s Contrapunal Sound Sound that juxtaposes the action on screen https://youtu.be/P0EXHvbsnJ8 Motif Something that reoccurs that teaches us something is happening https://youtu.be/O4VE2SVxy38 Foley sound the reproduction of everyday sounds from footsteps, a door opening, or a creek in the floor, that are done in post production be a foley artist. https://youtu.be/L5f2-lIemnI Score The musical component of the programme's soundtrack usually composed specifically for the scene link Sound Effects Sounds that are added to a film during the post-production stage link Asynchronous Sound Sound which is indigenous to the action but not precisely synchro

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement

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Shot Types Crash Zoom https://youtu.be/kjZ9EQ7LMD8 adds excitement used for comedy sudden zoom dynamic Dolly Zoom https://youtu.be/GnpZN2HQ3OQ (2:00) creates an unsettling sense of the world of the character/ film warping/shifting Slow Zoom(in/out) https://youtu.be/ZbMtUL-69_g creates tension draws audiences attention to... reveals setting reveals relationship Aerial Shot https://youtu.be/Axt0nETgEXo over head shot used as an establishing shot Close Up https://youtu.be/hYMFUo8wLiw?t=21s head and shoulders shot often used to show emotions of a character. shot of an object or a character zoned in to shoe detail Extreme Close Up https://youtu.be/W_-D-yzzbxE a shot where  the face, or body or even an object fils the whole frame Establishing Shot https://youtu.be/EKXuuBV3KiY establishes location/setting Medium Shot https://youtu.be/qGPs-0trAb0?t=2s framing from the waist up Two Shot https://youtu.be/M-GOt

Narrative Strands

Narrative Strands Deborah Knight Thrill comes from prolonging the inevitable. Narrative Strand A narrative strand is a story which focuses on certain characters. In a single narrative strand, the story focuses only on one main hero or heroine in the story for instance Superman or Spiderman. in a multi-narrative strand, the story focuses on many different characters eg. X-Men. Linear Narration Flashbacks and stream of consciousness Parallel and frame structures Circular stories Narrative strands for my T.V show The Boss- how he started he business and how him and the main character came aligned the old Boss- how he may of ruined her life in order for his wife to be happy and they were getting to close as friends

Pilot Idea

Pilot Idea Setting: 1800's - Jessica Heart - London - 19yrs - maid Teaser: Jessica in the slums with the man in charge in bed chatting. Act 1: A Day in the Life Jessica has an amazing life with an amazing career that helps so many people and is very friendly and kind to anyone she meets.  Act 2: The Premise The protagonist's life is turned upside- down as she loses her job and doesn't have any money so she has to do the only thing left which is becoming a prostitute in order to gain enough money to live. Act 3: Power Jessica realises how little power she has until she sees starts to become the bosses favourite girl and realises the amount of power she could have if she starts to become friendly with him. Act Four: Fun and Games Jessica starts to become closer to the man in charge and starts to go though the struggles of being a prostitute and the power she gets by being his favourite.