The British Film Industry

Gender Representation

Within Media gender is often represented through a set of characteristics and achievements of society's expectations of what a person with a particular gender should be or do. Despite more than two genders existing it is highly uncommon for film or TV to break out of the non binary gender conformity.

Analysis of Beyonce - If I Were A Boy

Beyonce is known to be a feminist and thus strives for equality between males and females within society. Through doing this she is also remodeling how each gender is portrayed which has allowed people to be more expressive within themselves. However, the song 'If I Were A Boy' stereotypes the male race and by doing this also limits them by insinuating all males do particular things.  

If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll outta bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it.
'Cause they’d stick up for me.

The first verse, as shown above, implies that if the protagonist were "a boy" then she'd be able to just "roll outta bed" implying life was easy and without complications. Furthermore guys are suggested to not care about their presentation and therefore are able to "throw on what" they "wanted and go". This has the connotation of implying that there is the expectations for females to dress well and make an effort such as wearing make up. The next line, "Drink beer with the guys" is an act that society are insinuated to expect from a male and also that they are in groups almost like a pack of wolves which uses animal imagery but also implies they are predators which fits with the next line "and chase after girls" as if "girls" were the male gender's prey or possession.

The verse continues, "I'd kick it with who I wanted And I'd never get confronted for it." which suggest men can have sex with who they want but when the woman's a protagonist she DOES get "confronted for it" which explores the idea of double standards existing where it's accepted for one gender to complete an act but is frowned upon for the binary opposite to do the same thing, such as sex. The protagonist implies it's not only accepted for men to "kick it" with who they want but they're also offered support by their peers who are said to "stick up" for each other which again presents the idea of men being in packs.

Below is an extract from the chorus.
I’d listen to her
'Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
'Cause he’s taken you for granted
The protagonist began to speak of the things they'd do differently if they were a boy. "I'd listen to her" shows how men are stereotyped to be a gender that don't "listen" and that despite the "how it hurts" their partner they continue as if insinuating males had no remorse. Later the chorus includes "he's taken you for granted" which suggests men are expected to not respect their partners and instead don't see their relationship as important.

The next verse includes "I'd put myself first" which therefore presents the idea that this is what a man may do. Previous to this the idea of a male cheating was portrayed and despite being unfaithful the man is suggested to still expect his partner to "be faithful" which again shows double standards. The idea that a female would always be faithful is implied "'Cause I know that she’d be faithful"  as the word "know" suggests certainty that she'd be "Waitin’ for me to come home" as if the world evolves around her partner. 

The bridge includes the lyrics:
It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake
Think I’d forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
The idea that the male has to "come back" after taking it for "granted" the first time implies that males are flippant but also have to lose something before they realize they should respect someone whilst they're with them. To put down the "hurt" the partner was feeling and "Say it's just a mistake" suggest they're not understanding or sympathetic over other peoples' feelings. Furthermore the expectation that someone "would wait for you" implies they feel they are superior and worth waiting around for. The protagonist then goes against this idea and says "You thought wrong" which suggests some men are disillusioned. 

But you’re just a boy
You don’t understand
Yeah, you don’t understand, oh
How it feels to love a girl someday
You wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
'Cause you’ve taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
The last verse belittles the idea of being a "boy" by using the word "just" before as if it isn't anything to be proud of. "You don't understand" suggests that because he is nothing more than "just a boy" he is unable to grasp the concept of respect and is almost enabling him to get away with it because she expects nothing more. It further implies that they'll never know "How it feels to love a girl" because they're unqualified to succeed such a thing. "You wish you were a better man" explored the difference between a man and a boy which insinuates he is not yet matured and when he's a man maybe he'll be "better".

The song 'If I Were A Boy' presents a very negative portrayal of how males act and can be viewed as biased depending on the conditions it was written under or could only be correct for one member of the male race. 

Analysis of Lily Allen - Hard Out Here

The song's first verse:
I suppose I should tell you what this bitch is thinking
You'll find me in the studio and not in the kitchen
I won't be bragging 'bout my cars or talking 'bout my chains
Don't need to shake my ass for you 'cause I've got a brainThe idea that a female is a bitch if she goes against social norms is presented in the opening line. By the singer saying that you're more liable to find her "in the studio" meaning she's working and making money whilst being independent instead of being in the "kitchen" which is what women have been stereotyped to feel is their position in the household. The next line the protagonist tells the audience that she "won't be bragging" showing that she is self-fulfilled and doesn't need approval or acceptance from others. The verse continue, "Don't need to shake my ass for you 'cause I've got a brain". Not only does this positively impact the female audience by implying they don't need to be objectified to be respected but it also give negative connotations as the singer is saying if you have a "brain" you won't "shake" your "ass". This limits what the female gender can do because realistically someone should be able to do what they want with their body and not be objectified providing it isn't harming anyone else.If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut
When boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss
Double standards are then presented where by a female having a "sex life" means she's a "slut" but when "boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss" despite using the word "bitches" and thus dehumanizing their sexual partners.

The finishing line of the the bridge, "Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits" implies it's better to be a female and therefore not only goes against feminism and equality between genders but it also degrades the male so far as to convince them to change genders.
The chorus includes the line "It's hard out here for a bitch" being repeated several times implying it's importance. The idea of a powerful woman trying to break our of the stereotypes society has forced upon her has once again labelled her as a "bitch" for doing so.
If you're not a size six, then you're not good looking
Well, you better be rich, or be real good at cooking
You should probably lose some weight 'cause we can't see your bones
You should probably fix your face or you'll end up on your ownThe verse presents the idea of the idealistic woman and that do be "good looking" you have to be a "size six" suggesting larger or even skinnier people aren't attractive. This demeaning expectation is almost impossible and unhealthy for certain people to even attempt to achieve and therefore it insinuates that being attractive is extremely important especially if you want to have a partner because you'll "end up on your own" if you're not a certain size. 

Don't you want to have somebody who objectifies you?
Have you thought about your butt? Who's gonna tear it in two?
We've never had it so good, uh-huh, we're out of the woods
And if you can't detect the sarcasm, you've misunderstood
The singer begins to find "sarcasm" in the things women are expected to want such as being "objectified" and someone who tears "your butt" in "two". The graphic imagery enables the audience to find the "sarcasm" and if you're given these things then you're supposed to be grateful as if you've "never had it so good".

Inequality promises that it's here to stay
Always trust the injustice 'cause it's not going away
The song is closed off by the two lines above which are repeated for effect where the audience is reminded of the "Inequality" which the song has exploited. The "injustice" presented is said to not be "going away". However, the song has a positive effect of encouraging genders to break out from the ideals of society.

Rick Ross - Trilla

The word "Trilla" is a cross between the worlds "true" and "real". The song starts by Rick Ross crediting a list of influential people within his life. The song is introduced by the line "With kush and lean on my breath" which implies its a commendable thing to use illegal drugs and drink. The demeanor Rick Ross is attempting to portray is that he is "The big boss" and is leaving up to the male stereotype to take a dominating position. An example of who Rick Ross is shouting out to is "Brown Lee" because he's "slangin in H-Town" so he's admiring people because they're dealing heroin.In the strip club with 50 gram is all ya know
Shout out to Boobie Boys, young drug dealers
The lines above imply that being rich is all these people know and once again he's applauding "drug dealers" despite them being "young". The idolization of these people initially looks negative as if the business Rick Ross is in is committing crimes and whilst analyzing the lyrics its evident that all the people mentioned are males and that they're the people boys should be idolizing.  

Sound and Music

Sound and music are used within film to reinforce the atmosphere of the scene. This therefore enhances the audience's emotional experience by suggesting a character's thoughts and feelings by the genre of music or type of sound. Furthermore, sound and music can be used to build a sense of continuity by using techniques such as sound bridges which allow two scenes to run seamlessly from one to the other. 

Diegetic sound refers the sound within a scene. Despite not being able to see the source of the sound, as long as it's relative to the scene, it can still be diagetic. 

Non-Diegetic sound is sound that comes from another scene, like when sound bridges are used, where they do not relate to the action within the current frame. Theme songs and voice overs are also examples of non-diegetic sound.

When the sound is from a contrapuntal source it makes the sound track contradict the image track and can be used to give a humorous effect. 

Camera Angles

Extreme Long Shot/ Expository Shot

This shot can be taken from as far as a quarter of a mile away and is commonly used to introduce a scene as it usually features the exterior of a building and thus sets the scene very effectively. 

Long Shot

Features the entire human body, from the top of the subject's head to the bottom of their feet which sit at the edge of the frame. Despite the main focus being on the character, background details still emerge.

Medium Long Shot

Also known as a three-quarter shot, this includes the subject from the knees up and is used to show the subject in relation to its surroundings. 

Medium Shot

This shot is usually used when there is dialogue and features the subject from the waist up.

Medium Close Up

This enables the audience to focus on the subject by framing their head and cutting off the shot at their chest. This therefore reveals only a bit of the surrounding environment and allows emotion to be perceived with more clarity. This is usually used in documentaries.

Close Up

This frame shows little background and concentrates solely on the subject's face or a very specific detail. Everything apart from the face is a blur.

Big Close Up

This includes incorporating the eyes and mouth within the frame but not the entire face.

Extreme Close Up
This can sometimes focus on detail that the audience wouldn't notice without the use of this shot but can also just focus on a particular feature on a subject's face, such as an eye.

Low Angle

This adds a sense of confusion to a viewer and makes them feel powerless within the action of a scene. Due to the position of the shot, the background will usually just be the sky or the ceiling. The object of the frame will also appear to be taller, thus making the viewer feel even more inferior. 

Canted Angle

To suggest instability the camera is sometimes tilted as opposed to being placed horizontally. The effect this has is unifying the character with the viewer as it's usually used for point of view shots and thus shows what is happening from the subject's eye shot.

Worm's Eye View

This is a shot from below and is the opposite of a bird's eye view. It is commonly used to give a third perspective and gives the effect that the object is taller than it actually is.

High Angle

Despit not being as extreme as a bird's eye view the frame still allows an overview of the scene to be seen as the camera is elevated above the action. This frame is used to make the object seem smaller and less significant. 

Bird's Eye View

This shot is taken from an aerial position and looks down on the action. This shows where particular things are within a scene and can be used to introduce action.

Lighting Affects Genre

Rom-Com

To try and achieve a picture that followed the genre of a romantic comedy I used a bright white back light as well as incorporating the midday sun.

The picture would have achieved the genre more effectively if I were to add a key light and a fill light but due to a lack of light sources I own I couldn't. This would have enabled me to produce high key lighting and would have been much more effective as it would prevent shadows upon the subject's face.

However, the picture does portray an upbeat scene and I therefore think it achieved what I aimed for. 

Horror

To begin with I lit several candles so that I would get an orange flickering light on the subject's face. This would have been much more effective in a video as it would light particular objects which could help the viewer depict the storyline whilst also building tension. However, after reviewing the photos I thought there was too much light to make the image look mysterious and therefore it wouldn't have the desired affect of making the viewer wary and frightened. 

I then tried using a completely dark environment and used a key light that projected a bright white light on one side of the subject's face. This then created shadows and achieved a low key lighting chiaroscuro effect. As shown above, this was much more effective. 

Sci-Fi 

Seeing the results from the previous shoot, I understood the illusions shadows could create. Using this information I set up a completely darkened room and shone a light from beneath the face of the subject so that particular features would  be elongated and therefore make them no longer look human. 

I also experimented with a different coloured light to see how it gives a supernatural, more sinister effect. I placed the light shown below in a key light position so that the picture would appear to have a filter applied.

UPDATE: In class we used different coloured lenses and experimented with them to see how they affect how the subject is perceived within the frame. In the image below the creature appears to be gruesome. The colour red gives the setting of a thriller genre because the scene looks morbid and dangerous.

Media Studies Introduction Lesson: Take 1

Yesterday's first lesson introduced us to the world of media and what the course would entail. After establishing what we would be covering in the next year we began to come to grips with the study of Semiology which exposed us to how we're affected by certain colours and objects. We then began to understand how particular signs and colours enable us to follow story lines within movies or allow us to avoid danger by interpreting the meaning of hazard symbols.

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