Representation of Gender In 'Rome'

I have watched a clip from a Periodic TV Drama called 'Rome'. In this clip i can see how 'Gender' is represented through the use of Camerawork. The clip is shown below:

At the beginning of the clip, there is a scene of a man and a woman having a conversation. The first shot of the male character is a long shot with a low angle, this connotes that the man has a powerful presence in the scene. Whereas, the shot then changes to a high angle midshot of the female character which would represent her to be playing a more vulnerable role. As this is a period Tv Drama the stereotype that men are more powerful than women is seen as an archetype of the time period, but in modern times this is a representation of a stereotype which can be seen as sexist. During the conversation between the two characters a close up of the females face is used to emphasis her emotion in her facial expression. This can also lead to the stereotype many males have of believing that females are very emotional human beings in comparison to males, which isn't necessarily a negative representation but is seen as a inaccurate one. As the conversation becomes more heated the male character moves closer to the female which is shown by a series of close ups between characters which are played at a quick pace which could represent a males inability to control their emotions in this case: anger. The camera shots that follow are close ups/over shoulder shots to show the conversation between the characters while emphasising the emotion between the two, as they get closer the camera shots hold a lot more tension and the characters eventually kiss. After the male character leaves and another female enters, they are again conveyed with low angled shots.

The next scene in the clip is of two male characters having a conversation around a fire. This is mainly represent with two shots/close ups/ midshots with no angle. During this the camera shots focus is usually selective, which generally means it will focus on the main subject of the frame. During this scene the focus is always on the character speaking which means that both males have equal power in the shot.

The following scene is of a female character and a male character exchanging dialogue. This is mainly represented through the use of over shoulder shots. In this scene there is a close of the male character saying "you know what i want" to the female character which he is implying that he wants sex, which is representative of a male character of having shallow characteristics therefore having a negative representation of the stereotype that males only want sex, which is contradicting the love of the man to the mother of his child in the first scene. This is followed by the female character slapping him to show that she is more than just a mere sex object and she is not happy about the way he just spoke to her, this is represented through the close up of her face and the unimpressed facial expression she had. The conversation then continues to her saying he will be 'properly rewarded' if the job is done to her satisfaction. The scene ends on the male character touching the females breasts via a two shot, which is representative that females are only there for sex, which is a inaccurate and negative stereotype of females.

This clip is full of negative and inaccurate stereotypes which are demeaning of the genders. Therefore this clip is not a fair representation of society as a whole, but as it is a period Tv Drama it could be seen as partially accurate in the time period that it is based in.

Representation of Ethnicity on 'Freak'

I have watched the first 3 episodes of 'Freak', which is an online TV drama. I have analysed the representation of ethnicity in these episodes. Throughout the episode there is a majority of characters in the TVdrama which are white, and online one black/mixed race girl. This absence of a variety of ethnicities in this show is not an archetype representation of London, as London has a variety of races in society, which is clearly visible to people in real life. The 'Freak' the lack of a variety of ethnicities for the characters shows that there is an inaccurate representation of society in the area.

Also the fact that the main character is mistreated and you could even say bullied by some of the other characters, and in relation to the fact that she is a different race to the rest of them could represent some of the white characters of being racist towards black people. This is a negative and inaccurate representation of caucasian ethnicities.

The white characters are stereotypically represented as going out a lot and partying. This is represented by their presence at the party in episode 1, and how they are out at the cinema the next day, and also in the park during the same day or the one after. This re-enforces the stereotype that white people are always out, especially teenagers.

The stereotype of a black girl usually being out a lot and being a 'typical' teenager being interested in sex, drugs and alcohol is broken by the fact that she is actually represented as a female gamer, which isn't obsessed with her own appearance. Also black girls are stereotyped to have a very strong and rude attitude towards people which has also been contradicted by the fact that the main character take trouble from the other characters and walks away sensibly, ignoring the comments unlike a stereotyped female black character which would have caused an argument etc. This small stereotypes have been disapproved of by this TV drama by making her a very unique and different character, which makes allows her to breakdown any negative and untrue stereotypes about black women/girls.

The absence of asian characters in this TV drama could mean that this program is mainly targeted at a white audience and some black, but not at asians as it does not appeal to their ethnicity in any way.

To conclude, i would say that the white characters in this TV drama are represented negatively and inaccurately as they could be seen as bullies due to racism. The black character is represented to be very different from common stereotypes, which abolishes the possibility of the stereotypes of black ethnicities to be true.

Analysis of Gender in 'Skins'

This clip of Skins represents Gender very well through the use of editing.

The clip begins with a shot of a character, presumably male by the denotation of trainers and a skateboard which would be stereotypically related to be male. The clip initially begins as a black screen with the sound playing from what is happening, which creates a sense of suspense for the audience as it makes them eager to know what's happening. The fast paced shot of the character on the skateboard is a close-up of the feet from the side, to also create more suspense towards seeing the face of the character, and then a motivated cut takes it to a low angle which tilts upwards to focus on the skateboarder once again, which connotes the character is in a powerful position, which could represent the person to be a brave, reckless and daring character. These personality traits are usually related to be male ones from a stereotypical point of view, which is a way in which gender is represented in this clip. When the skateboarder comes to a stop we can see some minor special effects used, at the back end of the skateboard there are slight sparks coming out to represent the speed and which he was going at, this could have also been used to increase verisimilitude of the skateboarding. The close-ups of this male character skateboarding of his feet also connotes that he is very good at it, and is showing off when doing it, this show-off characteristic can also be related towards a 'typical' male character.

The next part of the clip focuses on the skater, going down the rest of the road using very fast paced editing which seems as if it based on continuity editing, therefore trying to keep the fluidity of the shots going. We can tell this as it changes from different angles of the skater, from behind to suddenly in front of him till he collides with a policeman's bike and then round to the back once again. This fast paced editing is usually used for fast paced scenes, to keep the action going.

The next scene of the clip is when the skateboarder and his two friends are sitting at the table having a conversation. During this scene the 180 Degree rule is followed and at all times the camera shots are filmed from one side of the 180 Degree line. As the conversation ends when the car crashes, the 180 degree rule is then broken and the camera goes behind the characters to show their point of view of the focus point which is the car and the driver of it. This shot is a Reaction shot as it faces the car which is the bit which is emphasised in the shot. As this part of the scene continues and the middle-aged man is talking to the elderly woman, the 180 degree rule is formed again to bring some orientation to the scene after the car crash.

To conclude, this clip has a clear representation of the male gender throughout with editing. Different types of editing are used to do this, for example the special effects and the matched cuts throughout the clip. The long take at the beginning of the clip created a strong sense of suspense to be followed by the fast paced editing throughout the middle of the clip and then again the long takes near the end lead to a sense of speed during the male characters part of the clips, representing them to be fast paced.

Fantasy Film Making Pt.2

Synergy

Product Placement:

1. Kellogg's 'Coco Pops' - Young audiences will be appealed to this breakfast cereal.
2. Coco-Cola - Fizzy drinks attract the target audience.
3. Vauxhall 'Zafira' - A Family car for a Family Film.
4. Hamley's - Huge toy store will attracts children

Music Synergy:

1. Justin Timberlake - Tennman Records - Attracts a family audience.

Commercial Synergy:

1. Vauxhall Zafira - Family car advert using the characters from the film.

Money from Synergy: £3 Million

Budget Review

Gained from Synergy: £3,000,000

Production Budget: £10,000,000

Money remaining from stage 1: £9,098,000

Current Budget: £22,098,000

Crew

Director: Shawn Levy - £2.5 Million.

He has created films in the same family genre, e.g. Night At the Museum.

He's not a world class director, only beginning his career in making successful movies so he isn't very experiences either.

Production Team: Professional British - £500,000.

Professionals and are british like the movie.

Not as much experience in production as hollywood production teams like ones that work on Disney movies.

Editor: Pro Hollywood - £2 Million.

Well established hollywood editing.

Film production will not be totally british.

Special Effects: Pro Hollywood - £2 Million.

Increases verisimilitude and kids will enjoy it more.

Too much special effects may ruin the film.

Total Cost for Crew - £7 Million.

Technology

HDR - FX1:

Quantity - 5

£10,000

HD, Good maneuverability

Sony DV Tapes (63 Mins):

Quantity - 200

£1400

A lot of tape in HD.

Computers:

8-Core

Quantity - 2

Cost - £5000

HD Monitors

Quantity - 2

Cost - £2300

Macbook Pro

Quantity - 2

Cost - £2300

Editing Software:

Final Cut Pro

Quantity - 4

Cost: £3200

Special Effects:

VisionLab Studio

Quantity - 4

Cost: £900

Budget Review

Budget: £22,098,000

Total Cost Crew: £7,000,000

Total Cost Equipment: £25,100

Remaining Budget: £15,072,900

Analysis of Gender in 'Cold Feet'

This is an analysis of Gender in 'Cold Feet'. It is based on a four minute clip from the TV drama. From this clip i can familiarise myself with some of the stereotypes of gender.
At the beginning of the clip there are two characters, a male in a suit that seems to be reading something, maybe a newspaper, and a woman who is by the kitchen and in casual clothing. The actors/actresses are part of the mise-en-scene of the TV drama. The male and female characters are represented to be married due to the house that they seem to live together in and the relationship with each other that they have. The male character is represented to have just come back from work and sitting at the table waiting for dinner, this is done by the suit that he is wearing and the fact that he's sitting by the table. This would connote that the male character is the provider of the family, due to the business like attire. Whilst the female characters positioning in the set (at the kitchen) would represent her to be the housewife. This common stereotype of married couples is negative, as in this day and age it is not likely for the male of the relationship to be working and the female to be in the kitchen cooking dinner. This is not a very accurate view of couples and gender in the time that we live in, but it can be accurate in the past.
The low key lighting during this scene may represent the time of day, or maybe even the fact that the relationship between the two characters is argumentative.
The next scene is based in a supermarket, where a female character is shopping whilst the male character is being silly and questioning everything she buys. This is representative of how a female is stereotypically viewed, as a woman who shops for the family, being the middle and back-bone of it, the one that takes care of the children and knows what to buy because she's the one cooking. This is partially an accurate view of a female depending on the point of view taken, mothers are usually the ones to go shopping as they are the main person that cooks for the family, just like my mother, so i would call this a polysemic stereotype. Again in this scene the male character is wearing a suit which conveys the possibility of him coming back from work, which leads to the stereotype of the male characters being the providers of the family. The two characters are having a discussion about what baby product to buy, as one is 30 pounds more expensive than the other. The male character is more concerned with the price, whereas the female character is thinking what is better for the baby. This represents how the male and female characters would think in terms of money, and how the female would take the more responsible approach and buy the more expensive item as it is better quality. This also enforces the common stereotype that mothers want what's best for their child, which can be seen as a positive representation of a female character.
The last scene of the clip is done in low-key lighting with the use of neon lighting as part of the set, with red gels. The red gels can be connected with the two female characters as red is commonly representative as the colour of love, which is then intertwined with the female characters, which could possibly connote that females are usually more emotional than males, therefore the use of red. This stereotype of females being more emotional can be seen as sexist and therefore is negative and inaccurate of females.

Both genders are represented in this clip of 'Cold Feet', through the use of Mise-en-scene. Most of the representations in this clip have been inaccurate and old fashioned, for example a common housewife figure.

Compare and Contrast '24 Hour Party People's production to that of a hollywood film

'24 Hour party people' is a british film made by Film Four, which is an independent film production company. This means that in contrast to a hollywood film, my hypothesis would expect this to contain less use of synergy and cross media convergence than a hollywood film would. I believe that this film and a hollywood film would both use as much New media technology as possible.

'24 Hour party people' have used one main type of synergy during film production. This type of synergy would be the use of music, which relates to real music groups from the real world. This is considered as synergy as it promotes and advertises the music soundtracks to the target audience of the movie which is usually also the kind of audience which the record company target with their artists. An example of this synergy in '24 Hour party people' would be the track from the 'Happy Mondays' in the opening credits of the film. In contrast to a hollywood production companies film which would use a lot of different types of synergy, e.g. In 'Transformers' the 'Apple' logo is seen on a macbook, during the film, which is noticed to be right in the center of the frame to emphasis the product, yet subtly advertise the product to the target audience. A Hollywood film would be more eligible for synergy as it is targeting a more mainstream audience in contrast to an independent movies niche audience, therefore it will gain more views making it more likely to be successful. Most of the time a company want request to have their product placed in a film, it is more likely to go into a film which is for a wider audience whilst keeping it on the products target consumers, therefore it is a lot more likely to see any type of synergy more often in a Hollywood movie than in an independent.

Film Four production company can make good use of Cross media convergence. This is because they are all part of the Channel4 Parent company, this means that during the release of this movie, it could be advertised via many different ways, for example, it could be advertised on Channel 4, Film4, e4 and More4. This can become advantageous toward the company as it can save money for the production company so that they can use the budget towards something else. This also means after the release of this movie it can be broadcasted on these channels without it costing the company for it. Hollywood Companies also do this with their media texts, but instead of doing it like this, they do it on a larger scale as hollywood companies are seen as more successful in terms of profitability. An example of this would be Vivendi Universal, which is the parent company of Universal Studios. It also owns many other companies, including record labels like BMG and Universal Music Group. As Universal Studios are part of a huge 'Media Conglomerate' they have easy access to many different formats of media to advertise and market their films with the advantage that it will not cost them and it will increase awareness and appeal to the film by a massive amount. This enables Hollywood productions companies more than Independent production companies to advertise and also create a bigger appeal of their film by creating usually biased reviews of a movie because the review company (newspapers, review sites etc) is owned by the media conglomerate.

Hollywood films tend to have a lot more of a variety of editing, cinematography and special effects mainly due to the difference in budget between the companies therefore hollywood films are seen to be more impressive in terms of production quality. An example of this would be a movie like 2012, which had a budget of $260 Million, therefore they are allowed to perfect production quality in the factors of special effects, cinematography and editing. This also allows a hollywood company to increase verisimilitude throughout their movies meaning they can make any type of movie which would contain content that is not possible in the real world, but seems so believable in the fantasy world of the movie. This has all came from New media technology, which has allowed creating a film to be a lot more easier, cheaper and impressive. In '24 hour party people' new media technology has allowed editing software to be made which will make it a lot easier for an editor of a movie such as this to add content like soundtracks onto a scene without having to use a moviola etc. Digital Video was used to record the movie which shows how New media technology has affected independent film companies as it costs a lot less money to film therefore money isn't lost using film reels etc. Special effects are also used in '24 hour party people' when a spaceship was in the movie, which was made by CGI technology to increase the look of it being real. Hollywood companies will vert frequently spend more money on their use of new media technology as it is easier, cheaper and works better.

New media technology has obviously effected production companies, an independent film production company is more likely to use this new media technology as it can save them costs hugely which means they can spend more money on their film. Hollywood production companies have also been effected by this, they now use the best of the best software and hardware to create their films to ensure that their audience can view to allow them to want to continue watching their movies because they produce the best viewing quality films.
The new technology has also effected audience, it has made them excited about the increasing use of CGI technology in films and i believe that in the near future film audience will constantly expect too much new technology and they will ruin the conventional way in which movies can be made, which is why some directors like Steven Spielberg do not make films the new way but the old way to conserve the original values of film making.

In conclusion i believe that '24 Hour Party People' is different to a hollywood company due to the financial restraints experience by a independent company. This is in many factors of the film production stages of industry but some are similar like the use of new media technology because it will save both companies costs whilst making filming and production a lot easier. Therefore the main aspect that production companies can be contrasted by is finance between the two different companies.

An Analysis of Age in 'Skins'

By watching the clip of Skins, which is approximately the first 4 minutes of Season 1 Episode 1, and the analysis of sound, we can gain an insight towards these characters and the narrative of the TV drama. One of the main representations of this clip is Age. At the beginning of the clip Tony (the main character) is lying in bed awake whilst a the sound of a Church bell is in the background. From this sound we can tell it is distant sound perspective and that it is obviously diagetic as it is keeping him wide awake. We can also tell that the Church bell is probably foley sound. This sound could have possibly been used to show that Tony is wide awake which can create an morning atmosphere. It is then followed by a diagetic alarm clock sound, which leads to Tony getting out of his bed. This alarm clock can represent that Tony is a teenager because many teenagers including myself wake up in the morning to the alarm clock, which is also a fair and accurate representation of them. As Tony gets out of bed and begins to stretch, a music clip is played throughout the time that he is working out and in his room. This sound is synchronous as it follows the quick pace of editing to create a lively effect. I think that this sound is non-diagetic because the sound clip continues as the pace of the editing slows down and focuses more on other parts of the scene than just his workout, and as he turns on loud music just after this sound clip fades out. This sound clip is heard to be quite fast paced and with a type of hip-hop beat which is representative of a teenage age group. As this sound clip is played during the introduction of Tony and also his sister Effie, it may represent them both to be teenagers due to the appeal of the music towards the 13-19 audiences.

Now as we move onto the introduction of the Dad as a character, he begins with dialogue. One of his first lines being "every f*cking morning", which can be interpreted as colloquial language which is informal and a londoners accent which isn't very recognisable. This line is used to represent the father as a short-tempered, partially uneducated and rude character. Stereotypically from this piece of dialogue we could come to the conclusion straight away that this character is working class and slightly less educated than other people as he swears throughout most of his dialogue during the clip. The dialogue between Tony and his father are swapped so that the father is in terms of stereotyping, to have the more formal and a wider variety of language than Tony to have the more colloquial, informal and uneducated language. This would mix up the representations of Age because from sound alone we would believe that Tony is the older character and the Father is the younger, but along with the clip we can tell that Tony is represented as young in other ways, and that the father is represented more from the visual aspects like his beer-belly etc. Also another interesting piece of dialogue that the father uses is "you take me for a complete James Blunt don't you". This is a use of 'Cockney slang' which is representative of his level of education as he is talking in a colloquial and informal way. This cockney slang can is mainly recognised by an older audience around 18-25, which portrays who the father character is appealing towards.

Through the use of sound in the clip we can conclude that age is represented in many different ways. Evidence of this is that Tony and Effie are both represented using stereotypical views of music which is seen to appeal to a teenagers. I believe that this stereotype is nor positive or negative and cannot be said to be untrue as it is common for a teenager to listen to hip-hop music more than any other age group. Stereotypes have also been gone against as the use of colloquial language and constant swearing from the father when a stereotypical view of them would be to be a loving and calm parent figure that would use a friendly tone instead of a more hostile tone that was used towards Tony in the clip. Therefore in this clip stereotypes of age have been met but some are seen to go with them whereas the others have gone completely against it, conveying that this clip is partially accurate in terms of representation of Age.