Disability and Ability homework

Shots

An aerial shot is the first shot used which shows a clear division in the room which is being shared, one side of the room is very child like with bright colors whilst the other contains dull browns. The messy, cluttered side juxtaposes against the neat, average side, with this shot it the disabled and the able are represented to be different to one another. A close up of the down syndrome boy is used which explains to the audience that he is disabled, this also juxtaposes against the previous pan of the able boy, this is then representing them to be clearly different in the clip. An extreme close up shot is used of the down syndromes boys face, again emphasizing his disability and sending the message of his disability to the audience. Due to the use of the extreme close up and his facial features being highlighted within this clip, this clip is representing those who are disabled to be different to everyone else and not to receive the same treatment which everyone else does. An extreme close up is used again as the mother kisses the disabled sons head which highlights her affection for him, this is the aftermath of a slight argument between brothers and the disabled boy has got away with it, this again represents ability and disability to be different and that those who are disabled get special treatment and are almost babied on. A long shot is used which shows the able person walking in front and the disabled boy following which represents a leader and a follower, which then follows the stereotype that those who are disabled constantly need care all the time, this is enforced prior in the clip when the dad tells the able boy to help his disabled brother on the toilet.

Sound

There is narration as a voice over used in the entirety of this clip, the use of this narration tells the story from the able bodied brothers perspective, his clear speech allows us to know from the beginning that he is without a disability and this then represents both the ability and disability to be different. This sound generates the narrative. Non diegetic is used in accompaniment with the able boys narration, this music acts as mood music and helps set the scene of possible mischief and an idea which is brewing, the music is light and does not regard suspense, however it seems to accompany his thought track perfectly.

Editing 

Eyeline matches are used within the clip to show what each of the characters are looking at, the able body boy looks down on his brother suggesting he has to look over him and representing that disabled people need to be watched over and cared for. Montage shots are used when the able body brother is describing his thoughts through the use of both picture and narration. This emphasises the mind of an able body person and represents it to be quite complex and well illustrated this juxtaposes against the shot of the disabled person sleeping.

Mise-en-scene

Towards the ending there is a school setting in which all of the characters are able bodies, this makes the disabled boy stand out and this represents them to be different amongst everyone else. However the key setting for mise en scene is the room right at the beginning of the clip in which the brothers are sharing a room and it is almost separated in a juxtaposing divide down the middle. the able boys side of the room is filled with posters of bands in quite dark colours, representing him to act his normal teenage age and be quite moody. The disabled boys side of the room is very colourful and filled with bright pictures and toys, this represents those who are disabled to be quite child like and this setting almost suggests that they are like a child in the care that they need.

Overall I think that the able bodies and the disabled bodies are represented to have a clear divide in difference, and this difference is emphasised. Also disabled people are represented to be quite childlike and dependant.

SKET

Section B Homework

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences? You should focus on FILM but you may make reference to other media such as

Music, Newspapers, Radio, Magazines or Video games

Digital technology has effected 3 areas of film, this concerns digital production, digital distribution and digital exhibition. Digital technology can range from digital cameras, to the internet which is now accessible via phones, ipods, tablets, computers, TVs etc. 

Firstly, there is digital production in which the creation of the media product (film in this retrospect) is made via digital technologies such as a digital camera, such hardware is beneficial due to the ability to watch something back immediately and decide to shoot it again due to problems such as incorrect lighting or incorrect acting, this saves from having to re shoot the same scene a different day, when the prints have processed. Digital production is also considerably cheaper as the producers don't have to keep paying for prints, instead the video is recorded via memory card which you pay one up front piece. This saves the production companies money. With new technologies producers can create films with the use of CGI and special effects, e.g. a green screen or animation. This appeals to audiences and therefore brings in more of an audience at cinema release and home release. Shrek (released in 2001, DreamWorks Animation) profited a major $441,812,794 as an animation movie which was created completely through the use of CGI and only included famous actors/actresses voice over e.g. Eddie Murphy as Donkey. Harry Potter (released in 2001, Warner Bros) used a green screen to create a moment in which a character flies on a broomstick, creating a surreal effect of actual magic within the film (which the film is based on) the first film in this series made a profit of $849,755,371. Furthermore producers are able to digitally create films with a 3D/ 4D effect or even through the use of IMAX, this then profits cinemas in the exhibition phase as a minority of people own 3D TV's, therefore it becoming cheaper in the long run to consume the media product through the cinema, this also increases the producers profit intake e.g. Titanic 3D (released initially in 1997 bur rereleased in 3D in 2012, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) set a profit record in China when it was re-released. The IMAX creates its film through the use of digital hardware and digital software, the prints for such a large screen (20 metres high 26 metres wide) would be too big to make, and also the quality would degrade after a while, forcing the producers to create more large prints, being astonishingly expensive.

Then there is digital distribution, which is the process of launching a film into the market place and maintaining the public's interest at the same time, distribution handles the jobs of the positioning of the film, the circulation and the marketing (advertising). Digital distribution makes the marketing much for viral, for example, the film can be advertised via social networking sites e.g. like pages on facebook or dedicated twitter pages, this keeps the audiences informed on the launching on the film and inform them of its existence. For example, The Hunger Games (released in 2012, Lionsgate) facebook like page alerts the audience of home releases, significant parts of the film and competitions concerning the media product etc, this preparing them for cinema release and home release. Concerning the circulation of the film, this process is made a lot cheaper, thus becoming cheaper for the production company however reducing the jobs available in the distribution companies. The digital technologies improve the circulation and make it cheaper as the film can be send via a private, locked file which is then sent to the exhibitors or can be sent via hard drive, the producers no longer have to pay for the distributors to send the prints of the film across the globe. Digital distribution also minimises piracy through the ability to create a common release day across the globe, this is done by sending the file via the same day, this minimises piracy as everyone can watch it at the same time, this benefits the distribution companies and production companies as they earn more profit through cinema release as people who are impatient don't have to wait for the film and don't result to piracy instead of waiting. The exhibitors also profit from this as they earn more money through popcorn and drink sales as more people then consume at the cinema. The marketing of a film is more accessible to an audience due to technological convergence in which audiences are able to view the marketing of a film via tablets, smart phones, ipods, TVs and computers via websites like youtube, twitter, IMDB, etc. This benefits the audience as they become intrigued in the media product and therefore go and see it, however this mainly benefits the distributors as it is free to advertise their product how they wish as they use free applications to do this (like youtube and twitter). 

Lastly comes digital exhibition where the film is consumed, this comes in 2 stages, cinema release and home release. The issue with digital screening in cinemas is that a digital projector must be purchased and also the digital copy quality isn't as good as the printed copy, however a printed copy can only be used a certain amount of times and will degrade in quality and soon enough the digital copy will be of better quality, concluding in better screening quality for the audience. For home release, digital exhibition also becomes a lot easier and more accessible for the audience e.g. VOD's such as Netflix allow an audience to consume a film via tablet, computer, phone or TV, thus the audience benefits from technological convergence. This is also cheaper for an audience as they pay a small subscription for unlimited viewings of films as opposed to buying numerous copies of DVDs/ videos, this saving money in a long term effect. As of April 2013, Netflix hit 36.3 million subscribers which is statistical proof of the increase of home consumption via new technologies (statistics from wikipedia). Returning back to the IMAX, this form of exhibition brings in a large profit for the exhibition companies (The London IMAX owned by odeon) as audiences flee to this exhibition format to consume films in an immaculate format as the screen (London Screen) is measure to be 20 metres high and 26 metres wider, making the resolution and quality of the media product brilliant, in the London IMAX, with a seating of 485, the exhibitors profit from popcorn and drink sales, the audience benefit due to a better screening which is available in 2D and 3D. 

Statistics are from www.the-numbers.com , unless stated otherwise.

    

I Give It A Year

I Give It A Year from bethbouchareb

Gender Homework

Mise-en-scene

The first contrasting thing between masculine and feminine I noticed was the outfits of the evil man and the blonde lady, the man is in a suit seeming formal and suitable whereas the woman is seen in a red revealing dress, this represents her to be seen as a sex object and merely something pretty to look at. This also enforces the stereotype that woman are obsessed with their looks as it seems she has made an effort with what she looks like. Also conforming to this the women who look like servants/workers are also wearing dresses, introducing them as a sex object also even if they aren't in as revealing attire as the lady in the red dress, the use of dresses is a stereotypical feminine piece of clothing. Contradicting this view, the main woman is seen in trousers and dark colors, quite masculine attire, which contradicts the stereotype that women are feminine, this character is produced to be slightly masculine, however it becomes known later in the clip that she has be travelling to help save the doctor, thus this attire may be seen as a source of survival, however this narrative is out of the feminine stereotype so it is known that this character holds some masculine attributes. The ladies in the back are decoded by the audience to be servants/maids which is stereo typically a feminine job to do as it is a domestic activity and women as expressive leaders complete this job daily ready for their husband to come home, therefore it is a stereotyped natural instinct. The audience decode this message due to the clothing of the two ladies, they are in matching all black (which looks to be a uniform) and they have an apron around their waist as if they are used to serving and conforming to the needs of others. A man is seen with mud on his face which represents him to be quite tough, not bothered about his looks and rather laid back, always masculine traits. This is decoded in this format because if he was bothered about his appearance he would of made sure to clean his face or he would of not got it muddy at all, but due to being masculine he did not really care. Concerning the trait of being tough also, a man is seen with a gun which represents him to be aggressive and again tough, it also represents him to be a protector, both of these example show men conforming to the stereotypes of masculinity. The 2 maids and the main woman hug at the end and this represents them to be over emotional as they visually air their emotion of happiness to each other, a stereotypical feminine trait.

Sound

The main woman is again represented to be feminine when she again airs her emotion, however this time it is done through dialogue. The woman says 'i love him' during a flash back, this is stereo typically a feminine trait, a masculine person is stereotyped to bottle up their feelings and  ignore them, therefore the woman is portrayed to be feminine. Diegetic mood music is used, deep strings and voice is used and it creates a negative mood which reflects the woman's mood which represents her feminine feelings (how over emotional she is) and it also reflects the situation which is occurring which shows the woman about to lose her life (or so the audience is led to believe at the beginning) and being escorted to a man who is about to be responsible for the corruption of Earth (or so the audience is led to believe again). The diegetic music changed later on in the clip, the pace increases and the sound becomes deeper, reflecting the situation more so as the Doctor comes back in human form, the stronger sound of the music reflects how much stronger the masculine man is compared to woman. Before this in the clip, robots are shown which a man controls, the sound is non diegetic and the robots take the form of a woman's voice, high, (in comparison to lets say the mans voice who is low, conforming to the masculine stereotype), therefore stereo typically this is a feminine voice, and represents those of a feminine form to obey those of a masculine nature.

Camera Work 

The first thing I noticed was the use of depth of field which showed that the woman was behind the man, in this shot the man was shown in a medium close up shot. The use of the depth of field in this shot represented that the masculine one was always ahead of the feminine one, representing those of a masculine gender to hold more power than those of a feminine gender, and for them to be more important. However contrasting this, a tracking shot is used as the woman walks to the man, it passing everyone she looks at in a point of view shot, however this shot highlights her importance in this clip and introduces her as one of the main characters, it represents her in a feminine manner as all eyes are on her so she could be seen as a sexual object as a matter of being the center of attention. A low angle shot is used, showing the man is standing above the woman, this represents the masculinity and femininity in a matter of hierarchical status, the masculine gender is above the feminine. A high angle shot is then used which shows the man looking down on the woman, this the refers back to the matter of hierarchical status concerning masculinity and femininity, again this shot shows that the masculine person is above that person and holds the power of the room. A master shot is used showing the limit of action in the room but again enforcing the layout of the masculine man and the feminine woman, this shot shows how she is kneeling before him, conforming to him, this represents those who are feminine to be submissive to those who are masculine, who are represented to be dominant. Other than this, this shot tells the audience where the action is going to be happening and that it is upcoming.

Editing

There is an eye line match as the woman is looking up at the man and the man is looking down on the woman, representing the feminine nature to become submissive to those who are masculine as they are the ones in charge and they hold the power. Flashbacks are use within this clip and the use of flashbacks shows the woman to have masculine attributes as she is shown to use her intelligence and travel for the sake of the earth, this shows her to be more than looks and care about more than looks. However she conforms to be feminine as she is represented to be caring and lets her emotions get the better of her. Cuts are used in this clip to maintain speed and to be invisible to the audience. A match on action shot is used as the Doctor draws away the mans time thing, this represents him in a masculine manner to be the protectors of the woman who claimed she loved him. This clip represents editing in a continuity format as it provides a sense of moving forward.

Representation of sexuality hw

Shots

The very first shot was a two shot of both women, this immediately suggests a relationship between the two, however as it is at the very beginning of the clip the audience cant decode a particular relationship just yet, however according to the mise-en-scene of this shot their distance is rather intimate, therefore this represents a physical involvement with one another, which moments later it is revealed that one woman loves the other.

There is a medium close up shot of which one woman has her hands placed on another woman's shoulders so loosely, almost lingering afraid to let go. This shot represents her longing for the other which represents her sexuality as a lesbians, also in addition to this the intimate distance has became even closer, enforcing a more obvious way than before, her physical involvement with the woman standing in front of her.  (00:15)

A steadicam shot is used which creates a smooth movement as the camera moves around the woman who the audience has decoded as a lesbian. This creates continuity and displays the area in which this woman is, showing the library she sits in and also her facial expressions as the voice over reads like a mind track.  

There is a master shot in which one woman is reaching over for the other this represents her to be longing for the other woman once again as the other woman is sleeping, its as if she knows what she is doing is considered wrong (especially in the time that this clip seems set), which represents her sexuality is one which isn't accepted by the general public at this time, this enforcing the idea that she is gay. (00:54)

A zoom is used, which highlights how significant the action of her pretending to run her hand over the other woman's body is. This shot represents that she is in fact lesbian as it shows us exactly what she wants, even more so prior to this shot when we can see her eyes tightly screwed shut which tells us makes it look as if she is imagining what would really happen, like imagining if she was touching her. (1:13)

The hand is also put in focus as opposed to her face or anything else surrounding the image, this represents to the audience that this is all she thinks about (touching the woman) and that possibly it is all that makes sense to her as it is the only thing within the shot that is clear.

A master shot is used which shows the 3 main characters, and signals to the audience that this is a significant area and something dramatic is about to happen, also through this shot we can see the placement of the characters, the man seems to be standing in between the two women as the lesbian stares at her, this represents that he is going to be a disruption and get between these two women.

A tracking shot is used when the man walks over to the lesbian, this highlights his importance at this moment in time, the sound that accompanies this shot suggests that he is negative within this clip as the music only changed when he became influenced in this clip.

Another medium close up shot is used when the boy is holding up the lesbians chin after she has agreed to marry him, despite the fact he seems knowledgeable to the fact that she is a homosexual. This shot represents the boys sexuality to be straight as he seems to want to kiss the woman even though he knows that she is not into him, this then leads on to the audience decoding that he doesn't particularly care for her feelings (despite their new call to get married), but he is in fact more interested in the kissing rather than who he is kissing, this is enforced more so when he threatens to tell the sleeping woman about the lesbians love for her if she doesn't marry him. (3:51)

A medium close up shot shows the man licking the lesbians hand and when it shifts to a medium close up shot of her face, you can see she is uncomfortable. However due to the initial shot which I have mentioned this represents him to have a sexual desire for this woman, and due to it being a woman and him a man, he is represented to be heterosexual. (4:19)

Sound

At the very beginning the lesbian narrates the moment saying 'she looked so beautiful', this shows that she is thinking this and hasn't said it aloud, which represents that she is scared to spread her feelings. The genre of this clip seems to be period drama, from this it is learnt that homosexuality wasn't accepted in that era, which gives the audience understand for why this was only thought, but because the audience was meant to hear this we can connote that she is in fact gay.

There is non diegetic sound which is mood music, it is soft orchestra music which is used whilst she is narrating her love for the other woman and when she is running her hand over the aura of her body, this represents her lesbian nature to not just be of lust despite her action but of sweet, innocent love. The music forces the audience to feel sympathetic for her because she cant say how she feels.

There is synchronous sound of the mans panting as he undoes the lesbians glove before he is about to lick her hand which illustrates his need and represents him to be straight as he seems he is quite desperate to feel her. There is no other sound apart from when he is smoothing down her clothes, the lack of other sound emphasizes what is happening at this very time which is a straight man knowingly coming onto a gay woman, which represents his sexuality to be quite forceful an desperate despite the evident which he knows.

Editing

This clip uses a lot of fades which produces continuity but also represents the fastness of time that she feels, which revealed later is leading to her marriage, these fades represent how everything is going so quickly and before she knows it this secret life she leads of longing for another woman will be taken away from her.

There are also cuts used when the lesbian is looking at the sleeping woman, this editing simply portrays what the lesbian is looking at, however this enforces the sexuality of being gay, showing that she focused on her, the constant cuts show that she is always looking at her. Another example of this is when the woman is undressing and then it cuts to the lesbian and you can see her looking in that direction, the audience then decodes that she is watching her, again longing for her.

Mise-en-scene

It could be suggested that the sexual orientation of both women is in fact lesbian as they sleep in the same bed together and at the end of the slip the woman is undressing in the same room as the definite lesbian, the only reason the audience is denied of this suggestion is because the lesbians speech is in narration as she explains her feelings for her which suggests her feelings are a secret and also the lesbian only pretends to touch when she is sleeping, or looks at her in a longing manner whilst she is sleeping, thus so it isn't obvious. On top of this the man warns to tell the sleeping woman of the lesbian undeniable feelings which enforces the idea that she doesn't know, so the audience decodes the idea that the other woman is represented to be straight.

Initially, the audience doesn't see that the lesbian hasn't been painting the woman but because of the way that she is staring at her the audience is lead to decode the idea that the lesbian is painting the woman (even though this isn't the case). This represents the lesbian to admire her beauty so much that she wants to capture it, this represents another longing and more so a physical attraction to the woman that sleeps in front of her.

There is no differing costume between the two women which suggests there is no difference between the two women and due to the other woman being openly straight and the lesbian keeping her sexuality hidden, this represents the lesbian to be ashamed of her feelings and doesn't want to draw attention to herself and have people finding out about her sexuality as a result. Her costume defies the stereotypes paired with her homosexuality however it must be taken into consideration that this is a period drama and in those times there wasn't many people who were openly gay so the stereotypes weren't as strong.

Hotel Babylon homework

Shots
The first shot shown is a long shot which shows a black man in a suit working, waiting on white people who are relaxing in what I am assume to be a spa or resort. This represents their to be a difference in hierarchy within ethnicity in this clip, the white people are above the black people and the black people are there to work for the white people.

An over the shoulder shot is then shown when a black man gets out of the pool and this juxtaposes the situation already, the working black man is shown to be startled by a fellow black man relaing in this predominantly white setting. In this shot we can see the difference in the two black men, the one that has just got out of the pool has tattoos and dread locks, a stereotypical image of how black people are represented, therefore the suited black man juxtaposes and denies this stereotype. The fact that the 2 black people seem to know each other assumes that everyone within this ethnic background knows each other and they live with in a tight circle with each other. The audience is informed the two know each other through the use of their conversation when they refer back to old times. The word 'ganja' is used which is Jamaican term which suggests that both men are from a Jamaican ethnic background, it also represents a stereotype on black people to be living in a rough way and involved in drug culture. (00:20)

There is a reverse over the shoulder shot of the 2 french cleaners stripping for the Chinese man, prior to this there is a close up shot of the money on the table, there is an instant link between these shots and realize the french women have been represented to be desperate for money. This action is also represented to be okay and normal as the older maid seems as if she is used to this, however the young maid seems unsure about the action. A master shot shows the older maid to be walking to the door to shut it, whilst the other maid is standing twiddling her fingers, representing her to be feeling awkward with the situation. The Chinese man turns on music as if he is used to this situation also. The older french maid encourages the younger maid, a close up of the younger maids face is used, showing her to be awkward once again. This juxtaposes against the initial stereotyped represented at the beginning of the scene. (1:25)

Sound
The accents in this clip are very important as they represent the different ethnicity's, both black men juxtapose against each other as the black man in a suit speaks in a posh accent which is against his stereotype, however the other black man speaks in a less posh accent and uses colloquial words such as 'blood' which is the representation of a black person conforming to their stereotype.

Editing
Cuts are mainly used in this clip to maintain continuity. The editing between the shot reverse shots allows us to see the opposites of the two black men and the one which conforms to his stereotype (Tel) and the one who denies his stereotype (Ben), the editing allows us to see a visual difference, Tel has dreadlocks whereas Ben has a short smart haircut prepared for work. However this editing also allows the audience to see a similarity of an earring which suggests that everyone of a black race is stereotyped to have this as within this clip these 2 men are representing the black community.

Eye line matches are also used within this clip, a key one I noticed is when the white female is looking down on the italian chef, although this is not meant in a racist way, this represents white people to be the dominant ethnicity over any other.

Mise-en-scene
The money on the bed when the chinese man is paying for the women to strip represents chinese men to be quite rich in that region, the women who accept the offer to strip for money represents that they are desperate and suggest that perhaps they come from a poor background in France. Also, the chef in the kitchen is italian which conforms to the stereotype that all italians are good cooks as when people think of italy they think of food.