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Thursday, 29 September 2016
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
AS Media coursework deadlines 2016
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The above timetable shows exactly what you will be up to for the rest of the year. Remember, all coursework for first year is completed before Christmas. All deadlines are subject to change. This is because of the nature of practical work, but ultimately, when a deadline is set, it is the responsibility of the student to submit coursework to an excellent standard and in a timely manner. Please speak to your Media teacher if you have any questions about the course.
Metanarratives
Metanarrative - Also known as a grand narrative, this refers to an overarching narrative or system of beliefs that helps us to make sense of the world.
Examples of metanarratives
Science teaches us to make sense of the world through logic and what we can objectively prove. Our problems are likely caused by illogical people and bad methodology.
Religion teaches us to live a better life so we can access an afterlife, and that faith is more important than evidence to the contrary. Our problems are likely to be tests from a higher being to make sure we’re ready for the afterlife.
Marriage traditionally teaches us to abstain from sexual intercourse until we meet and wed ‘the one’, who we remain with forever. More recently, it has become entirely acceptable to have a number of romantic partners before ‘settling down’ in a monogamous, long term relationship.
Marxism teaches us to make sense of the world through the conflict between the working class and the ruling class. The working class are often seen as heroic in this metanarrative, while the ruling class create many issues and problems.
Celebrity as metanarrative
While it may seem ridiculous to compare the messages of celebrity culture to the values of religion or science, celebrity is a metanarrative itself, and audiences can learn much from it, both good and bad!
Here are some examples of how the metanarrative of celebrity can shape an audience's life:
- Celebrities can be a role model for audiences. Depending on their dedication, fans can learn how to dress, how to act, who to vote for, what to eat...
- Celebrities can provide a structure to fan's lives. Fans can look forward to the next music video, can track down interviews, and save up for gig tickets
- Celebrities can provide social interaction to fans. Fans can meet other fans through meet-ups, social media and forums, and can even form lifelong friendships
- Celebrities demonstrate hegemony and hierarchies. They can dictate our own place in the world, and help us make sense of who we are. According to the metanarrative of celebrity, some people are just better than other people!
- Celebrities can demonstrate how people can better themselves. According to the metanarrative of celebrity, we can better ourselves by becoming as famous as possible!
How to apply the concept of metanarrative
One potential question that could come up in MS4 is "to what extent are celebrities important to your chosen texts?" The inference here is that not only will you be arguing the to what extent part of the question, but you will also be making references to detailed examples of how celebrity is important to the promotion of a text (in this case the artist themself!)
With regards to the music industry, the mark scheme suggests making reference to the following where appropriate:
- Websites (official and fan based)
- Videos
- Social networking
- Chat shows
- Magazines
However, in order to achieve the very highest grades, your answer needs to be sophisticated. Explaining how the metanarrative of celebrity is essential for attracting and maintaining an audience would be an excellent way to explore your text in a detailed and sophisticated way. And you can use this as a great opportunity to criticise the cult of celebrity and the issues that this raises!
Exam dates and what you can do now
Thinking ahead a little here, but the following are the dates of your end of year exams:
AS Media (MS1) - Thursday 18th May 2017 (morning)
A2 Media (MS4) - Wednesday 7th June 2017 (morning)
These may seem like a distant point on the horizon, and indeed they are! However, this is the point where you need to hit the ground running, preparing for the exam in short, sharp sessions. Here are some recommendations of what you can do now to prepare for them:
- Watch a film from a country that isn't Britain or the US
- Check out the blog links on the right of this blog, and get reading
- Use Youtube to find out something you always wanted to do in Premier
- Use the Youtube links to the right, and have a look at last year's student's coursework
- Head down to the library and check out their film and media section
- Go on Netflix or any other streaming site and watch the first episode of a TV show you've never even heard of
- Think of your favourite band. Who produced their last album? What record label are they with? How does their official website attract their audiences?
- Go to Google Books and search for online sources on your favourite genre of music
- Go in to a charity shop and check out the film and TV section for bargains
- Read the Long Road Media Blog!
Monday, 26 September 2016
Verisimilitude - how 'realistic' are media texts?
Verisimilitude - the 'respective realism' or 'internal logic' of a text
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| Many sci-fi texts add a range of sound effects to space battles. This is highly 'unrealistic', as no sound can be made in the vacuum of space. However, within the sci-fi genre, even scientifically minded fans would be confused or even bored if a space battle lacked lasers and explosions! |
Media texts are not realistic. Even the simplest documentary has been edited, subjected to post-production techniques and has been presented in such a way as to present a compelling narrative. Soap operas such as Eastenders seems pretty 'realistic' as there are no aliens or exploding heads present, but there are several puzzling omissions. Why do none of the characters ever swear? Why are all of the beers in the pub unbranded? How can the characters afford to live in one of the trendiest, most expensive parts of London? Why does something dramatic happen exactly three times a week? The answer to these questions, of course, is always 'because it's a soap opera. Foul language and extreme violence may be perfectly acceptable in a Tarantino film, but not in a family orientated soap opera.
So each genre and text has it's own set of rules that makes it 'realistic' on it's own terms. We can call this verisimilitude, which is Latin for 'like the truth'. Producers try very hard to establish verisimilitude in texts, and audiences can be left puzzled if a text breaks it's own verisimilitude. For example, in Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (Spielberg, 2008), we see Indie surviving direct impact by an atomic blast by climbing into a fridge. While the series has seen many supernatural and ridiculous elements, this scene breaks every notion of logic, and pushes the audience so far out of the diegesis that the verisimilitude is broken. Now 'nuking the fridge' is used as shorthand for when a film completely smashes it's own internal logic!
Despite it looking pretty fearsome (and tricky to spell!), using verisimilitude in a written piece is not too tricky. Here are a few generic sample sentences:
"The use of diegetic sound here establishes verisimilitude..."
"The director here deliberately breaks the verisimilitude of the gangster genre for comic effect..."
"By using generic paradigms typical of sci-fi, the producer clearly constructs an otherworldly narrative while still maintaining a sense of verisimilitude"
Further reading
This short presentation further elaborates on the notion of verisimilitude, using the example of the Star Wars franchise, which while being fundamentally 'unrealistic', clearly has its own set of rules that it sticks to.
The importance of sound
Sound is essential for audiovisual texts for a variety of reasons. Well placed sound effects can make a scene more exciting for the audience. It can emphasise certain points and make us more aware of what is going on. It can involve the audience more, anchoring certain meanings and positioning us with certain characters. And finally, it sounds pretty weird to see something and to not hear it.
Essentially, sound helps to establish the diegesis to audiences.
The use of atmospheric sounds such as beeping cars and police sirens for a city scene are a good example of establishing a compelling diegesis. We as an audience instantly have assumptions about what sort of place the text is set in. In fact, a detailed soundscape can be just as important in setting the scene as an establishing shot! Atmospheric sounds or atmos can be accompanied by a range of sound effects and dialogue. Everything that is part of the diegesis is called diegetic sound.
Most of the sounds you hear in a film or TV programme are likely to be diegetic. Dialogue, birdsong, gunshots, bleeping... all of this is part of the diegesis that the text is establishing. A good way of working out if the sound is diegetic is asking the question "can the characters in the scene hear this?" If the answer is 'yes', then the sound is probably diegetic.
Essentially, sound helps to establish the diegesis to audiences.
Diegesis - in the world of the narrative (to remember this term, it helps to realise that diegesis is Ancient Greek for narrative)
The use of atmospheric sounds such as beeping cars and police sirens for a city scene are a good example of establishing a compelling diegesis. We as an audience instantly have assumptions about what sort of place the text is set in. In fact, a detailed soundscape can be just as important in setting the scene as an establishing shot! Atmospheric sounds or atmos can be accompanied by a range of sound effects and dialogue. Everything that is part of the diegesis is called diegetic sound.
Diegetic sound – “sound in the world of the narrative”
Most of the sounds you hear in a film or TV programme are likely to be diegetic. Dialogue, birdsong, gunshots, bleeping... all of this is part of the diegesis that the text is establishing. A good way of working out if the sound is diegetic is asking the question "can the characters in the scene hear this?" If the answer is 'yes', then the sound is probably diegetic.
Non diegetic sound – “sound that exists outside the world of the narrative”
Non diegetic sound is sound that the characters within the narrative cannot hear, but we as the audience can. The most common example of non diegetic sound is the score (music composed for the text) or any use of music that is not created by an onscreen source.
A musical accompaniment can be essential for creating an atmosphere and positioning the audience to feel a certain way. A tense action scene can be made even more exciting with a series of clattering drums and staccato strings.
Pleonastic sound - where a certain sound is emphasised for dramatic effect
Sometimes it can be helpful to emphasise certain sounds. Action texts do this lots. Think about the sound a sword being unsheathed on Game of Thrones makes. In real life it would be a pretty unexceptional noise, but the producers of the programme intentionally emphasise the volume and resonance of the sound to draw attention to the significance of the action code.
Contrapuntal sound - Where sound deliberately contrasts with the visuals or theme of an audiovisual text
Sometimes a producer may include an apparently inappropriate soundtrack to a text. There are many reasons why this might be a good idea. The 'classic' example is the torture scene from Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino, 1992). Towards the start of this gruelling scene, the torturer puts an upbeat 60's pop song on the radio. It certainly doesn't 'fit' with the screams and blood and violence, but it has the strange effect of making the scene even more unpleasant. Just who is this maniac, and why is he so unphased by what he's doing? A similar effect was achieved by the director Larry Clarke in his 1995 film Kids, which memorably has the Casper the Friendly Ghost theme playing over a particularly brutal fight scene.
Experimenting with diegesis
There are many ways a producer can experiment with sound, and this can make it hard to define whether the sound in question is even part of the diegesis. Internal diegetic sound is a good example, and refers to the voiceover that occurs 'within a character's head' and lets us know what they are thinking.
So the diegesis of sound can get very complicated, and skilled film makers can draw attention to the sometimes fractured relationship between diegetic and non diegetic sound. In this wonderful scene from Seijun Suzuki's 1966 gangster film Tokyo Drifter, the gangster Tetsu walks through the snow, singing his own theme tune, complete with musical accompaniment. Not only can Tetsu hear this, but the gangsters in the barn where Tetsu is approaching can hear it too. It's a perfect moment in that it breaks the internal logic or verisimilitude of the film deliberately, and it can be either read as being very clever and witty (or a bit pretentious and annoying) by different audiences.
Sound design top tips
Here are a few tips you should follow when making your own productions. However, do remember that it can be just as effective to break the rules of sound design. Make sure you experiment, seek feedback, and be honest with yourself about how effective your production actually is
Sound design top tips
Here are a few tips you should follow when making your own productions. However, do remember that it can be just as effective to break the rules of sound design. Make sure you experiment, seek feedback, and be honest with yourself about how effective your production actually is
- Make sure there are no gaps in the diegetic sounds
- Use appropriate music
- Make sure sounds are individually mixed so you can hear everything
- If a sound is a bit weak, add reverb to beef it up
- Experiment with the speed/duration control
- Try not to repeat the same sound effect too often
- Be wary of anything that might destroy the verisimilitude of the text (unless you want to!)
Thursday, 22 September 2016
The importance of cinematography
Cinematography literally refers to everything to do with the camera. A director of photography will therefore have to make a dizzying array of decisions, all of which will drastically change the look and feel of the film. When it comes to making your thriller opening sequence, you will have to utilise a wide range of shot types, camera angles, camera movement and other camera techniques in order to create a thrilling, memorable and above all coherent sequence.
The shot type refers to the distance between the camera and the subject. There are three major shot types; the long shot, mid-shot and close-up. Each shot type has it's own disadvantages.
For example, a long shot is excellent at establishing setting. This is why the establishing shot is often a long shot. However, from such a distance, we cannot see much of the main character's expression, costume, or other aspects of mise-en-scene.
The examples here are from Steven Spielberg's Raider's of the Lost Ark (1981)
A close-up is an excellent way of demonstrating the personality of the subject, and can be used to position the audience with certain characters.
A mid-shot gives the best of both worlds, and is often referred to as a two-shot, as you can use this to show two characters in the same frame.
While the shot type refers to where the camera is positioned, the camera angle refers to how the camera is positioned. This can create a variety of meanings for the audience.
The examples here come from Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 post-apocalyptic masterpiece Akira.
A low angled shot can insinuate the subject is powerful, imposing or threatening. It could also be used to demonstrate that a character is significantly taller.
A high angle often has the opposite effect to a high angle shot. Here, a character appears weak and vulnerable. A high angle can put us in a position of superiority over the subject.
A particularly extreme high angled shot is called a bird's eye shot, and can be used in much the same way as a long shot. This typically requires a device such as a crane to accomplish.
A canted angle is where the camera itself is tilted to one side. Also known as a Dutch tilt, this angle has many applications. It can disorientate the viewer, and can emphasise the action in a certain shot
Classical Hollywood Cinema favored static camerawork with minimal camera movement. Any sense of movement was usually accomplished purely through montage. However, There are now many different ways of moving the camera. It is strongly advised you use camera movement sparingly: too much, and you risk confusing the audience!
Actually describing camera movement is made a lot easier through examples, so I strongly recommend you check out this five minute video. The Videomaker channel has lots of great examples of how to practically implement cinematography, so it's worth bookmarking.
The suggestions for the meanings of each cinematographic technique are just that: suggestions. A long shot can be used to show tranquility and contentment. A high angled shot can make a character look optimistic and positive. Use cinematography creatively, experiment, and work out your own style.
Additionally, watch as many films, tv programmes and other examples of visual media as possible to be inspired by different approaches to cinematography.
This user created documentary on the motifs of the prolific cinematographer Roger Deakins shows the ridiculous efforts that go in to creating a compelling diegesis
As an experiment, director Steven Soderbergh edited Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark to be in black and white, and to lack any diegetic sound. His hypothesis was that the cinematography and editing of this film was so ridiculously strong in this film, the audience simply don't need colour or dialogue to make sense of what's going on. Give it a watch and you'll probably agree. With all distractions taken away it's a great chance to focus on world class cinematography.
Werner Herzog is an often unconventional director who has worked in a wide variety of genres. This 90 minute long lecture gives some valuable insight in to his film making practice.
Shot types
The shot type refers to the distance between the camera and the subject. There are three major shot types; the long shot, mid-shot and close-up. Each shot type has it's own disadvantages.
For example, a long shot is excellent at establishing setting. This is why the establishing shot is often a long shot. However, from such a distance, we cannot see much of the main character's expression, costume, or other aspects of mise-en-scene.
The examples here are from Steven Spielberg's Raider's of the Lost Ark (1981)
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| Long shot |
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| Close-up |
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| Mid-shot |
Camera angles
While the shot type refers to where the camera is positioned, the camera angle refers to how the camera is positioned. This can create a variety of meanings for the audience.
The examples here come from Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 post-apocalyptic masterpiece Akira.
A low angled shot can insinuate the subject is powerful, imposing or threatening. It could also be used to demonstrate that a character is significantly taller.
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| Low angle |
A high angle often has the opposite effect to a high angle shot. Here, a character appears weak and vulnerable. A high angle can put us in a position of superiority over the subject.
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| High angle |
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| Bird's eye |
A canted angle is where the camera itself is tilted to one side. Also known as a Dutch tilt, this angle has many applications. It can disorientate the viewer, and can emphasise the action in a certain shot
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| Canted angle |
Camera movement
Classical Hollywood Cinema favored static camerawork with minimal camera movement. Any sense of movement was usually accomplished purely through montage. However, There are now many different ways of moving the camera. It is strongly advised you use camera movement sparingly: too much, and you risk confusing the audience!
Actually describing camera movement is made a lot easier through examples, so I strongly recommend you check out this five minute video. The Videomaker channel has lots of great examples of how to practically implement cinematography, so it's worth bookmarking.
Exceptions
The suggestions for the meanings of each cinematographic technique are just that: suggestions. A long shot can be used to show tranquility and contentment. A high angled shot can make a character look optimistic and positive. Use cinematography creatively, experiment, and work out your own style.
Additionally, watch as many films, tv programmes and other examples of visual media as possible to be inspired by different approaches to cinematography.
Further viewing
This user created documentary on the motifs of the prolific cinematographer Roger Deakins shows the ridiculous efforts that go in to creating a compelling diegesis
As an experiment, director Steven Soderbergh edited Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark to be in black and white, and to lack any diegetic sound. His hypothesis was that the cinematography and editing of this film was so ridiculously strong in this film, the audience simply don't need colour or dialogue to make sense of what's going on. Give it a watch and you'll probably agree. With all distractions taken away it's a great chance to focus on world class cinematography.
Werner Herzog is an often unconventional director who has worked in a wide variety of genres. This 90 minute long lecture gives some valuable insight in to his film making practice.
Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Research investigation - final stretch
Second years will be putting the finishing touches to their research investigations. At this stage, with most of the essay essentially done, many of the changes you make will be structural and based on proof reading. If you are stumped for what to do next, here are a few suggestions:
Finally, here is an exemplar, certified A grade response from a recent Long Road graduate. While this may not be the same area of research you are looking at, the essay structure is excellent and should help you to fine tune your own.
The essay will be discussing how women from different ethnicities are represented in mainstream music videos. The focal texts include, On the floor by Jennifer Lopez, Feeling Myself by Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj and Pretty girls by Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea. The argument explored in this essay is that ‘representation of race in the media can consist of the same sort of rigid stereotypes that constitute gender portrayal’ (Wilson:2014). This suggests mainstream media has crucially selected certain representations of features associated with women from different ethnic groups. These videos involve the ethnicities; Latino, black and white, this diversity has allowed the exploration of different types of ethnicities. One theory I will focus on in particular is Mulvey’s male gaze as sexual objectification of women from different races will be discussed. However, the argument that women from different ethnicities are empowered to represent themselves proudly will also be discussed.
One topic involved in music videos associated with women, is sexual objectification. The extremity of objectification is varied in terms of what ethnicity a woman is in videos. Reyes mentioned the ‘idea of latin women as objects is stressed with reducing women to their physical attributes’ (Reyes:2012:p10). This statement can be supported in Jennifer Lopez’s music video, ‘On the floor’ as certain features are accentuated. In one shot, she is wearing her gold and tightly fitted dress, revealing her curves. A medium long shot of her in an empty room with low key lighting dancing is shown in the music video. This shot represents her as being alone in a room with perhaps a heterosexual audience. Mulvey’s theory about the male gaze conforms to this shot as she claims ‘ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking is split between active/male and passive/female’(Mulvey:1989). Her theory assumes females in the media have their sexual features exposed in order to attract a male audience. This representation shown by Jennifer Lopez suggests Latino women are recognized for their unique curves therefore it is displayed in music videos to attract audiences.
The music video to Feeling Myself by Nicki Minaj’s and Beyoncé’s explicitly represents sexual objectification in certain shots. J. Dow writes that black women are ‘presented with large breasts and round buttocks in (music) videos’ (J.Dow:2006:p301). This view can be encouraged in the Feeling Myself video. In a medium close up shot, Nicki Minaj is presented wearing a tight bright pink crop top which reveals her cleavage whilst her hair is down in curls. Nicki is dancing sexually and aggressively. In another medium shot Nicki is bending down against a bathroom sink whilst her bottom is explicitly thrusting out whilst she dances. These shots support the idea that black women are presented with ‘large breasts’ and ‘round buttocks’ in music videos. Levey’s theory about the ‘female chauvinist pigs’ represented can be applied to this video as it denotes black woman being highly sexualised as they overtly perform with their sexual physical attributes. There are also several fast cut shots between Beyonce and Minaj dressed in revealing costumes e.g both artists wear swimsuit outfits which emphasise their curves and thighs representing them as exotic.
Kite claims ‘media representations of these (black) women have become increasingly “whitewashed” over time, with lighter-colored, hair, coloured contacts and a shrinking figure’ (Kite:2011) This has been connoted in Feeling Myself. Beyonce’s hair is long and blonde and Nicki Minaj wears false blue contacts which are traditional characteristics of westernised women. This representation of black women portrays them as westernised which conform to Alvarez’s theory about women from different ethnicities physically escaping from their ethnic features. This indicated women from different ethnicities attempt to be more westernized because western beauty is considered a hegemonic ideal and perhaps causes them to sell more records. However a ’shrinking figure’ is not evident in the video as their large physical attributes are included in the video to demonstrate to audiences their distinctive qualities associated with their race.
In Pretty Girls by Iggy Azalea and Britney Spears, white women are objectified in some shots. T Wood stated that “the majority of white women (in the media are represented as) very thin, passive and primarily concerned with relationships’ (T.wood:2006:p7). Her view is supported in a medium shot of the two artists, ecstatically dancing whilst traditionally masculine men are dancing around them. Azalea and Spears are wearing crop tops which reveal their thin figure, presented in bright day light. This shot encourages the idea of white women being depicted as ‘thin’ and the men around them suggests they are ‘concerned with relationships’. The men that are gazing down at the artists whilst they are in provocative costume represents them as having a lower status which portrays them as ‘passive’.
A second topic that is represented in music videos is ethnocentrism. I interviewed four females aged 16 to 18. When asked about how they think Latino women are represented in the media, they focused on the emphasis on Latino bodies. However, a 17 year old stated ‘Latino women are usually represented as powerful, such as in films’ and some of the girls also mentioned how women from different ethnicities are usually differentiated from white people because of their features. In Lopez’s On the floor, a long shot is presented of her sitting above the disco floor on a black sofa. Her body position is elongated and sophisticated, she is wearing a golden dress and her hair is in a bun. This represents her has having a higher status and being in control. The long shot also allowed the audiences to see that most of the clubbers below her were white. This suggests that Lopez is representing Latinos in an ethnocentric which gives her ethnicity a higher status. Jennifer Lopez is also presented standing on top of a stage whilst surrounded by dancers below her. Her costume is black and she is wearing a crop top whilst dancing sexually. The lighting is subjectively shone on her, which represents her significant status. This connotes her Latino ethnicity as powerful as she is confidently the dominant dancer in the shot.
In Minaj’s and Beyonce’s ‘feeling myself’, ethnocentrism is strongly depicted through their performance. Railton claims that ‘black women are reinforced as independent who are in control of their lives and bodies’ (Railton:2011:p19). An extreme low angle shot of Beyonce and Nicki is presented whilst they are staring down at the camera and zooming in and out of the camera whilst dancing. This signifies them as being more dominant and ‘in control’. A medium shot of them in a garage with low key lighting is denoted whilst both artists stand in the middle and dance confidently. Their costume is more casual and black. Their isolation and confidence in one room connotes them as being ‘independent’ and their outfit represents hegemony over the room as lighting is subjectively being shone on them. This portrays the race of black women as superior. Nicki Minaj said in one her interviews that she expresses herself sexually to ‘reinstate something’ because ‘in hip hop men are glorifying the less curvy body’ (ABCnews:2014). The music video to Feeling Myself primarily involves black women with curvy bodies, e.g the extremely low angle shot had black women wearing tight outfits that highlighted their curves. Minaj’s intention was to perhaps illustrate the unique bodies of black women in a positive and proud light. This can be applied to Dyer’s star theory, he assumes “stars are seen as owing their existence solely to the machinery of production”, (Dyer:1998:p13). Minaj has probably been constructed to present her curves in order to reinstate a curvy black body as being a figure her black female fans should be proud of.
Stereotypical representation of races is depicted in mainstream music videos. O’Sullivan claims most white blonde females in the media are represented as ‘childlike, seductive and inappropriate’ (O’Sullivan:1994:130). In Pretty Girls a medium close up shot of Azalea, Spears and other young white girls, is presented. They are shown on top of a red car, twirling their blonde hair whilst speaking in an exaggerated and feminine tone. This is a typical denotation of a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ and therefore supports O’Sullivian’s view. However Iggy Azalea is introduced as an alien in the beginning of the video with flashing eyes. Her tone is sarcastically exaggerated in an American accent (although she is Australian). This was perhaps done to satirically indicate the stereotypical dumb blondes that are generally shown in the media. This represents white women as being aware of their stereotype in music videos and Azalea’s satirical demonstration subverts this stereotype.
One of the questions asked in my questionnaire about ethnicity was what ethnicity is usually more stereotyped in music videos. 70% chose black, and 20% chose Latino. Stereotypical representation of Latino and Black women has been portrayed in the music videos, Feeling Myself and On The Floor. L.M Kelley states, “The pernicious nature of the “angry black woman” trope isn’t marginal to American culture—it’s central.”(L.M Kelley:2014) This idea is denoted in Feeling Myself, Beyonce is rapidly moving towards the camera whilst its moving away from her. Her dancing is confident and sexual whilst she is walking in the middle of an empty roadway. Her direct mode of address is indicated with an intimidating look. Minaj performs the same as Beyoncé, however in a different setting located outside. This represents the black artists as daunting and powerful whilst still behaving in a sexual manner. Alvarado’s theory also applies to this as the sexual direct mode of address by the artists could fall into the category of ‘exotic. Richard Dyer wrote that ‘`Lippmann’s notion of stereotypes a short cut points to the manner in which stereotypes are very simple, striking, easily-grasped from of representation’ (Dyer:1993:p12).A stereotypical depiction is presented in a panning medium shot where Pitbull is surrounded by Latino women who are dressed in golden bikinis, dancing sexually. This representation stereotypically depicts Latino men having higher power then Latino women. However, Lopez dances in isolation more than she does with men surrounded by her which subverts the representation of gender statuses in Latino culture because the isolated camera shots of her suggest she is independent.
Overall, the objectification of women from different ethnicities is usually done to stereotype them according to how general media represents them. However, women from different ethnicities are also represented in an ethnocentric light and may feel superior because of their unique features. Iqbal stated “Black Women’s arse is considered too sexual and crude whereas the same pose by white models is friendly’ (Iqbal:2015.) This view suggests that most white, Latino and black women are all sexualised in music video, however the perception of viewers and exaggerated media is what causes artists from different ethnicities to be objectified and stereotyped in music videos.
BIBLIOGRPAHY
1. Karina Wilson, 2014, Representation of race, ethnicity and colour, http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=race
2. Antonia Reyes, 2012, Portrayals of men and women in Latin music, Florida State University publishing London.
3. Laura Mulvey, 1989, Visual and other pleasure, Palgrave Macmillan London
4. Richard Dyer, 1998 , Stars, BFI Publishing London
5. Tim O’Sullivan , 1994, Gender and ideology in ‘The Media’ – Hodder Headline PLC London
6. Blair L.M Kelley, 2014, Here’s some history behind that ‘angry black woman’ riff, The Root http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/the_angry_black_woman_stereotype_s_long_history.html
7. Richard Dyer, 1993, The matter of images: essays on representation, New Fetter Lane London
8. Bonnie J. Dow, 2006, The Sage Handbook of Gender and Communication, Sage Publications London
9. Lindsay Kite, 2011, Beauty Whitewashed: How white ideals exclude women of colour, Beauty Redefined http://www.beautyredefined.net/beauty-whitewashed-how-white-ideals-exclude-women-of-color/
10. Julia T. Wood, 2006, Gendered Media: The influence of media on views of Gender, Department of communication North Carolina
11. Nosheen Iqbal The Guardian, July 2015, Nicki Minaj debate is bigger than Swift’s ego, http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/22/nicki-minaj-debate-bigger-than-taylor-swifts-ego
12. Dianne Railton, 2011, Music Videos and the politics of representation, Edinburgh university press LTD
13. ABC NEWS, 2014, Nicki Minaj opens up about why her videos are so racy, https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQtwIwAGoVChMI3vf9uPuyyAIVi2waCh0pewE2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DObfl6XOBQPE&usg=AFQjCNHzeD9m2n4zqWkW8dG3KzUkSv1QXw&sig2=WB6EeaLs6PcHVRn-N2i1dA
Credit to Rujbina for the excellent research investigation
- Include sub headings to break up the paragraph structure
- Include more academic sources: push for 15 in your bibliography
- If you have not included any pictures, now is a great time to include some
- Proof read your essay, out loud, preferably in front of an audience
Finally, here is an exemplar, certified A grade response from a recent Long Road graduate. While this may not be the same area of research you are looking at, the essay structure is excellent and should help you to fine tune your own.
The representation of women from different ethnicities in mainstream music videos such as: Feeling Myself by Nicki Minaj and Beyonce, Pretty Girls by Iggy Azalea and Britney Spears and On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez.
The essay will be discussing how women from different ethnicities are represented in mainstream music videos. The focal texts include, On the floor by Jennifer Lopez, Feeling Myself by Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj and Pretty girls by Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea. The argument explored in this essay is that ‘representation of race in the media can consist of the same sort of rigid stereotypes that constitute gender portrayal’ (Wilson:2014). This suggests mainstream media has crucially selected certain representations of features associated with women from different ethnic groups. These videos involve the ethnicities; Latino, black and white, this diversity has allowed the exploration of different types of ethnicities. One theory I will focus on in particular is Mulvey’s male gaze as sexual objectification of women from different races will be discussed. However, the argument that women from different ethnicities are empowered to represent themselves proudly will also be discussed.
One topic involved in music videos associated with women, is sexual objectification. The extremity of objectification is varied in terms of what ethnicity a woman is in videos. Reyes mentioned the ‘idea of latin women as objects is stressed with reducing women to their physical attributes’ (Reyes:2012:p10). This statement can be supported in Jennifer Lopez’s music video, ‘On the floor’ as certain features are accentuated. In one shot, she is wearing her gold and tightly fitted dress, revealing her curves. A medium long shot of her in an empty room with low key lighting dancing is shown in the music video. This shot represents her as being alone in a room with perhaps a heterosexual audience. Mulvey’s theory about the male gaze conforms to this shot as she claims ‘ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking is split between active/male and passive/female’(Mulvey:1989). Her theory assumes females in the media have their sexual features exposed in order to attract a male audience. This representation shown by Jennifer Lopez suggests Latino women are recognized for their unique curves therefore it is displayed in music videos to attract audiences.
The music video to Feeling Myself by Nicki Minaj’s and Beyoncé’s explicitly represents sexual objectification in certain shots. J. Dow writes that black women are ‘presented with large breasts and round buttocks in (music) videos’ (J.Dow:2006:p301). This view can be encouraged in the Feeling Myself video. In a medium close up shot, Nicki Minaj is presented wearing a tight bright pink crop top which reveals her cleavage whilst her hair is down in curls. Nicki is dancing sexually and aggressively. In another medium shot Nicki is bending down against a bathroom sink whilst her bottom is explicitly thrusting out whilst she dances. These shots support the idea that black women are presented with ‘large breasts’ and ‘round buttocks’ in music videos. Levey’s theory about the ‘female chauvinist pigs’ represented can be applied to this video as it denotes black woman being highly sexualised as they overtly perform with their sexual physical attributes. There are also several fast cut shots between Beyonce and Minaj dressed in revealing costumes e.g both artists wear swimsuit outfits which emphasise their curves and thighs representing them as exotic.
Kite claims ‘media representations of these (black) women have become increasingly “whitewashed” over time, with lighter-colored, hair, coloured contacts and a shrinking figure’ (Kite:2011) This has been connoted in Feeling Myself. Beyonce’s hair is long and blonde and Nicki Minaj wears false blue contacts which are traditional characteristics of westernised women. This representation of black women portrays them as westernised which conform to Alvarez’s theory about women from different ethnicities physically escaping from their ethnic features. This indicated women from different ethnicities attempt to be more westernized because western beauty is considered a hegemonic ideal and perhaps causes them to sell more records. However a ’shrinking figure’ is not evident in the video as their large physical attributes are included in the video to demonstrate to audiences their distinctive qualities associated with their race.
In Pretty Girls by Iggy Azalea and Britney Spears, white women are objectified in some shots. T Wood stated that “the majority of white women (in the media are represented as) very thin, passive and primarily concerned with relationships’ (T.wood:2006:p7). Her view is supported in a medium shot of the two artists, ecstatically dancing whilst traditionally masculine men are dancing around them. Azalea and Spears are wearing crop tops which reveal their thin figure, presented in bright day light. This shot encourages the idea of white women being depicted as ‘thin’ and the men around them suggests they are ‘concerned with relationships’. The men that are gazing down at the artists whilst they are in provocative costume represents them as having a lower status which portrays them as ‘passive’.
A second topic that is represented in music videos is ethnocentrism. I interviewed four females aged 16 to 18. When asked about how they think Latino women are represented in the media, they focused on the emphasis on Latino bodies. However, a 17 year old stated ‘Latino women are usually represented as powerful, such as in films’ and some of the girls also mentioned how women from different ethnicities are usually differentiated from white people because of their features. In Lopez’s On the floor, a long shot is presented of her sitting above the disco floor on a black sofa. Her body position is elongated and sophisticated, she is wearing a golden dress and her hair is in a bun. This represents her has having a higher status and being in control. The long shot also allowed the audiences to see that most of the clubbers below her were white. This suggests that Lopez is representing Latinos in an ethnocentric which gives her ethnicity a higher status. Jennifer Lopez is also presented standing on top of a stage whilst surrounded by dancers below her. Her costume is black and she is wearing a crop top whilst dancing sexually. The lighting is subjectively shone on her, which represents her significant status. This connotes her Latino ethnicity as powerful as she is confidently the dominant dancer in the shot.
In Minaj’s and Beyonce’s ‘feeling myself’, ethnocentrism is strongly depicted through their performance. Railton claims that ‘black women are reinforced as independent who are in control of their lives and bodies’ (Railton:2011:p19). An extreme low angle shot of Beyonce and Nicki is presented whilst they are staring down at the camera and zooming in and out of the camera whilst dancing. This signifies them as being more dominant and ‘in control’. A medium shot of them in a garage with low key lighting is denoted whilst both artists stand in the middle and dance confidently. Their costume is more casual and black. Their isolation and confidence in one room connotes them as being ‘independent’ and their outfit represents hegemony over the room as lighting is subjectively being shone on them. This portrays the race of black women as superior. Nicki Minaj said in one her interviews that she expresses herself sexually to ‘reinstate something’ because ‘in hip hop men are glorifying the less curvy body’ (ABCnews:2014). The music video to Feeling Myself primarily involves black women with curvy bodies, e.g the extremely low angle shot had black women wearing tight outfits that highlighted their curves. Minaj’s intention was to perhaps illustrate the unique bodies of black women in a positive and proud light. This can be applied to Dyer’s star theory, he assumes “stars are seen as owing their existence solely to the machinery of production”, (Dyer:1998:p13). Minaj has probably been constructed to present her curves in order to reinstate a curvy black body as being a figure her black female fans should be proud of.
Stereotypical representation of races is depicted in mainstream music videos. O’Sullivan claims most white blonde females in the media are represented as ‘childlike, seductive and inappropriate’ (O’Sullivan:1994:130). In Pretty Girls a medium close up shot of Azalea, Spears and other young white girls, is presented. They are shown on top of a red car, twirling their blonde hair whilst speaking in an exaggerated and feminine tone. This is a typical denotation of a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ and therefore supports O’Sullivian’s view. However Iggy Azalea is introduced as an alien in the beginning of the video with flashing eyes. Her tone is sarcastically exaggerated in an American accent (although she is Australian). This was perhaps done to satirically indicate the stereotypical dumb blondes that are generally shown in the media. This represents white women as being aware of their stereotype in music videos and Azalea’s satirical demonstration subverts this stereotype.
One of the questions asked in my questionnaire about ethnicity was what ethnicity is usually more stereotyped in music videos. 70% chose black, and 20% chose Latino. Stereotypical representation of Latino and Black women has been portrayed in the music videos, Feeling Myself and On The Floor. L.M Kelley states, “The pernicious nature of the “angry black woman” trope isn’t marginal to American culture—it’s central.”(L.M Kelley:2014) This idea is denoted in Feeling Myself, Beyonce is rapidly moving towards the camera whilst its moving away from her. Her dancing is confident and sexual whilst she is walking in the middle of an empty roadway. Her direct mode of address is indicated with an intimidating look. Minaj performs the same as Beyoncé, however in a different setting located outside. This represents the black artists as daunting and powerful whilst still behaving in a sexual manner. Alvarado’s theory also applies to this as the sexual direct mode of address by the artists could fall into the category of ‘exotic. Richard Dyer wrote that ‘`Lippmann’s notion of stereotypes a short cut points to the manner in which stereotypes are very simple, striking, easily-grasped from of representation’ (Dyer:1993:p12).A stereotypical depiction is presented in a panning medium shot where Pitbull is surrounded by Latino women who are dressed in golden bikinis, dancing sexually. This representation stereotypically depicts Latino men having higher power then Latino women. However, Lopez dances in isolation more than she does with men surrounded by her which subverts the representation of gender statuses in Latino culture because the isolated camera shots of her suggest she is independent.
Overall, the objectification of women from different ethnicities is usually done to stereotype them according to how general media represents them. However, women from different ethnicities are also represented in an ethnocentric light and may feel superior because of their unique features. Iqbal stated “Black Women’s arse is considered too sexual and crude whereas the same pose by white models is friendly’ (Iqbal:2015.) This view suggests that most white, Latino and black women are all sexualised in music video, however the perception of viewers and exaggerated media is what causes artists from different ethnicities to be objectified and stereotyped in music videos.
BIBLIOGRPAHY
1. Karina Wilson, 2014, Representation of race, ethnicity and colour, http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=race
2. Antonia Reyes, 2012, Portrayals of men and women in Latin music, Florida State University publishing London.
3. Laura Mulvey, 1989, Visual and other pleasure, Palgrave Macmillan London
4. Richard Dyer, 1998 , Stars, BFI Publishing London
5. Tim O’Sullivan , 1994, Gender and ideology in ‘The Media’ – Hodder Headline PLC London
6. Blair L.M Kelley, 2014, Here’s some history behind that ‘angry black woman’ riff, The Root http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/09/the_angry_black_woman_stereotype_s_long_history.html
7. Richard Dyer, 1993, The matter of images: essays on representation, New Fetter Lane London
8. Bonnie J. Dow, 2006, The Sage Handbook of Gender and Communication, Sage Publications London
9. Lindsay Kite, 2011, Beauty Whitewashed: How white ideals exclude women of colour, Beauty Redefined http://www.beautyredefined.net/beauty-whitewashed-how-white-ideals-exclude-women-of-color/
10. Julia T. Wood, 2006, Gendered Media: The influence of media on views of Gender, Department of communication North Carolina
11. Nosheen Iqbal The Guardian, July 2015, Nicki Minaj debate is bigger than Swift’s ego, http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/22/nicki-minaj-debate-bigger-than-taylor-swifts-ego
12. Dianne Railton, 2011, Music Videos and the politics of representation, Edinburgh university press LTD
13. ABC NEWS, 2014, Nicki Minaj opens up about why her videos are so racy, https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQtwIwAGoVChMI3vf9uPuyyAIVi2waCh0pewE2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DObfl6XOBQPE&usg=AFQjCNHzeD9m2n4zqWkW8dG3KzUkSv1QXw&sig2=WB6EeaLs6PcHVRn-N2i1dA
Credit to Rujbina for the excellent research investigation
Monday, 12 September 2016
Welcome to Long Road!
A belated welcome to all first year A Level Media Studies. You're going to be bombarded with information over the next few weeks, so we'll keep this brief.
This blog serves as a collection of articles, links, revision aids and resources. The best place to start is the label grid above. Your first lesson is on genre, so try clicking that label for starters. If you just want to see posts for the AS year, click the AS label.
Check out the links box to the right. The best place to start would be examples of last year's AS coursework. Watch a few. What did you think? Could you do better?
Perhaps the most important post, for first years especially is the toolkit for textual analysis. Your teacher will have given you a copy of this, but you'll probably find it useful to have an online copy.
Finally, here's a simple overview of the year ahead. Just keep in mind dates and topics are subject to change.
This blog serves as a collection of articles, links, revision aids and resources. The best place to start is the label grid above. Your first lesson is on genre, so try clicking that label for starters. If you just want to see posts for the AS year, click the AS label.
Check out the links box to the right. The best place to start would be examples of last year's AS coursework. Watch a few. What did you think? Could you do better?
Perhaps the most important post, for first years especially is the toolkit for textual analysis. Your teacher will have given you a copy of this, but you'll probably find it useful to have an online copy.
Finally, here's a simple overview of the year ahead. Just keep in mind dates and topics are subject to change.
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| Click image to see full size |
Tuesday, 6 September 2016
Welcome back year two!
From the whole of the Media team at Long Road, we'd like to emphasise how proud we are of your results and the amount of hard work you put in to your revision. If you didn't quite get the grade you were hoping for, now is the time to talk to your teacher and to make sure you know how to address this.
The second year of your course is more challenging, but more rewarding. You will finish your research investigation before starting to consider the music industry and how important music videos are for artists both major and independent. You will then move on to creating your own music video with the technical skills and industry knowledge you have picked up.
After the Christmas holiday, you will return to prepare for the end of year exam. Unlike AS, where anything can come up, the questions in A2 are far more specific. You will study three films, three television programmes and three musical artists in significant detail, all of which you will be expected to write about in the final exam.
It's going to be tough, but this is the opportunity to really demonstrate both your technical and analytical skills. AS covered the basics, and now your teacher will push you to reach your potential. Through hard work, asking questions and rigorous wider reading, by the end of this year you will be in a perfect opportunity to pursue higher education or taking the next step to a career in the creative arts.
Below you can find an at-a-glance plan for the whole second year of Media Studies. Just remember, all dates are subject to change, but this should give you a fairly good idea of what's coming up when.
The second year of your course is more challenging, but more rewarding. You will finish your research investigation before starting to consider the music industry and how important music videos are for artists both major and independent. You will then move on to creating your own music video with the technical skills and industry knowledge you have picked up.
After the Christmas holiday, you will return to prepare for the end of year exam. Unlike AS, where anything can come up, the questions in A2 are far more specific. You will study three films, three television programmes and three musical artists in significant detail, all of which you will be expected to write about in the final exam.
It's going to be tough, but this is the opportunity to really demonstrate both your technical and analytical skills. AS covered the basics, and now your teacher will push you to reach your potential. Through hard work, asking questions and rigorous wider reading, by the end of this year you will be in a perfect opportunity to pursue higher education or taking the next step to a career in the creative arts.
Below you can find an at-a-glance plan for the whole second year of Media Studies. Just remember, all dates are subject to change, but this should give you a fairly good idea of what's coming up when.
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| Click the image to see full size |
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