1. Compare the ideologies conveyed through the poster for The Secrets of Dumbledore and the poster for Kiss Of The Vampire you have studied
consider how representations convey ideologies
consider the similarities and differences in the ideologies conveyed
make judgements and draw conclusions about how far social and cultural contexts affect the representations. [30]
Point - One way in which the KOTV poster conveys ideologies is through the highly sexist representations of women.
Evidence
- Hegemonically attractive women not representative of all women
- MES of the model's breasts are an example of sexualisation
- Classic example of the male gaze, presented as a sexual object for heterosexual men
- MES of the skin-tight and revealing by 1960s standards dresses
Analysis
Through the combination of media language, a sexist ideology is conveyed by the producer. This is because these kinds of representations were typical in the 1960s, and it was more conventional for women to be more sexualised than men. These conventional and sexualised representations were included by the producers in the hopes of attracting a larger share of the target audience. Additionally, by reinforcing patriarchal hegemonic values, it guarantees that the producers are able to consistently construct a target audience who agree with their values
Point - On the other hand, the ideologies conveyed in Secrets of Dumbledore presents an atypical representation of women
Evidence
- Women constructed through MSs which emphasise their face over their bodies, and challenges the notion of the male gaze
- MES of all three of the women's body language is constructed through their assertive wand use. They all hold their wands in a casual and confident manner
- This is further anchored through their confident posture
- The smart, sophisticated costume
- and the direct mode of address
- Wands function as a proairetic code, that suggests that these women are about to go in to battle
Analysis
The women in this film have an active role in the action, This is partially because SOD targets a completely different audience, and a wider target audience to KOTV. Additionally, SOD is conventional in the way it coveys women in the poster as it is typical of modern society and changing hegemonic norms. By appealing to the largest audience possible, the producers guarantee their financial success
Point - Another ideology conveyed by the KOTV poster is how the producer does not include any representations of ethnic minorities, which opens accusations of racism and postcolonialism
Evidence
- Every actor selected by the producer is white, and with either brown or blonde hair
- A binary opposition is constructed through the representation of white people and the lack of representation of black people
- A hierarchy is made between the aggressive brunette and the vulnerable blonde, which reinforces stereotypical ideologies
- Foreign setting is reinforced through the bleak, barren landscape, reinforces that foreign countries unusual, different and threatening. This reinforces the ideology that Britain is normal
- Eastern Europe is othered through it's bleak and depressing representation
Analysis
The producers have made the assumption that the white British target audience will only be interested in seeing the representation of white, western European actors. The complete lack representation of black people reinforces a patriotic and even racist British outlook in the audience. It establishes a postcolonial ideology where Britain is superior
Point - However, the poster to SOD conveys a different and more diverse ideology
Evidence and analysis
This is encoded through the MES of two black actors, who are dressed in an identical style to the white actors, which helps to reinforces a diverse ideology This diversity is further anchored through the inclusion of one non-white man and one non-white woman, which again is an inclusive representation of both ethnicity and gender. The inclusion of an ethnically diverse cast can help the film target a more wide and ethnically diverse audience. However, due to the composition of the poster, both the non-white actors are positioned lower on the hierarchy compared to the white actors. Additionally, there are significantly more white actors than non-white actors, which reinforces white postcolonial ideologies. While the producers of this film are not racist, by sticking to genre conventions, they reinforce postcolonial ideologies and hierarchies that exist between black people and white people. This is purely motivated by profit and power.
Point - another ideology conveyed by the producers of KOTV is related to genre conventions. By using tried and tested genre conventions, the producers are clearly motivated by power and profit
Evidence and analysis
Horror conventions including blood, gore, lust, violence, foreign countries, sexuality, MES of low key lighting, bats, create a conventional and even boring mode of address for the target audience. Simple and straightforward to make the most money possible
Point - Dumbledore also uses a completely straightforward presentation of genre in order to appeal to mass audience
Evidence and analysis
Wands, castles, fire, gold lighting, animals, fantasy font, lexis of 'magic' again appeal to the audience through their familiarity. Once more, the producers of SOD use a simple and straightforward ideology to appeal to the largest audience possible