Gender representation

PART TWELVE

 HOW IS GENDER REPRESENTED IN PRIMEVAL?

I am going to analyze an extract of primeval. At the start of the extract in the first scene, there is a MIDSHOT, this shows that the two characters are having a discussion. The  camera then tracks the woman as she walks away from the man, showing independence and strength of character (often a masculine trait).                                                                 In the second scene, the forest, the colours are bright and green/natural colours are used. The camera pans left focusing on Abby in a digger, it is a WIDESHOT. Abby is wearing a black cargo outfit, this represents her masculinity. The shot then cuts to a CLOSE UP of the scientist's (male) face. This conveys his feelings of fear more clearly, showing his femininity. He is wearing a shirt and trousers. Although his outfit is not particularly masculine or feminine, he has mud on his clothes. This is what sets him apart from Abby, (her clothes are clean). This extract plays with issues of gender, for example, the representation of Abby doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a woman. We see a MIDSHOT of the scientist when he is side on, he is represented as the bate for the sabre tooth tiger. It is unusual because usually, the woman would be the bate and the man would be the saviour. However, it cuts to Abby the female driver of the digger who is attacking the sabre tooth tiger and protecting the scientist as he makes an escape. Violin strings play which creates tension. This NON DIEGETIC music sets the scene. It is ASYNCHRONOUS. There are also SYNCHRONOUS sounds which mirror Abby's actions. It shows her aggression and intention. This makes her more dominant and in power than the scientist. There are then NON DIEGETIC but SYNCHRONOUS drum beats that represent the scientists beating heart. Abby is very much included and accepted as able to carry out a 'typical man's job'. There is a large sense of equality within this extract as it is unusual for a woman to be given this much responsibility as a man.

   In the third scene, we see a WIDESHOT showing 3 men and a woman walking towards the camera. Two of them are very masculine, one of them is gay and more feminine, and one of them is Abby, the masculine woman. This plays with inequality and masculinity issues, as the screen time for Abby and the gay man is the same as the other two men. She is also shares the same frame as them. This shot symbolizes their unity as a team. The idea that the gay man is more feminine than Abby completely goes against all the gender stereotypes. The next clip shows a WIDESHOT of a woman. It is also a LOW ANGLE shot, showing that she is dominating at this time. There is a farmer who is being accused of something by this woman. She wears smart clothes and stands tall. We then see a CLOSE UP shot of this businesswoman. She is wearing lots of make up. This is a typical stereotype of woman. As If they are only there to look good. We can see this is not true when she threatens the farmer, who is dressed in muddy hunting clothes. This is a stereotype of a farmer. The businesswoman dominates the dialogue, showing her intelligence and power over the situation. This goes against typical stereotypes of females too. The shot cuts to a LONG SHOT of the farmer picking up a gun. This shot is from a LOWer ANGLE than before. Showing the exchange between the man and the woman and the change in aggressor. The next shot focuses on a CLOSE UP of the businesswomans face, allowing us to see her fear and vulnerability (another trait stereotyped as belonging to women). She falls down into the hay as he holds her at gunpoint. The prop used, a gun, is a very masculine object and because the shot of the woman laying in the hay is from a HIGH ANGLE, we can see that the farmer dominates this sequence now and that the businesswoman is being threatened by him. 

Prelim task - shooting

PART ELEVEN

Editing Terminology

•Basic transitions – cut, fade, dissolve, wipe

    •Speed slow motion, fast motion, editing pace – these all effect the tempo of the scene

    


•Elliptical editing (Time) - ellipsis, flashback, montage – how the editor has condensed the story, often simplifying representations in the process

    


•Continuity/discontinuity – 180 degree rule, jump cuts, eyeline matches, shot reverse shot – create or break the illusion of a seamless reality

 


•Ordering of scenes and shots - Cross cutting, juxtaposition – can encourage audience to compare scenes and characters, perhaps interpreting them as opposites

•Information given to audience - Juxtaposition, inserted shots, reaction shots, cut-aways – these shots frame the audience’s understanding of the scene by highlighting factors not immediately

 


•Editing for perspective – screen time – positions the audience to understand a scene from one of the character’s perspective’s and sympathise with their situation. This is often used in drama to show that other character’s may be treating them harshly or unfairly (e.g. The Street).

Prelim task storyboard

PART TEN

PRELIMINARY TASK STORYBOARD

WEDNESDAY 8TH OCTOBER

Absent

PART NINE

 

I was absent during yesterday's lesson where we were filming part of the preliminary task. I have made a time for Wednesday at 2:00 to film with India, Francesca, Sasha and Loa.

 

 

What's expected for the prelim task

PART EIGHT

PRELIMINARY TASK

We have to demonstrate our knowledge of editing techniques and cameras.
The task involves us filming a short sequence of events. 

A character opens the door
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Crosses a room
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Sits in a chair opposite another character
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Exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue

This demonstrates how we match on action, film a shot/reverse shot, and the 180 degree rule.
This is a continuity task, where we cut to suggest progression of events, no fading or white outs, just cuts. We are expected to match on action, where there's a shot of the character starting an action then completing the action in the next shot. The shot/reverse shot is the editing pattern that cuts to the view in the opposite direction. (It's used more for dialogue). And the 180 degree rule, where a line is created on the floor, neither characters may cross it but the camera man can shoot from anywhere on the other side of the line.

Harry Potter sound analysis

PART SEVEN

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE (2009) OPENING SCENE

SOUND ANALYSIS

I'm going to analyze Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I have chosen to analyse the first sequence because i find the sound in this extract multilayered and polyseimic. It has many different pieces, sounds and tempos, all conoting different things. It is open to many interpretations. Sound is important because it conveys meaning. It is an invisible but powerful tool. Aural motives reinforce the character's actions. Even though it is not visual it can provoke an equally powerful response in the viewer.

 NON DIEGETIC

 As the sanity badge becomes closer and closer, the non-diegetic music is played to support the dark mood at atmosphere that is trying to be conveyed. The theme tune starts to play, however in a more eery, slower and more simplistic way, connoting how it forebodes and foreshadows the upcoming scene. The sound of string instruments contrasts with the harsh WARNER BROS. image. This makes it contrapuntal. I can denote that there's strong string music, mainly violins, playing near the beginning. It relates to the film and becomes stronger when the actions within the film become stronger, supporting what's going on in the narrative. This is called parallel sound. This string music plays over the top of visuals of Harry. It signifies that Harry is the hero and savior. At 0.24 wicked laughter can be heard over the top of the music. It's asynchronous because it has the same properties as a voice over/dialogue from a different scene. It's separate from the visuals. There are more cries and screams at 0.31, however they are asynchronous because it is dialogue from the previous Harry Potter film. I think the director has added in all of these asynchronous voice overs and dialogue that are separate from the visuals because it causes the audience to look back in hindsight and remember the final scene from the last film, in order to recall and then understand the present film. Sound triggers memories and so do the visuals so this is very cleverly directed. The contrapuntal and asynchronous screams connote anger. Classical choirs are singing at 0.44 which creates a tense and despair filled atmosphere. This denotes that Harry has lost someone important and he's mourning (he's lost Dumbledore). 

 

DIEGETIC

The use of diegetic sounds like Thunder, help us to understand the setting of the scene. For instance, at 1.20, the thunder is ambient sound and asynchronous as we cannot see it but in a previous shot, at 0.25, the thunder and weather had already been established so the viewer can from then understand what the noise is when it next replays. There are sound effects such as glass shattering, at 2.06, which is parallel sound and is synchronous because it's caused by an event that happens on screen. The sound matches the action. This helps to establish the visuals by supporting them with the noise effects. There is a sound bridge from 0.24 to 0.28 where the Sound effects oand visuals of thunder become sound effects of camera shots and the visuals of camera reflections in Harry's eye. This is a clever way of linking the weather and atmosphere with Harry's current whereabouts. It helps to establish the setting. The synchronous camera shots connotes that paparazzi are taking pictures of Harry. The frequency of the shots tells the audience that there are many photographers rather than just one.  This is followed by the supporting visuals. When the death eaters are passing through the air, there are many sound effects which can be heard as they fly past buses, traffic, and wind. This establishes that they are flying through a busy city. (Later recognized as London).

To conclude, I feel like this sequence was established the way it was in order to remind the audience of the events of the previous film. Their purpose was to use sound and visuals to convey the feelings of Harry and the general atmosphere and mood of London.