Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following

Representation of gender

In this extract, there is a power struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist, Luther and Ian. As they are both men, there is a struggle between the most dominant one. At the start of the extract, sad strings are played; this can signify a tragedy so it makes the audience think that one of them may die and therefore building up tension. Ian taunts Luther by telling Luther that he slept with Luther’s wife; this can link to some stereotypes that men tease each other by telling each other that they have slept with women close to them, for instance, mums, sisters, partners, etc. For Ian to say this can be deemed as childish, and therefore shows him as being weak but for Luther to react to this can also show that they are as weak as each other.

The soundtrack is added to when drums start to kick in and it builds up tension, this can show that Luther is reacting to what Ian is saying and he is about to snap. The fact that the antagonist is playing on the protagonists emotions can connotative with how men will ‘tease’ each other until the other snaps. Again, this can be seen as childish behaviour and puts the audience on Luther’s side. When Alice first arrives onto the scene, there is a slow, tragic score which can signify that Alice is there to cause a tragedy. Due to the fact that Alice is carrying a gun evermore signifies how she is going to cause a tragedy and possibly shoot someone, this is a countertype for women as they are not often seen with guns and they are stereotypically a bystander to the action and tragedy. This makes Alice seem dangerous and deviant.

At the start of the extract, Ian is crying to Luther. This is a countertype for men as men can be deemed as being not manly if they cry so for Ian to start crying to Luther can get the audience’s attention because they would not expect a man to cry. It also shows that Ian is being serious and that he is weak. The colours are generally bland in this extract which makes the character’s colours in their outfits stand out. Alice wears masculine colours with a deep blue scarf and a hat the same colour, making her even more deviant. She has immaculate makeup on which makes her seem upper class. Alice is also holding a shotgun in her hand, it is rested easily on her shoulder and then drops and places it in her hand, she is calm and natural. This makes her seem evil because there is no sign of nervousness; this is a countertype for women because do not normally hold guns. In drama, women are regularly a bystander to the action and they are normally the ones being rescued, Alice goes against this stereotype by shooting Ian without hesitation when Mark tells her to shoot Ian. Although Mark tells her to do it, she seems still in control and Mark is almost crying when he tells her. Alice wears smart but masculine colours and is wielding a sawn off shotgun, she goes against the stereotypes of women in drama but at the same time she is attractive and has perfect makeup, this shows that there is still an element of stereotype in a Luther.

In the fight scene between Luther and Ian where Ian is kicking Luther on the floor, shots are focused on Luther and are steady, in the middle of the frame shots. Ian’s shots are shaky, struggling to focus and he is not in the middle of the frame most of the time. This can signify that Luther is strong and stable and that Ian is may be unstable and crazy.

Star wars: The Force Awakens tie-ins

1  Who were the co-founders of DNA Films?
Dunclan Kenworthy
Andrew Macdonald

2  When was the company founded?

DNA Films was founded in 1983 and still carries on to the present day.

3  Where is DNA based?

London, UK.

4  How many films have DNA Films produced?

24 films including Ex-Machina.

5  What awards have DNA Films won?

They have won over 36 awards with over 24 nominations from various award ceremonies, including an Oscar, a BAFTA, Golden Globes and European Films Award. 

6  How many full time staff does DNA Films employ?

This number could be anything from 20-50 people.

7  What is DNA Film's philosophy?

8  List 5 box-office hits that DNA Films have made.

Love Actually, The Last King of Scotland, Ex_Machina, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later

9  List 5 flops that DNA Films has made.

Amelia, Never Let Me Go, Dredd, Sunshine and Beautiful Creatures.

10           What is Danny Boyle's relationship with DNA Films?

Danny boyle was a screenwriter for 8 days later, transporting  and sunshine. These are from DNA Films production

11           List 3 famous directors that DNA Films have worked?

Pete Travis, Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle

12           List 5 famous actors who have starred in films made by DNA Films ?

 Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Kiera Knightley

13           What has been DNA Films highest grossing film?

14           What Hollywood studios have DNA Films worked with?

DNA have not worked with a Hollywood studio. The most popular film studio that they have worked with is Lionsgate. 

15           List two of DNA Films big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.

Dredd and Notes On A Scandal are the two highest budgets. Dredd being, $45 million and Notes On A Scandal being, $27 million

16           What film is DNA Films most famous for?

17           What other genres do DNA Films films like to make?

18           Who have DNA Films entered into a partnership with for DNA TV Limited?

19           What information can you find out about DNA Films through their web page?

Find out one other interesting fact about DNA Films that you would like to share with the class.

 DNA Films produced?

1. What awards have DNA Films won?
2. How many full time staff does DNA Films employ?
3. What is DNA Film's philosophy?
4. List 5 box-office hits that DNA Films have made.
5. List 5 flops that DNA Films has made.
6. What is Danny Boyle's relationship with DNA Films?
7. List 3 famous directors that DNA Films have worked?
8. List 5 famous actors who have starred in films made by DNA Films ?
9. What has been DNA Films highest grossing film?
10. What Hollywood studios have DNA Films worked with?
11. List two of DNA Films big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.
12. What film is DNA Films most famous for?
13. What other genres do DNA Films films like to make?
14. Who have DNA Films entered into a partnership with for DNA TV Limited?
15. What information can you find out about DNA Films through their web page?
16. Find out one other interesting fact about DNA Films that you would like to share with the class.

I will be talking about the representation of disabled people in the British tv show, casualty. I will be watching a 6 minute extract from this TV programme and looking at how camerawork, miss en scene, editing and sound.

There is a shot in the toilet where you can see both of the characters through the mirror. This is a good technique because it can show both the character's expressions without having a shot from the sides of their head. It also doesn't show the wheelchair so it makes the viewer concentrate on the conversation. The camera shots clearly show him in a wheelchair and almost focus on it in some shots. The director may have done this to remind the viewer that the character is in the wheelchair because when it shows the two of them speaking, it disconnects him from the wheelchair and makes it seem as though he isn't disabled because he isn't speaking impaired and you can't see it from his face.

The fact that the person in the wheelchair has to urinate through a tube suggests that he can't do stuff for himself, this is a stereotype for disabled people because some people may believe that disabled people have to have a helper for everything that they do.

1. The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

There are a handful of issues raised by the media for example you have to make sure that the whole production is organised from start to finish, otherwise this can then create a film that is rushed and doesn’t make sense. British companies usually have a bad name as they are unorganised companies, especially compared to the US. The reason why British companies usually aren’t as professional is because there are lots more small independent producers. The US have more heavily invested big companies for example warner brothers. These British companies are a lot less invested in to than the American ones. Therefore, the movies can sometimes lack the stars, special effects and advertisement/ hype. Although saying this ex_machina defiantly didn’t lack special effects or stars as they had Alicia Vikander star in the movie. Ex_macina is an example of a good British film, even though it doesn’t have a big budget as they only had $15 million, they have managed to pull it off. Another issue is that in the past there have been more bad English films compared to the American films that have made it over, this then makes some people want to avoid the British films. Because of this the movies in the UK are about 85% to 90% are US films. This is down to the fact that the US have a better advantage than the UK films with their experience and budgets. 

2. The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing; 

Synergy is an important aspect because its two media companies collaborating for the purpose of generating profit. This is important in production because when two media conglomerates come together and they are very well known it will make the audience want to watch the film more because it’s done by two media conglomerates and will therefore be successful. However, because Ex_Machina was produced by two smaller conglomerates, it seemed a different picture. It’s clear, that without the help of one another they would certainly not have been successful, as a film like ex machine needs thousands of ideas thrown at it as they were trying to be something different. And therefore by having two companies work on the film, it allowed them to proceed and come up with many ideas. Another reason it was important is because they were so low on their budget and therefore because they had the help of each other they were able to maximise the overall outcome of Ava, set the film in a stunning landscape and create amazing visual effects. Cross media convergence is where a media product is promoted across other media platforms. Ex Machina used cross media convergence a lot when marketing, in a way where it was on lots of TV advert intervals, and cropped up a lot on the side of websites online. However, this is what is expected for a film company to do now. Therefore, Ex Machina stepped it up a level and decided to market their film in yet another way by the use of Tinder... The way they did this was by creating lots of “Robot” accounts named Ava. Once in a conversation with another individual, the “Robot” would explain the storyline in a very sneaky way, and eventually explain who they are and what the film is about. This gained lots of publicity over social media and helped the film generate lots of fans.

3.  The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution and marketing

This is used for the audiences to interact with the films through using digital technology to put extracts on YouTube and then to overlay new sound tracks on to them. Film studios can make films using CGI, green screens and other special effects, which have only recently been able to complete due to the technology we now have compared to a few years ago. The methods of filming and editing have changed recently with the introduction of film cameras and digital cameras, editing software, laptops and digital projectors. Distributors use the latest software for designing high-concept film posters and trailers. Now with the mass use of phones they can heavily advertise using social medias and other pop up ads, for example they can do this using phone apps and online marketing also use Facebook. Although film companies spend so much on the productions on films, they have issues with file sharing and piracy. These are issues which are growing within our society as it is easy to get away with it and also easy to download and watch. lots of people would rather stay at home and illegally download a film instead of going out and paying to watch it.  A way in which film companies are trying to avoid piracy and file sharing is through releasing the films soon after theatrical release by selling them on video on demand, premium TV channels and downloads. The US and UK cinemas chains aren’t happy about this issue, especially as the cinema companies have invested a lot of money in to projectors and digital equipment. With people file sharing and piracy, the cinema companies aren’t able to make their money either to make their money back on the equipment which was invested in to the equipment and also, unfortunately, goes out of date fairly quickly. 

4. The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences

The significance of proliferation of hardware in the film industry means there are more equipment for producers to use, for example in the filming aspect, there are thousands of cameras to use and many ways to film, like using a film camera or a digital one. However, as the new technologies are cheaper to buy and are meant to be better quality it means film companies can spend more money on better editing software and marketing, etc. In the film Ex_Machina the filming was done on a digital camera, instead of film, the producer may have done this because it was cheaper and they were on a smaller budget compared to some of the block buster movies. But that didn't affect the outcome for the audience as it still won awards for Best visual effects. The proliferation of hardware in media has meant that audiences in the film industry have been able to create their own home movies on a much smaller budget, by using digital cameras and editing software like adobe. Then the movie can be uploaded to the internet for the audiences. 

5. The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences

Technological convergence is the joining of two or more media companies or technologies to form a new object. Within Ex_Machina, the technological convergence would be that the robots are made to be human-like with consciousness but are also able to do things better than humans making them, eventually, the next evolution stronger and better than humans. The technological convergence for institutions and audiences has allowed to improve the quality and complexity of films using new techniques. It also makes it easier to make and access such as DVD’s, cinema and downloadable versions. Recently, films aren’t being made how they used to be made with big cameras and film reels and are now using digital versions of recording which is considerably cheaper because a traditional camera would cost around £50,000 compared to the advanced digital ones which cost around £10,000 saving money. With them being able to save money in this section from just changing recording methods, the production companies can then use the money efficiently, spending it on different areas to make the film better such as special effects and CGI (which have improved dramatically over time) for, in this case, Ex_Machina. Despite the fact that Ex_Machina was a low-budget film, it won a Grammy award for the special effects which were used during the film which suggests that the production company spent less money on other necessities such as the actors’ abilities and not needing A-list stars and other extras such as advertisements and marketing but specifically focused on making sure that the special effects were really good, making the film known for their special effects.

6. The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically British) by international or global institutions

Ex machina was a film which had unexpected success earning academy awards, golden globes and BAFTA awards. Ex machina won an Oscar for the best achievement in visual effects and was also nominated for an Oscar in the best writing and original screenplay. There are many different issues which are raised by production companies aiming films at either local audiences or global audiences. With ex machina being a low budget film, they weren’t able to focus on the advertising and marketing department because they focused on the visual effects making the film interesting with all the special effects using special software. Because Ex machina was only released in the United Kingdom on January 21st 2015, this proves how because they had a low budget, they weren’t able to make the film for other countries or advertising it in other countries as it would cost the production company more for marketing and advertising. Although, if the production company for ex machina was to have a bigger budget, focusing it more on the advertising and marketing and releasing it in other countries, the production company would have more profit than what thy received. Also, with it only being a local based film, it may only appeal to the target audiences of the United Kingdom compared to target audiences globally. This film was good at targeting the desired audiences due to the amount of profit the production company had made. The production company had an approximate budget of $15,000,000 and made approximately $30,000,000 doubling their money.

7. The ways in which the candidates own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour

My own experience of how the media has changed is very dramatic as i have grown up in the 21st century, meaning i have been able to watch movies on Video tapes, where the screen used to flicker and now I’m able to watch movies in HD, but that has now been outdated by blue ray which almost an immaculate picture. But much before this, back in the 1970s when DVD first came out, people could only see a movie at the cinema on and they made a special trip out of it as it was such a big thing. As times have changed, we no longer have to do that, we can sit at home and watch almost any more by streaming it on our mobile phones of other devices. Due to this film has to attract its viewers again by issuing deals for example orange Wednesdays and student Thursdays. Now media companies are buying rights to show films on their television channels for example Netflix and sky movies. All of this takes away people visiting cinemas and can place them in the same cinema situations at home.

Ex - Machina film review

This is a sci-fi film from 2015, it was written by Alex Garland and it was also superbly directed by Garland too. Produced by DNA films and Films 4 it makes an amazing low budget British film. It has Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander; their acting is exceptional, especially Oscar Isaac's character (Nathan) who is an alpha male alcoholic whose character is compelling and truly pulls you towards the story. Domhnall Gleeson plays 'Caleb', a computer genius whose curiosity gets the better of him when he falls in love with an AI Nathan created, the relationship between the AI and Caleb is gripping because you truly feel the connection between the two and at the end it turns out she has no feelings towards him, this compels the viewer because they then realise that Caleb was lied to this entire time. The AI that Nathan created (Ava) who is played by Alicia Vikander is fascinating because the visual effects on her robot skin is so realistic but her feelings are so real that you ignore the fact that she is a machine and you start to think that it is just two humans talking when her and Caleb speak.

The soundtrack for Ex-Machina is exceptional because all the songs follow a similar sound but they are also different in a subtle way and this makes the film follow a certain 'theme' due to the soundtrack adding atmosphere to the film. Even though this film is a sci-fi it doesn't follow the typical sci-fi because they're is a grassy landscape with a high-tech laboratory inside the rocks. The scenery really makes this film as the contrast between nature and smooth architecture adds the the beautiful cinematography. However, the film's general content isn't a lot to go on as there is just 2 people in the middle of nowhere (three if you want to count Ava) so as you can imagine, it's hard to create very much content from this; although the fact that it is such a short film makes up for this.

This film raises a few moral questions which makes for a good watch. For instance, is it right to keep an AI locked up in a room if they have true feelings? Is it right to Make an AI in the first place if we don't know what they're capable of? Or is it right to build robots to serve as your 'slave'? These questions get the viewer to think and therefore making this an exceptional film as you don’t just 'watch' it.

Caleb is rather gullible as well as clever because he gives into Ava but at the same time he is an exceptional hacker. As Domhnall Gleeson is playing a character who is gullible and clever, which would be quite hard to do but Domhnall does this superbly. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who likes dystopian fiction or a good thriller and anyone who loves an unexpected ending.

Inbetweeners

In the inbetweeners extract, Will throws a frisbee at a disabled girl. The girl is represented as a vulnerable person because she starts crying and cowering away from Will; because he girl can rely on herself, this is represented because she has a carer to look after her. The fact that she starts crying shows the audience that she cannot look after herself and the fact that she doesn't speak amplifies this even more. Another stereotype in the inbetweeners would be when they go to thorpe park and 2 disabled people go in front of them in the queue and Will starts being angry at them without realising they are disabled. This shows that Will can be obnoxious

Little Britain