Formal feedback

Learner response to Ignite – feedback was lost. No WWW/EBI – need to go back and add this. Score out of 20 was 6. Also need a paragraph linking it to your critical investigation. This is extremely worrying.

Critical Investigation proposal – poor. There is no evidence you have put right the lack of thought and effort into your Ignite presentation. The question does not mention your media text – such a basic error. Hypothesis doesn’t exist.

Linked production – needs some thought but will work.

Not much by way of MIGRAIN research – copy in the rest of your summer project research (at least what is relevant). Make sure there is some textual analysis from the film - if not, put it in your research plan!

For SHEP – you’ve actually got some good stuff that will be valuable for the investigation. However, it is basic bullet points and you will need to expand these ideas significantly and link specifically to the text.

For issues/debates, you definitely need to add Media Effects – very relevant to this essay.

Theories disappointing – no notes linking to your ideas or text.

For the research plan, you’ve got a solid start. Copy it into your Notes and Quotes document but before doing any research do some more on the research plan.

Publish this on your blog with your next steps in this project.

• Re-write my title and add my two films i will be analysing
• Write a strong hypothesis
• Add more to my MIGRAIN points
• Expand on my SHEP points
• Add to my theories - say how they link to my issue and text

Ignite presentation - feedback

• Clearly lays out media issue and text - justifies descision to choose it to
• Serious lack of rehearsal - this would suggest you havent run through the presentation once before - major issue
• This then impacts on the pace of the presentation - too fasts and lacks depth
• Gets back to the issue well - and actually lots of good visual examples from the films
• Lack of rehearsal is a major issue and loses the whole structure/effect
• Attempt at textual analysis - sound - is good to see but lacks depth required for A2
• Some use of media terminolgy but trying yo cover too much. Good to see some media thoery, but 'less is more' - needs depth

Significance: 2

Structure: 2

Simplicity: 2

Rehearsal : 2

Total:       8

• Q+A handed well - first question tricky but later questions helpful and move debate on
• Need to consider these issues at a much greater depth - far too simplistic 'males into cars, femlaes into makeup'
• Reference to costume in Q+A raises another important point for investigation

WWW: i included basic information about my issue and film and have related it to some theorists. I also had good visual images in my presentation, which clearly showed the audience what my issue is about

EBI: My presentation was more detailed and slower as rehearsal was poor due to the transitions added. I should have also spoken more about how and why women are being represented in the media in the way are shown to audiences now. Furthermore, next time i should rehearse my presentation right at the end when the transitions were added rather than before they were added. Finally, i should have spoken about the theorists in more depth.

Critical investigation proposal

Working title

To what extent do the movies 'Fast and Furious 7' and 'Catwomen' reinforce gender representations in the media? 

How are females and males represented in the movies 'Fast and the furious 7' and 'Catwomen' and what impact does this have on audiences?

Does 'fast and furious 7' create a damaging effect about how genders are portrayed in the media on audiences? why?

To what extend does 'Fast and the Furious 7' reinforces gender stereotypes and how does this differ from Catwomen?

Angle - my opinion
What do these representations have on audiences? 
The film portrays a negative stereotype of women in the media and this has a really huge damaging effect on the audiences as it will make them think that it is the norm for women to be seen as sexual objects and that they're weaker and more vulnerable then males.

Hypothesis - 
Female representations have been reinforced in the media and audiences have created negative stereotypes and representations of women, compared to men.

The representations of males and females are psychologically damaging our minds as it creates negative stereotypes towards females and positive ones towards males.


Linked production piece
1) A story about a vulnerable girl who is kidnapped by a bunch of big males

2) A documentary on what audiences think about the representation of genders in the media

MIGRAIN

To which genre does the text belong?

Action

What is the significance of mise en scene/sets/settings (CLAMPS)?
Cars were used in the trailer to emphasise the races that were about to occur. Also, the lighting was mainly high-key lighting which allowed the audience to see everything within the trailer. Furthermore, the characters wore casual clothing to make it look like reality rather than artificial and fake. However, the female characters were only half dressed (naked) which portrayed them as sexual objects. Moreover, it was set in America and dubai in different locations, which made the audience realise their mission is huge. 

• Cars were used in the film as the main concept about the movie is about racing and winning money for it
• High-key lighting used throughout, to show audiences everything within the scenes
• Characters wore casual clothing to make it look like reality
• Females wore skimpy clothing to portray them as sex objects, which is most males see women as
• Set in America and Dubai

Who is being represented? 

• Dom - protagonist - strong fighter/racer
• Letty - Vin Diesals girlfriend - also a strong fighter and racer -- alternative representation
• Brian - 2nd protagonist - ec cop, strong fighter and racer, Doms left and right wing
• Mia - Brians wife
• Women - half dressed - seen as sexual objects -- dominant representation
• Friends - helpers - also strong racers

Why is the subject being represented in this way? 
To show the audience there's a superior hero for them to look up to show the audience that the males are well off and powerful(women) shows they are weaker than men's and are only there for mens entertainment 

What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?
The dominant pictures would be of the main protagonists, Paul and Vin as well as the cars money and women. Their relevance in the movie is that they make it more engaging and fascinating as the main protagonist comes across obstacles to we with either one of those three aspects.

How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?

The audience are positioned in a way which makes it seem as if they are part of the movie; like its reality. They characters are wearing casual clothing, its sets in america and dubai in local known areas and so it makes them feel apart of it.

How is the narrative organised and structured?

The narrative of the movie continues throughout all the 7 series. However, each series has a different narrative where it has been solved in the end.

What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
The role of sound plays a huge part in the movie as it makes everything seem more dramatic and intriguing, it adds to the depth of the genre as well as the iconography. The editing is fast paced and has been made into quick dramatic clips to make it seem as it the clip is racing itself.

SHEP

Apply the Wider Contexts (Social, Historical, Economic, Political) to your text/topic, including at least three bullet points on each one.
Social 

• It creates a dominant representation on the genders in the media for the audiences
• objectified women in the media
• Men as more powerful and women as weak

Historical

• Women have changed dramatically in the media. They went from being reserved to now seen as sexual objects. 
• Seen wearing skimpy clothing
• Are exploited more by men then before
• Before, it was about their voice and now its all about their bodies

Economic

• The revenue - “Furious 7” has grossed $735.2 million overseas in 17 days and $273.7 million in North America after 15 days — making it the fastest movie to reach $1 billion.
• Profit - FF7 made a significant profit of $1.37 billion
• Cost to make it: $119 million 
• Box office: $1.512 billion

Political

• Equal pay
• Feminism

 Issues/Debates

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using the Media A-Z to help you think about this:

• Representation and stereotyping - This relates to my study as audiences are always representing females as sexual objects in the media as well as stereotyping them as weak and vulnerable which has been portrayed in Fast and furious.
• Ownership and control - Control is seen where they were a given task to terminate Shaw
• Media technology and the digital revolution – This relates to my study as it shows that technology has improved dramatically, which helps the editors to allow the audiences to see how women are really portrayed in the media
• The effect of globalisation on the media - this relates to my topic as it shows that due to globalisation, representations of genders in the media have been influenced by society. 

Theories

Select at least five and say how each relates to your study, using keywords/specific theorists' names from the Media A-Z:

• Semiotics - This was introduced by Barthes and is about signs and denotations. The denotations of the costumes in FF7 such as their skimpy clothing symbolises freedom and individuality.
• Gender and ethnicity - This relates to my study as the whole idea is about gender. The way both males and females are being represented in the media and how this has a huge damaging effect on the audiences.

• Marxism and hegemony - 

• Audience theories - For example the hypodermic needle model which injects information into the audiences head. This relates to my text as the way females are represented in the film e.g seen as sexual objects, this could inject a message in the audiences minds that it is okay for women to be seen as that. 

• Genre theories - This relates to my text as

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)

Media texts
What your main focus will be::
Fast and furious 7

Other media texts
The Avengers
Comic book characters - Catwomen
She's the man
Taken
Transporter

TV documentaries
Miss Representation (2011)

Academic texts/books

1. Gunter Barrie: Television and Gender Representation (1995)
2. Tonny Krijnen, Sofie Van Bauwel: Gender and Media (2014)
3. Abolaji S. Mustapha, Sara Mills: Gender Representation in learning Materials (2015)
4. Frances Bonner: Imaginig women: Cultural: Cultural Representations and Gender
5. Mary Talbot: Language and Gender (2010)

Internet Links

1. 'Female leaders gather to underline importance of educating girls'
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/fashion/rose-mcgowan-pushes-own-agenda-at-bipartisan-conference.html?ref=topics&_r=0
3. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/dec/06/women-representation-media
4. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/23/women-media-representation-online-news
5. http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/sep/07/gender-media-best-data-available
6. http://gas.sagepub.com/site/misc/Index/Classroom/Media_Representations.xhtml
7. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/why-it-is-a-bad-thing-that-orange-is-the-new-black-leaves-men-out/373682/

Introduction to the Critical Investigation

Have Hollywood attitudes towards content in 12A films become more liberal or have audiences film desires changed? 

In my opinion, i think that audiences film desires have changed. This is due to the fact that the audiences now have different views on the way they see things. For example, some may see a kissing scene appropriate for a 12A audience etc. Also, as the younger generation are more exposed to content which is only suitable for the older generation and so they may see violence in a 12A film normal. For example, the Hunger games is a 12A film and is packed with violence, blood and killing. This is supposed to be a 16 rated film, however as technology advances, so does our views and so is seen as normal. Another example would be The Fast and the Furious, this is a film involving killing and violence and yet is it still rated a 12A. The fact that the target audience have actually gone to watch these movies suggest that it is there desires that have changed as in the past, the audiences would only watch material suitable for their own age group however has change and it is not due to the fact that movies have become more liberal. 

In addition, i think that as time has progressed, the audiences are more interested in things in which they can relate to as well as the things that are current in their time for exmaple crime and horror. These days films are mostly based on crime/action and horror as this fascinates the audiences.