Representation - Codes & Conventions
A representation is a way in which, a director is able to portray to us as the audience different stereotypes of groups or people that we usually see in movies, the directors are given the ability to challenge or conform to these representations. Representations, in movies, are usually split up into 7 distinct categories expanded individually below.
Love & Romance:
Love and romance are probably one of the most common representations used in movies.
It usually revolves around a male and a female whos love story somehow intertwines with the main plot or is the main plot, however in recent year it has been broadened to include homosexual relations to fit and please the more modern and somewhat "PC" audience.
This representation usually has a male "chasing" a female and a source of intervention that separates them resulting usually in the male having to fight a physical or emotional battle in order to get the female back. This representation could arguably be the most used, having its presence in most films either as the main plot or as a subplot. It could also sometimes be used to increase its targeted audience. The usual technical elements used to convey this representation would be extreme close-ups or close-ups this element helps convey across the emotions and the action of the character whether it be crying due to the separation or a smile/kiss. This helps us as the audience get more engrossed in the film, as we get the feeling like we are there witnessing the moment. Another element that may be used would be music, the usual example of music used would be the violin or the piano, music that we usually associate to love.
This scene from the Titanic (1997) is a classic example of love and romance being used as a representation. It has a male and a female leaning close to each other and the camera panning into a close-up of their fingers interlocking and when they kiss, it highlights the affection they share with each other. As the camera zooms in from a wide establishing shot of the boat and the ocean to Jack and Kate, it highlights the significance of their love as its compared and favoured above that of a beautiful shot of the ocean it also emphasises the scale of their relationship as its compared to the ocean. The music used in the clip is iconically recognised due to its famous score. The vocals and the piano rises from a lower tone to a higher one, matching the significance of this moment, highlighting Jack and Kate's rising romantic relationship and progression as they advance from interlocking hands to ultimately kissing.
Class and Status:
Class and status is a representation used by directors to differentiate different groups in society. In movies, the usual groups that are separated are Rich and Poor, different high school cliques. It is almost a "cliche" in modern films but it is usually the upper class or those with a higher status that is portrayed as the main antagonist The usual way directors may decide to showcase these differentiations, would be by props and attire, and camera angles.
In this image taken from the film Vertigo, we see Gavin who is a rich businessman talking to Johnny a detective. This image shows class and status due to technical elements stated above. We can derive that these two men are wealthy due to their attire of suits and ties, however, we can also tell just from the picture that Gavin has a superior status to Johnny due to the camera angle. Hitchcock uses an angle that depicts Gavin being taller than Johnny, thus showing to us that Gavin has a superior status above that of Johnnys due to his towering stature.
Gender:
Gender is a predominant representation used in movies that are rarely highlighted or noticed due to it already sinking and having its roots in society. However, that was the past where males were painted as the hero, having to be masculine and were always the one to save the day and were overall the main character or the villain. Women, on the other hand, were given more docile roles, either as a support to the main male cast or in usual plots, the "damsel in distress". They were usually painted as weak and fragile, fitting into what society saw women be. In the present, due to movements and the strong wave of 'gender equality', we now see more women being cast as the main roles, being the ones to save the day with Wonder Women being one of the main examples of the growing presence of females in the movie industry. Directors usually, use technical elements like iconography and the theory of the "female/male gaze". Camera angles once again play a predominant role in showing gender but sometimes the music may play a part as well.
In this clip from Batman v Superman, we see a classic example of a male antagonist (Lex Luthor) and a male protagonist (Superman). We also see Lois Lane fitting the "damsel in distress" role, requiring Superman to save her as she gets pushed off the building. We also see a change in music, with it being a tune of a mishmash of piano and strings, depicting the heroicness of the male and the romance that comes out of it. The attire also shows gender differences, as Superman is forced to wear a skin-tight suit in order to show off his masculinity, whilst Lois is made to wear clothing that would stereotypically tell us that her character is an office worker. We see a twist this time to the usual theory of a "female gaze", as the director depicts to us the "male gaze". This highlights to us the intent of the directors to appeal to the female audience in order to entertain them but it also shows to us the caring and almost guardian angle like characteristics to Superman as a male superhero, a twist to the masculine focused characterisation that the "male gaze" usually provides.
Ethnicity:
Ethnicity apart from Gender roles in films is one of the most talked about and 'controversial' representations in film. We however as a new generation, see more films that tackle the old generations view of ethnicity, usually classing the whites in roles of power and righteousness whilst for example, Hispanic or African American characters are portrayed more as the criminals. A film that is an example of a developing view, would be Black Panther, which has a predominantly African cast. Props and attires, camera angles are the most commonly used Technical elements.
This clip in the movie Get Out, highlights ethnicity as we despite not getting any big hints from the props and attire of the characters, maybe hinting towards a form of equality, we also get that same sense from the camera angles, where both characters are filmed from the same height, however, the type of shots to give us a hint towards the tackling of ethnicity. Throughout most of the clip, the camera shot or distance while filming the white lady, the distance stays the same as she questions Chris whilst the camera progressively zooms in on him as he dwells into his memories. This camera distance changing only for Chris as he breaks down emotionally highlights the difference between the power of the two characters, where the white character remain cold and distant as she questions Chris, who shares his emotions and thus gets highlighted.
Regional Identity:
Regional identity as a representation is not commonly expressed or used in films, however, examples of such a representation maybe are different sides of a country for example, West Auckland to North Auckland. In West Auckland, the state of living may be lower than that of North Auckland, the crime rates are different and the overall state of each side could be said to be polar opposites. The different technical features the director may choose to use could range from mise-en-scene to music.
In the movie Black Panther, we see Eric Killmonger and T'challa confront each other. Through their different accents, we are able to distinguish each of their respective regional identities. While T'challa's accent has a strong African ring to it, Eric's is American. We can also tell by their attire what region they identify with. Eric dawns a bulletproof vest and a t-shirt whilst T'challa dawns a more traditionally African inspired dress.
Physical ability/disability
In this clip, we see Mags an elderly lady sacrifice herself for the other younger tributes. The heightened almost dramatic like music as she walks into the fog, puts emphasis on her death and due to her disability of old age and her muteness we recognise that her disability is holding back the other tributes abilities. Mags is depicted to be taller then the rest of the characters, this shows that despite her disabilities, her valiant sacrifice puts her above that of the other characters, almost giving her a superiority in this situation. The lack of emotion on the other characters after Mags's death shows that they do recognise the meaning and benefits of her sacrifice.
Age:
In this clip and image of suits, we are able to tell by mise-en-scene the difference between the ages of Mike and his Grandmother. Edith is wearing a basic t-shirt and cardigan, reflecting the simplistic lifestyle of the older generation, whilst Mike is wearing a more modern suit which reflects the more modern lifestyle of the working middle-aged class of modern day society. The music that is played when Rachel tells Mike about Edith's death, is almost melancholic like, the voice sounding almost depressed which reflects Mikes mood upon finding out. Age through this could be described as almost like an emotional catalyst, the deaths of the elderly, commonly usthe ed by director to inflict emotions of sadness and pain amongst the audience.
It usually revolves around a male and a female whos love story somehow intertwines with the main plot or is the main plot, however in recent year it has been broadened to include homosexual relations to fit and please the more modern and somewhat "PC" audience.
This representation usually has a male "chasing" a female and a source of intervention that separates them resulting usually in the male having to fight a physical or emotional battle in order to get the female back. This representation could arguably be the most used, having its presence in most films either as the main plot or as a subplot. It could also sometimes be used to increase its targeted audience. The usual technical elements used to convey this representation would be extreme close-ups or close-ups this element helps convey across the emotions and the action of the character whether it be crying due to the separation or a smile/kiss. This helps us as the audience get more engrossed in the film, as we get the feeling like we are there witnessing the moment. Another element that may be used would be music, the usual example of music used would be the violin or the piano, music that we usually associate to love.
Class and Status:
Class and status is a representation used by directors to differentiate different groups in society. In movies, the usual groups that are separated are Rich and Poor, different high school cliques. It is almost a "cliche" in modern films but it is usually the upper class or those with a higher status that is portrayed as the main antagonist The usual way directors may decide to showcase these differentiations, would be by props and attire, and camera angles.
Gender:
Gender is a predominant representation used in movies that are rarely highlighted or noticed due to it already sinking and having its roots in society. However, that was the past where males were painted as the hero, having to be masculine and were always the one to save the day and were overall the main character or the villain. Women, on the other hand, were given more docile roles, either as a support to the main male cast or in usual plots, the "damsel in distress". They were usually painted as weak and fragile, fitting into what society saw women be. In the present, due to movements and the strong wave of 'gender equality', we now see more women being cast as the main roles, being the ones to save the day with Wonder Women being one of the main examples of the growing presence of females in the movie industry. Directors usually, use technical elements like iconography and the theory of the "female/male gaze". Camera angles once again play a predominant role in showing gender but sometimes the music may play a part as well.
Ethnicity:
Ethnicity apart from Gender roles in films is one of the most talked about and 'controversial' representations in film. We however as a new generation, see more films that tackle the old generations view of ethnicity, usually classing the whites in roles of power and righteousness whilst for example, Hispanic or African American characters are portrayed more as the criminals. A film that is an example of a developing view, would be Black Panther, which has a predominantly African cast. Props and attires, camera angles are the most commonly used Technical elements.
This clip in the movie Get Out, highlights ethnicity as we despite not getting any big hints from the props and attire of the characters, maybe hinting towards a form of equality, we also get that same sense from the camera angles, where both characters are filmed from the same height, however, the type of shots to give us a hint towards the tackling of ethnicity. Throughout most of the clip, the camera shot or distance while filming the white lady, the distance stays the same as she questions Chris whilst the camera progressively zooms in on him as he dwells into his memories. This camera distance changing only for Chris as he breaks down emotionally highlights the difference between the power of the two characters, where the white character remain cold and distant as she questions Chris, who shares his emotions and thus gets highlighted.
Regional Identity:
Regional identity as a representation is not commonly expressed or used in films, however, examples of such a representation maybe are different sides of a country for example, West Auckland to North Auckland. In West Auckland, the state of living may be lower than that of North Auckland, the crime rates are different and the overall state of each side could be said to be polar opposites. The different technical features the director may choose to use could range from mise-en-scene to music.
Physical ability/disability
Age:
In this clip and image of suits, we are able to tell by mise-en-scene the difference between the ages of Mike and his Grandmother. Edith is wearing a basic t-shirt and cardigan, reflecting the simplistic lifestyle of the older generation, whilst Mike is wearing a more modern suit which reflects the more modern lifestyle of the working middle-aged class of modern day society. The music that is played when Rachel tells Mike about Edith's death, is almost melancholic like, the voice sounding almost depressed which reflects Mikes mood upon finding out. Age through this could be described as almost like an emotional catalyst, the deaths of the elderly, commonly usthe ed by director to inflict emotions of sadness and pain amongst the audience.
Overall Score: 14/25
ReplyDelete- In talking about representation and technical elements, please use the technical element heading such as editing or mise-en scene before giving examples of what typed within that element that you're referring to.
- In the brief you were instructed to talk about all 4 of the technical element in relation to the representation type of the clip you chose. You only spoke about 1 or 2 in each section which is a pity although the comments you made about what you did notice was spot on.
- I would like to see you taking your observations a bit further and linking them to wider context in the world. With Class and status, you made correct observations about the wealthy guy being shown as taller,low angles looking up at him but what does that mean in relation to what society is saying? Are you more powerful the wealthier you are? Do the rich and successful in the world? If you have class and status you are someone to be looked up to and aspire to be? Re-inforcing capitalist agenda? I think you can dig deeper with these things.
- Gender: You make some good starts to a point but don't explain what you mean or take it further. How do directors include iconography in representing women? How does the male/ female gaze influence how we view women and their place in the world?
Telling me that camera angles and music can play a role in showing gender isn't enough, what do you mean by this??
Otherwise an insightful analysis of representation in Superman, well done.
Ethnicity - Good context given for ethnicity represented in the media. Interesting choice film to analyse, it isn't as loaded as some other films you could have chosen to highlight your point although some interesting deductions are made. Interesting also how the African American man is in the shadows, in the dark with part of his face concealed and the White lady is sitting in a golden glow... although portrayed as 'equals' by camera angle, definitely maybe undertones of the male having a dark past?
I like that you pointed out how this man of colour was humanised, we are shown zoom-up's of his face, we are let into his head with flash backs, all very deliberate to get us to relate to this character and not just have the stereotypical racial profile of an African American man.
Regional Identity
- more examples needed. You mention technical features like mine-en-scene and music are used to portray a certain representation of regional identity but you don't give any examples.
-Also, your example here is just a still shot, not a video clip.
Physical Disability/Ability
- would this example not fit better in the Age representation paragraph? Your observation although correct lacks any comment about mise-en-scene, editing or camera angles.
Age -
You missed an opportunity here to expand on how age is represented in the media on the whole and then how this clip supports or refutes that. You mentioned costume which would be mise-en scene and music but nothing about editing or camera work.
Overall you did a fair job at proving that you understand how to identify how a group is represented in a media clip but it lacked the depth that was required by the brief. I cannot bump you up to that next mark bracket unless you talk about all 4 technical areas.