Gender in the Media

Gender in the Media

-Gender is the range of characteristics that distinguish between males and female.

-Essentially what it means to be a boy or a girl in society.

-This includes the roles and norms that society associates with a particular gender.

-Gender roles are an area of negotiation and conflict and alter over time.

Gender representation in TV drama:

Areas that will be addressed by the 4 technical areas within this extract are-

-Roles- within their work

-Status- who has the higher status in the programme

-Power and logic- who uses power, who uses their logic

-Appearance- as a symbol of sexuality, metro-sexuality and counter stereotype.

-Physicality and Strength

-Stereotypical and counter stereotypical characters.

Examples of TV dramas-

-Downtown abby 

-Our girl

-Orange is the new black

Dominant ideologies-

The ideas that are excepted by societies as the rules/ideas that are widely accepted by society e.g. us as the norms of society.

Binary Opposition-

In order to show one thing you need to show the opposite e.g. you cant see a hero unless you see the villain

Otherness-

Is about labelling people as different or alternative to dominant ideologies e.g. the other is about being different.

Representations of Women:

-Beauty or desirability

-Size/physique

-Emotional issues

-Relationships

-Work

Opening Squences

Different types of opening sequences:

• title-reveal the name of the film
• actors names
• Introduction to a character- reveal who the hero/villain are
• introduce setting/ establish the location.
• reveal elements of the genre/narratives and plot 
• reveal an understanding of the tone/atmosphere of the film
• narrative information

The discrete title sequence-

Is like a mini film before the film and helps to get the audience into the mood of the film but not tell you what the film is about. It can give you an idea of the tone and the genre of the movie. A discrete opening sequence also is often animated and includes a lot of editing work.

example of an opening sequence:

‘the girl with the dragon tattoo’

• dark colour scheme, preponderance of black white and grey- signifies its a dark film
• graphics
• action thriller
• death
• snippets of the narratives being subtly shown 
• some form of romance 
• fire
• black representing the tattoo ink
• keyboard representing detectives and hacking

Traditional opening sequence:

Although traditional film is slightly stylised, you see the title of the film, font introducing the actors that will reflect the genre and the sound will create a mood, that helps to reveal narrative information.

example of an opening sequence:

‘drive’

• follows a character 
• shows you the actor, the credits and location
• title of the film
• reveals genre and narrative of the film

Straight into the film:

A film that goes straight into the story and doesn't have an extra title sequence. This type of sequence is far less commonplace and is more likely to be seen in action or horror. There are no titles, no introduction to characters, and the film starts directly with the action of the opening sequence. Used in horror a lot to scare us.

example of an opening sequence:

‘mesrine’

• sets tone
• introduces characters

Stylised film:

a stylised title sequence is a combination of straight into it and discrete. The opening of the film starts straight into the action and then followed by a ‘discrete’ title sequence. This type of opening is often used in stylish action films.

How is Regional Identity presented in the opening sequence Doc Martin?

How is Regional Identity presented in the opening sequence Doc Martin?

In the opening sequence of the TV drama Doc Martin, mise-en-scene is presented throughout. Firstly we are introduced to the stereotypical large Cornish plumber, who is working on a tap in the doctors surgery. This plumber is very slow at his job and very relaxed, this is a representation of how everything is much slower in the part of England. In contrast to this plumber, we are introduced to the doctor who had just moved here from London. This doctor is shown to be getting very stressed at times, and getting very frustrated with how slow the plumber is working; This is because in London everything is much quicker and jobs happen faster than in this rural part of England. Therefore, this Doctor is represented to be the binary opposition, moving from a fast paced city to a slow paced village. The setting of this village is in Devon, it has a very old fashioned style with the small cottages and cobbled streets, and everyone has a typical Cornish attitude of being very laid back and relaxed. We can also learn that this village has a very low crime rate, almost non-existent, due to the police officer who spends his time hoovering in a small office which is the village police station. In this small  village, we can see how everyone knows everyone ad everything; for example when the older woman stops the Doctor in the middle of the street in quite an unprecedented manner, just to ask for her prescription of her HRT. This alone tells us that there is an ageing community, and this is a typical representation of the regional identity. Later on we are taken back to the doctors surgery, where we see the plumber sitting down, taking his time on the job, this again representing the slowness of the area and region. We can also see the regional identity in mise-en-scene by the part of the scene where a stray dog runs into the surgery. The doctor then takes the dog out f the surgery, using his scarf, this indicates to us that the doctor doesn’t have a pet because he is used to his city life and hasn't quite adapted to this rural life in a small village. These are some ways that regional identity is presented in the opening sequence through mise-en-scene.

Regional Identity is also presented in the opening sequence through the camera techniques. One way this is done is through the medium close up of the large plumber, who is sitting down, showing even where there is a water leak, he doesn’t move quickly and instead just chats about other less relevant topics. We can also see a close up of the doctor getting very angry and annoyed at the girl employee. This is because whilst havoc is breaking out in the surgery with a leak and a dog running around, the girl is gossiping about her ex boyfriend. This close up shows how the doctor is getting very short tempered with her because he isn't used to this messing around in the workplace, he is used to fast workers and it is a shock to the system to fin out that they are all very slow in this village. This shows again how the regional identity of the village is very slow paced. We later see a wide shot of the village. This shows us the setting of the small pastel coloured cottages, cobbled streets and small market stands. This wide shot shows its rural location of a bucolic landscape, with all the mountains and fields in the background. Finally we see a tracking shot of the doctor whilst walking around the village on his first day, and you see how everyone already knows who he is because in small villages like this, word travels fast. This shows how regional identity is represented through the use of the camera.

The use of sound is also used in the opening sequence to present regional identity. At first we hear the diegetic dialogue spoken by the doctor of ‘treat yourself to a noun’, insinuating that the doctor thinks they are stupid because they are messing around in an office when he’s not used to that in the city. Also through the use of diegetic dialogue, we can learn how the doctor is getting very angry and the policeman in a short conversation because he feels that unlike in London, nobody is doing their job. This is where regional identity is introduced because the doctor can see a difference between these two locations because of how slow paced and played back they are in the village. We can also learn that through the use of synchronous dietetic sounds of the birds, we are in a small, rural, mountainous location unlike the big city of London.

Editing techniques are also used in the opening sequence to present regional identity. One main feature is the slow pace editing, this highlights that nothing much happens in this small village, this is reinforced through the use of sound techniques. However, in contrast of this, there are the occasional quick cuts that portray the doctor getting very angry about the leak and lack of organisation in his office and surgery. Also, the shot reverse shot shows us the small tiff between the girl employee and the doctor of how he doesn’t like all the small town gossip that goes on. This technique is used again when we are introduced to the police officer and how he already knows who the doctor is because of this small town gossip. This outlines the regional identity in the opening sequence and how the sow paced scenes with lack of cuts show a slow region, and this therefore represents the slow pace of their lives.

Overall, Regional identity is presented through the use of mise-en-scene, camera techniques, sound techniques and editing techniques. We can see how the main theme of this programme gets at the slow pace of life which is reinforced in all of these areas.

How is disability represented in the opening sequence of coming down the mountain?

How is disability represented in the opening sequence of coming down the mountain?

In the opening sequence of coming down the mountain, disability is presented through the use of mise-en-scene. We are firstly introduced to the character Ben, he is the disabled brother who is shown tho be very innocent. However, he is also represented to be a burden on everyone else. he relies on his brother and parents for pretty much everything, we see how vulnerable he actually is which makes his representation even more realistic. Then we are introduced to the character David, he is shown to be the abled brother, who on the outside is shown to act like he doesn’t really care much about his brothers disability, however on the inside we can all see that he does care for his brother. David is shown to be a stereotypical teenager in the sense he put his popularity status over his brothers needs, so he ditched his brother to go to a party. He is shown to always be getting annoyed, aggravated and frustrated with his brother  and is very impatient with him. Then we are introduced to their parents. We can learn how they care more for Ben than they do for David. They make David to be like a second career to Ben outside the house. They are shown to be realistic yet stereotypical parents in the sense that they appear to take favour on the more vulnerable, innocent child, Ben. In the first scene, we are immediately shown tat David and Ben share a bedroom, this could be a reason why David gets annoyed at Ben very quickly because he never leaves his side. At the breakfast table, we can see that Ben and his parents are on one side of the table and David on the other. This represents how the parents demonstrate favouritism. We ca also see how Ben is always standing behind David, again representing how he is a burden. These are some ways of how disability is presented through mise-en-scene.

Through the use of the camera techniques, we are shown how disability is also presented in the opening sequence. In the first moments of the film, a birdseye view shot is used, looking down on David and Ben’s room. We can see how their room is divided in half down the middle, with Ben’s side being bright and messy, and Davis’s side being dark and simplistic. Showing how childlike and  immature Ben is compared to David. At breakfast the use of a close up shot presents Davids scorn and anger towards Ben and his reaction to being asked to look after him. Also at breakfast, we see a close up of Ben stealing a sausage from his fathers plate, and how he gets away with it, whereas David gets shouted at for asking for the cereal box, this could again show how their parents favour their disabled child. The use of low angle shots gives the father power as he orders David to help Ben in the bathroom, just like a career would. Through the use of a high angle shot, we can see the difference between the abled and disabled child of Ben eating ice cream like a small child, and David high up in a tree acting like the adult. This shows us how disability is presented through the use of camera techniques.

Disability is also presented in the opening sequence through the use of editing techniques. The use of eye line match at the very beginning of the scene shows Ben fast asleep in a very slobbery manner and David wide awake before the alarm. This shows the binary position between the abled and mature with the innocent and disabled. Through the short, bread montage of the evolution of time, we can learn that David is trying to understand Ben’s disability.  Also through the use of quick cuts, we are shown how Ben is centre of attention in their family and that actually David could be the one seen as a burden because his parents favour Ben because of his needs. The use of a montage is used again, showing Ben and Davids every day routine before school, and how Ben would be lost without David because he protects him from stranger and anything unknown. This shows us how the use of editing is a key feature in presenting the theme of disability.

Sound techniques are also used in the opening sequence of ‘coming round the mountain’ to present disability. The use of non dietetic songs with lyrics that say ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we were older’ signify that David wants to move out in order to gain more freedom so that he no longer has to be Ben’s career. This non dietetic sound is supposed to echo David’s thoughts. Also, the diegetic dialogue tells us that Ben wants to go on the same holiday every year because he likes the ice cream and is a creature of habit. Also, this shows us that because Ben is the favoured brother because of his disability, he gets to choose where the family holiday each year. Towards the end of the scene at school, the diegetic dialogue between Ben an David tell us that David is bribing Ben to home on his own so that David can go to a party, however the non diegetic voiceover tells us that Ben and David have never been more than a quarter of a mile apart, and that this was the first time David had ditched Ben. This is one way how disability is presented through the use of sound techniques.

To conclude, Disability is presented through the use of mise-en-scene, camera techniques, sound techniques and editing techniques. From analysing the opening sequence we have learnt how Ben is treated far better than David, but is also actually a burden on their family and David in particular.