M_i_G_r_A_i_N -&- s_H_e_P

M_i_G_r_A_i_N -&- s_H_e_P

[M]eDiA [R]ePrEsEnTaTiOn$

- [W]ho [i]s [b]eing [r]epresented..?
The protoganist is a female. she is being represented to be powerful, feisty (GiRL pOwEr) and someone who is seen to have alot of energy as she fights off the creature. This is not usually how women are represented in the media.


- [I]n [W]hat [w]ay..?

The protogonist is represented to be a strong character and is also shown to be someone who is tough, hard and sweaty. opposed to fragile, soft and fragant which is usually the common expectation of a woman. http://www.mediaknowall.com/gender.html

- [B]y [W]hom..? [a]Nd [w]Hy [i]S [T]hIs [i]S [b]EiNg [R]ePrEsEnTeD..?
This representation in the movie 'Creep' is being represented by Christopher Smith (director of movie). The woman protogonist is being represented this way in order to create abnormality in the media, also to modernise stereo- typical views on women. these views are usually created by the masculine force of the public. for example, the fact that men drive a lorry is a stereo-type. parallel to the fact that men can fend for themselves and women cant! this is manifestly been proven to be wrong in the film 'Creep' were the woman protogonist is shown to be more compelling and was seen as more of a threat to the creature. whereas the man who was a male representative in the film was shown to have fear of it. this is done in order to create more of an acceptance for the females.

[I]s [T]hE [R]ePrEsEnTaTiOn [F]aIr [A]nD [A]cCuRaTe..?

MORE TO COME

What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?Media Languages and Forms
What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?
What is the significance of the text’s connotations?
What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?
What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings?
What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?Narrative
How is the narrative organised and structured?
How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?
What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?Genre
To which genre does the text belong?
What are the major generic conventions within the text?
What are the major iconographic features of the text?
What are the major generic themes?
To what extent are the characters generically determined?
To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?Media Institutions
What is the institutional source of the text?
In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?
Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?
Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?
How has the text been distributed?Media Values and Ideology
What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?
What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?Media Audiences
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?
What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?
What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?
What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?
What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

Slasher Films

How has the representation of women changed in ‘slasher’ films, such as Creep (2004)?

My Independent Study focuses on the representations of women in contemporary texts such as Creep (2004) compared to period ‘slasher’ thrillers in the older years. This interests me, because the representation is focused through a more modern way in more contemporary films. However this theory is not proven in each and every contemporary horror film. For example, the film The Descent (2005) does not choose to compliment the idea of the woman having the ability to fight a strong villain in a film and taking on masculine characteristics. Instead the idea of a woman not being able to fulfil a mans job is being bought up. This is achieved by the way Neil Marshall chose to use women as the main focus and choosing to end the film by killing all the women, showing women’s weakness and authority in society in the pre 18th century where women played the housewife, a more passive role to society, whereas men were the breadwinners, who tend to be seen as the more proactive character in society.

This idea is contrasted with in the film, Creep where Christopher Smith decides to go against the traditional roles of men and women, and portrays a woman who has survived a terrible encounter in an underground train station. The fact that she fought the villain in order to save herself, shows a woman’s strength in modern society and that a woman is capable of being not just a woman but a hero too.

Media Language:
Camera shots - fast. Shows enthusiasm. This allows audience to relate with characters.

Low Key lighting - creates suspense.

Institution:
Sky movies. High budgeted film. British film.

Genre:
Horror films often show the typical conventions, which relate to genre.

Representation:
The women have become more powerful and they are shown to be equally as dominant as men usually are. it shows that women are just as strong as men. for example, typically in a traditional slasher genre film the man is shown to be more masculine and comes across with no fear. however this is not the case in Creep, as the female protogonist is shown to be more compelling towards the monster and therefore has the courage to fight it. the male character is not willing to help and is shown to be a 'quiter' and we see that this is going against typical impression of a man. women are suposedly the more loving character towards the abnormal however, the protogonist in Creep is not loving, nor does she show compassion towards the creature.

http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/WMNS/Projects/Wmns36/violence/murderfra.htm#fmurder

Audience:
Offers the audience sadistic pleasures. Important to audience as they are getting emotionally involved by looking into someone else’s life. They are determined to know the end result. This also attracts the audience more into the film and makes them want to watch it more and more.

Ideologies and Values:

Feminism and Patriarchy society.

Narrative:
Both are different. Creep shows a positive role of women and The Descent, shows a negative portrayal of women.

Wider Context

Social:
Nowadays there’s not much films which have only a male character as the hereon. Programmes like Xenia The Worrier Princess for example shows women to be powerless.

Historical:
The historical elements of a typical horror film portrayed the woman to be very weak or a passive character. Either that or the sexually manipulating, deceiving, lustful character who has revenge on her later on and dies at the end.

Economic:
Horror movies are seen to be low budgeted films.

Political:
The narrative reflects on the mood of the film. This is also known as Zeigeist.