Film and Media Studies
Mrs Pistorius
Teachers Expectations:
• Come into the classroom quietly and calmly
• Take off coats and bags
• Have your books out and write the date and
title on a new page
• Be respectful to all
• Be ready to learn but also Enjoy!
What are your expectations of me?
What is
Media
Studies?
This GCSE Media Studies course offers you a
carefully planned balance between practical
production and analytical, theoretical work. You will
study different mediums in both of these ways,
giving you a more in-depth understanding on how the
media industry works.
Your GCSE Course
• B321 – Individual Portfolio 30%
Film Posters & Representation essay
• B322 – Exam 40%
• B324 – Practical Production 30%
Music video or Radio drama
Media Terminology
The Key Concepts
M – Media Language
I - Institute
G - Genre
R - Representation
A - Audience
I - Ideology
N - Narrative
Media Language
This concept centres on the ways that different
techniques are used to create meanings for
audiences.
Moving Image Language
Print Language
-Sound; including sound effects &
music
- Camerawork; shots, angles,
framing & movement
-Editing ; cuts, dissolves, fades,
cross cutting
- Mise-en-scene; Lighting, props,
costume, sets/location, makeup/hair, blocking of actors
-Layout
-Typography; use of fonts and
typefaces
-Use of colour
- Use of photographs
- Mode of address; how it speaks
to its target audience
- Use of vocabulary; written style
*Genre
This is a term used for placing media texts in
categories or genres. Audiences have particular
expectations of texts because of their
generic conventions. This conventions are a
set of element that are repeated in texts of
the same genre.
Sci-fi
Romantic Comedy
Horror
Soap Operas
Institution
The institution that produces the text will affect the
meaning of the text for audiences. Many media
organisations are driven by problems caused by falling
audience figures.
How was the text produced, by whom and for what
purpose?
When and were was the text produced and broadcasted/
consumed? How was it funded?
Audience
Those that watch, read, listen and buy the text.
Who is the target audience? How do they reach
that audience? What attracts and contains an
audience?
Things to consider; Scheduling, fragmentation of audience,
expectations and pleasures.
Representation
How certain people/places/events/issues are
presented to use by the media.
Representations also vary as social attitudes
change through time, or according to our cultural
backgrounds. Looking at how the media reflects
or Represents attitudes, behaviour and beliefs
and how these are linked to the society we live in.
- Who is included/excluded from the text?
- How are people/places/events represented?
Vikki Pollard
David Beckham
Media Language
Sound, camera angles,
editing, mise-en-scene
Institution
How was the text produced,
by whom and for what
purpose
Genre
What genre does it belong
to?
Representation
How certain
people/places/events/issues
are presented
Audience
Ideology –
Who is the target audience? Beliefs and principles
Narrative –
The story being told
clip
Compare how men and/or women are
represented in the romantic comedy genre by
analysing three key sequences in each of your
chosen films.
Exemplar Texts: Bridget Jones Diary and Hitch
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Hitch
Lesson 2
LO: Exploration of essay question
Starter:
Explain the narrative of BJD in less than 100
words.
What is your essay question?
Essay is due on the 22nd of October
As a guidance written work should
be approximately 800–1,500 words
in length and this may be divided
into sections.
Key words
Compare how men and/or women are
represented in the romantic comedy genre by
analysing three key sequences in each of your
chosen films.
Compare how men and/or women are
represented in the romantic comedy genre by
analysing three key sequences in each of your
chosen films.
Basically, you have to write about how men
and/or women come across in BJD & Hitch.
Your question
You will be marked on:
-Knowledge and understanding of texts
-Insightful analysis and interpretation with good
understanding of how media language is used.
-Generic conventions
-Confident comparison
-Appropriate examples
Generic conventions
of Romantic Comedies
Trailers
• Hitch
• Bridget
Compare the two trailers
• Did they share any generic conventions?
• What does this tell us?
• What is the narrative of each film?
From the information so far how
are men and women
represented in Romantic
comedies?
PB
BJD
Key scenes:
BJD
1. Opening 04.46 – 09.27
2. Flirting 11.20 – 13.57
3. Mini break / cheating 30.07 – 32.37 / 38.40 – 40.50
4. Just the way you are 50.29 – 55.09
Task
Watch the key scenes and identify how Media
Language is used to create representations of
gender.
Media Language
Sound, camera angles, editing, mise-en-scene
Representation
How certain people/places/events/issues are presented
Generic Conventions
Lesson 3
Bridget Jones Diary
What are the conventions of a Romantic
Comedy?
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Storyline
• Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against her age,
her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many
imperfections. As a New Year's Resolution, Bridget decides to
take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she
will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when
her charming though disreputable boss takes an interest in the
quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget's band of
slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable
acquaintance, Mark Darcy, who Bridget cannot seem to stop
running into or help finding quietly attractive.
• What is Bridget like?
• What is Mark like?
• How does Daniel differ to Mark?
Female
• Bridget goes against the stereotype of women in
romantic comedies, although she in actually fits
within the realm of the real woman within the
romantic genre spectrum she is against the norm.
• Bridget Jones is 30 something, slightly overweight
(size 16) , extremely quirky personality ,foul
mouth basically not a typical feminine figure in
any sense
• Her difficulties are because of her masculine
qualities and her desire to fit the typical feminine
stereotype.
Female
• Bridget is clumsy and not really poised sliding
down the pole is a classic example.
• Bridget is represented as love struck girl
especially how she objectifies herself to grab
the attention of Daniel Cleaver.
• There is this stereotype portrayed in the film
that if you are feminist you are intent on being
single.
Female
• Bridget in the end gives in to the female
stereotype of falling for the ‘nice guy’ and
living happily ever after she doesn’t have to
sacrifice her personality.
• The director uses music a lot to convey
Bridget’s mood.
Men
• Men are represented as Young, charming and
handsome.
• Daniel is represented as being an attractive man that
get whatever he wants and typically uses women.
Example as he cheats on Bridget because he doesn’t
take seriously.
• Mark Darcy is represented as a definite sweetheart,
lovable, wears goofy sweaters that his mother picks for
him and is a genuine caring person.
• Mark is represented as being the night and shining
armor when he saves Bridget after she fails miserably
to cook a fancy dinner for her friends.
Men
• Mark is a contrast to the representation of
Daniel.
• Despite the difference in their representation,
the are both conveyed as masculine and
brawlers. Towards the end, they get in an all
out street brawl over Bridget. They fight for
the dominance of her.
Analyses sheet
Media Language
Costume –
Male/Female
Lighting
Audience
Genre
Who is the target
audience? Why?
What is the genre?
How do you know?
Generic conventions?
Soundtrack
Camerawork
Representation
Men / Women/ Country
Stereotypes
Institution
What is the Institution
and what is their
Ideology
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Opening 00.00 – 07.00
Decision – 07.22 – 08.28
Friends – 10.23 – 11.10
Flirting - 11.28
Big pants – 16.55
Trip – 30.00
Costume – 35.00 -37
Cheat 38.00
Change 45.00
Dinner 50.00 / 98.00
Fight 1.06
1.16
1.20
Key Scenes
Opening 04.46 – 09.27
• Scene 1
Dresses smartly
Setting – winter/ cold, first floor flat/city
Bridget on karaoke, cigarette in hand, drunk, singing
Voiceover –
badly.
Party hat blown across
In office – Daniels office is above hers
Bridget is not dressed smartly
Credits
Jude – Crying over Richard
‘All by myself’ song
‘it’s vile Richard’
Watching TV
Answer phone – no new messages
Pyjamas – red, childish, cartoons
Lighting – dim flat / small
Long shot – we see state of flat
Transition
Drinking smoking
Singing along / drunk –mid shot
Points to name – we now this is bridget
Transistions
Close up on eyes – game change
Narrative – text on screen
Resolutions – will find a nice sensible boyfriend
Red diary
“ will not fantasise about a particular person who embodies all of these things”
Lift bell, doors open on to a mid shot of Daniel Cleaver
Music – Respect
Has to walk down the steps – above every body
Flirting
11.35 – 13.57
Scene 2
Daniel in Office, smoking on phone
Bridget at desk
Instant messenger
Flirting – skirt off sick
Loved music
View of London
‘will put a stop flirting first thing tomorrow’
Music – upbeat – don't get me wrong
Bridget has hair done and a see through blouse
More flirting
‘Mustn't read too much into it’
Wedding image
Scene 3
Mini Break
30.17 -
Aerial shot of car
‘a mini break means true love’
Aerial shot
‘Manner of Grace Kelly’ loses scarf – not graceful
Meets Mark Darcy and girlfriend – awkward
Bridget's hair
Mark and Daniel clash
Boating
Mark and Natasha together
Daniel being rude, smoking and drinking
Compare dress
Falls into water
Fun/ laughter
Cut to 40.00
Daniels flat
She suspects cheating – apologises
Pretends not to love him
Attempts to leave and sees pink cardigan – connotations of colour
Slow motion – music
Lara‘ I thought you said she was thin’
Scene 4
Just the way you are
Smug married couples
Red top
Top of the table
‘ one in four or one in three’
‘why is it there are so many unmarried women in there thirties these days Bridget?’
Silence - mid shot of table
‘Underneath our clothes are entire bodies are covered in scales
Hall way – fairy lights, magical, romantic
Mark
Shot reverse shot / mid shot
‘ I already feel like an idiot most of the time without your help’
Mark apologises – complains about her but says ‘ I like you very much’
Diegetic sound
‘I like you very much just the way you are’
Music kicks in – someone exactly like you
Friends – shocked, not sure what to say
PB
Hitch
Key scenes:
Hitch
1. 00.00.00 – 00.05.48
2. 00.06.27 – 00.14.12
3. 00.15.05 – 00.18.35
4. 00.58.18 -1.06.20
5. 01:36:58 – 01:46:26
Task
Watch the key scenes and identify how Media Language is used to create
representations of gender.
Media Language
Sound, camera angles, editing, mise-en-scene
Representation
How certain people/places/events/issues are presented
Generic Conventions
Lesson 4
Hitch
LO: To explore Hitch with a view to
analyse the representation of
gender
2005
Will Smith
Eva Mendes
Working in pairs, discuss how
women are represented in the
following images.
• Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is a professional "date doctor" who
coaches other men in the art of wooing women.
• While coaching one of his clients, Albert Brennaman (Kevin James), who
is smitten with celebrity Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta), Hitch finds himself
falling for Sara Melas (Eva Mendes), a gossip columnist who is
determined to unmask and ruin the so-called date doctor after one of his
"clients" (whom Hitch had refused to work with, unknown to Sara) had a
one-night stand with her best friend. However, where Albert and Allegra's
relationship continues to progress, Hitch finds that none of his tried and
tested methods are working on himself, despite being a master of the art.
After Hitch is unmasked, he and Sara break up, and Allegra and Albert
follow soon. Finally, Hitch confronts Allegra and convinces her to reunite
with Albert, before reconciling with Sara. In the process, he makes the
startling discovery that he doesn't really do anything significant besides
giving confidence to his clients, and that most of his customers
(particularly Albert) really were successful by just being themselves.
Hitch: Life is not the amount of breaths you
take, it's the moments that take your breath
away
Sara: Relationships are for people who are just
waiting for something better to come along.
Sara: What should we toast to?
Hitch: Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if
you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you
love. If you must steal, steal away from bad
company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And
if you must drink, drink in the moments that
take your breath away.
Hitch: So how does it happen, great love?
Nobody knows... but what I can tell you is that
it happens in the blink of an eye. One moment
you're enjoying your life, and the next you're
wondering how you ever lived without them.
Vance: [after telling Hitch that he only wants a
girl so he can sleep with her] No, I was told that
you help guys get in there.
Hitch: Right, but see, here's the thing - my
clients actually *like* women. "Hit it and quit
it" is not my thing.
Vance: Let me make one thing clear to you,
rabbi, I need professional help.
Hitch: Well, *that* is for damn certain.
What do these quotations
tell us about gender
representation?
Analyses sheet
Media Language
Costume –
Male/Female
Lighting
Audience
Genre
Who is the target
audience? Why?
What is the genre?
How do you know?
Generic conventions?
Soundtrack
Camerawork
Representation
Men / Women/ Country
Stereotypes
Institution
What is the Institution
and what is their
Ideology
Key scenes ML, REP, Genre
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Opening 00:00 – 08.45
Bar 09:45 – 14.21
Albert 15.27
Hitch meets Sarah 25:00- 28.45
The wrong man 30.00
Delivery 31.42
Foot in face 36.38 – 37.00
Face in book 39.23 - 40.37
Rice to riches, 41.27 – 42.05
Date, 43.48- 50.00
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kiss, 51.30 – 54.43
Set up, 55.40 – 56.30
Date, 57.30 – 1.01
Medicated, 1.02 – 1.03
Sharing, 1.04 – 1.05
Kiss, 1.05
Friend, 1.06 – 1.10
Article, 01.11 – 01.50
Reveal, 01.18 – 01.19
Confrontation, 01.20 – 1.24
Paper, 01.24 – 01.25
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speed dating, 01.30 – 01.32
Apology, 01.32 – 01.33
Love is job, 01.35
What did you do, 1.37 – 1.40
End, 01.43 – 01.46
01.46 -
Key Scenes
Opening
00.00 - 05.48
• Scene 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sound bridge
Music
Voice over – women
Talking to camera – to audience – close up
Talking about women
‘my job is to open her eyes’
‘you can get it if you really want’
Talking to men
Good advice
Montage
‘8/10 women believe the first thing can tell all they need to know about a relationship’
Scene 2
Sarah
06.27 – 14.12
Establishing shot
Opposite to Hitch
‘if he is stupid enough to cheat, then the world should know he is dumb enough o get caught’
‘Barbados by myself’
Sarah’s dress – dark colours – Beatles top
‘Relationships are for people waiting for something better to come along’
Night out
Low lighting
Idea of a perfect relationship – marriage
Sarah and Casey - girls dressed up, Sarah not
Date Doctor – ‘you’re not sick, you're single
Hitch working his magic – then college flash back / music not sad ‘ she drives me crazy’
Albert
15.05 – 18.35
Scene 3
Albert eating lunch – mess
Hitch watching
Dress – Albert is a bad dresser
Not typical rom com lead
Alegra Cole – above Albert
Albert – a good guy, needs Hitch’s help
Double Date
58.18 -1.06.20
Scene 4
Sarah wanting information from Hitch
Hitch is being discreet
Hitch’s reaction
Hitch is not as a good on his own dates, makes mistakes
Sarah takes care of Hitch
Hitch’s face
He becomes high from the medicine
Sarah and Hitch get close – share ideas
Low lighting
Intimate but no sex
Music – low, peaceful, reflective
Ending
01:36:58 – 01:46:26
Hitch making things right
Boat
Music – exciting, chase,
Alegra and Hitch
‘create opportunities’
All the stuff about me – ‘no, hell, no’
‘that stuff worked for you’
Music
‘nothing’
Alegra and Hitch hug – fight
Alegra and Albert make up
Music up beat – Hitch runs to Sarah
Sound bridge
Talks through the door – Sarah in more of a girlie dress
Another man in the flat
Hitch on top of the car
Sarah trying to drive
Throws Hitch off car
‘that’s what people do, they leap’
‘there is only person who makes me feel like I can fly, you’
Kiss
Romantic build up - music
Man is Brother in Law
Plenary
How does Hitch conform to the generic
conventions of a Romantic Comedy?
Bullet point three ideas and be prepared to
feedback to the class.
PB
In pairs, create
Venn Diagram
Past Essay
Highlight the following areas:
Lesson 5
Starting to write your assignment
You need to decide if you are going to write about
men and/or women.
Rewrite your question:
Compare how men and/or women are represented
in the romantic comedy genre by analysing three
key sequences in each of your chosen films.
Assignment Plan
Key areas:
Media Language
Genre
Representation
TODOROV
Todorov proposed a basic structure for all narratives. He stated
that films and programmes begin with an equilibrium, a calm
period. Then agents of disruption cause disequilibrium, a
period of unsettlement and disquiet. This is then followed by a
renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and
a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end.
What is ‘Representation’?
Representation is the way the media RE-PRESENT individuals, groups, events and
issues.
Key Representation areas are:
Gender
Race
Age
Disability
Sexuality
Values
World in film
GRADSVW
Definitions
• Stereotypes
• Media Institutions use stereotypes because the audience will
instantly understand them. Think of stereotypes as a ‘visual
shortcut’. They’re repeated so often that we assume they are
normal or ‘true’.
• Task – Think of a stereotypical representation of Scotland or
O.A.P’s
• Archetypes
• This is the ‘ultimate’ stereotype. For example, the white
stiletto wearing, big busted, brainless blonde bimbo
• Countertype
•
A representation that challenges tradition stereotypical
associations of groups, people or places
Representation of Good vs. Evil
Hero – Protagonist
Villain – Antagonist
Applying Representation to Advertisements
How is Reece
Witherspoon
being
represented?
Think about her
body language;
what might she
be doing?
Why is she the only
character in bright
clothes What might
this represent?
How are
women
represented?
Who is the AUDIENCE for
this advertisement and
where might we see it?
How do we
know that this
is a romantic
comedy?
Example Paragraph:
Complete Assignment Plan
Assignment
Using your plan, start writing your assignment