Representation Analysis

Think of your favorite movie or tv show. In the research that I have done, I most likely can conclude that a main character or person heavily involved is a white male or female. Representation is the way media chooses to represent reality or aspects of our reality through people (race and ethnicity), communities, gender, sexuality, and events.

If we look at the advertisemnt for Tide, a mom is speaking to the viewers while her young daughter is concentrated on playing with blocks in front of her. We find out that the daughter loves wearing her cargo shorts and camo clothing, differentiating from her mother who is very feminine in her clothing and decor around the house. The use of the color pink emphasizes this concept. One day the daughters shorts were dirty giving hope to the mother as the daughter has to wear different clothing. Thanks to tide though, the stain was removed letting the daughter go back to cargo shorts and camo clothing, a more masculine outfit. The representation presented in this commericial is about women and how sterotypes have separated women from any masculine activities or clothing. This however has changed as more women are beginning to step up and be more involved in sports, jobs, and clothing of any kind. 

A better look at representation among all races, ethnicities, genders, and body sizes is in the advertisement for H&M. The ad contains a diverse portrayal of models that vary in size, age, gender, sexuality, religion,race,and ethnicity. Along with this, there were different body sizes, and people with under arm hair, beards, and head hair in different styles. This representation is very important because it truly shows how different people can be and are and how we can all come together in peace. Especially in media, which is viewed everyday, representation is crucial so that every race, gender, ethnicity, and person feels respected and valued. Audience reactions are the ticket to how every movie and tv show is made, if the audience likes it then there will be more of it. When underrated groups are represented in big name companies, the audience reactions seem to improve and more people are able to relate to this. This is why represenation for underclasses is appreciated as its increasing into the media.

Full of fear

The girl runs to her closet in fear of her life. Its quiet until she turns and BOO! Did I scare you? Well if I didn't then hopefully horror movies do. The horror genre isn't favored by everyone including me; however I'm always up for a good scare once in a while.

What is Horror?

The main purpose of this genre is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the audience. Examples such as,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Exorcist, or Psycho exactly perfect and create this fear in the viewer. Horror films are considered unsuitable for people below 16 due to the graphic content and adult themes often shown. For this, the majority of these films aim towards 16-24 year old males. Camera angles, specific uses in mise en scene, and sound all come together to produce a horror film.

Horror films are usually structured starting with the main character investigating something further like a noise, book, or body. Specific fears are chosen to be related to the character giving the audience more fear as they wait to see what this discovery leads to. Nightmares, alienation, death, fear of the unknown, or loss of identity are among the most common fears that create the premise of each film. The most obvious element is the killer or feared character. This character can be dead, alive, human, or monstrous creature but their purpose is to torture the main character and instill fear. 

Establishing shots introduce the setting and where the characters are for the duration of the movie. To enhance the fear more, point of view and tracking shots are used to give more of a connection and follow the main characters steps while a dolly provides the feel that the character is being followed. Tilts after a chase or killing create disorientation among the characters and extreme close ups emphasize the victim's facial expressions. 

Sound is what builds up the suspense and fear making it crucial in any horror film as it is associated with something about to happen. Quite, dramatic music help in these cases. For example, in a scene of a seriel killer chasing the victim, the music will start at a low volume before the running and then as the running becomes faster and there is suspense build up the music will be at its max. 

Any horror movie wouldn't be one without props. Knifes, chainsaws and such are important props related to death. These weapons indicate slow, torturing deaths with a lot of blood which gets the viewer's anxiety as they don't want to be chased by a killer chainsaw. Along with props, the location is essential to leave the main character vulnerable at any time. Places with minimal people and light work well like forests, cabins, dorms, or old abandoned buildings. 

Examples

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) involves two siblings and three of their friends en route to visit their grandfather's grave in Texas. They end up falling victim to a family of cannibalistic psychopaths in attempt to survive the terrors of leatherface and his family. (IMDb) A part of the film's attraction comes from the theme that it has a strange origin story and was released randomly at a perfect time. This film's success also is due to smart marketing that prompted this was a documentary view at a "true story". The film's strange view at family values and tendency to be believable makes it this movie challening to sit through proving its irresistiblity to audiences.

The Exorcist (1973) is about a teenage girl who gets possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter. (IMDb) Repeatedly called the scariest movie ever made, The Exorcist casts a fundamental shadow over cinema history. However the most important of all is the fact that this film sets a world where God is certaintly alive and well or if not, always there to immediately save the innocent from torment. (Vocal Media) Religion is a main theme throughout the Exorcist and the mise en scene portrays this. Firstly, we have the priest holding the holy water over Rags, splashing it on to her and we have Father Karras holding the Bible slightly behind him. Although both are being held above her, it is not just for the effect of staying in shot but also for a short sequence of symbolism. The religious figures are wearing dark colors but the child being exorcised is wearing a very light color.   


Here are some more horror films to check out if you want a scare:
1. Psycho
2. Scream
3.The Blair Witch Project
4.The Shining
5.Halloween
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

About Jessica

Hey everyone! My name is Jessica Briceno and I'm currently a junior taking Aice Media Studies. Before I explain my purpose and main goal for this blog, I want to share a bit about my personal life. I am 16 years old and I was born in Florida to a Colombian father and Cuban mother. I love sports and excercise and I'm in my schools lacrosse team and a coach for girls soccer. I enjoy hanging out with my friends because I can always have a good time. Filming and photogrpahy have always interested me as well hence my choice in this course. My main goal in life is to give back to others and help in any way I can. To accomplish this I want to share what I learn in class and post it here so my message spreads around to others. Hopefully you take something out of my postings and enjoy!

Remember to smile :)

                                      Jessica