Self-Reflection and Evaluation

Year 11 Film, Television and New Media Film Noir Style Production

Self-Reflection and Evaluation:

Please answer each question using complete sentences, including as much detail as possible.

1. Discuss your feelings about the production task: Please justify your responses:

Are you satisfied with the result? (i.e. did it turn out as well as you had hoped?

I am mostly satisfied with the final result, however, some elements of the film could have been improved to better convey the film noir style. I believe that the different aspects of the film, such as the cinematography, mise-en-scene and the sound effects portray the story quite well, but some of the editing could be improved.

Did the project require more/less time that you originally thought?

The project required quite a bit more time than I originally thought, especially getting the filming done. We didn’t really manage our time well, particularly in the first couple of times that we were filming due to the fact that we weren’t as organised as we could have been and we wasted time through setting up at the beginning and also from messing around a little bit. To help us with managing the amount of time we had in class and in the afternoons to film, we created a schedule at the beginning of the task, however we still found that it was difficult due to everyone’s prior commitments. Finding the background music to add to the finished product also took a bit more time than expected due to the fact that we had a picture in our minds of what type of music we wanted, however, couldn’t find it on a copyright free website.

Would you like to change or improve any aspects of your final film (storyline, shots, editing, etc.)?

I would have liked to reshoot some shots as a tripod wasn’t used in a few in the beginning which caused them to turn out shaky. It would have looked a lot better if we reshot them with a tripod, however we didn’t have time to do this. Additionally, I would have liked to take more control in the creation of the plot as it was all just one person’s idea, rather than different ideas merged into one. This could have been improved if we all worked together a bit better in the planning stage and created more similar stories, and also worked more efficiently time-wise. 

If you could start the project again, what would you do differently?

If I could start the project again, I would have made sure that we were a lot more organised when filming so that we could have filmed a lot earlier, and therefore got the project finished sooner instead of rushing at the end and not being able to hand in a rough edit. I also would have taken more control of the filming as it was mostly just one person taking control. This would have made me more satisfied with the final result as more of the film would have been ‘mine’. Additionally, planning more closely as a group and creating a story that was nearly identical would have been better as Rose and I wouldn’t have had to create this film that neither of us had properly visioned in our minds as it was so different from our storylines. Overall, I would do quite a bit differently if I could start the project again due to lack of organisation and time management.

2. As this task focused on the Film Noir Style, describe:

How you used specific elements of the Noir aesthetic and mise-en-scene to depict this visual style and enhance the narrative?

We used a number of specific elements, regarding mise-en-scene, the noir aesthetic to effectively depict the style of film noir and to enhance the narrative. Firstly, the props used in the film, including guns, poker chips and playing cards, convey the style of film noir as it is extremely common amongst this style of film to contain these props due to the aspects of crime and gangs. Additionally, lighting was a very important factor in our film and it depicted the visual style quite effectively due to the fact that the lighting was emphasised and created a lot of harsh shadows throughout the film, as well as the fact that the shots were very underexposed. The lighting also portrayed which characters were bad and which characters were not, as there were more shadows and darker lighting with the bad characters. The fact that the film was in black and white also enhances the film noir style, as this is a common aspect of most films of this style. The majority of the film was set in the casino, at the crime scene and in the detective’s office which enhances both the narrative and the film noir style as it emphasises the dark themes of film noir and the mood of the storyline.

How you used specific shot types to convey the story using visual language?

There are a number of different shot types that have been used throughout the film to convey different meanings and to portray the storyline. Firstly, characters with power have been filmed from a low angle to portray this control they have, whereas characters that are weaker have been shot from a high angle. Additionally, the more powerful characters take up more of the space in the frame to show their dominance. Also, the characters who are weaker tend to look out of the frame on the same side that they are placed to highlight the fact that they feel trapped and weak. Close ups of different characters have been used to convey the emotions they are feeling, and long shots were used to reveal the setting and the bigger picture to the viewer. 

Whether the intended genre is depicted clearly or if this could be improved?

The intended genre was depicted quite clearly through the use of lighting and shadows, black and white editing and underexposed shots as it emphasises the dark mood and aids in creating suspense.

3. Personal reflection and evaluation:

After your previous task, you were asked to reflect upon the project and identify aspects of planning, production and reflection, which could be improved. Please explain which aspect you chose to focus on for this task and how you have made improvements.

I chose to focus on my use of lighting after my last project and I think that I really made an improvement on this during this assignment. We focused a lot on lighting as it is an important aspect of film noir, and used this lighting effectively to create harsh shadows and help to create suspense and convey a dark mood. For my next project, I aim to improve on my blog and regularly post as this is something that I did not keep up this term.

4. Reflecting upon your completed task, respond to the following points:

How did other people respond to your rough edit? Did you use their feedback to make changes to the film?

Due to our poor time management, we were not able to produce a rough edit, however, the feedback we received after it was due and we had time during test block to make it better was:

- Confusing

- Shots are too short for the film noir style, need to be longer

- Too many overlays

In order to improve our film, we changed the editing a bit to ensure that there were no unnecessary overlays and that the duration of the shots were a lot longer to suit the film noir style. We also adjusted the voiceover to portray the story a bit more clearly than it was previously.

Did you use planning templates effectively?

Yes, we used the planning templates, especially the shot list, effectively when filming. We did this so we were organised and we knew what we had to do each time we filmed and exactly what shots we had to do. We always followed the shot list and we never filmed without it which was definitely helpful and saved us time.

Were there any problems or difficulties during filming and how did this affect your project? (Difficulties may include; shooting, technical, time management, team work, absences, editing, etc.)

There were a number of problems during this assignment. Firstly, I found it really challenging that the story we were basic our film on was Eliza’s and not something that I really had input in as it made me confused and unorganised as I didn’t really know what was happening at times. Also, our poor time management and organisation led to filming taking way longer than it should have and spending too long on certain things, such as setting up. The fact that we had different times we were available to film also showed some difficulties as it meant that during some filming sessions, the entire group could not make it. Overall, I think that our main problem was just organisation and time management, which is something that I aim to improve on with my next assignment.

Discuss whether you undertook adequate and detailed reflection to support your work?

I don’t think that I really did an adequate amount of reflections this term. I did a few blog posts with  a certain level of detail, however it’s something that could really be improved on and I aim to complete a blog post at least twice a week, every week, next year. 

Filming Yesterday

Yesterday, our final film was due, however, we were given the option to leave out a small amount of shots if it was missing a few and add them in during our time in test block (Thursday next week). We had a couple of shots left that we didn't have time to film before 3.30 (when it was due), and therefore, finished it after school. Rose and I also recorded the audio we hadn't completed during class time which took a lot less time than expected as we were organised with our script.

After school, we had to film a few shots for the scene where I kill Peter after he kills his father. Filming went quite well and we finished it all by 5:30. I would say we were quite organised with our shots, compared to previous times filming as we knew exactly what we had to film and the lighting, etc. The only thing we have left to complete is the dialogue from Jack and Mr Andrews, which we will get done in the next couple of days.

After (almost) completing this project, I have come to realise that I prefer individual tasks over working in a group. At the beginning of the year when we were working on our individual films, I couldn't wait to get a group project instead of an individual one, however this time I wish it was individual. With the current project, I feel like I don't know exactly what's going on and its a lot less organised than I like it to be, which is a bit frustrating at times. As well as that, I'm kind of pushed to the side since it's not my film idea and I don't have as clear a picture in my mind as Eliza does. I don't blame her for taking control since she's the one who created the majority of the storyline, but I would much prefer to just create my own storyline then be able to direct the entire film myself so I can be completely organised and know exactly what's happening and how much I have left to do at any given time. 

Filming Throughout the Week

Throughout the week we filmed quite a bit during class. We have been quite organised with our filming this week and gotten everything done that we planned each time. We haven't been wasting time by messing around and setting up, like we did last week which is a lot better as we're using our time a lot more effectively. 

I am really liking the style of our film, especially with the cool lighting and the harsh shadows; film noir is probably my favourite film style, as I have mentioned before. We have put together and started editing a few of the shots and so far it looks pretty good. The final is due on Monday, however, Mr Andrews has given us the exception of a few shots that we can film during test block then add in during our three hour period in test block on Tuesday, 15th. We have a few shots to go which is at the end where I shoot Jack (the character Peter), after he shoots Mr Andrews (Peter's father). We should get this all finished on Monday afternoon, leaving us with time to study during test block, rather than filming. I am so keen to get this film done and see what the final outcome looks like; I think it'll be one of my best films considering the amount of effort we have put into the planning, lighting and the cinematography.

Filming

Today in class we prepared some of our props that we needed for filming this afternoon. After school, we filmed with Jack and Mr Andrews and we filmed the majority of the shots that we planned on getting done. It took a bit longer than expected because we weren't really putting our full attention into it; we were kind of messing around a bit which took up some time. Next time we film, we're going to make sure that we are all paying our full attention and not messing around because we need to really get everything done on time. Additionally, the camera died when we were towards the end of our filming time which was also used up a bit of our time which was quite annoying. Next time we need to make sure that we charge our camera fully before filming. 

The shots turned out quite well I think, however, there is one that needs to be redone because of where the actors were positioned in the frame. We weren't able to get around to doing this as the camera died right before we went to reshoot it.

Because we were filming outside, we used the reflector as our lighting. This was really difficult as the sun was going down behind the trees and therefore, there wasn't really a light source for the reflector to reflect onto the set. I'm looking forward to when we film inside and we can use proper lighting.

Filming Day One

This afternoon, we had our first day of filming! It wasn't very organised however, and we got next to nothing done. I had an appointment so I arrived a bit late, and the others had only just started to film as I got there. Setting up took way too long and that ate away at our time we had to film by a lot. It took a while to get everything organised and we hadn't really planned very well ahead so we had to check the shot list for what to film next after every shot, rather than knowing generally off the top of our head, what to film. On the positive side, we used some harsh shadows and lighting on the close ups of Jack's face which turned out pretty cool; I'm happy with the shots we managed to take. 

Choosing a Story for our Film (ii)

This lesson we read through each others synopses and they are quite different which made it kind of difficult to choose a base story. Mine and Rose's are quite similar however as we have the same characters, just a different, but similar storyline and Eliza's is completely different to ours. 

We decided that we would use Eliza's story as our base, even though it was really different, because we thought it was the most interesting. We will be making a few adjustments, however when we are filming we will be going off her shot list, etc.

We also made a schedule so we know what class time we have to film, as well as when we're all available to film outside of school.

Choosing a Story for our Film

Both Eliza and Rose were away in today's lesson which made it really difficult for me, so I ended up just researching the film classifications and what we're allowed to include in our film. Next lesson, we're going to read through each other's planning/synopses so we can decide on a plot to base our story off then merge some ideas to create a new one. We will also create a schedule so we can see when each of us can film at the same time and when our actors are available.

Plot Outline

I have come up with my plot outline for my film, based on Pinocchio. 

• Opens with a newspaper report on P’s father’s death and there is narration about the murder

• Zooms into photo of the body on the newspaper article

• Photograph flashes of the body and the sound of sirens fade in. The shot fades into there same shot, however at the actual scene and not just a photograph (after the camera flash)

• Shots of the crime scene and the detective (area of grass beside a body of water, e.g. lake)

• Wide shot, the wind blows and a card can be seen blowing in the wind towards the water

• Close up of the card landing on the water, reads “Kill   $50,000”

• Cross fade into the next shot; graphic match of a similar card that is played on a table that reads “lure the boss’ son into the gang   $20,000” (or something similar). The card is being pulled away by the femme fatale

• Wide shot revealing the femme fatale and two others at a table, gambling

• Dialogue from femme fatale “I’ll do my best” (or something similar), screen fades to black then fades to next shot

• P is walking in the street, she approaches him and starts talking to him. A number of different shots are shown conveying the progression of the relationship, fade into one another, voice over

• Shot of the same group gambling, plus P. Someone slides a card over to P and a close up is shown “kill   $50,000”

• P walking in street, approaches friend, friends expresses concern of his new life involved in crime, P pulls a gun from his coat and shoots him

• Photograph flash of dead body, graphic match of a photograph on the gambling table, zooms out

• Man throws a bag of money/stacks of notes on the table, P looks clearly impressed, is told that he’ll get it next time

• Fast motion shots, fade into one another (similar to a time lapse), all of them gambling, etc.

• Back to normal speed: close up as P rolls dice and gets a card that says “Rob a bank with a partner   $60,000”, fades to black then fades to next shot

• Shots of them opening door to bank, caught by guard, femme fatale talks herself out of it with her charm, guard tells her to leave and goes to call police on P, P shoots him

• Outside: meets as a group, P asks where his money is, they hand over a bag filled with stacks of notes

• Walks away from the group, pulls out a stack, inspects it and realises it is fake. Voiceover of his thoughts 

• Shadow follows him, shoots twice, misses and ends up shooting the bag and his leg. The motive of this was that the person did not want anyone to know of their scam so they attempted to kill him

• Limps into home, mother asks what happened to his leg and he lies about it to stay out of trouble

• Shots fading into one another, him in his bedroom looking at fake money, frustrated, etc., voiceover of how it was a mistake, won't be involved anymore, should've listened to friend, etc., fades to black then to next shot

• Leaves home next day and encounters the femme fatale, threatens her with gun and asks for money, the two other men come out from hiding and both point their guns at him, demanding him to leave

• Shot of the three at the gambling table, card saying “Kill   $50,000” is slid to a player (not revealed who)

• Extreme close up of gun shooting a bullet, P dead on the grass, photo flashed of the body

• Graphic match with the photo on the board, zooms out and a pin board is revealed with photographs and information about the entire case (revealed that the deaths of the father and P were at the same time and the kill card was the same one that was shown in the beginning) and shows the three suspects (three gamblers)

• Person enters room and hands detective the card saying “Here’s new evidence”, close up of card and zooms in on the red lipstick at the top, voiceover by detective that femme fatale is the only suspect left

• Zoom in on her photo on the board, graphic match with a shot of her getting her mugshot taken. Camera flashes and the screen fades to black

• Southport Broadwater used as the grassed area/lake for the crime scene

• Circular table and couches in the Jennifer Reeves building used as the gambling table

• Alleyway on Scarborough Street with the wall art used as the alleyway/street

• Classroom used as the bank

• My house used as Percival’s mother’s house

• Computer room in the old library used as the detective’s office

• Blank wall in my house used as the backdrop for Kat’s mugshot scene

New Fairytale

For homework, I looked through some different fairytales that would be good to change into a film noir film. I was reading through a couple and came across Pinocchio. I think that this fairytale would be interesting to transform into our film as there is a lot happening in the plot and there are many aspects that can be seen as metaphors. For example, the part of the plot where the Fox and the Cat deceive Pinocchio into investing money and then stealing it from him can be translated into the femme fatale luring Pinocchio into a life of crime and promising him a large gain that he doesn't receive.

I talked to the group about my idea and they seemed to like it, so we have decided on this one rather than The Poor Boy in the Grave. We brainstormed some ideas for our new storyline and came up with a general idea:

- The femme fatale (the Fox and the Cat) lures Pinocchio into a life of crime involving gambling and promises he will earn a lot of money doing so
- Playing cards with instructions on them (e.g. Kill for $50,000)
- Pinocchio's father is murdered in the beginning
- Pinocchio's friend (talking cricket) is killed by Pinocchio after he tries to warn him about the dangers of being involved in gambling
- Pinocchio completes a few of the crimes instructed on the cards, however doesn't receive the money that he is owed from them
- It is revealed at the end that the femme fatale was the killer

Since the draft for the design suite is due in less than a week, we have decided that we're going to create our own stories, then for the film task we will be choosing one as a base then merging our ideas to create a new story.

Idea Two

After brainstorming a few ideas on how to transform The Poor Boy in the Grave into a film noir style film, we decided against this fairytale. It is too difficult to change the different characters into the femme fatale, the detective, etc. and the storyline is really quite dark with not very much happening, so we decided to take another look at other fairytales we can do. This held us back a bit with time as most of the other groups have sorted out which fairytale they are doing and have started working on their plot for their film. However once we work out the fairytale we are doing, which will be next lesson, we should be able to get some rough ideas together quite quickly.

Our brainstorming for The Poor Boy in the Grave is:

- The 'poor boy' would be a female, rather than a male
- The foster mother is the femme fatale; her and the detective are lovers
- The detective kills the daughter (instead of suicide)
- The parents hired a hitman to kill their daughter (who is the bad detective)
- Was killed with poison and they planned to make it look like a suicide
- There is an investigation involving the bad detective and a good detective
- The film begins with an interview in the detective's office - the mother and father acting really upset about the murder

Brainstorming - Our First Idea

We have been looking at different fairytales that we can turn into a film noir this lesson and we have been trying to find a good one that is not very common. Eliza found one called The Poor Boy in the Grave. Here is an outline of the story:

- There is a foster boy whose parents are both dead

- His foster parents had bad hearts and were greedy with their money and belongings

- The boy therefore ate very little, and was still punished/abused

- One day he had to watch a hen and her chickens, but a hawk flew down and stole the hen

- The boy called out "Thief! Thief! Rascal!" but the hawk didn't return the hen

- The father came out after hearing the yelling and beat the boy as he saw one of the chickens was missing

- The boy then had to take care of the chickens without the hen, which was difficult as they kept running around

- He tied them together so that they couldn't run around anymore, however, the hawk returned and stole them

- When his father saw what happened, he beat the boy so much he couldn't move from his bed for several days

- The father send the boy to a judge, with a basketful of grapes and a letter

- This tormented the boy as he was starving, and he therefore ate two bunches of grapes

- He took the basket to the judge and the judge read the letter and said "Two clusters are wanting"

- The boy confessed he had eaten them because he was starving, and the judge wrote a letter to the father asking for the same amount of grapes again

- The boy ate the two bunches again, took the letter out of the basket and hid it under a stone

- The judge made him explain why the bunches were gone again

- The judge wrote a letter to the father to feed him and teach him right from wrong

- The father gave the boy a task and threatened him with a beating if he did not complete it

- He accidentally cut his coat as well as the straw and was frightened his father might kill him for it and decided he would rather take his own life, than have his father take it

- He drank some poison that they had and said "Folks say death is bitter, but it tastes very sweet to me"

- He sat in a chair waiting to die, however he felt strengthened rather than becoming weaker
- He drank the rest and made his was to the graveyard where he laid himself in a newly dug grave
- He died and after his father found out, he was terrified he'd be brought to justice
- He fainted and his wife ran to aid him with a pan of hot fat
- The flames from the pan spread and lit the house on fire and they were forced to live the rest of their lives in poverty and misery, and suffered from a guilty conscious

This fairytale is really dark so if we chose to use this, we would have to change a couple of aspects so that it wasn't as dark. I think that the line "Folks say death is bitter, but it tastes very sweet to me" would be cool to use in the film if we end up choosing this fairytale.

Fairytale to Film Noir

We received our task for this term which is to transform a fairytale of our choosing into a film noir style film. I am looking forward to this task as film noir is probably my favourite style of film and I usually have the most fun in creating the storyline and filming it, especially using the different lighting and shadows. It is a group task this term and I'm not quite sure how it's going to work out due to the fact that we have to create different storylines in the planning, then merge our ideas as a group for the actual film. 

I am in a group with Eliza and Rose, two people I have never worked with before in film. I hope that we will work well together as a group; I really like their films that they have done in the past, so I think that our film should turn out good, as we can all get tips from one another for editing. The only thing I'm worried about regarding this is that our editing styles are very different so it might look a bit weird when we put our thirds of editing together.

Film Noir & The Maltese Falcon

We have started our new unit for this term which is the style of film noir and the transition of fairytales into this style. During class, we have been watching The Maltese Falcon which is an exemplary film noir style mystery.

The plot of this film was a bit confusing to me, however, it effectively displayed many components of the film noir style, including cinematography and mise-en-scene, as we discussed in class.

- The lighting and shadows play a significant role

- The duration of shots are a lot longer than in other styles

- The shots are often shot still, with little movement, other than the occasional pan, etc.

- Exaggerated acting

- Dramatic music

- Femme fatale, detective

- Someone is often murdered in the beginning, and the rest of the film is the journey the detective goes along to find out who committed the crime

- Plot revolves around crime, gangs, money, etc.

'Heightism' & Other Ideas

Today in class, we discussed the idea of 'heightism', and how it is an idea that is burnt into our minds without us realising it. It involves the stereotype that men are taller than women, and suggests that when a man and a woman are in a relationship, it is more normal and socially acceptable when the man is the taller person. Heightism is discrimination against the men who are short, and the women who are tall.

Another stereotype similar to this is the expectation of men to be stronger and bigger than women, well-built, and muscular, and for women to be weaker and smaller then men, petite, skinny, and with big boobs and butt. Men who are not very muscular, skinny or overweight, are dismissed as  unattractive and so are women with an athletic or muscular build, or who are overweight.

Additionally, a stereotype that is more sub-conscious is that of hair length. Men are expected to have short hair and women are expected to have long hair. Women who have short hair are assumed to be a  lesbian, and men who have long hair are seen as not masculine.

Note Taking and Planning Done

During class this week and in the afternoons for homework, I finished watching both Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, as well as taking notes for each of the films. I also finished my planning for each of my body paragraphs and started on my draft which is due on Friday. Here are the notes that I have taken on each of the films:

Assignment Progress

During the last two lessons, I have been watching Beauty and the Beast and taking notes on the different representations of men and women. I have been listing both the good and bad aspects of the different characters' personality and appearance. I have also written down some extra notes and some quotes from the film. Here is the progress I have made so far:

Miss Representation

During today's lesson, we started watching the documentary, Miss Representation. It's a really interesting film about the sexism in the media and the representation of women. Here are the questions we had to do after watching it:

1. "You can’t be what you can’t see.” What does this quote suggest about how representations of powerful women are, largely, absent from the mass media?

This quote suggests that all of the women shown in the media are made of the stereotypes that have been created for women; both appearance and personality-wise. It suggests that not enough women are shown to oppose the stereotypes and to have power, influence and be leaders. This implies that women are not capable of being leaders and showing individuality, and it encourages women to continue following the stereotypes already set. Because not enough women are shown to be successful and influential, women therefore do not think that they are able to do that, and it also encourages men to continue to be the more dominant gender.

2. What does Miss Representation suggest about the way women are represented in the media?

The documentary suggests that women are represented in the media in a sexualised and objectified manner, and that all of the women shown have the same, stereotypical characteristics. It creates an unrealistic representation of women in society. It also suggests that this has a negative impact on younger females sue to unrealistic expectations.

3. What is a stereotype? Which gender stereotypes are being repeated again and again in the media?

A stereotype is a common and widely-held preconceived idea of a particular group of people.

Women:

- Beautiful

- Skinny

- Submissive, quiet

- Weak

- Naive

- Able to cook, clean, etc.

- Undereducated compared to men

- Emotional

- All aspire to marriage and having children

Men:

- Muscular, well-built, strong

- Handsome

- Dominant, controlling, powerful

- Smart, educated

- Opinionated and loud

- Go to work while the wife stays at home

4. In terms of representation of women, what is the problem with mainstream Hollywood films?

The problem with mainstream Hollywood films is that women are represented to be appear only as the stereotyped woman is. There is no variety in the appearance of the women that appear in Hollywood films and this causes a negative impact on young girls as they have unrealistic expectations of themselves and their appearances, and it also causes boys and men to have an unrealistic expectation of women as they are only represented in a very specific way. 

5. What sort of stereotypes are used to represent female leaders?

The stereotypes that are used to represent female leaders include being extremely bossy and arrogant. There was a quote used in the documentary that explains the difference in representation of men and women leaders; men are assertive when they are leaders, however, women are just bossy.

Men & Women on the Red Carpet

Differences between men and women on the red carpet:

- Men all wear very similar looking suits

- Women wear a variety of different dresses that all look very different from one another

- Men do not receive any criticism from the media for their appearance

- Women receive a lot of criticism for their appearance

- There are always lists such as 'best and worst dressed' for women, but not for men

- Women often show off parts of their body such as their legs, chest, etc. in order to 'look good' whereas men do not show off any of their body

- The women who show off their body get a lot more attention and they are objectified

Gender in Media

For this activity, you need to work your way through the images and links that are posted and for each one list the things that you think it is saying about women. You could consider the way the woman/women look, how they are acting and/or what seems to be important to them. I have sorted them into advertisements, paparazzi shots, red carpet shots, catwalk shots and film trailers.

To help you, it may be worth copying the pictures onto your blog and then making your notes under each one. For the links, you can simply write the name of the advertisement or movie trailer and then put your comments under the name. 

Advertisements

The woman in this advertisement displays a lot of aspects of the stereotypical woman, appearance wise. She is beautiful with fair skin, long hair, her body is skinny and she has 'perfect' features. This image targets young women as the type of Coke that they are advertising is 'light' and this word and part of the packaging is in pink. The way that the man is looking at the woman also suggests that if you drink this, you are seen as more attractive, and this shows the idea that all women are looking for love.

Much like the advertisement above, the woman in this image has 'perfect' features and is a good example of the stereotypical woman's appearance. Her face and her body shape have been significantly photoshopped and this sets a high standard for women and girls. This advertisement is targeted at younger women and suggests that the woman's beauty comes from within this bottle of perfume. It gives women the idea that buying this perfume could potentially make them more attractive. Additionally, the snake represents temptation and control, and the colours used in the image are darker colours and are pink and purple.

Paparazzi Shots

The woman in this image is perfectly done up, with a nice outfit, hair done, sunglasses on, etc. and this links with the stereotype that women are to have a perfect appearance at all times. The fact that this woman has so many men surrounding her, taking photos shows the objectification of women and suggests that she is just there for people to look at. 

 This image links with the stereotype that all women are emotional as it shows Lindsay Lohan crying whilst on the phone. It also displays the stereotype that women are to have a perfect appearance as she is still wearing makeup, has a perfect manicure, etc.

Bad headline example: 'Lindsay Lohan has a breakdown after best friend dies from a drug overdose'

This image shows Miley Cyrus wearing tracksuit pants and a comfy looking top, while talking on the phone. She looks very carefree and like she doesn't really care about looking 'perfect' like the women in the other images. This image doesn't really display any of the stereotypes unlike the other images and shows that women can still be beautiful without having to wear makeup and be dressed up, etc.

Example of a good Headline: 'Miley shares engagement news with her father'

Example of a bad headline: 'Miley forced into homelessness after spending all of her money on drugs'

Red Carpet Shots

 All of the women in this image and the image below are considered beautiful by the media and by stereotypes. They are all skinny, they have perfect features, they are all feminine because they are wearing dresses and heels, and they have their hair done up nice and are wearing lots of makeup. The fact that they all look good suggests that a part of the reason that they are famous is because of their appearance. None of the women on the red carpet are not beautiful and this shows that in order to be famous, you also have to be attractive and fit the stereotypical woman.

Catwalk Shots

The women in these images all display aspects of the stereotypical woman. To begin with, they are all extremely skinny and they have very defined features. These images objectify women as they are just used as objects to display the clothing on. As well as that, the clothing that the women are wearing are all very short and revealing dresses, most of them being very tight-fitted too. This does not give a good idea to young girls as they will grow up thinking that this is the way to dress, etc. when it is really just sexualising women and displaying them as objects.

Questions:

1. Look back at the comments you have made for each picture/link and make notes that indicate whether you have noticed any key similarities between the various images or clips.

The major similarities between the majority of the images include the fact that they all suggest that women should be skinny, have fair skin, perfect makeup, a perfect appearance at all time to be considered beautiful. It also emphasises the idea that women are objects and that they can only be successful and popular if they are beautiful and they match the stereotypes. 

2. Are there any comments that you can make about an image/clip that appears different to the others?

The only image that I found that is different to the others is the one of Miley Cyrus on the phone as it shows her as very carefree about her appearance, and not feeling the need to be 'perfect' and beautiful all the time, unlike the other images. It doesn't really display any of the stereotypes of women.

3. Do you think the overall representation of women is a realistic one? Explain your answer.

I don't think that the overall representation of women is very realistic as it suggests that women are only beautiful when they conform to certain expectations, and it suggests that they are to have a perfect appearance all the time. This is untrue as there are a lot of beautiful women who do not look like the stereotypical woman. 

4. Do you think these types of images, etc. influence the way women and girls think about themselves? Explain your answer. 

These images definitely influence the  way the girls and women think about themselves as they create extremely high and impossible standards. The images emphasise the idea that you are to have a perfect appearance all the time and that you are only beautiful if you look a certain way, and this is really hard on girls as everybody looks different, and not everyone conforms to those expectations. Instead of displaying women that all have the same features, the media needs to include a range of girls with different appearances and this would help women and girls love their appearance more and feel more happy about their appearance.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1. After reading the story, make a list of all the qualities that the story is suggesting are important in women. When making your list, think about physical qualities and the personality qualities that appear to be important. 

- Beautiful, good complexion, roast cheeks, nice hair, fair skin, skinny (physically perfect) as Snow White got what she wanted because of her looks
- Caring, kind, giving
- Feeble/weak
- Naivety

- Willingness to stay at home, cleaning, cooking and housekeeping instead of going to work, shown when the dwarfs allow her to with with them under the condition that she does these things
- Submissive because if they don't do what they're told, bad things will happen to them. This is shown by the dwarfs instructing her not to let anyone in, however, she does this and almost dies
- Emotional as this is what saved Snow White from being killed in the forest

2. Next, make a second list that identifies traits/qualities in women that appear to be undesirable in the story. When making this list, you can think about what the opposite qualities would be to the ones you listed in question one and you can also consider the wicked Queen. Like your first list, consider physical characteristics and personality. 

- Envy
- Ugly/not beautiful
- Overweight
- Old
- Different
- Short hair
- Self obsession, and competing to be the most beautiful
- Power and anger
- Opinionated
- Negative/pessimistic
- Cunning
- Smart
- Gullible as Snow White let the woman in multiple times, even though she had already been deceived and poisoned, and therefore, she almost died a number of times

3. Now, see if you can make a third list that identifies traits/characteristics (both physical and personality based) that appear to be important in the male characters of the story.
- Charming (attractive)
- Muscular, strong, athletic
- Wealth
- Dominant and controlling
- Assertive, head strong
- Choices governed by the beauty of a woman
- Heroic and protective
- Romantic
- Hard working
- Generosity and kindness
- Merciful

4. After looking over the three lists, are there any conclusions that you can make about what the story is trying to teach its audience about the roles of men and women? Explain in as much detail as you can. 
After reading the story and looking over the three lists that I have made, it is clear to me that the story is trying to teach the audience a lot about the stereotypical roles of men and women. It emphasises the idea that women have to be beautiful in order to get what they want and suggests that all women aspire to be the most beautiful. It also shows that women are to stay at home, cooking and cleaning, as apparently men aren't able to do that themselves, and that they should not go to work as that is the man's job. It stresses the importance of women doing exactly what they're told as the man is always right and bad things will happen if they don't abide to their rules. It also suggests that women should not be self-obsessed and envious of others. For men, it suggests that they should be dominant and controlling and shows that if they do this, they will always get what they want. It also displays the idea that men are only to choose their wife based on their beauty (linking back to the fact that beauty is an important quality for women to have), and that the man chooses their wife, it's not a mutual decision. As well as that, it portrays men as heroic and charming, generous and kind. Additionally, the men in all fairytales are portrayed in a positive light no matter what their appearance or personality is, however, the females are only portrayed in a positive light if they have specific qualities. All of the negative qualities in men are justified, covered over and hidden, however, not for the women.

5. How would you describe Snow White's relationships with: 
a) The Wicked Queen:
I would describe the relationship between Snow White The Wicked Queen as the complete opposite to a good relationship. The Wicked Queen is extremely envious of Snow White's beauty and hates her for it. She attempts to kill her numerous times just because of her jealousy and the fact that she wants to be the most beautiful. 

b) The Dwarfs:
Snow White's relationship with the dwarfs is quite good as they gave her a place to stay when she didn't have anywhere else to go and in turn, they ask her to just do the housekeeping. However, they are quite controlling over her which is not part of a good relationship.

c) The Prince:
The relationship between The Prince and Snow White is really odd. They hadn't even met before but The Prince somehow fell in love her, just because of her beauty. They don't really have any relationship at all because they hadn't met, but they end up getting married in the end due to The Prince's commands. Much like her relationship with the dwarfs, it is not the best relationship as The Prince is really controlling over her, as shown by the fact that he basically forced her into marriage.

6. Considering this story is still most often read to little boys and girls, do you think it provides a realistic view of men and women? Why/why not? 
This story does not give a realistic view of men and women at all. It places the idea in their head of the stereotypical man and woman and leads them to believe that this is reality and that this is how men and women are supposed to act. 

7. Can you think of any modern stories (film/TV shows/books) that you know of that promote similar messages about men and women as Snow White? 
- The Bachelor/Bachelorette
- The Big Bang Theory

Stereotypes in Sleeping Beauty

Over the last couple of lesson, we have been watching the film, Sleeping Beauty. We have picked up on a number of stereotypes in the film, especially, with the female characters and have discussed them in class. Here are some of the stereotypes used in the different characters of the film:

Princess Aurora is a character who is tall, skinny and blonde with an impossible waistline, which fits the stereotype that all women are to be of a particular look to be considered beautiful. She was also seen cleaning the house in the beginning of the film which ties in with the stereotype that women are to not go to work but rather stay home and clean/cook and that women are uneducated. The stereotype that women are weaker than men and are dependant upon men is also emphasised in Sleeping Beauty as she is saved by the man, and she is seen as overly emotional as she is seen crying multiple times, and the way that she cries is not realistic at all as she is still beautiful while crying. Another stereotype addressed in this film is the fact that women all aspire to marriage, etc. and this is shown as she falls in love with the prince the first time they meet.

Multiple stereotypes can also be seen in the character of Prince Phillip. Firstly, the idea that all men are to be strong is shown by the fact that he is well-built. Also, in the scene where him and Princess Aurora first meet, male dominance is shown as she was unsure of talking to him as he was a stranger, however, he convinced her to keep dancing and singing with him. This suggests that the men are to make all of the decisions and the women are to just keep quiet and agree.

The three fairies also display a number of female stereotypes. Firstly, the idea that women are weak, dependent on men and that they can't do things for themselves is shown by the fact that they are unable to do things without the help of magic. The idea that women are meant to house keep is also shown as their job is to look after Aurora and to look after the house, etc. 

Representation of Women in the Media

Today in class, we discussed as a class the representation of women and girls in the media and the various stereotypes that there are. We put forward our ideas and made a class mind map showing the different stereotypes that there are of women and girls. Here is what we came up with:

We also talked about how these stereotypes are included in the majority of advertisements made, for example, it is always women who are shown in advertisements for cleaning products which involves the idea that women are to stay at home instead of working, that they are uneducated, etc. 

For homework, we were asked to find an advertisement that incorporates some of these stereotypes and I found this advertisement from Victoria's Secret.

This is an advertisement for bras from Victoria's Secret and it includes the idea that all women are meant to be skinny. This image uses the words "every body" suggesting that all women have to look like the models in the photo.

I also found two other advertisements which are quite old, but I thought that they were both an effective example of sexism and the representation of women in the media.

The first advertisement is of a woman receiving a vacuum cleaner for Christmas and it suggests that men should buy their wives a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas as she would really like it. It emphasises the idea that women are to stay at home, cooking and cleaning, rather than going to work, and it suggests that women enjoy doing this too. The appearance of the woman in this image also shows the stereotypical woman in terms of appearance as she is skinny with a small waist and she is pretty.

The second advertisement includes the idea that women are weaker than men as it reads, "You mean a woman can open it?". The underline on the word woman suggests that it's unusual for women to be able to open a bottle as they are weak, and it kind of suggests that women are a bit useless and can't do anything for themselves. Much like the first advertisement, the woman displays the stereotypical appearance as she is beautiful.