Representation

A Representation Recap * Brainstorm words associated with representation? Remember: the media is responsible for ‘constructing’ representations.

Student examples

Stereotypes and Archetypes in film Archetype: A stock character, which has universal appeal and is frequently copied in literature, television, radio and film. In soap operas these are ‘typical’ roles that can be seen across the genre such as villain, gossip, tart etc. Stereotype: The representation (positive or negative) of a particular group, place or issue which has been reduced to a simplified, generalised perspective.

Name the following archetypes/stereotypes… Think about your film- are there any obvious archetypal/stereotypical characters?

Gender recap Gender is a social construct it is not just biological. It is also an aspect of our demographic. Despite what we may think there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ man or woman. There is no ideal femininity or masculinity. There are many different types of masculinity and femininity. Recap questions to consider: What gender stereotypes are present in your production work? How has feminism and post-feminsim had an impact on the representation of your male/female subjects?

Age Brainstorm stereotypes associated with: Teenagers People in their 20s. How are age groups represented in your production work, particularly teenagers? Are there any examples of ‘age pretence’ where a subject in your coursework is pretending to be someone of a different age?

Ethnicity Brainstorm stereotypes associated with: Afro- Caribbean Indo-Asians and Filipinos. How are various ethnicities represented in your production work? Are any ethnic stereotypes being perpetuated? Are the ethnicities you have used, conventionally seen in your music mag genre and film genre? Think about cultural appropriation and hybridity.

Are there any other representational areas you can analyse with regard to your film our magazine? Sexuality Region Religion Class?

Semiotic analysis Denotation: the literal physical description of what you see.e.g: red is a colour. Connotation: the interpretation or associations of the meaning.e.g: red means anger, danger, passion etc. Task: analyse the poster for ‘Casino Royale’.