Thursday 26 November 2015

Representations of sexuality

Eastenders clips of sexuality:






These two clips are from the tv drama Eastenders and the clip shows Christian and Syed's homosexual relationship at Syed's wedding to his fiance. It shows Christian turning up to the wedding just after Syed has told her about his sexuality. The second clip shows Ben telling his dad he is gay. As soon as Ben starts talking his dad Phil gets emotional so he clearly knows what his son is about to say. Phil gets upset about his son being gay which could suggest gay isn't 'normal' or right for a young boy. This is how it is being represented throughout these two clips. It is also clearly seen as wrong when Syed's fiance says she 'feels sick' thinking about it. I think these two clips from eastenders are trying to show how homosexual people can be made to feel or treated for their sexuality. 

Pretty little liars sexuality clip:



This clip is from the american tv drama pretty little liars and this girl is called Emily Fields. Emily struggles to understand her sexuality and finds it hard to tell people or admit she is gay. She is in a lesbian relationship with a girl called Maya and they try to keep a secret until Emily finally decides to tell her parents. The clip shows her speaking to her dad about her sexuality, as soon as Emily mentions she is gay her dad instantly blames her friends or people around her and him and his wife agree it isn't normal for her. Her parents are suggesting homosexuality as being wrong or not normal however it clearly is perfectly normal. Some of these thoughts could just be due to their culture and beliefs. Overall i think this clip from pll is trying to influence more people to tell their parents as Emily felt better about herself and although her parents didn't agree with it she felt comfortable to show Maya off and not hide it anymore.


Skins sexuality clip:



These two clips are from the tv drama skins. It is representing heterosexual sexuality. There is a girl called Effy and two young lads see her for the first time. Freddie sees Effy first in the car and JJ says she has nice eyes and hair and then goes on to say 'nice breasts' this is objectifying women and showing this sexuality and these types of comments to be normal and acceptable. This is also proved when Cook says JJ's dad is mad for saying somethings are best left for the imagination. This shows Cook is only thinking about one thing when looking at Effy and that is sexually. I think these two clips are trying to show how men speaking to women like they do in this clip is wrong and unnaceeptable. Showing thi in a tv drama is a way to show people how it can make some people feel. 

100 Key Facts on Mad Max Fury Road

  1. Filming was delayed due to the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War.
  2. The original two formats the film was going to be on was to shoot the film in 3D. Also, the production was about to start filming in the crew-free african nation of Namibia, not at the originally intended locations in Australia's outback.
  3. The film was delayed 3 times; Iraq war, Filming of happy feet and rain in the Australian desert.
  4. Filming was first concluded on the 17th of December 2012- filming wraps, over budget after warner bros sends out an exclusive to put things back on track. A photo of Tom Hardy playing mad max was released at this time. 
  5. They went back to film additional scenes in November 2015.
  6. Warner Bro's panicked and insisted someone wrote a script as there wasn't one for shooting- only storyboards by Mark Sexton.
  7. All of the stars signed up to be in the film in 2010.
  8. The film was originally going to be produced in New South Wales, Australia for the desert location, however due to the heavy rain wildflowers grew in the desert which was inappropriate for the look of the film.
  9. “Fury Road” repeated its No. 1 position on the strength of a slightly lower estimated $7.5 million spent on 957 national airings across 42 networks led by MTV and Comedy Central. The vast majority of that spending targeted the NBA Basketball playoffs, with just under $1 million dedicated to placing ads against last week’s games.
  10. The whole crew spent 10 months in Namibia.
  11. Directed by George Miller.
  12. Written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris.
  13. Main stars include: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult.
  14. Rating of 8.2/10.
  15. The genres of the film include; Action, Adventure and Sci-fi.
  16. It has a certificate of 15.
  17. It is a 120 minute long film.
  18. It was released on the 14th of May 2015 in the UK and the 15th of May 2015 in the US.
  19. The films location was; Namib Desert, Namibia.
  20. It made an estimated budget of $150,000,000 in the US. Making $44,440,000 in the opening weekend.
  21. The production companies include; Kennedy Miller Productions, Village Roadshow Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures.
  22. The Sound Mix: Dolby Digital | Datasat | SDDS | Dolby Atmos.
  23. It is a Franchise movie.
  24. Max drives his interceptor in Fury Road for only 30 seconds
  25. Over 80% of the effects seen in the film are real practical effects, stunts, make-up and sets. CGI was used sparingly mainly to enhance the Namibian landscape, remove stunt rigging and for Charlize Theron's left hand which in the film is a prosthetic arm
  26. This is the second Mad Max featuring Hugh Keays-Byrne. He played the villain Toecutter in Mad Max (1979).
  27. Charlize Theron reportedly shaved her head for the role of Furiosa and as a result had to wear a wig for her role in A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014).
  28. The older actresses playing the Vuvalini did their own stunts.
  29. Tom Hardy suffered a broken nose during filming when Charlize Theron accidentally elbowed him.
  30. Charlize Theron was wearing a green cast which was used as a background for graphics artists to digitally remove Furiosa's arm.
  31. According to Tom Hardy, he had lunch with Mel Gibson to discuss him taking over the iconic role of Max Rockatansky. Gibson told him that he was fine with it, and gave Hardy his blessing.
  32. Margaret Sixel had 480 hours of footage to edit; watching it took three months.
  33. Originally intended to star Mel Gibson in the title role back in 2003 but because George Miller ran into problems with shooting locations, and Gibson's interest in The Passion of the Christ (2004), it never happened.
  34. The gesture made by the war boys when they mesh their fingers together is the sign of the V8; they literally revere and worship the power of the engine. It may also be viewed as a reference to Valhalla.
  35. John Seale came out of retirement to head the film's cinematography.
  36. A comic book series showing how Immortan Joe came to power is being published by Vertigo.
  37. As in the previous movies in this series, many characters' names are never said in full or at all onscreen and are only provided in the credits.
  38. George Miller told cinematographer John Seale to keep the main actor centered in the screen so that the viewer's eye did not have to search the screen due to the film's fast editing style. According to Seale, Miller said "Keep the crosshairs on her nose!" Seale, used to composing an anamorphic shot took a while to get used to this technique. He was not used to actors being cut off in the edges of the frame.
  39. Max and the main antagonist, Immortan Joe, never directly interact with each other, apart from when Max hijacks the People Eater's Limousine. They exchange gunshots during the takeover.
  40. The 78-year old Melissa Jaffer explained why she took a part in the film: "When this role came along, I thought well, I won't get another chance like this before I die, and that's why I took it. It was absolutely wonderful".
  41. The film used three identical War Rigs, the large main truck in the film. They were based on a Czechoslovakian all-wheel drive military vehicle.
  42. The script contains almost no profanities. The Dag abuses Max by saying, "He's a crazy smeg who eats schlanger." The use of the word 'smeg' echoes its use in the TV seriesRed Dwarf (1988), where it was used as an alternative for various expletives. There was almost no swearing in the earlier Mad Max movies, either. Schlange is German for snake.
  43. In the German-dubbed version seen in Germany, as in the original English version, the Buzzards speak Russian. In the Russian-dubbed version seen in Russia, they speak German. This way, they sound foreign and evil to everyone.
  44. When Max is tied to the front of Nux's car, there is a skull with a pilot's cap and goggles on a spike above him. This is a reference to the Gyro Captain, who appeared in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981).
  45. Riley Keough, the actress who plays the red-haired bride, Capable, is daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and grand-daughter of Elvis Presley.
  46. Writer and feminist Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) was consulted to enhance the portrayal of female characters.
  47. The "crows" on stilts are the boys abandoned by the Vuvalini when the green place turned sour.
  48. Director George Miller has written a background story for The Doof Warrior, the heavy metal musician, played by Australian singer/songwriter Sean Hape (AKA Iota), playing the flame-shooting electric guitar on The Doof Wagon.
  49. Night scenes were filmed in bright daylight, deliberately overexposed, and colour-manipulated. In many shots, the sky was digitally replaced with more detailed or interesting skies.
  50. Several vehicles, including The War Rig, Immortan Joe's double-decker 1959 Cadillac DeVille
  51. The budget for this film is estimated to be between US$100 million and $150 million, while the converted budget for the original Mad Max (1979) is placed at around $316,620. That means that without inflation, the budget between the two films increased by well over three hundred times. (With inflation, the difference is 100 - 150).
  52. The first Mad Max film where Max is credited by his full name Max Rockatansky.
  53. This is the second Mad Max film for screenwriter Nick Lathouris. As an actor, he played a brief role in Mad Max (1979).
  54. Former SAS soldier Jon Iles, who played the War Boy named The Ace, also headed a security team on the film's set to ensure the safety of the cast, crew, and their families.
  55. Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy reportedly did not get along during filming, with Hardy's Method acting reportedly bothering Theron.
  56. At the final vehicle battle, one of the Immortan Joe's henchmen scares Furiosa, before attacking her, with the exact same hiss as the Toecutter in Mad Max (1979).
  57. This is director George Miller's first R-rated movie since The Witches of Eastwick(1987).
  58. Quentin Kenihan, the actor playing Corpus Colossus, is disabled in real life (he has
  59. osteogenesis imperfecta).
  60. No prosthetics, puppets or special effects were used, the only alterations to Mr. Kenihan were makeup.
  61. First 'Mad Max' movie since Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), a gap of thirty years.
  62. The paracord bracelet that Max wears belongs to Tom Hardy himself.
  63. Nicholas Hoult learned how to knit from a makeup artist during the seven-month shoot in Namibia.
  64. With a runtime of two hours, this is the longest film in the Mad Max series.
  65. The character Toast the Knowing is named after visual effects crew member Shyam V. Yadav, who is known for serving free French toast (and hugs) to thousands of people all over the world.
  66. Actors were digitally duplicated in post production to expand the crowd scenes so in reality only a few actors were actually needed on set during filming.
  67. An R-rated version and a PG-13 version had been made. After test screenings, Warner Bros had decided to release the R-rated version.
  68. Tom Hardy had a dog named Max that was given to him when he was a teenager, he passed away in 2011. The dog's name was an honor to Mad Max (1979). Years later, Hardy played the title character in Mad Max: Fury Road.
  69. Tom Hardy had been considered for the role of John Connor in another reboot,Terminator Genisys (2015). James Cameron, the director and creator of the "Terminator" franchise had cited Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) as one of his influences behind The Terminator (1984).
  70. Second unit director and supervising stunt coordinator Guy Norris was in charge of over 150 stunt performers, which included Cirque du Soleil performers and Olympic athletes.
  71. Megan Gale, who plays The Valkyrie, was previously cast as Wonder Woman in George Miller's film Justice League: Mortal before it was canceled. This is her first Hollywood film.
  72. When Max awakes abruptly from his dream right after the blue sequence, the last image of his dream is a close view of eyes popping out of a face. This footage is from Mad Max (1979), when Toecutter is killed.
  73. Although the character Mad Max is an Australian, he has yet to be played by an Australian actor. Mel Gibson, the first Mad Max, although raised in Australia, was born in the USA. And Tom Hardy, the second Mad Max, was born in England.
  74. George Miller is proud that the film's chase scenes were done practically. He said the toughest, most complex shot was of the War Rig flipping, blocking off a chasm, and freeing Max and Furiosa to head to Joe's Citadel. 
  75. Initially, he felt there was no way he could ask a stuntman to flip the vehicle, so he looked into other options, including CGI and model work, before brave soul Lee Adamson volunteered. He did it in one take.
  76. The crossed belts that the Valkyrie, played by Megan Gale, wears are the same belts Max wore in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). The brass belt buckle has been covered or replaced.
  77. Certain screenings have shown the film in black & white. There was a rumour that this print would appear on the home video release, and that George Miller tried to press Warner Bros to include it, but it doesn't appear that's going to happen.
  78. The girl who Max sees in his visions, commonly believed to be his daughter, is in fact Glory the Child, who can be seen in the comic series. It can also be noted that she is seen being run down in a desert by a selection of vehicles, while Max's child was killed by a biker gang prior to the war.
  79. George Miller cited Akira (1988) as an inspiration for what he wanted to do with the franchise.
  80. George Miller described the film as "a very simple allegory, almost a western on wheels".
  81. When Engine #1 of the War Rig breaks down during the final chase to The Citadel, the sound it makes is the same sound the Millennium Falcon makes when it breaks down in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
  82. The only film in the Mad Max series where the last road battle does not end in a head-on collision between two vehicles and a main antagonist is killed in the process.
  83. With the exception of Max and Nux, all of the film's male characters are villains. Conversely, all of the female characters are good.
  84. In the last scene of the movie, Furiosa's eye is swollen shut as a result of injury, the same as Max's is at the end of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981).
  85. In a likely reference, Nux crashes the War Rig in the same way the tanker crashes at the end of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981).
  86. Body Count: 114
  87. When Max asks Nux if he's a "blackthumb" and can fix Engine #1 while they are on the War Rig may be a reference to the character Blackfinger from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), who is the chief mechanic in Bartertown.
  88. The last image is of Furiosa rising into Joe's Citadel, Max having melted into the crowds. George Miller disclosed: "Very early on, I had [Max] going up to the top of the Citadel with them. But Tom Hardy picked that up very early - Max would never go. He wasn't even remotely ready for that.
  89. We end on the idea of Furiosa and the others taking over all the resources. It asks the question: are they going to do any better?"
  90. After the War Rig is driven off the platform and the platform begins to rise as it is drawn back up into The Citadel, a lone woman can be seen standing in the center. In the previous wide-angle shot of the crowd, The Wretched were shown begging for a place in Immortan Joe's coterie.
  91. This woman, played by Debra Ades, was likely brought aboard to be used as a milker or breeder.
  92. A deleted scene shows Miss Giddy's fate; she is left with Angharad's body, and attacked by crows (the crows were never added).
  93. The music box Toast the Knowing is playing is similar to the one seen in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981), which Max pulls off a body in a wrecked truck and later gives to the Feral Kid.
  94. Charlize Theron will not return as Imperator Furiosa for Mad Max: The Wasteland. The "Mad Max" films are influenced by the western genre and like the mysterious gunfighter, Max leaves and moves on to an entirely new adventure.
  95. In one of the scenes the War Rig has a collision with a black Mack tractor unit. The same style of Mack tractor unit was featured in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) to pull the fuel tanker trailer.

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Ethnicity in TV Drama's

Definition of ethnicity:

The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

Eastenders: Black



Everyone is this clip from Eastenders appears to be black. This shows their social group and similarities. No other ethnic background is shown in the clip and they even talk about their ethnicity. When the two characters are in the cafe (Male and female) they talk about their ethnicity group and where they come from.

Skins:Indian



In this clip from Skins Maxxie is shown talking to a Indian boy called Anwar on the phone. Anwar's dad comes out to meet him but Anwar explains Maxxie is gay and Anwars dad starts swearing and judging him for it. This is due to his ethnicity of being a Indian and there beliefs being different to other ethnicities.

Pretty Little Liars: Asian



This final clip i found is from the tv drama Pretty Little Liars. It shows a asian girl called Emily Fields talking to her dad about her sexuality. When she is having the conversation with her dad she struggles to tell him as she knows he will be disappointed in her as this doesn't follow their beliefs as asians. Emily finally tells her dad and he refuses to accept the fact that this is his daughter he tries to pass the blame onto her friends influencing her or it not being Emily's decision. This shows a true definition of what the Asian ethnic group believe in and what they see as right and wrong. However this is showing the stereotype of this belief. 

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Luther Essay- Annotated

Luther clip-Gender representation

During this clip from Luther gender representation is shown in many different ways. Starting with their appearance, gender is presented very strongly through this aspect. The woman from this episode (Alice) is dressed very smartly and looks very sophisticated. She is wearing a black suit to try and portray power and dominance when this really isn’t the case. [EC1] She is also wearing a lot of makeup like bright red lipstick to define her lips and eye liner to define her eyes. [EC2] These two points demonstrate femininity to the extreme. [EC3] 
Moving on to the language used in this clip, for example the way in which Alice speaks to Luther. When she speaks to him her voice is provocative and sounds like she is saying it[EC5]  in a sexual manner. This could suggest all females as being ‘easy’ or ‘sexual’ towards the male sex. [EC6] 
When Luther speaks to Alice he seems to be very matter of fact so he isn’t interested in her and he isn’t falling for her ‘provocative language’ or actions. He looks down on her and stands over her to show his male dominance and possibly trying to make her feel uncomfortable. [EC7] He kind of looks at her differently as he would to the ‘normal stereotype’ of men seeing women in a sexual light.

I am disappointed that you didn’t manage to use more technical vocabulary and that you didn’t use many specific examples from the clip – you have to be much more focussed and analytical than this. Remember that you need to explore editing and sound as well as mise en scene and camerawork (and consider how they work together to create representations)
This is a LEVEL 1 response L






 [EC1]?


 [EC2]Specific impact/connotations?
How does camera work enhance this?


 [EC3]Expand this….


 [EC4]You need to link this to gender


 [EC5]What? Try to use specific examples. Use more technical vocabulary e.g. dialogue


 [EC6]You need to use specific examples/root this in the extract
Try to link to concepts we have studied e.g. the ‘female gaze’


 [EC7]Refer to specific camera shots/angles


 [EC8]Specific evidence needed here


 [EC9]Explain what you mean/justify this comment