Disability representation clip practice

Representations of disability

Representations of disability:

We live in a world of challenge and change.

This means we have to see the same challenge and change in front of us. 

What are the different representations of disability? Think of some characters on TV who are disabled…

·         “Ah, aren’t they sweet” patronising sympathy

·         Figures of fun: Elephant Man, The Undatables, XFactor/BGT

·         Admire

·         Interest: “What is wrong with them?”

 

It could be claimed that disability is more about tokenism and voyeurism that being about change, for example:

·         Matt Lucas in Little Britain

 

Challenging representations of disability:

·         Walt Jr, Breaking Bad

 

What to look out for:

·         Is the representation positive or negative?

·         Are they token characters? Is there more to the character than just the disability?

·         What focus is on them? Are they simply there in a supporting capacity?

·         Are they being slightly patronised? Are we made to feel sympathy for them?

 

But most importantly, how are they doing this?

 

Sound and editing

Editing:

Continuity Editing
This is done to create a clear seamless narrative that hides the editing process creating a sense of verisimilitude (the appearence of being true or real)

Types of editing shots:
Shot reverse shot
Action match/ match on action
Eyeline match
Matching the eyeline of who is in the scene
Graphic match
Two successive shots joined so as to create a strong similarity of compositional elements
Jump cut
Jumping from place to place whilst having conversation
Cross cutting
The camera will cut away from one action to another action
A cutaway
The interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else
Insert shot
A shot of part of a scene filmed from a different angle or focal length from the master shot

Transitions:
Dissolve
Wipe

Sound:
Diegetic/ non-diegetic sound

Sound effects:
Synchronous sounds
Sounds which are synchronised or matched with what is viewed
Asynchronous sounds
Not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen

Gender

Superiority and domination
Men are shown in dominant positions and women are physically portrayed as less-dominant or cooperating with men 

Dismemberment

Full body is not usually photographed; usually it is parts of it such as legs or chest

Clowning and exaggeration

Women are portrayed as the less intelligent ones, more emotional and make them seem more foolish where men are presented in positions of reflective thought and intelligence

Male approval

Women usually have to seek for men’s approval for different situations. “Males desire and women are desired.” 

The voice-over authority

There are a higher number of men speaking in voice-overs in commercials than women

Irrelevant sexualisation of women and girls

Women’s products are used to sell products, even if they are not products for women or directed by women

Primeval exam clip:

Women storms off, man walks away from her

Women driving digger, countertype

Man in charge, he notices body and takes action

Women tries to distract animal, potentially saves man’s life

Once recovered, man takes over again, uses belt to go across zip wire, improvising ‘manly’ action

Women shoots gun and saves man’s life

Camera shot of the men walking in a line, women is at the end, shows she is not as important

Other women has a lot of make up on and ‘designer’ clothes, tries to use flattery with power

Other man gets aggressive and angry, pulls out gun, woman panics, and results to giving him the power

Third man walks in and holds a gun up to him; the power is still with the man

Women is angry her coat is messed up and original women asks about the main problem, they are shown as independent

Regional Identity

 

 

Representations

Key questions:
Who or what is  being represented?
How is it being represented?
Within what genre? How does it fit within the genre?
How has the representation been constructed?
Whose ideas are being reflected?
How are the audience positioned?

Protagonist and antagonist:
The director wants the audience to be on the side of the protagonist (the person you are suppose to be following) and hope that the antagonist will fail.
The audience has to identify the protagnist for this to happen, they have to be on their side.
They only have a few hours to make you identify them, so they use a kind of 'shorthand.'

Character typing:
Archetype: a familiar character who has emerged from hundreds of years of storytelling and fairytales.
Stereotype: a character ususally used in advertising and marketing in order to sell a particular product to a certain group of people. They can be used negatively in the media, e.g. 'hoodies.'
Generic: a character familar through use in a particular genre (type) or movie.
Countertype: anything that goes against the stereotype.

The Hyperdermic Needle Model:
Dating from the 1920s, this theory was the first attempt to explain how mass audiences might react to mass media.
It is a crude model and suggests that the audiences passively receive the information transmitted via a media text, without any attempt on their part to process or challenge data.

Two-Step Flow theory:
The HNM proved to be too clumsy for media researchers.
The information comes from an 'opinion leader,' thus being influenced not by a direct process, but by a two step flow.
For example: Twitter, following celebritites and listening/acting on what they say.

Blumler and Katz:
Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine.
Personal relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction, e.g. substituting soap operas for family life.
Personal identity: finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts.
Surveillance: information which could be useful for living e.g. weather reports, financial news and holiday bargains.

Names in Narrative Theory:
Meaning: Roland Barthes
Structure: Tvzetan Todorov
Character: Vladimir Propp
Conflict and resolution: Claude Levi-Strauss

Lost: remake & The Director's Commentry

Re-make of the opening scene of Lost:

Director's commentry: