Tutorial targets

Tutorial targets 

1)Academic books, using google books
2)Include links to online articles + quotes
3) choose text and topics- representation or genre (black use/issues VS thrillers) FRIDAY 2/10

Ignite Presentation Learner Response

significance: 4/5

structure: 3/5

Simplicity: 3/5

Rehearsal: 2/5

WWW

• wider context 
• reference to sterotypes positive and negative
• good vocal pitch
• good use of media terminology
• good vocabulary to express opinions 
• excellent slides (it was simple)
• good presentation style
• interesting points 

EBI

• there was allot of pauses
• could of benefited from more images  
• needs rehearsal
• did not refer to some of the slides 

My presentation was on the representations of black people, I chose a historical drama as there main aim is to show social change. This movie was about black history, which is linked to my critical investigation as I am doing the representation of black youth and how they differ to the representation of the older black generation. Analysing this film allowed me to see how the representation of black people has changed especially after 9/11, because Americas moral panic towards black people moved on to Muslims. The representation between the older and younger generation is make really apparent in this film, we see the civil rights movement form a parents perspective and a teenagers perspective, presenting one generation as wise and the other as reckless. This film also shows "social change" as a montage towards the end of the film however the extent to the social change can still be questioned especially in america. The Butler also helped me conclude that the treatment of black people with power has developed but when it comes to black youths, the idea of society developing can be questioned.

Theories.

Narrative Theory

This historical drama is inspired by true events, so it showed significant times of the protagonists life so it showed when he was eleven when him and his mother and farther worked at a cotton farm, in one day his mother was raped by a white man and his farther was killed by that same man, it showed the struggles he faced after his mother became paranoid and crazy, which really shaped the kind of man he is, bit by bit it was showing how his struggles made him into a caring wise and polite individual which later opened a door for him to work in the white house as the presidents butler. so the narrative is organised chronologically which made it easier for the viewers to follow. Todorov narrative theory can be applied here, the equilibrium is when he was on the cotton field with his parents, then the disequilibrium was when his farther died mother went crazy causing the main character to run away, the new equilibrium was when he got the job in the white house.

 Due to the differences in skin colour the white people in the united states of America didn't think that the black people in America weren't the same as them therefore did not deserve the same level of respect. However after many years of fighting for equality you would think that society has changed meanwhile the representations of black people still remains, but more on the black youths being misrepresented as dangerous and drug abusers. this is mainly due to the media exaggerating the news about gang violence when a black individual is involved. 

Audience theory

Most of these audiences would be in the ABC1 demographic, and the psychographic would be aspires or reformers.these audiences may be seeking status or an image and all the people in this film are successful people so watching them would make them feel like they are achieving a statues. or they are seeking discovery to make them more relate able looking for experiences inside a film.

Articles

The guardian

this film discusses the issues in the film about black people in a white dominated society, the connotation is he misrepresentation of those black people and ways they could overcome it. furthermore another connotation is the impact that all those social conflicts and even change can have on a persons life. the denotation for the movie was man which was an average mundane obeying person who questions his faith due to his sons political view and rebellion about the rights he deserved as a human which happened to be black.

The Atlantic 

This is a historical drama set in the 1960s which was a significant earner for the African Americans due to civil rights movements which embarked both political and social arguments about the role of black people in America. Due to its narrative structure and the dicussion of issues it was compared to forest gump. This shows the traditional representations of black people being labelled as second class citizens in comparison to the whites of America. 

 Daily Mail

Oprah was Christianised because people thought her acting was forced and she was only given the role because of her popularity. However there are alternative representations of black people in this film, this is mainly due to the main character Cecile Gaines is a black butler being treated as a friend by the white president of the united states. the friend role he plays defeats the dominate representation of black people being worthless and ignored.  

Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes

• 72% from critics at rotten tomatoes and an average rate of 6.6 out of 10
• The critics said "gut wrenching and emotionally effecting" suggesting that the performance from the actors were strong enough to create such as strong emotional effect
• out of 80000 78% of the audience said they liked it.

• The audience also rated this film 3.9 out of 5 on average, although this film was criticised for being a typical black history film.

                                                                     Telegraph

• An average rating of 4 out of 5
• "the butler might bite of more history than it can chew, but it packs a strong sustained emotional punch" suggesting that it covers allot of black history therefore has allot of black representations in it.
• "superb performance" 
• " an ambitious sweep through Americas racial history"
• this film is really key in showing the different opinions of citizens in america both with the mistreatment of black american citizen and politically as they showed events from the presidents perspective.

Daily mail

• "lacks a bit of polish"
• an average rating of 3 out of 5
• "Oprah's white house drama is way over the top" was the main character in the criticism by daily mail, they said her acting wasn't good enough to play such a powerful role.
• "he butler is not well served for its own ambition" suggesting that the critics in Daily mail didn't think the film created the impression it was trying to create, so they were really harsh with their ratings.

Ignite Presentation

Key Concept Questions

The Butler

 

 

 

 

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Media Representations

1)Who is being represented? In what way? By whom?

This is a historical drama set in the 1960s which was a significant earner for the African Americans due to civil rights movements which embarked both political and social arguments about the role of black people in America. This shows the traditional representations of black people being labelled as second class citizens in comparison to the whites of America. However there are alternative representations of black people in this film, this is mainly due to the main character Cecile Gaines is a black butler being treated as a friend by the white president of the united states. the friend role he plays defeats the dominate representation of black people being worthless and ignored.    

2)Why is the subject being represented in this way?

 Due to the differences in skin colour the white people in the united states of America didn't think that the black people in America weren't the same as them therefore did not deserve the same level of respect. However after many years of fighting for equality you would think that society has changed meanwhile the representations of black people still remains, but more on the black youths being misrepresented as dangerous and drug abusers. this is mainly due to the media exaggerating the news about gang violence when a black individual is involved. 

3)Is the representation fair and accurate?

The representations in the movie shows the divide between the black and white individuals, which is an accurate representation of the issues that where going on in America between 1920s to the 1960s. However the misrepresentations of black individuals in the news is not fair or accurate however I do believe the main reason for this the way those black individual represent themselves in music videos, enforcing that representation of them being a threat and dangerous. 

4)What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?

I think an interview or a documentary on misrepresented individuals would be significant in created awareness on the reasons why its wrong to have preconceptions and the impacts it can have on an individuals life. This movie does creates awareness to some extent but it shows what can happen when a black individual is treated in a good manner, it shows how it can impact their lives positively.   

Media Languages and Forms

1)What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?

The denotation for this film about black people in a white dominated society, the connatation is he misrepresentation of those black people and ways they could overcome it. furthermore another connotation is the impact that all those social conflicts and even change can have on a persons life. the denotation for the movie was man which was an average mundane obeying person who questions his faith due to his sons political view and rebellion about the rights he deserved as a human which happened to be black.

2)What is the significance of the text’s connotations?
the significance of the texts connotation is the impact of change, and also the way problems and conflicts going on can affect the relationship between husband and wife but also between farther and son. it also shows the hate that was going on in that society not only to the black people but the way black people treated the whites was also shown.

3)What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?
this movie was to show the the divide between the black and white community, it also discusses the financial issue the black people faced due to them getting paid less then the white people because they were black, this was shown by the clothing that black people wore it looked more worn out and some even resulted to making their own clothes. 

4)What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings (CLAMPS)?
the setting was showing the civil rights movement from and active protester, from multiply presidents point of view and also from a man who knows nothing else but serving white peoples point of view. so the setting was created to suit each point of view, the presidents always looked at the civil rights movement to reduce violence so they were watching it from a TV in a luxurious space, with prestige colors such as white walls red carpet and black furniture. From the active protesters view it was in a motel room with a couple of other young people automatically showing the people that they are trouble. 

5)What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?
most of the music in the film is contrapuntal to this historical drama. all the music is soul or gospel music which was significant and mostly associated with slavery and the civil rights movement.  it also shows how high spirited the black community were and how much they relied on god and church during hard times. the language and dialect used by the white people was different to the way the black people spoke exaggerating the extent they were different in.

6)What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?
Most of the camera work is used to emphasis facial expression, so when the camera is taken from a long shot it shows the posture the main character has at work, which was proper and respectful in comparison to cecile at his home, he had a tall and wise posture showing that he is the man of the house.  

Narrative

1)How is the narrative organised and structured?
this historical drama is inspired by true events, so it showed significant times of the protagonists life so it showed when he was eleven when him and his mother and farther worked at a cotton farm, in one day his mother was raped by a white man and his farther was killed by that same man, it showed the struggles he faced after his mother became paranoid and crazy, which really shaped the kind of man he is, bit by bit it was showing how his struggles made him into a caring wise and polite individual which later opened a door for him to work in the white house as the presidents butler. so the narrative is organised chronologically which made it easier for the viewers to follow.

2)How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
due to the narrative being chronological it makes it easier for the audience to follow the story ad sympathies with the protagonist when difficult events happen because they understand his history therefore can show more sympathy.

3)How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
in the butler there is no clear distinguished between hero and villains because it shows situations from multiple different prospective. for example most of the black people blamed the president for their mistreatment however this film shows there was a limit to how much the presidents can do, and when they exceed those limits there are bad consequences such as being shot (J.F kennedy) or being forced to resign. it showed that that time was a difficult time for everyone living in that society. the main heroes were the protagonist, non violent protesters and to some extent the political leaders. the main villeins were the traditional white people which refuse or change to take place.

4)What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
the sound such as gospel music was used to show sadness and loss when the main characters son died or when JF kenedy was shot, it was also used to move on the narrative. the iconography was mainly used in the editing to exaggerate some features when an event was going on so the audience was given an insight as to the reactions of people of that time.the dramatic genre was created through the narrative because there was a constancy of seriousness therefore the audiences know that this a drama, and because it was set in a long time ago they know its a historical drama.

5)What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?
the major theme is violence vs peaceful protests and the an individual can have on a majority.

Genre

1)To which genre does the text belong?
this is a historical drama inspired by true events between 1940s to 2008.The butler is a historical drama on real events and people during the 34-38th presidents reign. 

2)What are the major generic conventions within the text?
the major conventions  were differences in skin colour the white people in the united states of America didn't think that the black people in America weren't the same as them therefore did not deserve the same level of respect. However after many years of fighting for equality you would think that society has changed meanwhile the representations of black people still remains, but more on the black youths being misrepresented as dangerous and drug abusers. this is mainly due to the media exaggerating the news about gang violence when a black individual is involved.  (eg. violence being associated with black people)

3)What are the major iconographic features of the text?
the main iconography are the impact that all those social conflicts and even change can have on a persons life. the denotation for the movie was man which was an average mundane obeying person who questions his faith due to his sons political view and rebellion about the rights he deserved as a human which happened to be black.

4)What are the major generic themes?
the major themes are the role of black people in america due to them being second class citizens the felt like they didn't belong there although it was there country aswell as the white communities country. It also shows how different people deal with situations differently, it shows how people are shaped because of their struggles it can either result to a revenges personality of a wise personality. so the main theme in my opinion is the impact an individuals characteristic can have on whether the person lives a happy life or a dangerous life.

5)To what extent are the characters generically determined?
the film was shown from multiple prospective so we has a range of different views as to the issues that were occurring. we were shown the civil rights movement from and active protester, from multiply presidents point of view and also from a man who knows nothing else but serving white peoples point of view. so the setting was created to suit each point of view, the presidents always looked at the civil rights movement to reduce violence so they were watching it from a TV in a luxurious space, with prestige colors such as white walls red carpet and black furniture. From the active protesters view it was in a motel room with a couple of other young people automatically showing the people that they are trouble. 

Media Institutions

1)What is the institutional source of the text?
The Weinstein Company

2)In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?
The weinstein company is the institution that also produced the king speech therefor it can be concluded that this institution is shaped/influenced into doing historical dramas, which were to some extent is important in educating individuals.

3)Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?
the weinstein company is a public service.

4)Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?
the CEO of the weinstein company is ben weinstein which is the brother of the founder of that company, no it doesn't matter because it just sponsor the film, so they only care if the film succeeds. 

5)How has the text been distributed?
this film was distributed both in cinema and on DVD aswell as online streaming such as google play and Netflix, this film had to be renamed due to people associating this film with warner brothers entertainment institution.

Media Values and Ideology

1)What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it? the major theme is violence vs peaceful protests and the an individual can have on a majority.

2)What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?
it was to educate the audiences about historical events, therefore the name of the film had to be eye catching to the public aswell as giving away the genre of the film. in my opinion the billboards and the the name of the film can really present the film in a way that is must see to the audience. also it had allot of well known people in the film which would of further promoted it.

 

Media Audiences

1)To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)
Demographic - ABC1
Psychographic-  reformers/aspirers 

2)What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?
they are seeking status or an image and all the people in this film are successful people so watching them would make them feel like they are achieving a statues. or they are seeking discovery to make them more relate able looking for experiences inside a film.

3)What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
probably after watershed because there are some levels of violence and even rape so it is not suitable for family viewing. although it was rated 12 on sky and Netflix.

4)In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?

5)What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?
i think due to it being based on black history and came out on the month of black history a large number of people saw the film, and the constancy was kept high due to the celebrities that were staring in it.

6)What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?
due to it being about black history it would attract allot of people to watch it as it is something majority of the population feel touchy about so the only way, also the psycho graphic group that are likely to see this film is very mainstream therefore allot of viewers.

7)What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory).
surveillance as it lets them know about a significant american history, also this can be used as relationships to improve social status of the person. the personal relation ship with characters can be implied here as there are lots of different characteristics presented in the film, which might make audiences feel like they can relate to certain characters.