Indentity

The complex way that one has a representative sense of oneself. Gauntlett's recent work on identity is the best source for a definition - "we all have a complex matrix of ideas about ourselves, who we are and what we want to be".

Regional Identity

What region/group of people does the stereotypical characteristics listed below describe?

Flat cap-wearing
pigeon racers
Friendly but "bloody-minded"
stubborn and argumentative
Whippet owning
Menial manual (hard) jobs
little education
sexist
Thick accent
Bitter drinkers
Hot Pot
Miserable weather
Cobbled streets





How would the mother in this clip be a typical representation of a northern women?


What region/group of people does the stereotypical characteristics listed below describe?

Scrumpy-addled yokels
The inbred
Stupid
Happy
Livestock bothering
Farm hand yokel
OR
Lord of the Manor
Hunting toff
Slow pace of life
Have animals
Landrover
Tractor

Realism

The degree to which, and the variety of ways in which media texts represent and idea of reality.

Verisimilitude: Key Word

The logical seemingly authentic world of the text. Not the same as 'realist', because every text has a logical, sensible world constructed through continuity, detail and recognition.

Student Examples of Representations of Age

Exam Unit G322 TV Drama: Monarch of The Glen

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of age using the following:

camera shot, angles, movement and composition
Editing
Sound
Mise-en-scene

Age: Representations of Age

"Representation" describes how people and things are shown in film (images that are literally re-presented or reflected or re-produced) back to the audience. it is how these images are broken down analysed that allow us to see what they can mean and discuss how people and places are portrayed.

Old people - How are they shown? Are they shown as weak and doddering pensioners? How are they dressed and how do they speak?

Teenagers - How are they dressed and how do they speak? Are they rebellious? Do they shout? What music do they listen to?

How is Age being Represented in the following clips?

One Foot in The Grave


The Wedding Singer




The Proposal


Benidorm:

View the Montage of Clips from the TV Series Benidorm and identify how the characters are being represented in terms of their age and gender.






Abi & Jay (Abi's Father Max)

View the clips from the award winning film  "The Miracle Worker" 1962. The representation of the early meeting between Helen keller and her governess was interesting and shocking for it's rawness  

the family indulged her. The expectation of her abilities was possibly less. 

Ann Sullivan recognised that much of the girls behaviour was wilfulness and not lack of ability even though her disability was severe.

The film ‘Born of the 4^th of July’ shows Tom Cruise playing the young Ken Kovic and how he is treated in hospital and the reactions of his family when he returns home.

View the clip and look at the production codes (film language i.e. close up, low angle etc) to analyse how he is being represented and how others in the scene are responding to him.

Does the way he is represented fall into the categories at the top of this posting? 

The clip of the film "Notting Hill" we see friends dining together. Watch the clip through 2 or 3 times and then write bullet points of how the disabled character is represented.

Is she being shown in a different way then disabled people are more usually represented in film? If so explain why you think she is. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast/ouch_talk_show_43.shtml

http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/reflections/000643.html

Stereotypes of Disability: from the BFI on films & Disability

Below is a more condensed version of the BFI report on how disability is represented in film, called "Stereotypes of Disability".

The document explains how disable people are commonly represented in film.

Read carefully and thoroughly, as it might be helpful to you in identifying key features of stereotypes such as listed below:

• The Hero: bravery stereotype
• The Villain: freak stereotype
• Tragic Figure: victim stereotype 
• Ugly.  

View the clips from the award winning film  "The Miracle Worker" 1962. The representation of the early meeting between Helen keller and her governess was interesting and shocking for it's rawness  

the family indulged her. The expectation of her abilities was possibly less. 

Ann Sullivan recognised that much of the girls behaviour was wilfulness and not lack of ability even though her disability was severe.

The film ‘Born of the 4th of July’ shows Tom Cruise playing the young Ken Kovic and how he is treated in hospital and the reactions of his family when he returns home.
View the clip and look at the production codes (film language i.e. close up, low angle etc) to analyse how he is being represented and how others in the scene are responding to him.
Does the way he is represented fall into the categories at the top of this posting?





The clip of the film "Notting Hill" we see friends dining together. Watch the clip through 2 or 3 times and then write bullet points of how the disabled character is represented.
Is she being shown in a different way then disabled people are more usually represented in film? If so explain why you think she is.



Click on the link to hear David Proud (the wheelchair bound character in Eastenders) discuss the representation of his character on the soap.

Disability Representation on Eastendersl

Click on the link to read the document on disability and film.

Film & Disability

Which stereotypical categories would you say the characters in the following clips fall into?

Give your reasons why.

Unit 322 – TV Drama representations of Disability

How would you define disability?

What do you think defines somebody as being disabled?

In pairs discuss what you think defines people as disabled. Class discussion. 

Hero Archetypes

"Archetype" is a term to describe universal and recurring characters. The word is based on the Greek, archetypos, meaning "first of its kind". Archtypal characters share certain common features that possess elements of universality. They are able to transcend cultural boundaries.


The Chief: a dynamic leader, he has time for nothing but work
The Bad Boy: dangerous to know, he walks on the wild side
The Best Friend: sweet and safe, he never lets anyone down 
The Charmer: a smooth talker, he creates fantasies  
The Professor: coolly analytical, he knows every answer 
The Swashbuckler: Mr. Excitement, he's an adventurer 
The Warrior: a noble champion, he acts with honour. 

Villain: Definition

A villain (also known in film and literature as the "bad guy", "black hat", or "heavy") is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters. A female villain is sometimes called a villainess (often to differentiate her from a male villain). Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines villain as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot".^[1]

How Many Villains Can You Spot?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbeIgsricd4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFRTnepKEto&feature=related

Student Examples of Villains: Group 12A Media Studies

Textual Analysis: Unit G322

TV Drama: Unit G322

In pairs discuss who you think is the perfect villain in Film or TV. Find a short clip or poster on the Internet and present your views on why the character/actor or actress is the perfect villain.

Some points for discussion might be

Age; class; gender; social/political; unacceptable attitudes; (choose a clip that is possible to show in a classroom environment though).

Comment on film techniques, camera, lighting, make up etc. 

1) Chloe


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGa_WZercsA&feature=related

2) kirsten & Rebecca


3) Victoria


4) Debbie


5) Jodie & Jack


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj-L1WD-3WU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-rkpgchJOA&feature=related

Student Examples of Villains: Group 12C Media Studies

Textual Analysis: Unit G322

TV Drama: Unit G322

In pairs discuss who you think is the perfect villain in Film or TV. Find a short clip or poster on the Internet and present your views on why the character/actor or actress is the perfect villain.

Some points for discussion might be

Age; class; gender; social/political; unacceptable attitudes; (choose a clip that is possible to show in a classroom environment though).
Comment on film techniques, camera, lighting, make up etc. 

1) Lily & Lia



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOEvVY67Dmg&feature=related

2) Tom & Hannah








3) Ellie Steele



4) Katie & Camilla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHN2rrHab8Y&feature=related

5) Nick & Obed

Obed

Steven Berkoff Talking about Shakespeare's Villains

The actor Steven Berkoff is famous for playing villains in TV, Film & Theatre. In this monologue Berkoff talks about the different types of Villain.

Some of the famous characters Berkoff has played are:

General Orlov in James Bond (Octopussy)

Lt.Col Podovsky in Rambo

Victor Maitland in Beverley Hills Cop

Adolf Hitler in War and Remembrance 

Transcript

Shakespeare’s Villains: Steven Berkoff

What is a villain? A person who is motivated purely by their own lusts, desires and greed irrespective of the pain they may cause you or even inspired by the pain they may cause you.

A villain is someone who had little love in their early life and therefore they have no pattern, no way of expressing love. I think love is a uniquely human thing. It’s got to be learned and Lago was like an under nourished tree that could only give off bad fruit. The milk of human kindness does not run through his veins, the milkman didn’t leave it there that day. Anyway for the purpose of today’s little chat I’ve categorised villains into various types; various shades. You’ve got brilliant villains; witty villains; idiot villains; Machiavellian villains; sloppy villains; mediocre villains. And as far as I am concerned Lago is a mediocre villain small minded petty; jealous of everything that you possess; jealous of your skills; jealous of your money; jealous of your ability to work a computer and most of all jealous of the love that you inspire because nobody can love a villain. You can admire, revere a villain; you can be frightened of a villain; but you cannot love a villain: because to love you have to be open; vulnerable and naked. Because a villain is armoured tight; hiding behind a wall of fear from which they occasionally peep out. So dear Lago is a mediocre Villain. That doesn’t mean to say that mediocrity is a crime. Most of you are mediocre that’s why you go to the theatre to watch other mediocrity. But mediocrity dressed in the great language of Shakespeare; dressed in those great philosophies, those insights, those parables. So we actors hold up the mirror to nature.

No mediocrity is not a crime Aristotle the great Greek philosopher said that compassion is the height of awareness, simple compassion, the ability to be sensitive, to feel, to be sensitive to other people.  Even a charlady can have compassion and a genius be totally bereft of any compassion. Anyway just to get to the plot. Casio who is Othello’s lieutenant gets blinding drunk one night, of course organised by me (Lago); why? Because I want to bring him down a peg that guy stuffed shirt. You are one of these oxfords kind of fag who gets his job not because of any skill on the ground as I did but because of his contacts; he’s a bit pompous arsehole. So I get him really well pissed so he looses his reputation: he looses in front of Othello; which it’s a terrible thing to loose your reputation. Yes very, very bad thing. Many times I have lost my reputation, you know when a critic decides to defecate upon my head from a great height, I loose my reputation; as I read the reviews it’s as if a stink comes off the page and surrounds me and I can’t leave the house for days until the critic decides to drop his load on someone else and the smell travels over there. But when I read the reviews written about my colleague, I read with compassion. Yes, schadenfreude, I enjoy that and schadenfreude you know what that is, that’s the pleasure we have out of someone else’s pain and schadenfreude is Lago’s favourite wine, a little bit like Chardonnay only somewhat drier. 

Types of Villain

• Brilliant Villain
• Witty Villain
• Idiot Villain
• Machiavellian Villain
• Sloppy Villain
• Mediocre Villain 

Mediocre

Mediocre:

Adjective

1. Of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.
2. Rather poor or inferior. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mediocre

Compassion

Compassion:

noun

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compassion

Machiavellian

Machiavellian:

1) Being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analysed in Machiavelli’s The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.

2) Characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty: He resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get ahead. 




http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Machiavellian 

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude:
Satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune,
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/schadenfreude

Cathartic

Catharsis or katharsis:

 Is a Greek word meaning "cleansing" or "purging". And means "to purify, purge," and to the adjective to "pure or clean."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cathartic

villain 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oAg1ER6HKw&feature=related

villain 2

Villain 3

Villain 4

Comment on what type of Villains are these and why.

Archetypes

"Archetype" is a term to describe universal and recurring characters. The word is based on the Greek, archetypos, meaning "first of its kind". Archtypal characters share certain common features that possess elements of universality. They are able to transcend cultural boundaries. 

Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp, the Russian structuralist, studied fairy stories and established a number of character types and events associated with them. 

He called these events ^functions' and suggested their number was limited to 31. His work has been related to film and media studies, and it is possible for example to use Propp's theory to fit the character types in a range of texts, especially feature films.