Media U1 AOS/Outcome 1

Measurements of Success:

• On completion of this unit you should be able to explain the construction of media representations in different products, forms and contexts, including how audiences engage with, consume and read these representations.

When we consider what a media text is, we must consider that texts are constructed, and often important decisions are made as to how the text is represented or representing a certain subject (Lesson Bucket, 2013).

For example, “when you take a photograph, you make a number of important decisions about how the subject will be represented, including: lighting, camera angle, shot size, visual composition, colour, posture and facial expression of the subject” (Lamb, 2013).

This process is intentional and can reflect the views and values of those who create them or the society in which they are created (Lamb, 2013). This concept can transform the views and outlook of the audience the text is constructed form, for better or worse.

Adapted from (Caudullo and Kelly, 2020)

Heroes VS Villains

Character Representation

When developing a character such as a Villain or a Hero, film makers will use a number of techniques to insinuate and provide their audience further information and access to the development of a certain character and their personality/traits. Their choice of Codes such as Mis en Scene, Editing, Lighting, Sound, and Acting are influential in creating a representation of character, and often with the development of Villains and Heroes these Codes are particularly enhanced in an attempt to provide the audience with a clearer understanding of the characters storied direction. Often the Villain and Hero are the Antagonist and Protagonist of the narrative, so when suited you might like to refer to them this way (Lamb, 2018).

Task

As a class, we will analyse a series of clips that utilise Codes and Conventions to demonstrate the development of the Villain or Hero character. Through the analysis of CAMELS, you will write a paragraph for each media Code describing how it has been used to influence, strengthen, or provide information on the representation of the character.

Some things to think about:

(Lamb, 2013)

(All Powers Explained, 2021)

CAMERA

• What Camera techniques are used to tell us more about the character?

• Are there close-ups that highlight facial expressions?

• Are there camera angles that imply power or weakness?

Use technical shot terminology to strengthen your analysis

EDITING

• Have the sequence of shots been thought about carefully to represent themes of the narrative or the characters development?

• Why are they set out in this order?

• Are there any editing techniques that are highly evident in the sequence?

• Remember that editing is highly constructed and on purpose. What stands out and what are the film makers trying to tell us about the character?

Use editing terminology to strengthen your analysis.

Activity

(SBS On Demand, 2015)

(Movie Clips, 2017)

LIGHTING

Lighting in films has almost always been purposefully altered or applied to achieve a particular effect. In Hero vs Villain films, Lighting contributes highly in developing character portrayal – dark lighting represents the villain and lighter representing the Hero.

• How does the lighting in the film contribute to the development of the narrative or characters?

• What does it tell the audience about the characters?

• What types of light are used?

What are some of the conventions that we commonly see attached to Hero or Villain Characters? Can you identify any from these scenes?

We are now going to start thinking about the representation of villains and how we might develop their character by analysing key film tropes and stereotypes that are attached to villainous characters.

For this activity, you and a partner are going to each be randomly assigned a villain type using this Villain Generator.

You will imagine you’re a film-maker about to release a film about this character and will work on developing and annotating the character’s representation using your knowledge of villain characters. You will explain their representation through purposefully noting the Codes and Conventions you (the film maker) will use to best demonstrate the villains character to audiences.

For example, you might like to talk about:

typography, colour, body language, lighting, costume, composition, props.

With your partner, answer the following questions:

• What motivates the villain? Do they hate someone? Are they seeking revenge? Keep it lighthearted, we don’t want to create anything too disturbing!

• Where is your villain set or located? Try to come up with an interesting or unique location.

• What will the villain wear? Costuming will be essential to making this scene effective.

• What props will you use? Give your villain a creepy or iconic prop. Maybe they’ll be carrying a walking cane.

• What will the villain say? Villains love a monologue!

• How will the villain act? Think about any idiosyncrasies that your villain might have.

reality tv - selection and omission

Examples (Lamb, 2013)

(HITS. - 2. Structured Lesson, 5. Collaborative learning, 6. Multiple exposures, 7. Questioning, 9. Metacognitive Strategies)

(Caudullo and Kelly, 2020)

(Hellerman, 2023)

Media representations can be constructed from reality, and we are aware that it’s almost impossible to include EVERYTHING that we might experience within a media text. “What is left out is referred to as Omission and what is left in is referred to as Selection” (MediaKnite, 2024). Sometimes when media creators develop media in this form they will blur they line, and selection and omission becomes what they want you to see and what they don’t want you to see.

For example:

Consider you were making a documentary about your best friend, and you wanted to display how charismatic, amazing, talented, caring your friend is…. The list goes on. You wouldn’t show them in their worst mood or when they’ve just woken up, you would aim to show them in a positive light, at their best (Script Click Create, 2024).

This is the process of selection and omission, and in the same way the media will select the things they want to show or omit. Often this might be because of time constraints, on an episode/series/news report, although in the construction of reality TV this approach can be intentional and will develop particular representations that might not necessarily tell the full story.

Watch the short advertisement below. This ad was created for the British daily newspaper The Guardian, to prove that in their reporting of the news they give you the whole picture. Through the processes of selection and omission we see three very different versions of this scene. Pay attention to the way in which these two characters have been represented in this short advert.

From (Script Click Create, 2024).

How real is ‘reality television’?

Watch this Scene from SBS’ ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’

The Truman Show

Gender

A deeper look into representation through colours, symbols, codes, conventions, and societal factors

Linked tasks to complete:

• Denotive and Connotive Content

• ‘Everybody Hurts’ film clip analysis

• ‘Roadrunner’ Sound track analysis

• ‘Matrix’ Clip analysis

• ‘Fresh Attitude’ Poster analysis

(Whalquist, 2018)

(GCSE Media Revision, 2019)

(Obrien, 2021)

•  Size

•  Composition

• Paper stock

•  Location

•  Social Values and Ideologies

•  Time period

•  Audience

What are your thoughts on these clips from the 1960s sitcom ‘Leave it to Beaver’?

How are women represented? and in contrast, how are men represented?

Discuss the meaning and messages from each clip

Have we been moving in the right direction?

Sexualisation

“Apparently, it would seem, that men need clothes, while "women need to look sexy (Wade, 2013).

What do you think about this advertising which clearly depicts the two genders very differently?

What does it say about our society and what we value?

Example Assessment Rubric

(Digital Spy, 2020)

Now you have watched this:

• can you think of any other films that you have seen that demonstrate orientalism?

• Can you think of any films that you have seen middle eastern countries represented as impoverished, dull, a warzone – in desperate need of white saviours?

• Do you think that any of these films are an accurate depiction of the culture, religion, or country they are displaying? How might we change the perpetuation of these false ideas?

• Can you think of (or find) any films or media representations that pass the ‘riz test’?

• How have teenage representations changed over time?

• What has stayed the same?

• What Codes and Conventions are present in each time period? Compare and Contrast

(Pbiasizzo, 2009)

Chris Lilley has come under scrutiny for his representation of perhaps all too stereotypical characters in his home-grown creations including We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High. We have recently seen the development of the individual TV series featuring the characters Ja'mie and Jonah.

• Has Lilley offered an entertaining representation of Aussie Teens?

• Or has Lilley taken this dramatised representation too far?

  The changing of times might suggest differing views.

  Discuss.

(Script Click Create, 2024).

A vocal group of men are calling it “sexist”. What do you think?

• How accurately does it portray the average man?

• Compare this to your thoughts on the Kia 'Man of Now' advertisement.

• Compare this to the representation of women in modern advertising.

• Is anti-male sexism ‘impossible’? or do you believe male audience groups have the right to be upset?

• Should we be fuelling a fight between negative Gender representation in the media?

Describe how representations of women in movie posters have changed over the last seventy years. Select four movie posters from above, two from old films and two from more recent movies.

• Compare how the females in these images are represented, referring to the appropriate codes and conventions of this form (Lesson Bucket, 2013).

• When describing these representations, make sure you refer to the use of codes such as written language, clothing, colour and body language.

• What differences and similarities are there between these old movie posters and the modern movie posters you’ve examined?

• Has gender representation changed drastically over the years? What areas does gender representation still have to work on?

• Analyse through the CAMELS to substantiate your discussion.

All PRINT campaigns should consider the Codes and Conventions of print. You must think about the following before creating your print production.

(IMDB, n.d.)

Gender in Advertising

Task

(Lamb, 2013)

Print representation over the years

Old Film Posters

New Film Posters

The Man / Woman of Now advertisements for KIA Motors Australia.

• How are the two genders represented in these advertisements?

• What stereotypes are used?

• How are they used to represent the Man / Woman of Now?

Gender based representations have been largely pervasive throughout contexts of media since the early 1900s, where relationships between media representations and gender stereotypes, objectification/sexualisation, and gender norms have been present. Woven through daily life, media is hard to avoid and for some time has generated sub conscious ideals of how gender is viewed, setting a cultural standard (Wood, 2013). Men and women have for the longest time been portrayed in stereotypical ways that reflect, emphasise, and endorse traditional views of gender, and only now the media is coming to terms with changing these perceptions with plenty of room for improvement (Wood, 2013).

Let’s take a look at how gender has been represented over time:

Gender Stereotypes

ACTING

• What tone or voices are employed?

• What are their facial expressions?

• Does their movement or mannerisms suggest anything about their character?

Remember that their performance is deliberate and purposeful so small details are worth noting

When it comes to representations of gender, advertisers often fall back on well-established gender stereotypes.

“A stereotype is a media image that is repeated so often that it eventually comes to represent that group of people” (Lesson Bucket, 2013).

How might a gender stereotype be damaging? Discuss

(QOTS, 2018)

(HITS - 1. Setting Goals, 2. Structured task, 4. Worked examples, 7. Questioning)

(Bowers, n.d.)

MIS EN SCENE

• What does the costume selection tell us about the character?

• What does the scene and setting infer about characters situation?

• Does the composition and use of props provide the audience any more information?

• How does the use of colour contribute to the context of the scene and the characters representation?

SOUND

Think carefully about the sound and its link to the visual editing.

• How do the sounds contribute to the character’s development or representation?

• What do the characters say to further this?

• Does the music contribute to the narrative themes or character representation?

• Prolonged silence, dialogue of fear or elation? Ambient, terrifying? negative or positive connotations?

What media shows us vs the real truth

(Lamb, 2013)

The A Current Affair program is a media product that often shows opposite stories in a simplistic manner (Lesson Bucket, 2013). In most representations on this show, there’s always a bad guy, whether that be a noisy neighbour, bad tenant or dodgy contractor.

Watch:

(A Current Affair, 2022)

(FreeView Australia, 2017)

read the article and observe how this reality TV program sensationalised an important discussion and possibly harmed productive resolutions on an important issue

(Hilltop Views, 2015)

Watch this TV intro from the 1982 show ‘Family Ties’

• How many times in just the show’s intro are the women shot in the kitchen, or doing chores

• In contrast, how are the men shown? What Codes are evident in their portrayal in contrast to the women?

List a few and analyse how they could contribute towards the evident portrayal of gender roles

(Shequal, 2024)

(Common Sense Media, 2024)

Overall Area of Study engagement

Engagement with class activities, purposeful discussion, and questioning responses, evidenced in your work portfolio

How do we see ourselves and our world in media products?

The media plays an important role in shaping society and the values and beliefs of the audience. The construction of media products suggests a sense of realism and naturalism that belies their nature as codified representations that reflect the values of media makers and audiences at the time, location and context of their construction. Representations rely on a shared understanding of media forms, codes and conventions and the processes of selection, omission and construction. Representations are influenced by social, industrial, economic and technological factors existing at the time, and in the location and context of their creation, production, distribution and consumption (VCAA, 2023).

Representation can be found throughout constructed media texts, taking on many forms within radio, newspaper articles, photographs, print, film, and variations of television. While some texts seem realistic and possibly an accurate representation, we have to remember that this is only an interpretation of events, ideas, or people, and that they are constructed, more often than not for a purpose or agenda (Lamb, 2013).

Here are some factors that might influence the media we create and consume:

AOS Assessment Overview

20 marks

Gender Representation through time

Describe how representations of women in movie posters have changed over the last seventy years. Select from the list of film posters and analyse these posters using the provided prompts.

Xenophobia and Racism

Throughout the history of media there has existed a perpetuation and promotion of negative racial stereotypes and conflicting insensitivities towards people of colour and their diverse cultures. Sensationalist reporting on race issues has contributed towards a climate that is tolerant of racism existing in the media if it serves as some form of entertainment. This climate has opened the door to levels of microaggression towards these diverse cultures and has at some level encouraged prejudices towards people from differing backgrounds. This negative representation has been longstanding, and as we try to mend the damages and re-educate within modern contexts, there are still lots of issues in relation to this that we need to attend to.

Cultural Misrepresentation

(Challenging Media, 2007)

PM Scott Morrison's 'no slavery in Australia' claim sparks outrage

Teenagers

Teenagers have always been highly represented throughout the media. Through film we have seen coming of age narratives and high school themes featuring the jock, the nerd, the bad boy, the goth, cheerleaders, the popular girls; these are all representations, and again stereotyped roles that appeared consistently in media for a long time. We also have the highlighted common perception through media that teenagers are disengaged, careless, disconnected.

Although it is interesting to view how differently teenagers are represented now, and this can be due to many factors (place, context, language, perception, reception, the political environment, recent events, public opinion and dissatisfaction). The representation of our world has changed, so of course we can expect the representation of a group such as teenagers to have changed too.

For example, the representation of teenagers in 1960s television series is vastly different to those that play out on our TVs today. Why do you think that might be?

Let’s look at the varying representations of teenagers and investigate the changes through time.