MACS 100 Exam 1 Study guide, Macs 100 exam 2
Labor=
(proletariat) produce commodities. Contract called wage.
Profit=
(surplus value) commodity's market value MINUS its cost of production.
What is an auteur (author) as it relates to film?
- - Filmmaker recognized for originality in their cinematic style
The Celluloid Closet
- As society adopts new perspectives toward sex, sexuality and identity... - Media reflects those trends and displays these issues
The genre conventions of comedy
- Character defined by physical feature -Emphasis on GAGS over story -Playful action with mise en scene. -Happy Ending -Celebrates the resilience of social life -The physical triumphs over the intellectual -Obstacles overcome through luck, wit, and physical dexterity. -Reunion, reconciliation, reaffirmation.
horror movie
- Characters with physical/psychological/spiritual abnormality. - Use of suspense or shock - Visibility: compositions moving between the seen and unseen. The horror of the UNSEEN. - Fear: Psychological; sexual; social... and more. - Critique: Positive or Negative effects - Pervasiveness suggests cultural ritual. - Dramatizing (admitting) fears as a Communal Experience. - Make it visible, make it manageable.
The principle concepts of Representation. What is the relationship between Representation and Reality? What it means to "stand-in" for someone or something as a form of representation.
- Representation- "to stand for" who is representing whom? How are social groups shown; what ideological spins are used; are they represented fairly? - Re-presentation- the depiction of reality in the struggle between the powerful and the governed; part of meaning making (whose realities are seen, whose are erased); what spins are used to construct, depict, re-represent realities; which ideologies are reinforced/ erased in the reconstruction of reality. Stuart Hall: "Representation gives reality MEANING"
. What is the role of expectation?
- generic expectations inform a reader's experience while watching a film, helping him or her anticipate the meaning of the movie's conventions or formulas. - Cues that help audiences derive an experience.
What is the Bechdel test? Where does it come from?
- is a well-known measurement of gender bias in movies. The comic strip that popularized the test was titled "The Rule," and it says that to pass the test the movie must have three things -The Bechdel Test actually originated in a comic strip by Alison Bechdel called Dykes to Watch Out For back in 1985.
What are the pitfalls?
-"Essentialism" (you are a set of characteristics, nothing more); oversimplified -"Ahistorical"; static, divorced from issues like colonialism -"Moralizing"; becomes an issue of good v bad -Racism "individual, attitudinal" rather than institutional
It has a paragraph on Asian female stereotypes in movies.
-"We are not supporting roles," Wu says. "We are stars on our own journeys." -Asian-American women have been told to be grateful for whatever they get, and that being objectified is better than being ignored
It is true that all stereotypes are harmful, but are they all harmful to the same degree?
-All negative stereotypes are hurtful but vary in power -some have the social power to resist -others generate prejudicial social policy and violence
Casting as a political act. How does the article see casting? Some historical precedents?
-An immediate form of representation; a delegation of voice -Historically relegating non-Europeans to supporting roles or extras -... and "black face", "brown face", "yellow face" -Colorblind or "affirmative action" casting evidence that something is wrong a. Actors today are still experiencing the same discrimination that was happening 30 years ago
To what positions are minorities (in particular, Black artists) typically relegated?
-Blacks have tended to participate as performed over other creatives -Films w/black casts typically profit white owned production co.
The PROS and CONS of Native American Representation is Dances with Wolves.
-Casting Native Americans (+) -Pro-indigenous perspective; us of native language -Uses a "split portrayal" bad Pawnees/good Sioux (-) -Emphasis on the past (-) -Foregrounding of a Euro-American protagonist and (-) -The default Euro-American identification for wide release (-) -Impacting future film production (+) -Supporting the capitalist structure that imposed these stereotypes (-)
Three qualities of the image
-Film speed -Tone -Perspective
the romantic comedy
-Happiness -Emotional attraction is lighthearted -An awkward social predicament.
Capitalism
An economic system based on private or corporate ownership of goods: private investment; by prices, production, and the distribution of goods determined by a free market.
Representation
Performed in media tests Representative "Re-Presents" the material would
Three qualities of the shot.
Photographic Properties: Tone (Range of color) Perspective (Spatial Relations) -Shot/Reverse shot: keeping characters seperate in the frame. -Two Shot: when both characters are in the frame -Close up: When character's face has a close up. Usually able to show a revelation in the character.
The definition of Ideology and its importance.
Systems of ideas, assumptions, guiding belief and behavior. Values. Ideology is NOT political party Implementation of power is POLITICS. Its blueprint is ideology Spinning: tilting news events to serve ideology - Done through SELECTION and EMPHASIS - Punditry: FOX news c MSNBC
The article "The "Final Girl," a key part of every great slasher movie, explained" • What is "the final girl" and her traits? • Who came up with the term?
The Final Girl, a key part of every great slasher movie, explained - Carol J clover; the last girl standing at the end of a horror movie, especially a slasher. Common Traits: - Virginal and Virtuous (It follows complicates this) - Frequently a unisex name ( in It Follows it's Jay) explained that A reflection of how society consumes horror and violence. Horror narrative starts from a male POV (the killer) but changes: aligns typically with the female victim.
The Mediaversity Report for Booksmart
The meydiaversity appraisal of Booksmart could argue emerges directly from the gender-switched premise A- Baked in gender diversity Vulgar teen Comedy The Bechel Test: -Passes the Bechdel Test --Has more than 1 Woman --They talk to each other --They talk about another man Comments on RACE in Booksmart: - "colorconscious" -
Capital =
private property, owned by Capitalists (bourgeoisie).
• How is Genre a "social contract?"
provides the writer with a socially recognizable way to make his or her intentions known
In the article entitled "Between Colorblind and Color conscious..." • What does the author see as a drawback or drawbacks to "colorblind" casting?- • What is the purpose of "coconsciousness" in media texts?
o Hollywood films are a battleground for racial representation o Films with black lead actress/actor represent "color blindness" or color consciousness o Racial ideologies tied to social, economic, and political Hall: "The floating signifier;" Racial representation subject to constant change o Colorblind "post-racial" representation leaves power structures intact To NOT acknowledge color is to ignore equities
"REPRESENTING SEXUAL ORIENTATION" • How was sexuality depicted on Network TV through the 1990s?
oBy the 1990's representations of FEMALE SEXUAL AGENCY oDiverse but largely binary •Presumption of HETEROSEXUALITY as only representation of relationships •1990's developing acceptance for gay representation. Slowly... •Visibility complicated for homosexuality oStraight sex prohibited for decades oSexual Display on TV limited; censored oRace needs no overt acknowledgements; sexual orientation does •Into the 80s/90s the AIDS Crisis •Positive portrayals post-AIDS •An Early frost AIDS- themed TV movie aired in 1985 on NBC •AIDS themes addressed in network series
What are the possible repercussions of the film's BookSmarts box office failure?
-It's that the audiences who have no interest in (or have already seen) those tentpoles/event movies are staying home instead of seeking out a different kind of movie. -The general moviegoing audience that once saw both the big movies and the smaller movies (relatively speaking) has now turned to various at-home options (Netflix, cable, VOD, etc.) for their filmed entertainment needs. -They see the biggest stuff in theaters, and everything else either waits for post-theatrical or gets ignored in favor of the next Netflix binge. • Women fewer than a third of protagonists • Directed fewer than 4 percent of the top films in 2018 • Hurdles in making follow up films
The Al Jazeera article, "Why Crazy Rich Asians was a box-office flop in China," ha some critical points to make about the film's failure with audiences in China.
-Its popular with foreigners -wasn't a celebration of Asian culture- it was a demonstration of it -issues with extreme materialism and promiscuity -a film that openly exposes the ugliness of the Chinese is being brought into our cinemas -all the female elders in the film are given the most stereotypical and cliché images: serious, reserved, etc. -traditional forced, embodied by character Eleanor
The NY Times article on "The Booksmart Conundrum" • What obstacles did the film face in its opening weekend?
-Poor distribution -bad timing -niche appeal in a saturated genre did -debuted while Aladdin and John wick 3 were dominating in the box office
What are some of the problems the author of the VOX article has with Green Book?
-Relationships between individuals will heal of racism -Requires a likeable hero more than authenticity The green book itself doesn't play much of a role in the film Not exclusively referencing the south
What are the positive results of the analysis of stereotypes in media texts?
-The analysis of continuous negative character traits a. Revealed patterns of prejudice -Addressed the destructive impact of stereotype -Defined the stereotypes as a form of social control not an error of perception
What are the three things that change over time in Genres
-changes over time -popularity -across borders
Panda Express of Chinese Culture critics
-different accents might have perplexed the audience -film portrayals of the Asian culture might lead to its flatlining in china -the mainland market has a different palate -main land audiences prefer their chinease stories to come from china and their Hollywood stories to come from Hollywood -exotic white experience -the novelty of Crazy Rich Asians only works for Western people who don't know much about Asian culture and are fascinated by how "crazy rich" Asians can be
Representation as re-presentation: because it is "inauthentic" does not mean it has no consequences. Stuart Hall: "doesn't mean nothing is at stake." WHY?
-representation gives reality meaning
How did Booksmart's box office grosses compare to similar Teen Comedies featuring male protagonists?
-similar in the sense that women will never be compared to men until they reach higher ratings and percentages.
The article "The "Final Girl," a key part of every great slasher movie, explained" • What is "the final girl" and her traits?
-they're virginal and virtuous, -they sometimes have a unisex name, most of the time they're brunette -and explains that their existence is a reflection of how society consumes horror and violence.
Video Lecture: -What is "the final girl" and her traits? -Who came up with the term
-they're virginal and virtuous, -they sometimes have a unisex name, most of the time they're brunette-and explains that their existence is a reflection of how society consumes horror and violence. -Carol J Clover
Close to the end, the article considers some other recent movies featuring under-represented communities that succeeded at the Box Office
. -In the past three years, a number of films —including Straight Outta Compton ($202 million) - Creed ($174 million), Get Out ($255 million) - Girls Trip ($140 million), -Black Panther ($1.3 billion) —have shown that movie projects in a variety of genres with black and female leads as well as directors of color can be hits. Plus, Chu already has something in common with Nancy Meyers, the queen of romantic comedies: both directors have generated over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide.
Gramsci and Althusser
ALTHUSSER: Central and inevitable in society. Needed to function. - Mass media is one apparatus of many. GRAMSCI: A space of struggle between the powerful and the governed. → Dynamic
Corrigan/White: "Movie Genres: Rituals, Conventions, Archetypes and Formulas:" • How does the article define Genre? Conventions? Formulas?
1) Genre: identify group, social, or community activity and seemed opposed to the individual creativity that we associate as art forms, including experimental films. - conventions: 2) Conventions: properties or features that identify a genre such as character types, settings, prop or events that are repeated from film to film. Genre Conventions: Character Types: nerds, bully's, social climbers. Settings: high school, office, big cities. Props: artifacts, media tech, fashion. Events: prom, reunion, rites of passage 3) Patterns for developing stories in a particular genre.
The article "4 Reasons Why The Mindy Project Is a Rom-Com for the Real World"
1.She wasn't traditionally likeable 2. her relationships never compromised the fullness of her character 3. Her relationships were romantic but also realistic 4. Her happily-ever-after was satisfying but incomplete
Components of Narrative. The characteristics of the "Classical" and "Post-Classical" narrative. Narrative model & narrative tendency.
3 components: Story: events within and implied Plot: Structure of events (linear?Nonlinear?) Narration: Perspective? Tone or emotion? emphasis? -Classical: logical, credible, cause effect, resolves, form in service of... -post classical: ambiguous,effect w/o cause, art film
Who is in control of the production process?
A majority white production industry produces the images and contexts
How genre is universal and culturally specific? The "wuxia" film?
A subset of the Chinese martial arts film characterized by fantasy narratives, historical settings and exaggerated, wire-assisted action sequences •International film cultures interact through genre•Audiences around the world recognize generic cues•Specific film cultures have their own genres and variations•International conventions absorbed into popular genres
The article "Rom-Coms Were Corny and Retrograde. Why Do I Miss Them so Much?" • What are its criticisms of the Romantic Comedy genre? • What are the article's positives?
Article: An argument about genre based on meaning and representation. Recent Rom Coms are really soap operas Painfully formulaic, retrograde about gender, unrealistic about love, only represent wealthy white people. Positive: Rom Com is the only genre that has ordinary people form meaningful relationships. These are the lowest-stakes movies we have that are also about our highest standards for ourselves
It has a paragraph on casting mixed-race actors.
But the litigation of whether mixed-race actors are "Asian enough" has overshadowed the number of cast and crew members who are Straits Chinese, -"We strived very hard to match the perfect accent to every actor, and I think we did a pretty amazing job, but sometimes we had to make concessions," Kwan says. "Like, this actor was amazing, but he's not going to sound like he went to Hong Kong's top boarding school his whole life."
Who came up with the term of final girl?
Carol J clover
THE STONEWALL RIOTS OF 1969
Early hours of June 28, 1969 • The Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village • Patrons resist. Confront police. • From June 28th to July 1st Stonewall an HQ for gay rights. -Stonewall led to greater LGBTQ representation (gay men) in films around the world
pitfalls
Essentialism" (you are a set of characteristics, nothing more); oversimplified -"Ahistorical"; static, divorced from issues like colonialism -"Moralizing"; becomes an issue of good v bad -Racism "individual, attitudinal" rather than institutional
Identifying different types of lighting.
Fill Lighting Backlighting Side Lighting Practical Lighting Bounce Lighting Soft Lighting Hard Lighting
supernatural horror and physical horror (slasher film)
Supernatural Horror: Spiritual evil w/in the Human Realm. Avenging a "moral wrong" Physical Horror (The Slasher Film) The psychology of character. 2nd to grisly violence.
How do the report's comments on RACE in Booksmart reflect the ideas of colorblindness vs color-consciousness?
In every case (characters are) written with COLORBLINDNESS with no cultural touch points worked into their characterizations for all intents and purposes, every character in Booksmart could be white, save for the they've been case. This box-ticking falls short of true inclusiveness which take advantage of cultural diversity and its richness in order to deepen the narrative.
Ideology
Systems of ideas and assumptions that guide behavior. Theory: 1) A hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation . Theory 2) A generally acceptable principle or principles to explain phenomena.
Examples and purposes of editing.
Linking shots. Sets Pace Building Scenes Building sequence Building units of meaning Complex, effective, expressive tool Intrinsic and essential to the form Ex: Cut, Montage, Motion
The article "4 Reasons Why The Mindy Project Is a Rom-Com for the Real World" • What are those reasons?
Mindy: Nothing like previous rom com heroines: Self-sufficient crash humor Appetite Believes in her worth (bordering on egomania). Non traditional likeability but doesn't have to change. Embraces the fullness of her life experiences. -Love -Work -Friendship -Motherhood -Romantic, but realistic. Established love interests don't last. -Happy ending is left open: romance but also self reliance, maturity, wisdom. 1.She wasn't traditionally likeable 2. her relationships never compromised the fullness of her character3. Her relationships were romantic but also realistic4. Her happily-ever-after was satisfying but incomplete
What are some ways that genre's change?
Minor changes in a genre's formula can create.a new meaning and purpose for the conventions. -changes over time-popularity-across borders
What obstacles did the Booksmart face in its opening weekend? What are the possible repercussions of the film's box office failure? Compare Booksmart's B.O. grosses w/ Teen Comedies w/ male leaders
Poor distribution-bad timing-niche appeal in a saturated genre did -debuted while Aladdin and John wick 3 were dominating in the box office -It's that the audiences who have no interest in (or have already seen) those tentpoles/event movies are staying home instead of seeking out a different kind of movie. -The general moviegoing audience that once saw both the big movies and the smaller movies (relatively speaking) has now turned to various at-home options (Netflix, cable, VOD, etc.) for their filmed entertainment needs. -They see the biggest stuff in theaters, and everything else either waits for post-theatrical or gets ignored in favor of the next Netflix binge.• Women fewer than a third of protagonists• Directed fewer than 4 percent of the top films in 2018• Hurdles in making follow up films -similar in the sense that women will never be compared to men until they reach higher ratings and percentages.
Screwball Comedy
Popular in the 1930s and 40s Fast-talking; verbal humor Sexual tension replaced with barbed dialog.
Judith Butler
She is a philosopher and gender theorist, known for discussing, from 1988 onwards, how even commonplace communication and speech are performative acts. The concept of performativity refers to the way speech and behaviors shape one's identity. That is, she reverses the idea that identity is the source of more secondary actions (speech, gestures). This view is influenced by philosophers including Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida.
Conventions
Signs that remind and reassure the spectator that they are encountering a specific genre Visual or narrative signs like props, character types, locations, and events
two main points of analysis in Film Studies.
Social-Ideological, Formal aesthetic
Conventions?
The Teen films • Character types: Snobs, stoners, nerds • Settings: High school; suburbs • Props: Cars, fashion; media tech • Events: prom; the first kiss; rites of passage
Revealed patterns of prejudice Address the destructive impact of stereotype Define the stereotypes as a form of social control, not an error of perception
The analysis of continuous negative character traitsa. Revealed patterns of prejudice-Addressed the destructive impact of stereotype-Defined the stereotypes as a form of social control not an error of perception
Representation and Reality:
To "stand-in" for someone or something as a form of representation
How does the film BookSmart "flip its genre on its head?"
Two female leads in a comedy genre
The genre conventions of comedy, the romantic comedy and the screwball comedy.
o Character defined by physical feature o Emphasis in GAGS over story o Playful interaction with mise-end-scene o Happy ending o Celebrates the resilience of social life o The physical triumphs over the intellectual o Obstacles overcome through luck, wit, physical dexterity o Reunion, reconciliation, reaffirmation
How does the article define Genre?
a category or classification of movies that share similar narrative and stylistic patterns in the presentation of their subject matter.
Judith Butler
argues that gender is a conscious or unconscious act, a show that we put on through manipulating gender markers Argued that gender is constructed and that it is constructed through bodily performance and repetitive acts
Analysis control =
diversity of independence
Surplus value=
drives the cycle of Capitalism.
Exploitation of labor is______
essential
According to Stuart Hall: "Because media is inauthentic doesn't mean that _______"
it has no consequences, it doesn't mean nothing is at stake
Marxism
linked birth of MEDIA PRODUCTION • Marx: attention to the political and economic development in European history. "Feudalism" to "Capitalism."
The POLITICAL ECONOMY =
studies power structures in politics and economics. Issues: ownership and control; influence of ownership and control of media over content; implications for democratic decision-making.
Mise-en-scene
the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play: -Translation: "putting on the stage" Types of shots -Composition (spatial relationships of objects within frame) -Lighting -Staging (arrangement/movement of figures and props) -Editing
The Time article entitled "Crazy Rich Asians Is Going to Change Hollywood. It's About Time" and "evoking sights"
the film's ability to represent the profound tensions within the Asian experience- especially the differences in identifying with mainland Asia vs. Diaspora -Rachel is part of a group that isn't the dominant culture- when she goes to Singapore she's surrounded by more people who look like her, but the way she grew up makes her an outsider -Asian isn't a monolithic identity -many walks out of the theatre with a deeper understanding of the class gradations even just within Singaporean society and the collectivist vs. individualist tensions found in many Asian families -Eleanor comes from a different world and thinks only of what's best for her son and the families that depend on her.
Depiction of gay lifestyle CODED
was created in attempt to reduce the negative portrayals of homosexuality in media; however, this made little headway in the movement.
• What is the significance of the made-for-TV movie An Early Frost?
• An Early frost AIDS- themed TV movie aired in 1985 on NBC • AIDS themes addressed in network series
How did gay personae emerge in the 70s?
• By the 1970's, themes of sexuality in TV o Tended to reinforce female stereotypes of DESIRABILITY o By the 1990's representations of FEMALE SEXUAL AGENCY o Diverse but largely binary
What are some of the problems the authors perceive regarding Love, Simon? • For whom do the authors perceive as the intended audience? • How do they interpret the line: "My name is Simon and I'm just like you except I have this huge-ass secret...? " • What do the authors find valuable in addressing an exclusively queer audience?
• Love, Simon "It looks...really.. Straight." • It feels retrograde in its politics • How are we still making movies about closeted teens in 2018?" • "Same Love:" Love, Simon is a movie about gay people made for straight people • Intended audience: o "My name is Simon and I'm just like you except I have this huge ass secret" o That "you" he's addressing is "straight people." o The movie assumes a straight viewer • "I've been thinking about storytelling, about how a story can be about someone without being for that same someone."
What are some of the show's representational problems? (will and grace)
• Rarely explored struggles of the gay community • Rarely displayed sexual agency • STILL - 8 seasons + of normalizing gay masculinity on broadcast TV.
Issues still facing the LGBTQ community today
• Representation doesn't reflect public consciousness • Sponsors are controversy averse • TV rarely leads change • "Industrial motives" ($$) • Gay and lesbian appeal to "socially liberal urban-minded professionals" or SLUM Pies • Those people have $$ • Still the queer controversies continued and continue still -military service -access to private businesses -job security -insurance
Much of the first lecture on GENDER came from the USC Annenberg Diversity Report. Look at the charts in the first part of the report and know some stats:
• The data comes from an analysis of the 100 highest grossing films from 2007-2018. •Refer to the statistics for 2018. •The number of speaking parts for women and other underrepresented groups. • Statistics for women behind the camera. •The number of women in speaking roles on television hit a new high, as did the number of women working behind the camera •Female character comprised 45% of all speaking characters across comedies, dramas, and reality shows •The percentage of major female characters increased by the same amount year •Off screen 31% of all creators, directors, writers, executive producers, editors, photographs, in television were women •Men continue to direct the vast majority of programs •Historic high still means that men outnumber women 3 to 1 in this role •Also found that 96% of the programs considered had no women directors
CLIP: Jodie from Soap
• Time soaps (Melrose place) • Sit-coms (Rosanne) • Friends: Joey and chandler • Seinfeld : "not that there's anything wrong with that • Ellen: sitcom as platform for coming out
What is the significance of Will & Grace (NBC 1998-2006; re: 2017)
• Will defied effeminate stereotypes • Pair with a straight woman, complicating representation • Queer blindness? • Flamboyant friend Jack. stereotype
Judith Butler- What are some of the key arguments she makes in her theories of gender?
•"The body is not a stable foundation for gender expression" •Evidence of her influence proliferate •Gender "performativity." gender isn't something we are but something we do •"Cultural configurations of sex and gender proliferate." (the spectrum) •Binarism (you're a boy or a girl) is confounded •Traditional expressions of binary gender exhibit "unnaturalness."
The article "Rom-Coms Were Corny and Retrograde. Why Do I Miss Them so Much?" • What are its criticisms of the Romantic Comedy genre? • What are the article's positives?
•Article: An argument about genre based on meaning and representation •Painfully formulaic, retrograde about gender, unrealistic about love •Rom Com the only genre that lets ordinary people deal meaningfully with other people (Social) •Recent Rom Coms are really soap operas (Crazy rich Asians), teen movies (to all the boys I've loved before) funny dramas (you're the worst) TV tinder (dating around) or sports (The bachelor)
The genre conventions of the horror movie, supernatural horror and physical horror (slasher film)
•Characters with physical/psychological/spiritual abnormality •Use of suspense or shock •Visibility: compositions moving between the seen and the unseen. The horror of the UNSEEN •Fear: psychological; sexual; social.. And more •Persuasiveness suggests cultural ritual oDramatizing (Admitting) fears as a COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE oMake it visible, make it manageable •Critique; positive or negative effects
THE AV CLUB: "What did LGBTQ movies look like before Stonewall?" We can see queer themes and representation deeply encoded in media texts. These codes provide possibilities for identification in the queer community. • A consistent site for queer identification: experimental cinema The films of Kenneth Anger would have a profound impact on mainstream moviemaking QUEER DIRECTORS IN THE STUDIO ERA
•Films with gay characters, queer dilemmas and conflicts failing to make impact •Victim (1961) (blackmail) •Tea and sympathy (1956) (a young man's struggle with sexual identity) •Reflections in a golden eye (1967) a soldier's repressed desires •The children's hour (1961) •It comes down to our ability to feel and deduce stuff •We can see queer themes and representation deeply encoded in media texts •These codes provide possibilities for identification in the queer community •A consistent site for queer identification: experimental cinema •The films of Kenneth Anger would have a profound impact on mainstream moviemaking •Gender play and cross-dressing as a "Socially acceptable" queerness to explore another •Billy wilder's some like it hot (1959) AFI #1 comedy
What are some of the "practical consequences" of her contributions to gender theory?
•Gender neutral bathrooms and dorms •The appropriation of THEORY into common use •"An academic argument in popular culture." •Asking: How does "womanhood" het defined? Assumptions? •If feminism is defined as fighting for women's rights, whose rights? •Consequences of language
What is the role of expectation?
•Generic expectation primes us for decoding the meaning of the text •Elements within the frames, locations, character types take on specific meaning •From the reading Jaws established horror conventions early to transform the beach into someplace scary
How is Genre a "social contract?"
•Genre represents a bond between audience and filmmakers •Through genre we can see that transformation over time •The western
How genre is universal and culturally specific. Regard its comments on the "wuxia" or 武俠 film.
•International film cultures interact through genre •Audiences around the world recognize generic cues •Specific film cultures have their own genres and variations •International conventions absorbed into popular genres
Formulas?
•The formula is convention turned into STORY. Convention is narrativized • Patterns for stories develop • They can follow a standard or varied structures
Why is sexual orientation especially difficult to represent in Network TV?
•The history of film exposes the fact that queerness -- that broadly understood category of sexual identities and desires that lie outside an era's strictest norms -- is not a niche subject in cinema, but is deeply entangled in it" •"Movies are an extremely representational medium, which is why representation and visibility always have and always will matter
SOME LIKE IT HOT clip: Genderplay and cross dressing as a safe way to explore broader issues of identity
•The process of coming to terms with one's sexuality varies widely- depending on the individual- it can be scary, invigorating, heartbreaking, life affirming •What does not vary in the process of coming out is the fact that it is a process •It has a timeline- not a smooth one •It's not the first movie to be produced in this way- but first one that's from a huge media production - so bigger audience
