AS Media Studies MS1: Media Representations and Responses Please have your folder, paper and a pen out ready to begin the session

REMINDER – Formal Assessment This will take place in the last media session of the week You will be required to analyse an audio-visual text so you need to be prepared to analyse at least 3 of the following: Visual, technical and audio codes Narrative Genre There will be a 25 minutes screening where you will see the extract 3 times and have time to make notes. You will then have 45 minutes to answer the question (plus extra time if relevant)

Essay Plan Feedback Generally good identification and analysis of visual, technical and audio codes Camerawork is included in technical codes – many plans focussed just on editing Remember to give a specific example of when these are used in the text and then explain what they mean – their connotations – or what effect they have

Essay Plan Feedback Narrative – discuss use of narrative conventions such as enigma codes, characters in the narrative etc. as well as how the text establishes story Revise ‘shape up’ narrative information to help you with this You must include an introduction and conclusion Question is very broad – could consider the purpose or effect of the text and shape your analysis around this…

MS1: Media Representations and Responses Topic 2: Representation

Starter Activity What do you remember? Write down all the areas of representation you could be asked about in the exam. How many areas will you be required to discuss? What number questions on the exam paper could ask you about representation?

Representation In the MS1 paper, representation may be the focus of Q2 or Q3 and you will be asked to discuss one of the following areas: Gender Ethnicity Age Regional and National Identity Issues Events

Example Questions - Gender With reference to your own detailed examples, explore representations of women in the media today (Jan 2014) With reference to your own detailed examples, explore representations of men in the media today.(June 2010) With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media today. (Jan 2012)

Aims for the session To identify gender stereotypes. To analyse how gender representations are constructed in media texts (examples for the exam)

Homework Check 1 Write 3 things you remember about masculinity and femininity from the homework reading. If you haven’t completed the homework write down 3 reasons why.

Representations of Gender Sex is a term used to differentiate between males and females Gender refers to the distinction between masculinity and femininity. The former is biological and the latter is affected by social and cultural influences. There is an argument that gender differences are IDEOLOGICAL rather than natural.

What is Masculinity? Using the information from your homework reading and page 11 of your booklet, make a list of the stereotypical characteristics of masculinity. What type of masculinity is being represented today? Where, in the media, would you find examples of "2015/16 man"?

Examples of ‘2015/16 man’? Footballers? Celebrities?

Task – Analysing Representations of Masculinity What ideas and messages about masculinity are being created by the GQ front cover? How have the visual codes, layout &design and language of this magazine cover been used to construct this representation?

Subverting the Stereotype? Traditional ideas about men and masculinity are still evident in media texts. Representations of men in action cinema tend to conform to these ideas – Liam Neeson’s character in the Taken trilogy, Matt Damon’s Bourne in the Bourne trilogy. Can this stereotype be subverted? Watch the trailer for Spectre and answer the questions on p12.

Subverting the Stereotype? What have you found out? Discuss your ideas with the people on your table and come up with 3 points for the questions on p12 – write these on the paper provided Swap papers and add any points that have not been made When you get your original paper back, make a note of any points you haven’t got on p12

What is Femininity? Using the information from your homework reading and page 13 of your booklet, make a list of the stereotypical characteristics of femininity. What does Laura Mulvey suggest about representations of females in film?

Task – Analysing Representations of Femininity What ideas about femininity are represented by Scarlett Johansson’s character in this sequence from Marvel’s Avengers Assemble? How do the visual codes, technical codes and audio codes used in the sequence help to construct this representation? Do you think that the ideas of ‘the male gaze’ put forward by Mulvey can be applied here? Give reasons for your answer.

What did you find out? Swap tables and discuss your findings with another group Make notes of any new points You have 10 minutes…..

Representing ‘real’ women? Watch the main This Girl Can campaign advert: and the shorter advert for This Girl Can Nottingham: Answer the questions on page 14 – you will need this task to complete the homework so try to be detailed

Summary Representation of gender is a complex area, and often media texts present a mixture of representations that can be seen as both positive and negative. To get the higher grades you need to go beyond simple analysis and develop a more sophisticated response to gender representation.

Homework Independent Study: Complete p12 of the representation booklet On Moodle – for 2 weeks time Analysis of gender representations – print and audio-visual examples Use the worksheet questions to analyse the representation of males and females in the media texts (you will need to complete p14 before you complete Task 3)