week 2 homework

 

1. Who do you introduce character-wise and why?

The middle-aged deranged man - He is introduced as a normal citizen so that he does not come off as initially suspicious. This also allows the audience to see the storyline play out the same way as the alleged victim. The effect it has on the audience is that makes them more emotionally invested in the story and builds suspense.

2. Where do you set your film scene, why?

The film is set originally at the park, the alleged stalker is building an image of being a regular guy and in order for him to be able to do that, he has to take part in everyday activities to go unnoticed. The park is a classic example of a place of fun and is a part of a lot of peoples everyday life. This way the man can also be lead to meeting "friends" who may, later on, be shown to be the victims.

3. What iconography and symbolism will you include?

A form of symbolism that will be used is the colour red. The man drives a red car, initially, this would not come off as a problem, however considering the type of man the victim is dealing with, this is quite a significant part of the storyline as it is almost like a warning for the girl. This puts the idea in the back of the audiences head that something bad is about to happen or that danger is near. 

Explanation of storyboard 

The main character is a deranged man who is trying to come off as normal in the eyes of those around him in order to be able to efficiently and stealthy stalk his victim. The antagonist goes to the park first to get to meet new people and find out what the people that live around the park generally do. He sees a girl in the distance standing by a tree and this is shown through an over the shoulder shot. This is so that the audience can see both what he is seeing and what it looks like to fellow bystanders so that the full idea can be seen.  A two-shot is used to show that both these characters are meeting, showing that they are conversing casually. It allows the audience to see the emotions and facial expressions of both characters simultaneously, it shows connection and relation. When showing the home of the stalker, the camera shoots a wide-shot, showing three houses stood side by side, in the layout of a townhouse. It allows us to see the kind of lifestyle this character lives, as it reflects in his simplistic and intriguing looking home. Once this man has gotten to know his victim, he begins to plan on how he may prey on this girl, and in order for that to happen, he figures out what that person does in their spare time and just throughout the day, this is where the true stalking takes place. The man follows the girl and finds out she takes yoga classes and this is portrayed through a mid-shot. The mid-shot shows the man standing outside the door with his workout mat, looking into the class as the girl. This man now makes it seem like a coincidence by just walking in shamelessly and beginning to take part in the yoga class, seated right next to the girl he is stalking. The shot being a mid-shot allows the viewers to see her facial expressions which show that she is quite happy to see this man rather than being creeped out by him. This lets viewers see that nothing is wrong, or so they assume as we have portrayed it to be that way, we have shown this situation to be wholesome and just. We have shown this friendship as nothing that should be of concern so that we can slowly build up the suspense and tension as we reveal the man’s true intentions, as the story goes on. To show that this friendship is going well, the characters are said to take a trip to an ice-cream parlour together, this is shown through a wide shot, showing the ice-cream parlour and the two characters. Yet slowly it begins to unveil the true intentions of the man as he carefully collects more and more information about his victim as the storyline moves on. He is seen to be keeping an eye on her work and keeping up with her life, all meanwhile she assumes he is just a regular folk that wants to be friends/have friends. 

Stuart hall - Representation 

Representation Theory: 

Representation is a tool directors/filmmakers use to convey an idea to audiences through techniques such as lighting techniques and camera angles and costume. The way a character is represented is what tells the audience generally if they’re the antagonist, protagonist or even just a regular by-stander. Representation helps the audience decode messages and ideas. 

Dominant reading:

The audience decodes the message as exactly how the director pleases and intends. This allows for generally most people to have a similar reaction, sharing similar emotions and experiences with the movie. This is done by showcasing universally recognisable symbols and themes to show how the character should be portrayed, an example of this is where the superhero generally wears a cool cape and is shown from a low angle, this makes the character look a lot more powerful and important. An example where this is especially in the Batman movie. This suggests a majority of viewers see it as what it is meant to be.  

Negotiated reading: 

You understand the meaning and connotations of the film however you conform it to your own beliefs and theories. Basically leaving the film up for interpretation. An example of renegotiated reading is in the film ‘The Platform’, the movie leaves up for discussion what the purpose of the platform system is, it suggests ideas of issues in today’s society, yet shows it in an interesting yet grim way. Some people see the movie as a way of bringing attention to social greed and others view this movie as a means of showcasing flaws in today’s justice system. 

Oppositional reading: 

This is where the audience rejects the producer’s message despite understanding the connotative meanings. This means the audience is able to identify elements, yet when putting together the pieces they can decide how to perceive the full picture, based on internal readings. An example of oppositional reading is with the game ‘grand theft auto’, the movie is very clearly shown as gruesome and vile, however many people choose to ignore the underlying effects of being consistently involved with such an influential game and decide to continue playing it as a means of fun, without grasping onto any other factors. This is because the way each person views the game is dependant on the thought processes and outlooks they have on both the themes in the game and life overall and more importantly, how they connect the two.

Todorov's Theory: 

Todorov’s theory is where throughout the film there is a consistent theme of balance and equilibrium. There are 5 stages in Todorov’s Theory. 

1. Equilibrium - this is where everything is in perfect harmony and there aren’t really any major issues that would disrupt the peace

2. Disruption- this is when the audience gets more captivated, this is how the director keeps the audience entertained and on the edge of their seats. Here a problem will occur, a problem that would disrupt the peace and equilibrium previously set and established. 

3. Recognition repair- where now the antagonist must work in a means through which they may identify the issue as well as find a liable solution. This is where there comes a realisation that something is wrong and needs to be fixed as soon as possible so that equilibrium can be restored 

4. Restored order - this is when the problem has been solved and things are slowly but surely settling back into place as it should and would be originally before all the chaos and problems. 

5. Equilibrium- once the problem has been fixed and nothing is bothering the peace, this would mean equilibrium would’ve been restored. This is where everything is back the way it was, in peace and harmony. 

Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey is a feminist film theorist. She breaks down different ideas and stereotypes in films that may be insensitive of females. Laura Mulvey speaks on the male gaze being a huge thing as part of the film industry even today, although it isn’t as heavily portrayed as when it was in older times. The male gaze is where females are mostly seen as objects, being sexualised as well as being belittled in various ways. For example, Marilyn Monroe was a significant victim of the male gaze, this is as her entire career was based on her being sexualised and being used for nothing but her looks, her talent only took her so far, yet it was the male gaze that truly elevated her career.  The male gaze steers heavily away from women in films being seen as anything close to masculine, this is because the male gaze is something that has stemmed from heterosexual men who have implemented and forced their ideologies and views onto the film industry and the world in general as the film industry is a very influential outlet.