OTHER TEXTS




LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER- 2001 Action, adventure, fantasy Directed by Simon west

From the start Lara (Angelina Jolie) is represented as a strong and powerful female. In the opening there’s a medium shot of guns strapped around her thighs which represents the phallic symbol and makes up for what she hasn’t got in terms of what truly represents being masculine ie, the penis. Further more she also sleeps with a knife which also represents the phallic symbol. Through out the movie she is represented as an empowered female role model, but a some points she is presented as a sex object, for example shortly after the beginning there’s a shower scene which really has no impact on the narrative of the movie, but is there for male gaze. Lara’s enemy in the film is a man called Manfed Powell (Ian Glen), Lara’s costume through out is quite revealing where as his is nearly always covered up. There is also a contrast of Black and White, Lara’s cosume mostly being white, connoting good and Manfred’s costume being nearly always black connoting evil. In the end good triumphs evil and the women wins where as the man dies, showing strength in females.

SMOKIN’ ACES- 2006 Action thriller Directed by JoeCarnahan

There are many females in this text all represented in many ways. Near the start were presented with two females Georgia Sykes (Alicia Keys) & Sharice Watters (Taraji Henson) who are contract killers, which basically means when someone (usually leader of a gang or mafia) has put someone else on contract, it means they want that person dead in exchange of money, and who ever killed them will get a large amount of money from the person who put out the contract. In this movie it was a man called Buddy Israel (Jeremy Priven). The fact there is female contract killers they are playing masculine roles as men are normally associated as the sex doing the gritty dirty work. Men playing roles such as contract killers often show a lack of respect for women, well it’s exactly the same for female contract killers. Both Georgia and Sharice refer to women as “bitches” and “pussy”, this raises issues, that if women them selves can’t respect and degrade themselves, how are men going to. However they do use the way men degrade women to their advantage to create a plan to kill Israel as he’s a womanizer, but it doesn’t see through to be successful.

DEATH RACE- 2008 sci-fi action Directed by Paul W.S Anderson

The main women role is played by actress Joan Allan who’s name is Hennessey, which is ironic as it’s the name of the famous French cognac (brandy) spelt Hennessy, which is seen as a man’s drink, this immediately connotes she will be a very masculine female character, which further more connotes strength and dominance. Moreover she is the warden of a men’s prison full of rapists, murders, thieves ect…There’s a medium shot of her walking trough the court yard of the prison, then a shot of a prisoner addressing her as “mam”, which connotes the respect the men must have for her, after when she walks off he says “there goes the baddest ass on the court”. This connotes she is the most superior person in prison, which represents her as an empowered female role model, how ever it still presents her as a sex object as when say’s “ass” he directly looks at her buttocks, then makes references of having sex with her to his fiend. Furthermore other female characters in the movie are represented as sex objects to the men in prison

Evaluation

ATTAINMENT- 2 I think my attainment is very good, as I’m in every day and have only missed 2 or 3 lessons.

EFFORT- 3 I do put quite a lot of effort in my work, but sometimes I rush my work just for the sake of getting it done.

PUNCTUATION-2 I am generally on time as I do my best to get to class early, however I have been late sometimes.

SUBISSION AND QUALITY OF HOMEWORK-2 My is on time majority of the time and I do try to do my homework to the best standard I can, but I think once or twice I’ve submitted my homework late.

ABILITY TO WORK INDEPENDANTLY-1 I believe I have excellent ability to work independently.

QUALITY OF WRITING- 3 My quality of writing is average so far this year, the only real piece of writing I have written this year is for Ms Jones and I have to admit it wasn’t to my best standard.

ORGANISATION OF MEDIA FOLDER- 4 I haven’t got an actual folder but all my notes are in chronological order in a plastic folder

ORAL CONTRIBUTION TO CLASS- 4 I do make some contribution to class discussions but I do sometimes keep quiet and don’t say anything.

STANDARD OF MED 5 BLOG- 3 I think the standard of my Med 5 blog is average as I need to add a lot more information about my topic in terms of SHEP and more MIGRAIN analysis of other texts

STANDARD OF MED 6 BLOG- 4 My Med 6 blog is poor as I need to add a lot more information.

WWW
- I have great ability to work independently
- I am in majority of my lessons
- I am always on time and hardly late


EBI
- Need to make a lot of improvements on both blogs
- Need to start making more class contributions
- Need to buy a media folder and fix it up

My 10 point action timetable
1. 23/10/08 Need to collect a lot more research in order to fulfil AO5 targets. To do this I must research via interne and books, which means I need to pay a visit to a library.
2. 23/10/08 Need to create a log to keep track of what and when I gathered from various different websites and books. To do this I will buy a little log diary, which I can carry everywhere, so I can jot quickly what I gathered and the date.
3. 25/10/08 While researching I must lo closely into wider context i.e. SHEP. I will look closely into haw my text relate to all 4 aspects and I must view the text a couple of more times.
4. 26/10/08 I need to analyse more movies relating to this text and do MIGRAIN analysis of them
5. 26/10/08 I then need to look into SHEP analysis of those movies and relate it to my text and look at similarities and differences
6. 28/10/08 I need to work on my theorists and describe them in my own words and in detail
7. 29/10/08 Start researching deeper into Historical context and Economical context i.e. Pay salary for male and female actors and how it’s changed if it has.
8. 29/10/08 Start working on my bibliography and keeping track of everything.
9. 31/10/08 Collect everything I have found and begin to summarise it.
10.04/11/08 Begin to plan out what I’m going to put and not.

Self evaluation of presentation

WWW- I felt I had a good understanding of my text “Wanted” and good analysis in terms of MIGRAIN and good description of my text it. I also had quite good visual aspects as I had quite a few pictures in most slides making a bit less boring. I also had related issues in my presentation such as how women’s roles have changed.

EBI-I rushed through it to quickly which meant people couldn’t keep up. Also I could have put in the clip which I did a Migrain analysis of which would have been more interesting for the class to have watched, and then ask them what their take was on the clip. I should also have not given the handouts before the presentation as it affected the classes take on my presentation.

Self-Assessment of Blog work

AO1-demonstrate knowledge and application of the Key Concepts employed within Media Studies and the evaluation of texts and ideas using the Key Concepts, in my case the representation of women in action movies.

WWW-All key concepts are covered in my blog from media language to representation. I feel I have covered in detail the way women are represented either as empowered female role models or as sex objects, and the ways it is done so. I also feel I have done a lot of MIGRAIN analysis of clips from the movie and the actual movie itself

EBI- The key concepts which I lack the most I believe are theories and ideologies. I need to look more into depth of meanings behind certain connotations, i.e. the Gun in an action movie represents the phallic symbol. Moreover with theorist I need to be more precise and clear with what their theory really believes in and what they say. I also need to look into other theorist other than just Laura Mulvey and “male gaze”.

AO2- demonstrate knowledge and application of the wider contexts (historical, social, political, economic) relevant to Media Studies, In my case looking at the way representation of women in the action genre has changed historically, socially, politically and economically.

WWW- I have covered how women’s role in the media has changed historically and also economically

EBI- I need to cover the SHEP background in a lot more detail and need to find evidence to back up my points. I need to a lot more research into the wider contexts

A05- demonstrate the ability to use appropriate investigative and research techniques in carrying out an independent study of a media text, topic or issue

I have done excessive research into my actual film which I’m doing, as I have looked into reviews and individual characters, and I also feel my proposal is detailed. Moreover I have analysed different movie clips and the movie as a whole. I am also keeping a log of different websites I have visited and have got quotes from different reviews.

To improve my research I know I have to watch my text again more than 3 times, and I must look at it from different approaches, especially from a feminist prospective as my whole study is about how women are represented. I also have to analyse different texts in the same genre in depth and the way I have analysed my main text, and then go on to compare them with each other. For example comparing Charlie’s Angels with Wanted, I also need to look at more historical texts. Furthermore I need to do a lot more book research into my genre and theoretical perspectives.

SYPNOTIC ABILITY
I have linked my study to MED 4, representation and genre, as I have looked into representation of women in the action genre. However I need to link in more narrative theories, issues and debate also I need to bring in some Guardian stories relating women in the media. Altogether I need to improve my synoptic ability a lot more

CRITICAL AUTONOMY
Throughout my blog work I have been thinking for my self and doing the work on my own, however I could be more self motivated as I sometimes only get the work done because I have to not because I want to, but I do enjoy studying my text

QUALITY OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

My written work is good, however I can improve my spelling by doing spell checks, also the presentation can be improved a bit more