Representation Analysis

Representation in media

Representation is media is arguably one of the biggest factors that shape the identity of a person. It is important to have proper representation in media as in some cases it may create stereotypes of a group of individuals and will then be seen in a negative eye by the public eye.
Today I'm discussing two advertisements by different companies and sharing my thoughts on how good (or bad) they show representation.

     1 - Tide "Style is an option, clean is not"
     In this ad for the laundry detergent, a mother is telling the audience how she wishes that Tide was less effective so she could throw out the "hoodies and cargo shorts" of her daughter. The daughter is seen playing with wooden blocks on the floor while the mom is sitting on the couch.
     It is clear that the mom does not approve of the style of her young daughter as  some of the clothes that she is wearing may be considered too masculine for her eyes. This is evident since she is wearing a green hoodie that has a green camouflage print on it. This is contrasting on the clothes that the mother is wearing, a pink dress that expresses her femininity, the decorations of the house are also of pink and light tones, further conveying that the daughter is "out of place".
     This advertisement is challenging gender stereotypes and the styles/color associated with each gender while showing the effectiveness of the product itself. It is also a commentary on how older people try to change or manipulate the decisions of younger ones, she says that "we tried the whole pink thing" which is further stating that the mother wishes that her daughter would have chosen that style.
     The advertisement successfully conveys its message of personal freedom on the basis of style with the last frame where "Style is an option, clean is not" pops up.

     2 - Axe "Spray More - Get More"
     This ad is for a body spray. It depicts a group of women running through the wilderness to reach a single man who is using that particular body spray.
     It is specially problematic with the depiction of women as wild animals with the earthly tones and facial expressions that are overly sexually as they are presented with little clothing, it is also implied that women are no more than just a sexual object.
The advertisement also fails to show different body types and relies on the typical hourglass figures for all of the women in the advertisement, this will have a negative impact on women that are watching the advertisement and don't meet the "norm" in the advertisement. To make matters worse, the advertisement also fails to show older women which may then translate by the audience in that they don't have any sex appeal.
     The women's goal in the advertisement is to reach a man and they are depicted as if it were a competition, were some of them are pushing each other to ultimately end up with the individual who is using the body spray. This reinforces the idea that women are sexual objects that serve to please men, which is extremely problematic on its own.
 

Genre Research

Thrillers!

One of the most prominent genres in films and television. It often includes overlapping sub-genres (Psychological thriller) or it is mixed with another genre, usually horror or sci-fi. Thriller movies will appeal more to an audience that likes the feeling of suspense and mystery, these types of movies are perfect for someone who wants to feel adrenaline without being too frightened. Most of the movies that follow this genre have an "R" rating due to the content of film, however, there are a few exceptions as some have a "PG-13" rating. Young adults tend to enjoy this genre more than any other age group.

Conventions of genre 

     Content:

Suspense is a crucial characteristic of the genre, giving the viewer a feeling of excitement mixed with tension and pleasurable uneasiness. The viewer has a high level of anticipation that is created from an unpredictable series of events, this keeps the person hooked to watching until a climax is reached. Common themes in these types of movies are crimes (kidnappings and heists), paranoia, and mind games. 

Characters are often innocent victims unaccustomed to danger that are set against a problem and the movie often emphasizes the danger that the character faces. Women lead characters are increasingly common, especially in slasher/thriller movies like Halloween and Scream, they are known as the "final girl"-the last woman alive to confront the killer.

Thrillers can take place in an urban setting that is highly populated or sometimes they can take place in a more exotic setting such as foreign cities or isolated locations because they tend to be unknown to the character. Thriller often make use of confined spaces to develop a feeling of tension and claustrophobia both for the character and the viewer.

   

 Production techniques:

For the most part, Thrillers tend to use a lot of shadows as they set the mood of the scene and can often build tension and partially hide the identity of the antagonist. Low key can help to create shadows and other contrasts of light and dark, this type of lightning is used because it tends to increase the sense of isolation felt by the viewer.   

The editing in a thriller is important as it can increase the tension by alternating between scenes of high and low suspense to leave the viewer unsettled. Quick cuts and changes of camera angles are also common in the genre, especially when trying to hide the identity of the antagonist.

Thriller movies also relies a lot on diegetic sound, which is presented as originated from the film's world, to further create tension and suspense. Some examples of diegetic sound are a creaking door or footsteps, all which would be presumably heard by the characters.

Marketing campaigns

As with any type of movie, TV advertisements are a common way of promoting the movie. Recently however, with the rise of social media, more productions are focusing their campaigns in sites like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Usually, each production will create an account in each site in order to make posts announcing release dates, trailers, and teasers. They will also make a countdown usually two weeks before the premier of the movie, posting something every day to create a more exciting experience for the audience. Some productions will also release soundtracks (Jordan peele's US) or release merchandise like hoodies or posters (Ari aster's Midsommar).

Campaigns for thriller movies have proven to work, from 1995 to 2019 thriller movies have made a revenue of about 18 billion U.S dollars, this is highly impressive considering that from 1998 to 2017 about 12.4% of global film productions were thriller. According to google trends, searches for "thriller" rose 50% in 2017.

Some memorable campaigns include movies like Psycho, with Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful set tour and Cloverfield because of the lack of information about the plot that prompted discussions and speculations (The first trailer did not even include the movie's title).

Perfect examples

Jordan peele's Get out (2017)- The movie follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) during a weekend getaway in a remote part of the state where Chris is going to meet Rose's family for the first time. Chris is one of the innocent victims of his girlfriend's family, it is worth noting that Chris targeted for being an African American. This movie relies on atmosphere and the relationships between the characters and their behavior, which can be really strange to say the least, to tell the story and eventually reach the climax. The element of suspense comes as it is revealed to the viewer the true intentions of the family while Chris is pretty much clueless half the movie.The use of confined spaces is also present near the end of the film when Chris is strapped to a chair, unable to move his body. The atmosphere becomes more eerie as the movie progresses and there are a few jump scares to keep the viewer at the edge of his seat. The poster of the movie is actually depicting that scene with white and black tones which aids in creating the eerie mood of the movie, it also may be referencing the racial themes in the movie and the disparity between white and black people.

John Krasinski's A Quiet Place (2018)- The movie is centered around a family that must live in silence to avoid creatures that hunt by sound. Once again, the victims are an innocents that have never committed any wrongdoing. The movies relies heavily on diegetic sound to create the feeling of suspense, there is little dialogue so the element of mystery and tension is heightened. The characters are put through challenges that test their ability to stay quiet, the uncertainty of whether they will successfully do this keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat. The use of sounds and shadows aid in maintaining the appearance of the supernatural creatures a mystery for most of the movie while addressing that there is something present. The events of the film occur mostly in the farm of the family, however, there are instances where the characters visit a small town or are in the middle of the forest. None of the areas are in the film are populated, the lack of humans further create an feeling of uneasiness in the viewer. The poster for the movie again relies on shadows to show the creature, the atmosphere is eerie, the colors are dull and a monochromatic palette is used. All of these elements create the mood of the story.

Recommendations

The silence of the lambs (1991)

Black swan (2010)

Vertigo (1958)

Rosemary's baby (1968)

House of wax (2005)