I created a powerpoint to answer some of the question for Evaluation Question 1b: Representations for Media Studies AS coursework. This will appear on my AS Media Blog.

1. EVALUATION QUESTION 1B:
REPRESENTATIONS
By Evie Gibbons

2. GENDER

3.  The camera is put in the perspective of the male spectator.
 The male gaze consists of three perspectives:
1. the person behind the camera
2. the characters within the representation or film itself
3. the spectator
The male gaze theory happens when the camera puts
the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man
e.g. having shots of the curves of a woman's body.
The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: as
an erotic object both for the characters within the film and
for the spectator who is watching the film. The man comes
across as the dominant power within the created film
fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze of a man.
This adds an element of patriarchal order, and is often seen
in "illusionistic narrative film".
 This applies to the female killer character, she
wears fishnet tights, tight small glamorous
dress, black high heels, red nail varnish. She
attracts the male spectator.
 The female killer in my film is attractive,
glamorous, sexy and displayed as somewhat
erotic. I have filmed close up shots of some of
the parts of her body for example her legs or
her mouth licking a knife.
 I was influenced for my female killer by the
Tiffany’s character in the film ‘Bride Of Chucky’.
LAURA MULVEY’S
MALE GAZE THEORY
THE THEORY
WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

4.  It is the theory that we ‘perform’ gender,
a role we haven’t learned.
 This applies to the female rape victim and
female killer, they have long hair, wear
feminine clothing, heels.
JUDITH BUTLER’S PERFORMATIVITY OF
GENDER
THE THEORY WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

5.  It is the theory that ”men act and women
appear”. ”women are aware of being
seen by a male spectator.
 This theory applies to female killer, she is
being watched by the male spectator.
 I was influenced by Tiffany in the film
‘Bride Of Chucky’

JOHN BERGER’S ‘WAYS OF SEEING’
THE THEORY WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

6.  Dyer’s stereotypes – stereotypes of gender
are the ultra feminine female and the ultra
masculine male. These are binary opposites
 Levi-Strauss’ binary opposites – key device for
generating conflict and thus drama. When
placed together, binary opposites are
juxtaposed - paired together to emphasize
the contrast; their difference.
 Dyer’s stereotypes – stereotypes of
rapists is stubble, older looking, very
masculine, bandana
 Levi-Strauss’ binary opposites – between
female rape victim and female killer,
female killer and rapists, rapists and
female rape victim.

LEVI-STRAUSS’ BINARY OPPOSITION
THE THEORY WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

7.  This is a test to see whether a film has 2 or
more female characters in it. These female
characters must talk about something other
then men and have a name.
 About half of all films meet these
requirements. The test is used as an indicator
for the active presence of women in films and
to call attention to gender inequality in films.
 I believe that my film opening will pass the
Bechdel test because I have more than one
female character, one being the main
protagonist/hero of the film and another
being the killer in my film.
 I was influenced by the films Jennifer’s
Body to have the killer as female.
 I got the idea for the vengeful female killer
from the film ‘The Girl With The Dragon
Tattoo’. ‘Lisabeth Salander’ is not a killer in
the film, but she was a victim of rape in the
film so she is very vengeful.
THE BECHDEL TEST
THE THEORY WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

8. SEXUALITY

9. SEXUALITY
 In the majority of films I looked at over the year, I found that the characters
in it were heterosexual.
 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - this film's second main protagonist is
bisexual (Lisabeth Salander - Rooney Mara). The main protagonist however
is heterosexual (Blomkvist - Daniel Craig).
 I looked into an American TV show called ‘Orange Is The New Black’. In
this TV show, there are many bisexual, homosexual, transgender and
heterosexual characters. This show explores the issues around
homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender and gender.
 There are many stereotypes (Dyer) around lesbians – the ‘butch’: has short
hair, appears masculine and the ‘femme’: is extremely feminine and girly,
has long hair, wears pink, make up etc.

10. SEXUALITY
IN SLASHER GENRE
 Homosexuality is treated as deviant, counter-
hegemonic and monstrous.
 Norman Bates from the film ‘Psycho’ is the archetype
for conflicted sexuality.
 See also Michael Caine’s character in ‘Dressed To Kill’.

11. SEXUALITY -
IN MY FILM
 All the characters in my film are heterosexual and
most are sexually active, except the ‘final girl’
character.
 There are no bisexual or homosexual characters
in my film opening. However, if I was making the
entire film for ‘Slaughter Revenge’, I would try to
include some, for countertypical reasons.

12. ETHNICITY

13. ETHNICITY
 I looked into an American TV show called
‘Orange Is The New Black’. In this TV show, there
are many ethnicities: Hispanic, black, white
Caucasian, Asian. This show explores the issues
around races and also somewhat embraces
cultural diversity.
 In the film opening of Scream 2, the scream king
and queen are black (African American), this is
countertypical of the slasher genre.

14. ETHNICITY
- IN MY FILM
 All the characters in my film are Caucasian, except
for one, who is non-Caucasian (Indonesian). She
is the female actor in the ‘fake film’ within the film
opening.
 If I were to make the entire film for ‘Slaughter
Revenge’ though, I would consider adding some
non-Caucasian characters into it.

15. CHARACTERS

16. IN THE
SLASHER
GENRE

17. THE KILLER
 Then there is the anonymous killer who is
usually a man wearing all black, black
leather boots, holding props such as
knives, hammers, chainsaws or axes etc...
The killer's face won't usually be shown,
making them anonymous; Although, some
slasher films do show the killer's face or
reveal who the killer is at the END of the
film. In some cases the killer may be
female e.g. in Jennifer's body, it is also
known to the audience throughout the
film that Jennifer is the killer.
KILLER EXAMPLES
 'Michael Myers' from the film 'Halloween'
 'Jason Voorhees' and 'Mrs. Voorhees' from
the film 'Friday the 13th'
 'Freddie Krueger' from the film 'A Nightmare
on Elm Street'
 'Ghostface' from the films 'Scream', 'Scream
2', 'Scream 3' and 'Scream 4'

18. SCREAM QUEEN
 This stereotype is usually busty, blond, dumb,
attractive and open about her sexuality.
 The narrative and characters in the film ‘Scary
Movie’ are entirely influenced by the film 'Scream'.
This film, 'Scary Movie', really plays on the
common stereotypes found in the slasher
horror genre. The scream queen in this film
opening is blonde, very busty, attractive and she
decides to pick, from a choice of weapons, the
banana which is the most dumb thing someone
could do because if she had a weapon she could
have defended herself. Also, in this film opening,
she is making popcorn, as 'Casey' did in the film
'Scream'. Making popcorn to eat while watching a
movie is quite a teenage thing to do, so,
this connotes that teenagers can relate to
this character and that hobby connoting that
the target audience is also teen.
 Instead of using the stereotypical ‘scream
queen’ in my film opening, I have chosen to
use ‘scream kings’ instead. I have two scream
kings in my film opening (the rapists who
raped the killer). They are killed one by one
by the killer (she is getting revenge on them
one by one).
 I was influenced by the idea of the ‘scream
queen’ in the films: Scream, Halloween,
Psycho and Friday the 13th.
WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

19. FINAL GIRL
 I have included a final girl in my film, she
is brunette, intelligent, studious,
resourceful and innocent.
 I was influenced by the ‘final girls’ in the
slasher films: Scream, Nightmare on Elm
Street, Halloween and Scary Movie.
 Carole Clover’s ‘final girl’ theory: the
final girl is the hero of the slasher film
therefore she normally survives. She is
tough, resourceful, somewhat nerdy,
intelligent, slightly unattractive, innocent
and a virgin. In some cases the 'final girl'
can be a boy therefore making it
the 'final boy'.
WHAT I HAVE APPLIED

20. CHARACTERS – IN MY FILM OPENING
 Scream queen kings – both rapists are
killed at the start of film because killer
wants revenge on them. They are
rebellious, they drink alcohol and are
sexually active.
 Killer – wears all black, female,
somewhat anonymous to audience, has
weapons (knives etc.)
THEORIES
 Carole Clover’s ‘final girl’ – she is the last
character shown in film opening, we end
on a picture of her, she has long brown
hair (brunette), is intelligent and
studious.