Research fmp y2

Documentary Styles and Conventions
Poetic: A poetic documentary eschews linear continuity in favour of mood, tone, or the juxtaposition of imagery.
Poetic documentaries often have little or no narrative content, the director of photography is often asked to
capture highly composed, visually striking images that can tell a story without additional verbal context.
Expository: Expository documentaries set up a specific point of view or argument about a subject and often feature
“voice of God” style voice-over.The cinematographer is responsible for collecting footage that supports and
strengthens the spoken argument of the film, including stock footage, archival footage, b-roll, or re-enactments of
historical events.
Participatory: Participatory documentaries are defined by the interaction between the documentary filmmakers and
their subject.Therefore, a cinematographer is equally responsible for capturing the interviewer as he is the interviewee.
Observational: Observational documentaries attempt to discover the ultimate truth of their subject by acting as a fly-
on-the-wall—in other words, observing the subject’s real-life without interrupting. Cinematographers on observational
documentaries will often be asked to be as unobtrusive as possible in order to capture their subjects in a raw, unguarded
state.
Reflexive: Reflexive documentaries focus on the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience. Since the
subject matter is often the process of documentary filmmaking itself, a cinematographer will shoot behind-the-scenes
style footage of the entire film production process, including editing, interviewing, and post-production.
Performative: Performative documentaries focus on the filmmaker’s involvement with their subject, using his or her
personal experience or relationship with the subject as a jumping-off point for exploring larger, subjective truths about
politics, history, or groups of people.A cinematographer is often asked to capture the documentary production process,
as well as intimate footage that illustrates the direct and often personal relationship between filmmaker and subject.

POETIC
EXPOSITORY
OBSERVATIONAL
REFLEXIVE PERFORMATIVE
PARTISAPATORIY

Reflexive Documentaries
 The reflexive documentary mode focuses on the relationship between the filmmaker and the audience, pushing
viewers to reflect on their perceptions and re-analyze their notions of truth.
 Unlike the expository documentary, the reflexive mode does not examine outside subject matter—it exposes the
documentary-making process.
 The reflexive documentary does not attempt to provoke intense emotional responses from the audience but
encourages thoughtful consideration of the material.
 Since the subject matter is often the process of documentary filmmaking itself, a cinematographer will shoot
behind-the-scenes style footage of the entire film production process, including editing, interviewing, and post-
production.
Features & Characteristics
• The reflexive documentary mode is similar to the participatory documentary mode, in that they both show
involvement of the filmmaker, and usually make the cameraman and camera part of the film.
• The reflexive documentary mode presents questions and approaches topics with uncertainty, presenting a version of
truth within a non-fiction format.
• Reflexive documentaries will often show the camera or production crew to call attention to the conventions of
filmmaking, and present self-awareness to eliminate biases about the film’s content or agenda.

Stacey Dooley joins Bounty Hunters
Stacey Dooley is a popular documentary maker, much similar to LouisTheroux, however she is a
women and young which helps people like me and my age group identify with her. In this clip, she
has joined in with a group of bounty hunters, attempting to arrest a woman who hasn’t paid her
bail. It is very up close and personal, and Stacey at one point is part of the action, directly
witnessing an arrest involving the use of a taser.
There are a mixture of shots within this segment, it beginning with an establishing section where
we hear Stacey narrating over the top of clips from bounty hunters body cams involving fast pace
chase scenes, and clips from other sections in the documentary.The editing is fast paced and
dramatic which will draw and catch the attention of younger viewers who follow Dooley’s
documentary. It sets up an idea that the bounty hunters are scary, violent and its dangerous to
cross them.We see shots of guns, of stacks of money, similar to how a criminal gang may be
portrayed, however this is totally legal and funded by the government and justice system in the
US.
Within the segment we have the camera simply filming Stacey, allowing us to be reminded we are
seeing this through her eyes, which will be very similar to her audiences due to her age, gender,
and even her economic status. We see her reactions to what’s happening in real time, the camera
pointing to her looking for a reaction or an action, giving the viewer hints at what she may be
feeling. In the style of reflexive documentaries, she happily will address the camera, and so will
some of the participants, showing that she is not fully submerged in the world.This aspect is
important, as documentaries are essentially a type of journalism. Stacey has been invited into this
world that she may not understand, and she can’t show too much a bias to one opinion or the
other. Although she may do so in other documentaries, in this specific clip, I don’t believe that she
is trying to ensight an emotional response, more of a questioning response to the viewer. Do you
find this way of going about this odd?Are the guns and tasers unnecessary? It all provokes a
question and she does this by talking to the camera and filming things and discussing things that
maybe should be thought about more deeply.
Here we see Stacey reacting to the initial
knock on the door, the introduction to the
person they have come to find, the camera
panning down to her indirectly being
involved in the situation. In this clip she is
telling the viewer how she is feeling, and
looking at the way she is stood, the angle the
shot is taken from, with the hunters on a
higher level, it would suggest she is feeling
uncomfortable and awkward, not knowing
quite where she stands.

I have decided that I am going to do a Poetic Documentary, as I can combine and use
different audio pieces that I have recorded myself, collected from resources online, as
well as my own interviewees, and I can also combine a visual aspect also which can
accompany what the audio is telling us and getting across.
I am going to look at existing Poetic Documentary’s and look at the characteristics and
features they share and that are used, so I can apply them to my own project, and I am
going to analyse and take inspiration which will help me create something that revolves
around my topics of masculinity, social class and Grayson Perry’s works.

Poetic Documentaries
 Many directors make poetic documentaries, which take a more experimental approach, weaving together images
and music to create a specific emotional experience.
 ‘Poetic documentaries’ use sounds of the environment as well as music to convey a dramaturgical meaning.
 Poetic documentary filmmakers provide the audience with an emotional perspective on a subject through the use
of rhythmic visuals that provide an abstract and subjective interpretation of reality.
 The poetic mode of documentary filmmaking originally emerged from the City Symphony film movement in the
1920s and was a retort against the style and content of the predominant fiction film genre.While poetic
documentaries have existed since the 1920s, the actual term “poetic documentary” wasn't coined until 2001 in
documentary theorist Bill Nichols’ book Introduction to Documentary.
Poetic Documentaries
Features and Characteristics
• Visual rhythm over continuity: Breaking from standard editing rules, poetic documentaries are avant-garde in that
they aren’t concerned with maintaining continuity from scene to scene. Instead, the editing goal is to emphasize
rhythm, composition, and shot design to create visuals that show the viewer the world through a new point of view.
• Lack of traditional narrative: Since poetic documentaries are primarily focused on creating a particular mood or
feeling, establishing a linear narrative isn’t necessary.This means characters don’t progress through arcs and
storylines don’t move toward resolutions.
• Subjectivity: Rather than arguing for an objective fact-based truth, poetic documentaries provide a subjective
interpretation of a topic.They approach subjects in a more abstract and experimental way than traditional
documentaries.

Trail of Happiness 2017 Dawood Murad
I really love this piece by a documentary maker fromYouTube.The imagery and the colour pallet of
rustic browns are all aesthetically pleasing, and work cohesively together.
Although I don’t know for sure as he is a small creator and doesn’t focus on him more the pieces he
makes, I believe the video was taken somewhere inTurkey, with lots of the sequence focussing on
architecture that is more middle eastern and Turkish in features.
As it is a poetic documentary, there isn’t a definitive subject or narrative to the piece, and the
meaning will tend to differ from person to person, depending on their values, ethnicity, their gender
etc. My take away from the piece is that the director is telling us to look closer at the beauty in our
world.The constant pans and lingering close up shots on peoples faces, possibly strangers to him,
invites us to find the beauty in the small stuff, to see the wonders of the world around us.
Murad also uses transitions in a really interesting way, enough to keep the shoot looking interesting
but not too much so that it becomes disorientating. He uses a mixture of pans from the floor to the
sky, and spins and shakes to move one shot nicely onto the other, keeping it all cohesive. It has
worked really effectively so that when he moves from a more city scape he can transition nicely and
less harshly to a more naturistic scene. I would like to explore this idea of transitions in my piece.
The music in this piece is also something that is very striking and very powerful.The images are
accompanied by the song Experience, which is a very orchestral and uplifting piece.The song comes
with lots of different meanings in its own way and could be accompanied by many visual aids and still
give different meanings. It’s very dramatic however at times the energy drops, so do the images,
providing a break or a pause for thought and emotion. Murad uses rhythmic editing and the clips he
uses line up with the tempo and feel of the song at that certain moment. I believe that he has also
done some foley production, adding his own sounds or sounds he has created to certain sections, for
example a bird flapping its wings, or a flag waving in the wind. I love this as it becomes an almost
immersive experience, being taken through the streets ofTurkey, giving the watcher an emotional
and adventurous experience.
He has also added a bit of narration in the beginning, and I believe added an effect over the top to
give it a dream like and ethereal feel to it, and it is a good piece of speech to set up film and introduce
a topic.
Murad uses almost only close up shots of peoples faces,
which creates an intimate and inviting environment.The
close ups help us feel immersed in the world, and as
though we are the ones there, feeling the emotions the
faces a portraying.They are a brief snap shot into other
peoples lives, making us think and feel captivated by the
visuals and music combined. Referencing Stuart Halls
reception theory, depending on your age gender, your
socio economic class, you will make your own
assumptions about this close up face. Someone in a good
socio economic position may think “why does he have
such a dated phone model?” A man may look at this and
think “his beard is styled well”.These simple snap shots
can induce different types of meaning for everyone
weather it was intended or not.

I Am Me 2020 LJ Movies
UnlikeTrail of Happiness, this poetic piece is a lot more solid on it’s subject matter, the narrator reading out a poem
about what it is like to suffer from anorexia. Due to the subject matter, instantly you can see the visuals within the
film, and that the colours are muted and have an overall cold and grey tone to the clips.There is also the motif of a
melting ice cube, and at the end we see the girl wearing winter gear for cold weather, perpetuating the idea of feeling
cold and a chill. Along with the motif of cold and melting, from that there is also the motif of running water, shown
here in the tap and the ice cube melting.This could be suggesting that struggling with anorexia, the obsession with
losing weight, is like constantly running yourself dry, constantly fighting to lose more and more, become smaller and
smaller, running yourself down the drain like water.The tone with the water slowly trickling out of the tap, down the
drain, and the ice cube melting and becoming smaller, is a great way to symbolise this fear and this struggle, and gives
a whole melancholic tone to the piece. Unlike inTrail of Happiness, here we have a poem, I Am Me, spoken
throughout the whole film, the images and text not directly linking, but providing some meaning.
“You need no family or friends, you only need me.” Is accompanied by the sad image of a chain and padlock, telling
the viewer that it is like being trapped and chained and you cant escape. As an 18 year old girl who has never had an
eating disorder, however, as a young girl being bombarded with diet and disordered eating from my early teen years, I
cannot fully understand how hard and challenging it must be to live with this disorder, however I can empathise in the
way I can understand how you would go down that route, and it be something you cannot escape so easily due to this
exposure of diet culture in the media and the world around us.
Half way through the film however, the tone changes, signified by a flash of light, or a lens flare, and the melting ice
cube we have been looking at the whole time freezes again, returning to the first state it was in.This use of lens flare
is a great visual indicator of change, the coming of light, a new dawn, and it tells the watcher that something has
changed. Along with this, lines from the poem repeat, however they are damper now and more in the background,
suggesting overcoming the disorder, and beginning to push it back and away.The images all reverse, suggesting
going back to a time when things were better, to a time when the disorder didn’t over take life. Finally the overall
colour pallet changes, it is still cold in tone, representing how this is something that cant just disappear over night, but
that the light in your life can take over. I love the use of the colour to signify a tone change, and this may be something
I can explore in my own project. I also really loved the transitional interval where everything was reversing and light
was slowly seeping in, as I think it is a simple way to express the relief to not be suffering anymore.
In the second half where the tone of the poem
changes to one of strength and moves away
from the melancholic, we begin to see more
natural imagery, things such as grass and
leaves, where as in the beginning we had harsh
chains, metal and barbed wire.The colour is
also visibly different, the sun appearing bright
and warm, where as before it was cold and icy.

Lost (in transition) 2020 Rueben Xavier
Lost (in transition) is probably the poetic documentary I have identified most with compared to the previous two, as it
is discussing topics of transitioning into adult hood, taking steps to go to university, the friends you gain but leave
behind etc. In this piece, the subject and theme is quite a literal one and less abstract, whereTrail of Happiness was
very focussed on the visual and the music to create meaning, I Am used a poem to discuss the topic of anorexia, this
one is simply Xavier discussing a topic that is close to him, almost in an unscripted way, which makes what he is talking
about feel a lot more personal to the watcher.
The music used and the way in which the narrator is discussing the subject, in a very slow and thoughtful manor, gives
a melancholic tone, the music being very atmospheric, and the visuals matching the tempo of the music.There are a
mixture of handheld shots, which tend to be of things such as an empty park sitting dormant in the wind, or a metal
fence, as well as some shots that feel more manufactured and more deliberate, such as Xavier at a table with his
friends or his desk, which can sometimes be jarring to the shots. I also feel like in this piece, it is much more reliant on
the narration to give meaning, than for the images and visuals to create their own kind of representations, and this is
more literal in a way that the audience is being told what to think and not decoding and assessing for themselves.
Instead of identifying with the images and the representations they create, the viewer identifies with the words and
what the narrator is saying, which is similar to the piece I Am, however this one is more focussed on the person and
their experience, and less for example, the overall struggle of an eating disorder. For me viewing this, as an 18 year old
girl, who will be making this transition very soon, this narration and this sharing of personal experience is positive for
me, and I can identify with what he is saying and feeling. Xavier has obviously thought a lot about his audience, and
who he is making this for, with comments under the video from people of a similar age, praising him for discussing this
experience that we all have to go through in life.
Within the documentary, Xavier uses lots of time lapse imagery, focussed on moment on a quickly moving clock, and
many time lapses focusing on the sky and the clouds.This quite literally represents the moving of time, and focussing
on things such as the sky and clouds, suggests to us the beauty of that, and the lack of control we have over it.The
imagery he uses doesn’t always match what he is talking to us about, so we have to focus on what he is saying more
closely, however I like this, as he is talking about his personal experiences but one that everyone collectively shares
together.To take away from this piece, this is a good example of what happens when you do good audience research,
and can captivate and keep your viewers watching, and also how to talk about a topic or experience in a tone that can
move people, accompanied by visuals and music/sound.
The long shots in which he focuses on
areas such as the play park or the school,
tend to be very nostalgic, for example
here, being overlayed by a lens flare,
which is similar to the child like wonder
and beauty we see in the world.The over
all tone of the piece is very nostalgic,
however it is also sad and curious, our
once child like curiosity taking us on our
final journey into adulthood.

Summary of Poetic Documentaries
• After looking at existing products that are under the poetic documentary umbrella, I have a much deeper understanding on what is
important to include, how to include that, and how to make it work really well.
• It is a style that is quite abstract, and breaks away from the typical documentary genre, and the subjects within them tend to be abstract
too. From looking at all three pieces, I have learnt that colour pallets and the cohesion of colour is very important. Not every shot is a
bright warm orange, but the directors have edited them and thought carefully about how to make the shots fit effortlessly with each
other.There is always an overall tone of colour, and in Lost (inTransition) although it isn’t as obvious, every shot, weather that be of the
subject in his room, or of the purple night sky, it always transitions or has been altered in some way to make sure it is all on one level.This
is something very important, and will keep in mind during my pre-production and post production.
• Music is also a very important and vital part. Poetic documentaries unlike other genres such as reflective, want to gain an emotional
response, and music plays a big role in this no matter what type of media it is. As humans, weather we are musicians, or weather music is
something we have on in the background, music has the power to make us feel one emotion over another. I am going to explore and
think very carefully about my music choices so that the music and audio can go hand in hand with the visuals.
• Narration and speech did feature in all of the pieces, however it featured more prominently in I Am and Lost.There was speech to begin
with inTrail of Happiness, however Murad relied heavily on the sensory aspects such as sight and sound to illicit a strong feeling, and he
did it well, as that was the one I felt most moved by, even though it wasn’t a specific subject point. In I Am, the poem was written
beautifully , and to those suffering with eating disorders in the comment, spoke about how the prose spoke to them and related to how
they were feeling. In Lost, the majority of the piece relied on the audience listening to what Xavier was saying, and less about the images
on the screen, which was interesting, however I think the visual aspect is something that is important, and that what is being said lines
up with what's visually on the screen.
• Overall, thanks to this analysis, I now understand that I need to make sure my visuals and what is being said need to have correlation,
that the colours, tone and brightness need to all be balanced, and that colour has an important role to play when regarding the emotion
you want to express. I understand that music is very important, but that outside audio such as a tap running or a flag flapping in the wind
are important aspects if you want to immerse your audience fully, which can help with inciting the big emotions and thoughts that
poetic documentaries are supposed to.

Existing Products
As my audio play is going to be set in recent history, and will need to be some degree historically accurate, I am going
to look at some existing products that present the time, and look at how they presented the events that took place,
how they presented the thoughts and feelings, and see how they approached the topics and the issues that took place
during this time.
Specifically, I am going to be looking at the film Billy Elliott, as it really plainly and obviously expresses the thoughts
and feelings of the times, especially masculinity, the miners strikes of 1984 as well as looking over the idea of
transvestism in Billy’s friend Michael.
I will also be looking at the film Pride, in which the idea of sexuality and miners strikes come together, as well as it
being inspired by true stories. It will be an interesting film too look at to get some understanding off how the two
groups of “less masculine” gay men and women fit in and get along with the “masculine” men of industry.
I also plan on looking into the character of Eric in the tv show Sex Education, and specifically his identity crisis in
Season 1 episode 6, and how when he tried to change himself into what a “real man” was, how he adopted certain
characteristics and how specifically it caused him mental harm in doing so.
Also to look further into the ideas of cross dressing and transvestism and the experience of being transgender, I am
also going to look at the 1994 filmAdventures of PriscillaQueen of the Desert, a lighter film and more comedic,
however discussing many of the topics that I will need to know about within the film.

Billy Elliott 2000
The life of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner's son in Northern England, is forever changed one day when he stumbles upon a ballet class during
his weekly boxing lesson. Before long, he finds himself in dance, demonstrating the kind of raw talent seldom seen by the class' exacting
instructor, Mrs.Wilkinson.With a tart tongue and a never-ending stream of cigarettes in her hand, Mrs.Wilkinson's zest for teaching is revived
when she sees Billy's potential.
The undeniable themes in Billy Elliott are masculinity, challenging masculinity and the shame of breaking tradition and barriers when your rebel from that
pillar so many of the working class men relied on. Being a miner meant being physically strong, supporting your family through hard laborious work and
upholding your reputation as a strong working man. In Billy Elliott, we see that the most typical way to do this and uphold masculine values, is to take part in
typically aggressive hobbies, such as boxing as Billy is pushed to do:
In the beginning of the scene, we get medium long shots of Billy’s surroundings, and how it exudes
masculine ideals.We see the boxing ring where the boys are essentially placed on a pedestal, front and
centre, a way to display how tough and strong they are. In this shot, we see how Billy however is faced
away from this, the next shot showing him looking at the ballet dancers, foreshadowing him turning his
back on the masculine ideals he has been told to uphold.This shot is a strong shot, because he is actively
turned away, not wanting to indulge himself in the rough and aggressive hobby his father so wants him to
exceed in. In this shot, we also see that Billy is wearing a white vest and red shorts.The white vest could
suggest how in his heart, he feels drawn towards the dancers, mirroring their crisp white dresses, but his
red shorts mirror the gloves of the boy he fights later on in the scene, something that his masculinity is
telling him to be drawn to, something that his sex MUST do to really be great. Later in the scene, after his
failure to fight his opponent, the camera is at a low angle, showing Billy as a loser, and his coach states
“You are a disgrace to them gloves, your father and the traditions of this boxin hall!” Even though he
hasn’t even begun dance yet, and still is partaking in the hobby of boxing, his terrible performance is
already something that is emasculating this 11 year old boy. This tells us that in his mining community,
as well as many working class communities throughout time, the idea of masculine traits and ideals
are put onto the boys at a young age, telling them who they are before they really get a chance to
explore.This however is something not chosen by them, however the class and the work
opportunities specifically in the time of thatcher , were slim and you had to buck up and do whatever
was necessary to support your family, no matter what the sacrifice.This is something I can challenge
in my project, as this lack of being able to explore who you are, and being put in a box because that’s
the only option you have, is something that can have devastating effects on a person and the rest of
their lives, essentially taking away their freedom to be who they really want to be.

Billy Elliott 2000
Throughout the film, the largest obstacle in his way, other than simple masculine ideals, is his father Jackie, who is the one
enforcing these rolls onto Billy. However Jackie grows from the start of the film to the end of the film, in the beginning
feeling shameful about his sons lack of skill when it comes to boxing and his love for dancing, at the end supporting and
pushing Billy to succeed in his audition, and being there when he leaves for the dancing school.
In the beginning of the film, when Jackie Billy's father first finds him doing ballet, we see
him shot through the metal screen, showing his distance and the divide between his
world of miners and boxers, and the world Billy wants to be apart of the world of ballet
and dancing. It also represents not just the divide in the two worlds of masculinity and
femininity, but the divide in class. Ballet to Jackie is the world of the privilege, it takes
time and money to become successful and it doesn't happen right away. Boxing, which
is from his world of working class men, can bring instant success, with the ability to gain
sponsors and fans fight after fight. Jackie's blue jumper and shirt, is masculine and
practical, thought has not been put into the “look” of it, it is there because it works, a
trait that men are pushed to have.The ballet dancers are in softer colours, and Billy also
is wearing a white shirt to match, however his black shorts suggest he isn’t fully
submerged in the world of dance yet, the colour mirroring his fathers attire.
Later in the scene, we see Jackie confronting Billy, however although he appears
negative and upset about the situation, maybe not because he outright disagree with
boys doing ballet, but the situation they are in, the community they are in, Billy and
Jackie can’t afford to be seen as weak or emasculated.

Billy Elliott 2002
Further into the film, Jackie cannot ignore his sons passion or talent anymore, and
has to look at it face on. Here in the scene where Billy dances for his dad, we see
Jackie looking and facing directly at Billy, motionless, however having no way to
look away from what's happening. In the background, we can see the silhouette of
Billy’s old boxing coach, representing the world that Jackie is from, reminding him
of his ideals and the ideals of the community. In this scene, Jackie is placed in
between Billy and the boxing coach, he is almost stuck at a cross roads, he has a
choice to make, weather he wants to go against his son, or support him and help
him live his passion.
Unlike in the first scene where Jackie finds Billy dancing, here Jackie has come into
the gym, and they don’t have the metal screen dividing them.This shows how his
thoughts and feelings are changing, although he may not be visibly showing it.
Billy also jumps up against the screen, almost as if to push back the masculine
ideals the outside world expect him to uphold, and he is trying to break the screen
or the masculine version of “the glass ceiling”.
Finally at the end of the scene, Jackie runs from the gym, showing emotional
vulnerability in ways he hasn’t done before by simply crying. He realises his sons
passion, and as he walks through the crisp white snow, reminiscent of the white
ballet costumes, his barriers of masculinity and being tough and of being what he
is expected to be drops and crumbles. He finally understands and doesn’t care
about saving face. Although the dance Billy has just performed to him filled him
with strong emotion, he still has his back turned on Billy and the world of ballet
and dance, however now he cannot ignore it.

Billy Elliott 2000
After the emotional performance Billy gives to his father, Jackie does the one
thing that would compromise his masculinity immediately and mark him as a
“scab” in his community forever: Jackie makes the choice to break his strike
and go back to work at the mines. Here he is wearing many layers, a shirt,
jumper, jacket and a hat, almost as though it is armour to protect him from
the shame he has brought on himself and his family, and the outcry he will
face from his mining community.
He breaks down openly in a very masculine and macho environment, even the
cries of his colleagues being heard in dismay at his behaviour, and not coming
to his aid, but asking him to leave. “Lets give the boy a chance!” Shows how
he is willing to sacrifice everything, his reputation as a miner, a macho tough
man, a man that stays strong and doesn’t show weakness, all so that his son
can have an opportunity to lead a better life than he has. He put his thoughts
and feelings aside about the strikes although he feels so strongly about the
movement, all for his son.
In this comment under theYouTube video, Ciaran O’Connell states that “This
is one of the most touching scenes I have ever seen in any film”, showing how
the director has created a powerful and pinnacle moment, and the idea of
sacrificing your masculinity, something that gives men so much of their
identity, rings true to so many viewers, them positively connecting with the
scene and the subject matter.

Billy Elliott 2000
By the end of the film, Jackie has made a full character arc, and although he doesn’t
fully understand the world of ballet and of the arts, he supports his son, and isn’t
afraid to hide it when Billy is accepted. Where once he said “it’s not for lads” now he
screams it from the rooftops and isn’t afraid of the shame or the emasculation,
because pride and joy over takes that feeling.
Here we can see two mirrored images, the one of Billy dancing toTown Called
Malice after feeling torn between the world of dance and his brother and fathers
wishes, and above we see Jackie running to tell his colleagues and friends the news
about Billy’s acceptance. The scenes are almost identical, apart from the tone in
which Billy is sad and angry, and Jackie is proud and joyful. Jackie running could
signify how he now understands how Billy feels when he's dancing, electric and
proud because he can empathise with the happiness he feels now with the arrival of
the acceptance letter into the school.The two scenes also are blocked like a long
tunnel, with the bright blue sea in the background, with the garages and mining
houses acting as a channel, pushing them both forward.The white ship in the
background of both scenes is reminiscent of the white outfits that the ballerinas
wear, signifying how this is the escape from the tough world of mining, and the
escape from the thatcher controlled industry.
In the exposition of the film, we get a glimpse of Jackie presumably 10/15 years on,
seeing that the sacrifice he has made for his son has paid off, and we see his face
visibly lit up, the light illuminating him alone, inviting the audience to empathise
with him, and see where this long journey we have been allowed to take also, has
ended.
I really like these two shots and think the
composition the colour and the tone created in
them is really beautiful, and I would love to
create my own version in my project.

Eric’s Storyline S1 Sex Education
Eric is one of the main characters in Sex Education (2019) who over
the course of season 1 struggles but also thrives with the idea of
gender fluidity, his own version of masculinity, and being accepting
of who he is.This narrative is an important one, as although
acceptance regarding gender fluidity and sexuality is much wider
than it was 20 years ago, homophobia and transphobia is still rife.
Today people are still ignorant to the fact that people are gay and,
trans and gender fluid, and Eric’s storyline shows us what happens
when we roll over and accept the ignorance we are shown.
After Eric is left wandering the streets alone after Otis fails to show
up, wearing a highly feminine outfit, he is mistaken as a
transvestite, harassed and attacked by two strangers.This event
leads Eric to drastically change who he is, and goes through a big
character arc, however in the opposite way to Jackie in Billy Elliott,
he hides behind the idea of masculinity and goes in on himself.

Erics Storyline Sex Education
At the beginning of episode Season 1 Episode 6, following this attack, we see
through Erics clothing, specifically the colour, how he loses his spark and light,
and turns into a more “normal” representation of a young man. Where once he
had worn bright colourful sweaters with exciting patters, showing off all the
layers of his identity, here he chooses to wear a brown hoody and t-shirt, and a
pair of blue jeans. The hoody he zips up, physically hiding his chest and his heart
from the world, protecting him from anything like the attack he experienced.
Throughout the episode, we see the use of mirrors, specifically Eric in front of
the mirrors, which represents him trying to figure out who he is. We look in
mirrors to see what we look like, but also as a way of self analysing, giving
judgment on ourselves. This symbolism is a relatively obvious one, but could be
a nice way to suggest self expression and identity within my project. We see
him looking in the mirror at himself when he first gets dressed in the morning
after the attack, the audience being invited to see his change, to look through
the eyes of Eric and identify the pain he is experiencing as he changes to fit
society’s view of him.
In this episode we also get to see how his relationship with his family,
specifically his father changes. As we get through the episodes, we see that his
father, a proud black immigrant, isn’t against his son, rather is worried that his
son will be hurt for being who he is, much in a similar way to Jackie. Erics dad
want’s him to embrace the “normal” masculine traits to protect himself from
the world, however once he sees his son doing this, he ultimately deep down
knows its wrong.
Here we can see more clearer what Eric is wearing. The
muddy green looks purposely un attractive on him,
giving his skin an almost ill looking tone, and in a sense
he is ill, except it is his heart and his identity that needs
healing, not his body. Eric relies so much on his
clothing as a form of self expression, so to drastically
make this change shows the viewers just how much he
is struggling. He has become a blank canvas, his
identity has been totally wiped away due to this fear of
being judged and this lack of confidence not seen in
his character before. In Billy Eliot, I also saw how
important the colour and the style of clothing was to
create representations, so thinking about this in my
planning will be important.

Erics Storyline Sex Education
In the middle of the episode, we not only see the change in Erics appearance, dulling down his clothes, but we
also see his characteristics change, and as he adopts the more respected ideals of being a man, we see how
him and the people around him are negatively effected. We see this specifically take place during band
practice. When his class mates tease him for his playing, and his teacher confronts him, he loses his temper,
much in the way of a stereotypical man, and causes havoc and pain for not only himself, but the people around
him.
At the beginning of the band practice, the light from the window is completely covering Eric, however almost
to the degree that it is so light you cant see him.The light also only catches on half of his face, the other side
staying dark.This could be representative off how Eric is feeling at the moment. As a person he loves to be
loud, wear loud clothing and is proud to be seen and heard, which we can see in the light on his face, but in the
darkness , we see the shame he is feeling after the attack, and also the shame of deep down, him knowing he
is not being his true fulfilled self. It can represent his conflicting ideas, stay safe and lie low, or be proud and
loud about who you are. Similarly, although his outfits and demeanour have become more “normal” and
acceptable, it is such a noticeable difference that he is in fact drawing more attention to himself, hence why he
can be seen flooded uncomfortably with light from the windows, the outside world.
After his male teacher tries to emotionally connect with him asking “ What’s up E-Man” trying to be friendly
and make him feel comfortable, Eric explodes and loses his temper, and instead of confiding in him, makes
mean and nasty remarks to his face. This could be seen as him taking on those stereotypical characteristics
again, not willing to let his band mates or teacher see what’s really going on, and instead of being truthful
getting angry and out of order himself. We can see here, that him trying to change who he is, and adopting a
type of masculinity that isn’t natural to him, is making him angry and upset, these emotions coming out as
rage and hostility.
We see all of these masculine, macho gender stereotypes finally epitomised when Eric is pushed even further
over the edge, and after a comment from Anwar, one of the only other out gay POC character, he snaps and
punches him in the face. It is a widely accepted stereotype that masculine men can’t cope with their emotions,
and alternatively act out in a violent way, and here we see Eric taking on that stereotype, visibly shocking his
classmates and friends at this behaviour. In this shot we see that the lighting is beaming down on the
characters and Eric, possibly suggesting after this incident he realises what he is doing is not only self
destructive, but also destructive to others, which is tough for an understanding and empathetic character like
Eric.

Summary on Eric’s Storyline
• The reason why I looked at Erics storyline, is because I think it is a very powerful
and emotive one, and we have always heard of people being “in the closet” and
“coming out” of the closet, but the narrative of feeling like you need to regress
and go back in, isn’t something talked about or discussed.
• I thought this storyline was an interesting one, because watching it for the first
time it immediately screamed to me that the way Eric found best to protect
himself and be accepted once again, was to adopt very masculine and macho
qualities. He changes his clothes to something more appropriate that a teen boy
would wear, in an article by Patrick Netton for JUNKEE, he states “He cosplays as
a cis-het man, he puts on straight drag.” and this is something I had never seen
before and wanted to research, since Grayson Perry has always been so open
about his cross dressing and his transvestism, I wanted to look at what would
happen when the challenges of the world force you to be someone different.
• In this storyline, I found out that when you do try and be someone else, and when
Eric did try and change, the people around him were not only negatively effected
by this new person in front of them, but the people that loved and cared for Eric
were worried for him more than they were when he was being himself.
• After the heart to heart before prom with his father, and he states “it makes me
scared for you- I don’t want you to be hurt” Eric after finally finding himself again
replies, “I’ll be hurt either way. Isn’t it better to be who I am?” and that is what I
want to portray in my project, as that is what I see when I look at Claire as a
Soldier, the piece I am using as inspiration. In my planning and pre-production
stage, I can maybe explore the idea of referring to queer icons such as Eric and
linking them with Claire.

FilmingTechniques andTutorials
• In a lot of my past projects, specifically my last one which was to create a factual
piece, my execution on shot days always fell short, and I believe this is to do with
lack of research into techniques I can apply to shooting. I always disregard aspects
such as composition, blocking, lighting and audio, so I am going to spend some
time looking at ways to do this effectively. I am going to use the vast array of
tutorials onYouTube, and applying the features off poetic documentaries, do
experimentation and practice these techniques, another aspect of pre-production
I tend to disregard.

7 Fundamental Steps to Film a Short Documentary
This video is really helpful, as Jesse Cervantes is a documentary maker and film maker, so his advice
is really sharp and concise, and not wishy-washy and full of tips that have no meaning at all.
Stand outTips!
1. Story Structure: Think about how you are going to conduct the interview before it begins.Think about how to ask questions, how to ask questions in a way you will get the
best answers.What topics do you want to touch on more importantly?Which do you want to touch on less? Figure out what the BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END looks like.An
easy way to begin is to ask their name, and what they do. In my case this will be slightly different as I won’t be conducting interviews in the way that a reflexive documentary
may. Next, move onto why you are talking to them, why are you filming them?What do they have/do that relates to the subject. What do friends and family think about it,
how did they get into this field/ position. End simply with a question or statement that rounds off what they have said, what are your hopes for the future?What are your
plans for the future? How do you want things to look?
2. Filming/ A- Roll: This is where composition or as Jesse puts it, Rule ofThirds, comes into play.Think about where you want the interviewee to be facing, will it be better if the
camera is to the side, so they are looking at you whilst filming?Will it be more emotive when they look directly in the camera? How much of the sources face do you want to
see? Do you want to see their full body, do you just want to see their face?What shot will create the most striking response?
3. A- Roll Lighting: Lighting is very important, as it can give your source depth, and this makes for a much better shot. If lighting is not fully available, it is best to film near a
large light source such as a window, and if blinds are available you can control the amount of light let in and out.This tip is really helpful, as I don’t have a wide variety of kit.
4. Filming B-Roll: There are many different objects and angles to film at, so get creative and imaginative, using different shot lengths, filming different objects and scenes that
keep the viewer interested.This is something that is going to be important for my project, as poetic docs tend to use a lot of B-Roll images, and these objects or scenes that
are focussed on all create meaning. Jesses tips is to get multiple angles of the same shot, that way in the editing process he has multiple angles to choose from, to help propel
the story and narrative in the right direction. He also states that movement of footage should be kept to a minimum unless you have kit such as a gimbal or stabiliser, to keep
footage looking smooth and off a high standard.This is also something I struggle with in my filming process, so doing some experimentation and figuring out ways that this
work best for me will be a good idea.
5. Audio: Audio is crucial, specifically in my poetic doc where I plan on relying on a mix of diegetic and non diegetic sound. Like in Trail of Happiness I'd really like to do some
foley work to create atmosphere, so recording my audio in a high quality way will be important. Jesse says to make sure to use two mics if possible, and always have a back up
just in case something goes wrong. If the audio is scratchy or fuzzy, it will really effect the atmosphere I am creating so I may look at some more tutorials regarding that.
6. MakeYour Source Feel Comfortable: Although I think most of my interviews will be conducted over the phone, or a zoom meeting due to Covid, it will be important to make
sure my interviewee is in the best position for filming and recording, because then they will be in the state to reply with the best questions. Jesse’s tip is to talk to them first,
make sure you are both comfortable with each other, and the rest will follow naturally.Another important thing is to make sure that they include or repeat the question in
their answer so the audience understand what they are answering, and it can also help the source focus on what they are replying with.
7. Editing: Make sure to use all the footage you have at your disposal effectively. If some A-Roll footage isn’t how you want it, then use some B-Roll footage to cover up
mistakes. Use B-Roll to propel the video and narrative further. Shooting a short film can be a long process, so if you have the opportunity to, reshoot and re-record footage
and audio that may not be up to standard.

Summary from Jesse Cervantes’Video
• Think about how to structure and ask questions so you can get the best response from your interviewees.
• What does the BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END look like and how is it structured?
• Remember the Rule ofThirds, how does everything in the shot look. Depending on the response you want, put the source either off the side in the
1/3 or 3/3, or to have them looking in the camera place them in the 2/3.
• Lighting is important! Film next to a controllable light source such as a window with blinds or use lighting kit, as it can apply depth to the source and
change a shot from looking flat to more animated and striking.
• When filming B-Roll, keep it exciting by filming the same thing multiple times from different angles. Close up from the left, medium straight on at
the subject etc.
• Keep movement of footage to a minimum when filming B-Roll, unless you have access to gimbals or stabilisers.
• Audio is CRUCIAL! If you are filming/recording interviews, make sure that you are using two microphones, and a back up if one of those becomes un
usable.
• During interviews make your source feel comfortable, have a chat with them before to make them feel at ease, some may be uncomfortable in a
setting where they are being filmed.
• Make sure that your interviewee includes the question in their answer, so that the audience understand the context behind what they are saying:
“What is your favourite colour?” “My favourite colour is blue.”
• In the editing process make sure you use all the footage you have effectively! Use B-Roll material to cover A-Roll material that may have gone wrong
or not to your standard.
• If possible, reshoot or re-record footage and audio that isn’t how you want it, but make sure to make the most of the time you have.

How toTell a Story with Lighting
Lighting is always something I tend to neglect, I think because lighting looks so natural and
there by accident, but we don’t really see how purposeful is, and how our brains naturally
register the narrative it creates. This video is really helpful because it touches on lots of topics
such as the colour of lighting, soft and hard lighting etc, which are things I need to be
confident about if I plan on using visuals for representations and meanings.
Stand OutTips!
1. Soft Lighting and Hard Lighting: As my piece won’t be narrative, with a lot of B-Roll shots over scripted scenes,
soft and hard lighting are going to be some of the main aspects that I focus on. Soft lighting is uses for softer and
lighter moments, used particularly to present romantic moments, when characters are joyful or emotionally
fulfilled.This type of lighting promotes positivity. Hard lighting however is used in a negative way, promoting dark
shadows and rough textures over the characters or the subjects. It is best used for creating danger and difficult or
hard times.
2. Colours to push emotion: Like in many of the existing products, colour to push emotion is something I noticed
used in all of the pieces, specifically in I Am, where there is an obvious colour change when the tone goes from
negative to positive.The video states that warm tones such as browns, oranges and yellows make us feel
connected, intimate and nostalgic. Cold colours, blue, cyan, on the other hand make use feel isolated and
disconnected. I will definitely be using colour in my project, and will look even further into colour theory in films.
3. Make Importance Shine: The eye is naturally drawn to the brightest thing in the frame, so if something is
important, make sure your lighting communicates this.These subjects can be anything from a characters face, to
an object of importance to the plot, a shiny key for instance.

The PrettiestWay to Light: Lighting 101
Now that I know soft and hard lighting are something I am going to create, I want
to look in further detail at why we use soft lighting, and how we create soft
lighting in different settings.
• Why do we use soft lighting?: Soft light wraps around subjects with diffused light and soft
edges. If you are using soft light as your key light, it will create a look with minimised shadows,
and it hides unflattering and undesirable textures. It also minimises depth, and fills in layered
shadows. In beauty lighting, it is also used to effectively hide the effects of ages, such as
wrinkles and unsmooth skin. Soft lighting is also the go to for ambient lighting, as it doesn’t
cast as noticeable of a shadow as other forms of lighting.
• How to create soft light: SIZE and DISTANCE!The larger the source the light comes from, the
softer the lighting is, and the closer the source is, the softer it will be.The easiest way to create
soft light, is via diffusion, which can be done using a soft box directly attached to your light
fixture. More traditional ways to create soft lighting is to cover the light source with fabrics such
as silks, or translucent fabrics.
Creating a Light Refractor at Home!
Looking at the Lighting 101 video, Aperture suggested using a bounce board or a soft box to
create soft lighting, but due to the pandemic I don’t have access to these tools. Online I found
this really helpful video which told me how to create a light refractor or “bounce board” for
around £1! Using tin foil, hot glue to secure the foil and a cardboard box, Jonas M managed to
create an effective bounce board in no time at all, for almost nothing compared to how
expensive soft boxes can be to purchase. In the before and after shots using the board, you can
see quite considerable results, so this is something I will defiantly be looking at doing.

Colour Grading
Colour grading is something I am completely new too, and I have really no idea where to begin with it. An
aspect I found in the existing products I look at, look as though the colour they use is very important, and
if the colour is balanced and complimentary to the shots and the tone, it can come out looking really
amazing and high quality! I want my piece to look as high quality as I possibly can, so I am going to look
at some videos regarding colour grading and colour theory to get a better understanding, and in future
weeks to come hopefully experiment and practice more for myself.
BasicTerminology for Defining Colour
• 3 basic terms are HUE, SATURATION and LUMA
• HUE is the name we call COLOURS
• SATURATION is the intensity or vividness of the HUE
• LUMA is the brightness or the shade of HUE
Waveform
RGB Parade
Vector Scope
• Waveform- Corrects for exposure
• RGB- Corrects white balance issues, this tool helps to
spots in-balances, if the image is too cool, or too warm.
This will show if one channel is elevated above the rest
• Vector Scope- Corresponds with the colour wheel. It
shows what colours are in the image and the
saturation.The further the trace is from the centre of
the scope, the more vivid the colours are.

Colour Grading Waveform
Vector Scope
RGB Parade
Colour Correction Workflow
1. Correct the Exposure! (WAVEFORM)
2. Fix the White Balance! (RGB Parade)
3. Adjust Saturation by either increasing or decreasing it!
(Vector Scope)
Correcting Exposure!
• The BLACKS control the darkest points, shown
at the bottom.
• The WHITES control the brightest points,
shown at the top.
• The SHADOWS controls the tonal range
between the shadows and the mid tones if say
you want to recover or darken details.
• The HIGHLIGHT controls the tonal range
between the highlights and the mid tones, or
the upper part of the image. Recover or
brighten details.
By adjusting the sliders, the waveform
should look something like this if the
exposure has been corrected properly.

Colour Grading
Waveform
Vector Scope
RGB Parade
Correcting theWhite Balance orTemperature!
In this example, we can see that the blue channel is slightly
elevated, which gives the image a cooler temperature. Our
goal is to neutralise/white balance the whites.To do this,
we need to find something white in the image.You can
balance out the white manually using the temperature and
tint sliders, or we can do it quickly by using Adobe Premiers
White Balance Selector!
To use theWhite Balance Selector, we simply use the
eyedropper tool above the sliders, and select the white
source in the image! If it still looks a bit off, you can
manually adjust the saturation to boost the colour slightly.
Matching Colour Grading to Different Clips
If you are going through your shots, and pasting the attributes from the first piece of colour grading you did,
they may still look slightly unmatched.To fix this there are a few steps we can take.
• Go to the COLOURWHEELS, and activate the COMPARISONVIEW, where you will then be able to see the
two different clips side by side.You can also see a side by side comparison of the levels inWAVEFORM and
RGB Parade from the two different clips.
• To match them both generally, adjust the EXPOSURE slider, looking at the scopes and the visual at the
same time, and bring up the shadows with the BLACKS control.You will now be able to see in the scopes
how they match up together much better than before, and you should be able to see it demonstrated in the
two visuals also.

Filming B-Roll
10Tips For Shooting BETTER B-Roll-
Jeremy Siers
Something I noticed looking at existing products, was that poetic documentaries tend to have lots of B-Roll
and what we could consider supplementary shots as the basis of the visuals. This of course doesn’t mean it is
any less important than other types of footage, there for I have looked at this video which gives 10 tips that
are relatively simple and don’t take fancy kit or tools to create good cinematic B-Roll.
Stand OutTips!
1. Lighting: Lighting is SO important! If the shot is lit well, it colour grades easier, if its not lit well the colour grading looks moody, you have noise and
grain to contest with in post, and overall it takes a lot more time and effort to get the shot looking crisp. Lighting most importantly adds interest
and dimension to a scene, which people are obviously going to want to look at more. If you aren’t in an environment where you can control the
lighting, sitting in front of a window is always good, avoid shooting at noon as the direct sun can cause harsh light, so opt for filming at a time such
as golden hour instead (the hour before the sun goes down).
2. Angles: Don’t get stuck in the rutt of shooting everything at one angle, it can look really boring. Instead get down low with things, shoot from a
higher angle! If you want to make someone look big and strong shoot them from a lower angle, if you want to make someone look weak and
unconfident shoot from a high angle! Shoot from the side, zoom out zoom in!
3. Be Smooth! Smooth footage looks more professional. More expensive routes to do this would be to use something like a gimbal, but there are also
more budget ways to get this smooth look. A tip Jeremy gave was to place your camera on top of a towel, on a smooth surface, and gently pull it to
get a smooth pan.You can also use something like a skate board or a bike. Also in post, you can use the warp stabilizer which can help with the
slight shakes you may run into whilst shooting. He also suggested shooting in a slow mo setting and at a higher frame rate.
4. Movement: Movement adds interest, and can lead the viewer to where you want them to look.You can zoom of dolly your camera into the focus
which also centres the object or your subject. Repeating the same straight locked off boring shot can get tedious, isn’t fun to shoot, and doesn’t
hold the viewers attentions.
5. Aperture: Aperture on your camera is used to control the brightness and the amount of light allowed into the lens, use aperture to your advantage,
turn it all the way down to get a blurry background, turn it up so everything is on the same level if you want. Use aperture to shape your shot how
you want to. It can add a lot of shallow depth and dimension to your shots.

Colour
Over the years of doing media studies, I already have quite a good understanding of colour theory,
why and how colours are used, and what certain colours means. What I need to do, is to learn how to
apply a purposeful colour pallet to my own work. Here are some helpful videos I looked at, which
helped go over some aspects I may have forgotten, or some aspects which I haven’t heard of or really
though about before. Below I am going to include some notable subjects from the tutorials, and
hopefully gain a better understanding to apply it to my own project.
In the video Colour and Storytelling, Lewis Bond introduced me to the 5 different
way colours can be used to create balance and discordance:
5 Colour Schemes
1. Complementary Colour
Two colours on opposite sides of the colour
wheel make a complimentary pair. This is by far
the most commonly used pairing. A common
example is orange and blue, or teal. This pairs a
warm colour with a cool colour and produces a
high contrast and vibrant result. Saturation must
be managed but a complimentary pair are often
quite naturally pleasing to the eye.
The colour palette of Jean-Pierre
Jeunet’s “Amelie” is a great example
of a complementary pairing of red and
green.
Information from CineD- Richard Lakey

2. Analogous Colour Scheme
Analogous colours sit next to each other on the colour
wheel. They match well and can create a overall harmony
in colour palette. It’s either warmer colours, or cooler
colours so doesn’t have the contrast and tension of the
complementary colours. Analogous colours are easy to take
advantage of in landscapes and exteriors as they are often
found in nature. Often one colour can be chosen to
dominate, a second to support, and a third along with
blacks, whites and grey tones to accent.
Reds, Oranges, Browns and Yellows in this
scene from “American Hustle” fall next to each
other on the color wheel forming a warm overall
feel with very little tension in the image.
3.Triadic Colour Scheme
Triadic colours are three colours arranged evenly spaced
around the colour wheel. One should be dominant, the
others for accent. They will give a vibrant feel even if the
hues are quite unsaturated. Triadic is one of the least
common colour schemes in film and although difficult, can
be quite striking. Jean-Luc Goddard’s 1964 “Pierrot Le Fou”
makes use of a triadic colour scheme of red, blue and
green.

4. Split Complementary Colour Scheme
A split-complimentary colour scheme is really very
similar to complimentary colours but instead of
using the direct opposite colour of the base colour, it
uses the two colours next to the opposite. It has the
same high contrast but less tension than a
complimentary pair. A split complimentary colour
scheme in this scene of the Coen Brother’s “Burn
After Reading” of red, green and teal.
5.Tetradic Colour Scheme
Tetradic colours consist of four colours arranged into
two complementary pairs.The result is a full palette
with many possible variations. As with most of these
colour harmonies, one colour is usually dominant.
Some common general looks that can be created in
post pretty much regardless of what colours are in the
image are the orange/teal look where orange is pushed
into the highlights and upper-mids of the skin tones
and teal (or blue green) is pushed into the shadows.
“Mama Mia’s” colourful party scene falls
into the example of a tetradic choice of
colours creating a well balanced and
harmonious palette in a scene that could
otherwise have looked like a bad disco.

WhatWould Claire Look LikeToday?
• Now I am going to begin my research into 21st century women, and the issues we face
today, how are they different and how have things developed in the last 40 years. I am
going to look at topics that I am effected by, such as body image, selfie culture, internet
trolls, going back to work after having kids. I think however, I will mainly focus on the
issues which directly involve the internet, as that is one of the biggest modern
developments since the 80’s, when the initial Claire as a Soldier piece was created.

Social Media,The Internet and Selfie Culture
One of the major aspects of society that has changed and effected everyone, not just women, it
the evolution and widely available social media platforms. Social media has impacted the way in
which we view and experience the world to a high degree, and it has had major effects on how
women are perceived and the way we feel we should be perceived in society. Social media has
opened many new channels for women to find community and support, but there have also been
many channels opened for women to be persecuted and harassed. Harassment and Sexism has
always been prevalent, including in the 80’s, but now there is a totally new way for women to be
put down, microscopically inspected and this time it doesn’t stop when you are in the safety of
your own home. From online hate groups accessible to anyone who happens to stumble upon
them, to tweets and posts that are not checked by different parties before release, allowing
hurtful and harmful comments that once may not have seen the light of day, to be projected and
shared by thousands of people.This is a new struggled that women and young girls of the 21st
century have to face, which is to a totally knew and terrifying capacity.

Manipulation ofWomen Online
Jameela Jamil is an online activist who started
the movement of I Weigh, breaking toxic diet
culture tactics and being body positive. She has
also spoken out many times about how the
media attacks and twist women's words to paint
them in a bad light, and women who speak out
and bring up problems such as everyday sexism
as crazy and the bad guys. On her Instagram
account, she shared examples of where the
media manipulated its situations, creating
totally false connections and suggestions that
poison us towards women and celebrities.
Here we see an instance when an image of Jameela was added
to a compilation of posts that received back lash during
COVID-19, however she wasn’t actually in the list.What using
her image, and not a particularly nice image (a screenshot
taken from an interview, mid conversation) makes whoever
see this post immediately recognise Jamil as someone who
posts insensitive things online, and readers then begin to gain
a negative connotation around her. This has happened to
many female celebs fromTaylor Swift, to the Lady Diana.The
creation of the internet, and small unregulated internet
magazines allow false and manipulated information to be
spread, and what happened to Jameela is an example of this.
"Discredit is the new death,
when a woman steps up and
speaks out, she’s taken out of
context, compulsively
overexposed, her tone is
exaggerated by media to look
hysterical and violent, her
integrity is questioned and
society tries to slander her into
silence. Every single time."
“This is the pattern for so many women. It’s
FASCINATING. Once you see it you can’t unsee it. The
system is: build her up, over-congratulate her, over
expose her ‘til people are sick of her face, take her out
of context, start the rumour mill and destroy… then on
to the next.”
The ‘over exposure’ tactic isn’t anything new – countless
women including Meghan Markle, Taylor Swift, Anne
Hathaway, ChrissyTeigen and Jennifer Lawrence have
been subject to it over the years. And it’s about time we
put this cycle of misogyny to an end.

OnlineViolence AgainstWomen
Online violence in any capacity, weather it is against women or men, is similar to real daily violence, can cause the
same amount of anxiety and fear, however due to it being online, it can sometimes not be taken as seriously as it
should be. Where a woman may be attacked in the streets, and witnesses be available, and injuries be visible, online
violence and harassment such as revenge porn cant be so easily proven and or believed, as the mental injury caused to
the victim is less obvious to the outside world.
Revenge Porn
• Revenge Porn is the sharing of private, sexual materials, either photos or videos, of another person, without their
consent and with the purpose of causing embarrassment or distress.The offence applies both online and offline, and
to images which are shared electronically or in a more traditional way so it includes the uploading of images on the
internet, sharing by text and e-mail, or showing someone a physical or electronic image.
• Revenge Porn the way we know it now, is a relatively new thing, only becoming a criminal offence in 2015.
• 1 in 7 young women have received threats that intimate photographs of them will be shared without their consent,
according to a new survey by domestic abuse charity Refuge.
• The survey showed that of the one in 14 women overall who had been threatened with revenge porn, 72 per cent were
threatened by a current or former partner and of these 83 per cent experienced other forms of abuse.
• Refuge’s survey highlighted that 83 per cent of the women who received revenge porn threats said their mental health
and wellbeing suffered, with more than one in 10 saying they felt suicidal.
• Of those who received threats, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of women and 40 per cent of men said the image was
then shared on social media platforms, which Refuge said could have been prevented if threats were made a crime.

Revenge Porn
Revenge Porn, honour and shame -
Newsnight
In this report from Newsnight, it displays just how much of an effect and danger it can put people
in. In this report specifically, they focussed on groups such as South Asian communities that are
honour based, and how terrible the outcomes can be on the victims of revenge porn. In interviews
from two victims of revenge porn, they stated how they were blackmailed to give thousands of
pounds to their abusers, or else the photographs would be leaked. If these photos were linked, the
young women discussed what could have happened to them.They could have been disowned by
their families, thrown out and left to fend for themselves, one lady in the interview Soraya was
threatened with being married off and sent back to her fathers homeland of Pakistan, and also
threatened with death.
Revenge Porn: ‘I’m sorry to my
children’- BBC
In this report from the BBC,
we see the effects that it
can have in a less severe
capacity, and the after
effects these women
receive. The mental effects
and the shame and upset
caused can be long lasting.
Mental Health and the After Effects
Revenge pornography can have serious mental health
implications for victims.Victims must cope with long-term
personal and psychological consequences, given that the
disseminated photographs or videos may continue to haunt
them throughout their lives. 80 to 93 percent of victims
suffered significant emotional distress after the release of their
explicit photographs.The distress includes anger, guilt,
paranoia, depression, or even suicide.There may also be
deterioration in personal relationships and feelings of isolation.
victims of revenge pornography suffer from similar enduring
mental health effects as described by victims of child
pornography, such as depression, withdrawal, low self-esteem,
and feelings of worthlessness.

Trauma Centred Feminism
• Christina Hoff Sommers states that a struggle women face today isTrauma Centred Feminism. She states in the
article from Politico, “The threat of harm is a human constant, but by any reasonable measure, American women are
among the safest, freest, healthiest, most opportunity-rich women on Earth. But everywhere, especially on college
campuses, young women are being taught that they are vulnerable, fragile and in imminent danger. A new trauma-
centered feminism has taken hold. Its primary focus is not equality with men—but rather protection from them.”This
is something as an 18 year old girl, something I hold close.
• From being on social media and hearing other peoples views, it is largely accepted by women that we are all
“vulnerable” and we must protect each other and ourselves. But how far do we need to go, and is out our
responsibility to stop ourselves from being raped or assaulted? “This new ethic of fear and fragility is poisonous and
debilitating—but it’s gaining ground. American women should resist the urge to pretend the world is rigged against
us when it is not.”
• “The picture is different in the developing world. In countries like Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Egypt
women are contending with practices such as honor killings, genital mutilation, acid burnings, child marriage and
gender apartheid. However, there is good news.The number of educated women in these countries has reached
critical mass and they are making their presence felt.”

Navigating Career and Motherhood
• Margaret Hoover is the host of the American chat show Firing Line, and a challenge she thinks
faces women today is navigating work and motherhood:
• “As a working mother of two young children, I believe that the big challenge facing working
women is navigating career opportunities while maximizing motherhood.The good news is that
economic and political freedom for American women of all races and socioeconomic
backgrounds is the highest it’s ever been. Working moms do have the luxury of “leaning in” to
either their careers or motherhood, but rarely both at once. Enabling a mother to re-enter the
workforce where she left off should be commonplace. But solving the “on-ramp problem” for
talented women who choose to pause their careers to prioritize family life still eludes us.”
• Given this level of pressure, it’s not surprising that while only 2% of working women plan to
leave the workforce for family reasons, yet 43% of highly qualified women opt out or off-ramp
on their way back to work post-baby. Millennial mothers are feeling overwhelmed and
unsupported during the transition from motherhood to working mother.
• For Baby Boomers and Gen X, it was normal to draw a line in the sand and expect family life and
work to be separate. But with technology significantly changing the way we work today and
into the future, it is increasingly difficult to separate the two. Our ability, and now expectation,
to respond to emails late into the evenings and weekends, has us wondering why flexible hours
are still something to negotiate, or why we feel judged when we leave the office at 5pm to pick
up our children, even though we are often getting to work hours earlier than others.
• In 2014, Fashion Designer/Mogul, Rachel Zoe had five staff members in her company who were
pregnant and due within the year. Her response? She built a nursery adjacent to the office, to
retain her valued staff. “I wanted to create an environment where these new mothers wouldn’t
have to make a choice between career and motherhood.” Zoe explained.

Lack ofWomen in Positions of Power
• Amy Klobuchar is a Democratic U.S. senator from Minnesota. She states : “One of the
struggles that underlies all of our policy battles is the continued lack of women in
positions of power. From corporate boardrooms, to the courts and political leadership
around the world, the lack of women in senior positions continues to stymie progress on
issues from pay to humanitarian aid to discrimination in all its forms.The sooner we
understand that the lack of women in leadership roles holds back not only women, but
all people, the sooner we will be able to advance society as a whole.”
• In the 1980s and early 1990s, the percentage of women running for office increased
steadily, culminating in the so-calledYear of theWoman in 1992, when the number of
women in the U.S. Senate suddenly doubled—from two to four—and the number of
women in Congress increased from 28 to 47.
• The number of women in Congress only reached the triple digits—at 104—in 2014. And
while the 2016 election cycle brought Clinton’s loss, it also led to a number of great
breakthroughs: Nine new women of colour were elected to Congress, bringing the total
number of women of colour in the U.S.
• Things are getting better, however there are still large discrepancy's in how many
women are working but how many women are in those high positions.
• In the 1990s and 2000s, the narrowing of the gender wage gap decelerated, and the
percentage of women in management jobs stagnated. And in recent years, the
percentage of women in top management positions and on corporate boards has
stalled. Women are just 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs—down from a record high of 6
percent in 2017.

Summary
• I think the themes I have looked at are correct, and a lot of the subjects are things that I as myself would agree with.
Immediately when I was thinking about the struggles women face today, I thought of how difficult and challenging it is
for women to go back to work after having a child.The world of work has changed and now almost all women are
expected to be a breadwinner in some way, however the work place hasn’t adapted for women, making it really
difficult for women to go back to work.This makes women feel as though they have to choose, have an amazing career
and success, or have a child and potentially have that career put on hold for a time.This is a fear as an 18 year old, and I
know friends of mine also share.We first and foremost want to be working women, but we also one day want to have a
family, and not have to compromise too much on how our career may change.This topic is something I am definitely
going to include in my project, and maybe do some of my own research, talking to my parents friends and some family
members to get their feelings on the situation.
• The internet is something that is so new, and we still are all learning to adapt to, some using the online world for
positive reasons, Jameela Jamil and her activism against toxic diet culture, or they can use it for more malicious and
malice reasons, revenge porn and online media manipulation.These are some very new topics thatClaire wouldn’t
have had to face at all in 80’s/90’s, as sites such as porn hub simply weren’t there for this to happen.This is something
that a lot of women, as well as men, face and sometimes a fear that people go through relationships with. It’s a new
kind of abuse, and one that sometimes isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, only becoming a criminal offence in 2015,
however this doesn’t stop revenge porn happening. It is certainly something I as an 18 year old have run into, images of
girls in my year being sent around on the internet so quickly, is something lots of people fear, and is undoubtably a new
struggle women face in 2021.
• Lack of women in power is something that has been around for a long time, so its not necessarily a problem thatClaire
would have been immune from in the 80’s and 90’s, however with almost all women expected to have a career just like
our male counterparts, its quite shocking when you see how fast women have moved into the work place permanently,
but we can grasp at those top positions. In the 80’s Claire struggled to break into industry, in 2021, she’s here, but to get
to the top is another problem entirely.

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