A2 Media Course Work ...

A2 Media Course Work
…
By Anna-May Carey

Synopsis …
Characters;
Stan – Carly Mc Carron
Eminem- Carly Mc Carron
Stan’s Girlfriend – Moya Casarini Mcmanus
◦
Location;
Drama Room (Ideally otherwise just a dark room)
Bed Room
Blank Room (One wall will be covered with Eminem posters) (These may change as we go on as we may not get access to the rooms we require)
Costume;
White T-Shirt
Blue Jeans
Tracksuit
Blue T-Shirt

Props;
◦ Cassette
◦ Eminem Poster’s
◦ Letter’s
◦ Mug
◦ Mirror
◦ Pens
◦ Notepads
◦ Tripod
◦ Camera
◦ Video Recorder
◦
Key Symbols;
◦ Eminem
◦ Love
◦ Obsession
◦ Abusive
◦

Narrative – Eminem’s song Stan is about Eminem’s alter ego Slim Shady. Stanley ‘Stan’ Mitchell claims to be Eminem’s number one fan.
Throughout the song he becomes more and more obsessed with him, and when he gets no response he gets angry. He finally loses it and ties
his girlfriend up in the trunk, and then does a recording into a cassette to send to Eminem but when he gets to the bridge he realises he can’t
send it and drives the car over the bridge. The first three verses are delivered by Eminem as Stan, while the fourth verse is Slim Shady
writing back to Stan. In this verse he tries to help Stan to become more mentally stable so that he doesn’t hurt himself or his girlfriend only
to find out that he was the man on the news that killed himself and his girlfriend, and Slim Shady had already heard about this
I want the storyline to my music video to be similar to Eminem’s version but I would like to do role reverse and have it from the girlfriends
perspective, I would also like it to be a very subvert music video. I will start with a medium shot of Stan’s girlfriend lying in bed, and then a
transition into a close up of her face particularly the eyes because you can tell someone’s emotion’s just from their eye’s. She will then close
her eyes as if she is going to cry, and this will transition into shots of Stan and his girlfriend when they were first dating and they were
happy. It will then go to a clip of Stan and his girlfriend having their first argument over him dying his hair to be like Eminem, this will be a
scene where he first ‘hits’ her. I will then show clips of how this has affected his girlfriend. It will then flashback to her lying in bed and she
will open her eyes, and realise that Stan isn’t next to her. The next clip will be her in a room full of posters of Eminem, and her seeing a
picture of what use to be herself and her boyfriend, but she is now covered by a picture of Eminem. This distresses her, Stan then finds her
down there which leads to an argument of him hitting her, and tying her up. This will lead to a few scenes of Stan saying the last verse. It
will go from a close up of Stan’s lips, gently increasing to his eyes, and then it will zoom out and will do a full face shot. On the last line it will
black out and then a flickering shot of the girlfriend dead with bruises all over her, which will done with make-up.
Theme - My theme for Stan will be magic realism, with an influence of Brecht’s breaking the fourth wall, an example of this will be when
Eminem says he last verse to the audience. It will touch such topics as mental illness, such as Stan when he becomes infatuated with
Eminem. It will also include the theme of abusive relationships, this will be shown physically and mentally, as Stan’s obsession with Eminem
distresses his girlfriend and causes her to feel depressed and not confident within herself. I want the main message to be that you shouldn’t
take your life for someone else. I have a favourite quote which I will try and include at the beginning of the music video ‘At your absolute
best, you still won’t be good enough for the wrong person. At your worst you’ll still be worth it to the right person.’ This is key to my music
video because even when Stan didn’t love his girlfriend, she still thought he was worth fighting for.

Music Video History Timeline …

Michel Gondry …
Music Career – Gondry
Michel Gondry was born on the 8th of May in 1963. Gondry is a French film and music director,
screenwriter and producer. He is known for his weird and creative style, through use of mise en scene,
editing and his camera shots / angles. Gondry relies heavily on editing to help create a music video that
plays with the mind creating camera tricks. Gondry also uses videography/photography to help with his
music videos. Gondry said most of his inspiration came from the film Le Voyage en Ballon. He said ‘
When I watch this movie, I dream I’m flying and then I do stories where people are flying. I think it’s
directly influencing.’ Gondry had a brother Oliver ‘Twist’ Gondry who also created TV commercials and
music videos.
Before Gondry became a director of music videos and films, he was a drummer in a band called Oui Oui
and started to create music videos for them to get them more attention and noticed. Many people were
intrigued by Gondry’s style and decided to get him to direct their music videos as it was very different.
The artists that commonly used or still use Gondry are; Daft Punk, The White Stripes, The Chemical
Brothers, The Vines, Steriogram, Radiohead, and Beck.
◦

Film Career - Gondry
Gondry was also known for his films, when he first started creating films he got mixed reviews, because
it was something the public hadn’t expected from films. Gondry was most known for his effective
advertisements/commercials because people found them entertaining and they were short and were
effective. Gondry was able to work along side many directors such as; Spike Jonze and David Fincher.
Gondry’s first film was Human Nature, which did get mixed reviews but his next film Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind, got good reviews due to the actors he used and it was entertaining and quite
commercial.
◦

Lyrics to Visualisation …
My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I
Got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
And I can't see at all
And even if I could it'll all be gray,
Put your picture on my wall
It reminds me, that it's not so bad, it's not so bad
Line 1 - A close up of Stan’s girlfriends face.
Line 2 - A mid shot of her lying in bed.
Line 3 - A shot of a miserable day (raining, stormy) from a window.
Line 4 - A close up of Stan’s girlfriend closing her eyes.
Line 5 - The shot of Stan’s girlfriend lying in bed turns to grey, to show her mood.
Line 6 - A long shot of posters of Eminem.
Line 7 & 8 - Close up of Stan’s girlfriend’s belly.
◦

Line 9 – A shot of Stan and his girlfriend in a picture when she was first pregnant.
Line 10 – A shot of them as a couple when they first started dating - happy.
Line 11 – Zooming in on the picture until it becomes blurred and then onto the next picture.
Line 12 – A shot of another picture, the pictures will develop to show their relationship evolving.
Line 13 – Zooming in on the picture until it becomes blurred and then onto the next picture

Dear Slim, I wrote you but still ain't callin'
I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom
I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not-a got 'em
There probably was a problem at the post office or somethin'
Sometimes I scribble addresses too sloppy when I jot 'em
But anyways, fuck it, what's been up? Man how's your daughter?
Line 14 - A shot of another picture, the pictures will develop to show their relationship evolving.
Line 15 - Zooming in on the picture until it becomes blurred and then onto the next picture.

My girlfriend's pregnant too, I'm bout to be a father
If I have a daughter, guess what I'm a call her?
I'm a name her Bonnie
I read about your Uncle Ronnie too I'm sorry
I had a friend kill himself over some bitch who didn't want him
Line 18 - A medium shot of Stan’s girlfriend holding her belly as if it is a mistake.
Line 19 - A long shot of Stan walking past her, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

I know you probably hear this every day, but I'm your biggest fan
I even got the underground shit that you did with Skam
I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man
I like the shit you did with Rawkus too, that shit was fat
Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back,
Just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan
This is Stan

Dear Slim, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance
I ain't mad, I just think it's fucked up you don't answer fans
If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your concert
You didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew
That's my little brother man, he's only six years old
We waited in the blistering cold for you,
For four hours and you just said, "No."
That's pretty shitty man, you're like his fuckin' idol
He wants to be just like you man, he likes you more than I do

I ain’t that mad though, I just don’t like bein’ lied to
Remember when we met in Denver, you said if I’d write you you would write back,
See I’m just like you in a way
I never knew my father neither,
He used to always cheat on my mom and beat her
I can relate to what you’re saying in your songs
So when I have a shitty day, I drift away and put ‘em on
‘Cause I don’t really got shit else so that shit helps when I’m depressed
Line 34 - A picture showing Stan as a child with only his mother, showing he has no recollection of his father.
Line 35 - A long shot of a man beating a woman.
Line 36 - A long shot of a man making love to a woman but not the woman he is married too.
Line 37 - A close up of them on top of each other, breathing heavy and looking sweaty.
◦

I even got a tattoo of your name across the chest
Sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds
It's like adrenaline, the pain is such a sudden rush for me
See everything you say is real, and I respect you cause you tell it
My girlfriend's jealous 'cause I talk about you 24/7
But she don't know you like I know you Slim, no one does
She don't know what it was like for people like us growin' up, you gotta call me man,
I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose
Sincerely yours, Stan, P.S. we should be together too
Line 38 - An extreme close up of someone’s wrists bleeding (I may have to use an image for this instead of an
actual person).
Line 41 - A close up of the final picture of them ripped apart showing their relationship breaking apart because
of Stan’s obsession.

My tea’s gone cold I’m wondering why I
And I can’t see at all
And even if I could it’ll all be gray,
It reminds me, that it’s not so bad,
It’s not so bad
Line 42 - A long shot of Stan’s girlfriend arguing with Stan.
Line 43 - A medium shot of Stan then slapping his girlfriend.
Line 44 - A close up of Stan’s girlfriend’s face with a bruise on it.
Line 45 – A long shot of Stan’s girlfriend lying on the floor.

Dear Mister "I'm Too Good To Call Or Write My Fans",
This will be the last package I ever send your ass
It's been six months and still no word, I don't deserve it?
I know you got my last two letters, I wrote the addresses on 'em perfect
So this is my cassette I'm sending you, I hope you hear it
I'm in the car right now, I'm doing 90 on the freeway
Hey Slim, I drank a fifth of vodka,
You dare me to drive?
Line 46 – Stop motion starting of the car on a road.
Line 47 – Stop motion to show car moving.
Line 49 - Stop motion to show car moving.

You know the song by Phil Collins, "In the Air of the Night"
About that guy who could a saved that other guy from drowning
But didn't, then Phil saw it all, then at a a show he found him?
That's kinda how this is, you could a rescued me from drowning
Now it's too late, I'm on a thousand downers now, I'm drowsy
And all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call
Line 52 - Stop motion to show car moving.

It reminds me, that it's not so bad,
It's not so bad
Line 56 – A close up of Stan’s girlfriend lying on the floor.
Line 57 – An extreme close up of marks on her arms and legs.
Line 58 – An extreme close up of her face with bruises on it and communicating she is dead.

Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner but I just been busy
You said your girlfriend’s pregnant now, how far along is she?
Look, I’m really flattered you would call your daughter that
And here’s an autograph for your brother,
I wrote it on the Starter cap
I’m sorry I didn’t see you at the show, I must of missed you
Don’t think I did that shit intentionally just to diss you
But what’s this shit you said about you like to cut your wrists too?
I say that shit just clownin’ dog, come on, how fucked up is you?
Line 59 – A long shot of Eminem at the end of a black room.
Line 60 – A medium shot of his body, tracking shot going up to his face.
Line 61 – A close up of his eyes.
Line 62 – A close up of his lips rapping the lyrics.

You got some issues Stan, I think you need some counselling
To help your ass from bouncing off the walls when you get down some
And what's this shit about us meant to be together?
That type of shit will make me not want us to meet each other
I really think you and your girlfriend need each other
Or maybe you just need to treat her better

I hope you get to read this letter, I just hope it reaches you in time
Before you hurt yourself, I think that you'll be doin' just fine
If you relax a little, I'm glad I inspire you but Stan
Why are you so mad? Try to understand, that I do want you as a fan
I just don't want you to do some crazy shit
I seen this one shit on the news a couple weeks ago that made me sick
Some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge
And had his girlfriend in the trunk, and she was pregnant with his kid
And in the car they found a tape, but they didn't say who it was to
Come to think about, his name was, it was you. Damn!
Line 67– A close up of his lips rapping the lyrics.
Line 69– A close up of his lips rapping the lyrics.
Line 70 – A medium shot of Stan’s girlfriend and all the letters falling on her showing that Stan’s obsession with
Eminem is what killed her.

‘They Live’ - Essay
1. Write a synopsis for John Carpenter’s 1980s film ‘They Live’.
‘They Live’ is about a young man named John Nada. Ironically Nada in Spanish means nothing
and that is what John Nada is, he is a pure subject with no meaning to him, deprived of all
material contents and aspects of life. He is a homeless worker who drifts from different places,
and then lands in LA. One day while he was staying in LA he comes across an abandoned church
and finds a box full of sunglasses. These sunglasses are capable of showing the world the way it
truly is, as Nada walks down the LA streets he notices that both media and the government are
trying to control society through subconscious messages, which are meant to keep the
population submissive to the capitalist way. Throughout the film we see that most of the people
are skull – faced when Nada has the sunglasses on, this shows the people that are submissive to
the capitalist society and are under control of the government. After Nada’s eyes were opened he
decides to try and free humanity from our society that mind controls us into their way of living.

2. How have communist and socialist movement’s interpreted Marxist ideology in different ways?
Socialist’s movement is a social and economic system. It is categorised by social ownership and
democratic control as well as a political theory that helped to establish the social and economic
systems. It refers to public ownership, cooperative ownership and citizen ownership. There are many
different definitions of the socialist’s movement, but overall it’s a common element shared by various
forms. Whereas communism includes social, political and economic systems and movements.
Communism ultimate goal is to establish the socioeconomic order and the absence of social classes,
money, and the state.
3. How does Marxist critique relate to postmodernism?
Marxist critique relates to post-modernism as they both evaluate and analyse the previous era of
modernism. Modernism is about what was the peak of the cultural production, which was the sky
scrapers, technology and all stuff that was made in the society that was advanced in technology but
with them advances came drawbacks. As well both Marxism and post-modernism disconnects us from
our own reality that we live in. We see the society we want which is that everything is perfect and
that it is

4. What Marxist and post-modern critiques can be applied to ‘They Live’?
Marxism is applied to the film ‘They Live’ as it is about capitalism and how it affects the poor people. Marxism
believes that the rich exploit the poor and therefore the film ‘They Live’ communicates this through the posters
and all aspects of media. For example a poster says ‘Obey’ communicating that the poor should obey the upper
class. It also communicates that our society is about making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer and because it
is so reinforced to us we somewhat agree or conform to it.
Post modernism is applied to ‘They Live’ as it uses deconstruction of what society is try to communicate through
mass media. This is shown when John Nada puts on the glasses and sees the real message. It is also post-modern
as it uses the study of symbols also known as semiotics throughout the sunglasses scene. This is post-modern
because it challenges society’s views and does not conform to what is expected.
5. Textual analysis of Sunglasses scene in ‘They Live’ with a Marxist interpretation
In the sunglasses scene in ‘They Live’ we see a medium shot of Nada putting on the sunglasses and looking at a
media poster to see the meaning behind it. We see the large white poster with grey writing saying ‘Obey’,
communicating a major ideological point. The inscription on the poster is both post - modern and uses Marxism,
because it analyses the social conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat by saying how the proletariat
should obey the upper class and the capitalist society. This affects us as our society as now they see that we are
being controlled by capitalism. The glasses portray to the audience the somewhat ‘real’ world and how putting
on these glasses give us a clear view of our society.

Another part of the sunglasses scene in ‘They Live’ that shows the use of post-modernism and Marxism is
when Nada is at the news stand. There is an over-the-shoulder midshot of Nada looking at the man’s
money in his hand. The money has an inscription on it that says ‘This is your God’. Through this we see
that our society has become money dominated and how materialism has become the focus of society,
usually encouraged through mass media. This clip is a critique of the ideology that we are aware of and
are comfortable with and communicates what Marxism is all about.
In this clip we see Frank Armitage and John Nada having a fight. This is because John wants Frank to put
on the glasses to make him see the truth of his ideal society. This is the weirdest scene because a man
reacts so violently to putting on the glasses, which shows that he is aware of his life being a lie and he is
scared to be aware of the truth. This communicates to us that you must force yourself to be free and that if
you constantly trust your spontaneous sense of well-being you will never get free. This is key to Marxism as
he says that we should all be free and rebel against this capitalist society and making it equal, in a number
of forms.

A2 Media Course Work ...

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to A2 Media Course Work ...

More from annamaycarey

Recently uploaded

A2 Media Course Work ...