Pride Analysis

Pride Film Poster

The film 'Pride' is based on a true story which depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who helped raise money to aid families affected by the British Miners Strike in 1984. The outset which would become the 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Campaign. The National Union of Mineworkers accept the groups support with reluctance due to the union's public relations worries about being openly associated with a gay and lesbian group. This results in the activists deciding to take their donations directly to Onllwyn, a small mining village in Wales, resulting in an alliance between the two communities. The alliance was unlike any seen before but was overall successful.

The film poster depicts the film itself quite well as the title 'Pride' is written in the shape of a megaphone which are commonly found in strikes of any kind and more than likely founding a miners strike. The use of the title 'Pride' is also a play on the meaning as it can be associated with 'Gay Pride' as well as the miners pride. The positioning of the cast in a V formation is very effective too as it places the well known cast at the front (Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton) and as the line goes backwards we get the supporting cast. Located at the back are the 'gay' cast. They could have been placed here not to show homophobia but because placing the gay cast at the front may lose potential audiences but having the gay cats still on the poster allows them to be seen and represented thus bringing in several different audiences:

1. Welsh communities.
2. People who were involved or around at the time of the Miners Strike in 1984.
3. The Gay and Lesbian community.
4. The Older generation due to the cast (Bill Nighy in particular) being in several other well known films that have an older target audience (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Love Actually).
5. A teenage audience (15-19) due to the humour used.

Pride Film Trailer

The 'Pride' Film trailer begins using Welsh stereotypes such as Welsh Choirs and the setting of hills and countrysides - something Wales is known greatly for. Around six seconds into the trailer there is a caption stating 'Deep in the Valleys' - Wales is also known for having people from the 'valleys' who have a distinctly stereotypical strong welsh accent as well as upholding welsh traditions that are known to be typically 'welsh'. This gives the audience an idea of whats in store within the trailer. Then suddenly at around sixteen seconds the choir music stops and an elderly welsh woman says 'Guy! Your gays have arrived'

Regional and National Identity

Regional Identity

Example One - Essex Girls

Essex girls are stereotypically seen as being blonde and fake (tans, nails hair extensions) it's also been stereotyped that Essex Girls lack intelligence and have low moral standards. An example of this in observation is used on 'The Only Way is Essex' (TOWIE). Throughout TOWIE there are story lines following relationships between friends and lovers and conflicts occurring on nights out. The following clip is a perfect example of such antics.

In the clip Gemma Collins argues with James Argent over his 'disrespect' towards her saying she's got a pretty face but a low IQ and for telling his friends about their sex life together. Within TOWIE these kind of arguments are normal and some are constructed to make good TV and its likely this scene was constructed as there is little fight back from James towards Gemma which is unlikely to happen in real life.

Example Two - Nuneaton Cannabis Raid

http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Cannabis-factory-raided-Nuneaton-home/story-26261473-detail/story.html

Although Nuneaton isn't known worldwide the locals living in and around Nuneaton will know that Nuneaton is often slated for inhabitant having something to do with drugs whether its that you take them, grow them, or just know someone who is involved in them. This news article gives a negative representation of nuneaton and the surround area's due to the involvement of constant drug raids.

Example Three - 

Representation of Events

What language and visual codes are being used?

The main headline for the newspaper is 'Runaway Jihadi's father is Labour Activist' the Daily Mail have made the link that due to the Jihadi's father being a labour activist it means that Ed Milliband must have had something to do with it. This obviously isn't true but the Daily Mail's readers are 53% Conservative Supports, 21% are Labour and 17% for the Liberal Democrats according to a survey in 2004. This surgery was over ten years ago but the readers undoubtably haven't changed a lot in the past ten years with the exception of the UKIP Party appearance in the past few years.

The visual codes used here include the main headline as well as a headline saying 'Briton arrested on Syria border is councillor's son' this is also giving the Labour Party a bad name and reputation though its highly unlikely again - that Ed Milliband had anything to do with this event either.

The pictures used on the page also include Ed Milliband giving the impression to the reader that due to Milliband's appearance on the newspaper he must have been involved. Its a 'guilt by association' ploy made by the newspaper.

What language and visual codes are being used?

Focusing on the headline 'Cool Cameron on top... But Farage keeps up fight on EU and migrants' this headline is a fairly negative portrayal of Farage the leader of the UKIP party. UKIP policies in regards to 'Controlling and managing the UK borders'  include:

• UKIP recognises the benefits of limited, controlled immigration.
• UKIP will leave the EU and take back control of the UK borders. Work permits will be permitted to fill skills gaps in the UK jobs market.
• Extend to EU citizens the existing points-based system for time-limited work permits. Those coming to work in the UK must have a job to go to, must speak English, must have accommodation agreed prior to their arrival and must have NHS-approves health insurance.
• Migrants will only be eligible for benefits (in work or out of work) when they have been paying tax and NI for five years and will only be eligible for permanent residence after ten years.
• UKIP will reinstate the primary purpose rule for bringing foreign spouses and children to the UK.
• UKIP will not offer an amnesty for illegal immigrants or those gaining British passports through fraud.
• UKIP will return to the principles of the UN Convention of Refugees which serves to protect the most vulnerable.

Paper Towns Trailer

After watching 'Paper Towns' I've realised that the target audience is 15-25 year olds specifically but obviously John Green has a way of writing books and thus films are created that manage to attract all kinds of people of different age and gender. For example, the comments on the official trailer on youtube have a comment by 'VlogBrothers' - John Green's shared youtube account with his brother in which there is a comment saying 'The Q, Ben, Radar group looks so freaking cool. I want to be in that friend group! And I am 34 years old! You can how old I am by how I'm here for the buddy comedy, which will be at least as good as the romantic dramedy bits of this movie. Congrats, John! - Hank' This shows that despite being the creators brother, the film has as appeal to a 30+ audience and most likely children in high school (11+) too due to the 'coming-of-age' likeness and the kind of fairy'tale 'looking-for-love' aspects. 

I believe the appeal and attraction to Paper Towns is that mystery behind what happens to Margo and the kind of wonder that is put in the narrative voice in the trailer. This can be appealing because mystery makes people want to know what happens and watch the journey Quentin goes on not only to find Margo but to find himself. This is appealing to 15-25 year olds because we all want adventure and while still young we believe it to be possible. 

Another appeal is the music used in the trailer itself (Smile - Mikky Ekko, To The Top - Twin Shadow). In regards to the song Smile; the music is quite happy and hopeful. This music appeals to me personally because it makes me feel as though anything is possible and the film is focusing on just that ideology that anything is possible and that life is full of adventure and finding love is possible. Whereas To The Top gives the ideology of adventure and discovering the wonders of the world.

Positive and Negative portrayals of Race, Ethnicity and Colour in the media.

Dear White People

Dear White People can be argued to be both a positive and negative representation on race and colour in the media.

Dear White People is a film made in 2014 about the stereotypes made of black people in America. As seen in Trailer One the group of black people are questioning a cinema employee as to why films shown only show "Black people dying in the past and black people dying in the present". The language the characters use and the slang are that of what is stereotyped to be used by black americans like at 00:40 - 00:47 when the group reacts to Two Chainz being in a film. This bring humour to the film as the film explores racial identity in acutely-not-post-racial America while weaving a universal story of forging ones unique path in the world. I think this film is a positive representation of race etc to an extent because of the comedy used and the blatant intent of stereotyping. I know this because I went and saw this film in cinema with a friend and being one of the five/six white people in the cinema i noticed that the films intent and stereotyping was seen as comical to everyone in the theatre thus proving its intent was not to be racist but to make fun of white people for stereotyping certain words or body gestures to black people not only in America but in England too.

In Trailer Two the first half shows a young girl speaking over a radio intercom with a show called 'Dear White People' and she lists off the different things that white people do that she deems racist. These include:

1. "The minimum requirement of black friends in order to not look racist has been raised to two. Sorry but your weed man Tyrone doesn't count"
2. "Touching guys affro is annoying. This isn't a petting zoo"
3. "Dating a black guy to p*ss off your parents is a form of racism"

These assumptions and accusations can be seen as humorous as they're clearly intended to be humorous. The assumption that white people immediately touch a black persons affro is a stereotype as well s the stereotype of a persons dealer being black and called Tyrone.

There is also the quote "Black people can't be racist. Prejudice yes, but not racist. Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black people can't be racist since we don't stand to benefit from such a system."

Representation of Ethnicity

Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney

Rihanna is originally of Barbadian heritage and throughout her time as a music artist she has done practically every musical genre there is. Her most recent being 'FourFiveSeconds' which is "a pop and soul pop song with country and folk music influences and an instrumentation consisting of an acoustic guitar" as well as being described as "country-tinged" acoustic and "stripped down" pop and soul pop song with a folk feel".

This song was recorded alongside American Rapper Kanye West and English Musician Paul McCartney. Throughout the music video there is no colour used apart from black and white which plays on the ethnicity of each individual.

As well as ethnicity, there is a hint of sexualisation especially from Rihanna as she's seen to be wearing a large denims jacket done up with a belt giving quite a grunge appearance alongside Kanye who is wearing similar clothing. Rihanna's makeup is quite minimal compared to her make up in other music videos the same applies with her hair too which is hanging down put is pulled away from her face. 

Rihanna is sexualised but not completely through her body and through unity like most women in music videos are. She is sexualised through a more natural means as she looks quite simplistic and her clothing doesn't reveal music flesh the whole way through the music video and her clothes as well as flattering her don't actually give away Rihanna's figure thus making men believe her to be slim. With what she's wearing it would be unclear to tell if she were slim or not.

The whole music video kind of breaks the stereotypes of ethnicity because its not very often seen that  black/barbadian people engage in country/folk stylised music.

Camera Angles and Representation

Savage Grace

This shot is an establishing shot. This is known as an establishing shot as it confirms to an audience where the film or this particular scene is to be set and at what time of day too. An establishing shot is typically used at the beginning of a scene to establish the setting for said scene. In this sense we establish that the film is set in England and this particular scene is at night or dawn due to the low key lighting and the horizon having a sense of run rise or sun set die to the yellows and oranges. 

However this shot is known as a close up which usually depicts certain emotions on a character and shows them to the audience. In this shot we see the woman at a party seen by her dress (not in this shot in another one before she moved) and by her hair style and make up. We also get a sense of the time era as well as she is styled like people were in the 60's/70's.

As well as being a close up this was also a part of a Shot Reverse-Shot too. In which a shot in used likely during a conversation between two characters and the shot changes from one persons perspective, to the others, and then back again. This is effective as it shows both characters reactions within a conversation and their actions too.

Finally an example of a mid shot can be seen above as well as a shot using the rule of thirds. This shot not only views the two characters but also the scenery behind them indicating they're in public, again in a different time era due to their clothes and style. This is recognised as a mid shot because the shots has half their body in to about mid way. 

This uses the rule of thirds too as the characters are located in the last thirds of the screen and the first tow are filled with the background and the scenery. This is effective as its a change in the use of shots and can possibly make way for someone to appear within the left hand side of the screen. This also allows an audience to see the miss-en-scene of the background which - again - helps set a time era, a location and an idea of the time of day (day/night).