Here are the things that I learned in our online class on representation.
Construction – This is the way that media text is put together. It is all of the editing and choice of camera angles we see in film. For example, this scene from clueless, in which we see from which angle the producers decided to shoot from, and what would make up the frame in those few seconds.
Mediation – The process everything goes through before it reaches the audience. Like how scripts are rewritten, original footage edited and changed, magazine articles proofed and checked, and how real-life events are portrayed. I used a magazine cover as an example because magazines often have a very long and complex mediation process. Everything, from the information, to the images, is selected, edited and portrayed a certain way, which often influences people’s opinion without them knowing.
Selection – Exactly as it suggests, selection refers to what has been selected to be included in a media text. Selection is hugely important in the media because what is omitted can completely change a story. Like in newspaper articles, where certain facts are neglected or overlooked, which changes the angle of the situation. I chose the same example that Jacky included in her PowerPoint because I think that it captures the point perfectly, although it is probably not all relevant to the scene, there is a focus on the woman’s chest, which has been done purely to appeal to the male gaze.
Anchorage – These are the words that are paired with images to give them a particular meaning or different context. This includes headlines in newspapers and taglines in adverts and posters. An example is this film poster. The image on its own would give us little information as to what is happening and what state the man is in, but thanks to the anchorage of the title and tagline, we understand that being trapped in some way has something to do with this situations, so he is probably mentally or physically imprisoned.
Ideology – These are ideas and beliefs held by media producers, which we consequently often see in their media texts. For example, when creating a political article, the editors could influence the way certain stories are presented based on their opinions and present certain parties or figures in a different light to gain support.
Stereotypes – When groups of people, individuals or places are represented in a simplified and obvious way, often with exaggerated characteristics. Stereotypes rely on existing audience recognition, and although are often convenient, can be very dangerous, leading audiences to generalise peoples and places. We see them a lot in movies, like the very popular and overused stereotype of the jock, which is an encapsulation of a character ideal – the sporty guy, who is usually buff and handsome, and has a wide social circle.
We analysed some perfume adverts in groups as they generally display a lot of stereotypes, selection and have trouble with representation.
