Representation of disability

Paul hunt disability from Sarah Ghost

Why did Dredd flop at the box office?

‘Why did Dredd flop at the box-office?’

The comic based bloody action film Dredd was set to be one of the films of the year. However, after its release on the 7^th September 2012, a different story was to be told. It soon appeared that it was riddled with errors and poor production choices. Some of the main down sides of the film was the casting choice, age certificate and low budget. The film was also the unfortunate predecessor of a shoddy 1995 Hollywood style movie starring Sylvester Stallone. It’s not that the movie was complete rubbish, it got decent reviews from some of the top movie rating websites and did manage to win a couple of awards, it’s the fact that it did not live up to be what everyone thought it would be, especially existing Dredd fans.

In terms of pre-production, the film didn’t have the strongest basis. After all, Dredd is a British comic book character which in theory is a niche market and even though the film is technically American, the character himself isn’t the most appealing of all the ‘super heroes’. As well as not being one of the most characters in the world, Dredd had been poorly presented in the cheesy and unfaithful 1995 Hollywood version of Dredd. The film starred Sylvester Stallone and was a total wreck. The film was seen as unfaithful to world of Dredd and didn’t seem to follow any of the original Dredd’s plots created in the comic books. The fact that the 2012 version was the follow up to a glamorous disaster did not help the appeal of the film as most people it would be of the same standard. One of the big reasons that Dredd was not able to appeal to a larger audience is due to its 18 age certificate. Most super hero films are around the age rating of 12a and PG-13 such as Marvel Avengers which was rated as a PG-13. By doing this, the directors and producers were simply shooting themselves in the foot since the film was only open to adult viewership and the intense amount of blood and gore lessened the amount of female viewership that the movie was able to gain. Films such as Marvel Avengers and the Amazing Spider-Man appeal to a much wider audience such as family’s consisting of all ages and genders. Finally in, in terms of pre-production, the film was made on a very low budget compared to other Hollywood films. For example, Marvel Avengers was made on amuch more wealthy budget of $220million. Dredd on the other hand was created using a budget of only $45million. This sized budget didn’t allow for the best equipment or sfx to be used. All of this contributed to the flop of Dredd at the box-office.

Alongside pre-production, the actual production also added to failure of success for Dredd on the box office. One of the main elements of the story of the film was the drug ‘SLO MO’ which when inhaled slows down the work process of the brain therefore appearing to slow down the world around you.  When the substance is used in the film the scenes were shot in slow motion which appeared to be one of the main selling points of the film yet the execution of the slow motion did not seem to be entirely convincing. As well as not appearing beautifully, the slow motion costs the institutions a lot of money to purchase and use therefore the slow motion cameras such as the phantom flex would have taken a substantial amount out of the director’s already low budge. This money may have found better use somewhere else. Actors are often essential to a movie and its level of success. Take Marvel Avengers for instance, the huge block buster was filled with a heavy load of top listed actors such as Robert Downing Jr, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. Dredd on the other hand didn’t provide the A list cast as its 2012 rival. Instead Dredd starred Karl Urban, who played the judge, jury and executioner himself, Olivia Thirlby who played Anderson and Lena Heady who played the unconvincing gang leader, Ma-Ma. As well as not starring a world famous set of actors, the film’s director, Pete Travis , is also not an A list director and therefore people may have been put off of the film since they were nor familiar with his work.  Lastly, in terms of production, the location of the film was an odd choice which also turns out to be a poor choice. The story of the film is that Dredd and his Rookie assistant for the day have are locked in one of Mega Cites One’s mega towers, Peachtrees, all the way to the top to reach and kill the violent and disturbed clan leader Ma-Ma. However, this meant that the films location was for the most part fixed in one building that viciously lacked variation or creativity. The production of the film just added to the already un-convincing pre-production and stunted the success of the film.

Marketing is large part of any film because it is what promotes the movie and should, in theory, make people want to see that film out of interest and excitement. However, due to a low budget for the film, there was also only a low budget for an advertising campaign which for Dredd consistent of a standard teaser trailer, trailer and one poster. This was defiantly a big contributor to why Dredd flopped at the box office since it was very easy for people to be unaware of the films existence whilst it was being played in the cinemas that it was able to be shown in. This brings me onto my next point; the film was shot in 3D using very expensive 3D cameras. This meant that you had no choice but to view the film in 3D which, for obvious reasons, was a very poor production choice. Many people are not fans of viewing films in 3D so would have been put off seeing it. This 3D only choice also meant that only certain cinemas that had the equipment and capability to show the film were able to do so. This meant that independent cinemas that are perfect for showing smaller movies were not able to show it. This defiantly prevented the film form being viewed by a much wider audience. On the contrary, films such as Marvel Avengers and the Amazing Spider-Man were available to be shown and viewed in both 3D and 2D. This allowed these feilms to appeal to a much wider audience than Dredd was able to. Also bigger films such as these also had much bigger marketing budgets which allowed them to promote their film a lot more to a higher standard.

Even though there is many down sides to Dred 2012, and was not one of the most successful films, it was a total disaster. It gained a rating of 7.0 on IMBD and 78% on Metacritic. These are actually decent ratings which show that the film did have some elements of success. As well as pretty good reviews, Dredd also won two awards. The film managed to win Best 3d at the Empire Awards, UK and Best Thriller TV Spot at the Golden Trailer Awards. Even though the film did not manage to make back its money and did only managed to make $41million the film will most likely make back its money over time through DVD and Blue-Ray sales in the future. So even though the film does not appear to be a success, it wasn’t a complete failure either.  

In conclusion, Dredd 2012 flopped at the box-office due to a poor casting choice, low budget, and small amount of marketing. Alongside an unknown director and low production level the film was never really set for success.

The Gaze - Male and Female

Female Gaze - Facial Expressions

Trevor Millum - gaze facial expressions

Trevor Millum (1975) identified male facial expressions:

1. Carefree: nymph-like, active, healthy, gay, vibrant, outdoor guy, often smiling or grinning

2. Practical: concentrating, engaged on the business in hand, mouth closed, eyes object-directed, sometimes a slight frown, hair often short

3. Seductive: similar to the cool/level look (indifferent, self-sufficient, aloof, confident, lips slightly parted, usually looking the reader in the eye), eyes shaded, confident, self-sufficient, may include a slight smile

4. Comic: deliberately ridiculous, exaggerated, acting the fool, pulling faces for the benefit of a real or imaginary audience, sometimes close to archness

5. Catalogue: neutral look, artificial, waxlike, eyes open wide, smile, look remains vacant, personality removed

Male Gaze - Facial Expressions

Marjorie Ferguson - male gaze facial expressions

 

Marjorie Ferguson (1980) identified four types of facial expression in the cover photos of British women’s magazines: 

1.Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

2.Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

3.Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

4.Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’. 

Gender representation in Wire in the Blood

Gender representation in Wire In The Blood

At the beginning of the clip there is a panoramic shot of Tony and Alex leaving a house filmed using a hand held camera. This gives the effect of a shake, which is used to make it seem as someone is walking along side the characters. It quickly appears that the two characters are beginning to have an argument. This is a very common stereotype, men and women arguing, and is seen across all of TV drama. It also appears that the two may be used to entering a verbal battle with each other due to the fact that they work together. After the panoramic shot, there is a consistent use of over the shoulder shots. Their particular shots are used to focus on the conversation between Tony and Alex and allow the viewer to see the expressions and emotions displayed on the face of the character who is speaking. Near to the end of the scene there is a over the shoulder that shows the viewer Tony walking away from Alex as she begs for his help. he is heading up the street which is slanted and this is used to show that the man has more power than the women and is more important due to his higher positioning in the shot. This follows the stereotype that women rely on men and are lost without them. At the very end of this opening scene a crane shot is used. This specific type of shot is used to represent the distance between the man and the women and also show the fact that the Tony has more power than Alex.

The next scene in the clip was of Tony analysing the files that had been sent to him about the case. This scene consists of a number of jump cuts that switch the viewer’s attention from Tony’s face and the evidence he holding. These shots are used to highlight the intelligence of the man and hard and quickly he is working. The scene is also casted under the sound of some tense and atmospheric music used to highlight the fact that Tony, a man, is dealing with a very serious and violent case. This scene presents the stereotype that men do all the dirty work and women do not. We can see this due to the fact that Tony has his sleeves rolled up. This is a universal image that someone is working hard and is in control, especially for a man. The walls in Tony's house are a dark red colour. This is used to represent the aesthetics of blood which links to his job as some form of criminologist. Even though this scene is dominated by serious and 'manly' aspects, there are some hints that suggest Tony has a more caring nurturing side within him. I get this impressions from the plant that he has in his house and can bee seen in the background of this scene. He also has multiple framed butterflies that are either real or fake, we are unable to gain this information from just watching this clip. If the butterflies are real, than this adds to the idea that Tony has a nurturing side but if the butterflies are real, it may suggest that the has a keen interest in science and learning more about animals and insects.  


The next scene takes place in Alex’s house and begins with her rushing down the stairs telling her son, Ben, to clear away his toys whilst she is on the phone trying to hire a babysitter for the night. This entire shot plays upon the stereotype that one; most women are mothers and two, women are always busy and stressed out. The colours of Alex's wall are pretty much the same as Tony's walls. For him, the colours represent his masculinity however for Alex, it shows that she is in need of some form of masculinity in her life because she is a single mother. When Tony enters the house he is reluctantly hired as Ben’s baby sitter for the night. This is a clear example of role reversion as the man is staying home to look after the child whilst the woman is going out. However, this act still highlights the stereotype that women are reliant on men because without tony, Alex would have been able to get a babysitter due to her poor planning and the fact that it is clear she has it is clear she had been rejected by the women on the phone. We know that Alex has been rejected by her reaction when talking on the phone.

Following the scene in Alex’s house is a scene set in an abandon house, which, at first glance, seems to have been converted into some sort of drug usage facility. The scene starts with an establishing shot that is used to give us an overall view of what is featured in the scene. We are able to see a black Mercedes which indicates a high level of wealth, alongside the abandoned house. A group of men enter the house and are what would be described as a typical ‘bad-man’. This can bee seen by their type of clothing they’re wearing (All black, leather) and the way that they speak (Very intimidating and poor pronunciation). I noticed that in this scene, there were no women involved at all. This plays upon the stereotype that women are not involved anything illegal or dangerous. In this scene one of the men smashes another’s head into a wall. This is a clear representation of the stereotype that men love to fight and women do not.

The clip then returns back to Tony and Ben who are in the kitchen and poorly attempting to make microwave popcorn. This is a clear example of the stereotype that men are not good cooks and that even though Tony is an adult, he is no better at making the popcorn than Ben is. After making the popcorn, Tony and Ben are sitting on the sofa watching TV. In this scene Ben tells Tony about how his mother is always stressed out, angry and tired. This represents the stereotype that women have a much more stressful and demanding life than men do. Also, when the two are making the popcorn, there is a quite up-beat and high tempo song being played in contrast the quite dark and sinister music that could be heard during the scene in the abandon house involving drugs and violence.  When Tony talks to Ben about girlfriends it quite clearly shows that Tony is much more able to relate with Ben than how maybe Alex is. This is due to the fact that they are both boys and Tony has a better understanding of Ben. Another thing that we can learn from this scene is how much time Alex actually spends with her child. Tony asks Ben why the original babysitter was fired and he replies it was he accidently called her mum. This is an indication that Ben is so used to having a babysitter around and not his mum that he was staring to see the babysitter as a better mother figure for himself. Throughout this scene, Tony is seen with his sleeves rolled up, just like they were in the scene in which he viewed the evidence for the murder case. This implies that for Tony, and men in general, looking after a child alone is hard work that requires all of his focus and energy. When the two are sitting on the sofa bonding, a thwo shot is used to show just the head and shoulders of Tony and Ben. In this particular shot, Tony is displayed behind Ben. This signifies that Tony is watching over Ben.

Beyonce 1+1 analysis

Beyonce – Gender/Sexuality representation

Camera shots, angles, movement and composition:

• ·      The music video starts off with a clos up shot of Beyonce. She appears to be alone in a dark setting. The use of a bright light exposes Beyonce to us in the dark surrounding. 
• ·      The next shot shown is an extreme close up of her eyes whilst water pours don the screen.  This shot, especially the use of water, is an attempt to make the video more seductive. The water is a clear symbol for sweat, which is linked to sex, which is the meaning of the song. This is clear by the repeated use of the line “Make love to me”. 

 Sound:

• ·      The song itself, in terms of sound, consists mainly of only drums and guitar throughout.
• ·      Beyonce’s tone of voice throughout the song is quite high which casts the passion within her whilst signing.
• ·      This specific song consists of multiple high notes

Mise-en-Scène:

• ·      At the beginning of the video, Beyonce appears in a dark setting. It appears that she isn’t wearing any clothing. This is due to the initial use of close-ups. This instantly shows that Laura Mulvey’s idea of the male gaze is correct. She instantly appears as an object of desire, especially to the male heterosexual viewer.
• ·      Throughout the video, she is wearing golden clothing, glitter and is lit u by a golden light. This is used to show she is valuable and resembles the idea of wealth, which men are attracted to. This again fits with the idea of the male gaze.
  
• ·      As the video progresses, it does appear that Beyonce is wearing clothes, but very little.  This all contributes to the idea of the male gaze  that women in today’s media are just objectified for the pleasure of men.
  
• ·      The video features a mixture of colour design in relation to lighting. Colours such a gold, blue and red are used. The use of gold relates as I said before to the idea that she symbolizes value and money. The usage of red adds an element of seductiveness since it symbolizes something that is hot and is always used in the shot involving water, which may indicate what has caused her to sweat.