Todrovs Equilibrium

Judith Butlers Queer theory

GENDER VS SEX


Gender + Sex= normal
Nature Vs Nuture

Judith Butler is Professor of Comparative Literature and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, and is well known as a theorist of power, gender, sexuality and identity.

Butler argues that if a gender act is performed and witnessed often enough it becomes the norm. "The notion that there might a "truth" of sex, as Foucault ironically terms it, is produced precisely through the regulatory practices that generate coherent identities through the matrix of coherent gender norms. The heterosexualization of desire requires and institutes the production of discrete and asymmetrical oppositions between "feminine" and "masculine," where these are understood as expressive attributes of "male" and "female."

the call for gender trouble has obvious media implications, since the mass media is the primary means for alternative images to be disseminated. The media is therefore the site upon which this semiotic war (a war of symbols, of how things are represented) would take place.

There are certain perceptions for certain sexuality's, a good example is the children's cartoon programme of Scooby Doo and the conventions of image that the characters give off.

(L-R) Fred, Velma, Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne

1) As you can see with Fred, he has been dressed to appear macho and his posture looks like he is strong and masculine. He looks like he is meant to represent the 'typical' heterosexual figure. His clothing looks stylish with a scarf and the colour blue is normally meant to represent male.
2) Shaggy compared to Fred looks like he doesn't really care about his style and the way he is percieved. His stance also looks like he's not masucline and doesn't represent a 'typical' macho male figure.
3) Velma has short hair and looks like a tomboy, even though she is wearing a skirt, her characters doesn't give off a feminine personality. Her appearance is very different to Daphne's who gives off a typical feminine persona.
4) Daphne is wearing purple which is a colour normally aimed at females. Her pose looks like shes quite self-obsessed compared to Velma. Her long hair is also another typical factor of a feminine female as to which Velma is the opposite of.

Uses and Gratification theory by Blumler and Katz

5 reasons why people may engage with the media

1) Escape from reality (film)

2) Relate to others/characters (soap)

3) Entertainment (drama/comedy)

4) Informed and educated (news/documentary)

5) Socialise with others (Facebook/popular series)

Blumler and Katz

Uses and Gratifications Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people” (Katz, 1959) . It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfill specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers' gratification.

The theorists say that a media user seeks out a media source that best fulfils the needs of the user. Uses and gratifications assume that the user has alternate choices to satisfy their need.

Blumler seems to envision a marriage between cultural studies and the Uses and Gratifications approach, but he is not clear on what terms. Instead of asking "What are your reasons for watching this programme?." Blumler would ask "What about it do you find true to life?" or "What picture of the world does it seem to convey?" (Blumler, 1979).

Richard Dyers star theory

Richard Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars in film, TV and music. Irrespective of the medium, stars have some key features in common. A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (Eg. advertising, magazines etc. as well as films [music]) Stars are commodities produced and consumed on strength of their meanings, as they reinvent what you want people to think of you. Stars (magazines/posters- sell the star and the film) depend upon a range of subsidiary media (magazines, TV, radio, the internet) in order to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. The star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audience. 

Fundamentally, the start image is incoherent, that is incomplete and open. Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxes. 

Paradox 1

The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. Somebody people can aspire to be like. For example, people aspire to be like Cheryl Cole as they think they can relate to her as she came from a working background and made herself into the media by entering a competition which many people try to achieve such as the X Factor. 

Cheryl Cole Loreal advert

Paradox 2

The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.

The star image-

The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to 'complete' or to 'make sense of' of the image. This is achieved by continued assumption of the star through his or her products. In the music industry, performance seems to promise the completion of the image, but it is always ultimately unsatisfying. This means that fans will go away determined to continue consuming the star in order to carry on attempting their image. For example, fans of the Kardashian's will keep buying their products to 'complete' their image. Could the Kardashians be taking advantage of this? The fact that they are becoming a billion dollar empire proves it. 

The Kardashian's endorsements include:

• Kardashian Konfidential book
• Keeping up with the Kardashians/Kim and Kourtney take New York/ Khloe & Lamar/ Khloe and Kourtney take Miami
• Endorsement with Fusion Beauty
• Doll House novel
• Quick Trim diet pills
• QVC clothing line called K-Dash
• Dash boutiques
• Armenian-inspired jewellery line called Virgins, Angels and Saints
• Endorsement deal with Shoedazzle.com
• Kim Kardashian perfume
• Signature Series Couture Lollipops from The Sugar Factory Candy Store
• Endorses fast food for Carls Jr.
• Endorses Muscle Flex VATA Athletic Wear 
• Endorses Midori Liquer
• A sunless tanner called Kardashian Glamour Tan
• A line of bathing suits called the Divinity Collection for Beach Bunny Swimwear
• Endorsement deal with Perfect Skin
• Endorsement with Skechers 
• Own line of signature watches
• Endorsement deal with "For every body" candles, which created the Kardashian DASH signature candle
• At-home laser hair removal product called Trial Beauty
• Endorsed Charmin for the grand opening of their public bathrooms in Times Square in November 
• Endorsement with 'Famous Cupcakes'
• Kris Kardashian book
• Workout DVD's
• Kardashian Milkshakes
• Kardashian OPI nail polish collection
• Kardashian for Bebe line
• Kardashian Khaos (in Vegas’ Mirage Hotel)

Kim Kardashian reportedly gets paid $10, 000 for each sponsored tweet, her website has more visitor counts than Vogue and earns $50,000 to give magazines like Us exclusive pictures of her in a bikini, along with quotes about her weight-loss tips.

The Kardashian Kollection at Sears creates an image in which fans want and will therefore consume them through their products.

Another Kardashian endorsement at Sketchers

Another endorsement for fast food company Carls Jr.

Codes and conventions

The codes and conventions of trailers are about pulling in the audience to inform them on what a film is about. They will consist of selected short clips that will give away parts of what the film is about, this is meant to entice as the audience will want to see more. The shorter the clips, the more the film is desired to be seen and the audience will want to see more of what is happening. Unexpected twists in the movie will not be shown as you don't want to give too much away and what the audience to keep guessing. The limit for trailers are normally 2:30 minutes that was issued by the MPAA, sometimes trailers may run over this but this is very rare. On most trailers, music will play in the background to set the tone and ensure that it matches with the plot of the story.

Several points that trailers should achieve are:

• Generate interest in the film
• Show off the stars of the film
• Show the film to its best advantage
• Create excitement
• Tell people what the film is about, e.g. the genre
• Not give too much of the plot away
• Tease the audience by setting up narrative enigmas
• Showcase some of the best bits of the film
• Give details about the production team.

Since my group will be doing a thriller/horror film, I will focus on the codes and conventions of that genre's trailer. Generally they will set up a premise or situation which leave the audience intrigued and wanting to know more. You want the audience to be asking questions about the characters like what happened to them and invoke the audiences worst fears to make it an interesting plot. There are several different fears that would captivate the audience in a film like fear of death, nightmares, vulnerability, alienation, revulsions, terror of the unknown and loss of identity.

The codes and conventions of the Harry Potter trailer

The trademark Harry Potter soundtrack plays in the background to distinguish the fact that it's a Harry Potter film. Since the film is a phenomenon which has been going on for 10 years makes this trailer especially important for it being Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Warner Brothers has been hugely associated with it and is a great film for Warner Brothers to be branded with as it has been so successful. Therefore the fact that the Warner Brothers logo has been adapted to the Harry Potter theme shows how anticipating waiting for the film will be as the logo is dark and sinister. The trailer starts with clips that are meant to be from the very first film and comes up with the saying 'Every moment he's lived, has lead to this' which makes it even more exciting. Clips from previous films are shown which shows how far the film has come and increases the hype and anticipation. Sinister music is played in the background as it is the suspense of what will happen and the stories that have lead to this one particular film. The trademark Harry Potter song has definitely changed to a higher pitched tone which sounds like a woman is singing it and seems eerie and mysterious. Then when Voldemort speaks and says 'You have fought valiantly, now join me Harry and confront your fate' and then shows about 6 snippets of the film in the space of 3 seconds which builds the hype and coincides with the pace of the music becoming faster. The music changes upbeat which then gets more into the plot and becomes exciting for the audience. 

The clips that are shown contain a lot of strong quotes that will keep the fans enticed such as 'The boy who lived, come to die', 'Tell them how it happened that night, how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him' and 'Come on Tom, let's finished this where we started...Together!' which keeps the audience guessing. Most of the trailer is dark as it is trying to reflect on a dark time and the audience doesn't know whether it will be a good or bad ending. Since they don't want to give away too much of the plot, there are about 10 clips from the film which are shown for about 1 second and therefore keep us guessing and trying to put the story together. The action packed clips will excite the audience when they see explosions and fights and make it seem that this will be a big ending. 

Text such as 'THE FINAL BATTLE' zooming into the screen in fast pace adds to the hype of the film. Since the film used to be aimed at children and then as the films went on it was aimed at teenagers and adults, it brings everyone in as it brings elements of romance, drama, horror and a bit of comedy.     

The history of trailers

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs- December 21 1937



Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full color, the first to be produced by Walt Disney and Walt Disney Productions, and the first in the Walt Disney Animated Classics canon. Walt Disney, who features in the trailer, says that "The first duty of the cartoon is not to picture or duplicate real action or things as they actually happen, but to give a character life and action; to picture on the screen things that have run through the imagination of the audience and to bring to life dream-fantasies and imaginative fancies that we have all thought of during our lives or have had pictured to us in various forms during our lives... I definitely feel that we cannot do the fantastic things based on the real, unless we first know the real. This point should be brought out very clearly to all new men, and even the older men."

I think Walt Disney needed to talk in the first trailer to represent the characters and it was also a new stage in Disney films because of it being the first motion picture, the first animated film, the first produced in full colour and the first produced by Walt Disney. The trailer doesn't have the conventions of what a trailer should have, it shows different images of the film, but doesn't show the film itself. Walt Disney then introduces the characters, this doesn't really advertise the film to the best because its not pulling the audience in. The trailer also doesn't show what the story is really about, compared to what trailers are like now in the present, its all about the story and instead they have spent too long on selling about the characters and not the plot. Generally on current trailers, they like to leave the audience wondering how the plot goes and keeps the guessing and therefore wanting to see it which this trailer fails to do.

Gone with the Wind- December 15, 1939

The trailers have now introduced the film and the credits to collaborate and match eachother. By this, when the characters are introduced, their name comes up and therefore introduces the characters and plotline better. By introducing some clips from the film, they are able to entice the audience to see it more than introducing the characters which seems quite monotonous for the audience to listen to, like the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs trailer. A problem with this trailer is that it shows some clips from the film for too long, nowadays clips are nomally snippets that last around 3 seconds which entices the audience more. If a clip is too long, then it can give away the films plot and could possibly be predictable about where the story goes and therefore people won't want to see it. Now the trailers can be as long as two and a half minutes constrained by the MPAA which this trailer successfully does at two minutes and thirty-eight seconds. The text that the credit was in seems dated and traditional, also the transitions reflect on the film being traditional compared to trailers nowadays. Music in the background reflects on it being dramatic which is a technique used in trailers presently and therefore could set a tone for the film. The compostion of the trailer has definitely improved compared to the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs trailer.

Casablanca- November 26, 1942 

This trailer is about Casablanca, even though it is a romantic drama, the music doesn't really reflect on this emotion and reflects more on the war. This doesn't give off the correct genre in the trailer and may be misleading, also there is a narrator who speaks quite harsh and loudly in which I also think doesn't reflect on the meaning of the film. The song fluctuates quite a bit, at the beginning it seems to reflect on war, then goes softer into the romantic side and then goes sinister. Between clips there seems to be transitions, at thirty-eight seconds there seems to be a shattered glass transition which I think is irrelevant to the film and doesn't keep the flow of the composition to be consistent; more so I think it looks unprofessional. Compared to now, in between clips the transition is just a quick cut and the music is consistent throughout which doesn't give away the plot too much. As in the Casablanca trailer, since the mood of it fluctuates, you can predict what happens as the soft tone reflects on a romance happening and the sinister music reflects on a problem. 

Roman Holiday- August 27, 1953 

Roman Holiday- August 27, 1953

The Roman Holiday trailer seems to have a lot of factors that resemble the Casablanca film like having it in black and white and there is still the 'traditional' looking text over the clips showing credits in which nowadays they don't use as much or as the main feature of the trailer. The narrator seems to be doing a lot of voice-overs than the Casablanca trailer like 'So come along! Share their gay and giddy holiday, because all the things happened to them that you'd always hoped for on the happiest day of your life!' The narrators seem like they are really trying to persuade the audience more so than sell the film. In trailers now, the narrator would never normally address the audience to 'Come along!' but sell the plot of the film and concentrate on the characters. Also you can tell that this trailer was from ages ago and times have changed because narrators would never use the word 'gay' in a happy term as now in the present it has other meanings referring to sexual orientation, in which the audience of today would see to that reference. This shows how the language and attitudes are different and would have to be altered for present trailers. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's- October 6th 1961

Breakfast at Tiffany's- October 5, 1961

The Breakfast at Tiffany's trailer seems like a new era for trailers as the quality looks better and the fact it is in colour makes the film seem more appealing. The techniques of the narrator to try and persuade the audience are still the same, as are the credits and transitions between clips. The opening narration of the trailer seems too long and has a crowded use of adjectives which don't relate to the film but rather try and make the film seem 'special'; such words used are 'glorifies', 'glamorous', 'shimmer' and 'glitter' which seems like its trying too hard to sell it. 'Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, who typifies and glorifies the glamorous playmates of this dizzily spinning world, as she and George Peppard breeze through the glitter and shimmer of New York, as it has never been captured before. You have a special invitation to attend Audrey Hepburn's open house on the wildest night New York ever knew!'     

Grease- June 16, 1978

Grease- June 16, 1978

There is a huge transition in the composition of the trailer for Grease compared to the previous trailers. The quality of the trailer is definitely clear and entices the audience in more by having quicker snippets of the film and seems consistent throughout as the transitions between clips are quick and match with the upbeat music. There is still a narrator there but the voice doesn't sound traditional but in beat and mood of the film which may persuade the audience rather than a slow, low voice that makes the film seem serious. The introduction of the narrator is definitely shorter and lets the clips intrigue the audience rather than the narrator by saying 'Paramount Pictures invites you to the 20th anniversary of the greatest musical of all time!'. Also the title for 'Grease' seems to be in a red and white cartoon text with a blue background, showing that technology has improved and has made a logo for the film making it recognisable and good for marketing. 

As shown here:

The Little Mermaid- November 14, 1989

Dirty Dancing- August 21, 1987

Here is another animation film from Disney, comparing The Little Mermaid to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has so many differences because now this trailer is actually showing the animation. There are so many types of features and edits which intrigue the audience more and market the film better. The Walt Disney logo at the beginning of each Disney trailer which is like a signature shows the film as a brand and generally the video has better quality. The narrator is also quick to sell the plot of the film than rather try and persuade the audience about a plot they don't know which is like the previous trailers and shows that the 'trying to persuade the audience' technique has improved. 'It's the story of Ariel, a beautiful young mermaid who wants to become human.' this tells the audience the basic of the story and the snippets of the film coincides with that. The only credits really are at the beginning and the end of the trailer, which is normally the main feature in all of the older trailers. 

Titanic- December 19, 1997
Titanic- December 19, 1997

The trailer for Titanic definitely shows the resemblance between the trailers we are now used to today. The trailer seems consistent when the different clips fade in with each other and matches the soft music, the technique of this reflects on the romance and history of the plot. There is no narration in the trailer and the plot line is sold solely on the clips from the film, I personally think that this technique is better than speaking at the audience as it isn't trying to force them to watch it and the audience can actually get into the mood that the story is trying to give off and therefore become emotionally drawn to it. In the previous trailers, when a narrator was speaking to the audience, it didn't really capture the tone that the film was trying to set off. You can also see that the camera edits are much better as is the quality. The length of the trailer is too long at four minutes and could therefore give away too much of the story but I think because there are snippets of the film that it successfully didn't do so.  

A Walk to Remember- January 25, 2002 

The Notebook- June 25, 2004 

The Notebook- June 25, 2004

There aren't many differences between 'The Notebook' trailer and 'Titanic' other than that some of the clips have been slowed down which reflects on the tone of the film with it being romantic. At the beginning it shows the logo of New Line Cinema which sells the brand for the film which they didn't have in previous trailers and is also better for marketing as it is recognisable. The characters sell the story from the clips in the film and therefore the audience will get drawn to it. With the help of the narrator, little sentences are used which are aided and match with some of the clips but do not go over the film which is good because the audience can still listen and get enticed by it. An example is 'From the best selling novel from Nicholas Sparks...Comes a Story...About what we long for...'. A saying is also used at the end of the trailer to make the audience wonder about what the story is about, for example. 'What we settle for...and who we're meant for' this sets the tone for the film.

The Vow- February 14, 2012 

The Vow- February 14, 2012

This film is out next year and therefore is one of the most up to date trailers. As another romantic film, it is seen as modern with the quality of it. It starts with upbeat music as Channing Tatum narrates the trailer which makes it seem more emotional and says "Life's all about the moments of impact and how they change our lives forever, what if one day we can no longer remember them?" and cuts to a scene were a car crashes and the music stops. Now as it is meant to show the audience that something dramatic happens, the music stops and cuts to a emotional and climatic scene until the climax, the music changes into emotive music and reflects on the change of the plot line. Then the upbeat music starts again and this emotionally draws the audience as to what will happen next. The fact that Channing Tatum is narrating the film makes it seem more personal as he is the main character and the audience can see how he feels.