Representation Analysis

Tide Advertisement

    This advertisement takes advantage of typical gender norms to sell a product. From the beginning, the mother is shown as a feminine, traditional woman who strictly believes that both men and women should act and dress a certain way. This is established through her appearance, her dialogue, and the way the scene is set up. Throughout the commercial, the woman is dressed in nice, orderly clothing in both light pinks and whites. These colors can be used to convey a sense of femininity and innocence, which she clearly believes is the “correct” way for a woman to act. In addition to her costuming, the viewer can see flowers, a teacup set, and other feminine items around the room they are sitting in, confirming that the mother is indeed complying with gender norms. The little girl, however, is dressed in loose clothing with camouflage print, gray, and other neutral tones that are usually associated with masculinity. 

    As the mother sits on the couch, she has her legs crossed and hands clasped in front of her; her daughter, on the other hand, is sitting on the ground as she plays with blocks and dinosaur figurines (which are known to be “boy” toys). 

    By placing both actors in this way, the woman is seen as disciplined, while her daughter’s behavior can be viewed as unconventional. This is further confirmed by the mother’s comments, especially when she acts disappointed that the girl’s “hoodies and cargo shorts” did not get ruined after her crayon incident, saying it was “kinda too bad.”

    By displaying the daughter’s behavior in a negative light, this video is implicitly stating that being a masculine girl or woman is wrong or odd. Despite the purpose of this piece being simple (to advertise a product), the underlying message can be extremely detrimental - especially if other pieces of media send a similar message.

Axe Body Spray Commercial

    Throughout this video, women are running savagely toward a man who is spraying the advertised product on his body. These women, besides acting like total animals, are dressed in only bikinis and are not given any other role other than simply running to the man. Not only is this commercial dehumanizing and objectifying women by mostly focusing on their sexual features, but it is also setting extremely unrealistic standards for how women’s bodies should look like. Furthermore, this spot establishes that attractive women will come running and will be immediately enticed by whoever uses this product (hence the slogan “spray more - get more”). This sets incredibly impractical expectations for the product.

    Whether or not this advertisement was created to be seen as a “joke,” the consequences are clear. By showing viewers that women must compete to gain the attention of a man, the audience (primarily men) might think that these stereotypes are indeed true, damaging women’s image and making it harder to break these silly standards.

Genre Research Activity

Let’s Talk About Drama

Drama films have become the most widely produced in the film world. In fact, the majority of all productions made around the world over the past twenty years have been labeled “dramas” - but why is this genre so popular? 

Genre conventions – Content

Generally, a drama’s purpose is to move the audience emotionally by displaying an extensive, in-depth development of a realistic character going through a personal journey. To achieve this, these protagonists are put in conflict with either themselves, others, or society as a whole, creating both inner and outer realistic struggles displaying human vulnerability, pain, and hardships. Often, the main characters of the narrative are created to be relatable to the audience, allowing viewers to easily empathize with the character’s situation and further draw them into the story. This maximizes how attached the audience is to a character. A great example of this can be seen in the television show Atypical, where the main character (Sam Gardner) is trying to live a normal life as a teen on the autistic spectrum. Throughout his journey, he must endure the judgement from his peers, survive through his parent’s inconsistent relationship, and learn to stand up for himself, all while struggling to find his place in the world. Despite most viewers not being able to relate to his developmental disorder, the audience is still able to empathize with him thanks to his emotions and witty sense of humor.

Promotional poster for the television show Atypical, a Netflix Original series.

Drama films also tend to follow a basic narrative structure, containing climaxes and anticlimaxes to keep the interest of the audience, intensify the viewers’ attachment to the protagonists, and continue building tension. Moreover, the use of main plots and subplots are widely used in this genre (especially in soap operas) to add complexity to the story, as well as keep the audience interested. By laying out the story in an organized manner, the audience is able to easily understand the events within the narrative as well as their impact on the protagonist(s).

Genre conventions – Production Techniques

Despite drama having the broadest definition of all genres, there are still a handful of staple production techniques that directors utilize in order to tell their story more effectively. For instance, drama films and television shows tend to be very dialogue-driven, and for good reason. Since stories tend to be mostly driven by characters, both their actions and dialogue can reveal valuable information about them and help develop the story. For instance, an angry, teenage protagonist might use rude, sarcastic speech or slang when interacting with others, giving subtle hints about the teen’s personality, background, and morals. Another widely used technique is the use of narration. By having a character (either one in the story or a completely separate figure) explain the events that are unfolding during the production, it gives the film balance, structure, interpretation and verbal perspective.

In addition to dialogue and narration, however, dramas tend to stick to relatively simple shot variety and camera movement. This is because a drama’s goal is to show emotion; therefore, by choosing to not overcomplicate the technical aspects of the production, the audience is able to focus on what is important: the character’s journey. This is done through using natural-looking lighting, diegetic sound, and relatively simple composition.

Institutional conventions –  How is this genre marketed?

Due to the broadness and variety of drama films, the target audience for this genre tends to vary by sub-genre. For instance, youth rebellion dramas are most likely targeted towards younger audiences, such as pre-teens and teenagers, whereas dramas dealing with alcoholism and war may be directed toward more mature viewers. Nevertheless, the marketing techniques for this genre remain consistent: film posters, talk shows, and more. Among the most effective and widely used techniques, however, are trailers. These short videos present the core plot of the production yet do not spoil the ending, leaving the public eager to learn more. Another popular approach is starring well-known actors to increase the anticipation for a film’s release or even using cross-promotion for movies based off of novels by displaying “now a major motion picture” on the updated covers of the book.

Book cover showing "now a major motion picture" label used for cross-promotion.

Film sample #1 – Moonlight

This acclaimed film follows the story of a poor, Black and gay man struggling to find his place in the world, all while trying to survive in a drug-filled city like Miami. This narrative is broken up into three parts: his childhood, his adolescence and his adulthood; and throughout the story, the viewer is able to see how Chiron responds to his ever-changing environments, as well as his complicated relationships with his drug-addict mother and closeted best friend.

Film sample #2 – Marriage Story: 

Marriage Story is an award-winning drama about a stage director named Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johanson), an actress,  who struggle through a brutal divorce, fighting over the custody of their 8-year-old son and dealing with their choices, needs, and desires after their separation. Throughout the story, both characters must resolve their marital conflict as well as deal with their own personal emotions - all while balancing their careers and the wellbeing of their son. 

Other examples within the genre:

Introduction

      Welcome! My name is Isabella and I have created this blog to record my experience as an AICE Media AS student. Throughout the year,  I will be sharing some of the information I have learned and posting updates on how my final project is coming together. I plan to pursue either film or television production in the future, so I am beyond excited to see where this course takes me! Stay tuned for some quality content!