The Male Gaze

The Gaze

The concept of gaze is one that deals with how an audience views people presented. For a feminist this can be classed of in three ways: How men look at women, how women look at themselves or how women look at other women.

In 1975 Laura Mulvey a British media professor coined the term 'male gaze' to ensure film audiences view the characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male.

Things such as videos and magazine covers, something in which will sell a product, use figures to catch the gaze. Without noticing, as an audience people will not pay full attention to the information being presented, as the person on screen will distract them due to their actions of sexiness, seductiveness or their invitational body language.

This theory is still relevant in todays society as current Music Artists, celebrities and presenters use the gaze to sell their image to companies in order to create job opportunities such as advertising. Not only that, but people with an aesthetically pleasing body or face to attract both the opposite and same sex are used to endorse the sales of products.  An example of this would be the latest Paco Rabanne Mens Fragrance - Invictus.

Example of 'The Male Gaze' from a TV Drama

 

 

This clip taken from the final season of One Tree Hill includes Quinn and Clay, a couple who have been together for a significant amount of time. The male gaze with in this scene will be Quinn, due to the way she stands, her body language and her tone of voice is an act of seducing the other character. The male audience connect to this, by capturing the image placed in front of them. You may notice that the majority of the camera work displays Quinn's best standing out features which will attract both the opposite and same sex, grabbing a wider audience. Through the theory, the gazers may not take in relevant information from this scene, as they will be too focused on what is displayed, however the significance of what Clay says is huge, as it completely changes the storyline. The reasons for using the gaze in this scene may be the directors intention of gripping more interest, however some viewers may find it distracting. 

 

Examples of 'The Male Gaze' from a Magazine Cover

 

The male gaze in this magazine cover will attract straight men and gay women, who will instantly be captured by the large cleavage Jennifer Aniston is showing. The use of tight clothing also creates attention of those interested as it outlines her sexual features. The colour red which is used both as the background and a darker shade for her clothing symbolises the positive connotations of the colour, such as: love, sex, beauty and romance. Although the text is in white to stand out, you will notice that none of it covers the main gaze features of her body which will sell the magazine. Her bodily features cause a distraction to the content of the magazine which the company use to their advantage to ensure they sell as many copies as possible.

The cover of Elle Magazine featuring David Beckham shirtless attracts mainly the gay male and straight women. The central position on the cover is taken by Beckham's abdomen which is known as his best selling feature, this alone is the covers best selling point, as it attracts a wide range of people as it is aesthetically pleasing. The reason for me stating that the main attraction for the cover would be gay male and straight women, doesn't however mean they are the only audience which is targeted. They are the main, however due to Beckham being shirtless straight men look up to his body as a goal to reach to ensure they look the best they can. The positioning of his head between the magazine cover heading creates a frame for Beckham's facial appearance in which attracts the gaze audience as it allows them to connect with the connotations present through his emotion shown.


Beyoncé, central of this magazine cover stands in a sexual position to attract the male gaze straight away. With her hands on her head, the connotations the audience take from it is that she is trying to seduce them. The main features which stand out are her chest area - this teases the audience as its barely showing, which make them want to look through to see if they can see more. Her thigh gap and large gluteal area which the male gender seem to take a liking to which distracts them from the information on the cover. The small pants Beyoncé is wearing are to tease the audience to distract them from any other irrelevant information in which could be on the cover. The way she I holding her hair you can connote that she has the sexy 'rough and ready' look which attracts the audience in which will buy the magazine. She can act as a role model for females as her figure is exposed, so they look up to her as a goal for what they wish their body to look like.

Advent Calendar - Film Marketing Revision

Advent Calendar Media - Marketing by Nat Clarke

Advent Calendar - Film Production Revision

Advent Calendar - Media Film Production by Nat Clarke

British Film Industry - 30 Questions

What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for?
The British Industry was responsible for 15% of global box office, roughly 600 British films were made in between 2003 and 2010, and only a small percentage profit. The figure improves as budgets rise - with 17% of films that cost more than £10m making their money back.

What was this % in 2009?
In 2009 there was 6.8% global box office profit from British Films.

What might this change indicate about British film?
The change in the percentage over the years indicates that the British Film Industry is rising, and more of the films they are producing are becoming of a success.

What films have been responsible for this change?
The films responsible for this increase are - The King's Speech, Sky Fall, Slumdog Millionaire and The Woman in Black.

What % of the British film industry makes a profit?
Lower budget films such as those made for less than £2m were less likely to make a profit of 4%. The figure improves as budgets rise with 17% of films that cost more than £10m making their money back.

What % of Hollywood films make a profit?
The percentage of Hollywood films that make a profit is 17%.

How does that % differ between £2m and £10m budget British films?
Lower budget films such as those made for less than £2m were less likely to make a profit of 4%. The figure improves as budgets rise with 17% of films that cost more than £10m making their money back.

What might we infer from this difference?
By stretching a budget, and using extra special effects, or hiring better well known actors, the film is more likely to succeed in making a larger profit than films without.

Which age group makes up the largest % of UK cinema goers?
Ages range from 18-24years of age, both genders.

Why do you think this might be?
The quadrant system allows this age range to view all films, as well as genres, so they are targeted as the most popular and significant age range.

Which 'type' of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance?
The 18 per cent gross income generated by 3D in 2012 continues a slight decline, down from 20 per cent in 2011 and 24 per cent in 2010.

Within that 'type' which genre has seen the biggest fall?
Big family films such as Madagascar 3 and Brave were the genre in which have seen the biggest fall.

What did Charles Grant put this decline down to?
The price of 3D tickets deterred families from going to the cinema, as they tried to economise their pricings to ensure they were saving that little extra money.

Who is Paul Greengrass?
Paul Greengrass is an English film director, screenwriter and former journalist

How did he describe the British film industry?
He says that the British film industry has transformed from what it used to be

What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget British films?
"tiny budget films that, while commercial success is always hoped for, are successful and beneficial to the industry for other reasons like skills and training development and for artistic and cultural importance"

What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take?
Its budget was just under £2 million, and it made £4million

What advantage did James McAvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films?
He says that films with larger budgets have chances to sell the films in all sorts of ways, where as smaller budget films aren't able to do this

What is VOD?
VOD is known as Video on Demand

What % increase did VOD see last year?
The VOD market has increased by 50% last year.

What impact might VOD have on distributers and Studios?
Video on demand is becoming more popular so it might outsell them

What impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?
It has a chance of outselling the stores, which will cause them profit and business issues

What was unique about Ben Wheatley's 'A Field In England'?
A Field in England was the first UK film to be released simultaneously in cinemas, on DVD, on TV and through video-on-demand.

What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of film making?
"The toughest thing is you make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance of a mass audience."

Why have rules been relaxed on what makes a film 'British'?
To encourage more people to make British films, so that there can be more successes.

How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged?
Visual effects are used in films to make it more interesting for the audience, to aid boosting of ratings

Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List, The World's End
Keeping a British Theme through culture -Kings Speech
'LAD' like actions and ways about them - Worlds End
British director - The King's Speech
British Cast - Kill List, Worlds End
Location set in Britain - Kill List, Worlds End, King's Speech 

What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British films?
He announced that films only need to now spend 10% of their budget within the UK to qualify for tax relief, where previously they had to spend 25%. Tax relief would be applied to 25% of the first £20m of a production, and 20% on any remaining budget, regardless of the overall total; previously only films under £20m were eligible for the higher rate.

What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history?
James Bond: Sky Fall

How much has it taken and how many screens was it available on?
Bond adventure has earned £94.3m in the UK, beating the previous record holder Avatar. Sky Fall opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 26 October, and is still on general release.

 

Stereotypes

Stereotypes from hammonda

 

 

Dumb Blonde Stereotype

 

Appearance of the stereotype includes particularly a woman, with blonde hair and heavy make up, especially around the eyes, and an orange face. There is no particular weight in particular which outlines the stereotype, the blonde hair is the most significant feature. They are very simplistic, and wear clothing which can be revealing to all to try and attract attention from the opposite sex in particular.

The behaviour and the way they act can sometimes be deliberate to feel as if they should fulfil their stereotype, or they are just genuinely what society would call extremely stupid. They have very basic personalities, with not much of a variety of interest which makes them seem as if they have boring characteristics, and they rely totally on their looks to be noticed.

You wouldn't necessarily associate a 'dumb blonde' as being a male figure, as the female figure is stereotypically what the stereotype relates to. Their attitudes are usually to try and impress people, especially males, but end up saying stupid things which make them come across as stupid. Girls are genuinely known especially blondes for being relatively 'dumb' compared to male figures, as males think that they will stereotypically be the ones to go out and work to cater for a family when they grow up.

The character Karen Smith in Mean Girls portrays this stereotype in her role throughout the film. Played by Amanda Seyfriend, Karen is a particular person who doesn't think before she speaks, and doesn't tend to have any common sense. She represents the extreme of this stereotype, with severe incapability to know anything knowledgeable.

 

Macro Aspects - Representations

Representations Homework by Nat Clarke

Harry Potter World - Media Trip

A trip to the Warner Brothers Studio in London is nothing of the ordinary. It was a whirlwind of a day, filled with a variety of laughs, cries, and a bundle of energy and excitement. It really puts into perspective, what a Big Six company have to do to ensure every fine detail is perfect. The budget has now, in my eyes become of an understandable margin, as to why institutions are in need of that large amount of money per film. The sets were so realistic it made you feel a part of the film, whilst you were taking in all of its beauty. You couldn't pick a favourite part of the day because it was all an exceptional 10/10 experience which all ages can enjoy. From playing Quidditch, driving a flying car, or drinking butter beer, Harry Potter World has it all. However the gift shop does rob you of your money, but everyone has to get some form of memorabilia don't they? We met life size sculptures of the characters, shown video tutorials on the makeup and costume, and participated in a photo competition in which the winner would take away a real chocolate frog. Apart from the huge fun endured throughout the day, it was such a learning curve and helped to understand what it would be like to be involved with in a film production of this scale. It was well and truly a fantastic school trip which will be remembered by all with amazing memories for a long time. 
                                                                             

          Hogwarts Castle

 

 

            Group Photo

       Harry Potter Entrance

     "It was all an exceptional
      10/10 experience"

The King's Speech Posters

The title graphics have been written in serif font which gives it the 'official' style look. From it being in the colour gold you can connote from this wealth and status which outlines to the audience what the genre could entail. The capital letters shows a formal representation accompanied by a logo. However it has been extremely photo shopped making it look unprofessional and unappealing to look at. This poster doesn't significantly outline who is King, which can deter audiences from the production. The King isn't central on the poster so doesn't give any clues away as to who plays this role, this doesn't sell the narrative very well as the audience cannot understand the purpose of the production. The stars names are directly underneath their image to helpfully outline to the audience who they are. The surnames of the actors are in capitals to attract more attention to it, as this is what should help sell the film. The image has been edited together to ensure it looks as if the characters are all stood together for a photograph, this isn't therefore real, and doesn't give away any information in which will explain to audiences the purpose, the genre or who they are. The only way the audience could guess the genre is from the title. The catch line - 'when God couldn't save the King, the Queen turned to someone who could'. This statement outlines to the audience that alongside the title there is royalty involved with in the film so it could be a period drama, due to the fact there currently isn't a King on the throne. From this we entail as the audience that it will be a very sophisticated, well organised, typically British script, with the scenes to compliment that. Due to the way the characters are stood, and the crown logo above the title you can identify the audience as being of an older generation/adults, this is because not many young people would know too much about past kings, and aren't interested in formal films, they are more stereotypically interested in action, chick flicks and Rom-Coms. The colours above the characters heads is photo shopped to look as if its from a past era, as the clouds have been given that tea bag effect look. This accompanied by the title is significant at symbolising that the genre is of a different period.

This second poster is extremely different, as it outlines to the audience the main theme which occurs throughout the film - the storyline and the basic purpose of the film. By the lack of character figures present the audience cannot justify clearly what genre the film could be classed as from short glances. The golden background can connote just like the first poster wealth and status, but other than that it's there for the purpose of brightening the poster up, so it looks aesthetically pleasing, to attract attention to itself so people look at it. There is no justification of what will happen in the film, all we can connote as an audience is that the old fashioned microphone represents older times, particularly the start of technology (1900's). You cannot as an audience connote anything from the way in which the characters are stood, or by their expressions because the narrative isn't possible to identify. The layout includes a lot of blank space which draws the audience to the main features on the poster (jaw and microphone).



The layout for this poster is very simplistic. With quotes from newspapers covering the front, taking priority over anything else to ensure it's noticed. The title writing is still of that gold colour which connotes the wealth and status with in the film, however due to the character wearing only a suit, it doesn't give away ideas about the narrative, or sell the films genre particularly well. The words across the poster symbolises positivity, and the vibe of greatness the film is represented by. The text is what sells the film with in this style of poster, as the character behind is of irrelevance due to their being very limited denotations. The colours used are mainly pastille, so the important parts such as the title stand out significantly. The USP of this poster is definitely the public reviews made by newspapers in particular. By having these across the front of the page they are selling the production as a 'film of the year' type of project which will grab attention of a range of audience types.
 The social network poster, (in which was designed before the King's Speech poster) of this version was available, but purposely copied in a unique way by the King's Speech, due to the fact they thought it would relate to the younger audience type. By doing this the marketing team believed it would be an easier way to connect to teenagers especially as they would go off ratings to chose which films they watch. However, this could be argued, because lots of teenagers, especially boys prefer posters which grab their attention through action scenes, something that would look good as a wallpaper for a phone, or a picture you would frame and put on a wall in your bedroom. The similarities within these two posters include the white writing covering an image which is significant to the film (e.g. a characters head and shoulder shot).
           

The final poster to evaluate is the US way about marketing The King's Speech. This is completely different to the way this film is marketed in the UK for a number of reasons. The representation of culture with in this poster will sell the film abroad because foreigners are attracted to the British Lifestyle and love anything to do with the Royal Family or the London type setting. Bearing in mind this poster was released after the Oscars, the film has titles attached to its name to help sell the production increasingly better across the globe, especially in the US, as Hollywood is the biggest competition when it comes to films. The main colours again used is gold, to connote the wealth and status with in the genre of the film. This can then significantly point out the Royal Family based theme throughout by the Mise en Scene. The costumes worn by the young girl and the Queen, tell the audience that the classification of the characters in society are high, and in fact it may cover real past events. The words 'Best Picture' are in bold at the top of this poster to outline clearly to the audience one of the awards it won, and tries to represent this through the highly printed graphics on this poster. The Mise en Scene sells the narrative well, and will attract a range of audiences abroad, as there is a lot of typical British like background used.








                                    

How Does Your Chosen Clip Attract The Audience?

Star Trek: Into Darkness Essay on Micro Aspects and Narrative by Nat Clarke

The King's Speech Research

The King's Speech

 What makes a film British?

Audiences assume the culture of a film is what makes them British, however by researching into Parliament UK it is accompanied by many factors. The culture of Britain focuses around the current location (which is usually London), how day to day life is gone about, with historical roots such as The Royal Family. The cast should be predominantly British with minor exceptions, however all storylines would cover past, present or future events tying in with the British Lifestyle. Also, there would be reference from / by a British Author of a book or script which relate to the film, including the same nationality (in this case British) of producer, scriptwriter, director and sometimes the investor.
For a film to be legally classed with in our culture, a number of tests must be met to certify its class as categorised British. These four tests include:

• The Maker Test: the film must be made by a company that is registered and centrally
  managed and controlled in the UK, in another state of the European Union/European
  Economic Area or in a country with which the European Community has signed an
  Association Agreement
• The Production Cost Test: 70% of the production cost of the film must be spent on film-making activity in the UK
• The Labour Cost Test:
  i. 70% of the total cost (minus — if desired — the cost of one person whose nationality
  must be non-Commonwealth/EU/EEA/Association Agreement country) must have
  been paid to citizens or ordinary residents of the Commonwealth, EU/EEA or a
  country with which the European Community has signed an Agreement; and
  ii.  75% of the total labour cost — after deducting the cost of two persons whose
  nationality must be non-Commonwealth/EU/EEA/Association Agreement country,
  and one of whom must be an actor
  — must have been paid to citizens or ordinary
  residents of the Commonwealth, EU/EEA or a country with which the European
  Community has signed an Agreement
• Previously Filmed Material: no more than 10% of the playing time of the film should
  comprise a sequence of visual images from a previously certified film or from a film by a
  different maker.

Exhibition Issues - Box Office in the UK

The Kings Speech certified 15 was the 'plucky-underdog success story' with a £3.52m opening weekend with in the UK. It was set up with modest previews (in other words - set up to fail) as audiences didn't think that they would be astounded by the production. The film lost cinema viewings to the New York Met Opera screening, however in London's Chelsea cinema brought in over £40,000 which broke records.

Exhibition Issues - Reviews and Reception

"Lead man Colin Firth probably isn't complaining, after picking up the Golden Globe for Best Actor at the weekend. In fact his performance was so impressive that a newly created Facebook group is campaigning to have him ascend to the throne." - The Guardian

As well as Colin Firth picking up the Golden Globe for Best Actor from a total of 7 nominations for the whole production, the film was also nominated for 12 Oscars and 14 BAFTAS.

"The King’s Speech isn’t just an enlightening period drama, but a very entertaining, heartfelt and surprisingly funny crowd-pleaser with a glint of Oscar gold in its eye." - Time Out
Time Out also comment on how perfectly precise the film was, by focusing the attention on the characters relationships and insecurities, they said it makes the whole experience intimate and convincing.

Film Junk state that "In all honesty, the average moviegoer doesn’t have a whole lot to be excited about in Tom Hooper’s new film". They say this because they believe the storyline about George VI and his speech therapist is hardly an interesting topic, unless you like that kind of thing, in which case they say you may find it an "often lively and effective drama"

"Unlike many of the films that helped lend the genre its dry reputation, authentic atmosphere doesn’t substitute for drama here. The King’s Speech works not because we watch a historical personage overcome a debilitating verbal ailment, but because we watch a human being do so." - Film Junk

Critics Reviews

"There's no doubt this film has Oscar bait written all over it" - Mark Kermode

Kermode believes the Americans especially love a British film when a monarch has a relationship with a commoner. He also states when a friendship transcends into a relationship is what grips a global audience to a British film.

By making the interior and psychological space with in scenes gripping through the camera angles (mainly close ups and zooms) this film becomes visually interesting.

Compared to 'The Queen' and 'Mrs Brown' this film (The King's Speech) is set apart as it felt more real, even though all of them are mainly people talking in rooms. Its funny, and its interesting due to the fact the happy ending is gone about by revealing 'we will be at war for the next 6 years'.

Mark Kermode seemed to take a liking to this film more so than the two others stated above, due to the warmth he developed to Colin Firth, as he states he should win the awards he is nominated for hands down. He also believes that people should look back at his history and take note of his remarkable performances with in his previous films, one being 'Trauma'.

The Films Production Issues

The Origins

"The King's Speech, the story of how King George VI overcame his stammer, was just a letterbox delivery away from never getting made"

The films production team posted the script to the film through Geoffrey Rush's letter box in order to hopefully gain his role as Lionel Logue. After unsuccessfully gaining his involvement after sending numerous emails they thought this was the way about it. The films producer Gareth Unwin stated that the film needed some key casted roles to be a success and that is why they went to so much trouble to attract Rush's attention towards this film.

"This flies against every fibre of me knowing how the business works. I ended up with a four-page email from his manager tearing me a new one. But it finished off with Geoffrey saying he liked it and that we should talk. We wouldn't have got to talk to Geoffrey at that stage otherwise. Joan was audacious in her thinking and it did pay off."

Director: Tom Hooper
Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
Production Companies: See-Saw Films, Bedlam Productions, UK Film Council
US Distributor: The Weinstein Company
International sales: FilmNation Entertainment
US Release Date: December 10, 2010
UK Distributor: Momentum Pictures

Gareth Unwin from Bedlam Productions spent 5 years prior to the start of production developing this story with David Seidler. “ I knew we had an upper level that we had to aim for,” says Unwin of his need to find co-producers for the ambitious project.

The team were keen to make a period drama that didn't feel mainstream. “It’s uplifting without being cheesy,” says Canning. “The Weinsteins gave us one really great note early on, which is, it’s all about the friendship. We honed it to focus on that.”

Tom Minter (US Writer) sent Joan Lane the play script. As a fellow friend who was also a writer of the play’s author Seidler, Tom recommended Joan as a well-connected London-based producer of theatre. Having previously sent the play to another London based colleague, who had not been able to attract interest in it, Seidler wasn't sure what to do following this - so he followed Tom’s advice.

Lane gave a copy of the script to Simon Egan from Bedlam Productions to try and gain his interest in production. Thankfully he saw potential and took an option of screenplay adaption. Following that, Lane organised a rehearsed reading in which would have director Tom Hooper's parents in the audience. This wasa tactical move of Lane as she introduced The Hooper's to David Seidler the Plays author, so he could exchange contacts with Tom's father to gain contact with Tom himself.

The Finance

The Weinstein company over in America has been praised for the backing of this spectacular production., however the British production company Prescience are really who should be praised,

"We worked with ex-chair of Bafta Richard Price, and started turning this story about two grumpy men sitting in a room into something bigger."or identifying the films potential first. - Gareth Unwin (after getting Iain Canning from See-Saw Productions involved)

 See-Saw Productions worked alongside Bedlam Productions in synergy to create The King's Speech as well as receiving One Million Pounds from The UK Film Council to help with the films production. The film was at production stage for 39 days, with an input from Bonham Carter, who also, at the time was working with Warner Brothers on the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set.

Distribution and Marketing

The distributor of The King's Speech (Momentum Pictures) a British institution were in charge of the films marketing plan, the way in which the UK audiences will have it advertised to them.

The film had its global premiere on 6th September 2010 at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States. It was screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on Colin Firth's 50th birthday, receiving a standing ovation and the Peoples Choice Award.

The original poster was altered to show an extreme close up of Colin Firths jaw to the right of a microphone in which symbolised the plot of the film. Due to the film being entirely related to The King's Speech and dialect by representing the film with a microphone it shows that a voice is a way in which a King maintains his power. For advertising a film the poster is key as it is primarily the most viewed was of advertising other than the official trailer.