October Half Term Homework - 'Men, Women and Chainsaws Reading'

Men, Women and Chainsaws Extract by Ellie Buchan on Scribd

Blog post title: 'Men, Women and Chainsaws Reading'

1. What does Clover mean by 'female victim-hero'?
   
2. Why does Clover say that males relate to the females in horror films, in particular, the 'final girl'?
   
3. Why does Clover suggest that horror research is problematic?
   
4. Who does Clover suggest makes-up the typical horror audience?
   
5. Was there parity between horror audiences in regards to those who watched horror films at the cinema and those who watched them at home through rentals?
   
6. What are the two ways identified by Clover in which audiences identify with characters?

Halloween (Carpenter, 1978)

Blog your answers for the 10 questions given in class that relate to Halloween. Do this like a Q&A, blog the question and then you response. Add images and clips for every question. You may quote from the reading but you must also then source the information correctly.

Halloween questions

Pre-production: All Necessary Paperwork

Here is a full list of all the planning paperwork you need on your blog. Please remember to blur / blank addresses, telephone numbers and signatures.

You must have:

• Synopsis
• Shot list
• Storyboards
• Recces (and photos)
• Location releases
• Talent releases (minor and adult)
• Prop and costume list
• Risk assessment
• Production schedule

Optional documents

• Budgeting sheet (and photocopies of receipts)
• Script
• Music clearances

Narrative Theory in Relation to Halloween (Carpenter, 1978) and The Crazies (Eisner, 2010)

Narrative theory in relation to Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)

and The Crazies (Breck Eisner, 2010)

You will need to approach this post from two different angles; firstly you must define, in your own words and backed-up with quotes, the four narrative theories that we looked at last week and secondly, you must relate narrative theories to the two films we have watched in class.

Follow this plan to ensure you cover everything needed:

Paragraph 1

• What is meant by the term Classical Hollywood Narrative?
• Which theorist did we look at for this theory?
• How useful do you think looking at the ‘CHN’ is for understanding media texts?
• Do Halloween and The Crazies follow the CHN? Why do you think this is?

Michael Myers reaching for the clown mask

Paragraph 2
• What are Propp’s various character types and how did he decide on the list?
• How useful do you think looking at the character types are for understanding media texts?
• Which of Propp’s characters are evident in Halloween and The Crazies?

Laurie Strode fighting Myers off

Paragraph 3
• What is meant by the term binary opposition?
• Which theorist did we look at for this?
• How useful do you think looking at the binary opposition is for understanding media texts?
• List 5 examples of binary opposition in Halloween.

Relative safety in the town of Ogden Marsh

Unsafe environment when trying to escape Ogden Marsh

Paragraph 4
• Find and type the quote from Bordwell and Thompson that was on the class sheet and then explain what it means.
• How useful do you think looking at this is for understanding media texts?
• List 2 events in the film that cause another event to happen.
• List 2 events in the film that we know happened but which we don’t see.

Dr Loomis visiting the hospital after
Myers has escaped

Judy visiting the nursery for their
unborn child

Representation: The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

Please blog responses to the following questions. You may present the answers in any way you see fit (but ensure it is 'bloggy').

You will need to complete the reading at the bottom of this post before you tackle these questions. Quote reading whenever possible.

The title of this post is:

The Representation of Women in Relation to The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

1. What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in the Woods?

2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory? Please mention: the ending; Dana's appearance and her actions during the film.

3. Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

4. Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera angles and POV shots.

5. In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?

6. (Briefly) summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?

  

Feminist Horror Film Theory (click here if the doc is blocked)

How to guides: 'Blogging up' your posts

Whenever you post something on your Blog, it is important to remember that you are, in fact, working on a Blog and not just writing a report/essay, etc. Therefore, you should make full use of the medium and ensure it is interactive and aesthetically pleasing, e.g.,

There are several things that you can do, in each post, to make the text look less ominous and easier to tackle, whilst also making everything you produce visually appealing.

Aim to attempt each of the following in every Blog post you have created:

1. Use video clips

Whether you are analysing a trailer, discussing a scene or referencing a media text, you could (and should for the trailer analyses and representation of women essay) embed and/or link to moving image media top highlight points and provide evidence of research and understanding.

To embed a clip; find the clip you want from YouTube (preferably) and click on 'share' beneath the video (you can see it under the video views bar).

Then select 'embed' and copy the code in the box that will magically appear! Ctrl + C is a shortcut for this or simply right click and select copy.

Once you have the embed code 'on copy', click on 'HTML' when composing a post and paste the code into the text box (that you usually type in). You can check to see if it has worked instantly by clicking back to 'compose'.

2. Adding images

Long paragraphs and segments of text are really unappealing to readers. To combat this you should use images to break up text. Images can also be used to back up points that you make in the text. For example:


"When watching Halloween, you can see that Laurie exemplifies the traits detailed in Clover's 'Final Girl' theory. Firstly she looks androgynous; she has a strong jaw and wears unflattering clothes such as baggy jumpers and calf-length skirts."

You don't always have to use images from films either, you could just as easily use logos, print-screens and uploads of your pre-production paperwork. Anything that exemplifies points made or which breaks up text is great!

3. Incorporating document and image sharing software

If you have written a long essay or report, you do not have to simply paste the text onto the Blog (although this is fine at times). Instead, it is worth investing time signing up to a site like Scribd or Issuu in order to demonstrate knowledge of other programs/software and the skills required to use it. The following has been published through Scribd and I recommend it for its speed and ease of use. The guide, if you take the time to read it, is a step-by-step guide to using Prezi, which is very funky presentation software. A completed Prezi can be found under label 'Z. Class handouts and resources' which will also help you with the distribution post, if needed. If you look at the script/code for any embedded documents in the HTML viewer, e.g., videos, Scribd docs etc., you can re-size and manipulate them as you would an image under the compose viewer.

4. Hyperlinking content

You may have noticed that some of the text in this post has been hyperlinked. This simply means that it has been joined to another place in order to direct the reader to other information. You can link to anything online by hyperlinking it and this is how to do it.

1. Highlight a word or group of words in the text (in your Blog post), such as a film title, actress or character (do not use the highlighting tool, simply use your mouse to pick out a word or two!)
2. Open a new tab in your browser and find a relevant web page from a site such as IMDB, Boxofficemojo, FDA etc., and put the URL 'on copy' (Ctrl+C)
3. Go back to your open Blog post and hit the 'link' button in the toolbar and paste in the URL.

The URL is the web address at the top of the page. 

5. Highlighting and emphasising key text

You might be wary of 'overdoing it' when it comes to 'Blogging up your post' with all of the above but remember that you don't have to go overboard. Simply highlighting text that is important or making key text larger will also make the Blog more accessible and exciting to read. To do this, just use the options in the tool bar at the top of the text box. You could even just change the colour of the text if you like.

To highlight text

To change the size of the text

To change text colour

And that's all there is to it. The most important thing to remember is that the examiner will want to see that yes, you are clever and can demonstrate knowledge but they also want to see that you can use technology and that you understand how to make the most of Blogs.

Generic Prezi Guide

Magazine cover terminology

Photoshop Tutorial - A Reminder

Company credit template (Billing Block)

Use this template if you need help with your credits

MAIN PRODUCTION COMPANY NAME AND SECOND PRODUTION COMPANY NAME
PRESENT  “YOUR FILM TITLE” STARRING ACTOR 1, ACTOR 2 ACTOR 3, ACTOR 4 VISUAL EFFECTS BY COMPANY NAME MUSIC BY SOMEONE COSTUMER DESIGNER SOMEONE EDITED BY SOMEONE AND SOMEONE PRODUCTION DESIGNER SOMEONE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY SOMEONE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SOMEONE AND SOMEONE PRODUCED BY SOMEONE WRITTEN BY SOMEONE DIRECTED BY SOMEONE

Audience Research: Questionnaire Results

Step 1:

Analyse your audience research (questionnaires) to identify audience trends and viewing preferences

1a. Begin by sifting out the stupid responses - throw them away/discard them. Once you have at least 12 responses that are sensible, summarise the findings numerically, e.g., how many liked horror and how many didn't, etc.

1b. Look in particular for strong similarities or differences between your ideas and the responses, i.e., is your idea for a slasher horror film and did the majority of respondents say they liked slashers the best? Will you be changing your ideas as a result of the responses in order to meet the requirements of the market?

You don't need to write a huge amount as you are now going to produce graphs which 'visibly' show your results. This should be posted on your blog with the title 'How Audience Research Impacted Our Idea' (label E).

Step 2:

Use onlinecharttool or Excel to create easy-to-read
graphs and charts

2a. Open Excel or an internet graph generator and create graphs and charts which show your results clearly. Graphs are an excellent way of communicating information quickly as you can see results 'at a glance'.

You must produce a minimum of 6 graphs and you must use different types of graphs, e.g., pie, bar, etc. These graphs should be added to your post 'Audience Research: Questionnaires' (label E).

Look at the chart I have created below; what works well and what doesn't work quite so well?

Posts You Should Have So Far

These posts should now be completed. 

If you are missing any of the following, you are behind and
will need to work hard now to catch up.

1. Horror genre post according to DISTINCT.
   
2. 'The History of Horror' post: a complete summary of changes and trends in horror film production over the last 100+ years.
   
3. 'Narrative Theory in Relation to Halloween and The Crazies' post. Responses to the twelve questions (six for each film) should be blogged and accompanied by relevant images and clips.
   
4. 'The Representation of Women in Horror in Relation to The Cabin in the Woods' post. Responses to the six questions should be blogged and accompanied by relevant images and clips.
   
5. 'Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black' post. The six questions on marketing The Woman in Black - again, add images and clips when needed.
   
6. 'Film Distribution and Marketing' post. The seven questions for this relate to the booklet on my blog (from the FDA) and outside research.
   
7. 'Research and Planning: Individual Ideas'. Your own idea for a film with synopsis, character profiles, setting details and proposed audience.
   
8. 'Research and Planning: Initial Group Meeting' post. The four tasks on writing a synopsis, character profiles, setting and target audience.
   
9. 'How Research Impacted Our Ideas' post. A look at how key media theory (genre, representation, narrative, audiences and institutions helped shape your idea.
   
10. 'Audience Research: Questionnaires'. Paste/post your questions on the blog.
    
11. 'Trailer Analyses: Key Conventions'. Embedded trailers with a bullet point list of conventions (from the sheet).
    
12. 3 X Poster Analyses. All horror posters please.
    
13. 3 X Magazine Cover Analyses. At least 2 film magazine covers please.

Research and Planning: Angles, Framing and Continuity

Research and Planning: Trailer Conventions

Now watch three trailers for horror films that are similar in some way to your group's idea. Make notes on the key conventions in each of them.

Audience Research: Questionnaires

Blog Title: How Research has Impacted our Ideas

On a PowerPoint or Prezi, please write a paragraph/one slide on each of the following key media terms and say how the research you have conducted in class has had an effect on the ideas your group has finalised. You should use clips and images where relevant to emphasise and back-up points.

• Key Genre Conventions (and DISTINCT)
• Narrative (Halloween and The Crazies)
• Representation (Cabin in the Woods)
• Audiences and Institutions (The Woman in Black)
• Audiences and Institutions - your audience research (questionnaires). You do not need to repeat yourself here, just, very briefly, summarise your findings.

The films in brackets are there to remind you of what we looked at in class but you may refer to the other films watched for different terms, if they are relevant. You can also link to any other horror texts that you have seen if they have influenced your ideas in any way.

Research and Planning: Initial Group Meeting

Formal planning - to be blogged

1. In groups, write a 200-300 word synopsis for your group's chosen idea.
2. Character Profiles:
• Name, age gender
• What is the character's role in the narrative?
• What is the character's dramatic motivation?
3. Setting:
• When and where is the idea set? (diegesis)
4. Audience Information:
• Who is the primary and secondary audience for your proposed idea?
• List and discuss at least three similar films and say why they are similar.

FDA UK Distribution Guide and Questions on Film Distribution

Read this guide and pick out key information about the role of the distributor.

The responses to these questions/tasks on film distribution must be Blogged. You can write the questions on the blog or blog the responses in the form of a report, complete with images and video clips where necessary. Use reputable sources, particularly the above guide, in order to respond appropriately. The title of the Blog post should be ‘Film distribution and marketing’.

1. What is meant by the term film distribution?
2. What does a film distributor do? 
3. How does reach relate to film distribution? 
4. What is meant by the distribution plan?
5. What is meant by the marketing plan? 
6. What is the difference between advertising, publicity and promotion?
7. Find a teaser poster, teaser trailer, main poster and main trailer for a horror film and put them on your Blog – who was the distributor and in how many countries was it released? Can you find how many screens it was shown in on the opening weekend?

Pages 11, 15-19 and 21-26 will provide you with most of the information required for this task but you will also need to conduct wider research and you'll need to use the following websites:
IMDB
Box Office Mojo

Remember this is a Blog post so utilise technology and add as many images and video clips etc., as possible.

Audience profiling information

Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black (Watkins, 2012)

Using the marketing Prezi and knowledge of the film, answer the following questions;

1. Who do you think the primary and secondary target audience is for The Woman in Black? Why?
2. How was The Woman in Black marketed? (Think about genre(s), subgenre(s), media platforms, target audience, promotions, size of campaign, etc.).
3. Do you think the marketing materials for the film were appropriate? Why?
4. What kind of release did the film have? (Big/small? How many cinemas showed the film on its release?)
5. How much did The Woman in Black cost to make? (Production budget) AND what was the industry impact of The Woman in Black? (Think box office and trends).
6. Why do you think the film was so successful? (You must come up with at least two reasons).

  

You may research the film further in order to answer the questions if you wish.

Please remember to include images, clips, etc., to emphasise and back up points that you make.

BLOG IT UP!