Representation codes & conventions homework - 

Gender = Stranger Things
Age = Malcolm in the Middle
Race = How to get Away With Murder
Class = The Middle
Physical Ability =  Fight World 
Love and Romance = Riverdale
Regional Identity = On My block

Gender:

Gender plays a massive role in movies currently and also in the past. In the past the use of gender is easier to spot mainly due to the contrast between male and female roles and how they treat each other. However films that are currently being produced have changed their outlook on the stereotypical gender property's of older films, for example making a female a main character in an action movie. This is due to the media wanting to portray a new sense/ idea of females being able to do what men do. This can also be related to females working in the film industry, but that is for a different topic. 

An example of the media wanting females to do/play the same roles as men is dated all the way back to the second world war, with the "we can do it" poster. 

"We can do it" poster May 29 1943

This depicts a women almost doing the same as a man and this can be seen in movies/TVs shows we watch today.

A strong example of gender being portrayed in a modern TV Show would be in Stranger Things. Stranger Things is set in the small town of Hawkins Indiana, America and is based in the 80s. When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back. The story of Stranger Things (ST) portrays a lot of gender due to the two main character's Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Eleven is a female character and Mike is a male character. Eleven has seemed to acquire specific powers. This shows gender because normally within a superhero TV Show, the male is given the powers and the female is left to watch. However in ST this is switched and makes the female have powers and the male is left to watch. This works well and also have a theme of the female protecting the male which is definitely a change. The camera work in stranger things shows the idea of gender by being level to the male characters.  For example. Eleven (girl) would not be positioned lower than Mike (male) on screen. This is because the directors want to show the idea of girls being the heroes rather than males and that they are all equal. Editing in Stranger Things often involves Eleven moving things with her mind. This can be shown by editors moving objects around in the screen to give the idea of Eleven having powers rather than the male having powers. This is show frequently in the show and it really works well. Audio in Stranger things is very different compared to other TV Shows. Eleven doesn't speak as much as Mike does and this gives the effect of Mike being the authority, however when Eleven uses her powers we see that she does not need to have audio of her speaking to show that she is the more dominate character because we see it on screen. The mis en Scene in Stranger things is based in the 80's and this is shown in what the characters wear, say, do or in the way they act. For example Mike is still at the age where he doesn't talk to girls much so when he is introduced to Eleven he doesn't know what to do or say. The directors played on this idea well and definitely pointed out the fact that the gender difference and age difference in this time would be awkward for the characters but actually works well in building up mis en scene. 

Age:

Age is shown in main different ways across all media platforms. However the used of younger actors and actresses has been a newer and more modern idea in the past 30 years. The majority of films made in the past showcased actors that were in the 30s/40s. The film industry didn't seem to used child actors mainly because they thought that they couldn't do a very good job. We know that this is not true and we can see very good child actors in many different shows.  

A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family. Malcolm in the Middle is a classic use of child actors, seeing as the more that half of the cast are kids. This gives no disadvantage to the TV show, in fact it makes it more enjoyable. The camera work in Malcolm shows the difference in age very well. The shots of the older middle brother (Justin Berfield) and the younger middle brother (Frankie Muniz) interacting would be with the camera facing up at the older middle brother and then the camera facing downwards on the younger middle brother shows not only the age difference but also the authority difference. This can also be shown with the audio of the show. Lots of yelling. It seems like Malcolm takes the yelling on the chin (most of the time) but whenever he replies back he always regrets it. The yelling is part of the show that shows also a very stereotypical american family, unfortunately. The editing in this TV show is used often to show the difference in "role level." Reese often would be shown having quick cuts and malcolm having longer screen time (seeing as he is the main character) The mis en scene in this show is put together well. The show is based between 2000-2006 and this can be see through the environment of the characters. Everything you see in the show is trying to convey that this is being shot in between those dates mention previously.  

Race:

Race has been introduced more and more over the years of media and film. Back in the times when people of color were looked down on the media did not put out any films or TV shows with them in it. However times have changed for the better and more and more Films and TV shows have been made with people of color, for example "Black Panther"  and "How To Get Away With Murder" 

With "How to Get Away With Murder" we see that the main character and other characters are of color. This proves the fact that more and more Films and TV Shows are putting out more content with a larger racial background. The camera work in this TV show definitely gives the audience the feel that the main character is of a different race. This is shown through many close ups and MCUs which points out that the main character is a different race. The audio in this TV show makes the main character seem more "in charge" by the way that it she says her lines. The editing in this show has given the main character more screen time and therefore shown the idea of a different race coming through more and more. Mis en scene in this TV show doesn't really make a difference in race because people of all races can be situated anywhere in the world.

Class:

Class within a TV show is a big thing to address, there are multiple ways of showing class in a TV Show. Whether is with what the character wears, says or does or how they behave. Class also does not have to be associated with an expensive and high profile person of interest, in fact class can also be shown in the lesser and poorer areas of life. This can be used well with contrast in a TV Show. One scene can be with the upper class showing their posh life style and the other can be a scene showing the lower class and what they have to go through each day in order to survive. A good example of how a TV Show can show the lower class is through the show "The Middle"

The daily problems of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the town of Orson, Indiana. The middle gives a window into what the standard family life is like in an American home. It shows what the parents have to do in order for their kids to succeed and the sacrifices that they have to make. The show does this well and also ties in a comedy style within it. The title of this show "The Middle" gives the sense of the show being within the middle class and not showing an upper class life or a poorer life. Lots of stereotypes are within this TV show, especially with the kids. You have the oldest boy, being a classic lazy/scruffy teenage boy, the middle child being the weirdest and outgoing, and the youngest which ironically seems to be the most mature out of the siblings. The camera work in The Middle shows what it would be like in a middle class life style. The shots show lots about what the characters are like and what the do. In this show there are a lot of over the should shots, wide shots, close ups and ews. The audio in this show is very normal and nothing is very different to any other TV show however it there is the artificial laughing in the background (seeing as this is a sitcom) The editing in this show in very normal to most TV shows however there are some different types of transitions to show where the setting is at that time. The mis en scene of this TV show likes to emphasize life in a middle class environment. For example within the house there is a lot of mess in the rooms to show that they do not have enough time (or they can't be bothered) to tidy it up. This emphasizes the life of a middle class family. 

Physical Ability:

Physical Ability is shown lots within many different TV shows. Physical Ability (PA) is shown in many different ways as well some of them include: Physical Appearance (Looks, muscles good looking) Physical Skills (Fighting, Gymnastics, Sports) Disabilities (wheelchairs) Body type (height, weight). This elements can make or break a good TV Show. If the TV Show is about a superhero then Physical Ability is a big thing that the actor has to fulfill. However is the TV show is a documentary about what disabled people go through everyday then the problem of finding an actor that is disabled is not very hard because it is a documentary that focuses on multiple people. However if the TV Show includes a fight scene then lots has to go into it to make sure it is a successful scene. This may include: Physically able actors, Stunt doubles, green screen, make-up artists, assistants, and many more. A good example of a TV Show needing Physically able people is Fight World.

Fight World is a TV show that uses actor and martial artist Frank Grillo that explores and experiences the diverse fighting techniques found in cultures around the world. He goes to many different locations and shows what life is like for fighters that are and aren't on the main stage. He also incorporates teaching into the episodes to show the audience how hard the fight world really is. This TV show shows lots of Physical Ability within its episodes and definitely needs to have people that have lots of fighting experience to be in the episodes, hence why Frank Grillo (martial artist) hosts the show. The camera shots in this TV show aims to point out the struggles of a fighter. This can be shown in many close ups and wide shots of the fighter fighting. The audio of the show is very much the host talking over the visual as well as the fighters noise and interviews placed in the show. The editing of this show has lots of audio placed underneath video. For example there will be two people fighting and audio of the host talking underneath. The mis en scene of this TV show has lots of run down and poor areas within it. This is due to fighters often living in these conditions and therefore the TV show puts it in to create more drama and back story.  

Love and Romance: 

Love and Romance is a key factor within all TV Dramas mainly because it can be related to and also realistic. Films and shows try to imitate life. Life has to have a lot of love and romance or there wouldn’t be a second generation. Another reason why Love and Romance is in TV Shows is because it can be dramatized and blown up without looking to "fake". Love within a action movie can also be very effective because love makes the hero more fragile and gives them something to fight for. A dying person has few reasons to keep on fighting, unless there is someone or something meaningful to them that needs to be saved. Also the viewers try to identify themselves with the characters. Lonely people have more free time than those who are in a relationship. Because they need that human bond, a smart movie/show will catch their interest and take more from their extra free time. A good example of Love and Romance within a TV Show is "Riverdale"

After a teenager was murdered within the town of Riverdale, a group of teenagers, the jock Archie, the girl next door Betty, the new girl Veronica and the outcast Jughead try to unravel the evils lurking within this seemingly innocent town. Riverdale have lots of Love and Romance within it and when the gang of teenagers try to figure out this murder case they become very close with one another. This brings in Love and Romance. The Producers of Riverdale have done a very good job with relating the show with its audience (which is mostly teenagers) as well as incorporating a drama crime/mystery thriller genre throughout the show. The producers relate the show well with its audience by bringing in normal teenage conventions, like love and romance, but slowly changes from "normal" life into a much darker more sinister one. This forces the characters within the TV Show to become closer and therefore turns into relationships throughout. This is an amazing technique that the crew has done with Riverdale and has definitely made it into an around relate able and enjoyable TV Show. The camera work in Riverdale to create love and romance is shown very clearly. A good example would be with archie and Veronica, there are all always shot being very close together and the camera close up to them. Another way that the camera can show love and romance is with close ups of the actors eyes. Lots of emotion can be shown within the characters eyes, especially when trying to show love and romance. Audio in relation to Love and romance can be shown by the actors speaking very softly to one another mainly to show that they do not want others to hear them. The editing in this TV show uses lots of quick cuts but also a lot of longer ones too. This emphasizes that the young couples may have short amounts of time together but also might have some longer times together. The mis en scene is usually the couples close together or on a date or even just spending time together. This included being at each others houses, school or diners.  

Regional Identity:

Regional Identity has become more and more shown to the world through media, with shows like Shameless, Home and Away and Emmerdale. Regional identity shows where characters have come from and this can determine how the behave and react to things. Regional Identity can show the differences between characters and this can be relate able to the audience watching the TV Show. A good example of Regional identity is "On My Block" 

"On My Block" is a coming-of-age story about four bright, street-savvy friends navigating their way through high school in the gritty inner city of South Central Los Angeles. Dealing with the danger of getting their friend out of a gang and friends turning into romance, danger is constant. This TV show shows the relationship between a group of friends of different regional identities. They all come together to try and get their friend out of a gang even through they are all from different backgrounds. The camera work in this TV show puts together regional identity very well with lots of different camera shots. For example many shots will be pf the four main character all together and here we can see that they are all from different backgrounds and cultures. The audio in this TV show is very normal and not much is different however for different places different audio will be played. For example a school there is a bell and at the gang house there is lots of rap music. The editing in this TV show is very normal but does have a lot of cuts that show a lot of information and also cuts in between the four main characters and shows what they are doing. The mis en scene in the TV show is of a place called "free ridge" and it is a place filled with gangs and violence. This builds in a sense of drama and suspense within the show and helps push the story line along.