Representation

Representation can be defined as the characterization of certain groups in certain ways. When certain groups of people are represented in problematic ways, society's beliefs can be swayed to look at people in different ways. 

Axe "spray more get more" ad: https://criticalmediaproject.org/axe-body-spray-commercial/
In Axe's "spray more get more" campaign, the act of representation, or rather, misrepresentation is very apparent. For example, in this commercial, women are portrayed as savage beings, running through fields, swimming through oceans, and climbing mountains in order to reach a man who was spraying Axe body spray. This is a problematic representation of women as it portrays them as non-human, almost savage creatures that only care about the synthetic spell coming out of a can. 

Tide "style is an option" ad: https://criticalmediaproject.org/tide-ad/ 
This ad depicts a mother who is visibly distressed about her daughter's style choices. She suggests rather underhandedly that her daughter should not be wearing green clothing, and that instead, she should be wearing more normal girl clothes. There are other, less apparent cues that suggest the conformation to gender-specific colors as well, for example, the woman is wearing pink and white, and on top of wearing "boy" clothes, she is playing with blocks. This subliminally suggests that blocks are a "boy's toy" and shouldn't be played with by girls.  

Horror; My favorite Genre

Genre: 
When tasked with micro analyzing a genre of my choosing, of course, my first and most obvious choice is and always would have been horror. Since a very young age, I have been watching horror movies of all types, specifically classic horror films. Generally, horror is a fictional genre of which it's purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror. In other words, it creates a "horrifying" tone. Being a very niche genre, horror movies tend to be very popular around the month of October hence Halloween which makes them extra interesting as it's the only apparent "seasonal" genre. 

Content: 
The most apparent technique used in many horror movies in order to create the "scary" tone is the use of suspense. Suspense is created in many ways, such as through the use of foreshadowing. Due to the fact that many horror films share similar makeup, it's usually easy to assume when going to happen. The scary part is not always knowing exactly what is going to happen. The use of terror tends to be a backbone of sorts in horror movies. People that tend to watch horror movies can usually assume that something scary is going to happen. Through the use of suspense and a terrifying backbone, a movie can create a truly horrifying experience for the viewer. A specific scene that embodies this idea in my opinion is the hide and clap scene from the conjuring. In this scene, a mother is playing hide and clap with her daughters in their "new" house. Through the use of scary music and lighting cues, the viewer can assume that something scary is going to happen. As the camera follows the mother (who is blindfolded) from empty room to seemingly empty room, it is easy to notice that things seem to be going on in the background. Suddenly, the old cabinet behind the woman opens revealing two hands that clap which totally throw the woman off. She then goes to the cabinet only to find nothing there. While not entirely scary, this scene foreshadows events that will take place later in the film, suggesting that there is a spirit living in the house that wishes to possess the mom in order to kill the children. 

Production Techniques:
The most noticeable technique used in most horror movies is the dynamic set up in which there is a victim(s) and a villain(s). This villain doesn't always have to be a tangible entity, sometimes it can be in the form of a thought. More commonly though, its in the form of a supernatural being. A ghose or spirit of sorts. In addition, the villain tends to be introduced to the story in a very slow and mysterious way. This technique often leads to suspense and tension. It can be noted that many horror movies start off with a very upbeat mood, often a family moving into a nice house or friends going on a road trip. Again, this creates suspense as everyone watching knows that shit is about to hit the fan. Another common characteristic of a horror film is the music/ sound. It is often observed that horror movies use very unusual, and unsettling sounds. The same can be said for the music choice. The music is often very intense or very slow in order to dictate the pace of a scene. Commonly, a horror movie will rely on very few but specific emotional climaxes throughout the movie. I.E. some horror movies will rely on a simple jumpscare while others will rely on dramatic irony. Those typical "don't go in that room" type of scare. You see them coming but they still freak you out. 

Marketing: 
Horror films are generally consumed by people from the age of 15 through 30. They are often enjoyed by slightly more men than women. This can be equated to the common themes of violence, gore, blood and whatnot. Typically male oriented subjects. 

The most common way that a movie is marketed is by using posters. Some general themes on horror movie posters can be seen as disfigured and creepy faces, bloody body parts, old houses, and characters with scared looks on their faces. Another common way of marketing a horror movie is through a trailer. These trailers can be especially effective for use with a horror movie if done effectively. For example, many horror trailers put emphasis on one main part of the movie, specifically an emotional climax. E.G. in the trailer for the pultergeist. In this trailer, much of the screentime is dedicated to when the little boy is led into the closet where he finds the creepy clown doll. All the while, in the background, we hear the "evil spirits" saying menacing things.

Film Examples:
One of my favorite horror movies of all time is The Amityville Horror. This story follows a very similar, almost chiche plot of a typical horror film. At the very beginning, murder taking place in a house is shown.  Shortly there after, a family moves into the same house and starts noticing scary things. These events slowly build up over the course of 28 days until finally the family is driven out. This example stands out though as it is "based on a true story." When this story originally came out, it sparked a lot of controversy. Infact, the murders displayed in the movie did actually take place in Amityville, Long Island. Infact, I've been to the actual house in which they were committed. Anyway, part of what made the story so scary at the time is that the family who told the story of what happened over the 28 days, the Lutz family was a real family. This added a whole other layer of creepy to the movie in that there were people alive at the time that the movie was made who could actually recount the story. 

This film exemplifies the horror genre in many ways. Specifically in that the film uses every typical cue of a horror film and wraps it into one. The story is based around a murder which took place in a very creepy looking house. The theme of murder is later tied to possession as it is said that the house was built on an ancient indian burial ground. Throughout the film there are many jumpscares and psychological scares to match the storyline, if it already wasn't enough. 

Another example of a horror movie that stands out to me is The Conjuring.

This film shares a similar story with The Amityville horror. A family moves into an old house, the family gets tourmented and eventually driven away by an angry spirit. This story is especially scary based on the way that the plot is executed. There are many jump scares, many of which are totally unexpected. Thats not the most intriguing part of the film though. In many horror films, an evil entity tourments one or more people through the means of moving objects around and sometimes introducing other weird occurrences. In The Conjuring though, the entity uses one of the family members to attempt to carry out violent acts. Specifically, the spirit, an old witch, possesses the mother in the family and uses her to attempt to drown her kids. This alone isn't a exceptionally scary storyline, however, the way that it is introduced and developed is absolutely exquisite. When watching this film, the smallest details, even the hands of the clocks in the house have a creepy vibe to them. In addition, the use of tracking shots, medium shots, closeup shots, and longshots in the movie strategically creates a secluded, almost bubble like aura around the property surrounding the house which makes it seem that the familt is alone in their terror. 

More Movies to Watch:

The Shining: 

Hereditary:

Cabin In The Woods:

IT (The original):

The Exorcist:

Insidious:

Hi! I am Max and this is my AICE Media Studies Portfolio/ blog? I am super excited to share my progress throughout the progression of this class! Stay tuned for all the forthcoming content!