Ten Key Words. . .

1. Active audience theory- This audience theory sees the audience as active participants in the process of deconding and making sense of media texts. This can be relevent to my study because while im talkin about audience i can say how they active audience would consume the text in different ways e.gg. feminist could say that females are becoming more powerful.
2. Binary oppositions- this is a term used by Claude Levi-Strauss as part of his argument that narratives are structured around oppositional elements in human culture. I can use this in my study while i am talking about the narratives that the film follow. For example there are many binary oppositions such as goog vs evil.
   
3. Male Gaze- A term used by laura Mulvey in her essay 'visual pleasure and narrative cinema' to descibe what she saw as the main point of view adopted by the camera for the benefit of an assumed male audience. This will be relevent to my text because i will also be talkin about the objectification of the female characters therefore i can use this term.
   
4. Enigma codes- This is a narrative structure that involves the creation of riddles or problems to be solved by the resolution. I will also be using this while talkin about narrative because the film contains many narrative enigmas for example at the beggning she wakes up in a bath tub naked, this creates questions in the audiences mind as to why shes there, therefore making them want to watch more of the film in order to find out.
5. Feminism- This is a political movement to advance the status of women by challenging values, social constructions and socioeconomic practices which disadvantage women and favour men. I will be refering to feminism qiote a lot in my study and including a number of different feminist and their theories to support my argument that aswell as being represented as powerful women are still objectified in resident evil.
6. Vladimir Propp- Russian formalist writer and folklorist who analysed the structure of folk storiess in his work "The morphology of the folktale". This is relevent to my study because it is a narrative theory which is linked to my text for example Milla Jovovich as the herione and Iain Glen as the villian etc.
   
7. Protagonist- The leading character or hero in the film with whom the audience can identify and from whose point of view the action is positioned often set in binary opposition against the atagonist. This will be a term which i will be using throughout my essay when i refer to the main character who in my text is Alice(Milla Jovovich)
8. Representation- The process whereby the edia construct versions of people, places and events in images words or sounds for transmission through media texts to an audience. This is relevnt to my study because it is linked to my essay question, as i am focusing on the representation of women and whether it has changed, therefore i would be refering to this term quite alot.
   
9. Stereotypes- The social classification of a group of people by identifying common characteristics and universily applying them in an often over simplified and genralised way. This is linked to my study because i will be talkin about the stereotypes that the females in my text are associated with for example sexual objects etc.
   
10. Connotations- A meaning attributed to an image beyond the obvious denotation level. This is relevent to my study because i will be looking at the connotation of my text while analysing different scenes, and talkin about the symbols etc
    

SELF EVALUATION. . .

1. Attainment- 2
   I believe that my attainment is good at the moment, as i have attended all my lessons on time and have completed all my work.
2. Effort- 2
   So far i believe that i have put in alot of effort into my work and have ensured that all the homework's and class works which i have produced are to the best of my ability.
   
3. Punctuality- 1
   I have attended all my media lessons on time.
   
4. Submission and quality of homework- 2
   I have submitted all my homework's on time, and have attempted to insure that it is oh the highest quality
   
5. Ability to work independently- 3
   So far i have worked independently on my blog, and have completed all the tasks set on my own, however some time i do need help from the teacher to guide me or from my peers.
   
6. Quality of writing- 3
   The quality of my written work i believe is average at the moment, for example the migrain analysis i have done on my blog, however i can improve it more.
   
7. Organisation of Media folder- 1
   My media folder is well organised. I have dividers for different topics and separate folders for med 5 and med 6.
   
8. Oral contributions in class- 3
   So far i have contributed in class at times e.g. during presentations etc however i can maybe attempt to include my self more during class conversations.
   
9. Standard of Module 5 blog- 3
   I believe my med5 blog is of well standard. it is well organised, e.g. starts of with my proposal then migrain analysis of my text etc and it is up to date with all the work set.
   
10. Standard of Module 6 blog- 3
    So far i do not have much on my med 6 blog however i have completed all the tasks that were set and made sure that my blog is organised.
    
    WWW:
    -Complete all me work on time
    -Attend all lessons and arrive on time
    -Keeping med 5 blog up to date
    
    EBI:
    -Do more research for independent study
    -Contribute more in class
    -Do more work on med 6 blog
    

Action Plan. . .

1. I will need to watch the film at least twice in order to gain a better understanding of it, to help me answer my question, for example by watching it a second time i could maybe get new idea's for my study, which i might not have thought about while watching it the first time. Therefore it is crucial for me to watch the film again. I will be aiming to do this by: 25Th of October.
2. I will me aiming to broaden my understanding of a whole range of media issues related to my study. This would be helping me to achieve my assessment objective 3i as i will be showing application of ideas, debates and information relevant to my text. I will be attempting to reach this target by visiting the media guardian on a weekly basis and researching issues and debates which are linked to my study. I will be aiming to complete this by: 28Th of October.
3. My third target will be to research a few historical texts which i can compare my text with. For example In my study so far i have said how the roles of females have changed however i have not given examples of how they use to be before. Therefore I would need to do research on films that use to represent women as weak, emotional give them roles such as housewives. I will complete this task by: 31st of October.
4. My third target will be to do more research into my audience. I will need to research both the primary and secondary audience of my text and also research some audience theories, for example uses and gratification etc. This can also be linked to the self assessment of my blog, where it says i lacked information on audience. I will be aiming to complete this task by: 31st October.
   
5. My fifth aim will be to do more research on roles of women in film and also more research on different feminist theories. For example i have looked at Laura Maulvey, however i could also research Ann Oakley and her study of how women are represented etc. I have done some research on the roles of women and how they are represented in films, however in order to enhance my knowledge and gain a better understanding of representation i could do more book research etc I will complete this task by: 3rd of November.
   
6. I will need to cover Shep, which is a target i have set myself on my self assessment, therefore i would need to make references to historical texts, and the social, political and economic factors surrounding my text. I could do this by visiting the media guardian and also taking out books on women within film industry. I will be aiming to complete this by: November 3rd.
   
7. Research more no the institution of my text. This was a weakness which i talked about in my self assessment; while covering migrain i found that i hadn't wrote much about institution. Therefore my target will be to research the institution and also the film maker and the previous films that he has produced in order to give me a brief idea of whether he usually makes films with women being represented as powerful etc or whether he objectifies women in his other films. I could possible take out books from the library to help me. I will be completing this by: 31st October.
8. I also need to enhance my synoptic skills by doing more outside research, e.g. i could include some sociologists who talk about representation of women e.g. Ann Oakley etc and i could also do more migrain analysis of different scenes in my text using key concepts which we studied in module 2. I will be aiming to complete this by :26Th October.
9. Get more information on the other side of my argument, which will be that women are still objectified in a sense. I can do this by researching films that present women as superior but also as sexual objects e.g. catowomen, this is done through the way she is dressed. I can therefore research more on the representation of women in action films and in general. I will complete this task by: 28Th October.
10. Research into the values and ideologies of my text. I could write more on my blog about the ideologies and values behind my text and the reason produced and how it appeals and also about the stereotypes associated with my text. I will complete this task by: 26th Oct.
    

My Presentation. . .

WWW:
-Used bullet points on sildes
-Ivolved audience by asking questions
-Talked about both sides of argument
-Highlighted key points

EBI:
-Be abit more confident
-Slow down
-More detail on analysis of how women are represented in the trailer

Targets:
-Research historical development
-Watch the film atleast two more times to gain a better understanding of it

=)

Self-Assessment of blog work. . .

AO1-

I believe that i have analysed my text well using the key concepts. While watching my text i was taking notes covering MIGRAIN which helped me while i was writing my analysis for my summer research project. I found the media representation easier then most of the other concepts, as i wrote about the the representation of females within the film and how they have changed and also linked it to the stereotypes that are associated with females. I also covered media language and forms quite easily, as i talked about all the connotations and denotations and the different angles used in the film etc. However i still need to do more research on the institution for the film. I couldn't find allot of information on the institution on the Internet which is why i didn't write alot, therefore in order to achieve this i could go to the library and take out books on the institution and get information on their history and the types of films that they have produced previously, i can also do more research on the producer of the film to help me cover this concept. Overall i done a detailed migrain analysis of the film however one of my targets could be to research the institution for resident evil by doing book research and also searching the Internet.

AO2- So far i dont have any reference to zeitgeist on my blog however i will soon be doing research on him to put up on my blog. I havent coverd shep yet but i will be applying it to my text to cover assessment objective 2 e.g. could make a few references to historical texts talkin about how females use to be gives roles such as houswifes etc. therefore one of my targets is to do more research so that i am able to cover shep. I could do this by visiting the media guardian and also taking out books on women within film industry.

AO5-

So far i have searched many websites which have articles on the representation of women within the film industry and how they have changed e.g. previously women were viewed ad sex objects in films and were mostly given roles such as housewife etc whereas now they are equal to men and many film tend to have female action stars which suggest that women are progressing. I have also went on many websites and got reviews on Resident evil: Extinctions e.g. from the media guardian, channel 4 etc which have different views about the film, and also most of the reviews talk about the representation of the female character in the film. My question will be based around the representation of women within the film industry focusing mainly on Resident evil. I am unsure about the way i will word it yet but i have formulated two question which i have to chose between. My hypothesis is detailed as it includes information on how i will be writing my essay and the arguments which i will be talking about. It also includes information on the theories and theorists which i will be making references to in my study and the related texts e.g. Tomb Raider, Kill Bill etc. I have researched some debates which are surrounding my study for example there can be two sides of the argument for my topic, one is that the role of women within the film industry has changed and they they are now presented as more powerful and superior, on the other hand it can also be argued that females are still objectified e.g. through the way that they are dressed. However i still need to do more research on the issues and debates which are linked to my study. I have done a Migrain analysis of the whole film and attempted to talk about the key concepts in as much detail as possible, however i still lack information on the institution of my text. Similarly i need to analyse different scenes/sequences from the film as it would be useful in the future while writing up my essay. I have also done a detailed migrain analysis of the trailer of the film, and covered all the key concepts and linked it to my questions. I also researched different theories and theorists which are relevant to my study, for example Propp, Levi Strauss, Laura Maulvey, Ann Oakley etc Some of these are feminist theories e.g. Maulvey, this would be useful because they talk about factors such as the 'male gaze' which is linked to my topic. I have viewed my text only once so far but have watched clips of different scenes and analysed then in detail. I am aiming to watch the film three times so that i know it well. I have also done some research on other texts which can be related to mine e.g. Kill Bill, Tomb Raider, Cat women etc these are similar to my text as they all include female action stars and are all from the same genre. So far i have kept all the links to the websites that i have gathered information from e.g. i have kept the website addresses to where i go the reviews from as i will be quoting some of the info therefore i would need to say which source i got it from.
WWW:
-Researched different theories and theorists e.g. Maulvey
- Detailed textual analysis of film
-Researched other texts related to my study and analysed then
EBI:
-More research on institution- i will achieve this by going to the library and taking out books on the producer and the institutions.
-Watch the film more then once
-Formulate my question better

Synoptic Ability-

While analysing my text, my med 2 study from last year was useful as i knew how to use the key concepts and draw up a detailed analysis of the film. Also some of the narrative theories which i will be using such as Propp and Levi Strauss are theorists which we studied last year for med 2. I can therefore use my knowledge from med 2 and apply it to my study.
My study can be linked to my med 4 module as my topic is on the representation of women in the media, which is what we are studying at the moment therefore this could be useful as i can gather information from what we are studying and apply it to my study. At the moment we are studying different types of institutions in med 6. This is useful for my independent study because at the moment i am struggling with the institution for my text therefore i can apply my knowledge from med 6 to my study to help me. So far i haven't researched any stories on the media guardian that are relevant to my study therefore one of my targets will be to visit the media guardian regularly and research articles and stories which is linked to my study.

WWW:
- Applied knowledge from med 2 to my independent study, for example Migrain analysis, key concepts, narrative theories etc.
-
EBI:
-Research dominant values and ideologies that might influence the production of my text.
-Get more stories on my topic- could do this by visiting the media guardian more often and researching stories on the representation of women.

Critical Autonomy-

i have been quite self motivated for example i update my So far i have been working independently on my study, i have been researching my topic, and have also looked at other peoples blogs who are studying similar topics to help me. I have also looked at previous med 5 blogs to help gain some ideas. However i have also been coming up with some of my own ideas and arguments which i will be putting forward in my study. i update my blog regularly and while surfing the net, if i find something relevant to my study then i would post it on my blog as i might find it useful in the future.
WWW:
-Self motivated

EBI:

Quality of written communication-

My work on the blog so far is well structured and organised. For example i first started of with my hypothesis, i then done a short migrain analysis of my clip, i included a synopsis of the film so that people are aware of what the films about and i also included a trailer. Then some research about women in the film industry etc. I have attempted to use media terminology wherever suitable e.g. while analysing clips from the film. After writing my analysis i always spell check in order to see if there are any mistakes and i also check if there are any punctuation mistakes, this way i ensure that my work is presented well. However i need to start highlighting key points from research that i copy and paste on my blog because it would make it easier for me.
WWW:
- Work is presented clearly and is well organised
- Media terminology used
-Blog is well structured
EBI:
-Highlight key points from research

Other useful blogs:

http://www.representationofwomensuperheroes.blogspot.com/

http://www.rishikillbill.blogspot.com/

http://cbjuicyfruity.blogspot.com/

Research- From other peoples blogs...

In the early nineteenth century, we typically associated the male to be the protagonist/ dominant figure in film, thus society was exceptionally patriarchal. Women usually tend to be represented as emotional, sexual, beautiful and passive. Theorist Laura Mulvey argues that cinema audiences look at films in two ways: voyeuristically and fetishistically. This led to objectification and narcissistic towards women. However, now in the twentieth century women are seen more active then passive, more stronger then delicate allowing them to be just as equal as men. With the help of feminists, and World War Two taking an important role, women are becoming less subordinate and more prevailing and controlling in both the media and society. David Gunlett agrues that since the rise of ‘girl power’ in the media, through identities constructed by music artists such as Destinys Child, as well as contemporary actresses such as Uma Thurman, demanding more active than passive roles: women have become more powerful and dominant. The movie ‘Alien’ (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, had the first female role in a action genre, this has opened many opportunities for women as it has helped produce films such as ‘Kill Bill: Volume Two’ (2004) by Quentin Tarantino.

http://killbill-volumetwo.blogspot.com/

-This would be useful for answering my question becuase its based on a similar film to mine and is also concentrating on the changing roles of women in the film industry. I agree with the statemtent because females have now become equal with men and are now seen as more powerful and superior.

Research...

• Typically ‘under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’[4]. Women were depicted as passive objects and were seen to be ‘inferior’ towards the males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on the males, as they are biologically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them.

• Throughout Provoked and many Asian films, the male are depicted as active, both physically and mentally. Whereas the women as passive and inferior to the men ‘… masculinity confer a privileged position of power and authority… to which woman is the Other’. This is seen in ‘Provoked’ where there is a high angle shot of Andrews beating Rai and she is sitting on the floor crying. This connotes Andrews is superior and has power over Rai. The high angle also connotes him being given the God like authoritative. An image in the Eastern culture, which exists, is the husband should be seen as a god like figure. The low angle shot on Rai crying shows that she is subordinate to her husband and retains no power over him.

• 'Second Wave' was coined by Marsha Lear, and refers to the increase in feminist activity’[11]. This was the period, in the late 1960’s where females wanted to increase their status and make their identity of their own. It can be seen that Asians are trying to achieve this now. ‘Second Wave Feminism did not just strive to extend the range of social opportunities open to women, but also, through intervention within the spheres of reproduction, sexuality and cultural representation, to change their domestic and private lives’. The purpose of this act was to give females a better right and say, in which they can be seen to be equal between the two sexes.
  
  
• During the Second World War ‘Women were also conscripted to civilian war work in factories’. This was the stage when females had to take over masculine jobs, as the men’s had gone to war. It can be said that females are seen to be superior and had gained their new identity by proving that they can do men’s job and not just sit at home and be typical housewives.

http://www.provoked-provoked.blogspot.com/

Kill Bill...

This is the trailer to Kill Bill, which is similar to the text which i am studying. Both the films include female protagonists who are challenging the stereotypes that females are associated with.

In the trailer the first shot of Uma Thurman is a low angle therefore the camera is looking up at her which could portray her as superior and powerful. This is common throughout the trailer as most of the shots of the female actions stars are low angle, as they are looking down at the camera, this makes the audience feel inferior to them. In the trailer Uma Thurman is holding a sword most of the time, this could be a symbol of her power and strength. At one part there is a group of men "Crazy 88" surrounding her and shes on her own, the men are all dressed in black which clearly have connotations of evil in contrast to Thurmans costume which is all yellow, which could have possible connotations of power. Also as she draws her sword back all the men move one step back, this implies that they are afraid of her, this could be challenging the stereotypes that men are more powerful and physically stronger then women, as she is the only female fighting the "crazy 88".

Assessment objectives. . .

AO1- Key concepts:
One target that i can set my self is to do more migrain analysis on different types of texts to improve my ao1, for example i can analyse different clips from the film that i am studying for my independent study.

AO3ii-Compare & account for similarities and differences:
To improve on my comparison skills i could set my self a target of comparing two texts during my spare time and analysing the differences and similarities taking into account the other assessment objectives.

AO5- Research techniques:
As well as using the Internet as a research source i will visit the library as well to find some books that can help me with my independent study

AO3i-Knowledge and application of wider context:
One of my target to help me improve this assessment objective is to visit the media guardian on regular basis and check out articles that could be linked to my topic.

AO3i-Issues debates & theories:
For this target i will research different theorists that are linked to my study e.g. feminists and also research issues in the media that are linked to my topic.

Reviews && Quotes About My Text...

Media Guardian/Film...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/oct/12/horror.actionandadventure

"The plot just takes game elements - taciturn kick-ass heroine, evil multinational, some kind of virus, Las Vegas, clones, zombiefied humans - and throws them around willy-nilly."
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IMDB...
http:///">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432021/

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Channel 4...

http:///">http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=163114

"With gasoline, food, ammunition and (worst of all) cigarettes running low, there seems to be little hope for them left - until they are joined by the reclusive Alice, with her rapidly accelerating powers and rumours of a safe community in Alaska."

• I chose this review because it gives a positive view about the film and explains the types of shots used etc and also talks about the herione of the film. ------

http:///">href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/07/resievil.htm

"Director Mulcahey uses the extensive flesh-and-gore make-up brilliantly, although the bigger special effects are more uneven. He also shamelessly indulges in rather a lot of female flesh, which will keep the fanboys coming back for more. Which is kind of the point, isn't it"

• I used this because i can extract quotes about the representation of females which is linked the topic that i am studying.

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http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/09/27/resident-evil-extinction/
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http:///">http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/resident-evil-extinction-film-review-20651.htm

"shots of sexy ladies kicking zombie arse and if that's all you want from a threequel then you won't be disappointed."

• This review will be useful for my study as it talks about the representation of women e.g. sexy which could be linked to the reinfrocement of stereotypes.

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http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/resident_evil_extinction/#contentReviews

Migrain Analysis: Resident Evil:Extinctions Trailer...

Media Language:
The trailer begins with a close up shot of an eye, this creates an enigma, as it forms a question of whose eye could it be in the audiences minds, which would therefore engage them. It then zooms out to reveal the the main protagonist of the film 'Alice', she is shown in a bath tub with no clothes on and a white cloth over her, the white could therefore give connotations of purity and innocence. At the beginning of the trailer its very fast paced, as it shows a montage of images from the first part of resident evil, which clearly suggests that 'extinctions' is a sequel of the film. The montage is in a dull blue colour which therefore implies that its a flash back of the past. for the first 28 seconds of the trailer she is the only character presented which would therefore suggest that she is the main protagonist of the film. The facial expression of the main character is serious which highlights the genre of the film: horror/action/thriller. She is also presented wearing a red dress with black boots, the red could have connotations of danger however it could also be portraying her as seductive and therefore reinforcing the stereotypes of the typical blond women. The men are dressed in white, which has connotations of innocence, this could be seen as binary oppositions as they are associated with evil in the film. There's both high/low key lighting used in the film. The low key lighting follows the generic conventions as it gives the film a more horror look. There's also both diagetic and non diagetic music used in the trailer for the film, as well as music you can also hear the dialogues of the characters, for example where one of the characters says "it really is the end of the world". The music at the beginning of the trailer is slow paced in order to create tension, whereas as it gets to the middle the music suddenly changes and it goes more faster and upbeat. This could suggest that there will be a change in the storyline of the film. The trailer also uses caption e.g. 'the world lies in ruins', this could be in order to inform the audience about the storyline and what the films about. The text is in orange/red which has connotations of fire, which also connotes danger.

Institution:
screen gems

Genre:
The film is a hybrid genre of science fiction/action/horror. The trailer conforms to the genreic conventions, mainly through the main character. Jovovich is presentented as strong and powerful. At the begining the flashback of the explosion etc highlight the violence that would take place later on in the film. Aditionnaly the fighting scenes also suggest that its an action film as well as the low key lighting. The propps that are used such as guns, bikes etc all convey that the main genre of the film is action/thriller. The science fiction genre is presented through the captions in the trailer, for example where it says "mankind faces extinctions".

Representation:
The main representation that is covered in the trailer for the film is the representation of females. Females are represented as powerful and physically strong in the film, this is mainly portrayed through the protagonist of the film; Milla Jovovich. From this trailer we can suggest that the film is challenging the stereotypes that females are associated with e.g. weak and inferior, this is mainly done by having a female action star, as films seem to present women as objects of desire for men, and they are sexually represented in order to attract a male audience. However in this film they seem to be taking on a masculine role. In the trailer there is a part where jovovich is holding a sword in each hand, this portrays her as powerful, also through out the trailer she seems to be carrying a weapon e.g. gun, this could therefore be a symbol to represnt her power and strength. Near the end of the trailer it shows the protagonist standing in a deserted place looking up at the sky which is all fire, the camera then slowely pans around her. This could suggest that she is in control of the situation and could therefore present her as powerful and superior because the camera is looking from up at her from a low angle. On the other hand the film can also be reinforcing the stereotypes that are associated with females to an extent. For example at the beginning of the trailer the protaginist is presented wearing a red dress which is quite revealing, the red could have connotations of her being sexy and seductive and therefore reinfrocing the stereotype of a typical blond women which is a gaze for the male audience. "Alice" is also represented as the 'hero' of the film, this is mainly shown through the captions of the film e.g. "One women..Is the final hope", suggesting that she is going to be the one who will save 'mankind'.

Audience:
The primary audience of the film seem to be both male and females ages 18-25, males because they are mostly interested in genres such as action and females because the main protagonist of the film is female. The female audience of the film may aspire to be like Jovovich; powerful and physically strong and some may see her as a role model. The film doesnt seem to be targeted at a particular ethnic group due to the reason that some of the actors in the film come from different ethnic background, this could be in order to target a more wider audience.

Ideology & Values:
The main ideology that the film contains could be the improvements that females have made within the film industry. Because previously females were miss-represented in the media, they were mainly portrayed as sex objectives however this film seems to be challenging these stereotypes by having an female action star. she is presented as powerful and superior, therefore the ideology could be that the representation of females in films has been a key area of development. However feminists may still argue that females are being objectified in the sense that they are dressed in revealing clothes for example at the beginning where shes wearing the red dress and also her and the other females characters costumers throughout the trailer. A question that could be raised is that why cant they have female action star fighting in joggers and t-shirt rather then the revealing clothes that they normally tend to wear.

Narrative:
At the beginning of the trailer there is a flash back, which therefore suggests that the film does not follow a linear narrative. The film contains many enigma codes, for exmaple a question that could be created at the beginning of the trailer is "why is she naked in a bathtub" the audience would then be tempted to watch the film in order to find the answer to their questions. Other narrative engimas that could be created in the trailer is "why do they need Alice in order for them to return to the surface?". We can also apply the proppian theory to the trailer: Alice is clearly presented as the herione of the film who will 'save the day' and ian glen as the villian who is attempting to capture alice and kill her, also the survivors are seen to be the helpers of the herione. As well as propps we can also apply Levi Struass's binary oppositions, for example good vs evil, light and dark etc also theres a binary oppostion at the begining of the trailer where the men are dressed in white which has connotations of good and innocence however this is ironic because the men are actually associated with evil in the film therefore they oppose.

The Objectification of Women

Women have rarely been respected in Hollywood films. Yes, there are numerous films about the empowerment of women and their drive and dedication for independence, but, for the most part, women have been relegated to the role of ‘eye candy’. They are rarely taken seriously and are usually vilified by the voyeuristic camera lens.

In typical Hollywood films, men are in control of the gaze (that is, the audience sees what they see). Women are typically on the receiving end of that gaze. They are looked at, objectified and sexualized by the male protagonist. Women rarely have the power to reverse the gaze and when they do, they are normally punished by the film’s narrative.

http://filmtvindustry.suite101.com/article.cfm/women_in_film

Feminist theories...

Feminism is a social movement which has had an enormous impact on film theory and criticism. Cinema is taken by feminists to be a cultural practice representing myths about women and femininity, as well as about men and masculinity. Issues of representation and spectatorship are central to feminist film theory and criticism. Early feminist criticism was directed at stereotypes of women, mostly in Hollywood films (Haskell 1973/1987, Rosen 1973). Such fixed and endlessly repeated images of women were considered to be objectionable distortions which would have a negative impact on the female spectator. Hence, the call for positive images of women in cinema. Soon, however, the insight dawned that positive images were not enough to change underlying structures in film. Feminist critics tried to understand the all-pervasive power of patriarchal imagery with the help of structuralist theoretical frameworks such as semiotics and psychoanalysis.

http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html

I do agree with this, because in many films women have been represented negatively. There have been many stereotypes associated with females, females have been portrayed as sex objects in films, on the other hand there have been some progress made by women in the film industry e.g. there are more action stars and females are taking some roles of males in films.

Migrain Analysis. . .

Media Representations:

Milla Jovovich, the main character in the film is represented as as a independent and strong female, her character seems to be challenging the stereotypes that females are associated with e.g. weak, emotional, and sex objects. In the movie she is viewed as the hero 'who will save the day', this is a part which is usually taken by a male whereas in this movie a female character is positioned in this place, who is more masculine, for example the way she dresses, which therefore differentiates the film from other movies of the same genre. Jovochi is represented as powerful, mainly through the use of propp's e.g. her gun. In the poster of the film she is positioned in the middle, holding two guns, also through out the film she carries a gun with her, this could be a symbol to portray her power and superiority. The film Resident evil clearly suggests that the representation of females within the film industry has changed, due to the reason that nowadays there are many female action stars whereas before females were only given parts which fitted in with their stereotypes e.g. housewife or object of sexual desire for the male. By Jovovich taking on a masculine role she is presenting females as more independent and strong. On the other hand it can also be argued that she is still represented as a sexual object, mainly through her clothing, for example at the beginning of the film she is wearing a red dress which is quite revealing, this could portray her as seductive. The fact that she is a young and good looking actress also reinforces some of these stereotypes and could be linked to Malveys 'male gaze' theory.

Media Languages and Forms:
At the begginning of the film the protagonist is shown wearing a whit robe, the whote could therefore have clear connotations of her innocence and purity, this could be ironic in the fact that later on in the film she is seen as more masculine then feminine through the way she dresses and the fighting scenes. Later on in the film she is then viewed wearing a red dress, the red could could be a connotation of her being dangerous, also it presents her as seductive. The red lipstick could connote the typical representation of a blond women. There are many close up shots of her face whoch could be in order to show her facial expressions more clearly and create suspense in the film. Alice is then later on shown wearing a long balck leather jacket with boots and leather gloves on a bike, which could connote her as being tough and dangerous and taking on the role of a male. Also her gun portrays her as powerful and in control and foreshadowing the violence that would be taking place later on in the movie.
Throughout the film the characters have serious facial expressions which creates tention within the audience, also the slow paced music adds to the suspence.The low key lighting that is used in the film could connote the genre of the film which is action/horror as most of the film is set in dark places for example when they enter the house there is dark lighting to add to the genre.
In the scene where the group of survivors are getting attacked by crows, Alice arrives and at one point the the sky is all on fire and there is a long shot of her looking up and the camera slowly pans around her, this portrays her inportance in that scene and also the face that she saved them. The film is set mostly in a deserted place where there is harly anything, except trucks and sheds this creates meaning because it shows that the place is isolated and adds to the conventions of the genre of the film.

Narrative:
The film does not follow a linear narrative this is because it includes many flashbacks. There are many narrative theories that can be applied to the film, one of them include the Proppian theory. The film contains both hero (Milla Jovovich) we can tell this because she is the main icon on the poster of the film e.g. shes positioned in the middle also the film starts of with her, and Villain of the film (Iain Glen) this could be identified through his first appearance in the film e.g. in a lab experimenting with clones etc. other narrative theories that can be applied to the film is Todorovs equilibrium theory. However you cannot apply the theory exactly because the film doesn't exactly start of with an equilibrium however there is a disruption and realisation and a new equilibrium where she kills the villain. we can also apply Levi-struasses binary oppositions to the movie, for example there is the binary oppositions of good and evil and light and dark. The film also contains narrative enigmas for example at the beginning you see a big close up of the protagonist eye, it then slowly zooms out showing her in a bathtub with a white cloth over her, this starts getting the audience thinking as to why shes there and whats the situation and the slow paced music also builds up tention which therefore leaving them wanting to know more.

Genre:
The film has a hybrid genre of science fiction/action/horror. The main generic conventions of the text is the propps that are used, for example weapons, you can therefore tell that its a action film, for example on the cover of the poster Jovovich is positioned in the middle holding a gun, with serious facial expressions, you can therefore tell that its not a comedy film. Milla Jovovich conforms to the conventions of action films effectively, e.g. the fighting scenes, her costume and her facial expressions, all these factors create the genre of the film. Extinctions is the third installment in the series of film adaptions based on the capcom survival horror series Resident evil. All the sequences follow the same genre. The audiences generic expectations of the film are fulfilled because to an extent the film conforms to the the conventions of a actions/horror film.

Media Institutions:
under the original title of Resident Evil: Afterlife. Shortly after, the film and another planned sequel were officially announced by Sony Screen Gems on June 13, 2005. On November 7, 2005, Davis Film, Constantin Film and Screen Gems announced their distribution rights worldwide. The film was advertised on posters, television, Internet and cinemas. Constantin Film Distribution GmbH was founded by Waldfried Barthel and Preben Philipsen in April 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany. On December 21, 1964, the name of the company was changed to Constantin Film GmbH.

Media Values and Ideology:

one of the main ideologies that could be underpinning the text could be the change in role of women in the film industry. The film could be portraying the fact that women are not just given "housewife" roles or are sexually objectified whereas they are now ranked much higher in the industry then they use to be for example the role of Alice, a strong and powerful Heroine. The film is therefore mainly attempting to challenge stereotypes that females are associated with through having a female protagonist for an action movie, other actresses such as Ashanti and Ali Larter are also used to challenge these stereotypes. However all these actresses are good looking and attractive and to an extent desirable to men, therefore the film could also be reinforcing these stereotypes. Feminists who watch the film may consider it to be presenting women in a pessimistic way e.g. sexual objects because of the way they are dressed and positioned etc.

Media Audiences:
The text is likely to be aimed at teenagers and adults from all ethnic groups aged 18-35 who are interested in action/horror movies. The primary audience could be males because of the genre of the film; action, which boys are normally associated with, however due to the protagonist being a female it could also be primarily aimed at females. From the text we can tell that the audience would be interested in films that include violence and guns because the film includes many scenes of violence. The audience could be consuming this text mainly for entertainment or division; to escape from the reality they are in. The audience are actively engaged in the interpretation of the text therefore they would be decoding the text in ways that relate to their social experience. The film is likely to be aimed at people of all genders and ethnicity in order to target a wide range of audience, in order for the film to be successful, also the film does not contain any particular ethnic groups e.g. whites whereas it includes ethnic groups such as black and white and also other actors e,g, Oded Fehr, an Israeli.

Websites Used. . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_film_theory

http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/courses/femfilm.html

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/

Other Texts Related. . .

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life - Trailer-

An action film with a female protagonist.

Pictures. . .

Other female characters that stars in Resident Evil: Extinctions include Ashanti, an attractive singer and Ali Larter a former fashion model. Both of these characters also challenegs the stereotypes that females are associated with by taking on a male roles. However due to their appearances and costumes they are also still tended to be desirable and appealing to a male audience.

The movie seems to be challenging the stereotypes that are placed on females to an extent due to the reason that even though "Alice" is the protagonist of the film and is playing the 'hero' she is still objectified through her costume e.g. a red dress, this presents her as attractive and desirable to a male audience, the red also presents her as seductive however it can also connote danger.

Pictures. . .

This is the main image for the film e.g. used on posters etc. Milla Jovovich is represented as a powerful and independent women, this is shown through the propps in the picture e.g. her guns, they could be a symbol to show her power and strength. This could be challenging the stereotypical view of women.