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.

Research...

To look separately at the role of women in the fields of film, video and television in Britain is to recognise that the experiences of women in these areas are somehow different to those of men. The work by women in moving image production both reflects and informs the position of women within British society since the 1920s.

In the silent period, Mary Field and sisters Marion and Ruby Grierson took advantage of the camaraderie and pioneering spirit of the time by joining the British documentary movement, where they made opportunities for themselves and other women to enter the system of film production. Their influence and impact on the movement was significant: Field is noted for her work on the Secrets of Nature series (1922-33) and for her inauguration, in 1944, of the children's entertainment division of British Instructional Films.

Feminists Theory...
Feminist film theory has emerged in the past 20 years to become a large and flourishing field. Its dominant approach, exemplifed by such journals as Screen and Camera Obscura, involves a theoretical combination of semiotics, Althusserian Marxism, and Lacanian psychoanalysis. On this view, human subjects are formed through complex significatory processes,including cinema; traditional Hollywood cinema's "classic realist texts" are purveyors of bourgeois ideology. Added to this theory by Laura Mulvey's now-classic essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" [Mulvey, 1975], was the feminist claim that men and women are differentially positioned by cinema: men as subjects identifying with agents who drive the film's narrative forward, women as objects for masculine desire and fetishistic gazing. Mulvey's essay is heavily invested in theory. It is cited as "the founding document of feminist film theory" [Modleski 1989], as providing "the theoretical grounds for the rejection of Hollywood and its pleasures" [Penley 1988], and even as setting out feminist film theory's "axioms" [Silverman, quoted in Byars 1991].

Laura Malvey...
In considering the way that films are put together, many feminist film critics have pointed to the "male gaze" that predominates in classical Hollywood filmmaking. Laura Mulvey's essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" gave one of the most widely influential versions of this argument. From an explicitly psychoanalytic viewpoint, Mulvey argues that that cinema provides visual pleasure through scopophilia and identification with the on-screen male actor. Mulvey argues that Freud's psychoanalytic theory is the key to understanding why film creates a space where women are viewed as sexual objects by men. She says that it is the combination of the patriarchal order of society and looking as a pleasurable act (voyeurism) that create film as an outlet for female sexual exploitation. An important observation that she makes is that the dominance that men embody is only so because women exist.

Trailer For Resident Evil. . .

Resident Evil: Extinctions- Synopsis. . .

The plague has traveled around the world infecting most of the world's population, turning everyone into the walking undead. The deadly virus also has destroyed the world as we knew it, rendering the planet a desert. Alice (Milla Jovovich) has been forced to roam the Earth alone attempting to stay off Umbrella's radar. A convoy led by Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and former U.B.C.S. agent Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) along with L.J. (Mike Epps) and other survivors who have not been infected, travel from small town to small town in search of other survivors and supplies, staying away from any large cities - areas that may potentially be infested with zombies. Their goal is to find a place that has not been infected by the virus.

As the film progresses, we see that Alice's powers have undergone substantial growth. Alice, after saving the convoy from a swarm of ravenous birds, joins the others in the hunt for a place to call home. Umbrella, on the other hand, has been forced to go underground. Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen) has been conducting research at one such institution. This time, though, instead of developing a new viral creature, he is searching for a cure; a new serum that, in previous experiments, produce a subdued creature, one that has reasoning skills and vague memories, but if angered, will fly into a blind rage and devour any human unlucky enough to be in close proximity.

Dr. Isaacs had been using clones of Alice, running each through a rigorous simulation of the past situations Alice had been in, hoping to find the one with the same capabilities, therefore the same blood as the original. Unfortunately for the convoy, Dr. Isaacs finds Alice and tries to capture her in Las Vegas, after Alice persuades the convoy to journey to Alaska where Alice believes there lives an uninfected community, so he can continue his experiments. Alice and the others, this time face not normal zombies, but instead the new enraged zombies. Dr. Isaacs goes with the strike team during the operation, and in taking this action, he seals his own fate when he is bitten by his new creation while trying to make an escape. Upon returning to his underground lab, Dr. Isaacs injects himself several times with the anti-virus, turning him self into a new creature, a self-regenerating mutant with tentacles that can extend out an infinite length, capable of pursuing human flesh.

Alice has a clone that "hatches" and "dies" in her arms. She goes to kill Dr. Isaac in his mutated state. And just as lasers slice Dr. Isaac and are about to kill Alice, the lasers stop thanks to the clone of Alice who is in fact alive and using a computer.

Migrain Analysis. . .

M: 1. Wears white gown connotes innocence of a women
2.Red dress connoted danger and her being seductive and also her red lipstick connotes the typical representations of a blond women.
3-The protagonist wearing black leather jacket connotes her being tough and dangerous and taking the pace of male hero.
4- Gun portrays her as powerful and in control and foreshadows the violence in the film
5- serious facial expressions suggest that the film is going to be less of a comedy and romance and creates tense atmosphere.
6-low key lighting connotes the genre of the film which is action/horror as most of the film is set in dark places.
7-gun shots emphasise the violent characteristics that the film conveys.
8- slow and long paced shots are used to create tension.

I: 1- Planned sequel were officially announced by Sony Screen Gems

G:-Resident evil: extinctions falls under a range of genre categories, these include: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi and Thriller. The clothing and the propps in the film mainly highlight the genre of the film, for example the guns and the protagonist all dressed in black with a bike.

R: 1- women are represented as superior and powerful in resident evil, this is because the main protagonist of the film is female, whereas males tend to be the main lead in action films however this implies that the role of women within the film industry has changed. On the other hand they are also objectified in a way because of the way they are dressed e.g. revealing red dress. the violent scenes also portray women as physically powerful.

A:1-likely to be aimed at teenagers and adults aged 18-35 who are interested in action movies. it would be aimed at all ethnic groups, the primary audience could be males because of the genre however due to the protagonist being a female it could also be primarily aimed at females.

I: 1- the main ideology underpinning the text could be that females can also take on roles that are for men. It is also challenging he stereotype that men are stronger then women and that women are mostly represented as sex objects in movies.

N: 1-