Exploring Representation

I would like to represent the issue of diversity. In recent years, I have noticed that social groups have not been inclusive unless your a certain type of person. Racial and ethnic social circles have always been around, but now, it is also based on your activities. For Example, I have friends that only hangout with kids that are involved in the same sports as them or have the same classes. The cultural diversity is becoming more sectioned off and people aren’t exploring different groups.

Recently Michael B. Jordan, star of Creed, spoke about wanting to increase the influence of minorities in Hollywood. In a Interview with npr about Creed he stated, “So I've always had the notion of create the roles, you know, not the stereotypical roles. You know, I told my agency at a younger age earlier in my career, like, I only wanted to go out for roles that were written for Caucasian males because I knew the roles had no bias on it.” His goal is to challenge social norms and conceptions of what should be accepted. That is a big issue I would like to tackle in my project.

Another film that tried to increase understanding between racial groups was Straight Outta Compton. The film depicted the harsh reality of racism that still existed well into the 1980s. The Group highlighted in the film, NWA, challenged this prejudice and it help lead to better race relations. The most important part of accepting diversity is realising where the other side is coming from. This movie showed the hardships of racism in the 80s.

Recent stories have been talking about the integration of minority groups in films, but it isn’t often celebrated. In most of the movies that minorities play a role, it isn’t a lead. I would use the idea of prejudice against minority groups and show how it can be corrected. The idea that it is changing would be challenged in my piece.  

Finding a New Genre

The genre I will be discussing is Action. Typical conventions in action movies include a plot that is based on a extreme story and fight scenes which are common. Most conflict in the story is physical and involves chases. Productions techniques often include fast camera cuts that make actions fights seem much more intense. The music used in these films are meant to get the audience’s heart pumping and adrenaline heightened. The fight scenes also usually travels through a series of sets.

A great action film that showcases these techniques is The Dark Knight. This film is based on the superhero Batman and his encounters with the Joker. The majority of this film showcases the relationship between the two arch enemies. The use of a metropolis like Gotham City and cars flying shows surrealism, but the people and interactions are very much aspects of realism. Action movies often enjoy pushing this boundary and challenging norms. Also, throughout the film, Batman and The Joker travel through a number of different settings. These long, drawn-out fights are quite typical in action films.

Another action film that is uses conventions and techniques is Skyfall. This is one of the most recent Bond films. It involves Bond trying to save the rest of MI6 while taking down his enemy. The plot is quite consistent with Bond films and action films. It involves a long story that travels to many locations. The soundtrack used powerful songs which were meant to excite the audience. As James Bond travels from train to car to a boat, the action scenes become quite long.

Good Action Film examples include:
John Wick

Logan












Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation












Taken










The Bourne Ultimatum

Discovering A New Genre

     The genre I'm covering is crime and gangster. The most typical genre convention is a poor person making it to fame through their crimes. Another common occurrence in these films is large, mostly bloody, fighting scenes. The Production techniques used are most often involve long musical numbers, dark colors and violent special effects. These movies are marketed as violent, they want their viewers to know that going in, it is one of their biggest selling points. Another part of the film that is showcased is the drama used in the film. The high emotion used in the piece allows for people who may not like the violence to ignore it due to the plot.


      Scarface is one of the most popular examples of these films. It depicts a poor immigrant that travels to the United States. In the beginning he lives in a poor immigrant camp and works at a restaurant across the street from a club for the affluent. He constantly tells his friend about how he wishes to go there. Eventually through moving his way up the ranks, Tony Montana, depicted by Al Pacino, buys a mansion and becomes one of the richest men in Miami. He dies in a infamous death scene which involves a lot of gunfire. This film exhibits perfectly the idea supported in many gangster scenes. He was a poor immigrant who eventually made it to the top. This situation appealed to a lot of people and was shown in its $65 million gross over its lifetime. The typical genre convention of bloody fights was shown in this film numerous times and was found as disturbing to many people. Originally the film received a X rating which only allows people 17 years or older to view it, but after numerous re-edits, by director Brian De Palma it was reduced to a R rating.





The Godfather is widely considered one of the best movie franchises ever made. It details the life of a crime family who passes on their legacy to their son. In one of the latter scenes of the film, people are being killed while the son is watching his son being baptized. The long musical note while violent actions occur has become a staple in this genre. The influence of this film was felt in the Italian community. As author of The Godfather Effect, Tom Santopietro said, “The film changed Hollywood because it finally changed the way Italians were depicted on film. It made Italians seem like more fully realized people and not stereotypes.” The film affect an entire class of people.





Films that are great examples of this genre include:

American Gangster                

 Legend

Black Mass

Donnie Brasco

Al Capone

About Me

          Welcome to my blog, I'm Ryan Manella and this is my AICE Media Studies Blog. I enjoy playing sports such as soccer and basketball. This is my first experience using a blog and I am looking forward to the adventure. Hopefully this will be a fun experience that I continue into the future. The goal of this blog is to study different forms of Media and eventually create my own piece of media. I am most likely going to create a short film. I have begun to research different genres that I may pursue for this project. Although this will be a long adventure, I'm prepared for the journey ahead.