Research and Proposal SSI

Proposal

Strong Women in cinema Aaron Jones

 

Above is My Proposal and My Methodology

Research For Strong Female Characters In Cinema

 

Detail of King Kong hand with actress Fay Wray in hand in a scene from the classic 1933 film “King Kong.”

“It is widely felt that female characters in film have been restricted to the easy categories that classical narratives and familiar genres demand of them (the typical complaint is that women in films are either ‘virgins, mothers or whores’).”

Carey Mulligan a British actress known for Drive and Never Let me go has said She does not like the strong women Label  in Hollywood.

“Carey Mulligan has revealed that she dislikes the “strong woman” label in Hollywood because it suggests that female characters are “inherently weak”.”

““You don’t say to men, ‘You played another really strong man’. The idea that women are inherently weak and we’ve identified the few strong ones to tell stories about…is mad,” she told Elle for its feminism issue.”

“The 30-year-old is among a host of leading ladies to speak out about sexism and ageism in the film industry. Patricia Arquette called for pay equality in her Oscars acceptance speech, Maggie Gyllenhaal railed against being deemed too old to play a 55-year-old man’s lover aged just 37 and this week, Jessica Chasten denounced the “sexualisation” of women in superhero movies.”

Above is a spider diagram that I did at the start of my SSI Showing the elimination of twelve Female Characters which I brought down to seven.

This is a brief timeline of women in film

Time Line of women in Film

1940

“Hattie Mc Daniels”
“17 Jan 1940”

“After working as early as the 1910s as a band vocalist, Hattie McDaniel debuted as a maid in The Golden West (1932). Her maid-mammy characters became steadily more assertive, showing up first in Judge Priest (1934) and becoming pronounced in Alice Adams (1935). In this one, directed by George Stevens and aided and abetted by star Katharine Hepburn, she makes it clear she has little use for her employers’ pretentious status seeking” This was interesting for the time because Hatti McDaniels was a black Female working as an actress in the 1940s

1950s

“Marilyn Monroe”
“1 Aug 1953”

“born Norma Jeane Mortenson was an American actress, singer and model. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes,”

“Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve.” By 1953,

By 1953  Marilyn Monroe was performing lead roles.

1960s

“Breakfast At Tiffany’s (Audrey Hepburn)
8 Nov 1961”

“A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.”

1970s

“Meryl Streep
1 Jan 1970”

“Considered by many movie reviewers to be the greatest living film actress, Meryl Streep has been nominated for the Academy Award an astonishing 16 times,”

“She gave an outstanding performance in her first film role, Julia (1977),”

1980s

“Sophie’s Choice (meryl Streep)
8 Dec 1982”
“Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live in Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie’s narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions”

1990s

“Halle Berry
1 Jan 1990”

“First black woman to win best actress for her performance in monster’s ball. Monster’s Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica”

2000

“Doubt (Meryl Streep)
25 Dec 2008”

“In a Bronx Catholic school in 1964 a popular priest’s ambiguous relationship with a troubled 12 year old black student is questioned by the school’s principal.”

2015

Room Brie Larson

“A kidnapped mother and son make a daring escape, and experience a dramatic homecoming provoking a look into the power of imagination and the unstoppable force of a mother’s love”

Brie Larson won a Oscar for Her role as ma

Brie Larson

“Born: Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
October 1, 1989 in Sacramento, California, USA

Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
October 1, 1989 in Sacramento, California, USA”

“Brie Larson has built an impressive career as an acclaimed television actress, rising feature film star and emerging recording artist. A native of Sacramento, Brie started studying drama at the early age of 6, as the youngest student ever to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco”

Damsel in Distress in film 

A damsel in distress in films is a female character whose main reason in the production is to be rescued by the male lead, a good example is Mary Jane in the three Spiderman movies as   throughout the film she must be rescued by Spiderman. Another example is Lois Lane in the superman films.

“Kirsten Dunst starring in the very definition of a “Damsel in Distress” scene here. I personally had a tougher time than most working up any real excitement over the Spider-Man series. But if over-the-top CGI- friendly comic book actioneers are your thing I suppose Sam Raimi and co. delivers. Don’t look now, but it would appear that our damsel got herself trapped again. A super-hero’s work is never done.”

 

Other example of Damsels in Distress

Naomi Watts in King Kong who has be rescued from King Kong and is constantly being rescued by King Kong himself.

Many early Disney Princesses were damsels in distress needing the prince to save their lives or change their lives for the better.

Eye Candy  

The eye Candy in films is normally put in a film just because they look good and pretty much give teenage boys something to look at to keep them interested in the film.  Like the damsels in distress the lead male has to save them, most eye candy have no personality or character development and are normally the love interest for the male lead. A good example of this is  Mikael Banes played by Megan Fox in the Transformers films where there are various shots of her arse when bent over a car or bike, or generally ones of her looking sexy.

Above are examples of the shots from Transformers I wrote about.

 

Rey Played By Daisy Ridley

“Hollywood newcomer Daisy Ridley, may have been dubbed “Star Wars’s first female protagonist,” but that isn’t strictly correct: The franchise has had its Leias and its Padmes. What Rey is, however, is Star Wars’s firstfeminist protagonist. No distressing damsel, she’s instead a fighter and a survivor and a nurturer and an all-around badass.”

Rey is new protagonist in Star Wars Force Awakens.

Nomi Malone played by Elizabeth Berkeley

Reason Why Nomi Malone is a strong Female lead. These are some of the reason buzz feed gave for her character being a strong role model and female character.

• She is comfortable with her own body
• She Refuses  to be labelled
• She Takes care of herself
• She classy

Nomi Malone was former prostitute and drug user who lost both her parents but she is strong and turns her life around by becoming the head girl in a showgirl show in Los Vegas, She also is not afraid to stick up for her friends.

Ma Played by Brie Larson who one an Oscar for best actress for the role of Ma.

 

Ma is a character from the 2015 film Room , Room was originally  a novel by Emma Donoghue.

Ma wants to escape the Room that she has been in for many years, this makes her a strong female character in the film for me as it  is the fact that she wants to escape while trying to be the best mother she can be, she has overcome her own fears while bringing up her son.

We never learn Ma’s Real Name.

 

Elsa and Anna Voice by  Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel

Kristen Bell is Anna while Idina Menzel Is Elsa.

Elsa has to overcome having Powers that she doesn’t understand and being isolated and trapped and keeping everyone out of her life including her own Sister. Later Elsa comes to terms with her power and is set free, The song “Let it Go” expains Elsa coming to terms with her powers and who she is. the song “Let It Go” contacts with many young girls who sing along to the song all over the world.

While Anna just wants to contact with the world outside and find love and reconnect with her sister who she was very close with once. “First Time In Forever” shows this very well as during the song Anna is very exited to let people in, while her sister Elsa just wants to hide away and conseal who she is and her power.

 

Furiosa Played by Charlize Theron

What I noticed about Furiosa in the film Mad Max Fury Road is that she is more of the lead character then Max himself, who acts as more of the supporting role rather than the lead.  Even though the title of the film is Mad Max and the first three films Max is the Main character, Furiosa takes more of  the  lead in the fourth instalment.

Furiosa is strong as she  knows how to handle weapons. She is living in this apocalyptic  world and is trying to escape while protecting other female characters.

 

Juno Mcguff Played by Ellen Page

Juno Mcguff his a teenage girl who gets pregnant. Juno has to overcome being pregnant while also dealing with  normal teenage life and getting to know the couple who wants to adopt her child.

webyoutube

Above is a link to all the clips I used for my video.

Strong Female Character in Film Video Link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Task.4

Evolution

I first started by coming up with three ideas for my film one of my ideas was similar to dante inferno, another was about a training and a boxer before they  go out  for the fight the idea I went for in the end was a follow up to level 3 project which Jenkins so I did Jenkins 2.

The reason I choose Jenkins 2 was to see how much I have improved since I made Jenkins one in level 3 media, I also wanted to improve with my editing skills but because I felt theses are the areas I was weak in.

After I choose my idea I begun to write the script on the script writing programme celtx.

I got my peers to help me film and act for my project. The Idea was  to film  Bradley’s film on Monday and we help him out as his crew and actors, Then did the same for Liam’s film Tuesday and finally mine the idea was we help you out to help me out.

The equipment  I Used  was camera lent by Liam.

The day of the shooting in my original script the  scene  was set outside  but due to rain I decided to change the location from  out to inside.

The end shot was meant to use  a gun but because It was filmed in college  I took out the gun.

In my Edit  I felt  It was a bit too short there was a jump cut towards the end.

I think the filming processes went well I think editing is actually worse than my edit for Jenkins one, I think by looking at my final edit I have not improve much since level 3 , I am still at the same level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

task.3

 

Task.3

I had to do a present   to my peers telling my idea of film and showing my film so they could give my feedback on how I presented my idea and how my edit came across this what they said.

Feedback

Quality of ideas presented

• I was well presented
• Clever idea to do a sequal be a pass project
• Follow up to previous film
• Could been better
• The Idea was especially liked he to compare his own work and  potentials improve on an old piece
• little shaky and underscriptive
• Talked about his ideas and clearly got across what wanted to do

Clarity of information presented

• The information presented was clear and understable
• He was  clear information he gave
• The information was very clear

Was the editing successful in Relation to project aim

• Film was short could been longer  with more plot development
• I like how shows how you have improve
• In terms of what Aaron wanted to do I think he was fairly Successful
• The editions style was good and script worked. some tough cuts but overall gets the film . the film across although the ending was a bit abrompt.
• Good idea could have been large

Below are photo I took of The fill in Feed Back Sheets

 

a link to my video

Link to music

Task.2

Planning

I first came up with three ideas for my film which were a film about a mentally sick women,a boxer, and Jenkins 2. I decided out on the Jenkins 2 idea.

I then wrote the script using the the celtx program. I got my crew and actors together I had Josh Williamson on camera and Liam Hagan on the camera. I also had myself Liam Hagan and Bradley Atkinson Acting in it.

I had myself directing the film and co Directed by Liam Hagan.

The equipment that was used during filming was Cannon DSlR 500D and  a libec tripod.

Due to rain the we had to change the outside location into a in side locations. the location we filmed in just out side of the student common and the  C5 classroom the original plan of filming was C12 but we had change to C5 because C12 was in use.

 

Shots of Liam setting up Camera on set. During filming of Jenkins 2.

 

task.3

evaluation producer Unit 

Negatives of producing Unit

As producer we got three actors to play the parts in the film, but the Tuesday before  the final shoot, due to a dance competition one of the  actors had to drop out.Therefore this  put me in a bad position because we already had scenes with her shot and had to find a replacement actress for her.Which I did,  but that actress also dropped out on the Friday which was the day of filming, therefore  not giving us much time to save things. Also we never heard back from another of our actors who was meant to star in our film. On the day of filming as producer we also told the other actor to not to show up, because they were no longer needed due to the other actors dropping out.

How we solved the problem of actors dropping out and the lack of time we had on the last day of filming, we decided to film a trailer instead using myself and Liam as actors. This was to just get shots to fill the film out so we had more shots for the trailer . We were good at thinking on our feet, for example we used walking shots,shots of the moving traffic and going to the bank which would go with the park scene we had shot  previously with the original actors . But this made it harder to produce because we had to act in front of the camera and couldn’t always see how shots looked. Also we had to put up with the shots  because of limited time.

On the first day of filming when we had all of the actors we filmed at the location at Melton Park but we only got a couple of shots filmed but the director sent the actors away when we could of shot more scenes using the actors what would of gave us more shots to cut to.

The final edit was mostly out of focus and you can see the side of person face which should been cropped out, but the editor only had a little to work with.

The final trailer  didn’t really anything to do with the written script, the clips we filmed were mostly filler so the level 3s had something to edit.

How the crew preformed

The director did well when he was on set apart the miscommenction with the actors at times.

the camera opperator was on set most of time and most of the time kept use informed  with what was going using emails.

The sound operator was on set for the park shot and came to some of the meetings.

The actors as I said above two of actors drop out and the replacement actors was a no show. but one of actors stay with use until end and was very relible.

What went right 

Two locations were found and we got actors originally. we kept the crew informed using emails and  having meetings on Fridays.

Thinking on our feet to think of a alterntive for project when things started to go wrong at the last minute.

 

 

 

 

 

Task.3