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Essays, Exam Prep, Representation, Semiotics

essay preparation

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My video game cover is inspired by the movie Cat Woman and is mainly targeted at teenage girls, 12+ due to mild violence, who are interested in video games and the DC comics and films. In the game, the Joker comes to Gotham City to cause chaos and with Batman out on a vital mission, Selina Kyle must fight his wrath solo. In one version she will be represented in a reactionary manner as she will be dressed in smaller, more sexual clothing – typical of the videogame industry – as if she is being portrayed through the eyes of the straight male. Whereas, in the second version, Selena will be presented in a more radical form due to dressing in a more modest and practical way.

I created a dominant signifying image of Selina Kyle and have represented her as feminine. This corresponds to Toril Moi’s analysis of the distinction between female, feminine, feminist categories of representation (1987). This can be identified in the posture that I created for my protagonist , as she is perfectly aligned and upright.

Further to this I have exaggerated the feminine attributes of my character with bouncy styled hair, eye makeup and big cat-like eyes. However, I also included clothing , practical and athletic, that is not particularly feminine but that is sensible in terms of her active role in the game. In some ways this juxtaposes Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze in that my main character is not designed in such a way that she appears sexualised or provocative – in the words of Mulvey, she is a not a character whose “appearance [is] coded for [a] strong visual and erotic impact” (“Visual and Other Pleasures”, 1989). However, the notion of the male gaze is quite distinct as it relates to the sexualisation of the dominant signifier, which is not the case for my character.

Whilst in everyday society my representation of Selina Kyle would be viewed as reactionary, due to the increasing independence and empowerment of women, in terms of the video games industry however, she is essentially represented in a radical manner. This is because typically, if there is a women represented in a combat game at all, videogame designers more than often sexualise a female character in order to attract their common white male target audience in order to gain profit. Whereas in my representation, due to strategic angling and clothing choices, the audience mainly focus on just the protagonist’s face, which is mostly covered by a mask anyway, rather than the ‘normal’ image of enlarged breast and a provocative stance. Additionally, the plot line of my game also contrasts the stereotypical representation of women in the video game industry as my character is not relying on a male character to come to her rescue. Whereas customarily, according to Anita Sarkeesian from Feminist Frequency women are often presented as the ‘damsel in distress’ and ‘must be saved by a male character’ as ‘motivation for the protagonists quest’ which is not the case for my videogame.

I think this is a positive representation of femininity  as I personally believe that all women should aspire to be strong-minded, independent individuals similar to the way in which I have portrayed my character. However, if I was to create this product again, I would use the opportunity to represent a more diverse character in terms on ethnicity due to the extreme lack of representation of people of colour in the video game industry. According to Nadine Dornieden from PBS, a 2015 study showed that ‘83% of non-Hispanic Black teenagers play video games, compared to 71% of Caucasian teenagers’ (Levelling Up Representation: Depictions of People of Colour in Video Games (2020)) which seems completely ludicrous compared to how little representation they have in the games they are playing. I could do this by changing the colour of my characters skin and hopefully send out a much more positive message about racial injustice – a portrayal that uses a positive countertype to present a radical and challenging representation, contradictory to the typical white protagonist, which could help gamers to adopt a new ways of thinking about different ethnic representations, with more positive role models for young people to aspire to. As Keith Stuart notes ‘the power of video games [is] a reflective, empowering and emotional influence on the lives of players’. (Why diversity matters in the modern video games industry, Guardian, 18 July 2017).

Production, Representation

videoGame production

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My video game cover is inspired by the movie Cat Woman and is mainly targeted at teenage girls, mainly 12+ due to mild violence, who girls who are interested in the DC comics and films. In the game the Joker comes to Gotham City to cause chaos and with Batman out on a vital mission, Selina Kyle must fight his wrath solo. In one version she will be represented in a radical manner as she will be dressed in smaller, tighter clothing as if she is being portrayed through the eyes of the straight male. Whereas, in the second version, Selena will be presented in a more reactionary way due to dressing in a more modest and practical way.

Exam Prep, Notes, Representation

Representation – the male gaze

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The male gaze refers to the way in which women are typically presented in media often through the eyes of the straight male. The women being portrayed are more than often presented as sexual objects for the pleasure of male viewers. For example, in video games, A women’s sexual image is always seen as the most dominant aspect of her character as a pose to her actual purpose in contrast to men who’s bravery and selflessness are always the most important aspect of their character.

Born in 1941, Laura Mulvey is a feminist film maker and theorist from Britain who is commonly known for her work on the ‘Male Gaze’. She wrote the essay in 1975 which highlighted the misogynistic way women are presented throughout media – often through the eyes of the straight male in order to please the straight male.

John Berger, an English art critic born in 1926, was known for his television series and essay on art criticism called ‘Ways of Seeing’ which won the Booker prize in 1972. In the essay, he illustrates the issues with how women are presented in media and how they are overly objectified specifically for the pleasure of the straight man.

LEVELLING UP REPRESENTATION: DEPICTIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOUR IN VIDEO GAMES-“2015 study… higher percentage of teens of colour playing games , representation is extremely important but… has been lacking”
-“regarding asian women, they are often sexualised… placing great focus on revealing clothes, large exposed breasts, and barely there underwear.”
WHY DIVERSITY MATTERS IN THE MODERN VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY– “Play Station recently sponsored Pride London, providing a joyous, hugely colourful presence in the parade”
– “Xbox got a new feature in settings called co-pilot”
VISUAL PLEASURE AND NARRATIVE CINEMA – ACADEMIC PAPER BY LAURA MULVEY–  “she falls in love with the main male protagonist and becomes his property, losing her outward glamorous characteristics, her generalised sexuality, her show-girl connotations”
– “Once he actually confronts her his erotic drive is to break her down and force her to tell by persistent cross questioning”
FEMINIST FREQUENCY– “As a trope the damsel in distress is a plot device in which a female character is placed in a perilous situation from which she cannot escape on her own and must be rescued by a male character, usually providing a core incentive or motivation for the protagonist’s quest.”
– “we explore the Women as Background Decoration trope…These sexually objectified female bodies are designed to function as environmental texture while titillating presumed straight male players.”

Exam Prep, Metroid, Tomb Raider

CSP 1&2: TOMB RAIDER AND METROID

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LanguageTodorov
most narratives follow basic structure: beginning/equilibrium, middle/disruption, end/new equilibrium

-condensed equilibrium – immediate disruption by ‘fearsome creatures’
-disruption – hired to find ancient artefact
-new equilibrium – defeats Natla and retrieves scion
-sub plots – Puzzles block progress through the levels until Lara solves them by activating switches or finding and using keys hidden within the area. These involve avoiding traps and timed environmental elements – quest-narrative conventional of quest narrative

Neale
genre is is a mechanism which attracts audience based on their predictable expectations – ‘structured around a repertoire of elements’
presence of unconventional elements which maintain audience enjoyment

first person shooter/adventure game
conventional- elemts of fighting and violence, quests, puzzles, boss battles etc…
unconventional- female protagonist

Baudrillard
in postmodern culture the boundaries between the ‘real’ world and the world of the media have collapsed and that it is no longer possible to distinguish between reality and simulation – media images have come to seem more ‘real’ than the reality they supposedly represent (hyperreality)
“It is no longer a question of imitation… It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real” (The Precession of Simulacra 2)

elements of TR represent a simulacrum of reality – LC is a British archaeologist-adventurer and is hired by a wealthy businesswoman Jacqueline Natla to complete a job
however elements are too unrealistic to be considered hyperreal therefore dont blur the lines between reality and simulation – the manoeuvres LC is able to do, the fact that if she dies the player is able to re spawn, certain boss battles include creatures that dont exist such as a t-rex
Representationprotagonist represented as as typical hero:
-powerful as holds a two guns
-clever as has to solve puzzles
-independent as fights bosses on her own
therefore not typical damsel in distress
boss is also female – game represents females in dominant positions

female – unconventional as it is normally male characters who play the dominant role – maybe due third wave feminism
however stereotypical representation of women – sexualised through lack of clothing, body pose displays both bottom and breasts to appeal to male audiences
video game industry is also male dominated
also likely due to the production process – when the og game came out in 1996 difficult to make it distinguishable between male/female characters so often accentuated features

game was very ahead of its time and graphics were extremely realistic for a video game – offered detail representations of exotic locations (link to Baudrillard)

post-colonial representation – white upper class characters exploring foreign locations in search of treasure and killing off locals in the process
reflects racists portrayals of ethnic minorities in culture industries at a time of less progression ie 1996
maybe in order to target western audiences – representing white people as powerful and clever

the way in which croft is presented impacts the players sense of identity – they feel powerful, dominant, clever

van Zoonen
in mainstream culture the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body differ from how female bodies are represented
display of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture

designers are aware their key target audience is western men, therefore use a female protagonist to their advantage by sexualising her – to feed the voyeuristic tendencies of the patriarchy
shown through her stance – which accentuates both her breasts and bottom
shown through her clothing – short, tight

Gauntlett
media provide us with ‘tools’ or resources that we use to construct our identities
modern media offers us a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas
reflex identity construction: audiences can ‘borrow from these stories when shaping our narratives of the self’

by representing people are are traditionally under represented in the industry – women – people from that group are able to identify more
can construct identity from her sense of independance, strength, bravery etc…
also attracts a female audience which overall makes the company more money
IndustryPRODUCTION
Release date – June 2007
production – Eidos Games (named as Britain’s most successful company in 1999), Eidos Interactive ltd, part of SCi Entertainment Group PLC 
(now owned by Square Enix)
developer – Crystal Dynamics/ Square Enix, 2013)
platforms – PS2/3/4, PC/MAC, Xbox/360/1, Wii

OUTCOME
Sold 7 million copies of the first game and 16 millions copies worldwide of the first 3 games
Tomb Raider II, III, IV, Chronicles, The Angel of Darkness and Legend all followed as well as films
Over 28 million copies of the Tomb Raider series sold worldwide 

REGULATION
Tomb Raider has been regulated as an 18 by PEGI because of:
Extreme Violence
Strong Language
You are able to interact with other players online

Hesmondhalgh
‘risky business’ makes us aware of why companies want larger market share (link to C&S), claims:
-audiences tastes are continuously adapting which makes predicting their needs and wants nearly impossible
– online video games limited consumption capacity meaning the huge sums of money invested in creating media products result in only a one time reward – buy the console once and dont have to buy it again, once game is complete there is nothing else to consume

risks reduced by:
-remake – recycling previously successful archived material requires less time, effort and money when it comes to the production and instantly engages an audience through nostalgia-based appeals (same character, same underlying plot) while also rebranding content so that it fits the tastes of contemporary audiences (better graphics)
-also use of serialisation – use of sequels, prequels, spin-offs etc… requires less investment in marketing activities to create audience visibility therefore allowing producers to maximise their investments – many new versions of TR have come out since

Audienceaudience is likely to be pre-sold – played the og 1996 tomb raider
audiences who enjoy adventure games
mythical creatures appeal to fantasy audiences

objectification of protagonist appeals to male audiences
however can also make female audiences feel empowered as it was one of the only games who represented women in power

Gerbner
examines the lasting effects of media – Looking primarily at the relationship between violence on television and violence in society EG  the more television people watch, the more likely they are to hold a view of reality that is closer to television’s depiction of reality
For many individuals the distorted and partial reality portrayed on television represents what the world is ‘really’ like (could like to Baudrillard)

TR depicts mild violence which could influence the way in which audiences view the real world – especially due to real aspects of the video game (link to baudrillard)
the unrealistic and violent elements may cause audiences to view reality in the same way the game depicts it

McQuail and Blumler
uses and gratifications – active selection
believe consumers have a free will to decide how they will use the media and how it will effect them and therefore recognises the decision making process the audience take, highlighting how they seeking specific uses and gratifications when consuming media

audience’s who are fans of adventure genre may want to IDENTIFY with ideas presented top them or seek a new IDENTITY – EG players may want to adapt/identify with LC adventurous lifestyle and aspire to be like her
first person shooter perspective makes this even more realistic
Context
Language
Representation
Industry
Audience
Context
Exam Prep, Induction, Semiotics

semiotics – Key language

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Semiotics

  1. Sign – Something which can stand for something else.
  2. Code – Technical, written and symbolic tools used to construct or suggest meaning in media forms or products eg use of a camera, special effects, typography.
  3. Convention – The generally accepted way of doing something.
  4. Dominant Signifier – The main representative.
  5. Anchorage – words that go along with an image to give it meaning in a specific context eg taglines in adverts.

Ferdinand de Saussure:

  1. Signifier – What you call the object, word, image or action.
  2. Signified – the concept behind the object, word, image or action being represented.

C S Pierce:

  1. Icon – A sign which has characteristics in common with the thing that it signifies.
  2. Index – A sign that has a link with the thing that it signifies.
  3. Symbol – A sign which has a random link to the thing that it signifies.

Roland Barthes:

  1. Signification –  Structural levels of signification, meaning or representative.
  2. Denotation – Often refers to something literal – the first level of analysis.
  3. Connotation – Something suggested by a word or a thing – the second level of analysis.
  4. Myth – How words and images are systematically used to communicate cultural and political meanings
  5. Ideology – A set of ideas or beliefs that people have regarding different kinds of technologies.
  6. radical – Something that goes against and challenges dominant, typical ideas.
  7. reactionary – Something that goes with and agrees with dominant, typical ideas.
  1. Paradigm – A collection of signs that all have some sort of connection.
  2. Syntagm –  How signs and things are put together and fitted together.
Pose – subject positioning, stance or body languageFourth Wall Breaks: where the subject meets gaze with audience – can be confrontational, aggressive, invitational etc…
Off-Screen Gaze: upward can suggest spirituality; right-frame gaze can suggest adventure, optimism; left-frame gaze can suggest regret, nostalgia
Body Language: open, closed, passive, active, strong, weak
Subject positioning: positioning and angle of group shots illustrates the characters with more powerful/dominant role
Proxemics: if subjects are positioned closer together, often shows close relationship
Mise en Scene – props, costume, settingProp Symbolism: props are rarely accidental, use and placement often have symbolic connotations
Setting Symbolism (Pathetic Fallacy): settings and scenery are often symbolic of a characters emotions
Costume Symbolism: stereotypes can be constructed through costume, helping us discover characters narrative function
LightingHigh-Key: lack of shadow, producing a lighter more upbeat tone
Low-Key: emphasises shadow, producing a darker and serious tone
Chiaroscuro: high contrast lighting eg light beams penetrating pitch black conveying hopelessness or misery
Ambient: infers realism
Compositional Effects – distance, angle, positioning of subjectsLong Shot: implies subject is dominant of environment
Closeup: intensifies character emotions or suggests impending drama
Left Compositions: left of screen is generally reserved for characters whom the audience is to sympathise with
Right Compositions: right screen usually reserved for unfavourable characters
Open frame: suggests freedom
Closed frame: suggests entrapment
Tilt-up and High Eyeline: conveys power
Tilt-down and Low Eyeline: conveys vulnerability
Post-Production EffectsColour Control: often exaggerated for a specific connotative effect – red conveys anger; white conveys innocence; blue conveys sadness etc…
High saturation: increased colour levels creates a cheery tone
Desaturation: decreasing colour of an image creates a serious, sombre tone
Induction, NEA

Induction task evaluation

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In my summer task, my intention was to recreate an article from a travel magazine. I did this by interviewing someone who was a less experienced traveller in order to capture the reality of travelling and that whilst it is very stressful, anyone is capable enough to get through it.

The language I used to distinguish my work from any other media form was heavily influenced by the ‘pyramid writing structure’; I began with a ‘lead’ where I quoted the most interesting part of the interview, next I wrote the ‘nut graph’ where I summarised who the interview was about and what I would be interviewing her etc., I then finished with the body where I described the interviewees trip in detail. I added

My article challenges the traditional teenage stereotype as, despite the common cliche that teenagers are incapable and constrained, my interviewee, at just 19, was able to travel alone and provided for herself for an entire month.

For my product, I anticipated that a mainstream travel magazine, such as the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, would publish my article as I was aiming for a more middle-upper class audience as the place in which I was talking about, Kos, Greece, doesn’t tend to be an extremely expensive place to accommodate yourself.

I am very happy with my finished product and although I love the simplicity of the layout, since starting the course I have become more familiar with photoshop and could therefore use it to improve my work by making it more visually exciting. I could use it to create a more colourful and lively or to arrange the text into a more abstract manner for example by warping it.

Induction, Production

Media header and semiotics

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Semiotics is the study of signs:

An Iconic sign is something that looks like its object. For example in my work, the book, statue and Elvis Presley are all iconic signs

An indexical sign is a sign that has a link to its object. For example in my work, the newspaper, television and record all have links to media

A symbolic sign is something that has a random link to its object. For example in my work, the blue font, the black and white background and the fire are all symbolic signs.

Exam Prep

Media forms

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MEDIA FORMSFEATURESEXAMPLE
1Television– visual-auditory media
– can be live or pre-recorded
-broadcasted across wide audience		Friends
2Newspapers– visual media
– non-linear
– only contains current topics		The Sunday Times
3Magazines– visual media
– non-linear
– prioritises aesthetic (e.g. images) over information		Vogue
4Film– visual-auditory media
– linear
– publicly or privately consumed		Jaws
5Radio– auditory media
– linear
– broadcasted across wide audience		BBC Radio
6Advertising/marketing– can be visual and/or auditory
– public
– short		Moonpig.com
7Music video– visual-auditory media
– linear
– mainly for entertainment but can aim to put across a certain message or to advertise 		Diet Mountain Dew – Lana Del Ray
8Video games– visual-auditory media
– linear
– interactive		Resident evil
9Online/social media– visual-auditory media
– interactive
– private consumption		Instagram