Representation of film openings

Representations included in Film openings...

Class
- Lower-class people are seen as being thugs and being violent and living in rough areas.
- Middle-class people are seen as the majority of people and seen as the 'norm', living a normal life.
- Upper-class people in society are stereotyped as being posh and pompous. Also seen as earning a lot of money and wearing nice clothes, jewelry etc.

Age
- People are judged for age
- Teens are stereotyped to be thugs and being irresponsible
- Elderly people are seen as being vulnerable
- Middle aged people are stereotyped as being kind and caring. This is because this is the age group which makes up these stereotypes.

Ethnicity
- People are judged about their race, color and religion.

Gender
- Male
- Female
- Transgender

Sexuality
- People can be either straight, bi-sexual and homo-sexual. Some people are judged for their sexuality.


Today in lesson we were asked to analyse the representation of a film opening of our choice, the film opening I choose was Step Up: Revolution, here is this clip...




In this film opening what is being represented is freedom of being able to express yourself wherever and whenever you want. This is being represented along with the use of youths and how younger people are shown as being reckless and disruptive in the city. This is put across by the youths that are seen parking and getting out of cars and jumping across all the cars on the busy streets of California, people of the public are seen being angry at the disruption caused, you can see this on their facial expressions and body language. This representation of modern youth is made to seem natural, because in society and the media older people see youths as being disruptive and disrespectful, so in this clip it is an accurate representation of how youth is represented in the media also.

The Dyer theory helps to explain how youths are represented, when you think of teens and people in their early 20's we associate them with being foolish, intimidating and disruptive, this is called a stereotype. And this means that us as the viewer automatically feels a certain way about a character, before they even meet them just by stereotypes.  An example of the use of the dyer theory in this film opening is that the young dance crew, who are wearing caps and edgy clothes (which stereotypical youths would wear, so the viewer instantly knows that the characters are young) are seen jumping on strangers cars. This represents that the media nowadays believe that the younger generations are damaging and mistreating the world they live in. Almost like how they are damaging the cars.

Whose representation it is, i think is maybe an older person maybe who is middle aged. Because generally the people who have this stereotype of the younger generations are older people. But then in some scenes of the film opening it reflects the interest of the younger people who are dancing because they are almost trying to put across that they have to cause disruption to be able to be seen and taking seriously by older generations. Because younger generations are seen in society as not as knowledgeable or as powerful as their elders, so they are trying to prove them wrong by causing disruption and showing them the dancing talent that they have.

People make sense of the representation in this opening scene because they already associate this stereotype of teens and so can see that the editor is trying to represent youth and how younger generation want to have a voice too. Considering Barthes concept in this idea of youth it shows that his idea of myth does not occur in this clip because it is trying to show that life is not easy and that it is not all like a fairy tale. And making reference to Mulvey's theory on male gaze towards a women is shown is this clip but in a more modern approach, when there is a scene where the females are dancing and male onlookers on the street are admiring them dancing. But there is also women watching the females dance which could represent equality and that women in the modern world are not there for a males pleasure.

There are few uses of semiotics in this film opening, one of these signs is the use of cameras which represents how the dance crew want people to see them and want to make a statement to the entire internet. Through this film opening I have learnt about the overall representation of the signs and there meanings. I have learnt that the characters want to make a statement that even though they are young they can use the power of technology to gain more attention and be more powerful.

I believe I have received the meaning of the film through negotiated meaning because when me as the audience watch the clip it shows younger generations as being rebellious and disruptful so I automatically feel a certain way about the characters before even have the choice to make my mind up for myself. Also before I've even watched the clip the piece in the title that says "revolution" already makes us feel that the characters are going to be rebellious. This is the theory of Stuart Hall who believes that the text influences the audience and alters their opinion.

This is my view on the representations in the film opening of Step Up: Revolution.