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The LGBTQ is a community I am considering representing within my project. The acronym LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning and/or queer. It is also commonly referred to as the gay/queer community, utilizing gay and queer as an umbrella term. The group represents people of different genders and sexualities other than heterosexual and cisgendered.

The Way He Looks (2014) depicts a young, blind, Brazilian boy. He is often made fun of for his disability. He later realizes he is gay after developing a relationship with a classmate. His best friend disagrees with the relationship, due to jealousy and the fear of being replaced. The teen faces lots of bullying from the individuals at his school, but by the end, he learned to accept and ignore them, as well as come to terms with his relationship and healed his friendship. Overall, the boy is represented as a normal teenage boy, however, he has a disability. He faces the problem of bullying (however, not for his sexuality) and has a female best friend.

Moonlight (2016) follows the life of a young black boy from childhood to adulthood. Throughout his life, he slowly realizes he is gay and is even romantically involved with a friend during his teen years. He is grown up with a mother that has a drug-addiction, faced bullying, had a parental figure of a drug-dealer that helped guide him, and grew up to be one himself. In his adulthood, he meets the man he had the intimate interaction within a restaurant and he learns to accept his sexuality. Ultimately, the man is represented as going through the common life of a black person who lives in poverty, faces bullying for his sexuality, and goes through denial and confusion of his sexuality (internalized homophobia).

Typically gay men are depicted and known as their stereotype, with feminine gender expression, dramatic behavior, over-expressive hand gestures, and a valley-girl like accent. They are also usually white (in broadcasting, cable, and streaming services, more than 60% of the LGBTQ individuals shown were white). Unlike the typical representation, in “The Way He Looks”, one of them has a disability, which, disabilities are not commonly represented in the first place. The boys are also Brazilian, which breaks the white gay man stereotype, however, both boys are light-skinned and white-passing. Gay men are usually depicted as a girl’s best friend, and the main character of the film is indeed best friends with a girl, however, rather than being a side character of the gay best friend of a female protagonist, he is the protagonist of the film. Not to mention, not often are gay men actually shown getting involved in intimate and loving relationships as most are just shown as side characters. I believe this movie fairly represented a gay relationship, as it is shown and developed like any other heterosexual relationship. However, it could have done a better job showing what troubles LGBTQ individuals go through, regarding their sexuality.

Additionally, moonlight is special in its representation as it depicts a gay black man. Black individuals, on top of not being commonly represented in mainstream media (However, the representation is growing), gay black men are rarely shown. The representation also showed him going through both struggles regarding sexuality and living in a poor black neighborhood. The man is also quite masculine presenting, which is also uncommon in depictions of feminine, skinny gay men. He is also seen hanging out with boys rather than girls; Gay men and boys are often seen being friends with girls rather than boys as they are shown more in touch with feminine attributes. I believe the way the LGBTQ community is represented in this film is excellently done and really shows the experiences of an LGBTQ person while also highlighting experiences of another minority group, which shows that LGBTQ people could be of any color and gender expression, not just white and feminine.

I would retain the representation characteristics of showing LGBTQ people with disabilities, different ethnicities, races, and gender expressions because it shows how diverse the LGBTQ community actually is, and how anyone can be a part of the community no matter their background. I would challenge showing more transgender people in the media, as they are the least represented people in the LGBTQ community and seeing more queer women in the media that are not overly sexualized to appeal to a male audience. I would also challenge the media to show more intimacy and love between the LGBTQ individuals. As much as there is romance and intimacy implied, overall very little is visually shown in my two examples compared to how much would be shown of a heterosexual relationship.

LGBTQ-topic[PDF]. (2018, March 8).

WWAT GLAAD 2017-2018[PDF]. (n.d.). GLAAD.

SOURCES:

WWAT GLAAD 2017-2018[PDF]. (n.d.). GLAAD.

LGBTQ-topic [PDF]. (2018, March 8).

LGBTQ-topic[PDF]. (2018, March 8).

WWAT GLAAD 2017-2018[PDF]. (n.d.). GLAAD.

LGBTQ-topic[PDF]. (2018, March 8).

WWAT GLAAD 2017-2018[PDF]. (n.d.). GLAAD.

Genre Research - Fantasy

December 06, 2018

🦄 FANTASY 🦄

GENRE CONVENTIONS - CONTENT

An aspect of the content that characterizes the fantasy genre are the defiance of the laws of science
and human capability, which goes hand in hand with the story and plot of the films in their
mythological and unrealistic qualities. This includes mystical and otherworldly forces that cannot be
explained in a realistic context such as magic.

EX: The magical forces in Harry Potter

The story can take place within a main character’s imagination, dream, or hallucination and takes place
in reality for an extremely short amount of time. Otherwise, the entire story takes place in an unreal and
magical setting. Often they are set in kingdoms and forest environments. Many stories in fantasy films
are inspired by myth, legend, and fairy tales. There can be an assortment of magical objects used and
seen in the films such as magic wands and spells and mystical weapons, to name a few.

EX: Alice in Wonderland. Alice goes from a party to falling down a rabbit hole to Wonderland, a mystical
world

Common character types in the fantasy genre are spirits, witches, monsters, ogres, fairies, gods, angels,
gnomes, dragons. dwarves, elves, magicians/sorcerers, and princes/princesses (royalty). Animals are
often personified as characters as well. They can either be enemies or friends of the main character. In
these stories where the context is coming from a realistic to a fantastical world, the protagonist is normally
quite ordinary but finds themselves in this otherworldly atmosphere where they have a heroic responsibility
and are usually in denial of their surroundings and mission at first, as well as portrayed as cowardly.
Protagonists coming from the imaginative world in itself can also deny their destiny and adventure in the
beginning. However, later on in the story, the heroes accept their responsibility and show courage and
strength. There is a self-fulfilling prophecy throughout many fantasy films.

EX: Aslan, a personified lion character in Narnia

GENRE CONVENTIONS - PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

The production techniques are utilized to achieve the fantasy genre’s goal, to create an imaginative
experience for the audience and fill them with wonder.

There is a large emphasis and importance on the art direction of the film. The escapism aspect of
fantasy into an entirely imaginary world means that in order to make the fictional story come to life,
the creation of the immersive and creative mise-en-scene elements have great importance. This
includes but is not limited to props, set design, special effects, and costume design. Advanced
cinematic technology is used to easily create extraordinary effects for the movie.

EX: The special effects in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory to create the chocolate river in the
movie and the surroundings

EX: The art direction and set design sketches for one of the first environments shown in the chocolate
factory, which was full of candy made natural structures

The lighting and color is also altered to create the mood of the fantastical environments and even give a
tone of good or evil.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2005

ADAMSON

The Narnia film encapsulates the fantasy genre in many ways. The characters in the film originate from
a realistic setting and go into a fantastical one as they come from the inside of their normal house through
the wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There is a presence of witches and magic in the character
Jadis, the white witch that had froze Narnia. There are other mythical creatures in the film as well such as
centaurs, minotaurs, and unicorns, completely imaginative characters often found in medieval folklore.
Another main character, Aslan, is a talking, personified character of a lion. There is an implied presence of
royalty as well as destiny and prophecy in the story as the four children are said to be destined to rule over
Narnia and save them from the witch. Much of the story is set in a forest and a kingdom. There are many
special effects (the CGI Aslan and the replication of soldiers to make it seem like a bigger army) and a well
thought out mise-en-scene that fits the imagery of the narrative the movie is based on like the snowy forest
(set design) and the prosthetic and makeup to make Tumnus the centaur (costume design). The lack of color
and bright lighting with an abundance of white and light blues represented the evil white witch while the
more earth-toned and brighter colors with natural lighting represented the good of the citizens of Narnia.

Spirited Away

2001

MIYAZAKI

Miyazaki’s spirited away is first introduced in reality then the main character Chihiro supposedly is in a
dream (revealed at the end) after getting lost in a field beyond a river. She finds herself in a mystical world
with a bathhouse for imaginative characters like spirits and monsters, that is staffed by women and strange
frog-like men. It is run by an evil witch named Yubaba and she also along the way meets a personified character
of a mouse and a fly, and a spirit named No face. There is also a spiderman who helps run the electricity and
little-personified balls of soot called soot sprites. She means a boy named Haku, who is also cursed to become
a dragon and obey Yubaba’s orders. There is a presence of magic and mystical forces in Yubaba’s magic and
No face’s production of gold and coins. The mise-en-scene is deeply thought out and created with great detail
from the environments shown of the entire creation of the bathhouse and the layout inside, the marketplace,
Yubaba’s room, not to mention the imaginative character design of the many creatures that visit the bathhouse.
The film overall captures the essence of fantasy through its immersive and detailed environments with the
mise-en-scene, the transition from a realistic to a fantastical setting, and the many different fictional characters
and magic forces and powers.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

YATES
2016

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
DEBLOIS, SANDERS
2010
Image result for how to train your dragon

PAN'S LABYRINTH
DEL TORO
2006
Image result for pan's labyrinth

THE HOBBIT
JACKSON
2012

Image result for THE HOBBIT

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
CSUPO
2007
Image result for bridge to terabithia

sources:

Butler, D. (2018, November 20). Fantasy. Retrieved December 6, 2018, from http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-0192.xml#backToTop

Fantasy Films. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2018, from https://www.filmsite.org/fantasyfilms.html

Three different Conventions of the Fantasy film genre. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2018, from https://siobhannmediastudies.weebly.com/blog/three-different-conventions-of-the-fantasy-film-genre

Genre Research Activity - Science Fiction

November 14, 2018

🌟SCIENCE FICTION🌟

🝒 Genre Conventions: Content

Regarding the narrative elements of a sci-film, there is usually a distinct conflict of good vs.evil. The conflicts also commonly have to do with advanced science (hence the name of the genre) and technology (for example: robots and flying cars), human nature, the environment, personal individuality, social organizations and politics, and the power and danger of knowledge. The narrative can also relate to time travel and space.

Star Wars, a science fiction film, shows a distinct conflict of good or evil with the light and dark side, has advanced technology, reflects on social organizations with the rebellion, and is set in outer space.

Settings that are used vary in time, like be set in the past or an alternative present, but is usually set in the future. Some of these films may even be of a prophetic future that presents a likely possible upcoming reality, usually to warn society of the negatives of advancement, especially in technology, and many times showing humanity’s anxiety of its ever-increasing power. Sci-fi films also commonly use the setting of outer space and alternate universes.

Bizzare characters and creatures like aliens and beasts are frequently shown. Characters are memorable and iconic to the film and its story. The main characters are typically put on an extensive and impossible seeming journey to defeat the “evil”. There is normally one main hero of the story, along with sidekicks/companions while they go along their quest as well as one main antagonist that may be a leader of a group.

The alien character in the Alien movies is a strange creature and plays the main antagonist in the movie and is iconic to the film and its franchise.

Frequently, science fiction films may also have narrative elements that reflect on contemporary events and issues of the time the film is being created, such as war and climate change.

🝒 Genre Conventions: Production Techniques

Science fiction films often rely heavily on the most advanced technology film
has to offer to create the best wanted and immersive atmosphere. Because
of this, films frequently take a classicism approach to their production, which
is presented as a middle ground between formalism and realism, showing
an evident fictional story, characters, and universe but presenting it in a way
to make it look like reality.

Sci-fi films, as they focus on showing a fictional universe, use lots of special
effects, both visual (such as CGI) and practical (such as makeup), in order to
make their surreal worlds come to life.

Star Wars, one of the most beloved science fiction films of all time, utilized lots of practical effects (In the image: Showing the surface of the death star by building a textured surface and showing the battle impacts on a smaller scale) to create the impressive visuals for the time of its creation.

This is an example of CGI from Star Wars. The puppet Yoda made as a practical effect was replaced by a CGI Yoda to create a more realistic portrayal of the character.

To complete the same goal, the production also includes skillful production
design, costume, and art direction to ensure that the endeavor of portraying
the imaginative setting is done successfully. Iconic props that are of advanced
technology is common. The mise en scene makes the imaginative qualities
of sci-fi films come to life.

To create unsettling environments, especially in dystopian sci-fi films,

desaturated cool tones are used. Futuristic environments to create a

feeling of sterility often use lots of white. But overall, color can vary upon
different environments attempted to be made.

🝒 Institutional Conventions

The target audience for science fiction films can range as science fiction
can touch on a broad topic of subjects that can appeal to everyone.
However, it can vary on the harshness of the story. Some movies such as
Back to the Future and ET, both released in the 1980s, targeted towards
family audiences with light and heartwarming stories. However, the Matrix

and Alien are targeted towards more mature audiences.

Many science fiction movies have sequels and/or recreations to create a
franchise rather than a single film that can be profitable for a long time.

Because of the lovable and memorable characters of many sci-fi films,
marketing could be focused on the characters. Merchandise of them could
bring in large profits.

Modern sci-fi films often use well-known and respected actors and actresses
to sell the story to the people. The main hero/protagonist that they play is
usually in the middle of the movie posters. Iconic imagery from the film, like
advanced technology and inventions, as well as the potential of insight into
the scientific and futuristic setting of the film, may also be shown. This could
encourage the viewer to see the movie by giving a glimpse of the movie’s
story to be told.

These movies posters promoting the movies Alien and E.T. show iconic iconography from both of the films. Both also show how they are about extraterrestrial alien creatures.

The movie posters for Interstellar and The Martian depict two well-respected actors, Matthew McConaughey and Matt Damon to encourage people to watch the film to watch them.

This poster for Tom Cruise's Oblivion shows a view into the setting of the story, a strangely altered environment.

Marketing is also focused on attracting people through the special immersive, visionary, and otherworldly experience that sci-fi provides.

☾ Une Voyage Dans la Lune ☽
(1902)
George Méliès

The director, George Melies is considered to be the “Father of Science Fiction”. The film depicts a story of astronauts on a mission of traveling into space to the moon. Not only does the narrative show advanced technology and science of its time in the ambitious endeavor of going to the moon, but also follows the convention of using the highest film technological advancements at the time and many special effects to create interesting setting transitions and emphasize certain actions. Melies discovered how to do these effects when his camera was dropped and got jammed, accidentally creating a disappearing effect and also used stop motion. Additionally, the fantastical, fictional elements of the imaginative settings on the moon, the personification of the moon, and the odd alien men that the astronauts encounter add to the film fitting into the sci-fi genre. Being a formalist film, the art direction and mise-en-scene were greatly taken account into like most sci-fi films (except sci-fi films, especially modern ones, are mainly classicist).

Image result for une voyage dans la lune

💫Wall-E 💫

(2008)

Andrew Stanton

The animated Pixar movie, Wall-E, shows a prophetic future of the earth while following the journey of a trash compressing robot. The elements of this film that make it science fiction are being set in a prognostic reality, reflecting on the modern issue of overwhelming waste production, and having advanced technology like the abundance of robots, a large spacecraft, and efficient technological services for the passengers. Like most Sci-fi films, it depicts a lovable protagonist named Wall-E along with an arrangement of memorable companions like his love interest Eve and the humans and robots he befriends on the Axium (the ship). Most of the story also takes place in outer space in the technologically advanced, futuristic setting of the spaceship, common elements of science fiction films.

🟄OTHER SCIENCE FICTION FILMS🟄

2001: A Space Odyssey

1968

Stanley Kubrick

Gravity

2013

Alfonso Cuaron

Avatar

2009

James Cameron

District 9

2009

Neill Blomkamp

Star Trek: First Contact

1996

Jonathan Frakes

SOURCES

- 5 Ways to Nail the Sci-Fi Look. (2015, November 18). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/5-ways-to-nail-the-sci-fi-look/

- Bain, N. (2013, December 01). Science fiction conventions. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.slideshare.net/Nikchik89/science-fiction-conventions

- Murray, A. (2016, January 30). Sci-fi Target Audiences. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/AndrewMurray53/scifi-target-audiences

- Parkes, M. (n.d.). Science-Fiction-Cinema-Booklet-Day-Course[PDF].

- Parkes, M. (2014, December 09). Science Fiction Cinema Part Three. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://prezi.com/cxgiaq_rq88l/science-fiction-cinema-part-three/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

- Realism / Formalism / Classicism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from http://www.prettygoodfilms.com/realismformalism.html

- Revolvy, L. (n.d.). "Outline of science fiction" on Revolvy.com. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.revolvy.com/page/Outline-of-science-fiction

- What Are Special Effects? The Different Types Of Special Effects in Film. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://zoomdune.com/what-are-special-effects-the-different-types-of-special-effects-in-film/

- Film Genres: Science fiction. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/filmgenres/scifi

- Clapp, J. (n.d.). Science Fiction Film Genre[Pptx].

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Posts

🌈REPRESENTATION - LGBTQ+🌈

Genre Research - Fantasy

🦄 FANTASY 🦄

Genre Research Activity - Science Fiction

🌟SCIENCE FICTION🌟