Representation Analysis

The hit Netflix original Never Have I Ever stereotypes an Indian family living in America. The protagonist Devi is a first-generation American, and her family follows many Indian traditions. She is stereotyped by having the need to have perfect grades and only date an Indian boy. Devi also feels this pressure her entire life that she had to go to Princeton. Again, it is stereotypical that since Devi is Indian, an Ivey Lee college is forced upon her. It's not just Devi who is stereotyped; the entire family is. Her cousin is forced into an arranged marriage, which is stereotyping that Indians can only have an arranged marriage. Davi's dad also uses a fake Indian accent, which is concerning as not all Indians need to have an accent. The entire idea of Indians living up to certain stereotypes is not representative at all.

On the bright side, there is a great representation of people with Down syndrome. Paxton's sister has Down syndrome in the show. She is shown in a good light, as she doesn't let her disability define her. She works at Old Navy and shows a true passion for passion. It's one of the things she and Devi bonded about. She aspires to be a fashion designer, and it shows how people with Down syndrome can be whatever they want and don't let their disability define themselves.

There is also representation of the LGBTQ+ community, as one of Devi's best friends, Fabiola, is lesbian. She is shown in the beginning to be a little nervous to come out, but after seeing how supportive her friends were, she felt more comfortable. Netflix did a good job of having Fabiola represent that the LGBTQ+ community can be welcomed and included rather than being the outcast. Fabiola is shown having a few girlfriends throughout the duration of the show, making the show very inclusive. Having Fabiola also helped others come out while watching the show.              Link to scene video

Representation is also shown for women. In Never Have I Ever, women in STEM are one of the main motifs throughout the TV show. Devis' cousin is a biologist and felt sexism during her time in the lab. She had to prove to men that she was just as smart, and sometimes even smarter. She proved that her talents had no relation to her gender. Fabiola is also a woman in STEM. She is part of robotics at her school and was frowned upon when she first joined the club. She had to prove that she was smarter than all of the boys there and then encourage other girls at her school to join.

 

Overall, in the show, the women are very strong. Devi's mom became a widow and never let her go. Shed continued to be a strong, independent woman, although many people took pity on her as she had recently lost her husband. Devi became paralyzed from the waist down, and everyone told her she would never walk again, but she proved them all wrong and persisted until she did. The women in the show confidently proved everyone wrong and were represented very well.

Genre Research Activity

 What is a Comedy Genre? 

    Comedy genres are filled with humor, joy, and laughter. You typically see comedy in a play, film, books and tv. Comedy is a well loved genre as it makes the audience happy. The typical audience for comedy is young adults ages 15-24. Comedies usually take place in a 'typical environment like school and home. This allows for viewers to relate to characters while they embarrass themselves. People are easily drawn to comedies because they cheer one up. One can be upset in their own life but once they immerse themselves in a comedy they cheer up.

Topic:

    The use of word play is predominant in comedy. It is used to create witty dialogue which viewers love in a comedy. Puns are used throughout comedies. They are most common, they use words that sound the same but mean something different or homophones. For example, quail (the bird) and quail (to cringe.)  The protagonist in the comedy genre is important. They're displayed as an 'average man' so the audience can relate to them. There us also usually a conflict with themselves or the world to help crate the plot. 

Annie Hall is a perfect example of a comedy film that uses puns and witty humor. 

Narrative Image:

    Visual puns are used throughout comedy. There is a literal image presented of a common phrase or idea. For example my hands were so cold they felt like icicles. You would then see the characters hands frozen. Exaggeration is also commonly used. It increases features to add humor. For example; over the top facial expressions. Relatability is used throughout the comedy genre. Being relatable chimes into the viewers personally experiences making the humor approachable to a wide variety of people.

SpaceBalls is a great example of a film that uses visual puns and exaggeration to create a unique sense of humor.

 Marketing:

    The typical audience being young adults ages 15-24, advertising is geared toward them. This is the usual audience as the jokes being made during films are usually filled with more youth, which target young adults. Both men and women enjoy comedies as they are targeted to both of them. Everyone enjoys smiling which is the aim of comedy.    

    Comedy film posters usually involve bright, vibrant colors. This represents fun and creates a cheerful mood. They also help to grasp attention from viewers. The font is usually fun and different, not a normal font. It may be bold or quirky to represent comedy. There are cartoon-like element involved on the poster. The protagonist is often in a silly or over the top situation which is featured on the poster. This draws in viewers as they get a glimpse into the fun of the film. There is also visual smiles and laughing on comedy posters. The characters are seen having a good time which displays the light hearted mood throughout the film. 

Examples of Movie posters:

The Sandlot (1933)

Daddy Day Care (2003)

 

The Hangover (2009)

Samples:

White Chicks is a classic comedy film. Released in 2004 White Chicks is a fan favorite. The film follows 2 African American FBI agents who go under cover as two white teenage females to help solve a case. The two men have to transform from African American strong men to petite white spoiled teenage girls. They have to live a week in the Hamptons for a fashion event. The men have to live in the girls shoes and keep up with their lavish life style. The men have to go on dates. shop, and have sleepovers just like the two girls they're posing as would. It bring laughs to everyone who watches it as the men and dressed up as teenage girls and acting like them. This film is known for their use of make up to transform the men. There is large amount of prosthetics and make up used in White Chicks. The men were put into full-face silicone masks, wigs and intricate make up to play the role of the two teen girls. Special effect teams along with make up artists work tirelessly to transform the two men. Costume design was also crucial. The protagonist outfits were carefully curated to represent feminine features that were trendy and well accessorized. The sound track also plays a role in the comedic aspect. Using well known songs of that time add humor to the overall vibe of the movie.

 

Grown Ups is a prime example of a comedy movie. Featuring Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Chris Rock this film is ensured to be hilarious. Grown Ups follows a group of 5 boys who are childhood friends. They played together on a basketball team and reunite years later at a lake house to honor their basketball coach who had recently passed. They brought their entire families and joked around as if they were kids again. The film explores the men childish behaviors as they bond and reminisce on their times as kids. They're also faced with adult challenges along the way. It is light hearted, humorous and brings the viewer nostalgia. It keeps the viewers young at heart just as the main characters are. One of the main techniques that was used was casting. Choosing well-known actors that are known for comedy contributes to the appeal of the film. Costume design plays a huge role is portraying the characters personality. They also help individualized them and connect with the viewer. Grown ups tunes into the theme of nostalgia. The context of childhood friends reuniting adds to the depth of the characters as well as their interactions. 

Sound Project

       Hi! This weeks assignment was to create a 1-2 minute scene that comprised of action that would actually happen in 1-2 minutes. We have to convey the scene using only sound including 4 of our own Foley sounds. We were instructed to create detailed outline of what sounds we were going to use. The project calls for layering to create a sense of realism in the sound. 

    My partner Agam and I started to brainstorm. We thought we could create a lot of layers if our scene was about a women closing up her bar. After multiple re-writes of our outline we finally got it down with full detail. First we had to create a detailed outline. This was hard because we didn't realize how much detail actually had to be put into it. After a few re writes we finally got it down. Here it is:

 We began to collect and create sounds for our project online. The 4 Foley sounds we made was the women walking, the sound of rain, placing down cups and sweeping. We used heals to create the women walking, poured rice to create the sound of rain, glass cups on concrete to create the sound of placing cups, and wet paint brushes to create sweeping sounds. 

    Our scene starts off with the women saying "last call" as people start to leave the bar. The women changes the music and locks the door as she starts to clean up. She finally is able to leave as she grabs her keys and zips up her coat to go outside into the pouring rain. She runs to her car and turns on her car. 

    Something that was difficult for us was to do was create a scene with a lot of layers. It took us multiple attempts to come up with a good, detailed idea. Something that we did well was collecting and putting the sounds together. Our project was able to flow smoothly once we got our idea perfect. 

Here's our project:

One Word Film

     Hello! This week's assignment was One Word Film. The directions are simple; create a 1-1.5 minute film conveying your assigned word but, no dialogue is allowed. We were instructed to pick a partner and then assigned a word. They assigned my partner Samantha and I pessimistic. Pessimistic' definition is to see the worst outlook on things. Now that we received our word assignment, we had to brainstorm what our film would be about. It took us a few minutes until we finally came across our idea. 

    We discovered the idea to feature a teenage girl contemplating on posting on social media. She becomes overwhelmingly stressed. She thinks about all the awful messages she would get if she were to post it. She almost has a panic attack when she just decides not to post it. 

    Looking back on the project, we did very well conveying our idea, but it was difficult at the moment. The most difficult part for us was using 0 dialogue or words. It made us think deeper on how to use shots and composition to create our film. Overall, our film moved swiftly and accurately conveyed our word: pessimistic. 

Click Here to watch our project

Camera Shots Quiz

     Hi! Today, the assignment we were assigned was the "Camera Shots Quiz" project. Which was to create our own creative story using specific shots to demonstrate our idea and develop tone. We were instructed to use inanimate objects, use a minimum of 15 shots, and put everything into a PowerPoint presentation with a description of each shot and what it was used for in the story.

   First, my partner and I had to think of a story to do our project on. This was relatively one of the hardest parts for us. We understood the curriculum and the instructions for the project but just couldn't come up with any ideas for a story. Finally, we sparked the idea to use two highlighters to create a love story. We created a list of different shots and the context in which they would be used. Finally, we put it all together and created our PowerPoint presentation. We added the name of each shot used and a description of how it was used.

.    Reminiscing on the project, I think we did well, but there was room for improvement. We spent a lot of time focusing on the plot of the story rather than the quality of the shots. We ended up being a little rushed to complete the shots. If I were to do this project again, I wouldn't overthink the story line as much and focus more on the quality of my shots. Although we did rush, we did well conveying the story and describing the shots within the PowerPoint. Since we understood the shots and how they're meant to be used, completing the power point was a piece of cake.

    Here's a link to my "Camera Shots Quiz" project:     

Camera Shot Quiz Power Point

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Paige and i'm creating this blog for my Aice Media class. This is my first post of many and I will be documenting my studies in this class. I am excited for what's to come and can't wait to share my journey along the way.