Sunday 1 November 2009

Critical Investigation

For my Critical Investigation I will be answering the question "To what extent have black actors been represented positively in contemporary films today, such as The Pursuit of Happyness in contrast to the representation of black actors in 70's films?. This will allow me to explore the positive and negative representation and stereotypes of black actors throughout time and how they have adapted and changed our society within the film industry.

Linked Production

My Linked Production will be working with a partner for this part of my work and this will include us in creating a 2 page magazine article discussing the ways in which black people are represented within today's society and putting forth the question of whether these representations could show any relation to those created in the contemporary media.


M.I.G.R.A.I.N Analysis

Media Language

For my Critical Investigation I will be using a wide range of media vocabulary to explore my question from different angels, this will allow me to express my opinions when needed and give clear evidence using examples from other texts i.e. referring to another media platforms like print. Media Language will be significant when trying to answer my question as it will allow me to highlight words like connotations and denotations to refer to the importance of characters within the films I will be studying.

Institution

Institution will be a major factor within my study of both my critical investigation and linked production as it will allow me to investigate different establishments that may raise awareness around the issues surrounding black actors, for example looking at a range of magazine articles that are dedicated to focus of the achievements of black actors. Institution will allow me to focus on different elements and approaches I would undertake i.e. looking at film institutions that produce many ethnic films investigate how this could apply to my CI question.

Genre


For my Critical Investigation I will not be basing my film upon on genre but will be ranging from a wide range of genres like Action, Drama and Fantasy films when answering the question as this will allow me to compare different elements of the two films using media language and other wide media concepts.


Representations

When answering my question for my CI I will be exploring the wide range of representations and stereotypes that accompany black actors on screen and off, this will allow me to discuss what affects have the hegemony dominated groups effected the way black actors are portrayed within films. This will give me a chance to explore both the positive and negative influences black actors have had upon society. Some of the representations that I will be focusing on will be the positive influences black actors have had upon our society and this term will conjoin with the audience that it will appeal with. Using Marxist theory, he states that the media includes the analysis of representation in the mass media (e.g. political coverage or social groups) in order to reveal underlying ideologies and this will allow to me to explore his theory to uncover and answer my question to what extent To what extent have black actors been represented positively in contemporary films today, such as The Pursuit of Happyness in contrast to the representation of black actors in 70's films?

Audience

The CI will surround the issues affecting audience as this will show how it influences the audiences perspective upon my text. As my text surrounds ethnic minorities such as black people, this will allow a wider audience to become more involved as they would be able to relate to the text and create personal identification with the characters portrayed thus creating a wide audience range. It may also allow them to form opinions and ideas about the text as it will allow them to express a lot of emotions when comparing the difference between the representations of black actors in 70's films in contrast to contemporary films, which will show the many aspects of change that has occurred over time and how the audience have been able to adapt to this change.

Ideologies

The ideologies and values that will be pinning behind this question will be based upon the institutions ideas regarding the representations and stereotypes that have changed and made actors who they are today. Many ideas will come from real life experiences for example The Pursuit of Happyness portrays a man's life of hardship and struggle and his outcomes, this was then transformed into a film for the audience to see and reflect and identify. The reasons as to why they have decided to do this will be part of my investigation and showcasing this within my CI as this will be a major factor that will allow me to assess and answer my question.

Narrative

For the CI I will also be looking at how the narrative has been constructed within films to portray the black actors as protagonist heroes so the audience can look up to them and use them as a source of escapism. Using Vladimir Propp's character theory I will be also to identify the roles in which black actors play within both the contemporary films and how it has changed from the way they have been represented in the 70's films for example how they would play a minor role like the tritagonist in films in comparison to playing the protagonist within contemporary films. I will also be looking at how and why these roles have changed as to how they have affected society and the audiences perceptive have changed along with the adaption of black actors amongst many screens in many countries.


S.H.E.P Analysis

Social

The social issue effecting the representation of black actors is that how it will effect the audience and how they have adapted to the change over time, and whether the positive representations have become a good thing for a wider audience to appeal to. That is one of the many questions that will effect how society have been able to allow and come to understand black actors within contemporary films in contrast to 70's films.

Historical

For my CI, I will be comparing the difference in contemporary films when representing black actors in contrast to the negative representations of black actors in 70's films and how this has changed over time. This will allow me to look at many films from the 70's up to now and compare how black characters were created and have changed from tritagonist to protagonist's and how their roles have shaped what the film industry is about. This will also allow me to reflect on both the positive and negative issues surrounding this area, for example from the negative representations of black actors within 70's and how they have changed through the institutions changing and allowing black actors to adapt to this change and form society into a liberal place where black people have been given the right to play equal characters along white actors and I will be referencing through many films like I Am Legend and The Pursuit of Happyness etc. with contrast to actors like Morgan Freeman and Whoopi Goldberg.

Economical

This will allow me to assess the way black actors have now been able to receive incomes as equal as to white actors and how making high budget films have allowed them to reach the point in where they are treated equally, but not the same as white actors. For example Will Smith had started off with a TV sitcom and is now a notable actor portraying many roles within films allowing him to make high earning money within Hollywood. I will also be looking at how black actors have become so famous and allowed institutions to grow and become conglomerate due to these well known actors having so many fans appreciating their work and allowing institutions to become more popular.

Political

For my critical investigation, I will be discussing how black actors have changed and created political issues within society in reference to the achievement of black actors and in accordance to the president of America Obama.

Issues, Debates and Media Theories

Using both Liberalism and Pluralism a long with some of Marxism theory I am able to establish the role in which black actors have come to form within today's society and have changed the audiences experiences and relations over time through a controlled hegemony society that have been in long fighting for their Independence upon dominated groups. Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history.
Pluralism is the belief that democracy is a balancing structure between all of the different interest groups within society. Pluralism is also the view that where a society is comprised of a wide range of social and ethnic groups with different values, political, ideologiacal beliefs and representations by the media will naturally reflect this diversity. Difference in opinions allow me to state how over time society have been able to adapt to the representations of black actors and changed the negative steroytpes into positive one through conglomarate institutions handling the way people see and portray characters to create real stories and change opinions and shape society into what it is and has become. A more liberal socity still maintained and controlled in allowing people into becoming who they want to be.


This study fits into the contemporary media landscape because it reflects the representations of black actors within comtemporary film in contrast to 70's films within this hegemony society and how this has affected the audience's interpretations of media ideologies and values.

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