Bethany Stacey

THEORISTS AND THEORIES

In 1975, Laura Mulvey formed a Theory in her essay published in 1975 called the 'male gaze' which showed the theme of music videos using female body. Her article "Visual pleasure and narrative cinema" was published and argued that the voyeuristic way of looking at other people is encouraged in the cinema. This encouragement of the male gaze in classic Hollywood 1970's cinema was made up of 5 features according to Laura Mulvey.

The main five features are:

• The camera (the audience's vision) is focused upon the female body in particular and follows the curves of the body.

• During the film if a significant event happens to a female character it will be show in the male characters reaction to the event instead of the females view of the situation.

• The female characters of the film industry are treated as objects and not as real people that play a part in the narrative of the story.

• The narrative of the story is shown through the male characters view of the events and the audience are encouraged to look at the story in this way.

• The Female characters in cinema are seen as weak and in need of the Male

THE MALE GAZE

There are three parts of the Male Gaze:

Men looking at women. This can be in a sexual or non-sexual way however includes women looking at other female characters in cinema and film and then comparing them to real people in the world and themselves.

Women looking at themselves negatively. This is where the audience (as males) are looking at the female body in media. The camera follows the females curves and the body of the female.

Women looking at women. This is where the audience (as females) watch the media source and respond negatively to the shots shown as they look at the characters body and then compare themselves to this character in the media and aspire to want to look like them or act like them.

An example of this is:

THE MALE GAZE

https://youtu.be/y0V8hDBEVPU

BUCKINGHAM found that traditionally genres were regarded as fixed forms, but contemporary theory emphasises that both their forms and functions are dynamic. They also argue that "genre is not simply 'given' by the culture: rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change”. Changes in genre, reflect changes in society.

This therorist says that "There is no such thing as 'pure' genre anymore" it's progressive and will always change. He says that genre conventions are a thing of the past . Audiences have no become tired of the same formula and styles. 'Hybridisation'- or genres 'borrowing' conventions from one another and thus being much more difficult to categorise.

argues that genres are recognized through the repeated use of generic codes and conventions, as how we as the audience know a horror film is a horror film. He suggests that the types of conventions found in genres might be grouped within the following categories: • Iconography: Symbolic forms associated with the genre, E.g. a bomb will be associated with the middle east.• Narrative: Structure open/closed. The narrative is known and can be followed. • Representations: Characters/stereotypes. The character stereotypes that we expect that type of person to have that kind of role. • Ideologies: Beliefs and ideas of the 'ideal' concept, themes. Superhero is celebrated at the end of a film

Genre attempts to structure some order into a wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in one culture for the conveniences of both producers and an audiences.

The same texts can belong to different genres in different countries or times.

OTHER THEORISTS

ALTMAN

RYALL

FRISKE

HARTLEY