Research into Stock Characters Profiles

Stock Character Profiles

This task was to do research of stock character profiles across a number of Horror Slasher movies, finding the definition for the different type of stock characters and where they were found.

Character Profiles Using Celtx

Planning Process using Celtx 

In today's lesson I had to navigate Celtx into creating character profiles for my production. This involved creating and coming up with different ideas that can then be developed into further ideas by the help of my group when discussed, as we had to individually create character profiles then come together deciding on what we will keep or change . 

Character profile development

Planning of character profile

From the second Film's Cool session I used the information Jesse gave me on my character profile development.

- Personality type: Conniving, very sly as she doesn't show 'the real her' to her friends
- Love Problems: Not able to hold on to real friendships because she continues to relive the academic years. In which this means she meets a new set of friends.
- Life Profession, wants and needs: Feels the need to kill everyone close to her so they can stay with her and not move on, in terms of going to University

"If your not able to put your work into one name or title this suggest that your work can be improved" Jesse - Said this to my group on the day of our session. This has had a positive effect on my planning in terms of what and how I can do things to improve my work.

Film's Cool - Sesssion 2

Today's session was really exciting for me. In Film's Cool we were introduced to a successful and professional writer called Jesse O'Mahoney.
In the first half of the session he gave the class an insight of what he does and some of the work he has done. Jesse has written for TV soaps such as Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

After having a conversation with him with my group on our ideas and production work Jesse gave us advice on what to consider in which building our character profiles. This consisted of the 3P's:
- Personality type
- Love problem
- Life profession

In the second half of the session a podcast was done on Jesse where the class asked him questions about his career and how it begun and he answered them in a professional manner.  

Planning for a production - My Group

My Group

The first step of my production plan was to choose a group I would like to work with to develop ideas to be successful throughout the duration of the course.

The two individuals that I decided to work with were; Mabinty and Temi. My reasons for this is because they both have numerous amount of strengths and skills that can be brought to the group in order to have a successful production

Temi's Strengths
- Analysis skills
- Storyboards
- Performing arts A level
- Creating set pieces

My Interest/Strengths
- Good acting skills - Performing arts A level
- Pitching and developing various ideas
- Potentially interested in Make-Up
- Script writing
- Interest in Music

Mabinty's strengths
- Good camera use - Digital photography
- Software - Photoshop and InDesign
- Navigating digital camera
- Up to date knowledge on Horror films
- Good at creating a plot

In my group we are all interested in the genre Horror this will benefit us all because we have a general idea of what they all have to offer in terms of the outcomes. Myself and Mabinty are really close and have great organisation and communication skills in terms of us meeting up on a regular basis to complete work. While Temi and I have good experience in performing in terms of all three aspects of performing arts; Music, Drama and Dance.

Plan of Narrative Structure

From the first Film's Cool session the creative task was to use what we learnt from Kate Hardy then use this as a guideline to can come up with different ideas individually. From this I developed three ideas

Film's Cool - Session 1

Telling your story

Today was my first session with Film's Cool. I found it very interesting but different to my normal media lessons.
We had a small lecture from Kate Hardie about generating small ideas into what could possibly become great ideas as well as the writing process/industry.

I learnt when telling a story there is always three main points that may start you off. This being;

• To think of what story is it? Is it a recognisable genre (Comedy, Romantic, Horror) Bring new perspectives to different genres, familiar tales and subjects 
• To know why your writing this particular idea and why its important to you - the Theme. What are you exploring and hoping to communicate from this
• Don't write anything you don't care about!!

From the lecture I learnt and understood a lot more about genre. 'Genre is just a framework the story is important and gets you thinking' by this it will only make the story more interesting and accessible.

Below are a few images from the first Films Cool session.

Representation of Women in A Horror Trailer

Mulvey's Male gaze - Audience Theory

The Male Gaze 

In today's lesson I had to explore and understand the theory of 'The Male Gaze' considering the strength and effects of this theory, by which applying it to a trailer production.

The concept of the male gaze is one that deals with how an audience views the people that are presented e.g. through film.

Feminist view  

• How men look at woman 
• How women look at themselves
• How women look at other women

The term 'male gaze' was coined by Laura Mulvey (1975) she suggested and also believed that the male point of view is created and also adopted from the perspective of a heterosexual male audience by the camera.

Features of the male gaze include:

The practice of the camera 'lingers' on the curves of the female bodies where by women are viewed as 'sexual objects' to give pleasure and satisfy the desires of the opposite sex. - this automatically forces the audience to look at the woman through the shot types, editing and close ups.

In most film the central active characters are male whereas the females are more passive seen as the 'physic' or back up in which the male audience identifies them in their viewing of this. Woman are also seen as subordinate to men through the 'male's eyes'. 

HOWEVER! This theory can be challenged due to the fact that not all 'central heroic characters' in film are male as some may be female too, although Mulvey denies the existence of the female gaze. Which questions, How would 'the female gaze' change film as we see it ?
There has also been many changes to the representation of women which has resulted in challenges to stereotypical gender roles