The Male Gaze

Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora - Black Widow

In the first 20 seconds of the music video the audience can see the degrading act from men to women. Before the music has even started we can see that the waitress (Iggy Azalea) has a stereotypical job of being a waitress which consists of domestic tasks e.g. washing, cleaning, ordering food. This could be based on the traditional stereotype of women being the housewife. Based on the male shouting at the female in this part of the clip the viewers can assume that men are more powerful then women showing that females are used for other purposes e.g. sex which is proven through the media by their clothing, this has been demonstrated throughout this music video.

In the 1:24 mark the audience can clearly see the waitress' outfit. The outfit consists of a blouse/t-shirt with a very short, tight skirt. This portrays to the audience the pleasure of women to men through their clothing and mannerisms and how they're represented through the media. The reason why a waitress' clothes are figure hugging is to attract male attention resulting in more business for the café, restaurant, pub etc. This shows the viewers watching the music video that women are not seen as equal to men in the media and are used to attract the males eye in the audience by presenting what they find attractive e.g. short skirts, high heels.

At the 1:59 mark the audience are able to see the empowering part of this music video for females. In this shot we are able to see the artist (Iggy Azalea) walking towards the camera wearing a white, tight cat suit while holding a sword in one hand. This empowers women instead of degrading them as by giving someone a weapon it shows they feel more powerful and makes them dangerous. The sword goes against the stereotype of women being the 'damsel in distress' which occurs a lot throughout the media, this music video shows females are capable of saving themselves and being in control. However the clothing is tight and slightly revealing showing a hint of sexiness which could suggest to the audience that women use this to their advantage making them seem that they have more power over men.

In the 2:23 point of the video the camera angle moves to show the lower half of the artists body with the martial arts instructor in between them. This again empowers women slightly as this angle separates both characters by showing one has more power over the other. By the female towering over the male the audience can interpret this as the woman being important and more dominant over the man. However this can also be degrading towards women as by having the male character in the middle of her legs it gives the impression to the audience of sex and other sexual activities again representing the sexualisation of women.

At the 3:20 mark the audience witness one of the other artists in the music video (Rita Ora) attack a male for ganging up on her. This empowers women as this shows females can do male tasks e.g. fighting. In society's eye when males fight against each other it is deemed acceptable as they are brought up to be aggressive and violent whereas females are brought up to be caring and loving, if they fought as much as men they would be highly disapproved of. This part of the video shows women fighting against men which proves the audience of equality despite the men being twice a women's average size.

4:20 into the video the audience see the second artist (Rita Ora) doing a flip in the air while her and the other artist (Iggy Azalea) fight against a handful of men. This empowers women as it goes against the traditional stereotype for women which say they should stay at home doing activities such as cooking, cleaning etc. This music video supports women's rights and proves they are capable of doing other tasks. By these women taking over a bunch of men proves to the audience that they are stronger and are more empowering despite their biological state, this gives the impression to the viewers that females are not weak and are equal to males.

Our Girl

In the TV Drama series 'Our Girl' there are a lot of different editing techniques that are used in the scene where the main protagonist character, Georgie Lane, is kidnapped by the male terrorists. One editing technique that is used is fast-paced editing, this is when all the different camera shots are sped up so that it looks like everything is happening very quickly. When the audience begins to see the car full of terrorists the pace starts quickening quite rapidly - this makes the atmosphere tense and fill the audience with suspense as they begin to get caught up in what they're watching, viewers start to question whether Georgie gets out of her situation which then makes the audience feel anxious but excited. In the opening scene the clips start to slow down when the antagonist starts to evacuate his vehicle after they take down the soldiers in the ambulance, the director has done this to put the focus on this individual and present him to the audience. This makes it much more tense for the viewers as they know this character has all the power.
The sound used in this scene is synchronous sound which is when the audience hears noises that is expected to what they are viewing on screen. In this scene you expect to hear shouts, deep background music, squealing tires etc. which is what you get, this makes the audience feel more involved with the TV show and they follow and understand the storyline much better. Diegetic sound is also used which is when the sound coming from the scene has a source on-screen e.g. no voiceover. In this scene when you hear shouts you see people shouting, when you hear tires squealing you see cars racing down the roads. This makes the audience understand what is happening despite all the fast paced editing and loud music. When Georgie gets taken into the antagonists car there is music in the background to create tension. This tension is built by the bass of the music fitting in with the story this makes the audience aware that what is happening is bad and will result in numerous problems within the show. There are screams heard from the protagonist as she gets carried away, this portrays to the audience that she is a victim and is part of the stereotypical 'damsel in distress'. Her screams remind the audience that she is female despite being strong and capable of looking after herself in these situations.
The setting used in this scene is very rustic that makes the audience know that the storyline is based in a war zone area, the director does this by having bad quality materials for stuff such as roofs, windows, doors etc. Props used are to make the audience aware that most of the characters are soldiers, this is done by giving them weapons e.g. guns, the clothing also suggests the same thing by giving them camouflage outfits. The other characters who are not soldiers are wearing poorer quality materials that are dirty or ripped, this is to help the viewers separate the poor people who live in Kenya from the wealthier soldiers who have arrived from England. This makes the audience familiar with the problem occurring with the terrorists and the soldiers which in turn makes the viewers understand what is happening are able to follow the story, this also makes them feel more invested in the show and more involved with the characters.
There are lots of camera shots used in the opening scene that adds to the tension and suspense. The first shot that is used is an establishing shot, this is shown when the ambulance is coming around the corner of the road. This makes the audience aware that the characters are travelling fast due to the car skidding, this then makes a more tense atmosphere and builds up suspense of what's to come. A hand-held camera is used a lot throughout the opening scene as it is used within the ambulance when it starts a quicker pace down the road. This makes the viewers aware of the characters situation and creates a realistic action. A low angled shot is used when the terrorists start shooting at the soldiers in the ambulance, this is used to show power and present to the audience who is more powerful. In this shot it conveys that the terrorist is more powerful as they have guns and were prepared for this part of the scene.

Key roles

Screenwriter

Screenwriters create screenplays for films. Screenwriters have to produce highly creative writing, to strict deadlines. They work with a script development team to create a finished product that is likely to be financed and made. Some film companies hire another screenwriter to make improvements and add things that may make the film more interesting.

Producer

The Producer is often the first person to get involved in a project. Producers have overall control of the films production and decide locations, studio hire, budget, production schedule and final shooting script. They are also held accountable for the success of the film and how much money is made. Producers bring together the key members of the creative team. This includes the Director, Cinematographer and Production Designer and key cast members.

Casting Director

Responsible for finding the perfect actors/actresses for each role and work with the Director and Producer to find the perfect cast - in order for them to do this they must be up to date with new and existing talent. They organise and conduct interviews and auditions for each role and in charge of offering an appropriate fee for each actor/actress. Casting directors need to patient, hardworking and diplomatic.

Director

Directors are responsible for translating the film's written script into actual images and sounds on the screen and bringing it to life.  Directors may write the film's script or commission it to be written, or they may be hired after an early draft after the script is complete. They are responsible for motivating the team to produce the best possible results and must also always be aware of the constraints of the film's budget and schedule and manage the expectations of the film's financiers.

Film Finance

The role of a Film Finance is very challenging and hardworking. These people are responsible for controlling the accounting, taxation and financial analysis for all of the work a company does, including development, production and distribution. They may undertake some or all of the Production Accountant's activities, this can include tasks such as controlling cash flow so that payments are made on time and setting up and managing the Accounts team. 

Camera Operator

Camera Operators carry out the Director of Photography’s and Director’s instructions for shot composition and development. They assess how all the elements of performance, art direction, lighting, composition and camera movement come together to create the cinematic experience. Camera Operators make sure the camera and equipment are ready for the required set-ups and for any last minute changes. These roles must have people that are able to multi-task and be able to watch, listen and think while doing other complex tasks.

Editor

The Editor works closely with the Director. To ensure that the story flows effortlessly from beginning to end, each shot is carefully chosen and edited into a series of scenes, which are in turn assembled to create the finished film. They work long hours, often under pressure, in an edit suite. They have to select the best takes and edit them together to create scenes. In some cases, an improvised line or an actor's interpretation of their role may create some on-screen magic that can be developed into a new and exciting scene.

Production Designer

Production Designers are major heads of department on film crews, they help directors to define and achieve the look and feel of a film. They begin work at the very early stages of pre-production. They deliver their design sketches (showing mood, atmosphere, lighting, composition, colour and texture) to Art Directors who oversee the production of technical drawings and models, which are used by the Construction Department to build the sets and adapt locations.

Marketing

The Marketing main responsibility is to convince the public that this is a 'must-see' movie, the marketing campaign should reach target audiences before and during film releases. When the film opens, audiences’ interest should be at its peak. After release, the Marketing needs to increase interest in the film with more promotion and troubleshoot any problems.

Exhibition