Representation of Disability

Disability- stereotypes:

• Vulnerable- can't defend themselves
• Incapable- can't work
• Unintelligent- disability holds them back
• Unattractive
• Lonely- people don't like what they see
• Left-out
• Marginalised

Disability in TV Drama- Examples of Disabled Characters

• Walt Jnr- Breaking Bad (cerebral palsy)
• Artie- Glee (wheelchair)
• Tracy Beaker- Laila (cerebral palsy)
• JJ- Skins (panic attacks and autism)
• Becky- Glee (down syndrome)
• Tony- Skins (brain damage)

Disability in Films- Examples of Disabled Characters

• Forrest Gump
• My Left Foot
• Of Mice and Men
• My Name is Sam
• The Ringer
• Spy Kids
• Daredevil
• The Green Mile
• Rain Man
• Born on the 4th July
• Fight Club
• The King's Speech
• Donnie Darko

Representation of Disability in Casualty

00.00-00.54

This excerpt from Casualty in which the character of Alex (who is disabled) is represented both conforms to the stereotype of disabled people and breaks it as well. We can clearly explore this through the four areas of textual analysis.

Camera shots, angles, movements and composition play a large role in representing the character of Alex. At the beginning of the scene there is slight high angle shot looking down on him, whereas his brother is viewed from a straight-on angle, and the woman at the counter is shot from a low angle shot- this suggests that these two non-disabled people have more power over Alex and that he is more vulnerable. This therefore conforms with the stereotypical quality of disabled people being vulnerable, and consequently others having unfair power over them.

This stereotype is further conveyed when they are talking to the woman at the counter. Alex is positioned at the side of the frame, whereas his brother is positioned in the middle- inferring that he is more important and has more power.

However, the disabled stereotype is also broken. For example, Alex gets about the same amount of screen time as his brother- suggesting that he is equally important, and therefore has an equal amount of power- so this breaks the stereotype of non-disabled people having power over disabled people.

The sideways tracking shot at the end of the scene follows Alex and positions him in a close-up to the camera, suggesting that he is the most important and powerful person in the scene- and breaking the stereotype of disabled people having little power over those who aren't.

Editing is also a key element in representing Alex. The editing in this excerpt breaks the stereotype of disabled people- for example there are a lot of reverse shots between Alex and his brother, which infers that they are both of the same importance and equal. This breaks the stereotype mentioned earlier (of disabled people having less power).

The sound in this scene is a key factor in representing the character of Alex. The sound used mainly represents Alex as a character that conforms to the stereotypical qualities of a disabled person. For example, the diegetic sound of the cheery Christmas music in the background contrasts Alex's bad mood, and therefore highlights his bad attitude- this therefore conforms with the stereotypical quality of disabled people being unhappy. The dialogue further conveys Alex's bad attitude as he comes across as rude.

The dialogue further represents Alex as a character who conforms to the stereotype when he says, on his brother asking him if he wants a watch, 'so I can watch the hours passing?'. This suggests that he doesn't do a lot, and therefore infers that he is lonely- which is a stereotypical quality of a disabled person.

The stereotypical behaviour of people towards disabled people is also represented in this scene, when Alex's brother asks him 'which one do you fancy?' it almost comes across as quite patronising- even though it wasn't intended in this way. This is the stereotypical behaviour of the public towards disabled people, and it further conveys the stereotype of people who aren't disabled having more power over those who are.

The Mise En Scene is a significant area of textual analysis in representing Alex. Alex's costume is dull, dreary and has quite dark colours- his brown jacket for example- this could reflect that he is depressed with life and is discontent, and this complies with the stereotype.

The setting inside the shop is cheery and festive- which is a contrast to Alex's behaviour, therefore it highlights his bad attitude (that complies with the stereotypical quality of being unhappy).

In conclusion, this scene from Casualty both breaks the stereotype of disabled people and conforms to it. However, I would say that, on the whole, the character of Alex conforms to the stereotype. 

The Amazing Spider-Man Documentary

It is quite long and I apologise in advance, but I couldn't really cut the my information down any more than I did.

The Amazing Spider-Man Documentary Script

The Amazing Spider-Man, is a 2012 action-adventure fantasy blockbuster, it is a reboot of Sam Raimi's 2002-07 Spiderman trilogy that starred Toby Maguire as Peter Parker. It is based on the Marvel Comics popular character Spider-Man and shares the title of the character's longest-running comic book of the same name.  It is directed by Marc Webb (famous before this film for his massive success with the film (500) Days of Summer which grossed 27 times the cost of the original budget). It stars the spectacular Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, the fabulous Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and the wonderfully talented Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors, who is better known as a mutating lizard. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures (a member of the Big Six, they co-produced the 2002-07 Spiderman films. They have also co-produced many other films such as Peter Pan, The Holiday and 13 Going on 30 to name a few). It was also produced by  Marvel Entertainment (their films include projects such as the Thor films and the Iron Man films), and smaller studios- Laura Ziskin Productions, Arad Productions, inc. and Matt Tolmach Productions. It is the seventh highest-grossing film of 2013, and- as of December 2013- the 51st highest-grossing of all time.


To be a success a blockbuster has to comply with 4 rules:


1) A newsworthy budget- over $130 million dollars, yep, that's a big budget
2) Spectacular visuals- we've got to see that budget make an impact on the screen
3) Strangely- it must NOT be a comedy
4) Lastly, it must include an 'A list' star- we're talking our Johnny Depp's, Leonardo Di Caprio's and our Angelina Jolie's


We are going to take a look at how The Amazing Spider-Man fairs with these rules and why it was successful.


Well, to start with, The Amazing Spider-Man certainly had a newsworthy budget- $230 million, yes, you heard me correctly, $230 million! $100 million above the normal blockbuster budget! So yes, The Amazing Spider-Man definitely complies with this rule. As we know, the bigger the budget, the bigger the profit- well that is true, especially in this case, the film profited greatly, grossing $757,930,663 worldwide. So one of the main factors of this film's success is it's large budget, and subsequently it's massive profit.



Right- to the second rule- the film has got to have spectacular visuals, and this film does not disappoint. It was the first Hollywood film to be filmed with the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company's RED Epic camera and was shot in 3-D at 5K resolution. John Schwartzman, cinematographer, felt that the desired 3D effect this film needed would have been impossible without this camera, these were the right kind of cameras to use to get the feel of the speed of the film. This made the film feel more real to the audience and enabled them to connect with it more, contributing to it's success.

Special effects include the Lizard and a digital touch-up. The visual designers brought the Lizard to life by building a digital version of a production design maquette. A man stood in as the Lizard during shooting and performed a lot of the interaction with the other characters. A computer-generated version then replaced the man in post-production. However, there was a problem in this part of development- the creators fused the design of the Lizard with the actor who plays Dr. Curt Connors (who mutates into the Lizard) Rhys Ifans. After this, the actor used motion capture for the Lizard's speaking parts, which Marc Webb found difficult to mix into the character's final version.

A digital touch-up was used that improved the high school battle scene and the sewer scene with many of Spider-Man's poses and environments that were used in the film. 

This attention to detail in the special effects and making the film seem real, and also appealing to fans of the comic book (using Spider-Man's poses)- making it a realistic, bigger and better Spider Man film- contributed to the film's huge success.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the technological side of the film is the fact that they shot the film in 3D using 3ality technology, and it is the first ever film to adopt 3ality Digital's TS-5 wireless and handheld beamsplitter mirror rig. This technology made it possible for the film not to have to film in 2D and convert it to 3D afterwards. Marc Webb said this: "Because we're shooting in 3D, I wanted to conceive of certain things very specifically for 3D. There's an experimental component to 3D that's fascinating and we're experimenting with generating that point of view – so you feel what Peter Parker feels, you feel what Spider-Man feels when he's jumping over buildings and over the streets." This allowed the audience to connect with his character and the action even more and may have been a large factor in the film's success.


So yes, the film does have absolutely spectacular visuals and therefore corroborates with the second rule of being a successful blockbuster.


The third rule- it must NOT be a comedy- complies with this film. It is action-adventure fantasy, with elements of comedy and elements of drama (for example when Peter's uncle gets murdered and when Gwen Stacy's father gets killed towards the end of the film). Although it has elements of comedy, that is not the genre of the film and therefore it agrees with the rule and is a successful blockbuster according to it.


Now, to the fourth rule- the film must have an A-list star in it. Before The Amazing Spider-Man Andrew Garfield was best known for his roles in The Social Network (as Eduardo Saverin) and Never Let Me Go, starring alongside Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan as the character Tommy D. He was an up and coming star before the part of Peter Parker came along, so not an A-lister and therefore not complying with the rule. However, he may have drawn audiences in as they were interested to see what he did next. I mean, who wouldn't be interested in seeing the guy that won a Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Actor, for Never Let Me Go, in his new film? He was praised greatly by critics for his performance in both of the films I've mentioned- Rolling Stone said that in The Social Network Garfield delivered 'a vulnerability that raises the emotional stakes' in the film, and they also said 'keep your eyes on Garfield- he's shatteringly good, the soul of a film that might otherwise be without one'. This last comment in itself is enough to draw audiences in as they want to see his new work.

Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) is also not quite an A-list star, although she was quite famous before The Amazing Spider-Man, most notably starring in the film Easy A as Olive Penderghast and starring in the film The Help. People would have wanted to see what she did next, and she is also quite popular on the internet so The Amazing Spider-Man could have drawn some audience from there as well.

The A-list stars lie in the supporting roles of this film. Peter Parker's uncle (Ben Parker) is portrayed than none other than the incredible Martin Sheen. He has starred in films such as, Apocalypse Now, Badlands, The Final Countdown and The Departed. He is considered to be one of the best actors who has never been officially nominated for an Academy Award. Although, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for Apocalypse Now but he asked for his nomination to be withdrawn.

Sally Field is another A-list star who has a supporting role in this film, she plays Aunt May. Field is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress. She has had roles in wonderful films such as; Forrest Gump, Lincoln and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Therefore, The Amazing Spider-Man does have A-list stars in it- following the 'how to be a successful blockbuster' rules.

It is now clear that this film follows the formula for a successful blockbuster to an absolute T, but what other techniques made this film an international success? Well, this lies in the tremendous marketing of this exciting, super-hero blockbuster.

Action figures were released of the film's version of Spider-Man by various companies such as Hasbro (this was revealed at the July 2011 Comic-Con), Hot Toys, Kaiyodo, Diamond Select Toys (for Marvel Select) and MediCom. These action figures appeal to those who are fans of the comic books and collect things like that, therefore this would make them want to see the film even more and make them more excited. These action figures also appeal to children and might make them want to see the film- widening its audience.

The official Twitter account for this film revealed a scavenger hunt by posting a tweet saying 'Property of Peter Parker... Lost' with the latitude and longitude co-ordinates of direct markets in big US cities. The people who won the scavenger hunt were given the tag name of 'operative' by people waiting at five locations in each city, the people that won then graffitied the Spider-Man logo. These people were then able to view a scene related to the film. This gets people talking about the film, spreading it on social media and interesting people in seeing it- it also gets people even more excited about it.

The Spider-Man logo appeared on some of the world's most iconic buildings, on January 8th 2012, for example the Kremlin, Arc de Triomphe, the Colosseum and Sydney Opera House. This makes the film known about globally and interests people into seeing it and knowing what the fuss is about, photos of these iconic buildings with the logo on also probably spread on the internet and got people not originally in the know about The Amazing Spider-Man in the know and got them talking.

So, yes, marketing played a big role in widening the film's audience, spreading the news about the film, and interesting people into going to see it. This subsequently played a huge role in the film's box office success.

The location the filming took place in also had a large effect on the film's success:

Most of the 90-day shoot was spent filming in and around Los Angeles, with 2 weeks of filming in New York City. A Sony Entertainment spokesman (Steve Elzer) said that "[T]here is a comfort level in producing a project of this size and scope on your own backlot ... Basing the film on the lot also makes it easier for producers to interact with Sony's in-house visual effects team, and gives the studios greater control of quality and security." This therefore meant that the film could be a lot better than if they shot it somewhere out of their comfort zone, and a better film means a bigger audience, and a bigger audience means a bigger box office figure and a bigger box office figure means it's a bigger success.

Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man was such a massive box office success because of it's following of the 'successful blockbuster rules' and it's excellent marketing and clever use of filming locations. 

The Amazing Spider-Man is a wonderful adventure of a film and I'm sure it will be enjoyed and loved for generations to come. Because after all, who doesn't love a good superhero?

Gender Stereotypes

Male stereotypical qualities:

• Strong (physically)
• Aggressive
• Inconsiderate
• Virile
• Arrogant/cocky
• Dominant
• Don't show their emotions
• Emotionally weak - (could be a woman's view of their hiding of their emotions)
• Emotionally strong- (could be a man's view of what hiding their emotions makes them)
• Sexist
• Independent

Female stereotypical qualities:

• Weak (physically)
• Mentally strong- or sometimes not mentally strong
• Calm
• Considerate
• Sly- sneaky- (sometimes we see women do things behinds men's backs instead of the opposite way around)
• Submissive
• Emotional
• Intelligent (thoughtful, sneaky)
• Unintelligent (scatter brains, ditzy)
• Dependent (they rely on men)
• Caring & considerate

Gender Stereotypes in TV Drama

Female Characters:

The character of Jackie Tyler in Doctor Who conforms to a few of these qualities, for example she is a bit ditzy- which conforms to the blonde stereotype- and this comes across in her dialogue sometimes, and she can be quite emotional. She is also very caring and considerate to others, mainly Rose Tyler (her daughter). She also cares about her appearance and wears costume that accentuates her figure some of the time- this conforms to the 
stereotype as well.


However, the majority of her qualities completely countertype the stereotypical woman. Jackie is feisty and definitely not submissive, for example she says to The Doctor 'if we end up on Mars, I'm gonna kill you', this is something a typically submissive woman would not say. When Jackie says this she is also positioned high up in the shot, suggesting that she has power over a man- The Doctor- when she says that, a stereotypical woman would not have power over men. Her husband died when Rose was only a baby, therefore she hasn't depended upon a man- bringing Rose up by herself. Overall, I would say that Jackie does have a few stereotypical qualities, however some of her qualities countertype the stereotype.

Santana Lopez in Glee conforms to some of these qualities, such as being sly and sneaky (she always wants things to go her way), she can be emotional, she is also socially intelligent (knows how to get the person she wants, for example Sam Evans in Season 2) and mentally strong (she words her insults, and therefore her dialogue intelligently). Santana can be caring and considerate at times, and we see these qualities in her towards the end of Season 3- particularly when she seems to make friends with Rachel Berry. Her character often wears costumes that accentuate her figure and that are fashionable, and she cares about her appearance.



However, Santana countertypes the stereotype as she is feisty (she tells people how it is), not submissive at all, she is not dependent and she is not calm. She is also ambitious and goes after what she wants, and she doesn't let anyone or anything stop her.





Male Characters:

The 12th Doctor (Doctor Who) complies with quite a few of the stereotypical male qualities. He is the one in charge (out of him and his female companion Clara), therefore he is dominant over a female, and he thinks that he is the most intelligent person out of him and Clara. This current incarnation of The Doctor is quite arrogant, moody and inconsiderate (of people's feelings)- these qualities come across in his dialogue and actions at times. For example he abandoned Clara in order for her to decide by herself, and with two other females, (in the episode Kill The Moon) what to do about the moon. These are qualities that conform to the male stereotype. 

However, he does not conform to the stereotype in other ways, for example, he doesn't hide his emotions all the time. Furthermore he is not necessarily independent- yes, he does travel on his own sometimes, but he gets lonely and therefore does depend on having a companion a lot of the time. The Doctor is also not very physically strong. All of these points don't conform to the stereotypical male.

Arthur Pendragon from Merlin is a character that complies with some of these stereotypical male qualities. He is physically strong (he is a prince/king- by the end of the series- and is therefore trained at things like sword-fighting), he can be arrogant and cocky at times- especially through his dialogue to Merlin sometimes, for example in the first episode of the first series in this clip:

Arthur is also dominant over others, especially over Merlin as Merlin is his servant and because of his position as a prince/king, and can be inconsiderate to him sometimes- particularly in the first series. Arthur is also virile and has a love interest in servant Guinevere (who eventually becomes his wife). He also cares about his appearance a lot, we learn this through his dialogue in a scene where Merlin is having to put another hole in Arthur's belt, because that he's too big for it, and Arthur says to Merlin 'not a word of this to anyone'- this suggests that he is worried about what people think of his appearance. The character is also quite intelligent, this is shown through his actions at times and his dialogue at times, particularly in his cleverly worded insults to Merlin.

However, Arthur has many qualities that don't conform to the male stereotype. He becomes more considerate as the series goes on, and becomes increasingly caring and a lot less arrogant. He has dialogue with Merlin sometimes which shows his more caring side towards him. You could say Arthur is independent to some extent, however he does depend on support from his men, Guinevere and Merlin. Furthermore, Arthur breaks the stereotype by not hiding his emotions all the time.

How did The Amazing Spider-Man makes its money?

pick a BLOCKBUSTER from the last 3 years and research HOW it made its money. NOT interested in whether it was a 'good' film, want to know HOW it followed the rules and WHY this meant it was a success.


The rules:
1. A newsworthy budget
2. Spectacular visuals
3. NOT be a comedy
4. Include an 'A list' star

Pre Production

- is the film an original idea, a remake, a sequel or an adaptation (or a combination)?
The film is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and it shares the title of the character's longest- running comic book of the same name. It is a reboot of Sam Raimi's 2002-07 Spiderman trilogy preceding it. The film is the fourth theatrical Spider-Man film produced by Marvel Entertainment and Columbia Pictures.

- who is the director?

Marc Webb directed this film. He previously, before the Amazing Spider-Man series had had his directorial film debut with the romantic comedy-drama film (500) Days of Summer. This film was extremely successful, during its full opening weekend it grossed 27 times the cost of its original budget and it became one of the most successful 'sleeper hits' of the year. He also directed many music videos such as Gives You Hell by The All-American Rejects and various Green Day videos. Furthermore, he directed an episode of The Office (USA version) before he directed this film.

- which studio(s) are making the film?

The studios that produced the film are Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Laura Ziskin Productions, Arad Productions, inc. and Matt Tolmach Productions.

Columbia Pictures is an American film production company and distribution studio of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The company is one of the leading film studios in the world, and it is a member of the Big Six. Columbia Pictures co-produced the 2002-07 Spiderman films along with Marvel Entertainment and Laura Ziskin Productions. They have co-produced many other films such as Peter Pan, The Holiday and 13 Going on 30 to name a few.

Marvel Entertainment are an American entertainment company, it is known for its Marvel Comics subsidiary and from the late 2000s it is known for its film productions from Marvel Studios. The Walt Disney Company acquired the company in 2009. It has since been a limited liability company. Marvel is primarily a part of Disney's Consumer Products segment or it's Studio Entertainment. Their films include projects such as the Thor films and the Iron Man films.

- what size budget did it have?
$230 million, which is a newsworthy size budget, $100 million above the average of a normal blockbusters budget.

- which 'stars' signed up to be in the film?
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field and Chris Zylka.

Andrew Garfield plays Peter Parker, the lead role, in the film. Before this film his most notable works were Never Let Me Go (as the character Tommy D.) and The Social Network (as the character Eduardo Saverin). He was definitely an up and coming star before The Amazing Spider-Man, and this may attract people to see the film as they want to know what he does next. For his role in Never Let Me Go he won the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Actor and the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Many critics praised him, for example Clint O'Connor wrote for Cleveland Magazine praising Garfield, saying that he delivered 'a terrifically anguished performance' in the film.
For his role in The Social Network he won the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Actor, the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actor in a Supporting Role and the Pheonix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting. He was also praised by critics for his performance in this film, for example Rolling Stone said that Garfield delivered 'a vulnerability that raises the emotional stakes' in the film and they also said to 'keep your eyes on Garfield- he's shatteringly good, the soul of a film that might otherwise be without one.' All of these praises to Garfield would make people interested in his next projects and more likely to go and see them.

- how long did it take from 'green light' to filming commencing
After the release of Spider-Man 3, the film makers had decided that they were going to make another Spider-Man film (Spider-Man 4) in the 2002-07 series- and had set a release date for it for the 5th of May 2011. However, they decided against this idea in the end, Avi Arad said 'The problem was we didn't have a story that was strong enough and warranted ... another movie. And Sam Raimi ... realized we [didn't] have a good reason to make another one. And between [him] and Tobey and obviously the studio, we all went into it not feeling good about the next story.' Instead, on the 11th January 2010, Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures announced that they would be rebooting the Spider-Man series along with a new crew and cast.

Principal photography began on December 6th 2010 in Los Angeles.

Production

- where was it 'filmed'
St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower (California, USA)- Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City (California)- U.S Customs House, New York City- Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles (California)- Richmond Hill, New York City- Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City (California), Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood- various locations around San Pedro, South Pasadena and Woodland Hills- and Taft High School, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles, California).

Most of the 90-day shoot was spent filming in and around Los Angeles, with 2 weeks of filming in New York City. A Sony Entertainment spokesman (Steve Elzer) said that "[T]here is a comfort level in producing a project of this size and scope on your own backlot ... Basing the film on the lot also makes it easier for producers to interact with Sony's in-house visual effects team, and gives the studios greater control of quality and security."

Some location shooting took place in New York. An apartment house at 15 West 81st Street (on Manhattan's Upper West Side) was used as the outside of Gwen Stacy's home, where she lives with her family. The Alexander Hamilton U.S Custom House was used as the exterior the NYPD headquarters. Fuller Place in the Brooklyn area of Windsor Terrace had a row of its houses used for the Forest Hills, Queens area where May and Ben Parker live. A web-swinging stunt scene was shot along the Riverside Drive Viaduct in Harlem.

- how was it filmed (using what cameras)?
The Amazing Spider-Man was the first Hollywood film to be filmed with the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company's RED Epic camera and was shot in 3-D at 5K resolution. John Schwartzman (cinematographer) felt that the desired 3D effect this film needed would have been impossible without this camera, as you can move the 3D rig in ways that they wanted it to be moved with it. RED Epic cameras are also small so they can fit the cameras on to the rigs and swing them around at a fast pace, so these were the right kind of cameras to use to get the feel of the speed of the film.

The climax of the film was filmed in a 1:78:1 aspect ratio as it was to be released in an IMAX DMR form.

Other cameras used are the Panavision Primo and Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses.

- any problems it faced
In post production the creators fused the design of the Lizard with the actor who plays Dr. Curt Connors (who mutates into the Lizard) Rhys Ifans. After this, the actor used motion capture for the Lizard's speaking parts, which Marc Webb found difficult to mix into the character's final version.

Post Production

- what sort of special effects are used?
The visual designers brought the Lizard to life by building a digital version of a production design maquette. A man stood in as the Lizard during shooting and performed a lot of the interaction with the other characters. A computer-generated version then replaced the man in post-production. A digital touch-up was used that improved the high school battle scene and the sewer scene with many of Spider-Man's poses and environments that were used in the film. In post production the creators fused the design of the Lizard with the actor who plays Dr. Curt Connors (who mutates into the Lizard) Rhys Ifans. After this, the actor used motion capture for the Lizard's speaking parts, which Marc Webb found difficult to mix into the character's final version.

- was 3D added AFTER filming?
They shot the film in 3D using 3ality technology. It is the first film to adopt 3ality Digital's TS-5 wireless and handheld beamsplitter mirror rig. This technology made it possible for the film not to have to film in 2D and convert it to 3D afterwards. Marc Webb said this: "Because we're shooting in 3D, I wanted to conceive of certain things very specifically for 3D. There's an experimental component to 3D that's fascinating and we're experimenting with generating that point of view – so you feel what Peter Parker feels, you feel what Spider-Man feels when he's jumping over buildings and over the streets."

- did it require any RE SHOOTS
It was announced that in April 2011 filming had been completed, however some re shooting took place later on that year (in November) in New York City and (in December) in Los Angeles.


- Marketing (five examples)

Action figures were released of the film's version of Spider-Man by various companies such as Hasbro (this was revealed at the July 2011 Comic-Con), Hot Toys, Kaiyodo, Diamond Select Toys (for Marvel Select) and MediCom.

Trading cards and a nail polish collection were released by OPI Products.

The official Twitter account for this film revealed a scavenger hunt by posting a tweet saying 'Property of Peter Parker... Lost' with the latitude and longitude co-ordinates of direct markets in big US cities. The people who won the scavenger hunt were given the tag name of 'operative' by people waiting at five locations in each city, the people that won then graffitied the Spider-Man logo. These people were then able to view a scene related to the film.

The main viral marketing site revealed hints to other sites, for example a photo blog that showed Peter Parker's point of view. Furthermore, an unlocked puzzle on the website revealed words which could then be put together to lead to another website with design sketches on how to build a web-shooter.

The Spider-Man logo appeared on some of the world's most iconic buildings, on January 8th 2012, for example the Kremlin, Arc de Triomphe, the Colosseum and Sydney Opera House.

- Where was the films premier?
In Tokyo, Japan on the 13th June 2012.

The Male Gaze

Bruno Mars- Gorilla

This video is highly sexualised and is clearly for the male gaze. The main woman in the video is a pole dancer and used as a sex object.

In the first glimpse we have of this woman in this clip she seems to have a sexy glint in her eyes and quite a seductive look about her, that she gives to Bruno Mars. This immediately conveys to the audience that she is going to be more of a sexual object to him in this video and that they might have some sort of relationship together. This is further established when the shot cuts to a shot of Mars and the woman looking as if they are having a sexual relationship. In this shot the woman's head is tilted back as if Mars is kissing it.

It then cuts back to being in this club again and the woman is now crossing the room in a sexy, feminine manner, walking to emphasize her curves (moving her hips more than you normally would do). She also continues making lustful eye contact with Mars, which he returns in his facial expression too. This further conveys the idea of sexual feelings between them. We also see that she is wearing a dark, tight-fitted outfit- this emphasizes her body even more and suggests that the music video focuses mainly on her appearance and not who she is as a person. Therefore, she is a sexual object.

The camera then cuts to a brief close-up of the woman's face at 02:02 in which she is looking directly down the lens with a passionate, seductive look in her eyes. The closeness of the camera to her face also adds a feeling of intimacy, so this may suggest that the music video makers want the male audience to feel this with the woman in the video and it appeals to the male gaze. The direct look down the lens also effectively breaks the fourth wall with the audience and makes men feel involved with her. Her fingers are near her lips, this, in a way, is her pointing out a feature that men find attractive in women. Her fingers also seem to be in the position of which you hold a cigarette which might suggest a sort of sexual, dangerous world (full of things like drugs, alcohol and cigarettes) which some men watching may find appealing.

   

In the clip above the camera is focused on the woman flaunting her physical features, her bum in this instance, by moving in a sexual manner up and down the pole. The camera only shows the bottom of her body and only shows her from behind in this shot, which shows how she is only being used as a sex object as it doesn't focus on things such as her face instead of her body.

This clip is similar to the one where the woman is moving up and down the pole as this too focuses on her body. In the first part of the clip we only see her legs, and legs are seen as quite as sexy part of women's bodies and appeal to men, and therefore the male gaze. The woman is also at the centre of the shot during this, further enforcing the idea that we are meant to be focusing on her.

The camera then cuts to the woman feeling her own body in a sexual way, and it then cuts to a birds-eye view shot of her face in which she is pulling a facial expression that is associated with sex and orgasms. This once again reinforces the fact that she is there as a sexual object in the video, expressing passion and things of a sexual nature to appeal to men watching it.

After this, the video cuts to a shot of the woman swinging around a pole showing her physical attributes (strength and possibly flexibility- suggested with the fact that she is a pole dancer) which all link in with this idea of animalistic sex that Mars is singing about. We also don't really see her face, we mainly see her hair and legs, which shows that the video is more focused on the sexual elements of her body and the glamour of her hair than her face and personal qualities. She then slides down her pole, legs spread open and in the air (which is a very sexual pose), holding her own weight- which furthermore agrees with this idea of her showing her physical attributes to the viewers of the video.

In the clip above to begin with the camera follows the woman in a tracking shot (?) reminding us that our attention should be on her. It then cuts to a close-up in which her eyes are emphasized by her heavy make-up as they look directly down the lens, once again breaking the fourth wall with the audience and making the men feel involved with the action. It then cuts to a different angle in which she pulls her outfit off to reveal a skimpy, almost underwear like clothing underneath. This shot is repeated three times at different angles, two of them are a sort of mid-shot, the first further away and the second closer- perhaps to make the audience feel (the men feel) as if they are getting closer to the action and more involved- and finally the last time it is repeated we see the woman from a front view with the full-length of her body in the shot, and she is in the centre. This positioning of her in the centre of the shot and the fact that her full body is in it suggests that our attention should be completely focused on her, her barely there outfit, and her body. The slow motion used further infers that this is an important part of the video, as the audience are getting to see her body- which suggests that her body is the most important things about her (objectifying her). She also throws her head back in a 'look-at-me' way and her hair is thrown back too, these things are associated with the super-smiler facial expression.

After this there is various close ups of the woman moving to the music, messing up her hair with her hands, throwing her head back and forward to flip her hair and half-smiling in a sort of sexual way- all in slow motion. These things further emphasize the sexual feel to the video and that she is just there to be looked at. The camera during this also cuts to people to the sides of her- lower down than her showing that they're less important in this video and should not be focused on by the audience compared to her- who throw money at her. This further conveys that she is only a sexual object as people are paying her for what she looks like (objectifying her), and they don't seem to care about her as an individual.

There are scenes from this point in the video in between other scenes that seem to take place in the back of a taxi, for example at  03:21-03:30 and at 03:32-03:36, Mars and the woman seem to be having sex, and he gropes her body too. This makes the video even further sexualised and passionate. It further makes it clear that the woman is only being presented as a sex object in this video.

The woman licks Mars guitar in this part of the video- which is a very sexual gesture, seductive and erotic. Her hint of a smile to Mars and invitational eyes, full of mischief, looking up at him comply with the 'invitational' facial expression identified by Marjorie Ferguson. The way that she grabs the guitar off of him is quite sexually aggressive, she is taking control of his possession which might be seen as quite sexy and provocative.



In this clip the woman is soaking wet, which people might associate with things of a sexual nature and men may find it sexy.