When looking for sound clips from films it was actually harder than I thought to get the exact quotes that I wanted as actually there was often a lot of background noise or music in the clips and it just didn't fit well together. I then thought about filming some of my own clips to go with some of the ones that I'd found but I wasn't sure how it would sound together.
I started to think about the feelings that I want to convey to the audience when viewing the piece and I want it to be quite an overwhelming feeling to work with the amount of products but contrast against the slow and still nature of the imagery and so that was when I thought about instead of having the quotes all next to each other but to overlay them so in some cases you can hear what is being said but in others you cant. It will sound really frantic as though a lot of people are talking and I think it will work well with the visuals. The more you watch and listen to the piece the more you will notice what is being said. You will notice the small things, all of the different details, which works with the products. If you actually looked at it to notice all of the different details then the more you look at it the more you would notice it, instead of looking just at the drawers as a whole you are looking at the details individually which would work in the same way as the sound if you kept listening.
What is being said: it is going to be a mixture of positive quotes like 'you are beautiful' and more negative ones like 'she is fat'. The contrast of these will work well with the idea of wanting to be beautiful, and the way that they don't want to be seen.
Sunday, 12 January 2014
EDITING: THINKING ABOUT SOUND
I am currently thinking about the sound for the film. I had planned to put just voices saying things like 'she's beautiful' from films etc but I have thought about putting contrasting sounds like 'it's disgusting' and things like 'she's fat' over the top of it to emphasise why they use these products. I have also thought about mixing up the two.
RESEARCH: WOMEN IN FILM NOIR
Generally in art there are two archetypal female characters; the whore and the
Madonna. In film noir we are introduced to both of these women: the dark,
sexual and active spider woman and the maternal virgin. To give a meaningful presentation
of the women's role in film noir I will first give you a short reminder of how the
traditional family was viewed, and which values it represented in the world of movies in
the forties and fifties.
The institution of the family reveals significant social values and beliefs. It functions as an ideological cornerstone of our society with its embodiment of traditional values. It represents the framework for reproduction, because marriage is the only institution that legitimates reproduction. Marriage at the same time both legitimates and conceals sexuality. Married couples are the only ones that are allowed to enjoy the erotic, but they are rarely presented as sexual partners or in any other ways erotisized. With breeding follows the upbringing of children which responsibility traditionally is lain on women. From a feminist point of view these practices of oppressing women are seen to be legitimated by this representation of the family institution. This image of the family, where the man is the family's head and ruler, is also a legitimizing model of a hierarchical and authoritarian society. Here the family can be seen as a metaphor of society on a larger scale. Thus the representation of the family institution in movies contributes to legitimize different social values, among other things the value of the family institution as a social unit, the ruler role of the man, the domestic role of women, and the total dependence of children.
In film noir the family relations are not normal. In some ways the noirs are based on the absence of the family. If a family, or more likely family relations are represented they are often broken up, filled with mutual hatred or in other ways perverted. The movies often concern themselves with what the loss of these family values and satisfactions can lead to. Marriages in film noir are often described as boring and sterile or non sexual. Because of this twisted family life, both men and women seek satisfaction outside marriage in film noir. This satisfaction is not only sexual, but also an attempt to reassure and find themselves in this confused and threatening society, an escape from the frustrating routine in an alienated existence. The violation of the marriages and traditional family values often results in destruction for the violators. In this manner both pleasure and death await outside the family institution. The family represents an antithesis to the femme fatale. I think that instead of showing and offering women an alternative to the traditional family life, film noir shows what happens if one chooses to stand outside the traditional values of the patriarchal system.
The dark, strong femme fatale of noir is the main female character in these movies. These women are given not only sexual powers, but also ambitions. They are longing or looking for independence, often economic, and freedom, often from relationships with men. These women that are masters and possessors of their own sexuality represent a danger to the males. She is--because of her ambitions and independence--a threat to the patriarchal system. On account of this she gives the males a feeling of alienation from his environment, and she must be punished for this to restore the patriarchal balance. The femme fatale is promiscuous, exiting, intelligent and narcissist while her opposite is the boring, but stable wife and mother. The virgin is capable of total devotion to the male, something that the sexual woman is not. The former is thus described as the ideal role for women, and it fits in well with patriarchy.
The sexual women's power and strength are visually expressed in the films, both through the iconography of the image, and through the visual style. It is often the woman that dominates and controls the camera, both because of her own strength and because of the male heroes attraction to her. Thus other participants become static within the image. But in the end when she is destroyed, she also loses her physical motion in the picture.
The dress code is also applied as her appearance defines her moral transformation. In Mildred Pierce for instance, she is dressed up in more manly clothes during the film and her own development. These women also use for example cigarettes and guns for phallic symbols, something I view as an extension of their bid for masculine powers. Filmaticly, the woman that represents an alternative to the dark world of film noir is often placed outside this world.
The spider woman uses her sexual powers in the quest for reaching her own ambitions. The mere possession of such ambitions is unheard of for a woman, and represents a danger to the male. She is a dangerous woman and the males own sexuality along with the patriarchal system are threatened. The only way to control her is to destroy her, something that happens in most noirs. Even though she is destroyed, it is her vital, deadly strength we remember.
ESSAY SOURCE
The institution of the family reveals significant social values and beliefs. It functions as an ideological cornerstone of our society with its embodiment of traditional values. It represents the framework for reproduction, because marriage is the only institution that legitimates reproduction. Marriage at the same time both legitimates and conceals sexuality. Married couples are the only ones that are allowed to enjoy the erotic, but they are rarely presented as sexual partners or in any other ways erotisized. With breeding follows the upbringing of children which responsibility traditionally is lain on women. From a feminist point of view these practices of oppressing women are seen to be legitimated by this representation of the family institution. This image of the family, where the man is the family's head and ruler, is also a legitimizing model of a hierarchical and authoritarian society. Here the family can be seen as a metaphor of society on a larger scale. Thus the representation of the family institution in movies contributes to legitimize different social values, among other things the value of the family institution as a social unit, the ruler role of the man, the domestic role of women, and the total dependence of children.
In film noir the family relations are not normal. In some ways the noirs are based on the absence of the family. If a family, or more likely family relations are represented they are often broken up, filled with mutual hatred or in other ways perverted. The movies often concern themselves with what the loss of these family values and satisfactions can lead to. Marriages in film noir are often described as boring and sterile or non sexual. Because of this twisted family life, both men and women seek satisfaction outside marriage in film noir. This satisfaction is not only sexual, but also an attempt to reassure and find themselves in this confused and threatening society, an escape from the frustrating routine in an alienated existence. The violation of the marriages and traditional family values often results in destruction for the violators. In this manner both pleasure and death await outside the family institution. The family represents an antithesis to the femme fatale. I think that instead of showing and offering women an alternative to the traditional family life, film noir shows what happens if one chooses to stand outside the traditional values of the patriarchal system.
The dark, strong femme fatale of noir is the main female character in these movies. These women are given not only sexual powers, but also ambitions. They are longing or looking for independence, often economic, and freedom, often from relationships with men. These women that are masters and possessors of their own sexuality represent a danger to the males. She is--because of her ambitions and independence--a threat to the patriarchal system. On account of this she gives the males a feeling of alienation from his environment, and she must be punished for this to restore the patriarchal balance. The femme fatale is promiscuous, exiting, intelligent and narcissist while her opposite is the boring, but stable wife and mother. The virgin is capable of total devotion to the male, something that the sexual woman is not. The former is thus described as the ideal role for women, and it fits in well with patriarchy.
The sexual women's power and strength are visually expressed in the films, both through the iconography of the image, and through the visual style. It is often the woman that dominates and controls the camera, both because of her own strength and because of the male heroes attraction to her. Thus other participants become static within the image. But in the end when she is destroyed, she also loses her physical motion in the picture.
The dress code is also applied as her appearance defines her moral transformation. In Mildred Pierce for instance, she is dressed up in more manly clothes during the film and her own development. These women also use for example cigarettes and guns for phallic symbols, something I view as an extension of their bid for masculine powers. Filmaticly, the woman that represents an alternative to the dark world of film noir is often placed outside this world.
The spider woman uses her sexual powers in the quest for reaching her own ambitions. The mere possession of such ambitions is unheard of for a woman, and represents a danger to the male. She is a dangerous woman and the males own sexuality along with the patriarchal system are threatened. The only way to control her is to destroy her, something that happens in most noirs. Even though she is destroyed, it is her vital, deadly strength we remember.
ESSAY SOURCE
EDITING: CHANGE IN FORMAT
While editing the film, I have decided to change the format slightly. Instead of having each of the drawers opening and closing I am going to show them all open and more shots inside of it, in a closer format, as though they are stills. I think it looks a lot more interesting. The opening shot will show the drawer opening and the finishing shot will show it closing to emphasise the length of the opening and closing and all of the products in between this. It makes the film much more interesting to watch.
RESEARCH: BEAUTY THROUGH THE AGES
Ancient Egyptian women used kohl to darken around their eyes. They used copper and lead ore to make cosmetics along with berries to tint their lips. This image shows the pharoh's wife, Nefertiti.
Renaissance - Women would pluck their hairlines to make
their forehead appear higher and would often scrape their hair back under an
elaborate headdress. A curvaceous figure was seen as being beautiful at this
time.
Elizabethan – Queen Elizabeth set the standards at this time
and the pale complexion and red hair was in fashion and was what was deemed
beautiful. To get this look ceruse or white lead were used which was later
found out to be poisonous. To get a glow to the cheeks a lead based rouge coloured
with dye was used and alabaster pencils were used for eyebrows, lips and blue
veins. A thin glaze of egg-white paste was also often used to hold it all
together.
18th Century – Hair played a great part in what
was deemed to be beautiful in this era. Hair was curled and decorated with
garlands or bows and often powdered.
Victorian – The emphasis of beauty was on the women’s facial
features, not much makeup was worn at this time. Health and hygiene was of
great importance at this time.
1920’s – Makeup became of high importance and the bobbed
hairstyle came in fashion. The impact of cinema influenced the fashion of women
strongly for the first time. White woman applied pale powder and cream rouge to
their cheeks, they shaped their brows and pencilled them in, and painted their
lips red to emphasise the cupids bow. They looked very done up in contrast to
the previous era.
1940’s – Hollywood starlets began to arise and in turn they
were setting the trends to. Longer hairstyles became popular along with waves
and curls. Tanned skin became a symbol of high class for the first time.
1950’s – Following the war, conservative values made a comeback
and so the glamorous woman at home came about. Domestic chores were done without a hair being
put out of place. They were expected to be beautiful at all times. The ‘doe eye’
look was also created using eyeshadow, eyebrow pencil, mascara and heavy
eyeliner with a pale complexion and coloured lips.
1960’s – Women began working in
this time, and opted for short practical hairstyles to go with their lifestyle.
There was only one makeup look – dark eyes paired with pale lips or none at
all.
1970’s – Women wore their hair long and natural. Farrah
Fawcett’s look of long free falling curls, bronzed skin and glossed lips became
one of the most important looks of the era.
1980’s – the ‘age of excess’. The bigger the better. Madonna
and Cyndi Lauper popularised the look that included heavy makeup, neon colours
and messed up hair.
1990’s – The standards of beauty were very diverse and
constantly changing. Kate Moss created the thin popular look sometimes known as
‘heroin chic’. The grunge movement was popularised. Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel’
haircut also became popular.
Images can be seen at & references taken from: http://www.ukhairdressers.com/history%20of%20beauty.asp
RESEARCH: BEAUTY PAGEANTS
I was thinking about beauty to the excess and thought about beauty pageants. They do have them for all ages but I think the most relevant when thinking about it to the excess is child beauty pageants as it is the most shocking. Child beauty pageants have surged in popularity and are being shown a lot on television as it is so shocking. It's a world away for most people, they would never put their children through it, but it is so interesting to watch as it is so different to most daily lives.
They use so many beauty products on these children. They doll them up so that they look so much older, but through seeing the size of them you can see that they're children. It's a really weird site, which is why it is so shocking. They are sexualising the children, using the products that are used on much older women to make themselves beautiful which always comes back to sexualisation, but they're using it on children. They lose their innocence.
It is hard to find realistic photographs of what they actually look like as with each of the images of these children they are all edited so much - as if the makeup wasn't enough. They look flawless. They have virtually no dimensions to them, they look like plastic barbie dolls. They don't look real.
Linking this to my work, although mine doesn't link to children, it is showing excess exactly as this is.
They use so many beauty products on these children. They doll them up so that they look so much older, but through seeing the size of them you can see that they're children. It's a really weird site, which is why it is so shocking. They are sexualising the children, using the products that are used on much older women to make themselves beautiful which always comes back to sexualisation, but they're using it on children. They lose their innocence.
It is hard to find realistic photographs of what they actually look like as with each of the images of these children they are all edited so much - as if the makeup wasn't enough. They look flawless. They have virtually no dimensions to them, they look like plastic barbie dolls. They don't look real.
Linking this to my work, although mine doesn't link to children, it is showing excess exactly as this is.
RESEARCH: 'NATURAL BEAUTY' BY LERNERT & SANDER
A years worth of makeup is applied in one day, it expresses similar ideas to that in my film as it is showing the extent women go to to look beautiful but through showing it in excess. It shows it by putting all the makeup on in one go, where as mine is showing all of the products.
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