Representation: Editing and Other Post-Production Elements

RAF Advert:
Explain how editing creates representations in a media product you have studied.

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([12 Marks])


Points:
The audio represents stereotypes while the video simultaneously creates counter-types.
The audio clips are from stereotypically feminine adverts relating to appearance/beauty.
The video focuses on countertypes for women, showing them to be storng, reliable and more than capable of being in the military (which is a stereotypically masculine career).

Counters Mulvey's male gaze theory for women being passive objects of straight men's desires, instead presenting women as active participants.

David Buckingham is the one who said the media re-presents things, and this advert is re-presenting women as being strong and capable of being military leaders.

Tessa Perkins is the one who said stereotypes can change but only with a lot of difficulty and effort. This advert could be seen as an attempt to change these stereotypes of women.

Introduce technique - introduce example - refer to question - wheel out a theorist

Question Time:
You already have the question this is the answer:

The editing of the 2019 RAF advert creates very strong representation. The audio and video simultaneously create opposite representations of women, with the audio being sampled from various adverts for stereotypically feminine products - those related to health and/or beauty - to contrast with the video of women in serious military situations.
The representation of women created in the non-diegetic audio is that of stereotypes, suggesting that women are only interested in their personal appearance and health. This arguably also appeals to Mulvey's male gaze theory, suggesting that these women might feel the need to have such an interest in these products in order to appeal to men.
In stark contrast, the video focuses on creating strong counter-types for women: every shot focuses on various women performing more than competently in important and serious military situations such as flying, moving through a forest while camouflaged and taking part in one of those overly strict routine marches which just act as proof that the military need to shut up and get over themselves because they have more important things to be doing than yelling at each other for having a slightly creased bedsheet. These important things being what these women are doing throughout the rest of this video.
In line with Buckingham's ideas, this advert reinforces the idea that the media doesn't simply present reality, rather it re-presents it based on the creator's interpretation of the subject matter. Here, the creators' interpretation was clearly that of women being strong and thoroughly capable, and uses this combination of stereotypes and counter-types to effectively convey this message. Tessa Perkins' ideas that stereotypes are able to be changed is also relevant here, as she put forward the idea that they can only be changed with a lot of effort and work - effort and work clearly being put in by the creators of this advert.

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