"Laura Mulvey argued that the controlling gaze in cinema is always male. Spectators are encouraged to identify with the look of the male hero and make the heroine a passive object of erotic spectacle"
Chaudhuri, S. (2006). Feminist film theorists. London: Routledge.
"Satre argued that human being exist both in themselves and for themselves, unlike objects that are simply there, existing only in themselves. In the Second Sex, de Beauvior asserts that men have claimed this subject position for themselves and, in order to ratify themselves in it, they have reduced women to the position of an objectified 'Other', denying women existence for themselves".
Chaudhuri, S. (2006). Feminist film theorists. London: Routledge.
The Second Sex, De Beauvior
"De Beauvior herself was determined to shatter the myth of 'the eternal feminine' that, she claimed, human civilisation has produced. An essence that women are meant to embody, the 'eternal feminine' sometimes refers to a biological essence, at others to a spiritual one. It attributes qualities such as inferiority, gentleness and emotionality to women, as assumes them to be innate and fixed."
"For De Beauvior, on the other hand, no essential characteristics should determine how one becomes a woman."
"Friedan's book reiterated how women were defined only in sexual relation to me - this time as 'wife, sex object, mother housewife' - and never as people defining themselves by their own actions. (Friedan 2001: xv)"
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Friday, 20 November 2015
Paddle8 Are Auctioning off Vintage James Bond, Sci-Fi and Cult Film Posters - Highsnobiety
"Premier collecting site, Paddle8 is auctioning off a series of classic film posters spanning the world of James Bond, along with vintage sci-fi and cult classics starting from today. Timed to celebrate the release of Bond’s 24th film, Spectre, as well as the 50th anniversary of Thunderball, the posters document the making of a modern icon and a cinematic hero with a focus on the Sean Connery era."
Considering investing in a film poster? Paddle8's pop-culture ace Caitlin Graham shows us the rarities to look for, imparts some surprising advice about restoration, and points out tomorrow's classics.
https://paddle8.com/editorial/the-making-of-an-icon-james-bond/
A short history of the portrayals, on screen and on paper, that Ian Fleming's daring and debonair Agent 007 has spawned.
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Sex sells? The telegraph
Sex sells? It can make you forget what is being advertised, say scientists
reporter, T. (2015). Sex sells? It can make you forget what is being advertised, say scientists. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11754878/Sex-sells-It-can-make-you-forget-what-is-being-advertised-say-scientists.html [Accessed 18 Nov. 2015].
"The adage "sex sells" has guided the advertising world for centuries."
"However, new research has a surprising conclusion for advertising executives: sex not only "does not sell" but can even put potential customers off buying a product."
"The reason is that people pay so much attention to the graphic material their minds are distracted from what is being promoted."
"Sex and violence do not sell, and in fact they may even backfire by impairing memory, attitudes and buying intentions for advertised products. Advertisers should think twice about sponsoring violent and sexual programmes, and about using these themes in their ads."
"The study found that viewers are less likely to remember adverts when they are shown around films and programmes with explicit sexual or violent content than during family friendly material. The same goes for graphic adverts, say the researchers."
"Brands advertised during programmes with sexual overtones were also viewed less favourably. Prof Bushman said: "We found almost no evidence that violent and sexual programmes and ads increased advertising effectiveness."
"In general, we found such programmes, and ads with violent or sexual content, decreased advertising effectiveness."
Friday, 13 November 2015
A Clockwork orange book cover redesign - meaning and iconography
A Clockwork Orange
Wikipedia
"A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess published in 1962. Set in a near future English society that has a subculture of extreme youth violence, the novella has a teenage protagonist, Alex, who narrates his violent exploits and his experiences with state authorities intent on reforming him."[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange]
Urban dictionary
"A Clockwork Orange is a book and movie with many different levels. The most obvious level is the theme of violence and 'ultra-violence'. A bunch of droogs get-off and take joy in terrorizing others. On that level it is an extreme example to those that do not feel self-empowered. This makes it a cult classic. On other levels it is also about learning self-constraint and how we alienate others by selfishly fulfilling our own needs before those of others, and on yet another level, it shows how being short sighted and trying to race to the end of a learning process can actually completely defeat the process. The story clearly shows that 'law' tries to subvert its criminals via brainwashing, but if someone doesn't learn to change for themselves, then you are only just holding them prisoner.It is a book/movie I highly recommend for the analytical types. There are many levels to it and although there are some scenes that may disturb the faint-of-heart, it is worth it for the rest of the movie.
The movie A Clockwork Orange gives deep insight into those of us that feel alienated and yet self-empowered. It reinforces the feeling that I may do as I please, without regard to the repercussions. Thankfully I don't actually want to rape people."
[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=A+Clockwork+Orange]
"Superficially, "a clockwork orange" was just some lingo that author Anthony Burgess overheard among old Londoners. In Anthony Burgess's own words in the introduction entitled "A Clockwork Orange Resucked," the title refers to a person who "has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State." In other words, and again Burgess's own, it stands for the "application of a mechanistic morality to a living organism oozing with juice and sweetness." So, basically, it refers to a person who is robotic behaviorally but one that is, in all other respects, human. The title is significant not only because Burgess references it about, say, 1,000 times throughout the book, but also because it sums up what threatened our protagonist-narrator so much. Oops. Did that get your attention?'
[http://www.shmoop.com/clockwork-orange/title.html]
"has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State."
"The title of the novel, A Clockwork Orange, derived from, Burgess claimed, ‘ a phrase which I heard many years ago and so fell in love with, I wanted to use it [as] the title of the book. But the phrase itself I did not make up. The phrase “as queer as a clockwork orange” is good old East London slang and it didn’t seem necessary to explain it. Now, obviously, I have to give it an extra meaning. I’ve implied an extra dimension. I’ve implied a junction of the organic, the lively, the sweet — in other words, life, the orange — and the mechanical, the cold, the disciplined. I’ve brought them together in a kind of oxymoron’. "
The life and the diciplined
A Clockwork orange book cover redesign - Research into previous book covers
Having seen the film A Clockwork orange multiple times, but never read the book, a good direction to head in would be to research the book covers.
Thursday, 12 November 2015
Milkshake Syrup brief - contacting the company
After reading the brief, certain details of the messages struck me and concerns arose.
My aim is to launch 4 flavours of milkshake syrup mix, these are bottles of syrup which when mixed with milk creates a milkshake.
My product is based under the American diner menu, so it will look very 1950's in design. The front of the label will consist of a milkshake glass with a straw in it and a fruit on the side. I have many concepts that will make life for the designer much easy.
I have realised that the Graphic Artist department has many eager artists willing to undertake such tasks that will further enhance their portfolios.
Thank you, we look forward in working together with the college."
Also another concern that arose was that at this stage, I did not know the flavours of this product, the brief explained how 4 flavours were to be released, the problem was I did not know these flavours.
Finally, the client explained how they had concepts that would ' will make life for the designer much easy' I was interested to hear what these concepts were and how the could benefit my designs, for this reason I finished by asking that question.
My email read:
"Hello there, I am Ryan Daley, A 3rd and final year of Leeds college of art's BAhons Graphic design course.
The Brief
"The name of the company is Tropics Foods Uk Ltd, we are based in the Leeds 7 area. We have been in the food manufacturing game for over three decades. We have many of our branded products under Tropics in stores such as Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. We also do lots of contract work and these are often under names such as KTC, Enco, Dunns River. Our website further explains and gives you a better insight in to our company.My aim is to launch 4 flavours of milkshake syrup mix, these are bottles of syrup which when mixed with milk creates a milkshake.
My product is based under the American diner menu, so it will look very 1950's in design. The front of the label will consist of a milkshake glass with a straw in it and a fruit on the side. I have many concepts that will make life for the designer much easy.
I have realised that the Graphic Artist department has many eager artists willing to undertake such tasks that will further enhance their portfolios.
Thank you, we look forward in working together with the college."
Contacting
It struck me that this brief didn't explain or even give the name of this milkshake product I was to be designing for, as far as I knew, the title of the product labelling would read 'Milkshake',Also another concern that arose was that at this stage, I did not know the flavours of this product, the brief explained how 4 flavours were to be released, the problem was I did not know these flavours.
Finally, the client explained how they had concepts that would ' will make life for the designer much easy' I was interested to hear what these concepts were and how the could benefit my designs, for this reason I finished by asking that question.
My email read:
"Hello there, I am Ryan Daley, A 3rd and final year of Leeds college of art's BAhons Graphic design course.
I have read the briefing email and have a few questions to ask about the product.
Firstly, you have mentioned that the product will come in 4 flavoured syrups? Please could you inform me as to what these flavours are.
Secondly, is there a name associated with this milkshake product? or is this something that the designer must design on?
Thirdly and finally, you have mentioned "I have many concepts that will make life for the designer much easy." do you care to expand on these concepts please?
Thank you very much for your time, I am looking forward to hearing back from you and beginning the brief.
Yours faithfully, Ryan Daley"
Milkshake Syrup brief - existing milkshake packaging research
Evocative milkshake branding takes a step back in time
"New Zealand designers transport Master Milkshakes back to the 1950s with this new brand identity and packaging design.
Auckland-based graphic design studio Fuman was recently commissioned to create a brand identity for Master Milkshakes. The brief required the inclusion of a hand-drawn character, which should have a "1950s retro vibe but not too 'hipster' - something that would have a timeless feel and stand out from the crowd"."
Auckland-based graphic design studio Fuman was recently commissioned to create a brand identity for Master Milkshakes. The brief required the inclusion of a hand-drawn character, which should have a "1950s retro vibe but not too 'hipster' - something that would have a timeless feel and stand out from the crowd"."
Overall, A very effective, unique and eye catching range of branding for the milkshake products.
Criticism has been made with the milkshake syrup being contained in brown medicine style bottles, this is almost a killing point in term of marketing a product for children in my opinion, a bad connection between a fun consumable product for all ages and the relation between potentially dangerous medicine bottles.
Milkshake Syrup brief - 1950s packaging research
Having read the Milkshake packaging brief, the logical steps is to become acquainted with how food was branded in the 1950s and in the modern day to gather contextual research into how these products could eventually look.
 |
The use of demonstrative illustrations is abundant within most of these products. This could be used in relation to how the milkshake syrup must be mixed with milk as part of the sequence to creating this drink.
 |
| fig4 |
By contemporary standards, this 1950s packaging for Bassett's Jelly babies [fig4] is strikingly simple but also extraordinarily eye catching. The use of bright colours, endearing characters and a general unisex brand would explain how this product would appeal in a super market situation.
In the contemporary world, this packaging would be seen as vintage and outdated almost especially in comparison to the how the branding has evolved in the modern day. [see below, fig5.]
 |
| fig5 One of the major concerns in modern day confectionary as well as snack foods is consuming artificial sweeteners or E numbers. [http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030] |
Something that this brand could take note of is the previous [Fig.4]'s less punchy and artificial colour scheme.
In conclusion, the comparison to be made between Jelly babies' vintage packaging and their contemporary one is that in modern supermarkets, bright vibrant colours can be effectively used when appealing to children, but adults and parents often hold the opinion that these products contain artificial flavourings. A middle ground must be found in which the product's packaging appeals to all ages of the target market, but in the same sense conveys healthy values in adverse to additives, E numbers and artificial flavourings.
In conclusion, the comparison to be made between Jelly babies' vintage packaging and their contemporary one is that in modern supermarkets, bright vibrant colours can be effectively used when appealing to children, but adults and parents often hold the opinion that these products contain artificial flavourings. A middle ground must be found in which the product's packaging appeals to all ages of the target market, but in the same sense conveys healthy values in adverse to additives, E numbers and artificial flavourings.
Milkshake Syrup brief - Tropics food
Milkshake Syrup brief
The Brief
"The name of the company is Tropics Foods Uk Ltd, we are based in the Leeds 7 area. We have been in the food manufacturing game for over three decades. We have many of our branded products under Tropics in stores such as Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. We also do lots of contract work and these are often under names such as KTC, Enco, Dunns River. Our website further explains and gives you a better insight in to our company.My aim is to launch 4 flavours of milkshake syrup mix, these are bottles of syrup which when mixed with milk creates a milkshake.
My product is based under the American diner menu, so it will look very 1950's in design. The front of the label will consist of a milkshake glass with a straw in it and a fruit on the side. I have many concepts that will make life for the designer much easy.
I have realised that the Graphic Artist department has many eager artists willing to undertake such tasks that will further enhance their portfolios.
Thank you, we look forward in working together with the college."
Details:
- 4 flavours of milkshake syrup mix
- food manufacturing game for over three decades.
- American diner menu - very 1950's in design
- The front of the label will consist of a milkshake glass with a straw in it and a fruit on the side.
- I have many concepts that will make life for the designer much easy.
Tropics Foods Uk Ltd
Adult Fiction Cover Award - The Brief: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
http://penguinrandomhousedesignaward.co.uk/index.php
Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine width 10mm)."
A Clockwork orange book cover redesign
"A Clockwork Orange is as dazzling and inventive to new readers today as it was when it was first published half a century ago. The story is well known both in celluloid and print so it is essential to come at it from a fresh angle. Try to design a new cover for a new generation of readers, avoiding the obvious clichés. Originality is key.Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine width 10mm)."
Monday, 9 November 2015
LSE Research article - Post feminist media culture: elements of a sensibility
Introduction:
The notion of postfeminism has become one of the most important in the lexicon of feminist cultural an alysis. Yet there is little agreement about what postfeminism is. This article argues that postfeminism is best understood as a distinctive sensibility, made up of a number of interrelated themes. These include the notion that femininity is a bodily property; the shift from objectification to subjectification; an emphasis upon self-surveillance, monitoring and self-discipline; a focus on individualism, choice and empowerment; the dominance of a makeover paradigm; and a resurgence of ideas about natural sexual difference. Each of these is explored in some detail, with examples from contemporary Anglo-American media. It is precisely the patterned articulation of these ideas that constitutes a postfeminist sensibility. The article concludes with a discussion of the connection between this sensibility and contemporary neoliberalism.
The notion of postfeminism has become one of the most important in the lexicon of feminist cultural an alysis. Yet there is little agreement about what postfeminism is. This article argues that postfeminism is best understood as a distinctive sensibility, made up of a number of interrelated themes. These include the notion that femininity is a bodily property; the shift from objectification to subjectification; an emphasis upon self-surveillance, monitoring and self-discipline; a focus on individualism, choice and empowerment; the dominance of a makeover paradigm; and a resurgence of ideas about natural sexual difference. Each of these is explored in some detail, with examples from contemporary Anglo-American media. It is precisely the patterned articulation of these ideas that constitutes a postfeminist sensibility. The article concludes with a discussion of the connection between this sensibility and contemporary neoliberalism.
"postfeminism is best thought of as a sensibility that characterises increasing numbers of films, television shows, adverts and other media products."
"One of the most striking aspects of postfeminist media culture is its obsessional preoccupation with the body."
"in today's media it is possession of a 'sexy body' that is presented as women's key (if not sole) source of identity."
"The body is presented simultaneously as women's source of power and as always already unruly and requiring constant monitoring, surveillance, discipline and remodeling (and consumer spending) in order to conform to ever narrower judgments of female attractiveness."
"Indeed, surveillance of women's bodies (but not men's) constitutes perhaps the largest type of media content across all genres and media forms."
"A sleek, toned, controlled figure is today normatively essential for portraying success. "
The sexualisation of culture
"Brian McNair (2002) as part of the ‘striptease culture’ as well as to the increasingly frequent erotic presentation of girls’, women's and (to a lesser extent) men's bodies in public spaces."
"blurring of the boundaries between pornography and other genres that has occurred in the last decade. ‘Porno chic’ has become a dominant representational practice in advertising"
‘Porno chic’
" Even children’s television has adopted a sexualised address to its audience and between its presenters."
"Where once sexualised representations of women in the media presented them as passive, mute objects of an assumed male gaze, today sexualisation works somewhat differently in many domains."
"Women are not straightforwardly objectified but are presented as active, desiring sexual subjects who choose to present themselves in a seemingly objectified manner because it suits their liberated interests to do so (Goldman, 1992)."
"Nowhere is this clearer than in advertising which has responded to feminist critiques by constructing a new figure to sell to young women: the sexually autonomous heterosexual young woman who plays with her sexual power and is forever 'up for it'."
"'Once porn and real human sexuality were distinguishable. Not even porn's biggest advocates would suggest a porn flick depicted reality, that women were gagging for sex 24/7 and would drop their clothes and submit to rough, anonymous sex at the slightest invitation. But as porn has seeped into mainstream culture, the line has blurred. To speak to men's magazine editors, it is clear they believe that somehow in recent years, porn has come true. The sexually liberated modern woman turns out to resemble -- what do you know! -- the pneumatic, take-me-now-big-boy fuck-puppet of male fantasy after all.'(Turner, 2005: 2)"
COP tutorial 2
After presenting my visual timeline of Contentious / controversial banned movie posters to my cop tutor, we began discussing the evident correlations between these posters.
The fact of how women are represented on both sexual and horror movie posters is something that demands attention.
Questions arose such as:
The fact of how women are represented on both sexual and horror movie posters is something that demands attention.
Questions arose such as:
Does poster failure/banning hinder a film's success?
Research into areas such as gender identity, the gaze, gender roles and female empowerment were touched on.
Film & tv's general influence on the youth.
Documentaries such as Game changers starring Daniel Radcliffe, that focusses on the influence of video games and media.
Recommended research sources such as LSE's Postfeminist media culture: elements of a sensibility.
Laura Mulvey's visual pleasure and narrative cinema
Christian Metz Psychoanalysis and the cinema
Post feminist media culture
David Gauntlet's Media, gender identity
Recommended research sources such as LSE's Postfeminist media culture: elements of a sensibility.
Laura Mulvey's visual pleasure and narrative cinema
Christian Metz Psychoanalysis and the cinema
Post feminist media culture
David Gauntlet's Media, gender identity
Dissertation structure
Introduction
Chapter 1
Film and Ad campaigns involving women
"For the purpose of this research, I intended to focus on print based film posters and the connection with society"
Further research:
Comparing modern film posters and 21st century design to Pre Pre-Raphaelite art pieces. Also investigating Renaissance and Baroque piece as a cultural, critical comparison between present and historical forms of entertainment. How the image of murder/gore and the perception of women has advanced.
Contentious / controversial banned movie posters presentation
Following on from my initial COP tutorial, we concluded that it'd be a useful idea to create a presentation featuring Contentious / controversial banned movie posters focussing around the sex and horror genre.
Making use of websites and sources such as http://alfalfastudio.com/the-50-most-controversial-movie-posters-in-film-history/ and http://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/07/28/controversial-movie-posters/
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