Representation Research

Representation 

Representation is the portrayal of a person, thing, group, or anything you can think of. This is one of the most important things in media. It runs the headlines, and the sad truth is that many representations are simply wrong. These often lead to sterotypes which are one of the most common things made up in the media atmosphere. Believe it or not, they can very negatively affect people. A peer reviewed article by Kevin Leo says, "Many Asian Americans and other people of color often struggle with their racial and ethnic identity development-with many citing how a lack of media representation negatively impacts their self-esteem and overall views of their racial or cultural groups." This highlights how representation in the media can seriously damage an individual's mental health. These stereotypes are not just limited to Asian Americans; they apply to anything you can think of. My research made me realize how damaging this could be.

The mass media has a major effect on representation. They hold a great deal of power because they are the ones who control the media landscape. The mass media understands algorithms at a very high level and knows exactly what their users engage with. They keep many people in their filter bubbles, and so many people do not know about this.  They shape the vast majority of the world's reality, and frankly, the number of people who do not know this is a lot higher than it should be. Stuarts hall reprecentation theory states that the media attempts to construct meanings for everyday things. I believe the whole reason they do this is to allow the people in power to stay in power. Not everybody will blindly accept what's portrayed in the media.

Above are 2 pictures of highly contreversial Barrack Obama. Most people, including yourself, probably have a strong opinion about him, wether its good or bad. What you have seen online has almost certainly affected your opinion on him. This is what the Stuart's Media representation is about. The media shaped your opinion on a man you most likely don't personally know, and this is exactly their goal.

Stuart's reception theory says that people have the agency to reject these theories based on their experiences, which leaves it up to the users how they take in representation. This is a skill that few have: the ability to not let the media fully influence your beliefs.

After doing my research i have learned a lot more about representation. I will think twice next time before letting the media affect my beliefs. Understanding this concept is crucial to developing your own beliefs, especially in the world we live in right now and looking forward yaers in advanced.

Citations: 

Hyperakt. (n.d.). Barack Obama: The new hope. https://www.hyperakt.com/work/barack-obama-the-new-hope

Media Studies. (n.d.). Stuart Hall and representation. https://media-studies.com/stuart-hall-representation/

Nadal, K. L. Y. (2021, December 27). Why representation matters and why it’s still not enough. 

Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-the-people/202112/why-representation-matters-and-why-it-s-still-not-enough  

Shoot the Projectionist. (2009, August 3). Shepard Fairey + Obama/Joker/Socialism. http://shoottheprojectionist.blogspot.com/2009/08/shepard-fairey-obamajokersocialism.html (shoottheprojectionist.blogspot.com in Bing)

Schedule

This is the schedule i have come up with. This schedule is based of 2 major things: preventing procrastination and laziness. If there is one thing people know about me is that i seriously dislike these 2 things, and i would like to say i have extraordinary work ethic. With that being said, the first 4 days of each week will be strictly dedicated to blogging. The days after will be dedicated to filming. Since there will not be school on most filming days, my team and i will have a lot of time to perfect the shots and produce the best film, and in case of any leftover time, we can edit as much as possible. Another reason why I will make sure I avoid procrastination is because of the likely roadblocks along the way. Nothing is perfect, and we will have setbacks, so staying on top of my work will allow for easier adjustments and improvisations down the road. This year has taught me a lot, especially discipline. It is a must-have while taking 4 AICE classes, but it is completely worth it. I have learned sop much about my self and improved my mental toughness quite a lot. I will do everything in my power to stay on task throughout the duration of this project.

WEEK 2 

1/26 watch 3 films and analysis 

1/27 analysis of 3 citations 

1/28 post this schedule and analysis

1/29 reflect on the week and add any updates we have came up with as a team. 

1/30 REVIEW!

WEEK 3

2/2 reflect about meeting and goals for the future 

2/3 media theory research and meet with group to finalize film idea 

2/4 blog about the ideas we have and we should have the mise en scene elements 

2/5 reflect on the script and analysis why we chose it 

2/6-9 FILM

WEEK 4

2/9 blog character development and reflect on filming

2/10 review film and mise-en-scene and make upgrades..make blog 

2/11 re film and reflect on mise-en improvements

2/12 review audio and make changes..make blog 

2/13-15 continue filming

WEEK 5

2/16 make a blog reflecting on the week and keep bouncing ideas around  

2/17 blog on the process of making the company logo 

2/18 film behind the scenes and explain the process behind shots 

2/19 film behind the scenes and explain the process behind shots 

2/20-22 FILM!

WEEK 6

2/23Document filing process from 20-22 and reflect

2/24 make major editing adjustments if needed and film if possible 

2/25 continue blogging and continue edits while making behind the scenes and reflect 

2/26 Research for question #1 of CCR post 

2/27-3/1 continue filming 

WEEK 7

3/2 Edit and perfect previous shots and research for question 2 of CCR

3/3 Research and blog CCR 3 

3/4 Research and CCR 4 

3/5 Discuss and post CCR production ideas and reflect on the overall process 

3/8 FILMMM

WEEK 8

3/9 Post about production of CCR 

3/10 Make any extra cuts and edits And reflect on editing 

3/11 Final thoughts and talk about good and bad and things we could have improved 

3/12 Final post..CCR AND FILMS

Citations:

LittleSizzle. (n.d.). Discipline definition print: Instant download. LittleSizzle. https://littlesizzle.com/products/discipline-definition-print-instant-download?srsltid=AfmBOopgqHaFjrHttcyNWL7UVL250bvIICH4KG29wKTdvNEpgBCNdDaS

Samiul. (2024, August 6). Discipline is key to success, but not to massive success. Samiul’s Blog. https://samiulsblog.com/discipline-is-key-to-success-not-massive-success

Credit Sequences

To produce a high-level film, having a good crew from top to bottom is a necessity. These are the people who make your screen time an enjoyable experience. Often, these people get overlooked, specifically costume designers and sound designers, but there are many more who the average person does not know exist or acknowledge. Having a good credit sequence is always nice, especially for those hard-working people behind the scenes. I analyzed 3 film openings and took away some good and bad things from them.

The first credit sequence I analysed was Alfred Hitchcock's all time classic Psycho. This is widely regarded as one of the best movies ever, and it is easy to see why. The production deserves its flowers as it shaped mystery/thriller movies. The iconic shower scene's editing and sound are what make it so iconic.

Now, to begin with the analysis of the credit sequence, it was quite frankly not very good. As good as the film is, the credit scene was just a black screen with the credits. While the letters had a cool transition, it is still not ideal. I definitely learned that I do not want to do just a black screen. I want to insert my credit sequence with more interesting shots.

I will say that the transition from the credits to the actual film was well done, and I will consider incorporating something similar into my film opening without the plain black screen.

The credit sequence I looked into was Gone Girl, directed by David Fincher. This credit sequence was on the calmer side of things. It has establishing shots of the city where nick and amy met. I like the calm, long shots because it allows the viewers to read and focus on the credits since there is not too much going on.  

The calmness of the credits is unlike other mysteries that establish a strong sense of mystery in the beginning shots. For the mystery film we are trying to create, we will very likely be using a more suspenseful opening. What I would like to take away is the lighting behind these shots. The blue is very asthetically pleasing, but it is dark enough to provoke a sense of uneasy despite the slow pacing of the credit shots. I believe that this credit sequence was perfect for this movie because it is abundantly clear that something is wrong, but it does just enough to give the viewers an uneasy feeling. Based on the ideas my team and i have bounced around, we would use a more intense credit sequence.

Lastly i looked into Inside Man (2006) directed by Spike Lee. The movie's credit sequence was once again calm. The film begins with Dalton Russell, a bank robber, narrating his criminal activities in a cell, reflecting on the difference between a cell and a prison. This is then followed up by the credits with a more uplifiting song with a montagge of the city in the background of all different types of shots, long, close, extreme close ups, medium shots, and even over the shoulder shots with the purpose of establishing the setting. This is very important because the shots paint a clear picture. A broken down city that looks to be in an unstable financial situation. The credit sequence is rolling at the same time the setting is being developed, which makes this a successful opening.

One thing I will take away from this is the variety of shots in which the setting is developed. The different shots paint a picture in a montage style. The montagge style is very effective as it establishes the setting tone but also mixes in the credits at the same time.

Reflection:

While studying credit sequences i realized how effective Mise-en-Scene elements are. They can tell the viewer a lot without saying any words. Black screens are a boring way to incorporate credits into the film, and we will most certainly be staying away from that.

Citations:

Art of the Title. (2026). Gone Girl (2014). Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/gone-girl/

Art of the Title. (n.d.). Psycho (1960). Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/psycho/

Castro Theatre. (2017, April 27). Enjoy the opening credits of Hitchcock’s Psycho by Saul Bass with music by Bernard Herrmann [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq1XHtJEHw

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers. (n.d.). Psycho (1960) theatrical trailer – Alfred Hitchcock movie [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTJQfFQ40lI

Subversive Rabbit. (2022). Inside Man trailer [2006] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz4IPGee42k

Film Openings

My team and I have reached a final decision: we will be producing a mystery/thriller film opening. We believe that this genre suits us very well. Not only that, but all 3 of us working together are a very creative group. This genre enables us to maximize our creativity and produce an accurate representation of our abilities. As mentioned before, we have experience with genres similar to this, so we have a lot of confidence in this.

To begin my brainstorming process, I will analyse 3 film openings. Watching and analysing films is crucial for inspiration and studying what they do best.

The first film opening i analyised was the woman in cabin 10 opening directed by Simon Stone. The film begins with a woman in an elevator. It is very obvious that something is wrong. The unease in her face says it all. The posture alongside the low-key lighting also indicate that something is truly wrong. The lower volume mysterious music is what puts the nail in the coffin. This is what allows the viewer to understand that something is very wrong. My favorite technique used here was the variety of close-up shots of the woman's face and the silence after getting off the elevator. The silence is something that is commonly used to build suspense, and it does its job very effectivley here. The tone is quickly established; something is very wrong.

Despite the controversial ending to this film, the opening is not one that is controversial. It is a very good film opening, and it certainly hooked me in.

The second movie i analyised was The Woman in The Window . Before i begin analysing i must say the director Joe Wright had me terrified watching the opening. This is one opening that i certanley want to take a lot from.

The asynchronous hard breathing to begin the opening establishes the tone before the setting is even displayed. The tittle of the movie in red letters with the low-key lighting in the back round adds a lot of suspense. The close ups of the children's play house with the asychronized sound of children playing layered on top of the scary back round music is very nicley produced. The setting is established through a series of close shots of regular house items but with the other elements i have just mentioned, like the music and lighting, it is clear these are not regular items. This is confirmed after the disturbing pictures displayed on the computer.

The asynchronous sounds are what put this film's opening over the top for me. I will be pointing it out to my team tomorrow in class, and we can bounce ideas off each other. This technique was great because we, as the viewers, did not know where these sounds were coming from. Not knowing where they are coming from is the ultimate suspense; the unknown. I want to implement something similar to our film opening. Another observation i made was the detail to the Mise-en-scène elements. In an opening where the setting was clearly established, the elements are very important and must be perfect. These are 2 major takeaways I will keep in mind when producing my project.

The 3rd and final film i chose to analyse was Luther: The Fallen Sun, directed by Jaime Payne. This film's opening went with a pretty traditional route. The classic phone call and a mysterious person insisting on a meetup. This plot is slightly overused in my opinion. While it does its job, any people including myself, can become bored from these.

While the concept is overused, it does not take away the fact that this is a well produced opening. The emptiness of the room of just the man being called, adds thrill due to the sense of helplessness. Nighttime with rain was a solid way to establish the tone, followed up by the series of close-ups of the mans worried face, driving make this a suspenseful opening.

My favorite part about this opening was the close-ups that showed the man's worried face. This clearly transmits the nerves the man is feeling. It is an effective and reliable way to establish the tone.

Citations: 

Netflix. (2023). Luther: The Fallen Sun | Official Trailer | Netflix [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGK5qtXuc1Q

Netflix. (2025). The Woman in Cabin 10 – Official Trailer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QbfJzTPY4w

Netflix. (2021, April 8). The Woman in the Window | Official Trailer | Netflix [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_0GJg_Jnlo

Portfolio Project Genre #2

MYSTERY

WHAT IS MYSTERY?

Mystery is the ultimate cliffhanger; it leaves people glued to their seats, not knowing what's about to happen. Suspense is very common in mystery, and this is what intrigues many mystery fanatics. Those who can truly appreciate mystery movies are active consumers. These are the ones who pay close attention to films that leave clues to what could happen next, allowing for hypotheses to be made in the midst of highly intense scenes.

WHY?

As a digital native myself, I must confess that before taking this course i was certainly a passive media consumer. I would watch films, and scroll on social media for hours without paying much attention to what i was consuming. By the second class, it was abundantly clear to me that I needed to make a change. Since making that change i appreciate mystery movies a lot more. Not only do i watch, but i am engaging and paying attention to little things that reveal what will happen next examples include sound effects, zoom in's often times reveal something bad is about to happen in a suspensful scene, and most importantly, costume designs.

TECHNIQUES USED

George Davison's blog points out a clever strategy to build suspense. Adding a time limit to a mission is something that is not done nearly enough in films, and it is very effective. The film Inferno is an exceptional example of this technique used. Close-up shots to feel the actors' suffering and, in some cases, confusion are used commonly. Pans often hint at a character being chased. Sound motifs paired with violin background music are all used to create mystery in the auditory world.

                                                           

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for this genre is those who enjoy thriller films. Mystery is often times realated to crime scences so those who enjoy crime and non fiction movies often times watch mystery films. Elsey wrote that she believes the target audience is from ages 15-50, and I agree with this. Her reasoning is because of the mature language and scenes and and people older than 50, may be confused. While I agree i want to add on. I also believe that a younger audience than 15 might not be mature enough to comprehend scenes and appreciate the work that goes into these movies.

WHAT MAKES MYSTERY

Mystery filmmakers must have a basic understanding of psychology. Often times phsycological methods are applied to mystery films to keep the suspense and confusion for those watching. James A. Hurst gives a crystal clear explanation of physcologiacl tricks used to keep the audience emerged. He summed up mystery as something he calls "Playing with the information gap." This is when you give the audience enough clues that something bad is happening, but not what will happen. This psychologically glues the audience to the film. He also mentions "stretch time until it snaps." This is when the audience knows something bad is on the verge of happening, but leaves the suspense to when it will happen, creating the mystery theme.

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION

After researching mystery I realised the little details mystery films have that very often get overlooked. I found new movies that will certainly be added to my movie bucket list. The most surprising part of my research was the psychological aspects the filmaking progress had. My team and I discussed the mystery theme. We believe that this could certainly be an admirable film if we do it the right way. Some issues that we would run into are the lack of film options, and we would have less creativity room than the drama theme. The pro's would be that we have experience as a group creating a suspencsful production and we where all very proud of it. Overall, as of January 23rd, 2026, we are still debating and brainstorming on what the best genre would be for us.

My favorite mystery movies are Murder mystery 2 and Happy halloween 

Citations: 

Elsey, F. (2015, October 4). Target audience of mystery genre [Presentation]. Prezi. https://prezi.com/zo52brfllqiu/target-audience-of-mystery-genre/

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, December 12). Violin. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/violin 

George Davison Studios. (n.d.). The keys to a mystery‑thriller film. https://georgedavisonstudios.com/blog/the-keys-to-a-mystery-thriller-film/

Nerdwriter1. (2023, September 15). The psychological presence technique [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azfhHGlfoRs

NETFLIX. (2021). [YouTube video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM2F56uK0fs

NETFLIX (2024). [YouTube video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY3SuNvqQPw

Sony Pictures Entertainment. (2016). Inferno – Official Trailer (HD) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH2BD49sEZI

Portfolio Project Genre #1

DRAMA

WHAT IS DRAMA?

To put it in simplest terms, drama is an emotion-packed film that almost certainly will take a turn of events, leading to emotional moments. Drama is for those who are understand they will be in for an emotional roller coaster when deciding to watch that that film, making it impossible to not feel sympathy.

WHY?

The First Genre I am contemplating doing is drama. Frankly, Drama is my favorite genre because it leaves you hooked. Not only that, but this allows me and my group to be flexible. When creating Drama films, you can be very creative, and the films can go in so many different directions, encouraging me and my group to be creative, so it is a very good choice for us.

TECHNIQUES USED

Drama's highly emotional nature can be displayed in a variety of ways. Close-up shots allow the audience to fully understand the emotion on the screen, especially facial expressions, so the film will consist of a large quantity of close ups. Close up shots allow for a clear understanding of what is happening. They can develop a scene with no words or sounds. Mise-en-scène elements will be decided once we have made our final decision on what our portfolio will be about. They also play a large role in developing the drama and emotion. The color blue will is often seen as a representation of sadness, so it will be used with meaning.

WHAT MAKES DRAMA

Drama consists of a serious tone that easily provokes the viewers' emotions. Kyle Deguzman wrote that the greatest drama films revolve around compelling characters. I agree because acting plays a big role in provoking emotions out of people. Many people, including myself, will cry at movies despite knowing it is a movie and fake. A Dog's Tale starring Richard Gere is one that had me shedding tears by the time the end credits where on screen. Gere's outstanding acting is a major reason the movie provoked so much sadness for me and many others. Making the film relatable allows for those watching to feel an emotional connection, further developing emotion. The realism also makes you ask yourself questions about the real world, which is great for active audiences. A video by Video By The Language Library explains this concept wonderfully.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for drama is very wide, as there is drama at every age. From marriage films for an older crowd, to high school drama for teens, and the film Wonder for elementary kids, these are all about different topics yet still deeply connect with a large and varied audience. You must understand your target audience and research their interests.

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION 

Researching about Drama made me realize how diverse this theme is. Any film can have drama and it can be about anything. Even the happiest moments can have some drama to them. While researching my team and I called to check in and talk about what themes we where thinking off. We all quickly agreed we where not aware of how flexible drama was and how much fun we can have working with this theme.  After researching my first topic, I have high hopes for drama if this is what we stick with.

Citations: 

DeGuzman, K. (2024, December 3). Drama: A guide to the genre. Backstage. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/drama-genre-guide-78027/

Family Movie Faves. (2017). Wonder (2017 movie) official trailer – #ChooseKind [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngiK1gQKgK8

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers. (2024, April 2). Hachi: A dog’s tale (2009) trailer #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYzHJyry9Cs

The Language Library. (2024). What is theme in drama and why does it matter? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AoDB6mX3Y0

Transitioning To My Portfolio Project

Hello Cambridge! I would like to take this opportunity to thank the program for providing me with the chance to take this course. I have learned an incredible amount of information in a very short amount of time, and I am truly grateful for this experience. I will be working relentlessly to make this project the best representation of myself. I am highly confident in the skills I have learned, which will enable me to build a successful portfolio.

My first idea is to really emphasize the idea of an unfinished film. I want to leave my project's viewers on a cliffhanger. I know that this is the opening of a film, so that will be a key thing to keep in mind while brainstorming with partners. I personally get hooked on media forms that leave you on a cliffhanger.

I plan on working with the same people I have been working with the whole year. We all agree that we make a very good team as we all work together and colloboratley.

Developing a plot is something that i would like to work with as the vast majority of succsesfull films have a profoundly developed plot. I believe that developing a plot is like an art because a plot that is too simple is boring, and on the other hand, one that is too complicated makes it harder to understand. The fine line is just where you want to be. Linda Cowgill believes that emotions play a key role in developing a plot and without them the plot would feels bland and boring. I agree with this because a character's reaction is a major part of developing a good film. This is what makes the story easy to understand yet not boring.

Triggering emotions allows for an audience to feel invested and also feel like they are part of the film. The significance of this should not be overlooked. Triggering the viewers' emotions is a key focus. I believe suspense truly triggers emotions. It is hard for a viewer to not want to keep eatching a film when suspense is high, so hooking the audience early on is crucial, especially now in a world where peoples attention spans are noticiable shorter than before due to the access to different media everywhere. Suspense and external conflicts are notable themes often used to provoke emotion, according to Liz Slyman's article .

The film Bliss (2021) does a remarkable job with their film opening. It immediately triggers sympathy, and it keeps the viewers hooked. It leaves a sense of sympathy while also developing the character and giving us background context. This is the perfect combination allowing the movie to prosper.

Citations:

Cowgill, L. (n.d.). The art of plotting your story & screenplay structure. Movie Outline. https://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-art-of-plotting-your-story-and-screenplay-structure.html 

Prime Video. (2021, January 12). Bliss – Official Trailer (2021) | Prime Video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHtPm8v-yNw

Slyman, L. (2023, October 15). The psychology of evoking emotion: How screenwriters and marketers intersect. Raindance. https://raindance.org/the-psychology-of-evoking-emotion-how-screenwriters-and-marketers-intersect/