RepresentationIf only it was that simple…

what is it

The re-presenting of a reality to an audience by a producer.

The reality we see inthe media is not realityit is a representation ofit. An image of a person is not the person, it is an interpretation of it. Can be representation of a placeissue or event as well as aperson.

mediation

Is the process of taking a reality, interpreting it, and re-presenting it to the audience.

All media goes through this process, it cannot be otherwise.

Even reality TV is not real reality, Big Brother for example has carefully chosen housemates, the cameras will select certain angles, and the program makers will select certain scenes to broadcast and some not to.

Types of representation

Reflective – taking a true meaning and trying to replicate it. Is this how the news works?

Intentional – what becomes influential here is the person doing the representation, so that they create a representation that will mean the same to the audience as the producer intended.

Constructionist – acknowledges the audiences mind to accept or reject what it sees.

Constructionist representation

Each representation has four factors

The thing itself

The opinions of the people doing the representation

The reaction of the individual to the representation

The context of the society in which the representation is taking place

Questions to ask

What/who is being represented?

In what way? Using what codes? Within what genre?

By whom? At whom is it targeted?

Why are they being represented this way?

What does it mean to you? For others?

Is the representation fair and accurate?

What opportunities exist for self-representation for the subject?

Richard Dyer

“How we are seen determines how we are treated, how we treat others is based on how we see them, How we see them comes from representation’ ( The Matter of Images)

Your only experience of the group being represented might be the media text that the representation is in.

David Chandler

Representation refers to the construction in any medium of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts.

Representation always involves ‘the construction of reality’

Myths

Representations can be founded on a reality or indeed a reality that does not exist

Roland Barthes argued that representations are mythic in the sense that they have an appearance of being natural or commonsensial.

Representations are problematic and simulations of realities which don’t exist, A blurring between what is real and what is not, eg celebrity images. This hyper reality theory was developed by Jean Baudrillard

reading the photograph

As an iconic sign the photograph closely resembles the object.

Fiske 1982 ‘Denotation is what is photographed and connotation is how it is photographed’

Because the photographic signifier closely resembles its signified, it can appear a ‘natural sign’ one made intervention of any codes (Barthes 1980)

Dick Hebdidge

A subculture is a group who feel neglected by societal standards, and develop a sense of identity differing from the dominant.

They use style of represent their resistance to the dominant ideologies of a corrupt society. They use symbols like clothes, scooters (Quadrophenia) and modify them to show their alternative values.

Ken Gelder - subcultures

Ken Gelder lists 6 ways they can be identified

1) negative attitude to work2) negative attitude to class 3) association with territory rather tan property

4) excess 5) social groups more important than family 6) refusing to engage in banalities of life.

Other ways might be symbolism of clothes, music, personal affectations tatooes piercings.

TV and representation

‘Television is... the most rewarding medium to use when teaching representations of class because of the contradictions which involve a mass medium attempting to reach all the parts of its class-differentiated audience simultaneously...’ (Alvarado et al. 1987)

Stereotyping

Walter Lippman said that stereotypes were a shortcut or an ordering process.

A way of segregating groups of highlighting differences, the otherness of a group.

Tessa Perkins (1979) stereotyping is not a simple process other wise it wouldn’t work

Martin Baker (1989) stereotypes are condemned for misrepresenting the ‘real world,

So what does this mean for you?

You have all used representations, you have all imaged something that is real, even though it might have been a creation ad represented it in your work.

But how have you done that?

The signs and symbols you have used and the technical codes you have used.

Break it down

You created your character, you dressed them a certain way, make-up, hair, body adornment.

You had them act a certain way, body language, facial expression

You imaged them a certain way – lighting style, camera angle, shot them from close or far, direct or indirect mode of address, close up or long shots

You then carried out post-production on that image to colourize, increase contrast, correct blemishes

Your answer will….

Put all these different aspects together, the theory and what you did to create the representation that you created.

Simple…..