Gaming Industry - Representations of Women

1. Who was the first woman character you can remember? Describe her.
Coco Bandicoot. She is the sister of Crash Bandicoot. This character is the only female playable character in Crash Bandicoot Warped. She is a highly intelligent girl who is always helping her brother, Crash, with challenges by using her high-tech equiptment. She is also fun as she too takes part in the adventure on each level. She wears a tight fitting white t-shirt with flared blue jeans. She has vibrant blonde hair and a pink hair clasp. Most of her accessories are pink.

2. Who was the first woman you knew who played viedo games? Descirbe her.

The first woman that I knew that played video games is my step-mother Sarah. She played a lot of games on the PlayStation. She introduced me to games such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and many others. She was in her late 20's when she introduced me to the PlayStation. She is a very fun and outgoing person and very adventurous.

3. Do you think the woman gamer felt she was 'represented' in the character you described? Why, why not? 

Yes. I think that she would of felt represented by Coco as she is the only playable female character in the game. She would choose the female character as opposed to chosing the male character as she, herself is a female gamer. and Coco is also fun and adventurous.

4. Can you think of another female character that this woman would feel is a representation of her? Why?

Another female character that could be a representation of Sarah is Princess Peach from the game Mario Kart. Princess Peach is also very girly with her pink dress and bright blonde hair. She is one of two playable female characters in this game. She is also a fun and outgoing character as she take part in the action and adventure of the game.

MS1 Exam - Games Extracts/ Adverts

Bioshock Infinite

Technical Codes

• P.O.V shot is used throughout the advert
• Aspects of in game footage - will intrigue the audience
• Face pace editing is used which tells us the game is full of action

Audio Codes

• Voice over of a man - Main character?
• Loud music is used to build up the pace of the trailer
• Sound effects of weapons are used

Visual Codes

• Man saves woman senario - representation of women
• Use of colour is mostly dark but orange and red is used to symbolise fire and explosions
• The characters clothes look old which suggest this game is set in the past

Tomb Raider

Technical Codes

• Dark colours are used throughout the advert. This denotes that the game is mysterious and could involve death
• Fast pace editing is used to build up the story of the game and to keep the audience intrigued
• A tag line is used at the end of the trailer

Audio Codes

• Tense music builds up
• Voice over of the main character at the beginning of the trailer
• Sound effects overlap into other shots - Sound bridges are used

Visual Codes

• This game gives a representation of women
• The main character wears skimpy clothes which will attract the male audience
• Expressions of the character are mainly serious

COD Black Ops 2

Technical Codes

• Text is used at the beggining of the advert to tell the viewer where it is set. It is also in game mode
• There is a birds eye view of the entire scene
• A tag line is used effectively to attract audience

Audio Codes

• Each character shown has dialogue
• Loud sound effects of the machinery
• Music is played in the background throughout the trailer

Visual Codes

• Brown and green colours are used - they symbolise army/soldiers 
• Show a representation of men and women
• Graphics used are very realistic

MS1 Exam: Film trailers

Iron man 3

Technical Codes

• Dark colours used at the beginning
• Close up of the main character
• Fast pace editing throughout the advert 

Audio Codes

• Sound effects
• Voice over of the main character
• Tense music - building up

Visual Codes

• Serious facial expressions
• Armoured suit - can see he is a super hero
• Lots of gestures used - aggressive actions

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Technical Codes

• A variety of establishing shots used
• High fast pace editing of scenes from the film
• Several close ups of Harry and Voldemort. Face to face

Audio Codes

• Tense music - builds up to climax
• A sound bridge is used
• Voice over of Voldemort

Visual Codes

• Serious/ aggressive expressions used by the main characters
• Graphics of the film title symbolise Harry Potter's scar
• Gestures are used throughout the advert. Aggression towards other characters

Get Smart

Technical Codes

• A few establishing shots are used
• Panning shots are used when characters are running
• Fast pace editing builds up towards the end of the trailer

Audio Codes

• Voice over of a man
• Dramatic/ opera music throughout the advert
• Sound effects are used

Visual Codes

• Formal clothes are worn by the characters - suggesting they are smart which reflects the title
• Includes a representation of men and women
• Gestures are used throughout the advert

Photo Shoot for Production

Last week I set up a photo shoot with the help of Miss Davies to create images to use for my production. Here are some of my faviourite shots.  

I am currently working on adding the finishing touches such as the title of the film and other information.

Warner Bros. Film Studio Tour Evaluation

   On Tuesday 11th December our Media class took a trip to the Warner Bros. Film Studio in Leavesdon, London for a tour of the making of the famous Harry Potter films. We went on this trip to gain more knowledge on how the film comes together from script to screen.
   It was a very exciting day filled with interesting facts about the movies and I learnt things I never knew before! It was an amazing experience. Firstly we took a tour of the settings that were used in the Harry Potter films which included the main dinner hall at Hogwarts, the Griffyndoor common room, certain class rooms and Dumbledoors office! It was amazing to see how the sets were put together and then made to look realistic when on screen. We then had  lesson on Script to Screen with a man called Will.
   The lesson was very intriguing as we were told things about the film and how it is made that we never knew before. He told us how much planning goes into these films, for example when making Hagrids Hut it wasn't built from scratch. Set designers had to make many drafts and sketches of their ideas before deciding what it was going to look like exactly. Then from the sketches they had to create set models. A set model is literally a miniture version of the real thing. With the set models they can also test what angles to shoot from. Once the director is happy with the design, layout and the model they then go on to creating the real set.
   He also told us the process of how the script transfers onto the screen. The script is taken and then created into images on a storyboard. A storyboard shows the film scene by scene. It shows every camera angle and movement. We was shown and example. Will had a part of the script and then a storyboard that was made to go with it. He showed us exactly how it transformed on to the screen by reading through the script and looking through the storyboard.

10 highlights of the studio tour:

• Walking through the dinner hall where Daniel Radcliffe had been!
• Seeing the actual sets used in the film
• The lesson on script to screen, it was very intriguing.
• Dressing up in a robe and sitting on the broomstick!
• Holding Harry Potters wand
• Sitting in the flying car
• Seeing how the props were made
• Viewing the concept art
• Seeing the large model of Hogwarts, absolutely breathtaking!
• The overall experience of the entire day.
   

From this experience I have gained skills and knowleged that will be very useful to me for the rest of this course. I now know how to transfer scrip to screen and how it all works behind the scenes. I also know how important planning is.