Evaluation:
This is the final version of the film i wanted to create. The final product compared to my powerpoint plan are very similar however slight changes were added from the feedback given after the powerpoint was shown, this feedback i was able to add to my film and i believe it made the final outcome better, so the feedback was vital for this film. I used a couple filming techniques to show to the audience the theory of Laura Mulvey's theory of 'The Male Gaze'. These filming techniques used would include Cinematography such as use of different camera angles and Mise en scene which would include, lighting, the environment setting, props. Editing could also be included in this as it helped bring everything together and i was able to add features into the film to make it give more of an effect to the viewer.
The films meaning is how influential social media can be, in the film i focus mainly on Instagram as it revolves around pictures of ourselves, this can be hugely influential and impactful towards everyone but especially younger generations as they begin to see these images of 'perfect bodies' all over there timeline and will aspire to be that. Even though the majority of the time, these 'perfect bodies' are either edited to look a certain way, professionally enhanced by doctors or the result of a unhealthy lifestyle. But these points don't get talked about enough when it comes to influencers online, so many people can be obsessed with becoming an unrealistic goal. When this includes the 'Male Gaze' theory, is that these images are so popular for a reason, this is because people know what will sell, for example the 'male gaze' started out in film and some people would only go to watch a film for these sexualised scenes of women. This then progressed when social media was introduced, it meant it was easier for people to see these images of women and men, and they could sexualise them as they pleased in the privacy of there own home so it increased in popularity like crazy. That is why images like this get so much popularity and are then able to be shown to a wider range of people. So with this is mind influencers wanted to take advantage of this, as they could make this into a business, this then leading hundreds of thousands of people to follow that same path, so it's just seen as a norm now. This shows that no matter where, the 'Male Gaze' can be included in pretty much anything if people see it that way. I believe i applied the 'Male Gaze' theory into my film because i wanted to show how the 'Male Gaze' has became normal and can be seen as a desire to look like what is used to be the 'Male Gaze'. Then how this can effect a person, mentally and physically, then these were shown in the film. I also included text screens randomly throughout the film, these pieces of text were quotes from young girls and there experiences with how social media has effected there body images, or comments they have received while on social media about there bodies.
The Cinematography:
With the use of different cinematography techniques i wanted to express emotion with lighting as well as use a variety of different camera angles and techniques to experiment with different directors i'd researched that also had the 'Male Gaze' theory featured in there films.
Camera angles such as zoom in's which i mainly included when it was the getting dolled up scene of her doing her makeup, particularly on the eyes and lips as this is something a lot of people try to enhance day to day so i thought it would be important to include that. By using in the zoom in techniques it shows the audience what they should be paying attention too and pointing it out to them without actually telling them.
Another camera techniques i used once in this film was panning. I used this when my sister walked into a room and past the camera. I believe this shot could be represented how now she has downloaded Instagram, the whole world is watching her and can see everything she is doing. so the use of a panning shot here was to give the impression that camera are following her everywhere she goes now as she enters the world of social media.
I used a lot of still shots when filming this because i wanted the message of the film to come across more than using all different camera techniques throughout. These still shots allowed my sister to act out her scenes and show the emotion she is going through.
Towards the end, i decided to shoot the scenes of her with mascara running down her face handheld because it gave the impression that she is very unstable at this moment so it represents her well. As well as this, i knew these shots were only going to be very short so the use of a tripod was unneeded as i wanted a more chaotic look towards the end as her whole character falls apart.
Mise en Scene:
The song featured in the film was very important to me and i wanted to include it because the lyrics are all how how men sexualise women in person and online. The types of lyrics throughout the song that point this out are:
"Wondering why I don't look like Barbie, They said boys like girls with a tiny waist"
"Got boys acting like they ain't seen skin before, Got sent home to change, cause my skirt is too short"
So i was really happy to be able to link the song to the meaning of the film is very beneficial because some people may be able to focus more on the song than the film and vise versa.
The lighting i used in this film represents the emotions that my sisters character, i wanted the one red colour to be used negatively and multiple times throughout. It is used in the beginning when the character is judging herself in the mirror and it is then used again at the end when everything is chaotic. I did this to link the two scenes together to show that even after the character had changed herself to please others and trick herself into think she was making herself look better, in the end it shows that all this extra stuff people do to pleases others will never make you happy if you truly don't love yourself for you. I used the colour red because i feel like it's a very dark red so it can be very ominous in these scenes but also a very bold noticeable colour which is why i used it in these scenes so they can be remember and linked by the viewers.
I used a lot of props in this film, such as multiple items of makeup, different outfits, a phone, magazines and pens. All these props were essential for this film as they all play a part in different scenes. The makeup items are in the portion of the film which i consider a montage of the character getting all dolled up and trying to look 'perfect' or 'acceptable' for social media. Makeup in general is very influential as well, the majority of advertisement for it is all 'get the perfect look' or 'look drop dead gorgeous' which insinuates that you need these products to look that way, all selling into the idea of 'Male Gaze'. I used a different outfit for when she transforms into this 'perfect' version of herself because it has a slightly revealing top which would link to 'Male Gaze' and the stereotype of how revealing clothes gets more attention online. The phone can be seen as a negative and a positive, negative because it is the key into getting trapped into social media and get's people hooked onto being addicted to social media but phones are also positive because it allows you to contact peoples easier and can help many situations in general.Linking to the theory, it can be the way that many people first discover what the 'Male Gaze' is but it also allows more people to be educated on it than ever before.
Editing:
Throughout the editing process I had an idea in mind from the beginning planning of what i wanted the final film to be like, however from feedback during the process of editing it, the ideas i originally had changed a little bit. Changes such as adding a swell effect at the end of the film to create tension mixed with other audios to create a chaotic effect.
Throughout the film i have the song Strawberry Shortcake playing through it until the last 25=30 seconds however twice in the film, i lowered the audio so the music remained in the background but then added news reports/interview audio of people talking how how social media effects people and how types of images gain certain attraction, this then links to 'Male Gaze'.
I also added in text scenes of quotes from young women who have experienced body image problems because of social media and the types of comments they get on social media. This gives examples of how the 'Male Gaze' impacts so many people, all different ages.
To give the end a chaotic effect, i clipped in very short shots of close up clips of the character in the films, staring directly at the camera, it give it a a very eerie effect when watching the end, showing just how much body image can mess someones mental health up.
I created a montage type feel within the film of when she's getting ready to take a picture for social media. This montage was inspired by the many montages used in coming of age and romance films when one character has a huge makeover and suddenly everyone loves them, however that's in movies and i wanted this to be as realistic as possible. So even with the montage type feel, it doesn't have a good result after.
Final Conclusion:
From the original plans to the final outcome, i believe i have achieved what i set out to accomplish. Also that I was able to link Laura Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory well through different techniques into my short film. If I was to go back and improve, I would try and add more camera angles and different techniques throughout the whole thing. I would also add my own audio into the film somehow, almost as if the voiceover is the characters thoughts and that the audience can hear the characters thoughts throughout the film, showing the comparison of how they change.
Another thing I would want to improve on is the environment/setting that the film was filmed in because it's a pretty average backdrop so if i had more time i'd research different locations to make the film more pleasing to watch.
References:
Song (Strawberry Shortcake By Melanie Martinez - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQ7L_VfawA
