For this particular homework, I concentrated on the 3 main characters in the film: Monty, Julia and Jennifer as they represent very different characters. This will be easier to do comparisons and comments on each character.
Media Representations:
The director Tyler Perry is a director, producer and screen and play writer and if you are familiar with his work he concentrates solely on the African-American culture and how they are represented.
Who is being represented?
The main character, Monty, is a father of 3 daughters and tries to win custody over them, going through any circumstances in order to get them. According to stereotypes, this is the reverse representation of black fathers. Tyler Perry gives this character a fair representation and fought against stereotypes.
Monty's ex-girlfriend, Jennifier's representation is negative as she doesn't care about her children and concentrates more about making money with her boyfriend selling drugs than she does her own children. The representation of black women are not seen as fair but it's seen as a stereotype.
Julia is a well earned lawyer who is represented as a person who finds it hard to find love because of her job. She is represented positively as she has a good life however she is lonely. She is represented like this to show the audience that there are successful black women out there and not to be stuck in stereotypes.
Normally, the characters of Monty and Jennifer are reversed according to stereotypes as the men are the ones that don't want to take responsibility of their children and the women are more likely to be the one's looking after the children.
Media Language and Forms:
The non-verbal communications
Monty: His facial expressions change all the time but normally he has a determined look every time he fights for his daughters.
He has two types of clothing that he wears throughout the film which represent the jobs that he does: dungarees and a plain white vest top = mechanic. Black and white suit and tie, smart shoes to represent the driver job.
The only props he has is his tools for the mechanic job that he has.
Jennifer: Her facial expressions are always harsh and mean as she runs a 'business'. Since she's the boss she has to remain stern and dominant.
She has various outfits to try and show her wealth from expensive dresses and tracksuits and shoes.
The props she has are 4 big guys following her and her boyfriend as protection and always a glass of wine.
Julia: Her facial expressions vary as well, according to her surrounding. But as she is a lawyer she normally voices what she thinks rather than solely relying on her facial expressions to tell how she feels.
The clothing she wears are smart because of her job. Suits, high waisted skirts, blazers, heels. She wears these types of clothing which connotate her wealth and the high paid job she has.
Her props are to do with her job such as paper work, briefcases, mobile phones.
The significance of:
C - What the characters wore was very significant as the audience could tell their wealth and determined how much money they had. For example, what Monty wore contrasted what Julia wore. He had more casual clothing as she had very smart clothing.
L - The lighting for the characters was very significant in the film. For Monty, throughout the film he had high lighting which suggested that he was a good person but there was a point in the film that the lighting changed for this specific character. Low lighting for Monty happened when he had to take revenge on Jennifer's boyfriend for hitting his daughter. This gave the audience a change to what they were normally used to seeing.
A - The choice of actors and the characters they played were significant. The characters were so different that the audience could make a vast comparison to each and every one of them. As this was an African-American film, the actors had to African-American.
M - The make up that the actors wore were very simplistic and natural. The facial expressions suited the genre. Everything they did wasn't unexpected. For example, the audience knew that there wouldn't be any ghosts or demons in this film as that wouldn't of suited the genre.
P - Props were limited in this production. Unlike horrors, where there would be blood and knifes, this was a film that was very realistic. As Jennifer's boyfriend is a gangster, it would be obvious that his props would be a gun and a knife, here and there. But throughout the film, cars were the main prop which made it rather significant as every key event happened in a car.
S - The setting was very significant as it showed how each character lived. However, they were all from the same place, they all lived different lives. The setting, as for the clothing, determined the wealth of the characters. The main setting was where Monty lived, this showed the 'ghetto' and the rough sides of Atlanta, Georgia. The comparison to where Julia lived where everything is posh and expensive.
What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?
Media Language and Forms:
The non-verbal communications
Monty: His facial expressions change all the time but normally he has a determined look every time he fights for his daughters.
He has two types of clothing that he wears throughout the film which represent the jobs that he does: dungarees and a plain white vest top = mechanic. Black and white suit and tie, smart shoes to represent the driver job.
The only props he has is his tools for the mechanic job that he has.
Jennifer: Her facial expressions are always harsh and mean as she runs a 'business'. Since she's the boss she has to remain stern and dominant.
She has various outfits to try and show her wealth from expensive dresses and tracksuits and shoes.
The props she has are 4 big guys following her and her boyfriend as protection and always a glass of wine.
Julia: Her facial expressions vary as well, according to her surrounding. But as she is a lawyer she normally voices what she thinks rather than solely relying on her facial expressions to tell how she feels.
The clothing she wears are smart because of her job. Suits, high waisted skirts, blazers, heels. She wears these types of clothing which connotate her wealth and the high paid job she has.
Her props are to do with her job such as paper work, briefcases, mobile phones.
The significance of:
C - What the characters wore was very significant as the audience could tell their wealth and determined how much money they had. For example, what Monty wore contrasted what Julia wore. He had more casual clothing as she had very smart clothing.
L - The lighting for the characters was very significant in the film. For Monty, throughout the film he had high lighting which suggested that he was a good person but there was a point in the film that the lighting changed for this specific character. Low lighting for Monty happened when he had to take revenge on Jennifer's boyfriend for hitting his daughter. This gave the audience a change to what they were normally used to seeing.
A - The choice of actors and the characters they played were significant. The characters were so different that the audience could make a vast comparison to each and every one of them. As this was an African-American film, the actors had to African-American.
M - The make up that the actors wore were very simplistic and natural. The facial expressions suited the genre. Everything they did wasn't unexpected. For example, the audience knew that there wouldn't be any ghosts or demons in this film as that wouldn't of suited the genre.
P - Props were limited in this production. Unlike horrors, where there would be blood and knifes, this was a film that was very realistic. As Jennifer's boyfriend is a gangster, it would be obvious that his props would be a gun and a knife, here and there. But throughout the film, cars were the main prop which made it rather significant as every key event happened in a car.
S - The setting was very significant as it showed how each character lived. However, they were all from the same place, they all lived different lives. The setting, as for the clothing, determined the wealth of the characters. The main setting was where Monty lived, this showed the 'ghetto' and the rough sides of Atlanta, Georgia. The comparison to where Julia lived where everything is posh and expensive.
What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?
The soundtrack was the most important part of the production as it helped narrate. The audience definitely got a sense of what the character is like. Also, at the beginning of the film, Brian McKnight was playing - his music is soulful and a hint of gospel which gave the audience the southern feel. When Monty was on screen, the music would be hopeful, happy and somewhat inspirational. When Jennifer was on screen the music was sinister showing that she isn't a good person. Music was very significant for the relationship between Monty and Julia, every time they were together, the music was romantic. So it was foreshadowing the end result of their relationship.
So the work that had been done to the soundtrack was to suit and match the scene and the characters, also to the type of genre that the film is.
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?
The dominant images and iconography throughout the film was the image of church, community, money and most obviously, the girls. Church is relevant because southerners are very dedicated to the church and it was a way to relieve problems. This was mostly used by Monty, to show that he is very much a Christian man and he has given his life to the Lord.
Community is relevant because its all about sticking together which was hard for that community as Monty's ex-wife's boyfriend 'ruled' the block. This was relevant because it showed that by sticking together can help conquer evil, so to speak.
Money is relevant because it shows how much power you have. But there is a sort of twist as Monty has the least amount of money but he won overall. It shows that money doesn't buy everything.
And the girls are relevant because that's what the film is solely about.
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?
Every time Monty was shown on, gospel music would play. This would convey that he hopeful and not allowing to be put down by anyone. When Monty and Julie were together towards the end showed romance.
In one of the scenes, it showed a divide between Jennifer & her boyfriend and Monty. They were all in the same room as they were there for the girls, as they were in hospital. The camera positioning showed Jennifer and her boyfriend from a low angle to convey authority and Monty at a central angle. This was tense as the camera kept zooming into their facial expressions.
Narrative
How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
The audience's relation to the narrative sees the perspective of a troubled relationship. Many people may be going through the same thing this can make it more relate able. This movie can answer some questions that could be going through the audience's mind.
How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
The setting that the characters are in determine if they are the 'hero' or 'villain' also what they say is very important. Monty is a hero because he says caring things to people, everyone knows him in a positive way and he is very well respected. Since he has this surrounding him, the audience will automatically feel positive towards him. In comparison to Jennifer, she's normally in low lighting, the community in the film know her but for a negative reason so this gives a negative reaction from the audience.
What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
They all play an important part in the film as it all helps tell the story. It is all carefully edited so the audience can feel a certain way about the characters.
Genre
To which genre does the text belong?
Romantic comedy-drama
What are the major generic conventions within the text?
Romance: love, relationship, normally the relationships don't start well at first
Comedy: Funny
Drama: There are going to be situations to overcome
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?
The director of the film, Tyler Perry, is known for romantic comedy-dramas. So the audience would have an idea on what type of film 'Daddy's Little Girls' will be about.
Media Audiences
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)
Demographics:
Age: 16-19, 25+
Gender: Males 25+, Female 16+
Psychographics:
E,D,C- Groups.
What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications? (Refer to theory)
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?
I evaluate the film differently in comparison to people that have gone through the same thing as what is shown in the film. As I am only 17 years old, I haven't experienced that sort of life yet, with baby father dramas etc... As I am a female, I see the film in an emotive way and sympathize with the characters. Since I am a black-Caribbean, my reading of the film I can see the problems they face.
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?
The dominant images and iconography throughout the film was the image of church, community, money and most obviously, the girls. Church is relevant because southerners are very dedicated to the church and it was a way to relieve problems. This was mostly used by Monty, to show that he is very much a Christian man and he has given his life to the Lord.
Community is relevant because its all about sticking together which was hard for that community as Monty's ex-wife's boyfriend 'ruled' the block. This was relevant because it showed that by sticking together can help conquer evil, so to speak.
Money is relevant because it shows how much power you have. But there is a sort of twist as Monty has the least amount of money but he won overall. It shows that money doesn't buy everything.
And the girls are relevant because that's what the film is solely about.
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?
Every time Monty was shown on, gospel music would play. This would convey that he hopeful and not allowing to be put down by anyone. When Monty and Julie were together towards the end showed romance.
In one of the scenes, it showed a divide between Jennifer & her boyfriend and Monty. They were all in the same room as they were there for the girls, as they were in hospital. The camera positioning showed Jennifer and her boyfriend from a low angle to convey authority and Monty at a central angle. This was tense as the camera kept zooming into their facial expressions.
Narrative
How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
The audience's relation to the narrative sees the perspective of a troubled relationship. Many people may be going through the same thing this can make it more relate able. This movie can answer some questions that could be going through the audience's mind.
How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?
The setting that the characters are in determine if they are the 'hero' or 'villain' also what they say is very important. Monty is a hero because he says caring things to people, everyone knows him in a positive way and he is very well respected. Since he has this surrounding him, the audience will automatically feel positive towards him. In comparison to Jennifer, she's normally in low lighting, the community in the film know her but for a negative reason so this gives a negative reaction from the audience.
What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
They all play an important part in the film as it all helps tell the story. It is all carefully edited so the audience can feel a certain way about the characters.
Genre
To which genre does the text belong?
Romantic comedy-drama
What are the major generic conventions within the text?
Romance: love, relationship, normally the relationships don't start well at first
Comedy: Funny
Drama: There are going to be situations to overcome
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?
The director of the film, Tyler Perry, is known for romantic comedy-dramas. So the audience would have an idea on what type of film 'Daddy's Little Girls' will be about.
Media Audiences
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)
Demographics:
Age: 16-19, 25+
Gender: Males 25+, Female 16+
Psychographics:
E,D,C- Groups.
What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications? (Refer to theory)
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?
I evaluate the film differently in comparison to people that have gone through the same thing as what is shown in the film. As I am only 17 years old, I haven't experienced that sort of life yet, with baby father dramas etc... As I am a female, I see the film in an emotive way and sympathize with the characters. Since I am a black-Caribbean, my reading of the film I can see the problems they face.
