Linked Production and Planning

1 - Yasmin
2 - Citizen Khan

Looking at both of I have a clear idea of what kind of mis-en-scene  is required & how the actors will need to act in order to portray Muslims/Asians as they are. Making sure it isn’t bias as something I have observed as key as all the above example do not do that and show a balance of both positive and negative sides.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjzg1PC0QjM&safe=active

Yasmin - This is a clip of the first scene of Yasmin. They have used a variety of shots, ie, distant, close up and bird eye view shots. Its shows the routine of a Muslim family from the morning till the evening. Portraying them as religious people as the son and the father are both seen going to the Mosque and praying into a microphone for the rest of what looks like a village to hear. It also shows the young girl removing her traditional clothing and putting on jeans and a jumper on a hill, then swinging her hijab off and opening her hair up. Not just showing a positive but the negative side to it to; deception. Therefore balancing it and not creating a bias piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5oyTgy2Wb0&safe=active

Citizen Khan - In the title sequence for Citizen Khan, it shows close ups of Mr Khan, distant shots of the people staring at him in a weird way, and other shots as well. He is portrayed to be acting like someone of royalty, waving at everyone he passes, however in return receives confused faces which conveys the way in which no one actually knows him. After receiving funny faces, he still continues driving slow and therefore connotes being made a bit of a fool. Then the close ups of his wife and two daughters, show two different types of Muslim girls, the one with no makeup on at all and one with a completely caked face, showing a complete contrast and making the audience question. Then parking up in a slanted way on the pavement and leaving it. Similarly to Yasmin it portrays the way a muslim family is in a house in way more of a comedy type way. This is more of a comedy and shows more funny things than actual reality. And in a sense creates more of a bias opinion on Muslims. This again gives a clear image of what mis-en-scene would be required for the girls in my production and also has given me the idea to create a contrast between the two girls in order to give it a bit of a twist & confuse the audience. 

As for the recording it will be spread over the middle and end of february till the end of march / beginning of april. Editing will begin as soon as this is complete. Therefore, giving me enough time after to correct any mistakes made and re-do any shots which may be required. 

Regarding the script, as it is a title sequence for a movie, it wont include any speaking, but a sound track. 

Story Board drawn up on paper

Writing your own Linked Production brief

Your Critical Investigation topic: 
The way in which Asians are represented in British Media (in Specific Muslims)

Your Linked Production brief: 
Create opening of a low budget British film about a young Muslim woman going against her culture and traditions. 

Length/size of production (e.g. 3 minutes, 5 pages etc.): 
3 minutes

Give an example of an existing media text this is similar to what you plan to produce: 
East is East
Yasmin
Bend it Like Bekham

Give an example of an institution that would produce or distribute your planned production:
Film 4
(research who produced, etc)

How would your production reach its audience?
Cinema, Blu-ray, DVD, Television, etc. 

Who do you plan to work with on this project?
By Myself.

Preliminary exercise: Recreation task

Your Year 13 Preliminary Exercise is to produce a 30-second shot-by-shot recreation of an existing text that is similar to the production you are planning to create. Complete the following in a blogpost called 'Recreation task planning':

Name of the text you plan to recreate:
Yasmin

Scene/section you will recreate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjzg1PC0QjM
00:19-00:49

Location you will use for your recreation:
Outside, near garage, in temple.

Actors you will require for your recreation:
Yasmin

Props/costumes you will require for your recreation:


Equipment you plan to use:
Camera, Lighting at home.

Critical Investigation Task 4

Essay Plan

Introduction;                                                             200 Words                                 
- Lay out argument: Representation of Asians in British Film + TV is changing.
- Mention Primary + Secondary Texts.

Section 1:                                                                  400 Words
- Historical Texts
- Trace history of Asians on British Film + TV. Get some textual analysis in.

Section 2:                                                                  500 Words
- Primary Text: Citizen Khan
- Explore both sides of this text, look at Criticisms as well as positives.
- Textual Analysis used to support points
- Research

Section 3:                                                                  500 Words
- Wider contexts + academic research
- Why this is important
- Solid academic research on topic
- Bring in web research
- Islamaphobia
- Post 9/11

Section 4:                                                                  300 Words
- Media theory: Stereotyping + Representation
- Alternative academic research
- Dyer, Medhurst, Perkins.

Section 5:                                                                   300 Words
- Future of Diversity on British Film/TV
- Are things changing for the better?

Conclusion:                                                                200 Words
- Do you still agree with your argument: that things are now better than they were.

Critical Investigation Task 3

Yasmin 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjzg1PC0QjM  

In this scene a very traditional family is shown - with a father who wears traditional clothing ie the hat worn by many Muslims and the long top and trousers (salwar kameez) worn with each other. Set in a quite old, worn and torn area which seems to be full of a Muslims. The young boy and father goes into the mosque taking their shoes off, and going to the microphone to go and pray. It is clear that the village is mainly dominated by Muslims as a lot of elderly women and young boys wearing traditional clothing is shown. On a hill, a young girl is shown removing her traditional clothing from a burka and long skirt to a pair of jeans to a jumper and removes her head scarf she then drives off. This portrays a sense of being a bad Muslim as she is going against what she should be doing and removing her religious headwear. Also creating a potential stereotypical point in some people's heads that all Muslims are  bad and disrespectful. The young boy is then shown dealing drugs amongst a few other boys & when two girls come to collect they insist a deal by which they get discount if they gave them a 'b******. For a boy that has just come back from the mosque praying, this again creates a bad name as it makes people think that Muslim boys are bad too as he appears to have a deceiving personality; as does the girl. 

 

Bend it like Beckham

In this scene it shows the mother of the young girl (Jess) telling her that she has to get married to a young Sikh boy of their caste. It shows the way the father says that she must start acting like a woman now and to stop playing football. Following her leaving the house with her football gear hidden in the bush! This portrays the way in which Sikhs are quite strict and the way their child's expectations are high. Not allowing her to play football purely because it is not considered as a feminine game leads to conflict and problems. Also forces her to hide her passion. This shows her going against her fathers will & in a sense creating a bad reputation for Sikhs as one could simply stereotype and say they are quite controlling, decieving and bas. Also the way in which the father and mother speak to her, who a lot of authority as she has her head down low and he seems to be sitting very straight up. Connoting that he is above her and shows that she should listen to him and not go against his will.

Critical Investigation Task 1

Textual Analysis - Citizen Khan

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

In this scene from Citizen Khan, it shows Mr Khan being very prejudice and racist about Dave being the manager of the mosque. He insists that he can’t possibly be the mosque manager/leader as he isn’t brown like the rest of them and is ‘Ginger’. This portrays the way in which Muslims are represented in the wrong manner, and backs up the idea that the representation may create stereotypes of people thinking that all Muslims are the same. He shows a negative approach towards his daughter getting married, by doing a weird hand gesture which suggests that he’s not 100% okay about the pair of them getting married. The fact that Mr Khan requires and demands the mosque on the day of their marriage and Dave states that it isn’t possible as it is already booked, the way in which Dave is sitting down on the chair and Mr Khan is sitting down speaking to him, shows authority and shows the way in which Mr Khan himself is looking down at him and speaking to him, instead of speak to him on a level. Stating ‘you gingers are very different to the rest of us, not so calm, frickly freckly skin & scottish’. The clothes they are wearing also show a clear representation of the type of clothing that typical Muslims wear, including the hat on top of their heads. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi2PLHlLOVQ

In this scene from Citizen Khan, Shazia and her mother are both discussing the big day, what needs to be brought for it and the fact that a lot of money is going to go towards it. Mr Khan in the living room begins discussing the fact that they are using a lot of toilet roll and one should only use one piece of tissue, and two is way more than you should be using. Then he begins stating the fact that Shazia shouldn’t invest so much money into the wedding and should save up instead and Amjad (fiancé) would be happier if she saved it. He also said how it would be better if she had a small ceremony similar to the way in which white people get married and just serve tea and biscuits and say thank you, goodbye. This conveys the way in which Mr Khan is stingy and as Shazia suggests ‘A cheapskate’. All of a sudden as Shazia and Mrs Khan are both discussing the wedding, Mr Khan butts in and begins raising his voice, saying ‘Chup’ as they both continue speaking about the wedding, then all of a sudden shouts ‘I said CHUP’ with his hand raised in the air as though he was about to slap them, and quiets them down. Showing authority and making Mrs Khan, feel and look down, as though she had no authority over him. Again, they are wearing traditional clothes, ie the hat on top of Mr Khans head & the suit that Mrs Khan is wearing. However Shazia is not wearing a head scarf, which her sister normally wears, portraying that not all Muslims wear them. 

Tutorial

JUST met deadline – 1,500 words on Notes and Quotes, but plenty to do for next week to get it up to 2,500.

Struggling to find Media Magazine articles to research – however, there may be a couple worth looking at. Check MM42 – Representing the Other, it’s videogame based but could still be useful for a quote or two.  MM48 Identities in the Media – again, see if there’s a race or ethnicity aspect.

Check Media Edu for case studies – there should be something on race and ethnicity. Worth reading Al Jazeera case study: http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/tv-news-al-jazeera-english-case-study/

This on collective identity also looks interesting: http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/a2-ocr-g325-collective-identity/

Major gap now is academic books and journals…

You’ve got two pdf academic journals and read and collect quotes from – that will start to fill the gap in terms of academic texts. Also check the Islamophobia book in DF07.

You’ll also need to use the BFI trip to fill the academic gap in your research.

Post this up on your blog along with a plan for the next two weeks.