Media Coursework A2 Evaluation

Spirit Magazine is aimed at young women between the ages of 15 to 35. Under the Income\Status model, the audience would be either categories C2, D, and E. Students would enjoy this magazine for the low price and articles that relate to them whilst white-collar workers would read for the more serious articles. Adhering to the Lifestyle Categories, the audience would fall under ‘Trendies’ and ‘Groupies’.  They want to be up to date with their fashion and for their appearance to make them stand out. The audience will buy Spirit as the magazine offers them an insight to the latest trends that will meet the Trendies need of achieving admiration from their peers whilst Groupies will also get the satisfaction of approval. Under the 4Cs classification model, Spirit’s target audience would be the Aspirer. The magazine offers them a chance to be the best person they can be through articles about fashion and beauty tips, appealing to the Aspirer’s superficial side concerning how others perceive them.

The main appeals of Spirit are the representation of gender, especially towards the portrayal of how gender roles are shown within women’s magazines. The colour scheme of the magazine are bright and pretty colours, leaning towards more ‘girly’ colours such as pinks, yellows and pastels. This also reflects the theme of the magazine; floral and springtime fashions. The female model used is typically attractive young woman and is a role model for the reader to aspire to emulate. This can be achieved through articles about how to get her look, albeit it with her clothes or her makeup or hair.  The fonts used also reflect the femininity of Spirit. The font used for the header is pastel green, a shade that connotes with spring, and is a swirly sans-styled typography.  This also connotes with the carefree and relaxed attitude Spirit upholds, even the name being related to the personality of the magazine.

The photos used in Spirit are typical of women’s magazines. The female model is attractive in a naturally feminine way.  This is a normal representation of gender roles in women's magazines. Females are shown as more passive, this can be reflected in the main model's body language. She is softly smiling but there is still an allure to her, also showing the sexualisation committed by magazines.                         

Context of This Is England - Shop Scene

First Shop Scene

The first scene we see Mr Sandhu's shop is when Shaun visits before school. Its mise-en-scene easily identifies it as belonging to the eighties. The whole feel of the shop makes the audience know the film is set in the 1980's with its wooden cigarette stands and pastel coloured walls.
This gives This Is England a sense of reality for the era as the film is authentic in its portrayal of eighties fashion and decor. Even Shaun reading Beano adds to the authenticity of the film. Director Shane Meadows chose to do this to make the film correct in its presentation of eighties Britain for the working class. The area the shop is in looks rundown and derelict. The grey walls filled with graffiti and the bleakness of the pale sky reflect the hard time the working class were facing during the eighties. From Thatcher to the economic downfall, life for the working class was extremely difficult for people like Shaun and his mother. This is England is a very realistic film and is a true representation of what life was like back in the eighties.

Shane Meadows describes This is England as a 'costume drama.' Mr Sandhu and Shaun are dressed like they are from the era, Shaun's flared trousers being the main focus.  This iconography is shown to make the audience know that the film is set in the eighties, indicating that the story is rooted in a real context. In other scenes, especially ones where the gang heavily feature, emphasise this. Wearing their iconic Doc Martens boots and turned up jeans, the skinheads are another way in which Shane Meadows makes the eighties come alive in This is England.

The Rise of the Right

The Rise of the Right - 

The National Front (NF) was formed in 1967 

The National Front (NF) is a British far-right political party for whites only, opposed to non-white immigration, and committed to a programme of repatriation. While denying accusations of fascism, it has cultivated links with neo-Nazi cells at home and abroad, and the British police and prison services forbid their employees to be members of the party.

Key facts:

Crime

• The party supports the use of capital punishment for crimes of murder, rape, paedophilia, and terrorism. It would reintroduce Section 28, and support the recriminalisation of homosexuality. The party adopts a strongly pro-life stance, describing abortion as a "crime against humanity" and would repeal the 1967 Abortion Act.

Immigration

• The cornerstone of the National Front's manifesto since 1974 has been the compulsory repatriation of all non-White immigrants:

"The National Front advocates a total ban on any further non-White immigration into Britain, and the launching of a phased plan of repatriation for all coloured immigrants."

The party saw a surge in members during the 80's due to an influx of immigrants from the West Indies and Pakistan. British people felt threatened due to employment rates increasing and due to the anti-immigrant polices promoted by the party, the National Front became a real issue. Casual racism was considered normal and 

Extracts from the conclusion of Media Gender & Identity by David Gauntlett

Extracts from the conclusion of Media Gender & Identity by David Gauntlett
Source:
http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm

Key quotes:

'Today, it seems more appropriate to emphasise that, within limits, the mass media is a force for change. The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons.

This is in contrast to the changing representation of men, for example 'Masculinity in a crisis' -

'Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn, self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity. Although gender categories have not been shattered, these alternative ideas and images have at least created space for a greater diversity of identities.'

• ((Talk about how the representation of gender roles have almost been swapped in recent years. For example, men taking a role more commonly assigned to women; emotional and reliant on others.))
• ((Use the quote - 'Modern media has little time or respect for tradition.' - To open this paragraph.))

Gender's new representation is conflicting with one another -

'Contemporary masculinity is often said to be 'in crisis'; as women become increasingly assertive and successful, apparently triumphing in all roles, men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today.'

'Magazines for young women are emphatic in their determination that women must do their own thing, be themselves, and/or be as outrageously sassy and sexy as possible.'

Representation Gender in Women's Mags; (Cosmopolitan magazine)

Coursework title-
How are gender roles represented in women's magazines. 

 

1.“Every women knows that, regardless of her achievements, she is a failure if she is notbeautiful… The UK beauty industry takes £8.9 billion a year out of women’s pockets.Magazines financed by the beauty industry teach little girls that they need make-up andtrain them to use it, so establishing their lifelong reliance on beauty products.”(Greer, 1999)

-

Summary-
The representation conveyed of women by Cosmo is one were they are glamourous and beautiful. These is seen in these front covers, the encoders purposely choosing some of the most stunning women in the the world to be their cover girl. This image depicts a overhyped and unrealistic portrayal of women. This is talked about by Greer, 1999 in his study. He talks about how this representation of the ultimate female having the perfect hair, figure, clothes and makeup is an unhealthy role model for young girls. It causes the younger generation to have a warped image of this unobtainable beauty and creates a ridiculously high set of standards that young women then try to mimic. Cosmo thus perpetuates the representation of being an object for men to lust after with their use of attractive, and normally scantily-dressed, women as idol-like figures.

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Nick Lacey - Image and Representation
Representing Gender
Chapter 5

2. 'As Berger noted in his classic, Ways of Seeing, 'men act and women appear'

This is a good quote to explain how women are represented in magazines as passive in comparison to men.

3. Male and Female; gender oppositions
Male               Female
active (do)      passive (talk)
dominant        submissive
hard               soft
intelligent       intuitive
(hard) muscles   (soft) curves
rational             emotional
strong                weak

Summary-
The comparison between the gender oppositions is interesting in its portrayal of men. Males are described as being physically and mentally more competent than women. Females are shown to be the more emotional and softer sex and this is seen in their gender-relegated roles in magazines. According to many issues of Cosmopolitan magazine, a woman's role is to be domestically and sexually obedient towards her male partner. Despite the magazine claiming to be about and for women, a lot of its information is aimed at appeasing men. This can bee seen in headlines such as 'Give him the best sex of his life' or '100 ways to please your man'. Another case that Cosmopolitan is grooming women into being fetishsized for men is that many articles dedicated for beauty, to guide women on how to look their best aesthetically.

4.' the traditional image of the 'wife-mother-housewife' is now being replaced by images of sexually assertive, confident and ambitious women who express their 'freedom' through consumption.'

Summary-
This quote shows how the gender roles for women have changed through time. For example, during the 1950's women were always shown as being domestic housewives who were the homemakers whilst their husbands worked. As times and attitudes changed, women were shown in a more sexual image.

5.  “The exemplary female prototype in advertising, regardless or product or service, displays youth (no lines or wrinkles), good looks, sexual seductiveness, and perfection (no scars, blemishes, or even pores).” (Cortese, Provocateur, 1999)

6. "Analysis of ads suggest that gender is routinely portrayed according to traditional cultural stereotypes: women are shown as very feminine, as 'sex objects', as housewives, mothers, homemakers; and men in situations of authority and dominance over women. (Dyer 1982: 97-8)

7. 'In a word ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its phantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. (Mulvey 1985:209)

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The Portrayal of Women in Magazine Advertisements
Across Four Different Women's Magazines
-
Emily Blaha
College of St. Catherine

8.'Women were found to be portrayed differently throughout the four different types of magazines, which is important because the different portrayals may cultivate expectations about physical appearance, sexuality, relationships, or gender roles.'

9. 'Magazines like Good Housekeeping that were geared more towards middle to older women, portrayed women in a less sexualized fashion than those geared toward younger women like InStyle and Glamour. It also suggested that the models used in the ads were important to the audience's connection to the ads. It was interesting that the thin body image/weight was found in Fitness magazine, when it was predicted that it would be found in Glamour or InStyle. Fitness would stereotypically represent women with a healthy body image/weight.'

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Using Magazines to Explore Stereotypical Gender Roles
Joane Laguitan

10. The differences between men and women magazines are visible in appearance and in content. “The media contributes to the reinforcement of gender differences and inequalities in contemporary society,” as stated by Gough-Yates (2003, p.7). In this perspective, this view conspires in the advancement of capitalism and patriarchy (Gough-Yates, 2003). The media’s representations of women create the feminine identities and stereotypical roles we come to be familiar with. The recent covers of magazines create images of virtually flawless, beautiful, and content women. This happens to be the contrary to the existence of most women in the real world. Magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Marie Clare catalogue articles on diet recipes, ways to keep your man happy, and how to handle bad hair days.

11. Gough-Yates (2003) exclaims:
Women’s magazines are seen as a powerful force for the construction and legitimation of gender inequalities. In these terms, women’s magazines do not simply offer their readers innocent pleasures- they are a key site for the development of a self-identity that undermines women’s essential, real feminine identities. (p.8)

12. Since birth men are told they should portray an image of being strong yet emotionless. Sociological and cultural understandings of these representations have stayed constant. Men magazines have always been, past or present, for men but rarely about men. A man being interested in clothing and consumption, like a woman, is an uneasy tension. Men can only be interested in consumerism and style if they were heterosexually promiscuous and violent enough. For example a member of the mafia or a gang is permitted to be interested in style simply because they are thought to have these qualities.

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Extracts from the conclusion of Media Gender & Identity by David Gauntlett
Source:
http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm

Key quotes:

13. 'Today, it seems more appropriate to emphasise that, within limits, the mass media is a force for change. The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons.

This is in contrast to the changing representation of men, for example; 14. 'Masculinity in a crisis' -

15. 'Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn, self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity. Although gender categories have not been shattered, these alternative ideas and images have at least created space for a greater diversity of identities.'

• ((Talk about how the representation of gender roles have almost been swapped in recent years. For example, men taking a role more commonly assigned to women; emotional and reliant on others.))
• ((Use the quote - 'Modern media has little time or respect for tradition.' - To open this paragraph.))

Gender's new representation is conflicting with one another -

16. 'Contemporary masculinity is often said to be 'in crisis'; as women become increasingly assertive and successful, apparently triumphing in all roles, men are said to be anxious and confused about what their role is today.'

17. 'Magazines for young women are emphatic in their determination that women must do their own thing, be themselves, and/or be as outrageously sassy and sexy as possible.'

18.' Modern media has little time or respect for tradition.' - Gauntlett, David (2002), Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction, Routledge, London and New York

19. 'The continuous flow of lifestyle, health, relationship and sex advice, and the repetitive curiosity about what the featured females look for in a partner, point to a clear view that the performance of masculinity can and should be practised and perfected. This may not appear ideal - it sounds as if men's magazines are geared to turning out a stream of identical men.' - Gauntlett, David (2002), Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction, Routledge, London and New York 

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Gender and the Media by Rosalind Gill

20. "Relationships between representations and 'reality', and different understanding of how images relate to individuals' sense of identity and subjectivity."

How the way the media presents us with warped images that effect how the audience perceive gender roles in real life. 

Memento Research: Feminist Film Theory

Memento Research: Feminist Film Theory

"Feminism is a social movement that has had an enormous impaction film theory and criticism." - (Anneke Smelik's 'Feminist Film Theory', pg 1)

Memento is an interesting film to study the representation of women. Despite the film having a select number of female characters, their portrayal and representation constantly changes during the film's narrative. Feminists film critics will argue whether Memento's portrayal of women shows them either in a negative or positive light.

"Controlling power of the male character." - (Anneke Smelik's 'Feminist Film Theory', pg 1)

One interesting view of women shown in Memento is to do with women being dominated by the males around them. This can be seen in the character of Natalie, herself being a strong woman in her own right however she is ultimately controlled by her drug dealer boyfriend. Some would argue that it is common in cinema for women to be scared of males and their abuse. This is apparent in the scene where Natalie hides in her own home from the threat of Dodd, a masculine mobster who is looking to cause her some harm. Some feminist female critics would argue that Natalie fears him because women are under the control of men. This has been apparent in cinema for years according to Claire Johnson;

Claire Johnson, ('Feminist Film Theory', pg 1), talks about this concept - "She put forward a view of how classic cinema constructs the ideological image of women. Drawing on Roland Barthe's notion of myth, Johnston investigated the myth of 'woman' in classic cinema.'

Johnson found that women in cinema commonly take a passive role and are under the command of men. This is shown with the representation Natalie, who takes orders for her drug dealer boyfriend Jimmy in the bar she works at. Thus, in this way Memento conforms to the usual representation of women being at the hands of male characters are being controlled by them inadvertently.

"quote to be put here."

However, Memento's women are not always shown as passive and weak. In the scene where Natalie taunts and screams at Leonard, calling his deceased wife things like 'whore' and 'stupid'. The way she is framed gives her dominance over Leonard, him appearing vulnerable and meek in comparison to the booming, aggressive Natalie. Her body language also gives her power and control as Natalie puffs herself in a display to appear more intimidating to Leonard. She is shown to be a puppet-master of Leonard, purposely controlling and manipulating him into doing things that will benefit her. Natalie becomes this 'femme-fatale' archetype, a common representation of women in cinema. She uses her sex appeal to convince Leonard to aid her, even in one scene kissing him seductively and allowing him to sleep next to her in bed. This depiction of women conveys a negative representation of women, one were females use their body and their minds to manipulate men.

quote here

Women in Memento also are used as plot devices. The film revolves around Leonard seeking revenge for his wife's murder which went on to cause his condition.

Evaluation coursework; part 1

Evaluation coursework; part 1

In this essay I will be writing about the findings of the research I did prior to completing my production task. I looked at the common codes and conventions used in advertising and how they could inform, inspire and influence me when I made my own product.

I found that many adverts share common themes. One example is the use of 'shock tactics'. Peta's 'Stolen for Fur' advert uses this technique to visually shock the audience through its use of bloody, skinned animals. This advert shocked me, as it is quite distressing to see maimed animals, especially when these creatures are given human voices to express how they feel. This makes them more relatable to the viewer, which in turn allows us to give them sympathy. I incorporated shock tactics into my own storyboards by using gory imagery to express my viewpoint about fur. I think advertisers use shock tactics to hit the audience's need to nurture, as when we see anything in harm it is a naturally instinct to protect it. As an audience we are positioned in a way that we cannot help which makes us feel guilty. This guilt goads us into donating to the charity. By donating money we as an audience can be at ease knowing we have aided the cause. I also think the encoders of the advert used shock tactics as personally as an animal lover the imagery made me angry to the point I wanted to do something about it. The iconography installs the emotions of anger and outrage that human vanity is so shallow that is allows innocence animals to be slaughtered and skinned for it. Fellow animals lovers will feel inclined to do something to stop this from happening. 

Another theme I found common among advertisements is how characters are framed and lit. The lighting of the adverts are often low key. This denotes the character's emotions, dark colours being used to symbolise their sadness about their situation. A more physical symbol of their emotion is often shown through facial expressions. The 'victim' is usually framed in high angle shots, making them seem insignificant and vulnerable. This narrative makes the audience feel sympathetic for the character. This is an advertising technique popular among encoders as it stirs the need to nurture within the audience. One particular advert I found interesting that used this approach was the Samaritan advert which told the story of Lisa. The advert itself played upon my heartstrings and moved me. 

Newspaper analysis

Masthead -
'Daily Mail' is boldly emblazoned across the top of the front page. Its serif font looks regal and 'ye olde' in appearance. I think they used this typography to show how old the newspaper is. This tells the audience that it is of good quality and reputation as it has lasted a long time. Thus it installs the belief that the Daily Mail is considered a trusted and reliable source for news. Wedged between 'Daily' and 'Mail' is a spiral design including a unicorn and lion, formally knows as the royal crest of England. The important image shows that the newspaper has deep English roots. This could appeal to some audiences because it shows a loyalty to England.

Language -
'The Independent' uses formal and specialist language on its front cover. The target audience is aimed towards those who already have an outside knowledge about the subjects and so address the reader as such. For example, the main headline reads; 'Hold the lines - Kenyan voters defy fears of election violence.' To anyone without any prior knowledge of the situation in Kenya this wouldn't make sense.

Representations of men; NEW REVISION

Representations of men 

Question - Explore the ways in men is represented in the media today?

In this essay I will be writing about how the media represents men, both positively and negatively. Media juxtaposes itself when it chooses to represent gender. Men can either be shown to be the handsome and dashing lothario at one end of the spectrum then an almost pathetic loner at the opposing end.  

A major portrayal of men in the media is the 'player/womaniser' character type. An example of this archetype being incorporated into advertising is the Lynx deodorant advertisements. The men, usually portrayed by a young and handsome actor, uses his looks to win the beautiful female alongside his smell. This view conveys the masculinity of men, that same masculine quality being the thing that basically wins him his prize of the woman. Another example of this is the Witcher game franchise. The lead protagonist, Geralt, is capable of bedding many women during the gameplay. He does this through his good looks and heroic nature. This reflexive approach, that what we see is a straightforward reflection of the real world, transmits the message that all men in reality are as heroic as we see them in various media texts. This portrayal further cements that the brave and handsome male hero we have been groomed to think is the norm. This is very much a distorted view being groomed into young boys, making them have this askew self-image of themselves to the point they deem themselves unworthy.  

Another representation of men in the media is through archetypes. These are seen throughout many platforms; video games, TV shows and feature films are a few examples. A solid example is the Jock character trope, seen in many romantic comedies and they usually serve as some sort of antagonist. The popular Jock is handsome and athletic who gets all the pretty girls, despite usually having a poor and selfish personality. This character type further pushes this heightened hyper-masculinity onto us as an audience. When compared to the weedy and unlucky Geek character, who is socially deprived and often picked upon, the Jock is the desired one. This media representation favours physical superiority over brains. This again allows audiences to developed awry views on masculinity due how the media represents it as.   

Men are also portrayed as being successful, E.g. the 'Big Shot' character. An example of this being Gordon Gekko in  the eighties film Wall Street portrayed by Michael Douglas. This character type is represented as exerting charisma and success and being in control of his environment and the people around him. Men here are portrayed as being dominating and intelligent. These overall characterisations show that men have to be intelligent, domineering and handsome amongst traits to be deemed desirable. The media thus goes on to make the image that a 'perfect' male has to be dominant, to the point that he is basically aggressive, rich and handsome to be desirable.

In conclusion, the ideologies of gender put forward by the media can be very one-sided and even sexist. Gender is very misinterpreted and this can be dangerous as audiences are very open to what they see. We as an audience are easily influenced as if we see the same imagery repeated before us it makes a lasting impression in our minds. With this heightened masculinity that is being wrongly shown to be the norm, the line between achievable and fantasy are becoming more blurred.   

MS1 exam: representations; Britain

Representations of nation; Britain 

Question - Explore the ways in Britain is represented in the media today?

In this essay I will be writing about how the media represents Britain as a nation.

Media has a varied portrayal of Britain, both positive and negative. One view of Britain is conveyed through stereotypes that can be either good or bad. A negative stereotype Britain is infamous for is the 'chav' ideology. Media outlets show this supposed group of people as scrounging off the welfare state and being anti-social. Through news articles, the encoder skews the view of this group of people to be negative. The media can be so strong with their views that it creates intentional approach, where our understanding of reality is created by representations . As the decoder, we believe tracksuit-clad chavs are scum because of the way newspapers portray them. An example of a chav's negative image is Vicky Pollard from the Little Britain sketch show. Chavs are made a mockery of through Matt Lucas' representation. They're shown as crass, unemployed and loud with no respect for the law, using benefits to fund their drug habits. This portrayal overall shows this so called 'chav subculture' as the rabble they are shown to be, further creating a false representations of Britons.

A more positive representation of Britain and her male population  is through the typical English gent stereotype, a la Hugh Grant. The conveys the stereotype that Britons are posh, awkward and at odds with their emotions. Adding to this representation, they're portrayed as being humorous in a self-deprecation manner and well-educated. An example would be many of Grant's roles, including Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Grant is normally type casted in these roles as it's easily recognisable to the audience, who'll rely on their stereotyped view of Britain. This will only add to a decoder's perception.

Another way the media represents Britain is through imagery. One not from Britain could easily assume the country is just rolling hills and idyllic scenery. This view is a construct the media has created for its own fiscal purposes. An example of this is the cover of British Planner, a magazine that is the official guide to the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. Its cover is centred by a beautiful church surrounded by grassy plains. British Planner among others cleverly use this moulded representation of Britain for its advantage as these scenes attract tourists who in turn bring money.

However a more negative construct the media has painted for Britain's landscape is inner-cities ravaged by high crime rates. This is shown through texts like Bullet Boy and Kidadulthood, these films portraying the grittiness of London suburbs. This portrayal is negative as the general public may start to believe that everywhere is like what they're shown when realistically this is not the case. Populating these districts are the yobbish teenage hooligans that bring calamity wherever they go. These archetypes are used to create a shortcut to help an audience understand scenarios better. Britain is negatively represented by these false impressions. The media chooses to represent locations like for their own purposes, in most circumstances these being politically.  

In conclusion Britain is represented both positively and negatively by the Media. Yet it is down to us as the consumer to decide whether we believe everything the media chooses to show people and places as.  

Psycho Essay

Psycho Essay

by

Niamh Gallagher

Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho uses many different types of narratives to drive the plot. Examples used by the director are the way he lights things, camera shots, music used and how he follow certain theories such as Todorov’s and Propp’s. I will be exploring these in this essay

At the start the narration and for the first forty-six minutes the narrative is restricted as it locked to Marion's perspective but after her murder it splits of to Lila, Sam and Arbogast's viewpoints. The use of restricted narration is useful as it creates an anticipation for the murderer to be caught and identity to be revealed, Hitchcock being a master of suspense. Nearly every scene in which Marion is in a close-up is used, as an audience we are placed close to her to form a relationship. This also creates enigma codes such as 'who murdered Marion?’ 'What was the purpose of killing her?’ and 'what will happen to the $40,000 Marion stole'.  

Hitchcock challenges the norms of narratives as he surprises audiences expectations in regards to roles of characters as the 'damsel in distress' character type, (Marion), is not saved as this shocks us as an audience. This is because we're used to the 'hero' character saving her but Hitchcock changes this aspect and thus this shocks the audience, as it is an expected twist. The whole point of Psycho's narrative is to shock and challenge the audience's expectations. After Marion's murder as audience we feel upset as the narrative had been following her for the previous forty-six minutes as we had begun to like her character so as an audience we cling to nearest character, that being Norman Bates. The director also uses the camera to manipulate the audiences point of view as Hitchcock uses stranger camera angles to give a sense of unease that goes on to create nerve-breaking tension and suspense. This also makes the audience uncomfortable and squirmy as the uncanny angles create a sense of unease. 

The technical codes used by Alfred Hitchcock make Psycho an interesting visual imagery. The music is a key aspect on how the director creates tension. As the scene becomes more the tense, the dramatic music heightens into a climatic shill, such as in the shower scene. The music is uncomfortable and sharp and shrieking on the audience's ears, adding to the horror of the scene. The music has become utterly iconic due to the frightful recognisable quality of it. Another technical code being used by Hitchcock is the lighting, an example being the parlour scene. Norman's face is split into two half's; one dark and one light. This is a metaphor for his two personalities, it is hinted during the film that he suffers with schizophrenia. The light half represents the mild-mannered Norman Bates while the darken area is the 'Mother' personality which is where the evil and callousness stems from. Hitchcock uses sound, or rather no sound, in another interesting use of technical codes. In the parlour scene the director doesn’t use any music soundtrack in the scene, which adds to the uncomfortable atmosphere, thus creating tension. This helps drive the narrative as the audience start to worry for Marion whom they have come to care for as the situation appears to be taking a sinister turn.

Todorov’s theory can be seen in this film when Marion takes the money, causing a disruption that drives the plot, breaks the equilibrium. The recognition that there has been disruption would be were Marion is in her car, hallucinating the voices of all who are affected by her theft of the money. She realises what she has done wrong but is too frightened of the consequences to turn back and rectify her wrongs. Meanwhile the attempt to repair the damage of the disruption is when Marion decides to take the money but tragically killed violently before doing so. This creates a new equilibrium of who murdered Marion and the reason why they did so.

Personally I believe that Alfred Hitchcock filmed Psycho is black and white as it gives the film a sinister lot to it. Black and white connotes with old movies, many of these being horror films such as Nosferatu. By using the black and white the film appears chilling which helps give the film its notoriously eerie and horrifying vibe as the shadows appear even darker, even more terrifying.