Thought Shower

Example of an initial thought-shower for the Critical Research Study topic of Women and Film

Secondary Research • use of books/study guides and other library resources, such as newspapers, magazines, journals, video/DVD/television resources, existing research studies; • industry, academic and other related web sites etc.

female representations in films are passive

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based on psychological theories

Define Mulvey’s ideas

men do the looking

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Primary Research • audience reception research (focus groups, work experience, interviews, industry visits); • candidates’ own textual analysis and own critical responses/ theses.

male representations in films are active

women are the objects of the gaze

Faults? Premises? Assumptions?

male audiences want to be the active male character

based on feminist theories

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women audiences want to be with the active male character

Reasons for findings?

Texts to study? 1950s? 1990-2003?

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Test findings?

based on classical Hollywood cinema of the 1950s social-cultural background to audience reception

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Research (Question 1) Accounts of the kinds of research undertaken, to include the following: • the producers, institution or industry concerned • academic criticism • popular criticism • audience reception, including the candidate her/himself

Working hypothesis:Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze in modern society makes false assumptions about both film-makers and audiences.

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Audience Texts Institution

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Checklist of required lines of enquiry

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social-cultural background to filmmakers (stars, directors, studio bosses) Do film-makers today abide by these theories? (consciously/ unconsciously) Do audiences today abide by these theories? (consciously/ unconsciously)