Self Evaluation ... AGAIN

Attainment...2
I feel that my effort this year has been substantial. I believe that my work is improving and being able to leave the lessons, with learning something new and applying to future pieces of work. And because it is coming to the end of the course I have gained more knowledge to push me forward in the A2 exam.

Effort...2
I feel my effort has stayed consistant throughout the year.

Punctuality...1
I am always on time!!!

Submission and quality of homework...2
I hand in my work on every deadline and also, sometimes I feel I dont put as much effort in as I could.

Ability to work independently...1
I get more done, and I feel I focus more.

Quality of writing...3
I am just getting lazy with my writing now because I am not proof reading and checking spelling. I ahve ability to do better but, I do not know whats happening.

Organisation of Media folder....1My folder loooks soooooo neat and sickk... everything has its place!!

Oral contributions in class...2
Only at times will i contribute

How useful is the blogger????

How easy has it been to set up your Independent Study blog and to get used to posting things on it? Were you given enough support in doing it? What other help would have been useful?
It was extremely easy setting up the independent study on the blog because, we used the blogs lat year to do our work. At the beginning of every year Mr Bush always gives a tutorial therefore, he explained what needs to be in the blog. There is no other help that can be seen as usueful, for we got told everything at the beginning.

How did the blog help with your research? Did the blog motivate you to do more and better research? How? Why?
It helped with the reasearch because it was all on the net, therefore their was no meddling with pieces of paper it was all organised. It does motivate a student because you want your blog to look nice as well as informative.

Is it useful having all the Independent Study/blog tasks posted on the Macguffin blog? Does it make it more likely that you will get them done?
Yeah, if the tasks are posted on the blog it makes it better to see and get it done,because contact books are soo last year...

How often (honestly!) do you check the Macguffin blog? (Remember, it should be at least twice/week).
I honestly check the blog once a week

Has it been useful being able to see and access everyone else’s research and planning through their blogs?
It is a good idea that people research is up, but I try not to look at it because it will just give me the incentive to go and copy.

How do you feel about the fact that your teacher can keep a close check on your progress through accessing your blog? Is it too intrusive and controlling or is it encouraging and supportive?
I think it is encouraging that the teachers can look at the blog, its like if they checking homeowrk but on the net.

How useful have the comments been that you received from…a. Macguffin, b. other students.
To be honest Macguffin doesnt really post comments on my blog but if sir did then it will be all good. The students comments are usually the same about the presentation of the blog I feel they should give critical feedback.

How has the blog helped with your essay planning? How useful was the blog when it came to writing the essay? Do you think your first draft is better because you have used a blog?
Ummmm... it really don't make a difference because the essay planning did help- yeah i think my first draft is pretty gooooood.

How would you evaluate the quality of your blog? What could you have done better?
I like the quality of my blog I think it looks pretty nice and quite visual and colourful at times.

Do you think you will get a better final grade for your independent study through having used a blog?
Yeah, I think the blog has really helped me get a good insight on my independent study and I think it will improve my final grade.

Which are the best three blogs? Why?
All the blogs are goood

Do you think next year’s Year 13s would benefit from setting up an Independent Study blog?
Yeah they will benefit from the blogs because all their research is infront of them.

Are there any negative aspects to preparing for an Independent Study using a blog?
The only negative aspect is that we have to post our essays on the blog which i really don't wana dooo. Because thats my work.

What could be done to improve teaching and/or learning in future through blogs?
Nothing I think Mr. Bush has got it covered

Overall, are you pleased that we used blogs? Has it been interesting and enjoyable? Why? Why not?
Yeah its been fun doing the blogs

First paragraph

"I don't know why I was looking for my father, all I know is I was looking for my father my whole life"... quote from the film. [1]
How has the stereotype of Black males been reinforced or changed in films such as “Get Rich Or Die Trying”?

The following quotation explain an important stereotype within the film Get Rich Or Die Trying but, even in society there are many stereotypes that have been tied towards Black people which either gives them a positive status in society or a negative stereotype. A stereotype such as profane behaviour, being poor, crime and drug related have been associated towards black people but, is that what the media tells us or our own perceptions? Popular, films featuring an all black cast have shown black people in an positive way but also, an negative way this seems to be a generic convention because, the film Get Rich Or Die Trying reinforces the stereotype of black people by the lack of paternity being involved in drugs but also, explains how they aspire to be rap stars and are very driven towards reaching there goals.

Essay Plan ....

Essay title : How has the stereotype of Black males been reinforced or changed in films such as “Get Rich Or Die Trying”?

(Keywords are : How, stereotype, Black males, reinforced or changed)

Introduction:(need more help and advice)

a) "I don't know why I was looking for my father, all I know is I was looking for my father my whole life"... quote from the film. This quote seems to be the overall message in the film and what basically, identifies the stereotype of Black males. (Note to self: research into it, even more).

b)A slight hypothesi like how this film conveys the stereotype but, also how it subverts the stereotype example, 50 cent being a father and leaving, the drug industry to look after hi son , which parrells his quest in life his looking for his father.

c) Briefly bring in the historical text 'Boyz N Hood'

Paragraph one: Introducing Get Rich Or Die Trying as my main text.

a) The narrative : The film is about a young Black boy called Marcus played by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson who starts to sell drugs, after his mother’s fatal death. But knowing, that his father is not around he sees Majestic as the father figure in his life for guidance and help. The narrative seems to intertwine a few stereotypes that are commonly associated with Black males such as : being involved involved in drugs and looking for a male figure in another Black male.

b) 50 Cent is the narrator in the text known as homeodiegetic narrator whereas he is present in the film as the main protagonist but also, is the voice. The film is a semi biblocal story therefore, social realism is explored issues such as the deprivation of money, poverty, crime and struggle of self bettermeant too just name a few.

Note: The narrative is driven by 50 Cent thus, we see his life and possibly his perspective of life and the outcome of it. He manages to tell the viewer about the drug turf war between the Spanish and the Blacks which seems to be an economic and cultural problem, due to both races being immigrants that fled to America to achieve a stable lifestyle. Secondly, the narrative is a common convention of Blaxploitation.

Paragraph two: Blaxploitation and analysis of a scene that uses the generic conventions of this genre, also, talking about the director.

a) Define Blaxploitation the genre and briefly when it started .

b) The scene (research) Begin scene when he grows up about 17 years old he and his friends could be classified as the oligarchy the small elite group is Marcus and his friends.

c) The author is Jim Sheridon who is a white director but is tackling a black story. Aspects to consider: Are we as the audience are seeing the Black race being portrayed through a white man or is he actually representing the reality. The term collonism ( higher order)

Paragraph three: Stereotype number one Violence and drugs

a) The scene of the Black drug dealers getting together and figuring out how to make the drugs... the scene continues through to the turf war between Blacks and Spanish, looking at the social context.

b) Many people dying because the use of crack and the deaths that appear from being involved in death ... " stop crack its wack" a quote used in the film.

Paragraph four: Representation of Black people in jail.

Links to the previous paragraph, Marcus is in jail because he was framed. Can bring in Vladmir Propp the character identification where Marcus is the hero and Majestic's crew is the bad crowd... frames a disequilbrium in narrative because narrative enigmas are created by the Sheridon like whom planted the drugs in Marcus's flat?

Note: Marcus meets his cell mate called Bama and from her, we see that there is a change in Marcus's behaviour. He continues to create music, to express himself.

Paragraph five: The comparative with Boyz N Hood

a) Abit about Boyz N Hood the main synopsis and how it compares / differs from Get Rich Or Die Trying.

b) Similar aspects talks about the lack of certain things and how the surroundings makes a person act a certain way. And also, the challenge self bettermeant.

c) Ricky in Boyz N Hood has a father who teaches him responsibility and suggests to him that if, you do your responsibities than you will not go to jail whereas, if u don't do certain things jail it is or even death in some circumstances.

d) Differs from Get Rich Or Die Trying because the main quest Marcus has in life is to look for his father, which in turn will explain why he went into drugs and being a gangster. Marcus lives his life with his grand parents and he classifies his grandad as a " second class, nigger". He does this because he was so used to the material things in life but, when he didnt recieve them he started to sell drugs to get his own way in life.

e) Charlene has a step dad who is strict and sends her away from Marcus to live with her grandad whereas, this is juxtaposed against Marcus and his life.

Note: The comparison in both Ricky from Boyz N Hood and Marcus from Get Rich Or Die Trying have some sort of male advice/ guidance to get them through life, but manage to create decisions of there own. Whereas, the difference is that Ricky has a father who is there to pick him up when he falls? But, Marcus has to do it himself.

Paragraph six: Target audience. As the audience do we conform to the people that stereotype the Black people as being involved in crime and acting in an errant behaviour. posed against Marcus's lifestyle and the lack of family he has.

a) give demographics of the audience profiling.

b) Does the film represent these people? Note: 50 cent appeals to many youngsters therefore they will aspire to be like him. Effects theory what they see him do, they would probably repeat... ie. getting into music.

Paragraph seven: The change of stereotypes.Where Marcus changes from the transtition of drug dealer to rapstar. " its time to focus on my dream, on being a rapper"

This change occurs after he is shot by a mysterious man, but also, when he feels he has no time left to live and wont get to be a proper father to his son.

a)Scene: Where him and Charlene are together, he is looking terrible due to his accident and it is about time, he stopped the drugs trade and became a proper dad. Scene involves them being very initimate.

b) The sex scene allows the camera to focus on Charlene who seems to be an object of the male gaze, Marcus is in control of the whole sex scene.

Paragraph seven: Comparative between Boyz N Hood and Get Rich Or Die Trying

a)Ricky is an aspiring student alongside his friend who want to do well and go to college to do well, this represents many of the Black people that want to achieve in life. In America, there is quite a few African Americans who are very educated and are in high professional jobs such as, lawyers teachers etc. Ricky represents the people that have diverted themselves away from the gangster llife to the academic lifestyle.

b)Marcus decides to become a famous rapper who wants to provide for his family. He and his friends are in search for a recording deal and manage to gain recognition through the underground circuit.

Paragraph eight: The title itself and the stereotypes that are present, but are vague to notice.

Breaking the title down ....

Get Rich : Refers to wealth, and the desire to get money this parrallels the stereotype of Black people being very involved with money and jewellery. Towards the end we see Marcus wearing a diamond incrusted necklace. Money shows the power you have and the status you have in society. You can either get money the wrong way which is to do drugsor steal. Or the honest, way and that is by earning. Marcus gains money both ways but, whereas many of his opposing associates only get it by selling drugs.

Or Die Trying : Refers to trying until you cant try no more. Depending how lucky you are.

Conclusion:

Points to consider :

• The beginning of the film is a remake of the Blaxploitation generic conventions
• Vladmir Propp is a key theorist because of the character identification
• Marcus is a boy who manages to get through life without a father and that is reflected in possibly every scene by some sort of suggestion by a person in the film.
• Get Rich Or die Trying reflects the narrative for it either suggests money and the destruction of it or money and how you can be sensible.

(need more research and expansion on my first essay plan )

Historical Texts

"1 in 21 African American males will die of murder in thier lifetime""Most will be killed by other African American males"
Boyz N The HooD 1991 by John Singleton
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101507/ - just shows general information.

A few facts about the making of the film

• Was shot before the 1992 Los Angeles Riots
• Depits life in the "crime ridden South Central" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood
• John Singleton was the youngest to be nominated for the best director award and was also the first African American to be nominated aswell.
• 2002, Library of Congress named it "culturally significant" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood

Synopsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood#Plot_summary

The opening starts with the following two messages which probably convey the meaning of the film.: "1 in 21 African American males will die of murder in thier lifetime"
"Most will be killed by other African American males"

Tre Styles a young African American male is walking to school with his two other friends the year is 1984. Tre and his friends notice a crime scene with police tap, gunshot holes in the walls and puddles of blood on the ground. The first incident happens in school when Tre, is finding it hard, to concentrate and misbehaves. His mother is studying for her masters degree and is informed that her son is suspended from school for 3 days for getting into a fight. She decides to send him to Crenshaw- where his father lives, Jason 'Furious' Styles.

Tres' first day is hard with his father, he orders him to do household duties but the reason him being responsible is so he can grow up to be a man and not be dead or in jail, hence referring to the beginning messages. They then, later on, go on a fishing trip where Furious teaches him about sex and the precautions of unprotected sex. They return to Crenshaw where Doughboy and Ricky are being arrested and sent off to juvenile halls, for stealing.

The story jumps 7 years ahead when the boys are at school Tre and Ricky are in class and they are in the middle of a English test. Furious educates the boys that the test is culturally biased and that Maths is fair. We see that Ricky has 110 points higher in Maths then in English. Furious drives the boys to Compton and leactures not only them but citizens of Compton that

"explaining how violence and drug use divide the black community by decreasing property values, allowing real estate companies to buy the land cheaply from black residents and sell it at a profit to developers. The influx of white investment money raises property values and taxes, pushing out the remaining old residents in the process. Furious tells the crowd that the rest of the nation will not help the urban poor because they are not personally affected by the violence the blacks must themselves end the cycle of murder and violence plaguing the neighborhoods."

There is a battle now, Doughboy a drug dealer is left in the streets whereas Tre and Ricky look for a future. On the way home Tre and Ricky are in the middle of a gang riot where Ricky is shot in Tres arms and is taken to Doughboy. Both Ricky and Doughboy plus few other members go to find the opposing gang to sortout the problem of Rickys death. Tre and Ricky are in the parking lot and Tre decides to leave the car, Doughboy accepts. A big riot kicks off and the opposing gang are injured before the credits role the viewers find out that Doughboy is killed 2 weeks after Rickys death. Tre and his girlfriend go to college.

Themes

The following themes are seen in Boyz N The Hood ; Tre being the strong father figure on young black males : "Any fool with a dick can make a baby, but it takes a real man to be a father to his children." Said to Tre.

The theme of urban lifestyle and the surroundings they are in gun shoots, a deprived area, drug abuse and culturally biazed in school standerizing tests.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbgb-CHlkk- trailer.

SummAry of VisuAL PleasUre anD NarrATIve CineMA

Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema by Laura Mulvey was published in 1975 is widely known as one of the most critical theory on contemporary film theory. The arguments that she presents are as followed:

• Scopophilia- The pleasure you recieve from looking at certain body parts and are being fetishized by the camera such as the womens breasts, legs or bum. Scopophilia is also, when you look at another person in the cinema without them knowing you are looking at them. Freud has covered this aspect aswell
• Women are also, seen as "process of objectification of female characters whcih means women bing reduced to being objects of the male gaze but also, the narcissistic pleasure you recieve from identification. The audience may feel closure because they feel they can relate to a certain character in the text..
• Mulvey has "declared that in patriarchal society 'pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female'. You as the audience are gendered as males and relate to certain characters from a male perspective.
• Women have the ability to be looked at as sexual desires and if they are near a certain object that could be tall or big they would be referring to a phallic symbol.

HoW thE theoRY cOUld be usEful for yOU in yOUr IndePENdent StUdy?

"We love ladies, all we do is get laid and get paid" Get Rich Or Die Trying is a film about a young boy and his transition from selling drugs to being a rap star. The roles that women play in this film is split between two roles and that is firstly of being the sexual desire and the other role would be the active, independent women who has the tendency to be conveyed as a sexual desire. The character Charlene would come underneath the second role of women but also, being the only important female in this film places a lot of questions on typical stereotypes of Black females in society and either if her character conforms to it or subverts it.

Women have characteristics to be looked at and are seen as sexual objects. While Marcus, is throwing a house warming party the Black females are dressed in a very provocative way, the camera zooms into certain body parts such as the breasts, legs and also their bums. This allows the audience to fetishized with certain female components and experience a certain sexual arousal from viewing the women. Young female Black females are stereotyped to be promiscuous, during the house party the women are dancing in a very seductive way. The audience are feeling a sense of pleasure and being voyeuristic towards the way the women behave.

Mulvey has also mentioned scopophilla within her theory- which is when an audience is receiving pleasure from looking at certain body parts. This could be associated with the previous point of the females body but also, during one scene the audience are engaged towards the intimacy between Charlene and Marcus. The medium shot of Marcus and Charlene having sex, gives certain pleasures towards the audience, hence the audience being engaged in the act of intimacy. The women is naked and again the camera focuses on her breasts and her legs which is again fethiszed by the audience. Charlene, is seen as a sexual object and desire towards the audience for she is naked in this scene and has the capability of looked at ness.

However, during the film Charlene does not conform to many of the stereotypes that are labelled along side women she is also plays a big part in the film, because she gives strength to Marcus to do well and leave the drug scene. Charlene's character also, breaks many of the stereotypes associated with Black females such as being baby machines and incapable of being in love. As a young female character she is still dominated by her husband Marcus and is part of the patriarchy society but she is independent in her own way. This is shown when Marcus goes to jail and she is left with a young baby and looks after it.

In conclusion the character of Charlene is seen to be a sexual but also, independent character. Mulvey has stated that in films women have the quality to be looked at and the audience are the spectators. However, the other women that are present in the film are allowing the audience to gain voyeuristic pleasures from looking at them but also, the camera highlights certain body parts which is part of the concept of scopophilia, which reinforces the beginning quote "we love ladies, all we do is get laid and get paid".

Self Evaluation

Attainment...2
I feel that my effort this year has been substantial. I believe that my work is improving and being able to leave the lessons, with learning something new and applying to future pieces of work.

Effort...2
My effort is good in class but, I do not really answer questions in class however, generally my effort is really good and I feel I do place a lot of hardwork into my work.

Punctuality...1
I am always on time, I have to be I have Mr Munro as my form tutor.

Submission and quality of homework...2
I hand in my work on every deadline. I have given myself a 2 because I was having blog problems therefore delaying my work for about a week.

Ability to work independently...1
I prefer to work by myself but I don't mind working in a group, my table is really good and we all help each other, like Puja is my new media buddy!

Quality of writing...2
Quality of work is about a 2 because we haven't done many essays but if we do then I think I just have to sharpen up my expression in some places.

Organisation of Media folder....1
My folder loooks soooooo neat and sickk... everything has its place!!

Oral contributions in class...2
Only at times will i contribute

Standard of Module 5 blog...1
Not to be big headed but I like my blog alot, this is my secon blog because it some how got deleted! So now, its better and the information is relevant and try and do extra research and find valuble quotes.

Standard of Module 6 blog...2
I like it but I just need to make it look much better as my med 5.