Politics in film and media:
In this week’s lessons we learned how politics affect audience through different kinds of media. From advertising to games, politics almost exist everywhere. People use slogans and values implantations to guide audience’s wills and actions. Ironically, audience seldom realizes these political implantations.
Film and Television can be the most important traditional political medias. As for films, some films is aims to send political messages, which clearly covers political ideas in its narrative and theme. In China, films which talk about patriotism gradually becomes familiar these years. Some films even covers several hot topics in China like anti-corruption， China’s rising, etc. For me, such kind of films are acceptable because every country has its own policial films, which is quite normal. Also, government has right to propagate their ideology to public to maintain social stability.
Some films spread political ideas in a more clever way, which is showing political purpose by hiding their ideas inside fantastic stories. For example, Avatar, which discusses the meaningless of invasion wars and may reflect the history of massacre of indians. Another feature film Memories of Murder, directed by Bong Joon-ho, which is loosely based on the true story of Korea’s first confirmed serial murders, discusses about the dark period of South Korea in 1980s and accuses the government of incompetence.
Game is also a good media to send political ideas, especially to young people. FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield series always send people the massage that American army is saving the world. They tend to sugar up the international image of American armies and mention the justice of holding wars. This kind of works may even increase peoples curiousity of modern war and weapons, which encourage young people’s passion on joining in army.
Such wide impact of politics on media may rises a question: Can politics be removed from media? Hardly not. Politics are just part of media. People have to show their statements when they are using mediato to tell something, which will inevitably lead to personal politics. However, the way of telling political ideas is quite important. People don’t like preaching or forced implanations. How to make them feel empathtic about these ideas is the key of implanting politics in media.
As for me, I keep possitive attitude to political implantations. Political implantations through media is a double-edged swords. A good story telling with some proper political ideas can make the plot more easy to accept and welcome. However, too much political statements in media like film or games will just ruin these works and make people uncomfortable.
As an audience, knowing what is real or fake and what is something that others want us to see is quite important. Keep calm and critical thinking can help people get rid of political influences. Do not feel afraid of politics in media because it has already become more and more common.
Notes:
Politics and Persuasion in Entertainment:
Generally, people can influence or persuade audiences in the following areas:
- Social media
- Broadcast News and events
- Film and Animation
- Television
Media platforms that have potential to influence or persuade an audience:
- Broadcasts
- Print Media
- Mainstream Film and Animation
- Independent film and animation
- Games
- Podcasts
- Social media / internet profile
Some messages which are used in moving image:
- Subliminal or masked content
- Overt / Propagandist intentions
- Persuasive / commercial targets
- Documentary / Investigative
- Independent / Personal struggle, observation or experience
Some main topics of politics in film and media:
- Political persuasion
- Commercial persuasion
- Race
- Gender
- Equality
- Disability
- Ethics
Animation and Documentary:
Animated Documentarys:
Neighbours (1952 film) (Anti-war Film)
Tower (Kevin Maitland, 2016)
The Sinking of the Lusitania (Winsor McCay 1918)
Fight for the Dardanelles (1915)
Prelude to War (1942)
A Is For Autism (1992)
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
As the creative treatment of actuality (1933)
Chicago 10 (Brett Morgen, 2007)
Montage of Heck (Brett Morgan, 2016)
Taxonomy of Animated Documentary:
- has been recorded or created frame by frame
- is about the world rather than a world wholly imagined by its creator
- has been presented as a documentary by its producers and/or received as a documentary by audiences, festivals or critics
Gesture and Pose:
Some important elements for Good poses and gestures:
- Better proportion of body parts
- Bigger eyes and ears
Spine and fluidity:
- charactors spine should maintain it’s fluidity
- the shape of spine should be curves
- the shape of spine should help charactor balance their bodies