To All The Films I've Loved Before
A FILM ANALYSIS OF HOW FEMALE PROTAGONISTS ARE PORTRAYED THROUGH SHOT DESIGN IN NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILMS
Abstract |
The purpose of this thesis is to see the influence that directors have on decisions of gendered shot design within Netflix romantic comedies. I did this through a qualitative film analysis of two female directed films--Tall Girl and To All the Boys I've Loved Before--and two male directed films--The Kissing Booth and Sierra Burgess Is A Loser. This consisted of collecting data on scenes throughout the film according to techniques on the Menkes List. The Menkes List, created by scholar Nina Menkes, consists of five distinct technical techniques used to objectify women and perpetuate the male gaze. There is limited previous research that suggests connections on how behind-the-scenes roles influence the technical choices that frame female protagonist centered films. The results from this film analysis conclude that male-directed films were more likely to include gendered shot design that caters to the male gaze over female- directed films. The significance of these results is that it suggests that there is a connection between female directors and a lack of gendered shot design, therefore a lack of the male gaze. Research that deconstructs how the male gaze is perpetuated through visual communication continues to be an important guide to the creation of future media. |
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Research Questions |
These results suggests that there is a connection between female directors and a lack of gendered shot design, therefore a lack of the male gaze.
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Research that deconstructs how the male gaze is perpetuated through visual communication continues to be an important guide to the creation of future media with accurate representation.
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KIELE HEADI am a media studies alumni of the University of Oregon. I am passionate about the representation of women in the film and television industry. As a media studies major, I have learned to think critically about current media being produced and what needs to be changed to better reflect our current society. I hope to use my skills to create and support the media being created.
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