Self-Directed Research

I have done some research on my own regarding my independant study, however i think i need to do more in reference to my question. here is the research which i have conducted my self.

http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/coach-carter/2973

This is a review based on the movie coach carter. This allows me to get other peoples views on the movie and what they would rate the movie.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=coachcarter.htm

This is a link which shows how much money the film made internationally and domestically, this information is very useful as it shows me how successful the film was and indicates how much of an impact it could have on the audience.

http://www.coachcarter.com/peoplemag.htm - Article - Give me an A

Above is a link to one of the articles i found which was published when the actual lock out had occured. this information is vital as it tells me what the thoughts of the community where whilst the event occured.

http://www.coachcarter.com/cnn-news.htm - Article - High school coach imposes own basketball lockout when grades slip

Here is a link to one of the articles i found which was published when the actual lock out had occured. this information is vital as it tells me what the thoughts of the community where whilst the event occured.

http://www.coachcarter.com/endless.htm - Article - Coach Ken Carter shows his players much tough love

Here is a link to one of the articles i found which was published when the actual lock out had occurred. this information is vital as it tells me what the thoughts of the community where whilst the event occurred.

http://www.coachcarter.com/latimes.htm - Artitcle - Benching Dream Team Was Right Move.

Here is a link to one of the articles i found which was published when the actual lock out had occurred. this information is vital as it tells me what the thoughts of the community where whilst the event occurred.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/02/02/coach_carter_2005_review.shtml - BBC Review by Neil Smith

Above is a review by the BBC, this is important as it gives me the view of a large institution on the movie and what kind of an affect it has had on them. The person who has conducted the review is Neil Smith from the BBC.

10 key words! again...

1) Epic- a big budget film where there is a big cast and when a powerful theme/message is passed throughout the movie.

This relates to my study as the movie Coach Carter has a big cast where a powerful theme/message is passed.

2) Mise en scene- the way in which the elements and components in the film are set out and included by the camera.

I will be relating to the mise en scene in my study as I will be focusing on the appearance of the characters in terms of their clothing for example their hoodies and caps etc. This relates the mise en scene as it comes under the costume category of mise en scene.

3) Representation- this is where the media construct views of people, events and places in images words or sound for transmission through media texts to an audience.

I will be challenging how the typical representations of black males are challenged in my study therefore this term is vital and should be referred to a lot throughout my study.

4) Teen movie- a movie which is specifically targeted at a target audience of teenagers and addresses a range of teenage interests.

This relates my study as the movie which my study is based on is a teen movie which is Coach Carter.

5) Racism- a form of discrimination based on race, and on opinions that one race is superior to another.

This relates to my study as I will be trying to figure out how much racism is shown in Coach Carter and what kind of effects that racism has on the black people.

6) Objectivity: a text which is being objective and neutral without being biased.

This relates to my study as it is based on the life of Coach Ken Carter and represents the life of stereotypical black youths.

7) White balance: the setting of the camera in order to match the source of light and therefore ensure good quality pictures.

This relates to my study as there are a number of scenes in coach carter that uses this kind of a setting in order to make the characters stand out therefore this term could be used in my study.

8) Attitudes, beliefs and values- this term is commonly used when discussing the audience for media products and the factors influencing the reception of media messages.

This term is related to my study as these are some of the factors which influence the characters in Coach Carter such as the attitudes of the teenagers due to the values that have been passed down to them.

9) Social realism: representation of characters and issues to raise serious issues.

This relates to my study as the topic and message of the movie relates to serious issues in society and this term therefore could prove to be useful when writing my independent study.

10) Method acting: actors really get in to that character and they act as that character physically, emotionally and psychologically.

This relates to my study as the actors in the movie really seem to get into character and act their role out effectively as it may relate to their everyday lives.

Evaluations

Attainment - 3 -
i think that the work which i produce is of a good standard but i can improve on it alot more.

Effort - 2 -
i put alot of effort into my classwork and homework but i can still work harder to improve.

Punctuality - 3 -
i am sometimes late to lessons

Submission and quality of homework - 2 -
i try and complete my homework on time and to a very good standard.

Ability to work independently - 2 -
i believe i can work harder when working alone to avoid distractions

Quality of writing - 3 - i think my quality of writing is good but it can be improved alot more!


Organisation of Media folder - 1 -
all work is put into a folder in an order where the newest pieces of work is at the top so its easy to refer to.

Oral contributions in class - 3 -
i usually contribute in class but can talk more

Standard of Module 5 blog - 2 -
i think my blog is of a good standard and includes alot of relevant research and information.

Standard of Module 6 blog - 4 -
this blog needs to be improved alot more as alot of my work was on a presentation.

WWW - my organisation of my folder is excellent
- my module 5 work is of a very good standard
- i think my independant work is of a good standard as i am fully focussed on the task.

EBI - I need to improve my module 6 blog
- improve module 6 blog
- continue to put in more effort and produce better quality of work.

Close Textual Analysis

The text is the opening sequence from the movie Coach Carter (2005) which is a film made by MTV. The clip begins with the title sequence and whilst the clip is playing urban music is played. This music immediately hints out the audience which the movie is aimed at as it is urbanized and also hints the genre of the movie once the institution is shown. The first character shown in the movie is the coach himself; whilst the coach is shown the cinematography is shown as there a fast cuts between the scene showing the coach and the basketball team playing a match. These fast cuts are aimed at a teenage audience as teenagers are believed to have a short attention span and therefore these fast cuts will keep them occupied as well as the music playing.

As the coach walks into the gym to watch the match there are a number of different camera shots shown. One of these is a low angle shot, low angle shots of the coach are shown as he watches the team losing the basketball match. This kind of a shot is used to show the coach as the superior figure to the audience compared to the rest of the team and therefore again hints him as the teams saviour. Furthermore, through the use of the basketball game, this scene shows the audience that the genre of the movie and the narrative is going to revolve around this sport.

Alot of urban clothing is shown during the basketball match such as hoodies, baseball caps, baggy clothing etc. This could be argued to be expected whilst playing a sport but extra accessories such as designer head bands and sweat bands implicate that the image of these teenagers are that they are represented as urbanized youths who could possibly be carrying out deviant activities which would therefore disappoint the community. Another factor of representation is when during the match one of the players has a little bit of conflict with the opposite team and the rest of the team run in from the sideline to start a fight. This scene clearly shows how the teenagers have grown up and how they are following the stereotypical representations which have been labeled upon them.

These representations could possible create a moral panic in society as the teenagers would then lead to crime and deviance and commit anti social behavior. This would then make the society believe in these stereotypes of the youths and this would add to the history of young black males as they are known historically for committing crimes etc.

10 Key Words

1. American Nightmare: This was a phrase used by a politician called Malcolm X (1925-1965) to express his inequalities experienced by black Americans. This relates to my study as my study is about how black people are treated unfairly in society.

2. Biopic: a film which is based on a biography of a real person. This relates to my study as the movie is a true story based on Coach Ken Carter

3. Coming-of-age film: A movie that deals with the difficulties of growing up. This relates to my study as the movie deals with how teenagers are growing up in a rough area which in this case is Richmond.

4. Deviance: Behaviour which is not generally accepted in society. This relates to my study as this is what the students used to do before the coach entered the scene e.g. crime.

5. MTV (Music Television): A TV channel recognised worldwide founded in 1981 and is owned by Viacom. This relates to my study as MTV is the institution for the Coach Carter movie.

6. Realism: a film that attempts to represent the real world. This relates to my study as the message which is passed in Coach Carter represents the real world.

7. Stereotype: A fixed view on someone or a group of people. This relates to my study as the black stereotypes are challenged in Coach Carter.

8. Viacom – A media corporation, it owns Paramount, CBS, MTV and Blockbuster Video. This relates to my independent study because it owns the institution of the movie Coach carter which is MTV.

9. Youth Culture – A range of youth subcultures and how they are judged, e.g. dress, behaviour etc. This relates to my study as it is what the youths in the movie are categorized into.

10. Hero – Male or female protagonist in any narrative. This relates to my study as Coach Carter is seen as the only hero but there is no villain therefore it does not follow Propps theory of a hero and a villain.

10 delicious tags

This article talks about how the parent company that owns MTV doesn't care about black people. i can use quote lines from this article to use in my independent study.

This article i found shows how the black stereotypes are changing. i can use this as my question is based on how the negative stereotypes are challenged.

This link i found shows how black people are represented in the dominant media.

This article shows how black men feel about the labels attached to them

This article i found in CNN shows how the community reacted to the representations of black people at parties

This article shows how Latino immigrants identify more with white people and therefore bring negative stereotypes about black people in the U.S

This site shows how the black females are also negatively represented

This site shows views on black people with some stats

This article is regarding a mans fear of black people and what it supposedly made him do

This website shows how white people are shown as acting black through their hobbies