MS4 responses - Discuss the marketing strategies used by your selected industry. Refer to your three main texts

Discuss the marketing strategies used by your selected industry. Refer to your three main texts

Here a a few straightforward examples of how to respond to this question with the artists we have studied.

...marketing strategies refers to the different ways in which a producer can target their various audiences... 

...makes extensive use of digital convergence... 

Lady Gaga...

...Judas has 301 million views on youtube, indicating a highly successful marketing strategy... 

...Judas was leaked deliberately ahead of the release of Born This Way, allowing audiences the gratification of social interaction...

...Gag's meat dress, worn to the 2010 MTV movie awards is a highly postmodern gesture, establishing Gaga as a celebrity that challenges hegemonic norms and conventions...

...refers to herself as a 'little bit of a feminist' establishes her ideology of inclusivity and allows audiences to identify with her...

...Gaga's opens about her physical health and her fibromyalgia is worked in to an effective marketing strategy, further constructing her celebrity status....

Tyler, The Creator...

...Tyler, The Creator wore his Golf clothing brand on Jimmy Kimmel in 2015. The interview itself received 4.7 million views...

...this reinforces and establishes Tyler's celebrity status, an excellent example of the value of the two-step flow theory...

...Tyler tweeting 'I am Asian, I like Lettuce' provides audiences with the gratification of social interaction, and establishes a powerful enigma code. Reinforces his celebrity status, and is immediately accessible by his target audience. Excellent example of the advantages of digital technology...

...cancels tour in South America and apologises on Twitter...

...banned from the UK by the then secretary of state Teresa May, this incident was utilised as an effective marketing strategy, constructing Tyler, The Creator's controversial status...  

Thanks to R block for these excellent responses!

MS4 responses - Assess the main advantages of the internet for your three main texts

Here are a few examples of how this question could be tackled, using the music industry as an example, and without relying on textual analysis of music videos...

Assess the main advantages of the internet for your three main texts

Introduction...

...the internet refers to a platform that consists of a vast series of networked computers. This allows users from all over the world to easily share information...

...the internet allows ideologies to be exchanged far more easily than ever before, and musicians take advantage...

...I shall argue that the internet has been essential to my chosen artists, in everything from distributing their music, to cultivating their celebrity status, and also to allowing them to explore merchandising...

Tyler, The Creator...

Tyler, The Creator's extensive use of the internet has seen him develop from a little known vlogger known for his controversial statements to a word famous and deliberately provocative musician. Tyler's...

...video produced by vogue magazine and distributed by Youtube, photoshoot with Kendal Jenner. Allows for increased exposure to girls aged 15 to 25. Example of media synergy...

...new line of shoes, a collaboration with Converse, reported by Kicks on Fire, narrowcasting a specific message to a very specific audience. Allows for revenue from different sources, demonstrating his ability as an entrepreneur...

...music careers can be short, as taste and fashion changes. As audiences buy less and less physical media, musicians must diversify their output...

Tyler, The Creator and Solange Knowles' Instagram feed provides audiences the gratification of voyeurism, and emphasises his celebrity status...

Lady Gaga...

...Lady Gaga's career is arguably winding down for a variety of reasons. Her age, being in it's early 30's is significantly older than most female popstars. Additionally, musical tastes change over time. Lady Gaga's easily identifiable brand of electropop has been used since her first album, the fame was released in 2008...

...makeup brand called Haus Beauty, reported in Teen Vogue magazine. This follows a previous collaboration with Mac makeup, where a portion of the profits were donated to charity. This emphasises the importance of Lady Gaga's central ideology, to help others and to 'just be yourself'...

...Tweets about issues such as cancer demonstrate a completely different ideological prospect to Tyler The Creator...

...appearance on Rupauls' Drag race, broadly aimed at a LGBT audience, allows Gaga to interact with her enthusiastic gay audience...

Thanks P block for your excellent contributions!

MS4 responses - ‘Narratives generally follow a linear structure.’ Discuss with reference to your three main texts.

SECTION A: TEXT

Answer one question from this section.

You must refer to the three main texts you have studied in each answer.

Either,

A1. ‘Media representations of people are often simplistic.’ How true is this of the representations of people in your three main texts? [30]

Or,

A2. ‘Narratives generally follow a linear structure.’ Discuss with reference to your three main texts. [30]

We chose...

‘Narratives generally follow a linear structure.’ Discuss with reference to your three main texts.

Introduction (DAC)

Definition - Narrative refers to the way in which a story is told, and is the most vital aspect of film making. Through narrative structure, the same simple story can be told in wildly different ways. Linear narratives are straightforward and follow a chronological narrative structure. Argument - The texts I have studied all technical follow a linear narrative. However, within each film, there are many subversive narrative elements. This allows the producer to present a compelling and unique narrative to their target audiences. Additionally, narrative is a vital tool in encoding ideologies and manipulating the target audience. In order to explore this argument, I will be making reference to...

Plan

Equilibrium
Disequilibrium
Archetypes
Circular narrative
Verisimilitude
Binary oppositions
Narrative codes - action and enigma, referential, symbolic
Propp's character types
Metanarratives - a story about a story
Diegesis
Closed/open
Postmodernism
Spectre Car Chase
Mad Max - meets the wives after the storm
Ending scene of selfish giant open
Character arc

Spectre - the car chase

• Bond theme played as Bond parachutes on to the moonlit and exotic streets of Rome. Lietmotif that has been used since the first Bond film, Dr No.
• Character archetypes - the foreign antagonist, (a referential code to the character Jaws from the film Moonraker), Bond, the British protagonist, who is represented through the mise en scene of his British Aston Martin car, his well tailored suit, and his calm and collected personality. Moneypenny, again a recurring character plays the role of helper
• Spectre relies on the metanarrative of the previous James Bond films to tell it's story. The genre convention of Bond's extremely expensive and gadget filled car throws the audience back to previous experiences of Bond Films like The Spy Who Loved Me. Offers audiences the gratification of social interaction, discussing with friends their knowledge
• Binary opposition is formed between the British Bond and the foreign Hinx. Hinx drives aggressively and dangerously. Lack of lexis suggests lack of intelligence. Dark skin suggests his status as foreigner, all black costume, reinforced through the low key lighting, action code suggesting he will commit violent acts against Bond. His muscular physique emphasised through his ill fitted suit.

The Selfish Giant - The final scene

• Heavy use of enigma codes. Slow paced editing combined with gentle handheld camera and a series of close ups presents an abrupt and frustrating ending, symbolic of the central ideology of the issues that the working class face.
• Arbor represented as an unconventional protagonist, lacking power. Complete lack of dialogue.
• Open narrative: no clear or explicit reference to what happens next, instead a shock cut to black. 
• Binary opposition between the quietness of the final scene to the loudness and the vulgar language of the rest of the film.
• Postmodern elements. Disregards Todorov's theory of narrative equilibrium by offering no resolution. No new equilibrium is given.
• Symbolic code through the CU of the horse's eye suggests that the clam, large and thoughtful Swifty has now somehow taken the role of the horse. Breaks the verisimilitude of the film.
• Reference to the non-diegetic appearance of Swifty after his death.

MS4 responses - How typical are your three main texts of their genre?

SECTION A: TEXT

Answer one question from this section.

You must refer to the three main texts you have studied in each answer.

Either,

A1. Explore the different ways in which people are represented in your three main texts. [30]

Or,

A2. How typical are your three main texts of their genre? [30]

we chose...

How typical are your three main texts of their genre?

Knee-jerk reaction - all films we have studied are universally typical of their genre with a few subversions

Plan 

Conventions
Paradigms
Iconography
Mise-en-scene
Genre hybridity
Bond - Bond sleeps with Lucia 
Steve Neal - repetition and difference 
Mulvey - the male gaze
Target audiences
Atypical 
Patriarchal hegemony 
After the storm scene MMFR
Arbor saves swifty
Tokenism 

Introduction - DAC

Definition - Genre refers to the type or category of media product. Genre is essential for audiences as it allows them to select a media text based on their own taste and preferences. Genre is also essential for the producer, as it allows them to use genre conventions as shortcuts to efficiently make a film. Argument - I shall argue the texts I have studied are generally typical of their genres with some notable subversions. This is achieved by producers in order to target a specific audience and to maximise profit. Additionally, genre conventions are an excellent way of conveying the ideology of the producer. Context - In order to explore this argument, O will be looking at The Selfish Giant, a social realist drama directed by Clio Barnard in 2013, Mad Max Fury Road, directed by George Miller and released in 2015, and finally Spectre, an action film in the Bond franchise, directed by Sam Mendes and released in 2015.

The Selfish Giant - Arbor Saves Swifty

• While The Selfish Giant may seem atypical of a drama film, it is completely conventional in terms of being a social realist film.
• Limited release in arts cinemas in the UK and failed to make it's budget back at box office. 
• Only uses diegetic sound brings attention to the lexis of the characters, who are stereotypically working class. 
• "Don't use those big words to intimidate me" - suggestion of limited lexis 
• Arbor uses derogatory and offensive language, telling his teacher to "fuck off" and calling him a "dickhead", demonstrating his limited lexis. Transgressive and socially unacceptable. Breaks hegemonic social norms of respecting teachers.
• Themes - bullying, derogatory use of the word "pikey", typical of social realist films
• Rebellion against authority and the education. "I've had two kids through this school and you've failed them both". Both positions and anchors the audience to the ideology that the education system is flawed. Ideology expertly encoded by Barnard. 
• Handheld cinematography demonstrates deliberately low production values, encoding an atmosphere of tension, and underlines the difficult lives of the protagonists. 
• Highly typical protagonist, with Arbor demonstrating his heroism. A POV shot of Swifty being intimidated is followed immediately by a cut to Arbor's reaction. 
• Establishing shot of Arbor's feet twitching under the table. Wearing trainers, suggesting he is both poor and rebellious. 
• Mise-en-scene of dull, washed out colours, connoting a depressing northern setting.
• Detention room is completely full, connoting the school is ineffective

Spectre - Lucia scene

• Reinforces patriarchal hegemony. Lucia is both sexualised and objectified.
• Gesture - Bond completely covers Lucia with his body, pushing her against the mirror, after forcing her against the mirror in an intimidating manner
• Absolutely conventional of the Bond genre, sex is bond's reward, Lucia his trophy
• Dialogue - "my husband took no notice of me" "He's a fool" - reinforces Bond's hegemonic power
• Ian Flemming - Wish fulfilment - Bond is an idol to heterosexual men. Reinforces conventions of the Bond genre.
• Gesture, breaks glasses on floor. Conventional and stereotypical response 
• Bond murders two people in the garden with no repercussions 
• Femme Fatale - 'the deadly woman' archetype - suggests that women are dangerous and untrustworthy. Again, conventional of the Bond/action genre
• Lucia - represented as both exotic and older. The slow, drawn out classical soundtrack emphasises Lucia's slow movements. Low key lighting emphasises the wrinkles on her face. Bond is also older, though this fact is not notable, reinforcing patriarchal hegemony 

Exemplar student response - A2. Explore the different representations of either women or ethnicity in your chosen texts.

A2. Explore the different representations of either women or ethnicity in your chosen texts.

Define:

What is representation? - Representations refers to the process of re-presenting something, usually used in the context of a social group, with the producer’s own ideology of that group encoded into the representation.

Why is it used? - Representations are usually based on stereotypes e.g. women presented as weak, ethnic minority groups presented as villains. Therefore, audiences will already have an assumption of how a certain group will be presented, making them want to see the media product. This ensures that the producer earns a profit. However, representations can be harmful to the group that they are representing as audiences may treat people in the same way that they are in the media product. This can potentially have long-lasting negative effects on the social group in question, in this case, women.

Argument:

My argument? - I shall argue that my three chosen texts all use different representations of women to ensure profit for the producers, however, all three texts approach this in alternative ways. To explore this I will argue that the representations of women in Spectre and The Selfish Giant are highly conventional, whereas Mad Max: Fury Road is highly atypical in the representation of women.

Context:

Spectre - Action/James Bond film, directed by Sam Mendes. Released in 2015.

The Selfish Giant - Social realist film, directed by Clio Barnard. Released in 2013.

Mad Max: Fury Road - Post-apocalyptic film, directed by George Miller. Released in 2015.

Plan:

Intro- (AS ABOVE), use the acronym of DAC.

Spectre- Represents women in a stereotypical way, Bond seducing Lucia scene. Bond uses bodily gestures to force her backwards, uses her for information, etc. Gratification of escapism and voyeurism. Middle class, white men = target audience. Women are sexualised. CONFORMS TO PATRIARCHAL HEGEMONIC CONTROL. GO BACK TO ARGUMENT.

The Selfish Giant- Absence of women, can be a form of symbolic annihilation, however, with the few scenes where women are shown, they are represented in a stereotypical way. The broken window scene. Establishing shot showing a binary opposition. Shaky cam, positions us with Arbor comforting his mother. Enigma code, we do not know for certain what happened. Propp’s character types partly apply. Women are shown to need men, even young boys, in order to be well. Target audience = middle class. Gratification of escapism. CHALLENGES THE RULING CLASS HEGEMONIC CONTROL. GO BACK TO ARGUMENT.

Mad Max:Fury Road- More women, than men. Unconventional in an action movie. Men, are normally seen as the protagonist. Protagonist is a disabled woman with an unconventional appearance. Steve Neal, repetition and difference. Introducing the wives scene. Low angle, tracking shot positions us with Max. Close up of gun, acts as an action code. Close up sexualised shot of pregnant belly (Male Gaze), this is immediately challenged with the  mise-en-scene of chastity belt clattering to the ground, restoring her bodily autonomy. SUBVERTS PATRIARCHAL HEGEMONY. Target audience = men aged between 18-30. Women presented as equal to men. Shows the inequality of men and women in the media, this film is trying to show that. GO BACK TO ARGUMENT.

Concl- Sum up of argument. Sum up the representations in all three of my texts. Which is text is trying to achieve with the use of different representations. This is the least important aspect of the entire answer. Do not stress about the conclusion.

The Answer:

Representations refers to the process of re-presenting something, usually used in the context of a social group, with the producer’s own ideology of that group encoded into the representation. Representations are usually based on stereotypes e.g. women presented as weak, ethnic minority groups presented as villains. Therefore, audiences will already have an assumption of how a certain group will be presented, making them want to see the media product. This ensures that the producer earns a profit. However, representations can be harmful to the group that they are representing as audiences may treat people in the same way that they are in the media product. This can potentially have long-lasting negative effects on the social group in question, in this case, women. I shall argue that my three chosen texts all use different representations of women to ensure profit for the producers, however, all three texts approach this in alternative ways. To explore this I will argue that the representations of women in Spectre, an action film, (Mendes, 2015) and The Selfish Giant, a social realist film, (Barnard, 2013) are highly conventional, whereas Mad Max: Fury Road, a post-apocalyptic film, (Miller, 2015) is highly atypical in the representation of women.

Spectre makes heavy use of stereotypical representations of women throughout the film. Throughout the entirety of the film, there are only 3 named women. This is very stereotypical of the action genre, and the James Bond franchise itself. For example, one of the many conventions of the Bond films include the use of Bond girls. This usually consists of the two women that Bond has sex with during the course of the film. One of the women he sleeps with at the beginning of the film is named Lucia, this scene is essential is presenting the representation of women. When Bond is seducing Lucia, the wide shot of Bond using bodily gestures to push her backwards towards the mirrored wall demonstrates how he, the male, is dominant in this interaction. This is further reinforced through the close up shot of Bond pulling her dress off without her expressed, verbal consent. This could be argued to be promoting a rape culture which still predominantly exists in our mainstream society today, therefore promoting the patriarchal ideology of the producer. Additionally, in the final wide shot before the hard cut to the next scene we see Bond’s body completely covering Lucia’s body, so much so that we can now no longer see her. This once again reinforces the power he has. The costume of his expensive suit has been deemed to be worth more screen time than the woman, Lucia, by the producer. The male, working class target audience will be familiar with these ideas and behaviours as they have been echoed throughout the Bond series, this is therefore a clear use of intertextuality. This makes the audience feel clever as they have correctly interpreted the producer’s intentions. This gives the audience the gratification of both information and voyeurism, as Bond and Lucia are not aware they are being watched in this intimate scene. Yet again, reinforcing the patriarchal hegemonic control that exists in everyday life. This benefits the producer as if this behaviour and treatment of women continues in society, they can continue to successfully follow genre paradigmatic features and gain profit, without being seen as sexist or xenophobic in anyway. Therefore, the stereotypical representations of women are used in an extremely conventional way.

Similarly, in The Selfish Giant, there is also an absence of female characters. It can be argued that the producers have deliberately used symbolic annihilation in order to concentrate on specific ideologies that Barnard wanted to present about the working class, and challenge the ruling class hegemonic control experienced today. This may be done to shock the middle class target audience into action to fight the stigma behind the working classes, and to help those less fortunate than them. Despite this lack of female characters, they still fulfill a role to drive the narrative forward in a stereotypical way the representation of women is currently used for. For example, the broken window scene is a key scene in exploring the representation of women. The wide establishing shot for this scene immediately shows a binary opposition of old vs new, this is clear through the horse and cart present amongst a council estate. Furthermore, the absence of a father figure/male figure in the household means that the young protagonist has had to fulfill this role. This is made clear through the shaky handheld camera positioning us with Arbor as he uses bodily gestures and facial expressions to comfort his mother in any way he can. Swifty, Arbor’s friend also helps his mother in anyway he can. The mid-shot of Swifty sweeping the shattered glass highlights this. This therefore presents the audience with the ideology that when a woman is without a male partner, this has to be substituted by another male, no matter the age. This highlights how women are seen as fragile and weak, and that for them to be fulfilled or comforted in anyway, women need men. This therefore reinforces the stereotypical patriarchal ideology of being that the nuclear family is essential, and that those families without it are in a lower social position. Once again, this provides the middle class audience with the gratification of escapism as they only have to witness this event, they do not have to experience it themselves. This therefore shows the representation of women to be highly stereotypical of the genre, as in similar social realist films e.g. Kes (1969), women experience symbolic annihilation also.

In contrast to both previous texts, Mad Max: Fury Road completely subverts stereotypical representations of women in the highly atypical post-apocalyptic film released in 2015. The oscar nominated film is very subversive of generic paradigms in many ways. For example, most action films star a male, muscular, physically attractive protagonist. Mad Max: Fury Road does this. However, alongside Max, the other protagonist and arguably the star of the official movie poster, is a disabled, stereotypically unattractive woman named Furiosa. This can be an excellent example of Steve Neal’s repetition and difference as Mad Max: Fury Road contains many conventional features of the genre e.g. one dictator, hot setting, golden colours, etc. Which are seen in other examples such as ‘Waterworld’ (1995). However, the producers have altered things slightly to provide an element of surprise for audiences without them being bored by the same film being repeated, whilst also ensuring profit and critical success. A key scene in exploring the subversive nature of the representation of women is the introducing the wives scene at the beginning of the film. The initial low angle, tracking establishing shot immediately positions the audience with the male protagonist. As the scene develops we are aware that there is tension rising through the non-diegetic anxiety inducing soundtrack alongside the action code of the close up of a gun. When the extremely stereotypically attractive women first appear in the film, Max’s facial expression of him licking his lips is not directed at the women, but rather the water he needs for survival. A clear, yet comedic way, of displaying Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs. The water he needs it placed before his possible sexual desires. Furthermore, the close up tracking shot of the pregnant belly of one of the wives can be argued to play into Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory, however, this is then immediately harshly contrasted with the close up of the the wife removing her chastity belt with the V8 cult symbol clearly displayed. The semiotics of the V8 and pleonastic sound of the belt hitting the ground illustrates how she is restoring her own bodily autonomy. This is directly and extremely clearly subverting patriarchal hegemony, as the females have the ability to restore their own freedom. This therefore shows how the stereotypical representations of women commonly seen in action films and post-apocalyptic films are being deeply challenged by the producers. Despite this clear atypical representation, the producers received extreme success in regards of profit. This demonstrates how stereotypical representations may not always be necessary to ensure profit from audiences, as the film made over $380 million in profit alone.

In conclusion, all three of my chosen texts use representations of certain social groups, in this women, to their own advantage in order to primarily produce profit or promote different, more concentrated ideologies. Spectre and The Selfish Giant conform to traditional stereotypes about women and base the few women present in the media product in a conventional way. Whereas, in contrast to this Mad Max: Fury Road presents an extremely atypical representation of women, through its use of transgression to highlight the inequalities that men and women face in contemporary society which is allowed and accepted due to the dominated patriarchal hegemonic control.

Thanks Jessie for this excellent submission. And just so students reading this are aware: you definitely do not need to go in to this much detail on your plan for your actual exam. You'll quickly run out of time!

Exemplar student response - Discuss the ways in which audiences are positioned with reference to your chosen texts

Discuss the ways in which audiences are positioned with reference to your chosen texts

Opposed to previous beliefs about audiences both produces and theorists are able to agree audiences are complex, have a variety of needs, views and ways of using a media text. Audience positioning is a powerful tool used by produces two manipulate and construct their ideologies. The texts I've chosen to study or Westworld (season one episode one) a 2016 American sci-fi thriller, The Jeremy Kyle show (Thursday 15th of March) a British tabloid talk show and Blue Planet II (episode 1)modern nature documentary.

Throughout the opening scene of Westworld the audience and positioned in an ending and enigmatic and conventional and unexpected hybrid genre. This is firstly constructed with a long shot of a shadowy figure with conventional paradigms of a Sci-fi genre, shown through the fluorescent blues and technological mise-en-scene. The audience is firstly positioned with the narrator of this scene, Bernard, due to the direct mode of address constantly being used in phrases like “Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?”. This is thought provoking for audiences and creates further enigmas associated with the genre of thistle the This is also reinforced through a transgressive close up shot of a fly walking across Dolores’ eye which cause audience to question their own reality.

The text then shifts to a different genre in which Dolores is reintroduced, through a high angle shot of her in bed, in a contrasting Western setting with iconography belonging to a period drama. The genre is not the only shift as the mode of address is now positioning the audience with the protagonist, Dolores, due to her answering the questions. Within this world the audience is lead to believe in a different ideology as they have been positioned with a different character. Throughout the opening scene of Westworld the producer is able to position the audience in an enigmatic story using a switch in protagonists and genres.

The Jeremy Kyle Show is able to position audiences with Kyle himself as he as been portrayed as relatable. When he introduces the guests he says “look at this my friends” his relaxed lexis and mode of address positions the audience with him. This is also present through the multiple tracking shots and Kyle’s ability to conduct the audience. There are also constant low angle shots of Kyle sitting down which also cause the audience to see the show through his perspective. His status as a celebrity and upper working class is also noticeable through this scene as between him and the guests there are clear binary oppositions in both costume and lexis. Due to the producers representation of Kyle being better than the guests and the audience be ping constantly positioned with him it causes the audience to believe the guests are comical entertainment.

This is reinforce through the soap opera paradigms of disposable entertainment portraying the guests as not really reality but objects of human derision. This is evident through the close up shots of the in show audience reactions towards the guest, for example when Kyle shows the grainy home video footage of a dog licking his owners face, the reactions are often negative and of disgust. This is a signpost of how at home audiences should feel and react. Due to the producers being able to portray the guests as comical and Kyle and relatable the audience are constantly positioned with Kyle in this scene.

Producers are also able to position audiences through making a constructed text which has been heavily influenced by their own ideologies. This is present in Blue Planet II as the producer has used anthropomorphisation in order to make the audiences feel affection towards the walrus mother. This is also reinforced through Attenborough’s sympathetic lexis towards the walrus mother, like when he said “what's a mother to do?”. Again the producer has been able to position the audience with the mother walrus using a classical string score throughout. The lexis, non diegetic music and anthropomorphisation causes the audience to take a preferred reading to relate and side with the mother walrus.

The producer is also able to construct the walrus as the protagonist through close up shots of the herd, which positions the audience as one of them struggling to find space on the melting ice caps. This is further emphasised through the reoccurring suspenseful non diegetic sting music. The final sequence in this narrative is a high angle slow zoom out shot focusing on the victorious mother walrus, creating an emotive atmosphere leaving the audience positioned with the single mother. Throughout the whole scene in Blue Planet II the audience are constantly following the producers ideologies and are positioned with the mother walrus.

In conclusion I believe in media texts audiences are positioned through the producers constructed text and lead to believe their ideologies. In Westworld the producer it's the audience to be positioned in an enigmatic narrative which is successfully done through the shift in protagonist and genres. In The Jeremy Kyle Show the producer is also successful as they are able to position the audience with Kyle and take entertainment form the guests. Finally in Blue Planet II the producer wants the audience to be positioned with the mother walrus which again is successfully done, by using different shot types and suspenseful music.

Thanks Ellie for this excellent response. In order to improve, I strongly suggest exploring why the producer uses such explicit positioning techniques. By and large, we can argue that the producer utilises their own ideologies to manipulate the hegemonic values of the audience. This can be done for a number of different reasons. 

MS4 revision - more examples of sophisticated arguments

To what extent are the key representations in your three main texts stereotypical?

Straightforward argument - yes they do, though Mad Max challenges these...

Sophisticated argument - ...for the producer to demonstrate their ideology and to reinforce hegemonic rules and values.

key terms

Ideology - The producer's beliefs and values which are encoded within the text
Hegemony - The rules and power systems which are followed in society and are enforced through societal norms

Spectre - Madeline kidnapped - Argument - Through her consistent sexualisation, Madeline's kidnap is presented as sexual gratification for the heterosexual male target audience. By reinforcing patriarchal hegemonic gender roles, the producer deliberately manipulates the target audience ensures financial success for Eon films. The James Bond series, which now stands at 24 official films consistently cultivates an ideology of female oppression, further normalsing the inequality between men and women in society.

MM:FR - Furiosa the sniper - Argument - By demonstrating masculine characteristics, Furiosa is  atypically represented as dominant over Mad Max. Miller here chooses to subvert stereotypical hegemonic gender roles to offer the audience an alternative to stereotypical gender roles. by presenting a powerful woman in the role of protagonist, Miller presents an exiting take on the post apocalyptic thriller genre, guaranteed to bring audiences in to the cinema. This strategy was successful, as Fury Road made almost $380 million at box office compared to a $150 million budget.

Thanks to the students who contributed to these arguments.

Theory revision

If you are reading this and you started media in 2017 or after, the examples may be unfamiliar, but there are many great ways of applying media theory here. Additionally if you see a theory we have not covered, don't freak out, it's not something you need to learn for the new spec.

When using theory in any response in media, it's important to remember a few important rules. Firstly, you should only use theoretical frameworks that actually apply to your response. Trying to 'shove in' theory will stress you out and will confuse the examiner. You certainly do not need to include a theory in every paragraph. Secondly, and most importantly, you should never simply define a theory. You are sitting an Advanced Level examination, not competing in a pub quiz. You can assume that the examiner is very much aware of what the uses and gratifications model is. Far more important is how important it is, and to what extent it can be applied. It is only through applying knowledge and understanding, including knowledge of theoretical frameworks that you can get marks in the upcoming exam.

Before starting this activity, read this article on how to not use theories carefully. Some of the advice, like never using the word 'theory' might seem counterintuitive. But this entire course is based on demonstrating your knowledge and understanding to a complete stranger. You must concentrate on getting this across, as briefly and with as much elegance as possible (!).

Remember, theory is a framework to back up your own points, not something to shove in and then desperately try and explain. If you cannot make the theory fit, then don't use it!

Below you will find examples of how to apply theory. There are lots of ways of doing this, so please view them as suggestions rather than hard and fast rules!

Genre

Repetition and difference - Steve Neal

"Spectre provides it's target audience with the pleasure of identifying a range of familiar, repeated elements from previous films in the Bond franchise, including exotic settings, stereotypically threatening foreign villains, and the archetype of the Bond Girl. However, Spectre also includes many differences to this formula..."

Narrative

Equilibrium - Tvzetan Todorov

"The disequilibrium of The Selfish Giant occurs when Arbor is expelled from school, which is highly typical of the social realist genre..."

Character archetypes - Vladimir Propp

"However, Mad Max: Fury Road continually subverts Propp's archetypal characters. This is most significantly demonstrated through the character of Furiosa, who..."

Narrative codes - Roland Barthes

"The close up shot of Hinx's face reflected in the spoon functions as a powerful action code, and reinforces Hinx's stereotypically treacherous and aggressive character..."

Binary Oppositions - Claude Levi-Strauss

"This ideology is emphasised through the binary opposition between Arbor's small size and the enormous power plant that dominates the setting, constantly reinforcing Arbor's fragility and insignificance..."

Representation

Racial stereotypes - Alvarado

"While Hinx is violent and aggressive, the exotic Madeline fulfills another of Alvarado's ethnic stereotypes by being constructed purely as a sexual object for Bond to pursue. This..."

Stereotypes - Richard Dyer

"Dyer suggests that stereotypes are often used as a shortcut for the producer to convey their ideology. In The Selfish Giant, Barnard uses stereotypical white working class stereotypes to explore the inequality in Northern society..."

The male gaze - Laura Mulvey/Lizbet Van Zoonen

"While the montage of water pouring on the young women's bodies is confirmed with an eyeline match of Max's apparently lustful look, the idea of a traditional male gaze is subverted time and time again in this scene..."

Gender performativity - Judith Butler

"Spectre continually reinforces traditional gender roles, reinforcing a stereotypical ideology that men and women are utterly different..."

Symbolic Annihilation - George Gerbner

"While The Selfish Giant excels at the representation of the working class, it does this at the expense of women. In fact, the symbolic annihilation of women only reinforces patriarchal hegemony, perhaps..."

Men act, women appear - John Berger

"In an excellent subversion of Berger's observation, Max frequently plays a subservient role. In fact, it is Furiosa that drives the narrative throughout..."

Female chauvinist pigs - Ariel Levy

"Levy controversially suggested that women were as much to blame for their sexualisation in the media as the men. In fact, I would agree that while Seydoux and Belluci both have starred in a range of challenging films, their decision to play the role of 'Bond Girl' is harmful for the ways in which women are treated in society..."

Audience

The utopian solution - Richard Dyer

"By acknowledging the flaws in the lives of the audience, Westworld provides a series of utopian solutions by allowing the 'guests' to do whatever they wish, with no consequences. This allows the audience to question the morality..."

Reception theory - Stuart Hall

"Hall considered the ways in which the audience receive the ideology of the producer. For The Jeremy Kyle Show, the preferred reading is not simply to agree with the middle class ideologies of Kyle himself, but to actively despise the working class guests..."

Cultivation theory - George Gerbner

"Through his status as a powerful and knowledgeable white man, Attenborough's authoritative voiceover further cultivates the ideology that..."

The effects model - Albert Bandura

"If we are to believe the outdated hypodermic syringe model, Lady Gaga's elaborate costumes may directly influence her teenage target audience. However, we know now that audiences are far more sophisticated. A more compelling theory is..."

Literature and evil - Georges Bataille

"The video to Yonkers presents a deliberately transgressive and provocative series of images to engage the target audience..."

Uses and gratifications - Blumler and Katz

"In addition to the use of celebrity, Blue Planet II offers audiences the essential gratification of social interaction..."

Hegemony - Antonio Gramsci

"However, the mise-en-scene of the missing teeth ultimately reinforces another hegemonic norm; institutional hatred of the working class..."

Premiere Pro - the basics

Step one: Opening Premiere Pro/ New Project

- Open Premiere Pro 

- Select 'New project'

- Change the name of your project (Jack's music video e.g.)

 Importing your files

- After you have opened a new project, you can import the files which should already be saved in a file on your computer. Make sure your footage is not saved to an SD card or an external HDD. Put it ALL in a folder on your area, and call it [Jack's] music video.

- Select file - import

- Drag your video files into the bottom left hand corner where it says 'Import Media to start'

Now you have imported your files, you need to drag them into your timeline -

Now your desktop you look something like this;

You have a two main windows;

- The window to the left is where you can view your original footage and video files.

- The window on the right is your edited footage from the timeline.

Step two: Editing Tools

Now you have your footage imported on your timeline you can start to edit and formulate your sequence. 

To the left of the timeline you have a variety of tools which you can use to edit your sequence;

This includes the razor tool which allows you to cut and edit your video and audio files. Using this tool you can change shot duration etc.


There are also a variety of effects and transitions you can use to edit your sequence.

Below is a description of each tool you can you use to and a list of shortcuts you can use;

Exporting your completed project

Remember; the Premiere Pro project file is not a video file. In order to turn it in to a workable 

video, you must export it.

For smaller projects that only require a low quality file, you should use these export settings.

MS4 responses - ‘The main function of a media text is to entertain its audience.’ How true is this for your three main texts?

‘The main function of a media text is to entertain its audience.’ How true is this for your three main texts?

Knee jerk reaction - yes!! But also no. Producers must balance entertainment with more manipulative and distressing elements  

Plan 

A stranger comes to town 
Dog scene - woman enters
Killer whales
Uses and grats
Escapism 
Genre conventions 
Anthropomorphisation 
Verisimilitude 
Reception theory
Voyeurism 
Positioning
Cultivation 
Similar lifestyle 
Themetunes
Transgressive
Negotiation

Introduction - DAC

Definition - Entertainment is one of the most important factors a producer must consider when constructing a media product. The producer must consider entertainment in order to appeal to a range of audiences, and ultimately to make a profit. Argument - I shall argue that the main function of the texts I have studied is to entertain their audience. However, in each TV show, there are scenes which are deliberately not entertaining and even transgressive for the audience. Producers must therefore balance entertainment with more manipulative elements. Context - In order to explore this argument, I will be looking at Westworld, a 2016 scifi/western hybrid produced by HBO, The Jeremy Kyle Show, a reality chat show broadcast 15th March 2018 on ITV1, and Blue Planet II, a nature documentary originally broadcast on Sundays at 9pm on BBC1.

Westworld - A stranger comes to town 

• Westworld polarises audiences in order to build a cult fanbase. 
• Acoustic, western themed cover of a Rolling Stones song, functions as a referential code
• Elaborate costumes evoke the western genre while also making reference to the sci-fi genre 
• Double mode of address provides one audience with an exciting heist scene, but provides others with the pleasures of a postmodern deconstruction of narrative. Two narratives followed through the use of parallel editing. The British character serves as the producer, manipulating the characters. Highly unconventional. 
• Transgressive elements - C/U of exploding face provides the audience with a voyeuristic, escapist pleasure. Pleasure at seeing the aggressive man ("sweet little bitch") murdered by Maude, which arguably encodes an ideology of female empowerment. Dark comedy. 
• MS - Teddy and Dolores - CU of Teddy's face emphasises not only the emotionally manipulating character arc of Teddy and Dolores, forms a binary opposition to the comedic Hector scene
• However, an oppositional response would be frustration and confusion, distaste at the dark comedy, and disgust at the level of gore and violence. 

Blue Planet II - Orca whales 

• Nature documentary, suggests purpose is to educate the audience. However Blue Planet II functions primarily to entertain it's audience. 
• Orchestral, non-diegetic soundtrack has connotations of action and thriller generic paradigms. Composed by Hans Zimmer, famous for collaborations with Christopher Nolan. Impactful and escapist. 
• Bass intensifies at the emergence of the humpback whale, a new antagonist, forming a disequilibrium
• Use of pleonastic sound effects intensifies the power and aggression of the whales
• Use of innovative technology, sucker cameras allows POV shots positioning the audience with the whales. 
• Anthropomorphisation allows audience to connect with the animal characters
• Use of CU provides audience with voyeuristic pleasure 
• Celebrity status of David Attenborough. Softly spoken and upper class connoting intelligence and trustworthiness. Reinforces hegemonic assumptions of class and wealth. 

Conclusion 

As I have illustrated, in each case the function of these TV programmes is to entertain it's target audience. Westworld entertains it's audience by providing it with a variety of transgressive and escapist themes. However, it clearly is not a show that will appeal to all audiences, reinforcing it's status as a cult TV show. Blue Planet II on the other hand entertains it's audience through of a combination of camera shots, an exciting soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer and the narration of David Attenborough. In these ways, I have proved that the main function of a media product is indeed to entertain it's audience.

Cheers P block for this analysis!

MS4 responses - Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts

Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts

Knee jerk reaction - texts offer audiences sophisticated appeal apart from Jeremy Kyle 

Plan 

Uses and grats
Walrus scene
Dog scene
Pick and mix (David Gauntlett)
Anthropomorphisation 
Verimilitude
Codes and conventions
Ideologies
Dominant readings (reception theory, Stuart Hall)
Opening scene
Transgression 
Generic hybridity 
Escapism 
Education
Madonna/whore complex
Polysemy

Introduction 

(Definition) Audience refers to the viewers or users of a media product. In order to target specific audiences, producers will use a variety of techniques for the product to appeal to them. (argument) I shall argue that the texts I have studied offer an increasingly sophisticated audience a sophisticated range of appeals, with one notable exception. However, I shall also argue that audience appeal is essentially yet another way in which the producer can manipulate the ideology of the target audience. (Context) in order to explore this argument, I will use the examples of Blue Planet II (2017), a BBC nature documentary target a middle class family audience, Westworld (2016), a HBO produced scifi/western hybrid that targets middle class males aged 20 - 35, and The Jeremy Kyle Show, aired on 15th March 2018, a reality/talk show hybrid broadcast on ITV1.

Blue Planet II walrus mother scene

• Personal relationship - positioning techniques such as close ups and the sympathetic voiceover position the audience with the walrus mother. Additionally with polar bears ("what is a mother to do", accompanied with MS of mother and baby, emphasising isolation). Process of anthropomorphisation. Manipulation of the emotions of the audience. 
• Educational aspect - Outline's Darwin's theory, survival of the fittest. David Attenburough's confident voice, middle class accent, and sophisticated lexis 
• Offers audience an exciting and compelling narrative through the use of enigma codes. Example: "what is a mother to do", a mystery. Will the walrus mother survive? C/U shots and high key lighting emphasises their importance, achieved through colour grading. 
• Escapism - grand and remote setting far removed from the lives of the target audience. Assumes target audience leads a boring an routine life. 
• Genre conventions - repetition and difference. Many generic conventions including the characterisation of animals, the use of Attenburough as narrator and the use of exciting and exotic locations. Blue planet II offers audiences little differences, such as the making of documentary, and the extremely high production values. 
• Uses and gratifications - How the audience uses and takes pleasure from a media product. 
• Reception theory - the different ways in which an audience responds to a media product , preferred, oppositional and negotiated
• Preferred reading - to feel sympathy and guilt. Negotiated reading - sympathy for animals, yet annoyed by environmental message, overly manipulative 

Westworld - The sex scene/the river

• Westworld - deeply polysemic show, providing audiences with a range of gratifications. Excellent example of Guantlett's pick and mix theory, where audiences pick and dismiss aspects of the text they prefer or dislike in a sophisticated manner. 
• Complex and contradictory representations of women. Women are sexualised and objectified in the sex scene. Absence of costume, a stereotypically ideal body is presented, cultivating a negative representation of women and reinforcing the idea of a male gaze. Discomfort for audience, as women, by being relegated to the background in brief mid shots are sexualised and objectified. 
• Transgressive imagery of fly crawling across eye as characters discuss casual murder. Audience are further anchored through the use of suspenseful non-diegetic sound. Creates a powerful binary opposition with next scene.
• Primary appeal - a challenging show for adult audiences. An adult mode of address is adopted throughout. Full frontal nudity is casually presented throughout the series, themes of death and violence. Deeply philosophical throughout. 
• Appeal of sexual gratification primarily targeting the heterosexual male target audience. 
• Narrative and enigmas - Dolores and her character arc

Thanks to R block for these responses.

What's coming up next year in media studies?

Here's a provisional rundown of what you will be doing next year. Click to see full size. 

For current first year students, you may be wondering what you'll be doing after the music video project is submitted and you come back after the summer holiday. Despite the final exam looming on the horizon, the second year is possibly less intense than the first year. This is because we've introduced most of the theorists already, and you'll be happy with the basics of media studies.

Autumn term - Magazine production and the TV industry

As soon as you come back after the long summer holiday, you'll be thrown in to your next piece of assessed practical work, the magazine project. This forms part of the cross media production, and will give you an opportunity to create a definite style and personality for the artist or band you created for your music video . This should take you up to the half term holiday.

After the magazine project, it's back to the exam, specifically component two, for the TV unit. We're really looking forward to teaching this one, as you'll be studying two of the best shows of the last ten years. Humans is a British remake of a Swedish science fiction show that explores the ethics of using robots for housework work and sex work. And Les Revenants (The Returned) is an excellent postmodern horror series filled with creepiness and moody French teenagers chain smoking. We'll be comparing and contrasting these two programmes, and exploring them in terms of representation, media language, industry contexts and audience responses. If you want to get a head start, we recommend checking out these shows.

In this term, you will also start and complete your UCAS applications. At this stage, you may start to visit universities too. Make sure you let your teacher know if you're applying to university, especially to a film, media, arts or humanities related degree, as we can give lots of suggestions.

Spring term - Radio, videogames and online media

After you get back from the Christmas holiday, you'll be surprised by a complete change of pace, as you will cover three industries in just one half term! For two weeks, you'll be exploring the radio industry and looking at Late Night Woman's Hour as a case study. And for the next two weeks, you'll study the videogame industry, with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation as your main case study. We're pretty confused as to why we're studying the PS4 port of a 2012 Vita game, but we're sure the exam board know what they're doing. Both these are short topics, similar to your work on the film industry, and you will be focussing on industry and audience concerns for both of them.

After these two brief studies, you'll start the final topic, online media, which like magazines and TV, will explore all four media frameworks; media language, representation, audience and industry. We'll be looking at the fashion/lifestyle vlogger Zoella, and exploring the Gay Times website. We'll also be looking at lots of other examples of websites, uses of social media, and exploring how the internet has shaped our society.

The final week of this half term is provisionally a mock exam week. We all know what this means!

Summer term - Revision, and farewell!

It's sad to be thinking of the end already, but the summer term is when you will sit your final exam. In order to prepare for this, you will have at least six weeks of dedicated revision. The final exam is nothing to be concerned about, as long as you remember to prioritise revision above other things for a while. You've all worked hard for this!

Your have been provisionally announced as being on the following dates. When this is confirmed we will let you know.

Component one - 135 minutes - Wednesday 5th June 2019 - AM
Component two  - 150 minutes - Thursday 13th June 2019 - PM

First year music video production guidelines

Here are just a few tips, requests and requirements that you need to follow when making your music video.

If you have even the slightest issue, tell your teacher

Remember, if we don't know about any problems you have had while filming or issues with editing, then we can't help you. Our perception of how hard you have worked will affect your grade. So if you're running behind schedule, let your teacher know, and we can work out a plan B.

If you're not in lesson, then you must film

If you have a lesson at 09:00, but are not filming until 11:00, then you must attend your lesson. There are no exceptions to this. Additionally, it is not acceptable to miss any other lesson to film for your Media coursework. Failure to attend lessons when you are not filming will result in a lower mark being awarded, and may result in a warning being issued. 

For every lesson you do not attend, email your teacher

This rule still applies. We need to know exactly what you are doing, where, and with who. Don't be offended if your teacher doesn't respond, but assumed that they have seen it.

You should start editing now

Last week (W/C 8th May) was your principal photography week. Ideally you should have at least 60% of your video filmed by now. You should start editing as soon as possible to work out what footage you need to re-shoot.

Always take the footage off the SD card before returning equipment

The first thing the technician does is to delete the contents of the SD card, so you WILL lose everything that has not already been saved. You have been warned!

Your rough cut is due at the end of the week commencing 11th June 

So keep it in mind!

Never edit off a memory stick or SD card. Only edit on a college computer, using the same computer each time, placing your video files in to a stable folder

If ANY of the above made you go 'uh?', then make sure you have a teacher or technician with you when you first create your project. There's a few very easy ways to completely destroy your project, so please, don't be 'that student' who looses everything!

MS4 responses - Explore the narrative structure of your three main texts

Explore the narrative structure of your three main texts

Knee jerk reaction - MAINLY TYPICAL, MAD MAX ATYPICAL (however, it can also by argued that Fury Road has a completely conventional and straightforward narrative structure. Just make sure that you get across your own opinion!)

Plan

Patriarchal hegemony
equilibrium
Metanarrative
Character types
Conventional/un
Binary oppositions
Barthes - action and enigma
Repetition and difference (genre)
Diegesis

Introduction - DAC

(Definition) Narrative is the way in which a story is told. The ways in which a story is told can give the audience clues as to the ideology of the producer. (Argument) I shall argue that the narrative structure of my chosen films is generally typical and conventional with one exception. I shall also argue that the narrative structure of my chosen texts has been deliberately selected to manipulate the ideology of the target audience. (Context) In order to explore this argument, I shall be analysing Spectre (Mendes, 2015), an action/spy film, the 24th in the James Bond franchise, The Selfish Giant (Barnard, 2013), a social realist film set in Bradford, and Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller, 2015), an action/apocalyptic hybrid film.

Spectre - Madeline is rescued

• Typical narrative structure for an action film/Bond film
• Dialogue - "do I have a choice?" "not any more" - Stereotypical masculine character role reinforces Propp's character archetypes. Madeline established as the Princess. Conventional narrative structure.
• Lack of dialogue - conventional of action film narrative
• Fast paced editing functions as an action code
• MES bomb timer action film convention/paradigm/iconography
• MES helicopter symbolic of the villain, a binary opposition, the underdog James Bond vs the powerful and resourceful villain
• MS of the MES of red ropes typing Madeline down. A binary opposition between the feeble victim and the capable man. This emphasises the ideology of a patriarchal society, where women are oppressed and men are superior.
• Metanarrative - a story about a story. Consistent reference to Goldenye, the rescue of Natalia. Spectre's narrative structure is sloppy and confusing, however, with the audience's knowledge of the Bond franchise, the film makes perfect sense. Additionally, a foreign villain, sex scenes with exotic Bond girls, exciting car chases.

The Selfish Giant - The police arrive

• The Selfish Giant, narrative typical of social realist film. Many similarities with Kes (Loach, 1969). 
• MS of Arbor using mobile phone, MES of tatty sofa, conventional of the social realist genre. Demonstrates the protagonist's disrespect for the police.
• "Take your shoes off, then" establishes a binary opposition between the working class and the police.
• LA shot looking up police officer emphasises disgust for the working class. Establishes the police as the antagonist. This is in stark contrast to the positive re4presentation of the police in Spectre.
• Stereotypical representation of a working class family
• Appearance of police a powerful action code, connoting trouble, conflict and issues for arbor's family.
• The narrative structure of The Selfish Giant presents the working class as inferior and oppressed by a powerful ruling class.
• The final enigmatic shot of Arbor stroking the horse emphasises the open nature of the narrative, reinforcing the issues that the working class face in society

Mad Max Fury Road - Max vs Furiosa 

• Mad Max Fury Road is a consistently unusual and eccentric film, using a number of postmodern features.
• Unconventional characters - wife staring in to distance - "is it a furious fixation"? functions as an enigma code for the already confused audience
• MES of water hose demonstrates unconventional female empowerment. Women are the protagonists, a subversion of patriarchal hegemony
• Low angle close up of Furiosa putting gun to Max's head and attempts to kill him. Pleonastic sound of trigger emphasises her character's murderous intent, stereotypically masculine. Low angle shot positions the male target audience in an uncomfortable and challenging position
• Lack of conventional non-diegetic soundtrack emphasises that Max is the villain of this scene. Soundtrack is highly unconventional, comprising mainly of intense, atonal drum beats.
• Miller's ideology - subverts the norm that men are more powerful than women

Thanks P block for these responses!