Industry case studies - the film industry and the newspaper industry

Here are a few industry case studies, completed as cover work a few weeks back. I have compiled a selection of them for your own revision. If any student has any revision resource they wish to share, please let your teacher know!

I, Daniel Blake 

REGULATION

Who regulates this text?
- Films are regulated in the UK by the BBFC. I, Daniel Blake was rated a 15.

What legal and ethical issues does this text bring up?
- From the BBFC website
There is infrequent use of very strong language ('c**t'), as well as more frequent use of strong language ('f**k'). Milder terms include 'bastard', 'bullshit, 'wanker', and 'twats'.
Other issues include visual and verbal references to prostitution.
Does this text offer its audiences a plurality of experiences? Give examples
- Yes
- The welfare system in the UK and mistreatment/lack of support for citizens after suffering a severe medical condition.
- A single mother's struggles
- Prostitution and related struggles

DISTRIBUTION

distributed by eONE films in the UK, and Le Pacte in France
Made $15.8 million in the Box Office
this film can be accessed digitally, for example, Prime Video

POWER AND ORGANISATION

Who owns this product?
- The film was produced by Rebecca O'Brien[8] for Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions and Wild Bunch with the support of the British Film Institute and BBC Films.[9]
- Director Ken Loach

Is the owner a major or indie?
- Production companies involved were indie apart from the BBC Films.

What else do they produce/publish?

BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It was founded on 18 June 1990,[1] and has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including Truly, Madly, Deeply, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Quartet, Chef, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Saving Mr. Banks, My Week with Marilyn, Jane Eyre, In the Loop, An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Nativity!, Iris, Notes on a Scandal, Man Up, Billy Elliot and Brooklyn.

What is the dominant ideology of this organization?

- BBC Films (and the BBC as a whole) aim to be non-biased and offer a plurality of views for its audience due to it being a public service.

produced by Rebecca O'Brien
production companies include British Film Institute, BBC Film and Why Not Productions
BBC Film is a major organisation, they have also produced many other popular films, such as The Lady in The Van
The British Film Institute is also a major organisation
The BFI is vertically integrated, as they own various cinemas and run The London Film Festival
the dominant ideology of the BFI is to "promote and preserve film-making and television in the UK"

THE DAILY MIRROR

REGULATION

Who regulates this text? IPSO
What legal and ethical issues does this text bring up? Left wing – has supported Labour in every election since 1945. Tends to avoid ethnically inflammatory language. Largely critical of Donald Trump and Theresa May
Does this text offer it's audiences a plurality of experiences? Give examples
Includes edits on film, tv, celebs, sport, politics and general news – e.g. categories on the website

DISTRIBUTION

Who distributes this product?  Reach PL
How many copies are/were sold? 590,000 Daily (November 2017)
What is the circulation of this product?
Can the product be distributed digitally? Yes e.g. the Mirror website and on an app

POWER AND ORGANISATION

Who owns this product? Reach PLC since 2016
Is the owner a major or indie? Major – largest newspaper, magazine and digital publisher.
What else do they produce/publish? Daily Express, Sunday People, OK!
Are they vertically and/or horizontally Integrated?  Horizontally Integrated
Do they operate as a subsidiary?  Yes
What is the dominant ideology of this organisation? Want to offer audiences a trusted source of news and information. . Targeting a working class audience. Tabloid

THE TIMES

REGULATION

Who regulates this text? IPSO
What legal and ethical issues does this text bring up? Right wing – supports conservatives and Theresa May
Does this text offer it's audiences a plurality of experiences? Give examples
Categories on website – world, business, sport and puzzles

DISTRIBUTION

Who distributes this product? News UK
How many copies are/were sold? 400,000
What is the circulation of this product?
Can the product be distributed digitally? Yes- see their website and they have an app

POWER AND ORGANISATION

Who owns this product? Newscorp
Is the owner a major or indie? Major
What else do they produce/publish? The Sun, The Sunday Times and TLS
Are they vertically and/or horizontally integrated? Horizontal
Do they operate as a subsidiary? Yes
What is the dominant ideology of this organisation? Broadsheet – targets a middle class audience. Right Wing. Have to pay to subscribe to the paper

Thank you to the students who submitted these case studies!

Youtube rabbit holes: exploiting mental health issues for financial gain

Youtube have cracked down on suggesting viewers watch conspiracy theory videos.
These videos are often funny and ridiculous, but can pose a very real
threat to vulnerable internet users with underlying mental health issues.

The internet is different from other media in that it is not only multimodal but also hypermodal. It goes beyond typical models and modes of media, and this is accomplished primarily through the use of hyperlinks. For people who have grown up with the internet, it may seem quaint that a word you click on that takes you to another website is such a big deal. For media theorists, this is the equivalent of reinventing the wheel. Hypermodality allows audiences to use and to interact with media products that were never previously possible.

One thing you will definitely be aware of is how distracting hypermodal media products are. One second you are reading about cupcakes, the next you are about to purchase a lamp, and then minutes later you'll be reading about the steepest railways in the world. All this is great, but it's also highly distracting. We can refer to this as a rabbit hole, which is where the user becomes lost in a distracting maze of hyperlinks and ends up somewhere completely unrelated to where they started.

Internet rabbit holes are well known to users, but they are also intentionally set up by media producers in order to 'trap' unsuspecting audiences in to spending more time online.

Ex-Google employee Guillaume Chaslot, who worked on the AI that allows Youtube to recommended videos based on the browsing history and personal tastes of users, outlines the implications behind this in this Twitter thread. Ultimately, by aggressively promoting misleading and manipulative videos, for example conspiracy theory videos, vulnerable users have been exploited by Youtube in the name of profit. Youtube, in response to the events outlined in the Twitter thread, have apparently stopped aggressively pushing conspiracy theory videos.

Key assessment three - Magazine mock exam

NOTE - These questions are for the upcoming first year key assessment/mock exam. However, if any second years wish to complete one or more of these questions for additional revision and feedback, please go ahead!

The mark scheme, feedback and suggested responses to these questions can be found here!

Key assessment three exam

Time allowed: 50 minutes (w/ extra time: 62 minutes)

A maximum of 30 marks can be awarded to your response

Please answer one question

Compare and contrast the ways in which viewpoints and ideologies are encoded in Woman and Adbusters.

or

How do the representations of women in both Woman and Adbusters reflect the times in which they were made?

or

How have economic factors shaped both Woman and Adbusters?

or

Compare and contrast the different ways that Woman and Adbusters position their audiences.

Adbusters: research and controversies

Screenshot from the censored article, as hosted on The Internet Archive 

1 - Research

Access the following websites:

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/business/adbusters-war-against-too-much-of-everything.html

Summarise key points about the following:

• The campaigns (e.g. Occupy Wall Street and Buy Nothing Day) that the Adbusters
Foundation runs.
• The controversies and criticisms of Adbusters
• Other products that extend the Adbusters brand

2 - Controversies

Access this article. Please note it has extremely graphic content. The article compares the Gaza Strip to the Warsaw Ghetto. The article is no longer hosted on adbusters.org. Why did this article lead to the magazine becoming blacklisted, and the article censored following a cease and desist order?

3 - Criticisms

Does culture jamming make a difference to the world? Or is a a way for a predominantly middle-class audience to feel engaged in issues of social justice without actually directly engaging in these issues? What alternatives exist for people who wish to challenge capitalistic business practices?

4 - Exam practice 

Compare and contrast the ways in which viewpoints and ideologies are encoded in Woman and Adbusters. Make reference to the following:

• How ideologies are used to position audiences
• How polysemy is created
• How the ideologies reflect the cultural and economic context of the time the magazine was released 

Use your access to the case study pages of both magazines to explore and to plan this question. 

This half term in A-level media studies

This half term represents a turning point for both first and second year students. 

For first years, you will finish off the remaining exam content for the year before moving on to the BIG practical piece which will dominate the rest of the year. You will also have two internal assessments this half term: the magazine practical, which leads in to next year's magazine coursework, and the key assessment three mock exam, which will be on Adbusters and Woman magazine. Your next progress grade will be based on these two grades.  You can find examples of last year's magazine group practical here, here and here.

For second years, as you well know, the online unit is the final unit. From the forth week of this half term, it's revision all the way. A detailed post on what's going on with revision, and workshop sessions can be found here. You may be asked to attend a certain revision session, through both are open to everyone, room permitting. 

For both years, remember that here is no down-time in media studies. The work you put in now will dictate your final grade. There is no variable more significant than simply putting in hard work. We've seen students jump from E's to B's so many times, but it takes dedication. So start revising tonight. Little and often. You can and you will get the grade you're aiming for!

First year

Second year

A-level revision and workshops 2019

Make sure you read this comprehensive post on exam structure before attending any revision sessions or workshops!

Here's a big old list of revision resources that covers literally everything and anything!

Check out this post on the 'industry context' question that WILL come up in component one section b

This schedule is a work in progress, and is subject to change

For the final six weeks, A-level media studies will switch to full revision. Each session will focus on structuring an exam, including presenting an argument, effectively using examples, appropriately applying theory, and presenting a clear conclusion. We will also be looking at the precise content needed to secure the higher grades, a fact which should reassure those who missed out case studies, set texts and explicit examples from your recent KA6 mock.

In order to achieve this, each session will focus on a single question. Each class will tackle a different question. Every response will be posted to the blog. This means, should everything run smoothly, the plans for fifty-four potential questions will be posted to the blog. In terms of revision resources, you cannot ask for anything more effective. This has been tried and tested by your teachers to deliver excellent results. Yes, it's a little dull. But we have to compromise.

In order to make this work, we need you to make the following commitments:

• You will not miss a single lesson, unless there is a spectacularly good reason
• You will make excellent comments and suggestions in class when prompted
• You will make rigorous and detailed notes when other students and the teacher makes suggestions
• You will revise each and every day, completing past paper questions where appropriate to submit to your teacher for marking and brief feedback
• You will use the resources on the blog, making use of the label and search functions

Lesson by lesson revision plan and revision index

The following topics will be covered or have already been covered. You can click each question to read a class plan for it. You can (and should) use these posts to prepare for timed essay questions, which you should then submit to your teacher for feedback.

Week one - Advertising and film

1 – Advertising – Component one a – representation and media language

• How do these adverts reflect the sociohistorical context of the time they were made?
• In what ways do these adverts utilise intertextuality to create meaning?
• Explore the ways in which these adverts use representation to position audiences

2 – Advertising – Component one b - Audience

• Explore how advertisements target their audiences
• How do the adverts you have studied appeal to a range of specialised and generalised audiences?
• Explore how audiences can use or interact with the advertisements you have studied

3 – Film industry – Component one b - Industry

• "Distribution is the key to success for any media industry": how have digital technologies affected the ways in which films are produced and distributed?
• How have the films you have studied been shaped by financial factors?
• How effective is the regulation of the film industry?

Week two - Newspapers

1 – Newspapers – Component one a – Media language and representation – set texts

• How do these products make use of intertextuality and genre conventions in order to reflect the ideology of the producer?
• Explore how audiences are positioned by the use of media language in these newspapers
• To what extent do representations in these newspapers make claims about realism?
• Compare the ideologies conveyed through the representations in these newspapers

2 – Newspapers – Component one b – industry – general study

• Explain how ownership shapes media products. Refer to The Daily Mirror to support your points
• How do specific processes of production, distribution and circulation shape The Times and The Mirror?

3 – Newspapers – Component one b – audience – general study

• How do The Daily Mirror and The Times construct their audiences?
• How does this product attract/target its audiences? How does it construct an audience?
• How do The Times and The Daily Mirror attract and maintain their audiences both locally and globally?

Week  three - Music videos, videogames and radio

1 – Music videos - Component 1 section a – media language and representation

• How do the representations in Formation by Beyonce and 뚜두뚜두 by Blackpink show the values, attitudes and beliefs of the producer?
• Explore how intertextuality creates meaning in the videos to Riptide by Vance Joy and 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
• Explore how the representation of America has been constructed in the video to This Is America by Childish Gambino and Formation by Beyonce

2 – Videogames – Component 2 section b – Industry and audience

• Explore the ways in which audiences can use and take pleasure from video games. Make explicit reference to Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
• Explore how ownership has shaped Assassin's Creed III: Liberation

3 – Radio -  Component 2 section b – Industry and audience

• Explore how emergent digital technologies have shaped Late Night Women's Hour
• Explore how Late Night Woman's Hour appeals to both core and secondary audiences
• WHO OWNS THIS MEDIA PRODUCT? ARE THEY A PART OF A CONGLOMERATE, AND/OR VERTICALLY INTEGRATED?

Week four - TV

1 – TV - Component 2 a – media language and representation

• "All genres exist and function through a process of repetition and difference" - use Steve Neale's genre theory to explore this notion in Humans and Les Revenants
• Liesbet Van-Zoonen argues that media language encodes how male and female characters act in media products. Explore how representations position the audience in Humans and Les Revenants
• BONUS: Les Revs key scene analysis

2 – TV - Component 2 a – Industry

• In what ways are Humans and Les Revenants shaped by specialised forms of production, distribution and circulation?
• Explore how Humans and Les Revenants uses marketing and promotional campaigns to maintain both local and global audiences

3 – TV - Component 2 a – Audience

• Explore how audiences are positioned by the representation of social issues in Humans and Les Revenants
• David Gauntlet explores how audiences can use TV shows to define their own identities. To what extent can the audiences of Humans and Les Revenants use these shows to construct their identity?

Week five - Magazines

1 – Magazines - Component 2 b – media language and representation

• Explore how the set editions of Woman and Adbusters reflect the historical context of which they were made
• Stuart Hall argues that not only do representations reflect the ideology of the producer, they also reflect the historical context in which they were made. Analyse this theory with explicit reference to the set editions of Woman and Adbusters

2 – Magazines - Component 2 b – industry

• Explore how Adbusters utilises digital convergence to facilitate production [15]
• "All media products are purely created to ensure financial success". To what extent do you support this statement? Make reference to the set editions of Woman and Adbusters

3 – Magazines - Component 2 b – Audience

• Explore how the set edition of Woman magazine constructs it's target audience [15]
• Explore how the set editions of Woman and Adbusters appeal to their target audiences

Week six - Online media

1 – Online - Component 2 c – media language and representation

• Jean Baudrillard suggested that “We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” Evaluate the extent to which this postmodernist statement applies to Zoella and Attitude
• Explore the extent to which emergent digitally convergent technology has allowed producers to communicate complex meanings. Make reference to Zoella and Attitude
• To what extent do the representations in Attitude make claims about realism? [15]

2 – Online - Component 2 c – Industry and audience

• Clay Shirky states “The future presented by the internet is the mass amateurization of publishing and a switch from 'Why publish this?' to 'Why not?”. To what extent is this concept of 'amateurization' applicable to Zoella and Attitude, and to what extent can audiences meaningfully interact with these products?
• How significant is the role of individual producers in online media industries? Make reference to Zoella to support your argument [15]

Additional revision sessions (provisional)

In addition to the revision lessons, there will also be revision workshops run during plus time. These are targeted and entirely optional. Please talk to your teacher for more information.

There will be two revision workshops a week. They both have different themes, and it is highly unlikely that you will benefit from attending both.

Tuesday - achieving an A grade - discussing advanced media theory, terminology and essay structure to obtain the very top marks. 

Wednesday  - Ensuring a C grade - Working on the basics, for example media language, textual analysis and key facts, these sessions focus on how to ensure a 'C' grade in the final exams.

Provisional timetable:

'Achieving an A grade' - Tuesdays, 14:40

2/4/19 - Structuralist approaches 

How to incorporate approaches, overview of theory etc.

23/4/19 - Postmodernism 

Hyper-reality, elements, Baudrillard etc.

30/ 4/19 - Hegemony 

Beyond patriarchal hegemony etc. 

7/5/19 - Gender performativity 

Judith Butler, how to incorporate feminist theory etc. 

14/5/19 - Intertextuality 

Concept, approaches etc. 

21/5/19 Presenting a strong argument 

Incorporating a ‘voice’ etc.

'Ensuring a C grade' - Wednesdays, 14:40

3/4/19 - PEA 

Structuring paragraphs, arguments etc.

24/4/19 - Language and Terminology 

Media language – ensuring its consistent 

1/5/19 - Analytical not descriptive 

Developing analysis from description 

8/5/19 - Industry 

Regulation, ownership – how to incorporate 

15/5/19 - Representation - 

Key concepts, theories etc. 

22/5/19 - Audience - 

Key concepts, theories etc. 

1st year Theory Quiz!

Define the following theories in one sentence;

1 – Sonia Livingstone and Peter Hunt (regulation)

2 – bell hooks (feminism)

3 – Levi Strauss (structuralism)

4 – Roland Barthes (semiotics)

5 – David Gauntlet (identity)

6 – Stuart Hall (representation)

7 – Curran and Seaton (power and industry) 

8 – Albert Bandura (hypodermic needle/effects model)

9 – Tzedan Todorov (narrative)

10 – Stuart Hall (reception theory)

11 – George Gerbner (cultivation and audience)

12 – Steve Neale (genre)

13 – David Hesmondhalgh (cultural industries)

14 – Lisbet Van Zoonen (feminism)

Michael's cover work - first year

For this task, you will be required to immerse yourself in the set edition of Adbusters. You can find the study pages under the case studies tab, and the complete edition has also been made available to you.

1 - Start a new blog post called Adbusters -initial analysis

2 - What examples of deliberately challenging, subversive and upsetting material can you find? Choose one example of an image, text etc from the set edition of the magazine. Screencap it and place it in your blog. Why has this been concluded? What ideological message does this construct? To what extent is this unconventional for magazines?

3 - Screencap / copypaste the front cover again. What elements of media language are used to construct representations of ethnicity? Consider gesture, costume, expression, mise-en-scene. What is the dominant ideological message presented to the audience?

4 - Find and save the 'fashion' double page spread, which comprises of two pages: the spoof Louiboton advert and the facing page of the models legs under the black and white image of people behind a metal fence. What representations of ethnicity are constructed here? What message is being presented to the audience? Remember to use the toolkit. Also remember the message is NOT obvious

5 - read this article and watch the accompanying trailer. What issues are there with the garment industry? Why is Adbusters so critical of the garment industry? If this article is true, then why is it legal to buy and sell clothes made in this way? Why does no one care?

6 - Read the full version of the set version of Adbusters. That's it!

TO SUM UP

please spend 90 minutes on these tasks. They will be used to start the next lesson, and YOU WILL BE ASKED QUESTIONS BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH. Remember Adbusters is a challenging magazine with deliberately difficult to reach conclusions. Please publish your blog before the next lesson.

Michael's cover work - second year

This cover work is a little different but it will help you with the exam.

TASK ONE

Choose the case study that frankly makes you most worried about the final exam:

The Mirror, The Times, Straight Outta Compton, I, Daniel Blake, Assassin's Creed III liberation, Late Night Women's Hour, Les Revenants, Humans, Woman, Adbusters.

Before you ask, text means the product you just picked...

Bullet point answer the questions under ALL the following headings,Googling anything you are unsure of. 

AT THE END OF THIS TASK, PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR NOTES.  I will then publish them on the blog, so every student can take advantage of them.

REGULATION

Who regulates this text?

What legal and ethical issues does this text bring up?

Does this text offer it's audiences a plurality of experiences? Give examples

DISTRIBUTION

Who distributes this product? 

How many copies are/were sold?

What is the circulation of this product?

Can the product be distributed digitally?

POWER AND ORGANISATION 

Who owns this product? 

Is the owner a major or indie?

What else do they produce/publish?

Are they vertically and/or horizontally integrated? 

Do they operate as a subsiduary? 

What is the dominant ideology of this organisation? 

TASK TWO 

This one is nice and easy, but essential. Find three vloggers on youtube (again, any questions, use Google. This is the online unit after all!). Anything goes as long as it is hosted on Youtube. For each of the three, make notes on your blog using the online section of the textual analysis toolkit. This may seem strange given the low production values, but you will be required to textually analyse vlogs. So get to it!

You do not beed to email me your task two, but publish it. So I can check up on you.

TO CONCLUDE

Please spend 90 minutes in total. This is revision and will help you with the exam. Please email me the task one stuff before the end of the day, and publish the vlog analysis before Wednesday's lesson.