Social realist film trailers

 Kes (1969)

The Selfish Giant (2013)

This is England (2006)

Marketing Black Panther and the regulation of the film industry

Today, you will use the internet to research how Black Panther was marketed, before learning how the film industry is regulated.

Film marketing 

 Film is a specialized industry. This means that the film industry works in a very particular way, unlike any other industry. This extends to production and distribution, as we have found out in the last few lessons. However, films are also marketed in a completely unique way. Last session, we looked at film websites, fan made marketing, viral media, word of mouth, social marketing and traditional marketing, among other techniques.

Task one - Researching how Black Panther was marketed (35 minutes)

CREATE A COLLAGE OF MARKETING MATERIAL FOR BLACK PANTHER. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE

• POSTERS
• TRAILERS
• BANNERS
• VIRAL MARKETING
• FAN FORUMS, ART, ETC
• SOCIAL MEDIA

AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND

Please complete this as a blog post. Do not write anything, only include images. 

Conclusion: Black Panther was extensively marketed in many different ways. $37 million was spent on TV adverts alone. In other words. this is something that only a major, mainstream, Hollywood film production could accomplish, and is yet another example of the film industry being a specialised industry!

Film regulation

Films in the UK which are regulated by the BBFC (the British Board of Film Classification). All films released theatrically or released on physical media (eg DVD) must be rated by the BBFC, and given an age certificate.

Age certificates broadly exist for two reasons:

1. To protect audiences from harm. I remember watching a clip from The Thing (1982) when I was about 8 and I couldn't sleep for a month! Now it's one of my favorite films. Films have the potential to traumatize audiences, especially very young ones, and those who may have experienced issues in the film, for example through the use of discriminatory (racist) language
2. To prevent imitable behavior. Younger audiences may copy what they see on screen. For example, the comedy film Jackass: The Movie (2002) features real life stunts that can easily be copied by more... impressionable audiences, and was given an 18 rating despite being clearly aimed at younger audiences. 

The TV show and film series Jackass raised many issues with regards to imitable behavior, leading the distributor, MTV, to place visible warnings at the start of each episode

Task two - researching age certificates (30 minutes)

The regulation of films in the UK is some of the strictest in the world outside of countries such as China which regularly practice censorship. A 14 year old, for example, is legally unable to see a 15 rated film in the cinema or buy the film on Blu-Ray or DVD. But what makes a film a 15, and not a 12?

Go to the BBFC website at https://www.bbfc.co.uk/ .

Find the age certificates at the top of the page

Click on each in turn, and click on the 'learn more' hyperlink to find out exactly what constitutes each age rating

Pick out a few key points for each one, and copy and paste them under the following headings:

U – 

PG – 

12/12A – 

15 – 

18 – 

R18 – 

E - 

Please note: the BBFC website contains descriptions of films with explicit content. Student caution is advised

Task three - How effective is the regulation of films in the UK? (10 minutes)

The regulation of the film industry in the UK is arguably ineffective. Why? Thanks to digitally convergent technologies, it is possible to easily access films which are entirely inappropriate for certain audiences. Even if a film is denied a certificate in the UK, effectively banning it, it can still be obtained fairly easily via the internet. 

Please copy paste the following information to your blog:

KEY THEORY 13 – REGULATION – SONIA LIVINGSTONE AND PETER LUNT

The increasing power of global media corporations, together with the rise of convergent media technologies and transformations in the production, distribution and marketing of digital media, have placed traditional approaches to media regulation at risk

Task four - issues in regulation (15 minutes)

Please click here to watch the following scene from the film Home Alone 2(1992). Please note that this scene contains sustained threat and strong violence (!)

If we take this scene out of context , then what age certificate should this one scene be given? Refer to your notes on certification. You may wish to read the comments to get a sense of actual audience responses. Also, think of your response, the potential for harm, and the potential for imitable behavior. 

Home Alone 2 received a PG rating. What issues does this raise for the regulation of films in the UK?

Please make sure you publish this work to your blog. Remember, if I cannot see your work, I cannot mark it! Your current grade is formed from all work completed in media, but more importantly, your notes are your revision guide. The more notes you make now, the less you need to worry about the exams you will sit in 2022!

Black Panther: how does a mainstream film target audiences?

What is the difference between a major and an indie film production? 

Major

• An emphasis on computer generated special effects
• Well known and recognisable actors
• Fast paced and action filled narratives
• A wider range of settings and locations, often exotic
• Certain genres are favoured, eg fantasy, superhero, sci-fi, action
• Exciting, yet relatable situations 
• More dramatic, kinetic cinematography
• An emphasis on simple narratives (Classical Hollywood narrative)
• Target a mass, mainstream audience
• Emphasis on extravagant costume and set design
• Name of production company used a selling point
• An emphasis on famous, well known actors
• An emphasis on well known and clearly defined genre conventions: action, sci-fi, adventure, superhero
• Heavy use of CGI
• Straightforward and easy to decode narratives
• Often a part of a franchise - allows the producer to target a pre-sold audience

Indie

• Typically a niche or specific target audience
• Less of a focus on making money
• Smaller budget - less advertising, recognisable actors etc
• Smaller, less known companies
• Lack a clear genre
• Complicated and less obvious narratives
• Generally a self-contained non-franchised narrative
• Slower paced narrative
• Everyday, relatable settings
• Genre is often less apparent
• Hard-hitting, relatable issues
• Static cinematography
• An emphasis on complex narratives
• Focus on a niche audience

In what ways does the Black Panther trailer minimise risk and maximise profit for Walt Disney?

• Clearly identifiable genre, evident from the iconography of the superhero costumes
• Superhero films are a safe bet: not a risky investment
• Diverse cast allows the film to be differentiated from other superhero films
• Clearly identifiable brands, allowing the audience to identify with the film
• Exotic settings, including Korea and Africa
• Fast paced, action filled trailer provides instant gratification
• Bass heavy, hip hop soundtrack allows the film to target a pre-sold audience of rap and hip hop fans
• Martin Freeman - The Hobbit, appealing to white middle aged audiences
• Young target audience with expendable income
• Use of extremely famous and well known actors
• Use of highly evocative mise-en-scene provides an escapist fantasy for the audience
• Exotic locations including the fantasy city of Wakanda, London, Seoul... 
• Highly hybridised use of genre: superhero, action, fantasy, sci-fi
• Extensive and elaborate CGI creates a whole different 
• powerful soundtrack, combining electronic, hip-hop and rock
• universally understandable themes of power
• Pre-sold audience of Marvel fans and actions
• Michael B Jordan: Creed, Fantastic 4
• Samples an american revolutionary poet
• predominantly black cast: themes of empowerment, potentially empowering a new, black target audience
• Huge and heavy emphasis on CGI: grenade skydiving: film looks extremely expensive: high production values
• Soundtrack produced by famous musicians eg The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar
• Big, bassy hip-hop soundtrack, with elements of rock, Jazz and electronic

How does the trailer to Shaft target working class inner city black US audiences?

• Accents and slang
• Black, working class inner city character 
• Themes of racisms and racial discrimination 
• Downtown, rundown, grimy settings 
• Black main character
  Majority black cast
• Hard boiled 
• Allows audiences to relate to themes and the setting

Humans mini mock

To what extent does the first episode of Humans conform to conventions of the science fiction genre? [15] (25 minutes)

Points to consider

You would NOT get these handy points if you were asked this question in the final exam. However, this time round, you may use these bullet points for guidance:

• Conventional or unconventional?
• Allegory
• Issues of representation
• Generic paradigms
• Repetition and difference
• Comparisons with other science fiction media
• Media language (shot types, camera angles, sound, editing, etc...)

Basic mark scheme

13-15 marks

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the extent to which Humans conforms to generic conventions. Excellent knowledge and understanding of the importance of generic conventions. 

10-12 marks

• Good knowledge and understanding of the extent to which Humans conforms to generic conventions. Good knowledge and understanding of the importance of generic conventions

7-9 marks

• Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the extent to which Humans conforms to generic conventions. Generally satisfying knowledge and understanding of the importance of generic conventions.

4-6 marks

• Basic knowledge and understanding of the extent to which Humans conforms to generic conventions. Basic and undeveloped knowledge and understanding of the importance of generic conventions

1-3 marks

• Minimal knowledge and understanding of the extent to which Humans conforms to generic conventions. Minimal if any knowledge and understanding of the importance of generic conventions.

Grading for this one is a little tricky, because a 15 marker is a short answer question that would usually be seen in the context of an entire exam. Here, each 'band' corresponds to a grade. In order to achieve an A*, you need 15 marks, which is WAY harsher than in the final exam!

Feedback

• Let's make this as clear and as straightforward as possible. In A-level media studies, you first make a point, for example 'yet another way in which Humans is a highly typical science fiction product is through it's themes of consciousness, and postmodern ideas of humanity'. Then, you back up this point using a super specific example from a key scene we have studied, making ample reference to media language.
• Make sure to link everything back to the question, your argument, that Humans is either highly conventional, unconventional, or both at the same time
• If you see the keyword 'genre' in a question, this is the question screaming at you to reference Steve Neale, and in particular his notion of repetition and difference
• On a related point, not enough students explored why genre exists, and what function it holds. Genre allows audiences to identify media products, and it allows producers to efficiently target certain very specific audiences. In short, it is an effective marketing technique. Therefore, Humans being both a typical and subversive example of the sci-fi genre allows it to more effectively target audiences

U block magazine draft covers

How to create an effective magazine in 20 minutes

 Magazines are produced in an extremely efficient way, in an extremely short time frame. Many fashion magazines in particular will create ten or twenty potential covers, which will then ultimately be selected by the editorial team. This means the people who produce magazines must be quick on the mark, open to feedback, and willing to try new ideas at the drop of a hat.

We decided to put our money where our mouth is. Is is possible to create an effective magazine cover, from concept to post production in just twenty minutes? The answer is, rather surprisingly, yes!

Stage one: preproduction and concept

First of all, a concept. When kind of image are you hoping to encode? What genre of music are you exploring? What costume is going to work? How can you make sure that your model looks like a celebrity and not some random student? And what kind of magazine is even going to feature your artist?

We quickly hashed out the following details:

• An edgy, indie/electronica solo artist
• Indie music magazine: glossy, bimonthly
• Stereotypical representation of young, white, middle class males…
• …but subverted through parody
• Use of postmodern imagery
• Intertextuality: punk/trash aesthetic

Unfortunately we didn't have much in the way of interesting costumes, with both Jack and I kitted out in the standard media teacher uniform of a checkie shirt and black jeans. Instead, we grabbed some random junk (duct tape and plastic cutlery) and ran to an empty room for the photoshoot

Stage two: production (photoshoot)

There's not a whole lot of production that goes in to a magazine, at least compared to a music video. For our edgy, trashy look, we decided to go for a classic photoshoot. We emphasised Jack's already impressive eyebrows with some green duct tape, and then shoved a load of plastic knives in his mouth because... why not? Often the most straightforward idea can just 'work', and it's absolutely not worth stressing yourself out coming up with some masterpiece. Trying too hard can make your cover image too staged and boring, which is precisely what you don't want when promoting a young and upcoming artist.

Here's the photoshoot. We only took a few pictures, because by this point we only had just over ten minutes left to edit the thing, but you should be taking LOADS more!

Stage three: postproduction

Now to take your very best image, and to see how it works on the front cover of a magazine. At this stage, it's REALLY important to use at least one actual magazine cover as a basis for your own. Magazines are highly conventional in nature (with a few notable exceptions), and it's important to tick these conventions off if you want your magazine to look like a magazine, and not a gig flyer or a print advert or something else entirely. 

And here's the finished product, just over 20 minutes after the original idea. Yes, it's probably missing a few bits and bobs, but ultimately, it's clearly a magazine, and a magazine that presents an enticing hermenuetic code to its potential target audience. 

So that's it. Try not to think too hard about this. It's much easier to MAKE SOMETHING and then edit it later, rather than spending ages planning and worrying and thinking. 

Q block magazine draft covers

This is work in progress and should not be considered as exemplar

Magazine project: updates and clarifications

 1- You need at least six original images

This is quite a few, and your magazine may end up being more cluttered than you may wish. 

2 - The magazine's genre should be either music or 'specialist culture'

This is super important. Try to avoid making your magazine follow the conventions of generic fashion or gossip magazines. Remember: your musical artist is targeting a 'niche' audience, so the magazine they are being interviewed in will also be targeting a niche audience!

3 - There are things that you absolutely must include, even if it makes your layout cluttered!

Here's a list of everything you must include on your magazine front cover and double page spread. Remember, missing off even a single one of these will impact the amount of marks we can awad you!

Front cover

• An original title (i.e not a name of a magazine that already exists) which features as a masthead, which will 99% of the time will be right at the top of the magazine
• A strapline, either above or below the masthead 
• A barcode ∫and an ∫appropriate cover price (a specialist culture magazine will often be monthly or bimonthly, and will be on the pricey side...)
• A cover image featuring the artist or the band
• A main cover line (headline!) featuring the band or artist by name
• Two other cover lines (at least), related to other musical artists or stories related to your magazine's genre

Double page spread

• An interview or feature on your artist, of around 300 words. This article must promote your new artist!
• This article must make reference to the ideological perspective of the music video
• Headline
• Standfirst
• Subheadings 
• Appropriate column layout
• Pull quote and/or sidebar
• At least one main image along with more and smaller images (stills from the music video cannot be used)
• Article must detail the artist's latest release and/or the music video
• Link to band's website and social media platform

Applying Hall's encoding/decoding model to film trailers

This session is a double whammy. While you'll be focussing on audience responses to film trailers, this lesson is also an introduction to the film industry topic, in particular the difference between major and independent cinema. 

 I love Con Air with every fibre of my being, but I hate everything that it stands for. How could this be possible?

Con Air Trailer

Task one - Major and indie cinema

Major film productions are ones financed and distributed by a major studio, such as Disney, Warner or Universal. Independent cinema refers to films made independently of larger companies, with independent producers including Warp, Canal + and Film Four. There's lots of contention between what constitutes as an 'indie' film, but let's not worry about that just yet.

Watch all six of the below trailers, in order, and list the MANY differences that exist between indie and mainstream cinema. You will want to make reference to:

• Themes
• Budget
• Style
• Narrative
• Mise-en-scene
• Editing
• Soundtrack
• Genre and generic paradigms (clear or abstruse?)

Major, big budget, 'tentpole', mainstream, Hollywood productions (there are lots of ways of referring to major films!)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (Gunn, 2017)

Mission Impossible Fallout (McQuarrie, 2018)

The Fate Of The Furious (Gray, 2017)

Independent, indie, lower budget, niche productions

Happy End (Haneke, 2017)

Chevalier (Tsangari, 2016)

Sorry We Missed You (Loach, 2019)

Task two - Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model

We sometimes refer to this theory as the 'PNO theory', i.e preferred, negotiated, oppositional. There are three, broad ways of responding to a media product, negotiating with the ideology of the producer. This isn't really bothered with if an audience 'likes' the product or not, but is concerned with how the audience accepts or rejects

Task 2-1

Pick one of the indie trailers and one of the mainstream trailers from above, and watch them both again

Task 2-2

For both of the trailers, identify the dominant ideology which is demonstrated. What message, value or moral is presented to the audience? How do you know this?

Task 2-3

Negotiating audience response. This is what happens every time we engage with a media product. We play a game of give and take with the producer, and decide which bits we agree with, and which bits we disagree with. For both of these adverts, outline the preferred, oppositional and negotiated response/s for each of them. 

1. Preferred: the audience agree with the ideological perspective of the producer
2. Oppositional: the audience disagree with the ideological perspective of the producer
3. Negotiated: the audience partly agrees and partly disagrees with the ideological perspective of the producer. This is the most common response!

Diesel Jeans: Go With The Flaw advertising campaign (2017)

The Diesel Go With The Flaw advertising campaign features models with noticeable 'flaws', for example bushy eyebrows, eyebags, braces and so on. However despite the camera lingering on these 'flaws', each and every model is unequivocally hegemonically stereotypically attractive. Arguably the positive ideological perspective is somewhat diminished if the message is 'you can be whoever you want no matter what you look like... as long as you are tall and skinny"

Link

How does media language construct the ideological perspective of the producer? 

•  Montage of wide angled establishing shots demonstrates the quintessential American setting
• Several CU shots of women's bodies, intimate mode of address
• Use of a dark, dull and desaturated colour palette, which resembles an old film shot on film
• MES of analogue film studio presents a nostalgic and backwards looking mode of address
• Urban, run down and stereotypically ugly setting, stereotypically associated with working class lifestyles
• Rebellion against authority - encoded through the MES of the prison setting, further reinforced through costume such as leather jackets
• Outcasts and outsiders
• Mise en scene of clothing is used in an atypical and non-conventional way
• Upbeat and sophisticated nature of the soundtrack contrasts with the working class and run down characters featured in the advert. 
• Contrapuntal - where one element, for example the soundtrack 'goes against' another element, for example the visuals. Eg: The use of contrapuntal sound positions the audience in a highly confusing mode of address
• Use of low key lighting creates a dark, depressing and edgy atmosphere
• Editing: makes heavy use of cross cutting, cutting from one location to another, drawing in the audience, with a range of exciting locations
• A binary opposition is formed through the juxtaposition between the high key natural lighting of the bridge and the grungy, low key, harsh lighting of the jail scene
• Representation of gender highly atypical/subversive throughout the advert, for example the short, boyish haircuts of many of the female models
• Positioning of women in a jail setting creates a binary opposition
• Stereotypical use of leather and denim to connote criminality and intertextual reference to crime drama, further anchored by the prison setting
• Cross cutting from film being constructed to shots of models in various environments which anchors the audience
• Vintage style, vintage film. Vintage here connotes quality, classic nature, style, edginess and non-conformity
• Revealing costume clearly sexualises woman in caravan, with CU shot of her buttocks, reinforcing notion of the male gaze. Connotation that that Diesel clothes make the audience sexually attractive. 
• Lexis of 'successful living' clearly anchors the message that to be successful, one must be sexually attractive
• Go with the flaw/go with the flow, a subversion of a common idiom

Bonus: analysing the John Lewis Christmas advert 2020

• Shift from animation style to animation style is connotative of a celebration of difference and diversity
• MES of the repeating motif of hearts throughout the advert is connotative of love and good vibes
• Calm relaxing choice of soundtrack with only subtle atmospheric sounds
• Editing: although the style of animation shifts wildly, there is continuity between each shot, for example a pan is continued from one section to another, making the advert as satisfying and easy to watch as possible
• Many animation styles are old fashioned and nostalgic, indicating an attempt to target an older audience
• John Lewis is a stereotypical middle class and middle aged pursuing brand
• Cyclical narrative: loops back to start
• Ideology: Christmas itself is an ideology that can and should be spread through buying products: a capitalist ideology
• Community, spreading love from person to person 
• High levels of ethnic diversity, with potential promoting equality and diversity
• Specific references to certain religions, for example Islam, highly inclusive 
• Wide range of social classes, eg elderly black man with Christmas cracker lives in stereotypically working class household

How is the representation of gender constructed in the 'buying Anita' scene in S1E1 of Humans?

 CU Anita's Eyes as she is first unveiled demonstrated the stereotypically and hegemonic perfect symmetry of her face, and functions as an hermenuetic code, creating a sense of mystery for the target audience

Mise en scene of dirty dishes shown in mid shot emphasises that Joe is ineffective at cleaning the house. Stereotypical man??

MS of sales man winking as he hands over the 18+ card to Joe, demonstrates that Joe has purchased a surrogate mother, he has also purchased the right to have sex. Allegory of a consumer product such a mobile phone

Walking with Anita through the showroom, another synth (a fancy one) is completing stereotypical feminine roles (chopping food), other male synths completing typical masculine roles, such as playing golf

The mise en scene of Anita's costume is basic, and resembles nurse scrubs. Highly gendered and highly utilitarian. Objectification. 

Close up/extreme close ups of Anita's face: asks audience a hermenutic code: who is this beautiful. Cut from this to Joe's surprised expression

"Can we change her if she's not pretty" - Objectification and sexualisation. Polysemic interpretation: both comedy and creepy 

Anita looks identical in every scene, a 'hyperreal' expectation of beauty, a 'perfect' representation of women?

"There's a really posh one": Joe is happy to compare and contrast the synths based on their monetary value: another clear example of objectification

  Joe is Anita's 'primary user' He controls her, reflecting stereotypical patriarchal hierarchy between men and women

The salesman winks at Joe when he gives the card, which acknowledges the expectation that as a heterosexual man, he will use his new purchase for sexual reasons

All synths are objectified - the standard costume and looks of all synths are divided by wealth

Key assessment one: mark scheme, feedback and advice

This mark scheme and feedback post is for this exam, so check it out to see the unseen texts

At a glance

You have been or will soon be emailed a string of data which looks a little like this:

Each box corresponds to a piece of information which will tell you your exact mark, your fine grade, and a blunt and straightforward piece of feedback to focus on next time you write an essay:

Click to see the key in full resolution

Mark scheme

The mark scheme is a basic and simple method to allow teachers to come up with broad conclusions about how effective your response is. You might be surprised by how subjective the wording is: for example, what is the difference between good and satisfactory? All you really need to worry about is have you answered the question, using media language, and made excellent and thoughtful points. if the answer is yes, you're probably getting a high mark. 

1 - Media language

Explore how meaning is created through the combination of media language in this advert for Gap. You may wish to make reference to:

• Polysemy
• Semiotics (Barthes)
• Structuralist approaches (Levi-Strauss)
• The conventions of print adverts (eg lexis, layout, Z-line rule etc) [15 marks, 30 minutes]

AO2 1: Apply knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to analyse media products

Band 5: 13-15 marks

• Excellent, consistent and accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the advertisement
•  Analysis of the advertisement is perceptive, detailed and is likely to be informed by relevant theories

Band 4: 10-12 marks

• Good, accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the advertisement
• Analysis of the advertisement is logical and may be informed by relevant theories

Band 3: 7-9 marks

• Satisfactory, generally accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the advertisement
• Analysis of the advertisement is reasonable and straightforward

Band 2: 4-6 marks

• Basic application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the advertisement, although this is likely to lack clarity, relevance and accuracy
• Analysis of the advertisement is undeveloped and there may be a tendency to simply describe features of the advertisement

Band 1: 1-3 marks

• Minimal, if any, application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the advertisement with significant inaccuracies, irrelevance and a lack of clarity
• Analysis of the advertisement is superficial and generalised

Band 0: 0 marks

• Response not attempted or not worthy of credit

2 - Representation

Compare and contrast the representation of gender in the Persil Ultimate Powergems [Extraordinary Powers] TV spot advert with the representation of gender in the Tide advert you have studied. Make reference to:

• How gender roles are constructed through media language
• The construction of ideological perspectives, including hegemonic norms
• How intertextuality can construct meaning
• Historical factors and their relation to representation [30 marks, 45 minutes]

AO2 1 and 3: Apply knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to:

analyse media products, including in relation to their contexts
 make judgements and draw conclusions

Band 5: 25-30 marks

• Excellent, consistent and accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the unseen and set adverts
• Analysis of the choices media producers make when constructing representations of gender is perceptive, detailed and may be informed by relevant theories
• Judgements and conclusions regarding how the adverts relate to relevant representational issues and contexts are perceptive, insightful and fully supported with detailed reference to specific aspects of the adverts

Band 4 : 19-24 marks

• Good, accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the unseen and set adverts
• Analysis of the choices media producers make when constructing representations of gender is logical and may be informed by relevant theories
• Judgements and conclusions regarding how the adverts relate to relevant representational issues and contexts are logical and are supported with appropriate reference to relevant aspects of the adverts

Band 3: 13-18 marks

• Satisfactory, generally accurate application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the unseen and set adverts
• Analysis of the choices media producers make when constructing representations of gender is reasonable and straightforward
• Judgements and conclusions regarding how the adverts relate to relevant representational issues and contexts are straightforward and supported with some reference to relevant aspects of the adverts

Band 2: 7-12 marks

• Basic application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the unseen and set adverts, although this is likely to lack clarity, relevance and accuracy
• Analysis of the choices media producers make when constructing representations of gender is undeveloped and there may be a tendency to simply describe features of the newspapers
• Basic judgements are made regarding how the adverts relate to relevant representational issues and contexts and some conclusions are drawn, but these are undeveloped and only partially supported by relevant examples

Band 1: 1-6 marks

• Minimal, if any, application of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to analyse the unseen and set adverts, with significant inaccuracies, irrelevance and a lack of clarity
• Analysis of the choices media producers make when constructing representations of gender is superficial and generalised
• Lacks judgements and conclusions regarding how the adverts relate to relevant representational issues and contexts

Band 0 :0 marks

Response not attempted or not worthy of credit

Feedback

You will get one or more roman numerals when you receive your mark and grade. This corresponds to a piece of specific feedback. If you only get one numeral, this is literally the only thing you need to worry about for next time. However, do check out the indicative content below, which will tell you what you should have been writing about, and the sort of stuff you should cover next time

I– You are not including enough media language. Mise-en-scene, shot types, cinematography, lexis, editing… using key terminology is ESSENTIAL to achieving a passing grade in the exam

II - Knowledge and understanding - you are not familiar enough with the set texts... or you are simply not getting this knowledge across in the response. Re-read/watch the media products we have studied in class!

III - The big concepts- you are not making enough considered reference to concepts such as ideology, hegemony, polysemic readings and so on. Revise and apply advanced media concepts for a better result.

IV - Theorists - You are not referring to theories and theorists by name. Sort it out!

V - You must answer the question. If the question asks you to consider representation, then this is what you must write about!

Indicative content and suggestions

Read carefully through this section. Not all of it may apply to you, but, to be frank, most of it will do. 

General feedback

• There were loads of excellent responses that discussed hegemony and made reference to issues such as sexism and discrimination... that didn't get higher than a D or C because they did not include enough media language! 
• It's really important to avoid a colloquial, chatty tone, and instead try to make your responses as sophisticated and formal as possible. Please avoid writing in a chatty way!
• Some responses were just way too short, and didn't look like the result of 30/45 minutes of frantic writing. Being able to write more in the set time is something you will get better at with practice!
• Avoid saying 'you' and 'they'. For example this sentence: "The layout of the advert is pretty simple when you look at it for the first time as you can see what the advert is trying to sell" really tells us nothing. Who is you? The audience! And, as an additional point, if it were that clear what the advert is selling, then why would we be studying it? A much better way of writing this sentence could be "The advert uses a highly conventional layout, in order to sell the positive and inclusive ideological perspective to the heterosexual, middle-class female target audience. For example, the advert clearly follows the conventions of the Z-line rule, which allows the target audience to.... ETC"
• Instead of saying "I would say" or "I think" or similar "I" phrases, simply state your opinion as fact. For example "through the choice of the model, the Gap advert is clearly targeting young women of a similar age (18-30)", and NOT "I think the Gap advert is targeting young women"
• Avoid unsubstantiated statements. "The gap advert is targeting women because they prefer bright colours" is basically impossible to substantiate in an exam: this is an opinion rather than fact. However "by including bright, pastel coloured clothes, the Gap advert is using a stereotypically gendered mode of address to target a female target audience 
• This was a very hard KA1, much harder than the one I set last year. By and large, I was very happy with your responses!

Media language

• The Gap advert is a single advert, though it is clearly split in to two halves, so it would be better to refer to the 'right side of the advert' as opposed to 'the right advert' 
• There's no accounting for taste... but someone pointed out the model was not stereotypically attractive. I'm not sure I would agree with this! In fact, it is very rare in a fashion advert to find a model who is not stereotypically attractive. This links to Van Zoonen's notion of women being used as a spectacle to sell media products. Perhaps a better point would be that she is adopting a friendly and approachable mode of address, which is relatable for the target female audience?

Representation

• This question was very challenging for a first time media student tackling an A-level exam for the first time. Generally, I was very pleased with the responses here!

Grade boundaries 

Overall/45 

A* - - 40-45

A –  - 31-39

B –  - 26-30

C –  - 20 -25

D –  - 16-20

E –  - 10-15

U –  0 - 9

Catching up after missing a lesson

I’ve quite a few students who have been absent and asking for work to catch up with. Here’s what you should do if you have to miss a lesson:

1 – Check out another student’s notes

I totally recommend checking out other student’s blogs and looking at their notes. Ask another student if you can have the URL for their blog, and ask them to make extra detailed notes for you!

2 – Check out the PowerPoint

You can also find every PowerPoint linked to from the main blog at lr-media.blogspot.com . I know this is not the same, but it will give you some indication of what we covered in the lesson. Remember they are divided by industry. If they look a little different from the one you saw in class, it means I need to update them…

3 – Use the blog and the revision guide

Finally, if you feel you are really falling behind in a particular topic, check out the revision guide, which is also linked from the main media blog, where you will find every industry, theory and key text covered in detail.

Of course if you have any particular questions about content, please let me know and I will do my best to help you catch up! Plus time is held on Tuesdays (best day for me) and Wednesdays if you would like to book me to go over any concept in media in detail!

Kiss of the Vampire - analysing generic paradigms

P block 

• The highly conventional and even stereotypical mise en scene of bats reinforces that this is a conventional vampire film
• The dated and worn letters connote that the film is set in the past, which is also highly conventional
• Horror in general in the 60's and 70's were by and large set in the 19th century
• 'A Hammer Film Production' - A British studio famous for making a range of horror and sci fi films
• An old fashioned, classic British horror film, with an emphasis on acting and set pieces rather than gore and jump scares. This reflects the sensibilities and censorship laws of the time
• MES of dripping blood
• Sharp pointy font may be symbolic of sharp teeth, or a bloody stake, both being clear iconographic features of the vampire film
• 'Kiss Of The Vampire' - word vampires clearly suggests the film belongs to the vampire subgenre
• Vampire films also typically have a big emphasis on sex and love, for example the lexis of word kiss, the performance of the man holding the woman, and the revealing mise-en-scene of the nightdresses of the female characters
• Setting of the castle (European setting) especially emphasizes the high levels of typicality that this film evidences
• Facial expression of male vampire seems scared or shocked, which functions as a hermeneutic code, asking the audience 'why is this vampire scared'? An example of difference
• Subversive representation of a female vampire in an aggressive and violent again offers potential audiences a new and exciting experience 

T block

• The iconography of the mise en scene of the bats reinforces that he film is a horror film, and is definitely a conventional vampire film
• MES of stereotypically attractive women functions as a generic paradigm, suggesting romance elements, and promising generic hybridity 
• Iconography of deserted, bleak and stereotypical 'evil lair' informs audiences that this is a conventional horror film
• MES of bites on woman's neck, and the exposed neck 
• MES of selection of colours, depressing, bleak, miserable setting
• Low key lighting, symbolises key themes of the film
• Mise en scene of blood
• Early 20th century late 19th century setting highly conventional of horror films
• Produced by Hammer Studios - specialists in horror
• Costume: revealing nightdresses 
• Title: 'kiss of the vampire' - word kiss also carries romantic elements
• Further anchored by the positioning of the women: sexual overtones 
• MES of frightened face of vampire: atypical and subversive representation of vampires 

R Block

• Mise en scene of the vampire's menacing smile confirms a conventional horror film 
• Lexis: 'kiss of the vampire': a poetic and flowery title typical of 60's horror film
• Use of low key lighting is symbolic of horrific events and dark themes
• MES of vulnerable/dead victims
• MES of vast, crumbling gothic castle, seen in silhouette, synonymous with the vampire
• MES of bats, at least ten, demonstrating exactly how scary the film will be 
• However, our views and perceptions of what is frightening have radically changed since the film was released
• Produced by Hammer films, and distributed by Universal 
• Classic horror, with an emphasis on acting and setting. Generally set in late 19th/early 20th century, set in Eastern Europe

Humans discussion

Below is a list of some of the main themes and concepts that Humans explores in it's first episode. These themes were identified by U and Q block 

Genre 

• Science fiction, robots, alternative present, dystopian fiction/ utopian fiction

Themes

• consciousness
• prostitution/sex work
• The dangers of technology
• Work and the replacement jobs
• The representation of women
• slavery 
• Capitalism - litter picking, leaflets, cooking, ironing, prostitution
• Monogamy
• Ethics
• Replacement of human roles - Laura feels 'replaced' by Anita
• Relationship with technology - the uncanny valley
• Family relationships - brother and sister, husband and wife, everyday
•  Tesla cars - "not a single verified example of a synth knowingly hurting a human"
• George and Odi - "what is love?"
• Anita and Laura - "I didn't buy her to replace you"
• Genre- sci-fi: Subgenre: , alternative present

Ten magazine challenge: quantity over quality

How much content can you produce if all forms of quality control are removed? Is it possible to crank out ten magazine covers in a single hour, after receiving only the most basic training imaginable? And what can you learn from making the same basic and straightforward actions over and over? Let's find out!