Case study: production contexts and your favourite film

For this session, you will be exploring the production contexts, marketing, distribution and financial contexts of your favourite film. While you can pick absolutely any film you like, from any country and from any decade, either indie or mainstream, it may be easier if you pick a more recent and more mainstream film, or if you pick a stone cold classic with lots that has been written on.

You will be spending the ENTIRE LESSON on this, so pick your absolute favourite, honest to goodness all time number one film. Use this as an opportunity to connect with the thing you love, and to consider how it works in an economic context

Why are we doing this?

Apart from the fun of researching something you love, you are also exploring and reinforcing your knowledge and understanding of production contexts. You are learning how the film industry works in a specialised way, and that all films to some extent must exist within this context and must compete somehow.

• Production history - what happened during the preproduction and production of this film? Was it smooth sailing, or did the film have development hell?
• Ownership - who produced this film? Who distributed it? What kinds of companies are these? 
• Trailer analysis - Find the theatrical trailer for this film. Select three screenshots from it. Analyse the trailer with specific reference to how the film maximises audience appeal
• Advertising and Marketing and merchandise - Create a collage of marketing material for the film
• Director and actors: brief resumes, brief details. Some head shots too, please!
• Critical reception: critical and audience response. If the film has been out for a while, has the critical response changed over time?
• Production and distribution costs: cost of production, cost of advertising campaign, and any other juicy figures. This will vary wildly depending on what film you have selected!
• Earnings: Box office, opening weekend, digital sales, total number of screens, worldwide gross,  (really hard to find!)

Today, my favourite film is Dario Argento's nonsense horror masterpiece Suspiria. I love it so much I  have probably seen it 25 times! I have never seen this Italian theatrical poster for it though.

Key assessment one - your first mock!

Your first mock is coming up the week after the week you get back from half term (!). It's going to be fine. This is not a test that 'goes forward' and it doesn't technically count for anything, but it will give us a good indication of where you are up to at the moment, and will give you an opportunity to revise and to sit a formal exam.

This is an exam hall. But you'll be doing your mock in a classroom. Whatever!

When is it?

All mocks will take place in your normal lesson.

P - Monday 11th November 2024 at 0900

T - Monday 11th November 2024 at 1305

Q - Monday 11th November 2024 at 1440

R - Tuesday 12th November 2024 at 1050

What's on the test?

There will be a single, 30 mark representation question. In this question, you will be asked to compare one of the case study advertisements to something you have never seen before (but I'm going to tell you right now, the unseen element will be an advertisement of some sort). The unseen element may be print or video based. You will have 60 minutes (standard time ) to watch/look at the unseen element, form an plan and then answer.

How do I revise?

Using the blog!

There's lots of elements to this exam. 

Case studies, media language, representation theory, essay structure, and unseen analysis. 

Tide 

Super.Human 

Kiss Of The Vampire  (this one has some good essay writing tips too!)

Also check out the toolkit for textual analysis! Click here!

Then, check out the theories and theorists section. The ones we are particularly interested in are the representation theorists. There's a video version if you are so inclined. 

Also, check out this article on writing the perfect essay. There's a video version too!

If you want some inspiration on specific revision methods, check out this cool pyramid/mountain thing

And finally, there are LOADS of advertising unseen analysis examples under the advertising section of the industries tab. Click here for a shortcut.

(And finally finally, there are lots of articles that may be useful that I haven't linked, but I need to stop somewhere!)

Basically, the blog has absolutely everything you will ever need, and you should get used to using it for a few minutes every day. 

Stories We Tell - how can you actually talk about this film in the exam?

Stories we Tell is such a deliberately awkward and confusing and delightful and experimental and arguably empty experience, that it is difficult to know where to actually begin with it. These notes will help you to formulate an excellent response in the exam, when in actuality, your response may well be 'it doesn't really mean anything, but it's kind of beautiful...'

Starting with the conclusion

• Stories we tell is a film about how reality itself is subjective
• Stories We Tell uses a range of highly atypical filmmaking techniques to construct a highly contradictory and quixotic mode of address.
• In doing so, Sarah Polley situates the spectator in her messy life, and through this intimate mode of address, we are reminded that our own lives do not need to make sense to have meaning and validity. 

A deliberately contradictory mode of address - How does Stories We Tell us binary oppositions to deliberately contradict itself and to construct a confusing and contradictory mode of address?

• Real life events are reconstructed through blatantly fake reconstructions, using characteristically blurry super 8 footage
• Some recreation footage is signalled as being reconstructed, but some is explicitly presented as real
• The perspectives of the individual storytellers frequently contradict each other
• There is an opposition between staged studio shots and naturally lit recreation shots, heightening the audience’s confusion 
• A significant contradiction is formed between death and life. Dianne, the main character of the film is dead, yet is arduously reconstructed through the testimonies of the storytellers 
• There is a binary opposition between Greirsonian and Pennebakian modes of constructing documentaries, with Polley using both and also eschewing 
• THE EFFECT OF ALL THESE DIAMETRIC OPPOSITIONS IS TO SITUATE THE SPECTATOR IN A HIGHLY CONFUSING BUT DELIGHTFUL MODE OF ADDRESS

How are contradictions encoded in the final sequence of Stories We Tell?

• A ‘modern event’ (the birth of Michael’s grandchild) is shot with a Super 8 camera, encoding a nostalgic mode of address for an even that has only just happened. Confusingly, the anchorage of Michael's monologue fixates on his own sad life, and the sense of loss and quiet misery forms a binary opposition with the birth of a child
• However, we cut to black. Generic ‘olde time’ early 20th century piano music (Ain't Misbehavin) swell over the black screen. However after several seconds we cut to Jeff in another standard, digitally shot talking head shot. Jeff admits that he once slept with Dianne, perhaps introducing the idea that he could be Sarah’s father. This radically different ending subvert our expectations, and also contradicts the notion of documentaries being an objective account of the truth. 

Stories We Tell as poetry

• The motif of the fly crops up explicitly at least twice in the film. Polley chooses to end the film with Michael monologuing about the fly. But why?
• The fly is a representation of loneliness. Michael is fixated on a single insignificant detail that seems to encompass his entire life. The fly is symbolic of disease and annoyance, yet Michael seems to feel an affinity with them, “they are my friends”. Michael fixates on flies fully knowing that this is ridiculous and even pathetic. Perhaps he takes pity on the fly. He extrapolates on the fly’s lifecycle, which is based and even coded around eating, mating and eventually dying. Therefore the fly not poetically represents loneliness, but also the inevitability of death.
• Yet it can also symbolise the beauty in the mundane. While we all have individual problems and struggle, sometimes noticing an inconsequential moment can conversely reinforce the ideological perspective that we are all alive, and we are all sharing this moment

2024 documentary questions

3* To what extent do the genre conventions of documentary films affect how spectators respond to the issues presented in the film? Discuss in relation to examples from the documentary film you have studied. [35]

• Pennebaker and Grierson
• Polley deliberately rejects genre conventions, but instead focuses on a confusing and quixotic mode of address, making substantial use of simulacrum

OR

4* Discuss how the narrative structure of the documentary film you have studied affects how the spectator interprets the reality of the events represented in the film. [35]

• Pennebaker and Grierson
• Sid Fields three act structure
• Todorov and equilibrium
• Polley breaks traditional narrative narrative structures, and instead implements a poetic mode of address that fixates on emotions and feelings 

Exploring how representations construct reality in the opening sequence of CSI Vegas

Check out the opening credits by clicking here!

What groups, places, issues and events are represented in this opening?

• White men 
• A white woman
• A black man
• Crime
• Police
• Detectives
• Forensic scientists
• Doctors 
• Las Vegas
• Middle aged professionals

How are the police represented in CSI Vegas?

• Serious and passionate and professional. This is connoted through the perpetual use of low key lighting, the age of the actors which connotes superiority, and the fact that almost every shot functions as a proairetic code, depicting an element of this job. We see a montage of various high end specialised activities. Yet the ultimate inference is that by doing so, these professionals will protect people's lives by locking up the bad guys
• The police have access to high end, expensive equipment to solve these cases. For example the MES of test tubes, lab coats, gloves and high powered torches suggests a huge amount of money has been attributed. 
• The Opening broadly represents the police force, in particular crime investigators and detectives and forensic scientists. The police are represented as being cool and desirable. This ideology is anchored through the gesture codes of the dancing officer walking down the corridor, signifying his confidence. 
• The police are also represented as competent and invested in their roles, which is emphasised through the montage of series facial expressions. This is further anchored through the actor’s poses and the MES of their equipment, such as walkie talkies and powerful flashlights, which suggests they are highly capable
• While we are presented with a montage of upsetting and gory images, the upbeat classic rock soundtrack provides a binary opposition and suggests that the competent and able cops are completely used to this situation, and violent death does not affect them. 
• The representation of a competent investigative crime scene force constructs an ideological perspective that a powerful police force protects American citizens everyday. While the crimes and events may be similar to ones that happen in real life, they are representations. Edges have been filed off, and elements have been skipped in order to construct a favourable and comfortable representation of the police force to the mass market audience.

The Tide advert: a detailed textual analysis

• Colour - The slogan (Tide’s got what women want) is in red. Bright red! This particular shade has connotations of love and romance, and is also one of the dominant colours of the Tide box, therefore building brand identity.  Additionally, red is a bold and exciting colour, and forms a binary opposition with the boredom of washing clothes!
• Font -  The font is in block capitals, and is sans serif. This allows the advert to adopt an informal mode of address, suggesting a working class audience 
• Lexis - The word ‘women’ is used frequently, reinforcing the notion that this advert is exclusively targeting women. By conflating women and washing, the advert constructs a highly stereotypical mode of address, and is arguably highly sexist . However, it reflected the dominant ideology of 1950s America. 
• The subheading utilises direct address, with the lexis “you women” not only explicitly targeting women, but also excludes men. This specific and highly targeted address is highly stereotypical and highly sexist. Sexism is a belief that one gender is more important than the other. However, by reflecting the dominant sexist ideology of 50s America, the advert reflects ideologies of women that existed at the time
• The use of red symbolises boldness, love, excitement and even romance. It could suggest a love for the product itself, which is anchored elsewhere.
• The font is bold and vibrant, and sans serif, which suggests a huge target audience, and a relatable message. The letters appear to have been enthueastically painted on, which symbolically suggests the enthusiasm for the product. 
• The Lexis ‘Tide's got what women want’ constructs a superlative mode of address, and suggests that the target females will miss out on important life events by not buying the product
• The repetition of ‘no other’ in the lexis suggests Tide is the very best out of every product. Use of superlative language. The housewife is dressed in the colours of the American flag: red, white and blue. The dots on her blouse are also symbolic of the stars on the American flag, which suggests to the audience that Tide is an essentially American product. By building a patriotic mode of address, the producers utilise a stereotype of the american public, and infer that by buying the product, you will become a better american. The housewife is presented as a stereotypical working class housewife, which is constructed through the anchorage of the washing machine right next to her. The housewife is strikingly attractive. She has a stereotypically attractive hourglass figure, and resembles a model or a film star. She is wearing bright red lipstick, her eyebrows have been sculpted and she is wearing blush. The makeup functions as a proairetic code, and suggests that the housewife is about to go on an exciting date. However, instead she is washing up. By dressing up in such a stereotypically attractive way, the housewife clearly lives up to societal standards regarding women.
• The housewife is dressed in a contemporary and fashionable manner. Her facial expression is ecstatic, and her eyes are wide open, as is her mouth.
• She is weariung significant makeup including bright red lipstick, blusher, shaped eyebrows and eyeliner. Her heavy makeup forms a binary opposition with the boring and mundane nature of her tasks. In fact, jher makeup functions as a prairetic code, suggesting an exciting night on the town
• The housewife has an hourglass figure, with a larger bust and thin waist. This emphasises her stereotypically attractive body, and utilises a sexually attractive woman as an aspirational rolemodel for the target audience
• The MES pf a sign is used to explicitly inform the audience of the benefits of the product. The colour red is used to emphasis the words CLEAN and TIDE, and again associates these words with love and excitement. It also reinforces the dominant ideology that women love to clean
•  The lexis ‘white’ is of particular symbolic importance here, as it is highlighted in red, which has connotations of love, romance, power, and passion. It is repeatred several times over, which epmaphsises it’s superlative qualities. However, considering the context of the time in which the advert was produced, the word ‘white’ here is synonymous with both race and cleanliness, which constructs a fusion between these two concepts. Therefore we can argue that the advert adopts an implicitly racist mode of address. In the 1950s in America, racial segregation was in many states a dominant ideological perspective, and therefore this potentially racist advert would not have been seen as such.
• “Cleanest” is yet another example of a superlative adjective, and suggests the product is better than all of the competitors
• “Only Tide…” again reinforces not only the brand identity, but also excludes all other brands from consideration
• “Tide is truly safe” - connotations of reliability amnd trustworthiness
• “Actually brightens colour” reinforcing the veracity and truthfulnmess of the advert
• “More tide goes in to American homes” language here suggests a patriotic mode of address, and suggests that not buying tide is potentially anti American behaviour 
• The colours of the washing are predominantly red white and blue, the colours of the American flag. This constructs the clear symbolic code of patriotism, and further suggests that hanging up the washing is a truly American act.
• The MES of the high key natural lighting constructs a sunny atmosphere, which suggests that washing is fun and good. This is further anchored through the gesture codes of the housewives facial expressions 
• The costume codes of the housewives suggest a working class lifestyle, which provides a highly relatable mode of address to the working class target audience
• The housewives look very similar, and both share the same hourglass figure. This presents a highly objectifying mode of address, that would potentially appeal to the target audience
• One housewife refers to ‘Procter and Gamble’s Tide’ provides emphasis to the importance of the product, and suggests that this typical housewife loves the product and knows all about it. Brand awareness
• The vibrant colours function as a symbolic code, and suggest confidence and happiness
• The MES of the clear blue sky, further anchored through the image of the sun constructs an idyllic and even perfect world, even though the situation is mundane and straightforward. The two housewives appear to be chatting one another, and their happiness is anchored through their forced smiles. This reinforces the ideological perspective that women should adopt the role of a stay at home wife, and live up to the standards of the American Dream. The notion of America as a nation is also symbolically encoded through the red white and blue colour scheme. This patriotic mode of address will appeal to the average American housewife.
• Many of the clothes are stereotypically masculine, and this MES reinforces ideological perspective that women should ideally clean clothes. However, in the 50s this would simply reflect the dominant ideology.
• The dialogue between the women is stunted and robotic. The dialogue sells a lifestyle where women are intensely knowledgeable about cleaning products. By repeating the name of the company, the audience build an association with the brand and associate it with quality.
• The main image features the housewife literally embracing the box of detergent, gazing into the distance. The MES of her red lipstick and the gesture code of her pursed lips function as a proairetic code, suggesting that wishes to both kiss the box and engage in romantic relationships with it. This notion of romance is symbolically reinforced through the MES of the graphic of the love hearts shooting out of the housewife’s head. The style of the love hearts is informal and even childish, and suggests that the housewife is loyal to this particular brand of detergent. However, the childish nature of the love hearts also polysemic ally connotes that the housewife herself is childish and immature. The image resembles a vivid daydream or even a reference to a romantic drama. It also resembles classic American war propaganda posters such as the famous ‘we want you’ poster, that encouraged American women to join the workforce to replace conscripted men. Therefore the Tide advert is making a wild suggestion that buying and using Tide is somehow helping American values
• The recurring colour red, uses time and time again throughout the advert emphasises the audience who the product will love the product as much as the housewife. However, instead of merely being interested in the detergent, the codes of this image construct a narrative of infatuation and romantic love. Romantic love is encoded through the facial expression of the model, and functions as a proaietic code, suggesting she is going to kiss the box. This is further anchored through the intense MES of the HWs red lips, pursed in such a way that she appears to be kissing the box. Additionally the MES of the cartoonish love hearts has connotations of childishness and innocence. The assumption here is that the audience is naive and immature, and responds to the world in a simple and straightforward way. A binary opposition is therefore formed between the mundane box and the intense romantic love. Furthermore, the image resembles the final scene of a romantic film, which will resonate with the female target audience
  
  

What impact does this representation have on women?

The representation of women in the Tide advert not only constructs a reality where women love to clean and love the product Tide, it also actively romanticises the act of cleaning. Ultimately, this representation reinforces the ideology that women love cleaning and that it is their sole purpose. Potentially the advert may encourage women to clean more, and reinforces the expectation that in order to be a ‘good housewife’, women must conform to certain stereotypes.  

How are representations of gender constructed in the 'Jinx' sequence in Die Another Day?

Before checking out the below analysis, watch this clip. Please note that I selected this clip because it presents a very blunt and straightforward gender binary. It is not sophisticated, nuanced or progressive in any sense. It is therefore a very leading, perhaps even biased example, designed to make a very specific point about the representation of women in SOME media products. Van Zoonen and other feminist media theorists would argue that there still are very much sexist hierarchies encoded in to media products, but often they are far more subtle than this example!

Van Zoonen in a nutshell

Men and women are constructed in completely different ways in media products. Representations are constructed through media language. And representations construct hierarchies of power that reinforce patriarchal hegemonic values.

Scene analysis

Jinx’s body is constructed as hegemonically attractive, and her breasts are emphasised through the gesture code of her outstretched arms, and the deliberately small swimsuit she is wearing. By constructing a hegemonically sexually attractive representation of a woman, the sequence appeals to the male gaze of the perceived heterosexual audience. Jinx is framed through a black vignette which resembles the viewfinder of a pair of binoculars, and regardless of our sexuality, we are positioned as James Bond. Viewing the subject through a telephoto lens in a mid shot positions the audience as James Bond and in a voyeuristic mode of address. However, the stereotypically romantic soundtrack that favours violins anchors this scene as romantic. Therefore the soundtrack functions as a proaietic code, and suggests the future romantic relationship between these characters. As Jinx walks slowly towards the camera, she sways her hips in a seductive manner, drawing attention to her body, and further sexualising herself. 

A google image search of this character demonstrates a particularly pronounced example of patriarchal hegemonic normative values: almost every image of Jinx on the internet constructs her as highly sexualised and hegemonically attractive

Jinx

Constructed as stereotypically, hegemonically attractive. Her status as a hegemonically attractive woman is reinforced through the MES of her revealing swimsuit, which emphasises her curvaceous body. By presenting her as stereotypically sexually attractive, the producer clearly is attempting to appeal to a heterosexual male audience. This reinforces the hegemonic and stereotypical ideology that the audience is heterosexual.

In her establishing shot, Jinx is constructed as graceful and angelic through the gesture code of her slowly moving arms. Shot in slow motion, her graceful movements are mimicked, and the audience are allowed to focus on her. The image is framed with a black vignette, which connotes Bond’s binoculars, and we view the extreme long shot through a telephoto lens, positioning us behind the binoculars and far away. We are also positioned in a voyeuristic mode of address. 

James Bond

Bond represents a stereotypical ideal of masculinity. He is emotionless, somewhat muscular, casually stylish, suave and confident. These hegemonic expectations of masculinity are constructed through his smoking a cigarillo, which connotes maturity and status. He is drinking alcohol which connotes masculinity. He pronounces ‘mojito’ with an affected accent in order to impress his new foreign friend. 

Sexualisation - the process of reducing somebody or something to a set of sexual characteristics 

Exploring representation of gender in theatrical posters

 

In the theatrical poster for Pretty Woman, the male character is constructed as stereotypically higher class. This representation is anchored through the MES of his full suit, which is connotative of wealth, status and power. This reinforces a dominant ideological perspective that power is attained through a sense of masculinity. However, Robert’s dress code forms a binary opposition with Gere’s. Roberts' character is a prostitute, and her role is constructed through the MES of the leather high heeled boots and her mini skirt. Roberts clutches Gere’s tie, which connotes formality. In doing so, this gesture code functions as a symbolic code, teasing not only Gere’s character but also presents a seductive mode of address, and suggests that her character is sexually promiscuous. This representation of women is in direct opposition to stereotypical representations of women being subordinate to men.

An unconventional representation of gender is contructed through Ken’s gesture code. The intradiegetic gaze of Ken staring at Barbie is highly unconventional, as Ken’s facial expression is stereotypically feminine and reinforces hegemonic expectations about how women behave. Conversely, Barbie is situated in the centre of the image, connoting her status as the protagonist of the narrative. However, Margot Robbie is noticeably hegemonically attractive, and has been digitally airbrushed to emphasise her stereotypical good looks. This this sense, the representation of gender in Barbie is clearly highly complicated.

On the theatrical poster for NTTD, a hierarchy is constructed to demonstrate the importance of every character to the target audience. Most important is Bond himself. The MES of Bond’s suit connotes a sense of power and financial success. This reinforces the ideology that men have authority over women in a patriarchal society. The secondary character directly addresses the audience, and clearly plays the role of the antagonist through the anchorage of the MES of his distressed skin, marking him as different to the hegemonically attractive Bond. Additionally, there are three representations of women on this power. In the bottom left, we have Lea Seydoux directly addressing the audience. However, while the antagonist addresses the audience in a menacing gesture code, Seydoux addresses the audience in a way that proairetically infers romance. Yet in the background, physically larger to Seydoux, we see Naomi, a woman dressed in military clothes and clutching a gun, a classic example of an action code. This unconventional representation of women forms a diametric opposition opposition to Lea Seydoux. As the only black woman in the poster, the fact that Naomi is clad completely in military gear and holding a large gun reinforces the stereotypical assumption that black people are dangerous

Kiss of the vampire - introduction to essay structure and detailed representational analysis

Example question - Explore how the representation of gender is constructed in the theatrical poster for Kiss of the Vampire [and compare it to this thing you’ve never seen!]

For introductions, use DAC - definition, argument, context

Example one

Representation refers to the ways in which something is presented again by the producer of a media product to construct meaning and to present an ideology to the target audience. In this essay, I shall argue that the representation of gender in the theatrical poster for KOTV is wholly conventional stereotypical of gender roles at the time in which it was made. However, I shall also argue that there are many elements which defy stereotypes. KOTV was released in England in 1963, and was produced by Hammer Studios. 

Example two

Representation refers to when a person, issue or event is constructed by the media producer to present their ideological perspective and construct a compelling narrative.  In this essay, I shall argue that while there are many conventional aspects to the representation of gender, the poster notably breaks many stereotypes about men and women. Kiss Of The Vampire was produced by Hammer studios and released in 1963, at a time of unprecedented liberalisation and cultural change. 

For paragraphs use PEA - Point, evidence, analyse/argument 

Please note that the following analyses are not really PEA paragraphs, they are chatty, group based analyses. However, they give you some good examples of content.

• The MES of the enormous bat fighting the woman constructs a representation of an unconventional and powerful woman. This idea is reinforced by the facial expression and the gesture code of the female vampire, which conversely constructs representation of women as strong, brave and even violent. The vampire’s facial expression is surprisingly vicious, and constructs a binary opposition between her and the defenseless woman immediately to the left of the composition. Additionally, her face is screwed up in a not conventionally attractive way, which subverts the exp0ectation that the function of women in a media product is to be beautiful and hegemonically attractive. In this sense, we see the poster subverting Van Zoonen’s assertion of the male gaze. However, the MES of her body still functions as spectacle for a heterosexual male audience through her loose dress and emphasis on her breasts.
• Conversely the male vampire forms an opposition with the female vampire. The MES of his facial expression suggests that he is terrified, and is an unconventional representation of masculinity. This is further reinforced through the gesture code suggested by his arms, as he frantically tries to protect the stereotypically attractive damsel in distress. However, the the MES of the vampire’s cape and the subtle MES of fangs constructs this character as a vampire, yet breaks stereotypes of vampires and constructs an unconventional representation of men. For audiences at the time, they may be shocked at the dominant ideology being broken, and a more vulnerable representation of men being constructed. This unexpected convention provides a more unique and enticing element for the target audience. 
• The castle in the background constructs a stereotypical representation of Eastern Europe. While referring to no country in particular, it is a highly stereotypical representation, and constructs eastern Europe as miserable, dystopian, and dangerous. This notion is reinforced through the MES of bats, which connotes danger, and spookiness
• The colour palette lacks an emphasis on bright colors, which is highly typical of the vampire subgenre. Colour is crucial in constructing gender representations and stereotypes. For example, the male vampire is clothed almost entirely in dark clothes which is symbolic of both evil and power. This forms a binary opposition with both of the female characters in this poster, who are wearing white dresses that are clearly underwear. This binary opposition between the well dressed man and the under dressed vulnerable women reinforces the stereotypes that were dominant at the time. Liesbet Van Zoonen argued that women are situated within media products to be presented as a spectacle to a heterosexual male audience. Furthermore, we see the male and female characters being represented in completely different ways.
• However, the representation of women, in particular the female vampire, is highly polysemic. While the female vampire is constructed as hegemonically attractive through the MES of her revealing costume, a subversive representation is encoded through her violent and even hegemonically unattractive facial expression. By presenting an unusual and even subversive representation of women to the target audience, the producer is clearly avoiding genre repetition and providing audiences with an exciting and new representation of women. 
• The gesture codes of the female characters are essentially in construction both hegemonic and subversive representations of women. On the left of the poster, the unconscious human woman is flopped elegantly against the male vampire. Being unconscious is a symbol of weakness and vulnerability, and is stereotypical of the representation of women. Yet in spite of this trauma, she still remains hegemonically attractive. This reinforces the dominant ideological perspective that the function of women in media products is to be a spectacle, and to be looked at by a heterosexual male audience. Yet this is wholly subverted through the dominant and proactive and threatening gesture code of the female vampire, which again forms an exciting binary opposition for the target audience 

A brief introduction to bell hooks

Feminism is for everybody???

The idea that feminism can be for everybody, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity and social class puzzles some people. How can an ideology that is clearly about women have anything to offer men? however, hooks was clear in her no-nonsense academic approach that she championed that "Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression"

From the first page of the introduction of Feminism is for Everybody:

Everywhere I go I proudly tell folks who want to know who I am and what I do that I am a writer, a feminist theorist, a cultural critic. I tell them I write about movies and popular culture, analyzing the message in the medium. Most people find this exciting and want to know more. Everyone goes to movies, watches television, glances through magazines, and everyone has thoughts about the messages they receive, about the images they look at. It is easy for the diverse public I encounter to understand what I do as a cultural critic, to understand my passion for writing (lots of folks want to write, and do).

But feminist theory - that's the place where the questions stop. Instead I tend to hear all about the evil of feminism and the bad feminists: how "they" hate men; how "they" want to go against nature and god; how "they" are all lesbians; how "they" are taking all the jobs and making the world hard for white men, who do not stand a chance. 

When I ask these same folks about the feminist books or magazines they read, when I ask them about the feminist talks they have heard, about the feminist activists they know, they respond by letting me know that everything they know about feminism has come into their lives thirdhand, that they really have not come close enough to feminist movement to know what really happens, what it's really about. Mostly they think feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men. They do not even think about feminism as being about rights - about women gaining equal rights. When I talk about the feminism I know - up close and personal- they willingly listen, although when our conversations end, they are quick to tell me I am different, not like the "real" feminists who hate men, who are angry. I assure them I am as a real and as radical a feminist as one can be, and if they dare to come closer to feminism they will see it is not how they have imagined it.

So how could feminism address the issues that plague men as well as women?

Feminism addresses ideas and expectations of toxic masculinity; the idea that men must show no emotions and must be strong, independent, macho. This ultimately opens up the possibility of true equality. 

Men who cry are often insulted with certain words; pussy, weak, coward, bitch. These words are emasculating and these words are often gendered. It is also an example of dehumanisation (through removing what makes us inherently human, through removing a freedom of choice and expression), and reinforces the ideological perspective that women are weak. It is a way of hegemonically policing behaviours and attitudes.

What does bell hooks have to say about feminism?

Women must have choice and agency over their bodies, for example reproductive freedom, e.g. the freedom to choose to have an abortion

However, one cannot be a feminist if one forces their opinions on other women, and removes this right from others

Feminism is something we must fight for, hooks is angry about the state of the world, and we must use radical methods to change the way in which women (and men!) are treated

Repetition and difference of genre in Kiss of the Vampire

Kiss of the Vampire - a conventional horror film??

The Disney Junior show Vampirina takes the generic conventions of the vampire narrative, and differentiates it to such a level that instead of murdering people, vampires in this world seem to hang around and make friends and upload dance videos to YouTube. Therefore the vampire genre can be sanitised to such a level it appeals to 6 year old girls, while also being instantly recognisable as vampire narrative. That's repetition and difference!

Conventional - the aspects we typically expect to see. Average, normal, plays by the rules

• The character archetypes are typical of the vampire film 
• Characters have little expectations of vampires and the supernatural 
• The MES of the creepy, gothic house
• 19th century period setting
• Isolated setting, 
• Initially romantic narrative
• Screams
• Swarms of bats
• Dark gloomy setting
• Dry ice
• Vampires 
• Disturbing music 
• However, the film categorically lacks
• Blood
• Explicit depictions of death
• Jump scares
• Elaborate transformations 
• MES of bats on screen 
• Vampires themselves!
• Gesture codes, holding up a robe 
• MES of fangs
• Facial expressions - not very expressive
• Big, gothic mansion/castle 
• 19th century setting 
• Period setting 
• Themnes of conspiracy
• Low key lighting
• Intense, orchestral soundtrack 
• A highly conventional 60’s British horror film
• British accents
• An extremely conservative film, with very little violence, sex or nudity 

What would modern horror films do differently?

• A wider variety of shot types 
• Higher quality/high production values
• Faster paced editing
• Gore, blood violence 

Steve Neale  - genre repetition and difference 

When making a media product, producers will typically repeat certain genre conventions. This allows audiences to recognise the genre, and therefore actually consume the product. However, producers will typically provide the audience with some difference. Producers will typically repeat and reuse certain genre conventions to communicate to the target audience the precise genre, who will be familiar with these generic elements. However, little things will be added to even generic products to provide differentiation. 

A few facts about early cinema…

•  The first ‘motion picture’ was filmed in 1888, Round Haye Garden Scene
• However the first publicly screened film was by the Lumiere Bros in Paris in 1895
• However, in 1878, the animated sequence The Horse in Motion was first invented 
• Some early films were hand coloured, but the first true colour film was released in 1909
• Film is shot on celluloid film strips, and the illusion of movement is achieved by quickly feeding it through a projector at approximately 25 frames per second 
• Cinema originated in France in the late 19th century
• The earliest films were under a minute long
• The first commercial screening of a film was facilitated by the Lumiere brothers in 1895
• However, arguably the first film was ‘The Galloping Horse’ by Eadweard Muybridge
• However, this film was more of a flip book, and was exhibited at fayres, exhibitions, fairgrounds and arcades 

Making posters and resources

 In this session, you will use your knowledge and design acumen to make G111 actually look good.

To do this, you will make posters.

You will be placed in to a new seating plan. This is your permanent seating plan (at least until we get bored of it)

You will also be placed in to groups.

Using pens A3 paper and your own ingenuity, you will make posters on ONE (or maybe more, let's see how you do) of the following topics:

• Media language - the big words we use in media. Not just shot types and camera angles, but hegemony and ideology and proairetics and all that good stuff
• Media language theories - Barthes, Levi-Strauss and Neale are who we have covered so far. What are they all about?
• Representation theory 1 - Hall and Van Zoonen - these people are the 'basic' representation theorists. What examples can you pick out to make their theories interesting and understandable? Perhaps this could be split in two?
• Representation theory 2 - bell hooks and Gilroy - These theorists are 'advanced' because they are more complex and in-depth. So you're really going to need to think hard about how to make this one look good! (MAYBE THIS ONE COULD BE SPLIT IN TO TWO?)
• Audience - key audience concepts, like target audience, and also Gerbner's cultivation theory
• The tide Advert - completely smash this sexist and straightforward advert apart! And make it look good! Also, context! Van Zoonen is super useful here
• Super.Human - Channel 4's ill fated attempt to be inclusive and diverse ended up annoying a lot of people! What does it do right, and what problems does it raise? Remember some context! Is this intersectional feminism? I DON'T KNOW!!
• Kiss of the Vampire - LOTS of opportunities for cool bat drawings and that. Focus on representation here. Gilroy's othering is a good one to use
• Unseen analysis - Grab a high end fashion or perfume advert and analyse it! But use all the big words and big concepts!
• The textual analysis toolkit - make a poster with just the key words and the definitions of the key words we have used so far. I'll have to take it down every time we do an exam...

Problematising advertisements

Previously we have explored how bell hooks argued that feminism is a radical reaction to issues that people of all genders face as a result of women being oppressed and subjugated by patriarchal hegemony. She argued we should even question seemingly positive and welcoming media products as reinforcing negative stereotypes and causing societal issues.

Similarly, Paul Gilroy argued that certain groups in the UK, for example black people, travellers, queer people and women are routinely othered, or 'made different' by representations in media products.

You are going to look for issues in the three case study adverts: Tide, Super.Human and Kiss Of The Vampire. 

Task 1 - problematising the case studies 

Find the three above case studies on the blog. Copy and paste them in to your PowerPoint or whatever you are completing this work in. Then answer the following questions FOR ALL THREE Adverts. You can either write in bullet points or full sentences, but PLEASE use the textual analysis toolkit and use media words to back up your points. 

For each advert... 

• What issues are there with the representations?
• Who created this advert and why? 
• What assumptions are being made about gender? 
• What groups are being othered (made different) and how? 
• Who benefits from these representations? 
• How can it be 'fixed' and made less problematic? 

Discussion - "Go woke and go broke"

This catchphrase, used by online culture warriors to describe a perceived tendency for producers to address 'progressive representations' at the expense of the perceived, pre-existing 'core' audience really demonstrates exactly how toxic the debate has become. 'Woke' signifiers' (the term now stretched beyond it's original meaning) can include representation of non-hegemonic lifestyles, ethnic minorities, queer themes and even a character having pink hair.

So why do some people get so angry about diverse representations in media products?

Task 2 - inclusive advertising

We've been quite negative for the first task. So how do we address these issues? How can producers construct an advert that is inclusive, but also that ensures profit?

Construct EITHER a cleaning product advertisement or the theatrical or teaser poster for a new horror film that addresses at least some of the following problematic issues:

• Othering
• Sexism
• Racism
• Ableism

Super.Human - semiotic analysis tasks and unseen comparison practice (independent work)

 For today's session you'll be analyzing Super.Human. Again! It could come up in the final exam, and you will need need to know it like the back of your hand.

1 - Semiotic analysis of Super.Human

For each of the following headings, fill an entire PowerPoint slide with one entire image. If you don't want to make your own screenshots, just click here to find some! Then, simply label it with notes. Yes, I understand using an image to write about sound doesn't actually work.

• SOUND - Audio track: So You Want to be a Boxer by Bugsy Malone
• EDITING - pace and techniques
• CINEMATOGRAPHY - shot types, camera angles, camera movement
• MISE EN SCENE - It's everything in the shot!
• WRITTEN CODES - writing on screen, especially LEXIS
• HERMENUETIC, PROAIRETIC, SYMBOLIC CODES - Barthes' symphony!

2 - Unseen analysis

If Super.Human comes up in the final exam, it will be as a comparison with another piece of media, that usually will have some similarities and some differences. So you must get used to analyzing completely different media you have never seen before!

Click here to watch 'MOST SOCKING SECOND A DAY' promotional video, an example of a charity advert from Save The Children, used to raise awareness of children living in active conflicts and to encourage audiences to donate.

The video is quite upsetting, which is a convention of charity adverts.

• Analyze the advert using the many MANY words you have available to you on the textual analysis toolkit (click here!)
• How does this advert position and situate it's audience? Where are we? Who are we, and why does this matter?
• Both this advert and Super.Human raise awareness of certain issues. How do they differ? Should the Super.Human advert be more hard hitting?

All notes on your PowerPoint please. However, if this is not possible, please complete the work in any way that is appropriate. Thank you so much for your understanding!

KA5 mock exam October 2024 including how to write a high level analytical response

Component one section A

Total time allowed: fifty-four minutes

You are advised to spend thirty minutes answering the questions in section A, and the remaining 24 minutes answering section B.

1 – Media language

Question 1 is based on the theatrical poster for the 1963 film From Russia With Love

Click image to view in full size. CTRL click image to view in full size in new tab

1. Explore how media language in the theatrical poster to From Russia With Love  constructs meanings. [15]

Component one section B

2-1 Briefly explain what is meant by digital convergence [2]

2-2 Briefly explain what is meant by vertical integration [2]

3-1 In what ways can newspapers target and construct their audiences? Make reference to The Daily Mirror to support your answer [10]

3-2 In what ways can audiences actively engage with videogames? Make reference to the Assassin's Creed franchise to support your answer [10]

Feedback and analysis

Regardless of the grade you got in your last mock, you need to check out this rresource. Naamah has created an excellent document about the difference between low level analysis and high level analysis.

This raises a big issue in A-level media studies: the so-called ‘common sense’ answer. Writing something like “The mise-en-scene of Bond’s tuxedo suggests he is powerful” is not really pushing the envelope in terms of analysis. The reason for this is that anyone could write this. You could turn up to the first media lesson, learn that ‘mise-en-scene refers to everything in the shot’, then just completely ditch the course for two years and write the same sentence. We know suits mean power, and we also know that suits are typically worn by men.

So how to surprise the examiner? Well, why not link it to genre? Here’s how to add some meat to the bones of that statement:

“The mise-en-scene of Bond’s tuxedo is connotative of power, and functions as a proairetic code, suggesting that not only does Bond, the protagonist have agency, he will also be actively driving the narrative of this film. Audiences will be able to recognise the genre codes of both the action and the spy genres, and, through the process of intertextual relay, constructs a relatable and recognisable mode of address. Furthermore, the iconography of a powerful man reinforces and cultivates hegemonic expectations of patriarchal hegemonic roles for the target audience. By ensuring that the film reinforces dominant ideological perspectives, the producers will be able to minimise risk and maximise the profit potential of this new and exciting film. ”

Initial diagnostic assessment task

• Codes and conventions
• Camera work – framing, shot types, angle, position, movement
• Editing – pace, type of edits, continuity/montage Structure/narrative
• Sound – music/dialogue/voiceover 
• Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 

The language of semiotics

Semiotics is the study of meaning. Semiotic analysis or deconstruction is where a student breaks down a media product to work out it's deeper meaning.

One issue with this is that it's very possible to just 'go off on one' and have a bit of a rant. We all have opinions on the deeper meaning of things, and online forums are absolutely stuffed with fans theorising over the meanings of their favorite products. 

What Barthes and other semioticians attempted to introduce to the discipline was a unifying structure and language of analysis. This enabled semioticians to precisely pull meaning from media products. The language is often complex-sounding and rather fearsome. Yet ultimately, semiotics is about how meaning is created. It just uses the right words.

COOL FACT - Roland Barthes wasn't the only semiotician. Far from it! Other named theorists we study in media studies who absolutely rely on and expand upon semiotics include Levi-Strauss, Baudrillard and Hall. Therefore, an excellent analysis will use the language of many of these theorists, spliced together. 

Below is a selection of words related to semiotics and post-structuralist deconstruction that will help you make your answers more precise and confident to boot. 

Semiotic analysis allows us to make sense of the world around us. Even mundane situations can be filled with colour, lexis, fonts, costume codes and layouts that construct a vast array of meanings

Semiotic analysis keywords

This is a list in progress. If you spot any 'big media words' that you love, then let us know!

Connote - a suggestion of the deeper meaning

Signify - again a suggestion of a deeper meaning, a level below the sign

Constructs - to build meaning

Designates - to assign meaning

Anchor - to 'weigh down' meaning, or to 'fix' meaning. A perfect example is a caption

Myth - a recurring story that keeps arising in societal contexts, for example 'the American dream' or 'the structures of democracy'

Mytheme - a single element of a myth, for example 'st George slays the dragon' or 'Aladdin finds the magic lamp' or 'losing everything before fortunes change'

Encode - to build or 'put meaning in to something' 

Narrative codes - anything related to telling or furthering a story. For example an intertitle with the time and date functions as a narrative code, clearly indicating the passage of time to the audience. A fade to black or other transition can do the same thing

Visual codes - anything the audience can see that creates meaning. This is very broad, but a red dress may encode a sense of glamour and romance

Technical code - the ways in which a media product is constructed that construct meaning. For example, the use of rapid fire editing connotes a sense of urgency and hostility

Gesture code - things subjects do with their bodies or faces that construct meaning. Therefore, the gesture code of a beckoning finger may directly address the audience, and position them discretely within the world of the narrative

Genre code - the elements that construct genre. For example, knives, masks and blood are genre codes of the slasher film. This term is broadly synonymous with genre conventions

Symbolic codes - Something that suggests a deeper meaning. A middle-aged character situated in the MES of a powerful sport's car may symbolically represent a mid-life crisis

Proairetic code - Something that suggests that something is going to happen. For example, a shock zoom could suggest a sudden and surprising event

Hermenutic code - Something that asks a question or constructs a mystery. For example the MES of a knife sticking out of a corpse's back will encourage the audience to decode the mystery as to who killed them...

Cultural code - where a specific culture is made reference to in a media product. For example Top Boy constructs a hyperreal representation of black, urban criminal culture, and Silent Witness constructs a hyperreal representation of white, middle class law-enforcement culture. The audience's knowledge and expectations of these will affect their interpretation

Referential codes/intertextuality - where one media product makes reference to another media product. This can be for reasons of comedy and satire. Also it can simply be a narrative shortcut. For example, the huge wooden gates in Jurassic Park are a clear reference to King Kong, which also proairetically suggests the awful things that are about to happen...

Naturalisation - where a code is repeated over time until it becomes seen as being 'normal'. For example the idea that people with a facial scar are evil, that pretty people are the main character, that rain is depressing and that a big pair of glasses makes someone a massive nerd

Cultivated -  

Message reduction - 

Implosion - 

Paradigmatic feature - an element that suggests genre. Another way of saying 'genre convention', but fancy

Structure - How a media product is put together

Fetishisation - where a person or object is presented in an obsessive manner. Fetishisation is often sexual, but it does not have to be. For example, in Mad Max Fury Road, water is fetishised and used as a system of control. In The Wolf Of Wall Street, money is fetishised to a significant level, and is often conflated with sex...

Modes of address - how a media product 'talks' to it's audience. For example, using smaller font and fewer pictures in a magazine will address the audience in a sophisticated manner 

Diegetically situated - diegesis is the world of the narrative. So if something is diegetically situated, it means it exists in the world of the narrative. Examples include gunshot sound effects, props, costumes... anything the characters within the narrative could see or hear

Positioning - how the audience are 'placed' by the producer. For example, romantic comedies will often position the female middle-aged target audience with the female main character

Alignment - where the audience are positioned in such a way as to agree with the ideology of a media product. This is a complex technique that involves positioning, anchorage and so on. 

Deconstruct - to break down a media product to work out it's meaning

Exploring diametric oppositions in the audiovisual spot advertisement for L'interdit by Givenchy

This post is an analysis of the video advertisement for L'Interdit. Click here to check it out!

How do diametric oppositions construct meanings in the advertisement for L’interdit by Givenchy?

• The use of warm and cold colours, anchored through both high and low key lighting, constructs an opposition between a safe and comforting environment, and a dangerous yet also exciting atmosphere 
• Furthermore a diametric opposition is constructed between wealth and poverty. The model’s costume is elegant, sleek and fashion forward. However, rather than remaining in her exclusive private party, the model enters a public transport hub (the Paris Metro). Additionally, the elegance of her costume contrasts enormously with the danger of the location she entering. The various shady characters directly address both the model and the audience, and position us in an uncomfortable mode of address. This is significantly anchored through the use of low key lighting, which symbolizes mystery and threat. However, the sense of threat and danger forms a binary opposition with the welcoming faces of the partygoers, and their their physical attractiveness. 
• The spacious and distant nature of the house party, along with the cold and empty streets stands opposed to the stuffy, cramped, hot tunnels underground. This sense of hot is anchored through the use of warm colours. 
• Finally, light and dark also form a complex opposition. The adverts keeps alternating between light and dark, but also natural and artificial light.  
• A contrast is constructed between the soft, low key natural lighting of the apartment, and the harsh, in your face, unnatural lighting of the Paris Metro. Additionally, there is a notable shift between the above ground streets of Paris, and the underground of the metro. This sudden shift of tone symbolizes the model becoming more extroverted and more comfortable with herself 
• The advert begins with an upbeat classical arpeggio, which slowly shifts into a more aggressive electronic kind of club music. By shifting from classical music to upbeat modern music, once more it is suggested that the model has found confidence 
• The model’s high end and fancy dress forms a binary opposition with the dirty wet streets of Paris. Furthermore, we cut from a CU of the model’s face to a troubling POV shot from the window of a car, constructing a voyeuristic mode of address. By referencing the conventions of the horror film, the Givenchy advert constructs a binary opposition between a threatening horror narrative and a luxury perfume

Textual analysis - Brad Pitt in Brioni

• The cream coloured suit being worn by the model contrasts significantly wit the warm, reddish background colours constructing and reinforcing the importance of the model 
• The lighting is soft and low key, and presents a honey coloured colour pallet, which creates a smooth and welcoming mode of address 
• The MES of the model’s jewellery connotes both wealth and success. The boldness and largeness of his sovereign ring is the opposite of subtle, and situates the model as a confident, successful individual. 
• The jewellery is understated, and fits in with the colour palette of the rest of the image, constructing Pitt as both fashionable and down to earth. 
• The notion of Pitt being effortlessly fashionable is further anchored through his laidback body language, leaning effortlessly into a wall. Furthermore, the MES of his undone buttons connotes a laid back attitude 
• Outfit contrasts with background/setting, constructing a sense of the model standing out and being the main focus of the image
• The font of Brioni is sophisticated, elegant and even desirable, and suggests it’s expensive nature will appeal to a posh audience 
• The position of the model’s hand connotes confidence, and suggests that the model is a confident person 
• The MES of the advert constructs a sense of simplicity and formality. It suggests not only classiness, but also hints at the expense of the suit
• The jewelry of the model is significant and easily noticeable, and clearly connotes the material wealth of the model. Therefore Brioni as a brand is clearly associated with appearance
• It is not immediately clear what the advert is selling, which assumes that the audience is aware of the brand and their produce. This is typical of high end fashion adverts 
• The advert completely lacks any reference to price, which suggests that the advert is targeting a high end, high income target audience. There is an implicit assumption about the quality and the price of the product, and like much high end fashion, the advert operates on on the idea that ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ 
• The advert is set in a home, and the MES is overwhelmingly fancy, suggesting the target audience are rich
• The MES of the model’s hair is well manicured, and suggests style and status. It is not a practical haircut, and being neatly held up, suggests Pitt’s upper middle class status. By being swept back, it demonstrates confidence and emphasizes his face. 
• Pitt is a classic metrosexual, a heterosexual man who clearly takes care of his body and appearance 

Introduction to newspaper magazines and examples of newspaper magazine double page spreads

What are newspaper magazines?

Newspaper magazines target a very specific niche in a tried and tested manner. What are some of the generic conventions of the newspaper magazine? How do they target their audience effectively? And who are they even targeting?

• Conventional use of headings and subheadings allows the producer to convey the message or ideology in a simple and straightforward 
• Pull quotes are used to highlight important aspects of the interview, suggesting the target audience lead busy lifestyles. Pull quotes also function as proairetic codes, inviting the target audience in
• The lexis is sophisticated, reasonably complex and specifically targets a middle-aged and middle class target audience
• Models and interviewees are often middle class and potentially midget. The main image of Sally Rooney features a stereotypically middle class coded dress, that clearly would appeal to the middle aged target demographic
• The use of models is often aspirational to a middle class target audience, and constructs a glamorous and fashionable lifestyle 
• Articles are typically written by journalists, and also typically construct a somewhat complex narrative. This is highly conventional of Sunday supplement magazines 
• Typically, they cover a wide range of topics, including interviews and information about celebrities. However they tend to avoid scandalous gossip and rumours
• They tend to target a specific audience. Middle aged, middle class and living a comfortable lifestyle
• Sell an aspirational lifestyle 
• A range of hegemonically attractive women are used throughout the article, functioning as a source of aspiration for the target audience 
• A sophisticated lexis is employed throughout. Examples of sophisticated words and phrases “I found social life completely mystifying” and terms like 'euphemism’ 
• Articles typically will construct an often complex narrative to the audience. Often, the journalist will take the role of the narrator, and will insert themselves into the story 
• A sophisticated style that leaves much to audience interpretation
• A simple and straightforward colour scheme often favours a single colour, for example blue. Classy and sophisticated!
• Font selection is straightforward yet sophisticated. Subtle, serif fonts are used 
• The MES of costume often reinforces and suggests a middle class audiences 
• Use of a large, main image, anchored by several smaller images 
• Fashion articles often employ an edgy, grainy, flash saturated aesthetic, constructs a nostalgic and aspirational mode of address
• A big emphasis on writing, suggests a more sophisticated audience with time on their hands 
• The layout is simple, straightforward, neat, sophisticated, which suggests a middle of the road, straightforward, and particularly large audience

Brief

We very, VERY strongly recommend that you use the style and format of a British BROADSHEET newspaper, and therefore focus on higher production values and an older, middle class target audience.

You are NOT making a magazine double page spread, you are making a NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE double page spread. What this means, in practice, is a clean, simple, straightforward layout with high quality images and an interview feature that constructs a compelling narrative. Please use the below examples to construct your layout.

• Double-page feature article from a new British newspaper’s weekend supplement (or extract from a longer article):
• Headline and stand-first
• Feature article (approximately 200 words) on the artist or band’s attempting to ‘break into’ another country
• An interview with the artist or band
• Column layout appropriate for a newspaper’s weekend supplement
• One main image and additional smaller/minor images (all original and different from the images on the poster); these may include photographs of the artist/band on the music video set, but ‘stills’ from the music video must not be used
• At least one pull-quotation
• A running header and page numbers

Examples of British newspaper magazine double page spreads and interviews

Check out this huge .pdf resource of excellent, high quality magazine double page spreads! Thanks so much Naamah!

Here's a few more from various Times on Sunday supplements, all published Sunday 22nd September 2024

KA5 mock exam 2024

The KA5 mock exam is the first mock exam of your second year. It's designed to evaluate everything you learned over the first year. Perhaps more importantly, it's the final opportunity for teachers to assess you before submitting your final UCAS predicted grade. 

Due to the nature of the component one exam (which is what you spent the whole of first year preparing for!), we cannot tell you what is coming up. However, we can tell you the following:

The exam will be structured as follows

•             One 15 mark/30 minute unseen media language question. Anything could come up for this, print or video, you will have never seen it before, and you will have no way of knowing what it is. 

•             Two audience questions, adding up to 20 marks/20 minutes. Two of the following industries will come up: advertising, newspapers, radio, videogames. 

•             Two very short ‘define the industry key term’ questions. 4 marks/4 minutes total

Total length: 54 minutes

The KA5 week will NOT be collapsed, so the timetable will be normal, and the exam will be taken in lesson.

Applying semiotic theory to high end fashion advertising

Roland Barthes and semiotic theory - 'the symphony of codes'

The Ely Sinfonia. Orchestral music works by lots of instruments coming together to produce a harmonious sound. Barthes argued that media products worked in the same way, with musicians replaced with codes.

• Barthes argued that media products communicate a complex series of meanings to their audiences through a range of visual codes and technical codes. 
• A code is anything that means something. It could be a costume, a colour, a facial expression, a shot type; anything.
• Barthes suggested a number of different code functions, that themselves combine to construct meaning.  For example, we have the proairetic, symbolic, hermeneutic, referential, and so on.
• After many years of codes being repeated, their meaning can become generally agreed upon by society. For example, a scar on the face of a character can function as a hermeneutic code, indicating to the audience that they are ‘the villain’.

Barthesian codes 

Codes refer to any element of media language that creates meaning for the audience. Here are three of the most important examples

Hermeneutic codes

Also known as enigma codes, these refer to something within the media product that creates mystery or suspense

Proairetic codes

Also known as action codes, this refers to something within a media product that suggests that something will happen

Symbolic codes

Something within a media product that creates a deeper meaning for the audience

Task - analyse the promotional image at the top of this post, making explicit reference to both media language and Barthes' symphony

• The beach is a model, which is symbolic of being fake. Yet is also constructs a perfect, delightful beach scene. By association, this idea of flawless perfection can be ap[plied to Gucci.
• The MES of the model’s smile is connotative of her confidence and happiness. The model’s enormous size provides anchorage here, and constructed a sense of superiority and confidence. The model’s confident pose functions as a proairetic code, and suggests that she is headed to the beach . 
• The MES of the graphic logo on the model’s swimsuit functions as a symbolic code. The representation of a palm tree symbolises holidays, the West coast of America, and luxury. By including the logo so prominently, Gucci are explicitly promoting their brand and associating it with all the positive vibes.
• The colour palette is dominated by warm colours, and is connotative of sunsets and luxury, and reinforces the idea that Gucci is a luxury brand 
• The sheer size of the model constructs a powerful hermeneutic code, and asks the audience why she is so big. The sight of a huge woman ‘attacking’ a miniature city makes reference to vintage monster films from the early days of cinema, and constructs a nostalgic mode of address. The fakeness of the town creates a contrast with the explicit reality of the woman, and suggests the the quality of the product. 
• The tie dye colour scheme is symbolic of the 1980s, and the positive colours suggest that the world itself revolves around Gucci. 

 

Gucci Lunar New Year campaign 2022

• The model is lying in a relaxed manner. Her composure is anchored through her facial expression, which seems to lack any emotion. Her expressionless face functions as a proairetic code, and suggests that the model will have a relaxing evening lying on the sofa. 
• The model’s expression is polysemic, and also functions as an hermeneutic code, asking the audience why she seems to lack any emotion. However, the audience will also be confused as to the mise en scene of the enormous tiger lying at her feed. This combination of codes constructs a sense of confidence, relaxation, and control. By extension, the advert symbolically infers that Gucci is a powerful brand worn by powerful people. 
• The tiger itself is symbolic of exoticism, power and foreign countries. This sense of exoticism is anchored and emphasised through the heavy use of silk, a material associated with wealth and east asian nations. The archetecture is also reminiscent of east asian classical archetecture. Finally, the ethnicity of the model is used to symbolise a sense of East Asian culture, and is clearly an attempt by Gucci to target Chinese audience
• The golden colours symbolise a fiery personality, while the colour blue symbolises calm. However the colours of the setting itself is drab and uninteresting… or is is symbolic of gold and material wealth? It anchors the notion that the model is rich and powerful.
• There are many complex patterns that threaten to odminate the image, yet they are balanced out by the subtle and elegant colour scheme. This is symbolic of the cool and stylish nature of Gucci, and stands as a counterpoint to the stereotype of rich people living in pristine white houses
• The colour gold is connotative of wealth, and the MES of the tiger further symbolises a luxurious lifestyle. It suggests that Gucci is associated with wealthy and luxurious lifestyles.
• The function of an advert is to sell not a product but a lifestyle and identity. The MES of the old fashioned landline phone here symbolises generational wealth, and suggests that Gucci is targeting a particularly privileged demographic. However, it also makes reference to an idealised and romanticised vision of the 1990s, of teen movies and teenage dreams