P block student newspaper 2024 - The Trumpet

 

Using the pick and mix theory - Gauntlet’s model of identity

 

Football news

• Football coverage is important for certain audiences, as it functions as aspirational escapism. 
• Information: finding out if your favourite team is winning is important, as football fans form an intense emotional bond with their team
• Discussions about football allow fans to form intense friendships with one another, meaning that learning more about football leads to exciting social situations
• Specific lexis that only fans of sport will understand. By understanding this language , it validates the audience as a football fan 
• Information can be used to form friendships ad to exchange information with other football fans
• Provides information to fans in a way that they will understand 

Articles about the weather

• These articles allow audiences social interaction through being able to look after and protect their friends and family 
• Talking about the weather is a stereotypical British pastime, and this reinforces patriotic values 
• The weather is an event which is shared by everybody, gives a sense of collective unity
• It is a stereotype that British people like to talk about the weather. It is a conversation starter, and provides us with a sense of national identity 

Hard news stories about crime and murder

• Negative and depressing news stories are popular, because they are interesting 
• Audiences can be aware of terrible things that happen in the world, giving them an opportunity to prepare 
• These stories are enjoyable. Audiences can take a grim form of escapism, and realise that their lives are so much better
• Finally, we can share these stories with friends, and therefore increase the opportunity for social interaction
• Audiences will doubtless react negatively to stories like this. It is clear that depressing and awful stories hold appeal
• An enjoyment of the narrative. These dramatic stories provide escapism to audiences. It is interesting, and different from their day to day life 
• While not everyone will enjoy reading horrible stories about death, The Mirror online provides many different opportunities to pick and mix instead 

The effects model in context

Researching the TV industry

Before you complete these tasks, think very carefully about the implications of me setting this precise work less than a week before your mock exam.

Also, this is a lot of work. If you do it all to a high standard, it is at least three hours of work. You have your work cut out for you. But it's all useful, and it's all completely doable independently. 

Task one: researching Les Revenants and industry concerns

For this task, you will create and compile a fact file of information related to Les Revenants and how it functions as a TV show. To do this, you will use an official EDUQAS resource to help collate this information.

Yes, this is going to involve a lot of copy and pasting, answering brief questions and so on.

Do this - click here and work through the tasks, watch the videos, and if there's a dead link, just move on

Task two: researching San Junipero and industry concerns

Once more the exam board have some great resources that you may or may not be aware of. One of these are 'blended learning' resources, that are basically extra online lessons to complement and inform your in-class lessons. While you're on the page, you may wish to click around, as this stuff is perfect for your daily revision.

Click here. Then click 'open resource', then click '5.0 - media industries' from the drop down on the left. Work through the tasks. Have fun!

Un Chien Andalou - initial discussion and narrative elements

Un Chien Andalou - initial discussion

Micro - Cinematography, editing, MES, performance, sound
Macro - Narrative, genre

• Use of intertitles creates a confusing and atemporal sense of space and time. The first intertitle reads ‘once upon a time which has narrative significance of fairy tales. However, we almost immediately cut to the shocking image of an eyeball being slit open, completely shattering the expectations of the spectator
• Narrative is constructed through highly suggestive and symbolic use of montage. Montage is the utilisation of editing to construct meaning. Here, actions create meaning, not conventional narrative traits, and the shot of Bunuel obsessively sharpening his razor before cutting to the effect of this action constructs a clear and brutal narrative for the spectator. In the centre of this montage, a LS of a cloud seeming cutting through the moon symbolically suggests the cutting of an eye. 
• Objects are changed and substituted throughout the film. For example, the moon is substituted for an eye, a book changes to a gun, clothes change to nudity, a body changes in to a mannikin, breasts transform in to buttocks, armpit hair transforms into
•  a sea urchin… by substitution sings and messages, a theme of fear and change and confusion is constructed
• There are many dead animals in this film. The cow's eye, the dead donkeys, the urchin, and the ants symbolise decay. Here, death represents change 
• Themes of spiritual authority and devotion to god. The MES of priests dragged along the floor constructs a confusing and unpleasant mode of address. It could symbolise the weight of the sins of the priests, and therefore religious corruption. 
• There are many themes of sexual obsession in this film. The shot countershot of the man and the woman reinforces the man’s perverted and villainous facial expressions. Sex and death are constantly combined and conflated in this film. The man appears to be comically aroused by the death of the other woman on the street, and constantly tries to instigate sex with the woman. We cut to his face at the point of orgasm, which seems to suggest that he has died. A trail of blood pours out of his mouth, and his face is completely white. Sex and death are interchangeable in this film, constructing a controversial mode of address
• The final intertitle, Au printemps, in spring, suggests new life, new beginnings. However, we are presented with MS of the lovers, buried up to their waists in the sand, apparently dead. This connotes the idea that true love does not exist, and love itself is a trap. By being stranded in the desert/beach, a highly pessimistic ending is constructed for the spectator

The stripy, wooden box, sometimes worn as jewellery, sometimes containing a severed hand, and found at the end of the film/the end of time smashed and useless can symbolise many things. 

• Different opportunities (ties, hands, smashed)
• A gift, a present, love and devotion 
• Purity and preservation. The hand in the box is not crawling with ants
• A macguffin. Something that drives the narrative and holds it together 

Motivations and character arcs

The Razor Man, played by Luis Bunuel seems to have a single goal; of killing The Woman, or torturing her sadistically. However, his performance is ambivalent, and potentially bored. The symbolic MES of the cloud cutting the moon may suggest that this is a fantasy, or an idle thought

The Woman  - Initially single, isolated and lonely, the woman runs downstairs to steal the Man’s clothes, then constructs a new Man on her bed. By constructing a new boyfriend, this indicates her motivation is love, a need for affection and sexual desire. Her partner clearly dies, and lacking his embrace, she reconstructs him. 

The Man - stares unfazed and impassively at ants crawling out of a hole in his hand, which is symbolic of death and decay. He spends the reset of the film desperately trying to fulfil his sexual desires. Many things get in his way, a pane of glass, then pianos, priests and dead donkey’s all stop him from achieving his desire

How do Freudian principals work as narrative conceits?

Negation – “I’m not racist but…” Negation in this film can be found through the symbolic MES of the moon being cut, with the explicit MES of the eye being cut

The death drive – “I don’t care if I live or die, I'm just here for the ride…” The woman on the road clearly has a death wish, and is spending her last few moments standing in the middle of a road.

Freudian slips – Have you ever called your teacher “mum?” Or said “I have your breast intentions at heart?” - many objects are transformed and substituted in this film. A book transforms in to a gun, and in one montage, crawling ants transform in to a woman’s armpit which then transforms in to a sea urchin

The pleasure principle – that little voice inside us that just wants gratification, no matter what the cost…” - Every character is pursuing pleasure in some way! However, The Man is particularly intense which his acquisition of pleasure

I, Daniel Blake and the film industry

 Initial discussion - what kind of film is I, Daniel Blake?

• A personal narrative that focuses on a normal, working class older man and his health issues. 
• Low budget. Complete lack of CGI, no known actors
• Genre - drama. Problems, issues, real life scenarios. Lack of action scenes, ‘real life’ narrative
• Target audience - perhaps older audiences? Perhaps people with health issues are struggling with the benefits systems? Carers who may relate to the situation. Or perhaps middle class audiences who may not have lived this life. 
• Setting - north of England - Newcastle. Accents are local, and difficult for non-Geordies to understand. 
• Introspective narrative - looks within, but also is a reflection on society. A deeply political film. 

What makes this an independent film?

• No indication of major studios producing or distributing this film. However, there are a number of funders, distributors and independent producers. By being made by many different companies, making this film is a less risky proposal
• Unknown and lesser known actors. Dave Johns was previously a standup comic. 
• Set in Newcastle in the North of England. Run down and depressing, this film clearly targets a niche audience 
• Complete lack of special effects: not appropriate to an independent film/social realist film
• 15 certificate: no potential of maximising an audience 
• Themes are not appealing to a mainstream audience
• Storyline is difficult to convey in a 2 minute trailer 

What issues are encoded in this trailer?

• Unemployment 
• Struggling single mothers
• The UK healthcare and benefits system 
• Poverty
• Foodbanks
• Coping with loss 

In what ways are working class people (ie Daniel Blake) shown to be heroic in this trailer?

• Stands up for the single mother in the Jobcentre
• Woodcarving and carpentry - still working in spire of everything
• Gesture of hand in the air in front of graffiti - peaceful protest

What are some issues which affect our society today?

• Inflation, and monetary issues. Affordability of basic products. Inflation is caused by a number of different factors, both local and global. 
• Discrimination. Racism, sexism, ableism…
• Homelessness. Caused by cost of living, precarious living situation, poverty, mental health concerns and substance abuse issues
• Terrorism. Causes feelings of unease and anxiety 
• Unemployment/underemployment 
• NHS, overcrowded hospitals, long waiting lists 
• Inequality. Some people have notably more than others 
• Lack of education
• Knife crime. Affects young people disproportionately, and certain areas disproportionately 
• Refugees. People fleeing conflict or poverty in other countries, no9t being accepted fpr a variety of different reasons (ignorance, patriotism, fear…) 
• Social media - body issues, political echo chambers, ruins attention span, cultivates depression
• Depression and anxiety - higher usage of social media, global conflicts, climate
• Complete and utter deluge of issues is an issue in itself 
• Mental health and the inadequacy of society in dealing with it. Depression and anxiety are issues which will always affect people, and there are ways of addressing this. However, we can argue that these ways can be inadequate
• Collapse of the healthcare system. Cost saving measures mean that access to therapy, dentistry, physiotherapy etc are now more difficult for certain people, which leads to inequality 
• Crime - the fear of crime can erode communities, lead to distrust and lead to anxiety and depression. Younger people, especially POC are far more likely to be victims of violent crime, eg hate crime, gang violence, knife crime etc
• Poverty. Cost of living crisis. Inflation outstrips wage increases, and certain [people are disproportionately affected
• Corruption - certain wealthy people are not using their wealth to help people. 
• Class divide. The gap between rich and poor, middle class and working class has become extreme. Social mobility is a myth, it is very hard to move from one social class to another, and for many people, simply living day to day is a struggle 
• War - our leaders have direct impacts on other people's lives. Reinforces ideas of inequalities, and also refugees fleeing war torn countries must be homed and looked after. War can cause huge price inequality
• Climate change - more and more extreme weather events will become the norm for many people, disportionately affecting 3rd world countries, overwhelmingly caused by developed nations 
• Helplessness…

Who produced I Daniel Blake?

• Produced by Sixteen Films, a production company established by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty in 2002 to make the film Sweet Sixteen
• A range of international distributors and funders . British funders include the BFI and the BBC, while there are many French funder, including Cine + (A subsidiary of Canal) and France Television. Ken Loach is particularly popular in France!

Social and political contexts - what does this mean, and how can we apply this to I Daniel Blake?

• In 2016, Teresa May’s conservative party was in power. While the film doesn’t make reference to May, we can argue that the film is an explicit criticism of the conservative party. Making an explicitly political film can reduce a target audience. Not only are those not represented by this film less likely to engage with, the anti-conservative bias makes it less appealing to conservative. But is this film propaganda?

I Daniel Blake - what kind of film is this?

• Drama - based around a heart attack - human drama 
• Documentary style - no unnatural camera positions, naturalistic acting style, ‘realistic’ mode of address, sparing use of score/non-diegetic soundtrack, 
• British setting. Regional, Newcastle accent (Geordie). Lacks mainstream appeal 
• Unclear narrative, although it is simple and straight
• Based around the UK benefits system and the issues which surround this. Potentially will only appeal to UK audiences 
• Extremely mysterious opening: over a minute spent looking at a pitch black screen. Signifies targeting a less mainstream audience 
• Social realist film - a film about issues in modern society 

Conventions of social realist cinema

• Issues that affect those most vulnerable in our society
• Often, but not always set in the north of England
• A depiction of the working class as being heroic 

Examples of previous films by Ken Loach

KES (1969)

• Children represented as vulnerable. The protagonist is a victim of violence, both domestic and institutional. 
• The setting is the North of England. The MES is run down, working class, and everything is filthy
• The protagonist has troubles at home. He is not academic and acts out in lessons, gets in to fights and steals. He has to live in this situation. 
• Unhappy ending. Life isn’t fair. Everything is awful. 

Sweet Sixteen (2002)

• Extremely strong language (over 50 uses of ‘the C word’) limits mainstream appeal
• Mental health 
• Youth violence and gang warfare
• Small town, deprived setting 
• Extremely strong accents 
• Deals with dealing and addition to heroin 
• Heroic main character, buying a caravan for his addict mother 
• Bleak and depressing ending

Moi, Daniel Blake - marketing a British social realist film in France 

• The font of the title is serif and handwritten. It has a more graceful tone of wording, that provides a softer mode of address for the target audience. It also looks very stereotypically French. However, the British title is crudely tagged on the wall in spray paint like graffiti, emphasising themes of rebellion
• The setting evidenced in the French poster suggests themes of working class identity and even poverty, although nowhere near as extreme as the actual film. In contrast, the British poster eschews setting completely to focus on themes of rebellion against the government. By avoiding overtly political references, French audiences are spared not understanding certain cultural aspects 
• The French poster focuses on themes of family, and avoids the complex relationship between Blake and his friend

If it bleeds, it leads - comparing news values and the Laotian methanol poisoning incident

News values

The decisions that journalists make to decide what is included in a newspaper, and what is not. More important stories are on the front page, less important stories are tucked away further back in the newspaper. And more important stories may be favoured with a double page splash. This whole hierarchy of importance is called ‘newsworthiness’. The following four points help journalists to decide what is newsworthy:

1 - Agenda

An agenda is a list of things that are important. But it’s subjective: what’s important to one person may be of no importance to another. By selecting which stories are included and which stories are not included, journalists are able to set public agendas, and arguably tells audiences what is important and what is now. Agendas are often political.

2 - Minimising risk and maximising profit 

Newspapers are commercial products, and they exist to make money. The selection of stories must get people to buy newspapers, preferably every day, which involves knowing exactly what an audience wants, and giving it to them! Also, if a certain group is providing financial incentives to a newspaper, it might be in the newspaper’s interests to give them an easy ride…

3 - Immediacy

News is all about being new. The latest news very quickly becomes ‘old news’ and therefore there is often a struggle to publish the most scandalous news as quickly as possible… whatever the cost! The Phone Hacking Scandal is an excellent example of journalists putting human decency to one side to get the biggest ‘scoop’

4 - Gatekeeping

News coverage isn’t just about what’s included: it’s also about what’s left out. Every time we see a certain group being represented, another group is being excluded. And it’s a relatively small group of people who decides what goes in and what doesn’t! 

 As we will see, the same story will be reported in radically different ways by different newspapers!

The Mail Online November 22nd 2024

The Guardian November 23rd 2024

• A serious mode of address, using sophisticated language and far more descriptions. Heavily dramatized, featuring a lot of quotes, creating a dramatic mode of address. The selection of image is considered and serious, and clearly has been obtained through journalism and investigation. Additionally, it is clear that many interviews were taken to construct thi8s article.  Use Of pull quotes are dramatic and serious, and are clearly designed to position and entice the reader. However, this mode of reportage may upset members as the Guardian is clearly using this story as leverage to encourage more readers. The more dramatic their story, the higher the user engagement, and the more potential of clickthrough.
• The Mail Online however has exclusively illustrated their story with images taken from social media. The images selected emphasise the hegemonic attractiveness of the deceased, and the images selected generally featured the deceased in revealing clothes. Doing so increases engagement, stereotypically with the Mail’s middle aged male demographic, and also the Mail’s female demographic may identify with the deceased. By including such scandalous pictures a scandalous and exploitative and manipulative mode of address is constructed. Many tabloid newspapers will deliberately present controversial and scandalous stories to encourage engagement. 
• Both The Guardian and The Daily mail reported on the Laotian ethanol poisoning incident. The six most recent deaths are of particular interest to these newspapers for a number of different reasons
• It’s new and shocking and relatable to British audiences, many of whom will have travelled to these locations and will have experienced these situations
• The Mail Online selects a range of images of the dead women in revealing costumes in order to appeal to a perceived heterosexual male audience. These images were clearly lifted from the individual’s social media accounts. This constructs a narrative where these adventurous people are potentially at fault. Additionally, the sexualisation of victims of tragedy is completely inappropriate and potentially violates ethical standards
• The Guardian takes a more sophisticated approach, choosing knot to select images that might be viewed as potentially scandalous. Additionally, The Guardian’s reportage reads like a film script, which heavily dramatises the event. While this is arguably p[resented in a less salacious manner than the Mail, dramatisation can take away from the impact of an event, and may in particular offend or upset families affected by the event.
• In both cases, this story has been selected to minimise risk and to maximise profit. Arguably, in both situations, the deaths of these individuals have been exploited. 

Regulatory issues and the print edition (Class of 2026 - the Donald Trump re-election editions)

 Regulatory issues and the print edition  (Class of 2026 - the Donald Trump re-election editions) - find it by clicking here!

• IPSO - independent press standards areas organisation. Independent from any newspaper, or the government. (in the UK, we do not have state controlled media)
• Headline in The Times about Trump - “Great survival cheats death”. A clear dramatization of events, building a story to make something more exciting. Potentially false information, but very conventional of newspapers.
• The Mirror explicitly names and prints pictures of individuals under the age of 16. However, this is clearly a story in the public interest, and the images appear to be professionally taken and taken with consent
• The Times has a page with three stories about murders. Each of these stories includes a range of personal information, and may involve an intrusion into grief and/or privacy. However, it can be argued that this is in the public interest. Such calls are highly subjective=
• Suzy Lamplugh murder story in The mirror. Story is actually about her murderer dying aged 70 in prison. Many issues with printing this story. Focuses on the death of the murderer. By doing so, this story will doubtless intrude into the grief of the victim's family. Arguably the story is not newsworthy, and instead only exists to manufacture outrage. Bringing back memories of anger, brings a conclusion to the narrative 
• The Times - discusses and names the boy killed in a house explosion. Exposing him and his family to intrusion, and potentially completely unethical.
• The Times - “War on Woke”. A deliberate encouragement to rise against certain ideological perspectives, and a tacit support of Trump’s policies. Additionally, drawing attention to a supposed ‘war’ may exacerbate issues, and cause potential problems
• Spin - where the ‘take’ or ideology of the producer is added to a news story 
• Big double page splash story in The Mirror focusing on ‘Papa Will’ (AKA Prince William) and his wife’s cancer could very well be an intrusion into grief. Furthermore, selection of images and even printing the names and ages of Prince William’s children seemingly contravenes IPSO guidelines. However, editors could argue that the family are in the public eye and the story is in the public interest. This is a clear example of the ineffectiveness of newspaper regulation in the UK. 
• The Times features three separate stories about murders on page 15. May cause harm and offense for the audience, reinforcing a sense of fear. Additionally, it is a clear intrusion in to the grief of families who are affected. However, it can be argued that these stories are very much in the public interest. Widespread coverage of murder, especially serial murder actively causes murders.
• Story involving a seven year old child killed in a house blast names the deceased. Reinforces the ideology that we live in a terrible world that encourages audiences to buy the newspaper day after day. However, this does not breach guidelines. However, naming the boy removes his privacy, and also the story intrudes into grief. However… public interest 
• Regulations applied in a highly subjective way, clearly to maximise coverage and to maximise potential 
• The Time’s coverage of the Trump re-election goes into some detail about his sexism and his sex crimes, and may offend or harm audiences affected by this. However, this is accurate reportage of a crime. However, the Times is broadly supportive of Trump in spite of acknowledging his crimes, which means essentially they are supporting a criminal. 

BONUS REGULATION - The Daily Mail and the Sidebar of Shame

Click to view full size

• Lexis consistently infers consent, as in that the individual has agreed for this to happen. Words such as ‘pose’ and ‘stuns’.
• The selection of images has clearly been taken with a telephoto lens, and positions the audience in a voyeuristic mode of address, like a spy. The MES of the image sees the model facing away from the camera, emphasising her body and in particular her buttocks. This is a classic example of objectification, exploitation, and sexualisation 
• The model has been selected because she is hegemonically attractive, and is a famous actress
• The lexis is extremely simple, inferring an uneducated audience, and the constant repetition reinforces not only the inferred consent, but also the notability of this story is constructed through her fame. 
• Furthermore, the story is heavily dramatized, constructing a narrative where Hudgens has just got married. This invites the audience to share in her special day, through using voyeuristic mode of address.
• The article constructs a friendly and relatable mode of address, despite the images clearly being taken without her permission, and infers her consent through the scandalous and often sexually suggestive language
• Presents an aspirational mode of address for the heterosexual female target audience... and also invites target audience to criticise the bodies of other women

San Junipero initial discussion and allegorical perspectives

Initial discussion

Themes of simulation and simulacra are often explored in sci-fi texts

• Presents ideas of humans constructing or simulating their own afterlife. Therefore, the episode simultaneously deals with themes of simulation and also religion. 
• There are many texts which are absolute simulation and virtuality, including Ready Player One, Assassin’s Creed, The Matrix. This is a popular subgenre of science fiction
• The representations of the queer protagonists are largely positive, complex, and do not feel forced. This was constructed through the casual nature of Yorkie and Kelly’s relationship, and the complex nature of their sexuality (Kelly is explicitly bisexual, and refuses to engage in any deep conversation about sexuality)
• The ending is arguably a cop out. Kelly’s decision to enter the simulation completely contradicts everything she has been describing throughout the episode, and makes her character unrelatable and two-dimensional.
• However, Kelly jumping in to the simulation is also predictable and cliched. Her sudden change of heart essentially sets up a feel-good ending where Kelly and Yorkie can dance and have sex forever…
• Themes of utopia and dystopia are balanced throughout the episode. The notion of utopia is encoded through a bright colourful aesthetic, and a colourful broadly bubblegum pop soundtrack, and themes of partying, sex and drugs. However, this potentially presents a shallow and hegemonically situated version of fun. This normative and stereotypical view of what fun actually is clearly could not be shared by everybody 
• The alternative to Tucker’s ‘heavenly’ yet bland representation is The Quagmire, a borderline demonic club where everyone is drinking and taking drugs to excess. Conversely, in Tuckers, nobody is actually drunk, and everybody is behaving in a completely sober way
• The science fiction elements for the first two acts of the narrative are particularly absent, and therefore the episode is highly unconventional of the science fiction genre. The final act contains many science fiction elements however including the elements of simulation, which are encoded through the MES of wires being plugged in to heads and flickering lights in the technologically advanced facility. 
• The ‘present’ (actually the future!!!) is constructed through particularly bland MES, which constructs a particularly pronounced binary opposition between meatspace and the simulation. However, in spite of being ‘not real’, the San Junipero simulation feels far more real to the audience that n the diegetically situated meatspace. We spend far more time in San Junipero than the ‘real world’, and the real world bares little relation to our own world. As an audience, we are therefore guided in to a false and confusing sense of reality
• Yet in spite of the deep philosophical implications of the episode, there are many interesting and more straightforward aspects. The non-linear (yet also linear!!) narrative is filled with hermeneutic codes. Additionally the episode makes extensive use of traditional narrative theory, especially the disruption of the equilibrium. Therefore the narrative is engaging, exciting, inclusive, and thought provoking 
• The relationship between Kelley and Yorkie is forced and rushed. There is no establishment of relationship, and we jump forward in terms of relationship very quickly. Yet Yorkie is a classic obsessive archetype, and Kelly is exploitive and uses Yorkie for sex before ghosting her. Ultimately, Yorkie manipulates Kelly in to suicide so they can spend their lives dancing and having sex forever. This suggests a toxic relationship
• The final song ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ comes to have a profound meaning that goes beyond a mere trashy pop song. It gives the ending and ugly and dystopian address
• The utopia constructed in San Junipero is completely predicated on capitalist ideologies. While no money ever changed hands, the ‘fantasy’, that is hanging out in clubs, playing video games and driving a nice car before having sex in a big house, are all materialistic dreams that reinforce a hegemonically situated worldview based upon the acquisition and expenditure of capital. Theoretically, San Junipero could be anything. It could have Kelly and Yorkie flying through space to explore new worlds, taking on the role of new species, and experiencing pleasures that would not be possible on earth. Yet everything that they accomplish in San Junipero (the clean Tuckers, the gritty rock club, literally a real place called Electrowerkz you can go to in Angel, the fancy beach, the retro arcade cabinets… these are all things that can be easily accessed for many people with access to moderator economic resources!
• The soundtrack constructs a highly nostalgic mode of address, especially to a middle aged target audience. Furthermore, this is diegetically explicated within the narrative: San Junipero is a form of therapy for an older demographic. This also confirms the episode is set in the not too distant future, although none of this is made completely clear
• There is a range of very specific lexis used in this episode which hints at it's status as sci fi. Black Mirror is an unconventional science fiction show which constantly breaks the rules. Yet this episode uses multiple proairetic codes that hint at a genre switch. Examples of these proairetics include the droning diegetic sound of machinery, the theme of cutting off at 12 midnight, the discussion of different time periods, reference to death, “don’t make me red light you”, being in the cloud, “golden age, huh?”, “this was the best of it’s time”, “this isn’t your time period”, “85% of them are dead”.
• Proairetics and foreshadowing: Yorkie is inexplicably scared of a racing game
• The MES of the white doves symbolise a peaceful death, and reinforce a clear ideology that euthanasia is an appropriate way for some people to end their lives . For certain religious people, this episode may be particularly controversial, as it clearly paints euthanasia in a favourable light
• There is an inferred wealth gap that exists between the characters in San Jun and those taking care of them. This raises the hermeneutic question: is this simulation available to everyone? And iof not, what are the implications? What are the implications of removing death? Do the characters cease to live in the moment? What have they to live for? What if heaven existed, but t was flat, boring and pointless?
• Immortality can be construed as a curse! And San Junipero isn’t even particularly exciting. It resembles real life, and not even a particularly exciting real life
• It is notable that the character’s avatars resemble themselves. Even in this escapist fantast, the characters can only roleplay as themselves at a very specific age 
• Both Kelly and Yorkie are ‘playing’ San Junipero in completely different ways. Kelly chooses to sleep with as many people as possible. Yorkie plans to fall in love. Yet Yorkie emotionally manipulates Kelly in to committing suicide and go against her beliefs in order to dance in a crappy club for all eternity. This is the very definition of a toxic relationship???

San Junipero as allegory

Stuart Hall argued that different audiences negotiate media products in different ways. However, for audiences who want something deeper, there are many ways that San Jun can function as an allegory. 

• The afterlife and the existence of life after death. ‘Heaven is a place on earth’. 
• San Jun could be an allegory of social media. Many young people feel significant anxiety about presenting perfectly online, or that real life does not live up to the perfection of social media hyperreality 
• Homophobia. Yorkie’s family were homophobic, and while no homophobia exists in San Jun, arguably it instigates all of the events of this episode 
• Heaven and Hell. The version of heaven constructed in this episode is highly subjective 
• Euthanasia arguments for and against
• Videogames as a metanarrative. 
• Queer relationships in the year 2018
• Queer relationships full stop
• Death and it’s certainty
• Our dependence on technology
• Escapism and our belief systems
• Videogames!
• Nostalgia
• Religion 
• Euthanasia 
• Heaven and hell 
• Sexual orientation sexuality is a spectrum 
• Utopia and dystopia
• Uncertainty about the future 
• Capitalism as utopia 

Generic paradigms and intertextual relay in the dress-up montage of San Junipero

 Intertextual relay and the dress up montage

Intertextual relay refers to the ‘give and take’ that audiences engage with when consuming a media product. San Junipero encourages the audience to negotiate a wide variety of responses based on intertextual relay. Some audiences will instantly ‘get’ the references, and will engage with the narrative on a deeper level. However other audiences may simply see the use of music and iconography in this scene as referring to the 1980s, which increases their immersion in the scene. 

• The selection of the song Girlfriend In A Coma by The Smiths was included at great expense. This depressing indie pop song was selected, partly because it reflects themes of depression partly because of The Smiths enduring fan base, but perhaps most of all because the song functions as a hermeneutic and proairetic code, informing the audience of later plot twists. This deeply ingrained easter egg encourages audiences to watch and rewatch the episode to experience a range of negotiated readings. This is only possible due to the highly unconventional use of genre. 
• Yorkie’s second costume makes explicit reference to The Breakfast club, with the film’s theme song ‘Don’t you forget about me’ booming over her pulling expressions. Not only does this make explicit reference to the ‘weird girl’ character in this film, audiences unfamiliar with this film will instantly understand the convention of the dress up montage, and that yorkie is trying different personalities, here,. The ‘weird but hot girl’
• The use of genre in this sequence is highly unexpected. Making reference to a wide variety of different films and music videos from the 80s, the sequence suggests that our identity comes from how we dress, and the media that we consume. Our identity is constructed from a set of fractured images, and as young people, we struggle to work out our own identity. Therefore this sequence draws attention to a very real issue and conflict that exists in our society. 
• The dress-up montage is a convention of the teen comedy/romance genre. It was particularly popular in films of the 80’s, and remained popular to this day. The trop of the nerdy girl who takes off her glasses and becomes beautiful is a parametric feature that is frequently used and spoofed in other teen movies. The warm lighting and the bedroom setting are clear conventional aspects. The dress up montages allow the audience to understand the personality and identity of the protagonist. It also functions as a proairetic code, as Yorkies figure out how to impress and seduce Kelly. 
• An easter egg is a hidden element that targets an active audience. It can be used to convey meaning, meaning they often function as a symbolic code. Easter eggs and other hidden elements encourage fans to watch and rewatch the episode, and to engage with every new detail.
• In her penultimate costume, Yorkie dresses as a backing dancer from the video to Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer. The use of the MES of startling bright red lipstick, forming a diametric opposition with the unnaturally pale foundation, functions as a symbolic code, symbolic of love, passion. In the music video, the backing dancers are clearly positioned in such a way as to appeal to the heterosexual male gaze, and are dancing and behaving like robots or mannikins. This voyeuristic and fetishistic mode of address that Yorkie adopts actively fetishizes herself, and reduces Yorkie to a sexual object. Yorkie assumes that this identity will attract Kelly. The voyeuristic mode of address that we as an audience are positioned in forces us to confront the sexualisation of women in music videos, and also how we construct our identity from a vast range of different media products.

Intertextuality as metanarrative: how does intertextual relay help audiences to understand San Junipero?

Intertextuality - where a media product makes reference to another media product. This can be explicit (for example the explicit reference to The Breakfast Club) or more vaguely. There are several references to the video game Outrun In San Junipero. And the metanarrative of videogames in general, and Outrun in particular, can help us to understand how the complex narrative of San Junipero actually works! 

Metanarrative - a story about a story, or a story beyond the story. 

Yu Suzuki's infamous and genre defining driving game Outrun presents a hyperreal representation of the West Coast of America. The palm trees, the wealth, the blonde hair. California dreaming encoded in to pixels and scaled sprites. San Junipero operates on the same mode of intertextual relay, though by referencing these aspects through the metanarrative of Outrun, it ends up becoming a copy of a copy of a copy. Baudrillard referred to these 'referents without referent' as a simulacrum. It is a representation of something that has never existed in the first place! Outrun is a Japanese construction of California, made after the producers hired a car and went on a crazy road trip together. And Black Mirror is essentially a British simulacrum of an American ideal... yes, this is very complex indeed. And fun!

Ways in which Outrun is implicitly referred to San Junipero 

• The bright red Ferrari is a fairly explicit reference to the car in Outrun
• The player often crashes in outrun. However, unlike in real life, in videogames, crashing the car or losing a life is a minor setback. This is referred to in San Junipero, where Kelley crashes the car top ‘commit suicide’. However, she is respawned completely OK the next week
• The beach is aesthetically pleasing, with real sand, grass and palm trees. This infers a tropical, hot setting, a hyperreal representation of California
• The gentle winding road connotes a peaceful sense of escapism 
• Black Mirror is British in origin. Outrun is Japanese. Yet both media products represent California, a stereotypical perfect version of America
• A similar game is played in the arcade in San Jun
• Yorkie is paralysed in a car crash
• Kelley drives a red Ferrari, much like the one in the videogame. Additionally, the show is set in an idealised 80’s style beachside setting. The game and the show are set in a strange, hyperreal version of California, and the MES of palm trees, and stereotypically winding roads reinforce this reference. In outrun, the player plays a brunette man with a blonde girlfriend, which seems to resemble Yorkie and Kelley in the final montage. Finally, in Outrun, the player crashes dramatically throughout their experience, however, the player is given the opportunity to keep playing. This is particularly similar to the scene where Kelley deliberately crashes the car to reset her game experience. There is no possibility of death in San Junipero.

Why is Outrun implicitly referred to throughout the narrative of San Jun?

• Outrun was released in 1986 and was a huge hit. It constructs a nostalgic mode of address for the target audiences, even if they have no knowledge of the game or what is being referred to. This provides audiences many ways to negotiate this episode. 
• The game uses stereotypes extensively, just like the town of San Junipero. 
• Outrun operates under the stereotypical hegemonic and heteronormative assumption that the player is heterosexual. However San Jun break 8s heteronormative stereotypes and constructs a conflicting and subversive representation of sexuality. 
• Themes of simulation and simulacra. In both situations, the simulation is better than reality. 
• Themes of cutting edge technology
• Themes of capitalism. Arcade games require an upfront payment. It is heavily inferred that Kelly and Yorkie are rich
• By referring implicitly to Outrun, the producer accentuates the themes of simulation, by referring not to real life events, but videogame iconography. It reinforces the ideological perspective that videogames are perfect escapist worlds. 
• It reinforces and foreshadows the themes that are later explored in this episode
• It provides an exciting mode of address to videogames fans, in particular retro game fans who will become very excited by the intertextual references
• Outrun as a frame of reference provides a metanarrative to the audience, and informs them they are traveling on a journey with exciting twists and turns and deaths!!
• Outrun is a romantic game that features a clear heterosexual relationship. However, in 1986, it hegemonically normalised for only heterosexual relationships to exist in games. San Junipero is therefore quite unconventional, and subverts the heteronormative assumptions of the 1980s. Therefore, the producers of San Junipero have made a perfect, more fun, more tolerant version of the 1980s, where homophobia and absolute financial collapse do not exist
• The closest frame of reference to a simulation is a videogame, and the use of videogame references allows the audience to understand the narrative more effectively
• Implicit generic intertextuality is utilised in San jun to not only target a much wider audience it also makes the world of the narrative (diegesis) far more real and relatable to the audience. Finally, it also makes the complex narrative far easier to understand.

Intertextuality is used in a complex and satisfying way to construct meaning for a variety of audiences. 

Other games that are featured in San Junipero:

• Pac Man - Filled with ghosts, just like San Junipero! Trapped in complex maze!
• Bubble Bobble - Yorkie lives in her own bubble, protected from the rest of society. Yorkie has been living in a bubble her entire life!
• Dance Dance Revolution - dancing is a huge theme in this episode! Kelley and Yorkie love dancing!
• Donkey Kong - A horrible evil world filled with hardship… just like The Quagmire. OR: Kelley is the princess who must be rescued! Overcoming adversity!
• Space invaders - Yorkie’s space is being invaded…. Yorkie tries to keep herself separate from other people!
• House of the Dead - Most people in San Jun are dead!!! San Junipero is ‘a house of the dead

Conclusion

While these references help enjoyment of the show, they are not essential to understanding it. They are a fun intertextual easter egg for fans to become engaged with. However, there are many other things that audiences can end up enjoying.

Applying reception theory to San Junipero - brief examples

This post gives a few very brief examples of what ideological, preferred perspectives are encoded in San Junipero. However, audiences are actively encouraged to reject or reinterpret them in a variety of ways. A good way of interacting with this post would be to fill in the blanks: how exactly can audiences negotiate these sequences?

Stuart Hall - reception theory

The idea that producers will encode a meaning or a message in a media product. Audiences will then receive and decode this message. However, audiences will decode this message in different ways. Factors which shape different receptions include our age, gender, preferences, location, biological factors, and sexuality. Producers will encode ideologies and messages within a media product using media language. However, audiences can decode these messages in billions of different ways. To keep things simple, Hall posited three primary ways that audiences can receive the ideology of the producer

In order to narrow down the potentially billions of different ways of interpreting the dominant reading , Hall and his team came up with three broad perspectives

• Preferred reading - the audience accepts the ideological perspective of the producer 
• Oppositional reading - the audience does not accept the ideological perspective of the producer 
• Negotiated reading - the audience accepts some aspects of the ideology of the producer, but rejects others
• Aberrant reading - the audience completely misunderstands an aspect of the product. “Stuart Little is talking to me. He is giving me messages”

What ideological assumptions are encoded in the Marriage sequence in San Junipero?

Dominant ideological perspectives:

1 - Queer marriage is both valid and beautiful 

2 - Simulations are a valid escape from the harshness of reality 

3 - Simulations are pretty prisons. When  you’re dead you’re dead

4 - Life is a prison. There’s no way out

5 - Dramatic and exciting relationships are preferable 

6 - Marriage isn’t perfect. It has issues

Exegetical negotiations: the final sequence 

Dominant ideological perspectives:

1 - Heaven is a place on earth/heaven can be achieved through simulation

2 - Euthanasia is a valid and positive event/death is a sweet release 

3 - Yorkie and Kelly are a perfect couple

Negotiation of The Quagmire sequence

Dominant ideological perspectives:

1 - The Quagmire is a horrible, scary place

2 - Alternative communities (goths, metalheads, queer people) are scary

• Preferred reading - The Quagmire is gross. The people who dance their are inappropriate with their actions, and the dull, low key lighting connotes threat. 
• Negotiated readings. While the quagmire is scary and less hegemonically appropriate, it seems more alive than Tuckers. It is a real club that people would have visited! And audiences may take pleasure in recognising the location. 
• Oppositional - The Quagmire looks great! Yorkie should just hang out here

San Junipero is constructed to explicitly welcome a range of polysemic interpretations. The Quagmire sequence is a perfect example of this, as many audience members will relate to the club and the lifestyle depicted.

Charlie Brooker as auteur - brief notes on the creator of Black Mirror

 The cult of Charlie Brooker - auteur theory and San Junipero

Nathan Barley is a save critique of hipster culture, digitally convergent media and awful journalism that has either aged terribly or too well, depending on your perspective. However, it is clear that Brooker's nihilism is very much on show from his earliest TV work

You can find links to all of the shows discussed by clicking here

Auteur - the idea that the producer of a media product has a distinctive style that is repeated over and over again

Fandom - the obsessive and enthusiastic consumption of media which goes beyond just ‘watching’. Charlie Brooker's enthusiastic yet ultimately hateful mode of address was particularly popular in the early 00's, and his cult appeal among his rabid fans clearly led to his opportunity to construct global mega smash Black Mirror

• Nathan Barley - an angry, aggressive satire of vice magazine and East London in the early 00’s. Crude humour, confusing, very of the time
• Dead Set - combines reality TV with the zombie genre. No credits, constant exposition and extreme violence. themes of media and manipulation and reality TV combined with the zombie genre. Combining dark comedy and extreme violence, it demonstrated many of Brooker’s auteuristic qualities.  Extremely British!
• Brooker’s show Screenwipe is essentially a popular media studies show, and demonstrates Brooker's obsession with how media makes meaning. 
• Screenburn - early columns demonstrate Brooker’s sense of humour, with lots of swearing and lots of irreverence 
• Black Mirror; satirical TV show that explores the dark side of technology, with extremely upsetting subject matter. Descriptive language and consistent reiteration of the themes made the very first episode notorious.  
• Presenting style - breaking the fourth wall, self deprecating humour, filled with violence and irreverent comedy. Niche mode of address, appealing to a very specific sense of humour 

A semiotic analysis of the scene where Camille comes home

 

The expert blocking of this shot constructs a diametric opposition between life and death, and positions the audience in a confusing mode of address where Claire's actions do not seem entirely appropriate...

• This sequence utilises a range of paradigmatic features appropriate to the horror genre. The CU shot of Claires' face as she stares in confusion at the MES if the strange shape behind the refrigerator functions as a proairetic code, anchoring the audience to expect a sudden, violent jump scare. However, our expectations are subverted, as the terrifying Zombie turns out to be Camille. Her costume codes are conventional, with her checky flannel shirt and hoodie being stereotypical of representations of teenage girls.
• This scene constructs a complex mode of address which combines two genres simultaneously. Claire is clearly stuck in a horror film. The non-diegetic soundtrack is eerie and conventional of the horror genre, and the gloomy, low key lighting constructs a sense of anxiety and dread. However, Camille’s performance and gesture codes are typical of a teenage drama text. The lexis of her monologue is defensive, and she is clearly scared that her mum will get mad at her. 
• This division is emphasised through the masterful blocking that sees Claire on the left of the screen, barely lit up in low key lighting, and Camille standing at the breakfast, keenly lit in a single high key light. This constructs a complex set of significations for the audience/ Firstly, Camille’s importance is made apparent for the audience through this choice. Camille has come home, and come back from the dead, lending the light a heavenly signification. This conflicts heavily with the mundanity of the situation. Camille is making a sandwich
• The MES of the house is very stereotypically and performatively middle class which constructs a variety of messages about the characters, and forms a binary opposition with Julie’s modest flat. 
• The conversation is constructed through the conventional technique of cross cutting. However, cutting from Claire to Camille, standing on opposite sides of the characters demonstrates a binary opposition that has formed between them. Camille is dead and Claire is alive. Claire is middle aged and Camille is a teenager. One has been through grief, the other is a naive teenager. These binary oppositions emphasise the shocking nature of this scene and construct an exciting and confrontational mode of address. However, when presented with these hermeneutic codes, the audience is merely a voyeur with no hope of understanding. In fact, the audience may negotiate a reading where they are annoyed and frustrated by the constant mysterious hermeneutic codes.
• The soundtrack emphasises the genre, and also forms a binary opposition the the slice of life narrative, where Claire brings Camille a towel. This use of contrapuntal soundtrack positions the audience in a confusing and bewildering mode of address. 
• Claire descending the stairs is constructed through a highly suggestive use of montage. After the initial match on action of Claire hearing Camille returning, we follow Claire with the use of a tracking shot, which positions the audience with her. A medium CU of Claire’s face demonstrates her surprise, which is anchored through the use of creepy music and the gesture code of her stopping still. Furthermore the low key lighting emphasises to the audience the paradigmatic features of the horror genre. This entire sequence, when coupled with the shot/reverse shot of Claire and the ‘thing’ behind the fridge constructs a proairetic expectation that Claire is about to die violently. However, this clear intertextuality is not realised, and the show ends up subverting typical generic conventions. Camille does not kill Claire, but instantly starts yapping about an excuse for why she is so late. While both characters are diegetically situated in the same narrative, both characters interpretation of what is going on is completely different
• The blocking of the long shot in this sequence constructs many binary oppositions. The MES of the pillar dividing the two characters constructs a binary opposition between horror and drama, the mother and daughter and life and death. 
• Camille is lit in stark high key lighting, while Claire is lit in gloomy, low key lighting. Subverting audience expectations, it situates the audience to understand that Claire is in the dark and confused, while Camille is living an otherwise normal life. This complex set of signs and codes will doubtless confuse the target audience.
• There is a cliche and convention of creepy children in horror films. The twins in The Shining, Anabelle, Damien in The Omen. 
• Camille is a stereotypical teenage girl. Her plaid shirt, hoodie and slightly rude delivery are all stereotypical and all subvert the conventions of the scary child in horror film

Camille's blaise and even rude reaction to coming back to life is also initially confusing to the target audience. We later learn that she has no recollection of her death or the four years that she has missed out on

Les Revenants - initial discussion 2024

Key terms related to narrative

• Linear narrative - a sequence of events in chronological order
• Ellipsis - is where events are left out for narrative impact
• Non-linear narrative - a sequence of events in non-chronological order
• Cyclical narrative - where a narrative loops, starting and ending at the same point
• Flexi-narrative - a series of intertwining narratives
• Equilibria - states of balance
• Character arcs - a character’s individual narrative, often sustained over multiple episodes, and driven by desires and motivations
• Hermeneutics - mysteries, questions posed by media language

 Les Revenants - initial discussion

• Les Revenants - the name of the show! Please refer to it as this or Les Revs.
• The majority of the first episode of Les Revs is a linear narrative. However ultimately it is non-linear, with an extensive and confusing flashback at the end.
• A cyclical narrative - the start and the end are the same scene. The final shot of the bus swerving to avoid Victor constructs a complex hermeneutic code
• Entirely based on hermeneutics and often confusing codes. Mr Costa murdering his wife, the bartender being stabbed in the subway, the twin thing, and how and why have these people come back to life?
• Clearly belongs to the horror genre with a number of paradigmatic features.Creepy children, the overall aesthetic of dark gloomy depression, the cliched soundtrack, screaming and terror. However ,the utilisation of these conventions is highly unconventional. 
• Big themes : mourning, death, grief and the inevitability of death. Some reactions to grief include, screaming and crying, disbelief and panic, terror and hatred, and mental instability 
• Shocking scenes and silence. The stabbing in the underpass is very violent. It is reminiscent of The French New Extreme. Films such as Irreversible, Inside, Martyrs, Raw, Switchblade Romance etc. Very stylish, very violent French films. 
• Very little of the narrative makes sense at this point in the proceedings. Certain plot points are deliberately hidden then revealed by a twist/hermeneutic code. However the final sequence introduces lts more confusing hermeneutic codes, and ends on a literal cliffhanger
• Victor as a symbolic code. Perhaps he symbolises revenge, threat, horror
• The butterfly could be symbolic of coming back to life, new beginnings, death and rebirth 
• The setting is modern, peaceful, beautiful. The French Alps setting is highly unconventional. The show was partly funded by the French Alps tourist board
• The narrative of Les Revs is extremely confusing and complicated, however it forms both a non-linear and cyclical narrative
• A flexi narrative, that sees many stories wrapping around each other, or not.
• Certain scenes repeat, most notably the coach crash ant the beginning and the end. However, the ending asks far more questions than it answers. The final shot of the coach swerving to avoid victor is a profound hermeneutic code, that positions the audience to actively figure out the mystery. 
• The motif of the butterfly presents a profound element of MES to the target audience, as it symbolises reincarnation. While the narrative is extremely unclear, with no character ever explaining explicitly what is going on, there are a number of symbols which help explain the narrative to the audience. However, this is highly unconventional 
• One hermeneutic mystery which may position the audience in different ways is the confusing ‘rules’ about returning. Why does only Camille return? Why not anyone else? What is the twin thing all about!? 
• A show about grief and moving on from loss, and death. In life, death is one of the few certainties. However, in Les Revs, this certainty is removes. The reactions to the returned are confusing to the audience - Claire is shocked and horrified by Camille’s return, Lena screams at Camille, Adele screaming at Simon, and Mr Costa killing and burning his wife to death. 
• Addresses different ways of grieving. Moving on, coming to terms with death. 
• Genre conventions - psychological horror, zombie horror 
• Aesthetic - the look and feel of the show: Colour grading: bleak, dull, and high contrast . The colours selected are dull and bleak, constructing a bleak and hostile vibe. However, the setting is quaint, small town, with lots of shots the French Alps