How effectively were your three main texts marketed?

How effectively were your three main texts marketed?

Definition - Marketing refers to how media products are sold to audiences. This process often involves strategies as diverse as placing adverts, social media campaigns, and, in the case of the music industry, producing and distributing promo videos.

Argument - I shall argue that the three texts I have studied are marketed in highly effective ways. Additionally, each text I have explored uses vastly different marketing techniques to target a range of audiences. However, some marketing techniques are clearly more effective than others. Additionally, music videos in particular rely on stereotypical representations for ideological purposes.

Context - I shall be illustrating my argument through reference to Lady Gaga, a postmodern pop artist who was made famous through her controversial choice of costumes, Kanye West, an American Hip-hop artist notable for his outspoken nature, and [Ed Sheeran] 

Key text one - Lady Gaga

Performance - gig at SXSW festival in Texas in 2014, had friend and performance artist vomit bright green paint on her, while wearing duct tape over nipples. Clearly beyond boundaries of public decency, and breaking a taboo regarding vomit. Provides audiences with gratification of social interaction, in turn promoting Lady Gaga

Social media - As of 2017, posts videos of dancing and performing with children at recent concerts, presenting a more family friendly approach, and adopts a more simple, kind, motherly mode of address. Binary opposition between transgressive Lady Gaga and motherly lady Gaga. Relatable and normal, which allows Gaga to target a vast audience.

Facts and figures - Video to Applause - 290 million views on Youtube - Born this way sold 6 million copies

Joanne album - Vanity Fair article suggests a softer approach, a more mature approach, and targeting an older demographic, as her fans are now older. Aged 31, Lady Gaga is now significantly older than many other pop stars, such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Jessie J, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus and so on

Appearances -  On RuPaul's Drag Race series 9 episode 1 and a guest star (LGBT themes and significant gay audience), James Corden's Carpool Karaoke (targets mainstream demographic), and The Muppets Holiday Spectacular (again targeting a younger demographic), American Horror Story (young, female target audience)

Key text two - Kanye West

Interviews - Radio station, Shade 45 "I am the number one artist in the world, I am Shakespeare in the flesh". Typical of West's self-aggrandising attitude. Provides audience with the gratification of social interaction. Allows audiences to negotiate this statement, and to come to an opinion

Black Skinhead video - Blkkkskkknhead, evokes the iconography of the Klu Klux Klan, and white supremacy. Themes of black supremacy? Transgressing traditional ideologies, provides West with a controversial and ultimately attention grabbing marketing technique. Video has 34.5 million views

Narrative - Family, Twitter feed, posts videos of Kim Kardashian's childhood. Use of Proppian character types presents audiences with a narrative of a conventional family, easily identifiable with audiences. West is the protagonist, Kardashian the princess. The negative media the antagonist, perhaps Taylor Swift. Provides audience with the gratification of being able identify with the characters. Celebrity functions as a metanarrative, allowing audiences instruction on how to live their lives.

Yeezy - Controversial album, with many songs referencing religion, and criticisms of white ideologies and hegemony. One of his best selling albums, Platinum and Double Gold, and number one in seven countries. Controversial marketing techniques ultimately successful.

Key text three - [own text]

Explore the different ways in which audiences and or users respond to your chosen texts

Explore the different ways in which audiences and or users respond to your chosen texts

Definition - Audience refers to the people who consume media texts. Audiences can respond to different texts in a variety of different ways. In this sense, we can see that audiences are active in their enjoyment of media texts. Active models of audience are more useful than passive models, as passive models such as the hypodermic needle model are flawed and far too basic.

Argument - I shall argue that audiences can respond to the texts I have studied in a variety of different ways. This is especially important with regards to the music industry, and audiences are especially linked to the artists, and audiences often have particularly passionate responses to music texts. For the texts I have studied, audience responses are generally created through using controversial and extreme themes, imagery and ideologies.

Context - I shall be exploring the examples of Kanye West, a hip hop/rap artist famous for his controversial themes and ideologies, Lady Gaga, a pop artist known for her unusual sense of style and association with the LGBT movement, and Alt-J, an indie/rock band with a unique way of marketing their music, though they lack the controversial aspects of the other artists.

Sources can come from

[music videos]
Social media feeds
Official websites
Articles
Comment sections
Religious websites?
News stories and videos
Live performances
Interviews
Album covers
Merchandise
Lyrics and production values
Album sales figures

Theories

Uses and grats
Hypodermic needle... to criticise
Reception theory - preferred, oppositional and negotiated
Pick & mix  

Key text one - Kanye West

• Yeezy fashion BBC news criticism, with screenshots of tweets criticising the fashion line. Comments on his inability to design clothes. This example media convergence provoked primarily oppositional from fans, and other fashion designers as well. West's album sales have consistently gone down, from 4million for College Dropout to 30000 for The Life of Pablo.
• Life of Pablo Guardian album review. 3 stars. "when a Kanye West album is good it's very good. So why does he have to show the world what a thundering plonker he is?". However fan opinion is mixed, with fans taking to the comment section. Even through the album is decisive, it still allows audiences the gratification of social interaction in comment sections.
• Front cover of XXL 2010. Black and white cover, with two Kanye Wests presented as a playing card, covered in jewellery, suggesting his wealth and hierarchy in society. suggesting the audiences are forced in to a decision as to whether to accept the dominant or oppositional reading of Kanye west. This is emphasised by the lexis of 'Love' and 'Hate'.
• Social media - "can somebody sue me already illwait  . Mode of address is direct and informal. Suggests that he wishes to cause even more controversy, therefore suggesting that controversy is an important marketing tactic.
• Article - regarding West and Kardashian using deliberately retro imagery to paint themselves as working class in a bid to allow audiences to relate to them. Oppositional response would be to be offended by fabulously rich celebrities pretending to be poor.
• Links to the Kardashian family - Fan criticism of his associations with Kim Kardashian, despite the fact his associations allow him to appeal to completely different audiences and demographic

Key text two - Lady Gaga

• Rolling Stone review of Joanne. 3.5 stars. Attempt to attract a new audience by softening image, and shift in genre. Born this Way on same level as huge pop artist e.g. Beyonce, however Joanne seen by many critics as a step backwards. Wildly unsuccessful compared to Born this Way.
• Artpop album cover - controversial, naked, and with specific focus on her vagina. Connotations of childbirth. Target audience young girls, for whom the image may be inappropriate. Preferred reading: potentially empowering women through childbirth imagery. However oppositional reading sexualising herself. Levy's female chauvinist pigs, contributing to hegemonic representations of women in media texts
• Far right american reading - Infowars - "Lady Gaga halftime show a satanic ritual" - sexualised imagery damaging to US society.

How is your chosen industry regulated? Refer to your three main texts

How is your chosen industry regulated? Refer to your three main texts

Definition - Regulation refers to rules and guidelines that media producers must follow when creating media texts. In some cases, for example the film industry, regulations can be strict and enforced by specific laws. For BBFC age certificates, there are very specific guidelines which let censors know which age certificate to award each film. However, other forms of regulation can be far more relaxed.

Argument - I am going to argue the music industry is largely self-regulated, and is therefore is largely regulated in a way that is not effective. The impact of this lack of regulation allows inappropriate and adult material to be consumed by young audiences. From a financial perspective, it also makes it harder than ever to enforce the copyright of a song of music.

Context - In order to explore this argument I will be looking at the examples of Kanye West, a 39 year hip hop artist and entrepreneur, Lady Gaga, a pop artist famous for her unique style and visual direction, as well as controversial themes explored in her music, and YOUR OWN CHOSEN ARTIST

Key text 1 - Kanye West

• Video for Famous is subject to age restrictions on Youtube, which are implemented by Youtube. 

"YouTube is not for pornography or sexually explicit content. If this describes your video, even if it's a video of yourself, don't post it on YouTube. Also, please be advised that we work closely with law enforcement agencies and that we report child exploitation"

However, these steps are easily circumvented by users lying about their age.

• Famous features full frontal nudity, which would not be allowed on US network television. Themes of sexualisation through the mise en scene and setting of the bed.
• Use of strong language in lyrics - "I made that bitch famous". Bitch is an example of a gendered swear word, and example of misogyny. "I feel like me and Taylor may still have sex" - reference to extramarital sex, and specific reference to a real person. 
• Almost 26 million views on Youtube, 27.2 million Twitter followers suggests vast influence on audiences around the world. 
• The Life of Pablo - distributed directly, advertised through his own twitter and later distributed on Tidal
• West's Twitter account (though deleted at the time of publishing this article!) is used to voice a variety of opinions and to promote West's brand. These statements are made without threat of regulation. 

Key text 2 - Lady Gaga 

• Judas - use of religious iconography - Crown of thorns, names of disciples in biker jackets, crucifix imagery - potentially offensive to religious audiences. However, video breaks no laws in the UK and the US
• Sexualisation - tight fitting, revealing leather costumes, connotations of sexualisation and fetishisation, however completely allowed by youtube. Male gaze theory - assumption heterosexual male audience.
• LGBT themes - Openly bisexual, active in LGBT community, eg gay pride events, costumes and her makeup make specific reference to LGBT culture. Pro gay stance can be seen as controversial by religious groups and advertisers.
• 26 million album sales however, which suggests significant appeal. Therefore, a strong argument can be made that a lack of regulation can lead to artists becoming significantly more successful as a result of increased artistic freedom

'How conventional is the narrative structure of your chosen texts?'

Thanks to R block A2 media for the excellent suggestions and analysis!

'How conventional is the narrative structure of your chosen texts?'

This question in many ways has the potential to be pretty straightforward. It allows to to take a number of viewpoints, but there is perhaps a risk of playing things too safe. After all, all three films are very different from one another, and are all arguably completely unconventional.

If I had to answer this question, I would argue that all three films are completely unconventional, and would refer to Bond's bewildering narrative structure, Brave's deliberate subversion of typical Disney narratives and The Selfish Giant's refusal to provide the audience with an entertaining narrative. However, R block media suggested the excellent argument that all three texts are conventional... within the context of their genres!

This is potentially excellent argument to make, but students need to remember to consistently refer back to the question and remember that this is a narrative and not a genre question. However, it's impossible to discuss narrative without referring to genre conventions and issues of representation, as demonstrated below:

Introduction

Definition - Narrative refers to the way in which a story is told. The are many ways in which a producer can use narrative conventions, which can drastically affect the way in which audiences respond to media texts. Therefore, narratology is perhaps the most vital component of any media text. 

Argument - I am going to argue all three of the films I have studied are unconventional in many ways, yet all are very much conventional examples of narrative within  their genre. 

Context - In order to elaborate on my argument, I will be exploring Skyfall, an action/spy film released in 2012 and directed by Sam Mendes, Brave, a 2012 Disney Princess/action adventure film, and The Selfish Giant, a social realist drama released in 2013 and directed by Clio Barnard.

Skyfall - key scene - opening titles

Binary oppositions - light and dark. Bond, in high angle mid shot shoots at four dark shadows of himself, symbolising his internal conflict. Typical convention of the Bond franchise, especially more recent Bond films.

Enigma codes - Chinese dragon, symbolises danger, and a foreign culture, which symbolises conflict between the British James Bond and the foreign enemy China.

Action code - use of grave imagery, which suggests to audience that somebody will die at the climax of the narrative. Death is very much convention of Bond films.

Character types - Bond, with his phallic gun is a perfect example of hypermasculinity, and a typical protagonist.

Disruption of equilibrium - Opening sequence occurs straight after disruption and the enigma code created by the mid shot of Bond's lifeless body being washed down the river. Typical of Bond films. Non-diegetic of Adele singing 'this is the end' reinforces the enigma.

Representation of women- Very sexualised representation of women. Reflected dancing women, completely naked, which appeals to the young, male, heterosexual audience. Perfect example of male gaze, and the silver paint is an example of intertextuality through referencing Goldfinger (1964)

Genre convention - Bond girl - East Asian woman, typical of exotic, beautiful yet deadly women featured in bond films.

Selfish Giant - key scene - Arbor's atonement

Low key lighting - symbolic code of the depressing atmosphere, a conventional narrative code of the social realist film.

Slow paced editing - and lack of significant events. Conventional of social realist films, which show the often dull reality of everyday lives.

Mise en scene - Dirty, torn clothing, and extreme close-up of hands holding. Light and dark, the contrast of hope and despair. Also, the contrast between Swifty's hand size and arbor's shows the audience the relationship between the two characters.

Flashback - Arbor remembers when Swifty was alive, and the two characters are shown in mid-shot, an example of non-linear narrative. By forcing the audience to reflect on the issues the characters are facing, this is a typical narrative convention of the social realist film.

Brave - key scene - horse riding montage

Action code - Close up of target with dozens of arrows, which suggests that not only is Merida a skilled archer, but archery will feature a lot in this film. Symbolic of Merida's status as an atypical Disney Princess, who lives an active lifestyle.

Symbolic code - Bow and arrow symbolises freedom, and the atypical, controversial lifestyle that she leads.

Tracking shot - montage of shots from many angles during horseback archery scene highlights the significance of her character to the narrative

Audience - Young, female, age 8 - 14, are able to relate to the protagonist, who is a typical action protagonist, where the difference is that she is difference . Repetition and difference - audiences rely on genre conventions, while wishing to see something exciting.

Binary opposition - between the mise en scene of Merida's messy, ginger hair, and the costume code of her regal, expensive dress.

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

This seems like a straightforward question, but it allows students to take a variety of viewpoints. A knee jerk reaction would be "yes, of course, very much so!". This can be elaborated on by discussing the relationship between producers and audiences, and of how producers must use a variety of different techniques such as bold editing choices and a pleasureable series of gratifications to ensure audiences buy tickets. Simply, it comes back to the basic media studies truth that 'every media text exists only to make money'.

However, there is potential to criticise this process. Skyfall exists to entertain it's audience, and does so in a variety of ways, from familiar genre conventions, an agreeable representation of masculinity, and many exciting (and extremely expensive) action scenes that will allow audiences the gratification of social interaction through discussing their favourite parts long after leaving the cinema.

Read below, however, and you will see that Q block A2 media questioned the exploitative, even fetishistic representation of women. Severin being shot dead, all while wearing a very low cut dress, is presented as entertainment to the audience, and this assumes that even in death, the only purpose of female characters in media texts is for the object of a heterosexual male gaze.

Brave does things very differently, with Princess Merrida remaining unsexualised, which is unconventional of Disney princess films. The entertainment in the archery scene comes from the pleasure at seeing action and comedy conventions combined, with the dominant reading suggesting that young girls can challenge gender stereotypes.

It can be good to conclude your essay with a 'however' paragraph. which conflicts with your argument. As detailed below, The Selfish Giant is certainly not traditionally entertaining. In fact, it's lack of non-diegetic sound and often confusing use of dialect and handheld cinematography means it can be a tough watch. We can argue that Clio Barnard is coming from a very different ideological perspective, and is positioning the audience in such a way that they feel resentment for the institutions that have neglected the main characters. However, we can argue that this lack of entertainment value comes at a price: The Selfish Giant was the only one of the three films we have studied to have lost money... and this is despite it having by far the lowest production costs.

Introduction

Definition - Audience refers to the people that consume, use, or take pleasure from a media text. Audiences are essential to producers, as they allow producers to profit from well marketed media texts. However, in order to make money, the media text must entertain its audience.

Argument - I will be arguing that the main function of the film texts I have studied is to entertain their audiences, in order to make as much money as possible. Producers often use exploitative ways to get reactions from audiences. However, there are many different audience categories, who may or may not find particular films entertaining. And some producers will deliberately create films which are not entertaining, perhaps to inform the audience.

Context - I will be analysing Skyfall, an action film released in 2012 and directed by Sam Mendes as the 24th film in the James Bond series, Brave, a 2012 animated fantasy/comedy/action adventure film produced by Disney Pixar, as the 13th Pixar film and The Selfish, a social realist drama, directed by Clio Barnard in October 2013.

Skyfall - key scene - the shot glass scene

• Characters, representation - Bond girls are a convention of the Bond film. Severin provides the heterosexual male audience sexual gratification. Mise-en-scene, tight red dress, tied up, both sexualised and fetishised. 
• Props - guns, conventions of the action genre, providing audiences the gratification of escapism, and the pleasure of seeing repeated genre conventions. The use of POV positions/anchors the audience as James Bond, emphasising the dominance of Bond's protagonist.
• Celebrities - Both Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem and instantly recognisable for their roles in other films, for example Biutiful and No Country For Old Men. 
• Representation - Severene dying is a key dramatic plot point. Suspense, gun held up in action code. The preferred response is to feel upset and appalled by her death, but also sexually attracted towards her. Therefore the death of women is presented as entertainment. 

Brave - key scene - the archery contest

• Ideology - rejecting parental hegemony. Provides escapism to target audience of young girls. Merrida ignores the will of her mother, wields a bow and arrow and challenging gender stereotypes, and tearing her dress, conveying that she rejects gender stereotypes. Positive representation of women.
• Comedy conventions - Old man flashes bum, mildly rude, example of childish humour. Genre hybridity allows many different audiences to be entertained.
• Editing - Use of fast paced editing and match on action shots confirm this film as a fast paced comedy, contrasting with slow motion shot. Pace of editing changes throughout scene
• Music - Traditional Scottish music establishes setting to younger audience, providing the audience with escapism, and Scottish audiences can identify with the setting.

However...
The selfish Giant - key scene - dinner time at Swifty's house

• Mise en scene - Flat is unlit and filled with a range of very young children, handheld camera emphasises chaotic atmosphere. Intense diegetic sound of children crying connotes misery, unhappiness and neglect. Swifty's dad uses authoritative, angry tone of voice, "oi, geddinere now". 
• Representation of women - "you're bloody useless" Preferred response is to feel anger, sadness. Domestic roles, stereotypical representation of women .
• Representation of Arbour - a product of his upbringing. However, moments of compassion, eg Arbour rubs Swifty's brother's head. A young, working class hero. 
• Lack of non-diegetic sound - Adds verisimilitude to scene, raw, less artificial, and less entertaining.