MS4 responses - Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts

Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts

Knee jerk reaction - texts offer audiences sophisticated appeal apart from Jeremy Kyle 

Plan 

Uses and grats
Walrus scene
Dog scene
Pick and mix (David Gauntlett)
Anthropomorphisation 
Verimilitude
Codes and conventions
Ideologies
Dominant readings (reception theory, Stuart Hall)
Opening scene
Transgression 
Generic hybridity 
Escapism 
Education
Madonna/whore complex
Polysemy

Introduction 

(Definition) Audience refers to the viewers or users of a media product. In order to target specific audiences, producers will use a variety of techniques for the product to appeal to them. (argument) I shall argue that the texts I have studied offer an increasingly sophisticated audience a sophisticated range of appeals, with one notable exception. However, I shall also argue that audience appeal is essentially yet another way in which the producer can manipulate the ideology of the target audience. (Context) in order to explore this argument, I will use the examples of Blue Planet II (2017), a BBC nature documentary target a middle class family audience, Westworld (2016), a HBO produced scifi/western hybrid that targets middle class males aged 20 - 35, and The Jeremy Kyle Show, aired on 15th March 2018, a reality/talk show hybrid broadcast on ITV1.

Blue Planet II walrus mother scene

• Personal relationship - positioning techniques such as close ups and the sympathetic voiceover position the audience with the walrus mother. Additionally with polar bears ("what is a mother to do", accompanied with MS of mother and baby, emphasising isolation). Process of anthropomorphisation. Manipulation of the emotions of the audience. 
• Educational aspect - Outline's Darwin's theory, survival of the fittest. David Attenburough's confident voice, middle class accent, and sophisticated lexis 
• Offers audience an exciting and compelling narrative through the use of enigma codes. Example: "what is a mother to do", a mystery. Will the walrus mother survive? C/U shots and high key lighting emphasises their importance, achieved through colour grading. 
• Escapism - grand and remote setting far removed from the lives of the target audience. Assumes target audience leads a boring an routine life. 
• Genre conventions - repetition and difference. Many generic conventions including the characterisation of animals, the use of Attenburough as narrator and the use of exciting and exotic locations. Blue planet II offers audiences little differences, such as the making of documentary, and the extremely high production values. 
• Uses and gratifications - How the audience uses and takes pleasure from a media product. 
• Reception theory - the different ways in which an audience responds to a media product , preferred, oppositional and negotiated
• Preferred reading - to feel sympathy and guilt. Negotiated reading - sympathy for animals, yet annoyed by environmental message, overly manipulative 

Westworld - The sex scene/the river

• Westworld - deeply polysemic show, providing audiences with a range of gratifications. Excellent example of Guantlett's pick and mix theory, where audiences pick and dismiss aspects of the text they prefer or dislike in a sophisticated manner. 
• Complex and contradictory representations of women. Women are sexualised and objectified in the sex scene. Absence of costume, a stereotypically ideal body is presented, cultivating a negative representation of women and reinforcing the idea of a male gaze. Discomfort for audience, as women, by being relegated to the background in brief mid shots are sexualised and objectified. 
• Transgressive imagery of fly crawling across eye as characters discuss casual murder. Audience are further anchored through the use of suspenseful non-diegetic sound. Creates a powerful binary opposition with next scene.
• Primary appeal - a challenging show for adult audiences. An adult mode of address is adopted throughout. Full frontal nudity is casually presented throughout the series, themes of death and violence. Deeply philosophical throughout. 
• Appeal of sexual gratification primarily targeting the heterosexual male target audience. 
• Narrative and enigmas - Dolores and her character arc

Thanks to R block for these responses.

What's coming up next year in media studies?

Here's a provisional rundown of what you will be doing next year. Click to see full size. 

For current first year students, you may be wondering what you'll be doing after the music video project is submitted and you come back after the summer holiday. Despite the final exam looming on the horizon, the second year is possibly less intense than the first year. This is because we've introduced most of the theorists already, and you'll be happy with the basics of media studies.

Autumn term - Magazine production and the TV industry

As soon as you come back after the long summer holiday, you'll be thrown in to your next piece of assessed practical work, the magazine project. This forms part of the cross media production, and will give you an opportunity to create a definite style and personality for the artist or band you created for your music video . This should take you up to the half term holiday.

After the magazine project, it's back to the exam, specifically component two, for the TV unit. We're really looking forward to teaching this one, as you'll be studying two of the best shows of the last ten years. Humans is a British remake of a Swedish science fiction show that explores the ethics of using robots for housework work and sex work. And Les Revenants (The Returned) is an excellent postmodern horror series filled with creepiness and moody French teenagers chain smoking. We'll be comparing and contrasting these two programmes, and exploring them in terms of representation, media language, industry contexts and audience responses. If you want to get a head start, we recommend checking out these shows.

In this term, you will also start and complete your UCAS applications. At this stage, you may start to visit universities too. Make sure you let your teacher know if you're applying to university, especially to a film, media, arts or humanities related degree, as we can give lots of suggestions.

Spring term - Radio, videogames and online media

After you get back from the Christmas holiday, you'll be surprised by a complete change of pace, as you will cover three industries in just one half term! For two weeks, you'll be exploring the radio industry and looking at Late Night Woman's Hour as a case study. And for the next two weeks, you'll study the videogame industry, with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation as your main case study. We're pretty confused as to why we're studying the PS4 port of a 2012 Vita game, but we're sure the exam board know what they're doing. Both these are short topics, similar to your work on the film industry, and you will be focussing on industry and audience concerns for both of them.

After these two brief studies, you'll start the final topic, online media, which like magazines and TV, will explore all four media frameworks; media language, representation, audience and industry. We'll be looking at the fashion/lifestyle vlogger Zoella, and exploring the Gay Times website. We'll also be looking at lots of other examples of websites, uses of social media, and exploring how the internet has shaped our society.

The final week of this half term is provisionally a mock exam week. We all know what this means!

Summer term - Revision, and farewell!

It's sad to be thinking of the end already, but the summer term is when you will sit your final exam. In order to prepare for this, you will have at least six weeks of dedicated revision. The final exam is nothing to be concerned about, as long as you remember to prioritise revision above other things for a while. You've all worked hard for this!

Your have been provisionally announced as being on the following dates. When this is confirmed we will let you know.

Component one - 135 minutes - Wednesday 5th June 2019 - AM
Component two  - 150 minutes - Thursday 13th June 2019 - PM

First year music video production guidelines

Here are just a few tips, requests and requirements that you need to follow when making your music video.

If you have even the slightest issue, tell your teacher

Remember, if we don't know about any problems you have had while filming or issues with editing, then we can't help you. Our perception of how hard you have worked will affect your grade. So if you're running behind schedule, let your teacher know, and we can work out a plan B.

If you're not in lesson, then you must film

If you have a lesson at 09:00, but are not filming until 11:00, then you must attend your lesson. There are no exceptions to this. Additionally, it is not acceptable to miss any other lesson to film for your Media coursework. Failure to attend lessons when you are not filming will result in a lower mark being awarded, and may result in a warning being issued. 

For every lesson you do not attend, email your teacher

This rule still applies. We need to know exactly what you are doing, where, and with who. Don't be offended if your teacher doesn't respond, but assumed that they have seen it.

You should start editing now

Last week (W/C 8th May) was your principal photography week. Ideally you should have at least 60% of your video filmed by now. You should start editing as soon as possible to work out what footage you need to re-shoot.

Always take the footage off the SD card before returning equipment

The first thing the technician does is to delete the contents of the SD card, so you WILL lose everything that has not already been saved. You have been warned!

Your rough cut is due at the end of the week commencing 11th June 

So keep it in mind!

Never edit off a memory stick or SD card. Only edit on a college computer, using the same computer each time, placing your video files in to a stable folder

If ANY of the above made you go 'uh?', then make sure you have a teacher or technician with you when you first create your project. There's a few very easy ways to completely destroy your project, so please, don't be 'that student' who looses everything!

MS4 responses - Explore the narrative structure of your three main texts

Explore the narrative structure of your three main texts

Knee jerk reaction - MAINLY TYPICAL, MAD MAX ATYPICAL (however, it can also by argued that Fury Road has a completely conventional and straightforward narrative structure. Just make sure that you get across your own opinion!)

Plan

Patriarchal hegemony
equilibrium
Metanarrative
Character types
Conventional/un
Binary oppositions
Barthes - action and enigma
Repetition and difference (genre)
Diegesis

Introduction - DAC

(Definition) Narrative is the way in which a story is told. The ways in which a story is told can give the audience clues as to the ideology of the producer. (Argument) I shall argue that the narrative structure of my chosen films is generally typical and conventional with one exception. I shall also argue that the narrative structure of my chosen texts has been deliberately selected to manipulate the ideology of the target audience. (Context) In order to explore this argument, I shall be analysing Spectre (Mendes, 2015), an action/spy film, the 24th in the James Bond franchise, The Selfish Giant (Barnard, 2013), a social realist film set in Bradford, and Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller, 2015), an action/apocalyptic hybrid film.

Spectre - Madeline is rescued

• Typical narrative structure for an action film/Bond film
• Dialogue - "do I have a choice?" "not any more" - Stereotypical masculine character role reinforces Propp's character archetypes. Madeline established as the Princess. Conventional narrative structure.
• Lack of dialogue - conventional of action film narrative
• Fast paced editing functions as an action code
• MES bomb timer action film convention/paradigm/iconography
• MES helicopter symbolic of the villain, a binary opposition, the underdog James Bond vs the powerful and resourceful villain
• MS of the MES of red ropes typing Madeline down. A binary opposition between the feeble victim and the capable man. This emphasises the ideology of a patriarchal society, where women are oppressed and men are superior.
• Metanarrative - a story about a story. Consistent reference to Goldenye, the rescue of Natalia. Spectre's narrative structure is sloppy and confusing, however, with the audience's knowledge of the Bond franchise, the film makes perfect sense. Additionally, a foreign villain, sex scenes with exotic Bond girls, exciting car chases.

The Selfish Giant - The police arrive

• The Selfish Giant, narrative typical of social realist film. Many similarities with Kes (Loach, 1969). 
• MS of Arbor using mobile phone, MES of tatty sofa, conventional of the social realist genre. Demonstrates the protagonist's disrespect for the police.
• "Take your shoes off, then" establishes a binary opposition between the working class and the police.
• LA shot looking up police officer emphasises disgust for the working class. Establishes the police as the antagonist. This is in stark contrast to the positive re4presentation of the police in Spectre.
• Stereotypical representation of a working class family
• Appearance of police a powerful action code, connoting trouble, conflict and issues for arbor's family.
• The narrative structure of The Selfish Giant presents the working class as inferior and oppressed by a powerful ruling class.
• The final enigmatic shot of Arbor stroking the horse emphasises the open nature of the narrative, reinforcing the issues that the working class face in society

Mad Max Fury Road - Max vs Furiosa 

• Mad Max Fury Road is a consistently unusual and eccentric film, using a number of postmodern features.
• Unconventional characters - wife staring in to distance - "is it a furious fixation"? functions as an enigma code for the already confused audience
• MES of water hose demonstrates unconventional female empowerment. Women are the protagonists, a subversion of patriarchal hegemony
• Low angle close up of Furiosa putting gun to Max's head and attempts to kill him. Pleonastic sound of trigger emphasises her character's murderous intent, stereotypically masculine. Low angle shot positions the male target audience in an uncomfortable and challenging position
• Lack of conventional non-diegetic soundtrack emphasises that Max is the villain of this scene. Soundtrack is highly unconventional, comprising mainly of intense, atonal drum beats.
• Miller's ideology - subverts the norm that men are more powerful than women

Thanks P block for these responses!

Exemplar student response - A1. To what extent are the key representations in your three main texts stereotypical?

When regarding the famous bond film, Spectre, which was released on 26th October 2015, representations of men, women and race are extremely stereotypical. Firstly, women are highly sexually objectified throughout to appeal to its targeted audience of heterosexual men. For example, during the key scene where Bond seduces Lucia the stigma surrounding the sexualisation of women in films is reinforced through conventional aspects such as the chosen setting. The scene is filmed in a large bedroom, emphasised by extreme low key lighting providing an action code that something sexual is about to occur, reinforcing the ideology of the producer that women are often objectified within the film industry. The close up shot of the couple kissing with Lucia pressed against a large mirror targets a heterosexual audience and in turn provides sexual gratification, placing emphasis on the idea of the male gaze. The fact that Bond is captured holding Lucia up against the mirror portrays the idea of a patriarchal society, representing Lucia as inferior due to being a woman, reinforcing the theme of misogyny and hegemony within the industry. Non-diegetic music is used throughout the scene which gradually becomes louder and faster when the couple become closer, which effectively creates a sexual atmosphere. The mise-en-scene is simplistic, mid-shots carefully capture the large bed and mirror, used as a suggestive code to the audience that the couple are about to take part in sexual activities and therefore creating audience appeal for the specific heterosexual audience and further emphasizing the producers ideology. The binary opposition between Bond and Lucia sets a sexual undertone and objectifies Lucia for being useful for one thing only; sex. Furthermore, this creates a strong stereotype of women throughout the duration of the text.

Similarly, the film ‘selfish giant’ which was released on 25th October 2013, encodes the extremely stereotypical representation of class through a variety of genre conventions. For example, during the key scene where the police visit Arbors’ house the stereotype of a social hierarchy with the ruling class at the top dominating and the working class at the bottom is portrayed. The mid shot which captures the two policemen at the door staring down on Arbor enforces the ideology of the producer that the ruling class looks down on the working class in pity. This ideological approach is empahsised by the binary opposition between the police offers uniform costume and Arbors’ scruffy clothes. In turn, this creates the stereotype that all working class people are poor and don’t worth their physical appearance. However, it could also be argued that this stereotype is subverted through Arbors’ lexis of language. For example, when the police offers arrive at the house, Arbor demands them to “take your shoes off” the use of this imperative language places authority within the working class as the police comply with his orders. However, this stereotype is short lived as a long shot captures Arbor lying on his sofa on his phone whilst the police officers are trying to speak to him. This conveys the frequent stereotype which is associated with the working class that they’re rude and lazy. This stereotype is reinforced through Arbors’ costume; trousers with holes in and a dirty jacket. Therefore, fulfilling the stereotype that the working-class are outcasts from society. The mise-en-scene also fits in with the representation of the working class as poor. Several high angle long shots capture the unlivable state of their living room reinforced by the low-key lighting. Moreover, the stereotypical representations of different social classes are cleverly encoded by the producer to target the specific audiences.

Additionally, the 2015 Mad Max (Fury Road) film which was released on 15th May also uses stereotypical representations. For example, during the after the storm scene, women are represented as sexualised and objectified. Again reinforcing the ideology of the producer that women are often, if not always, represented as sexual objects and used just for their physical appearance. Firstly, the 5 women are dressed in all white revealing clothing, providing sexual gratification for the audience and installing the idea of the “perfect woman” as the white connotes purity and perfection. The characters roles are fulfilled by women who are models in the real world, implying the idea that they were used purely for their looks; suggesting a patriarchal society. This stereotype is heightened by a several close up shots which capture the women’s clothing being sprayed with water and therefore making the clothing see through. This specifically targets a male heterosexual audience and empahsises the objectification of women within the industry. However, the 2015 popular film can also be argued as feminist and be known to specifically subvert gender roles and stereotypes. For example, Furiosa, a character played by a female takes the role of one of the leading protagonists, which is highly unusual within action films. This particular switch of gender roles, in turn, subverts traditional hegemonic ideologies. For example, a close up shot of Furiosa holding a gun to Max’s head contradicts the idea that women are innocent and victimized within the film industry. However, Furiosa’s physical appearance isn’t one which is the ‘norm’ within the industry as she has short hair and masculine features which also subverts the stereotype that women within action films are typically represented as the ‘perfect woman’. This stereotype subversion is also emphasised through the mid shot of Furiosa kicking Max in the head, therefore representing women as strong and powerful and reversing the idea of a patriarchal society. Overall, Mad Max does encode stereotypical representations, however it also includes unconventional representations such as representing women as superior to men.

Thanks Alice for the excellent response, and for giving permission for it to be featured on the blog! In order to improve this response further, I would recommend addressing the following:

• Including an introduction and conclusion. These are essential as they establish the argument or point of view to the producer. 
• The question specifically uses the word 'stereotype'. So, why do producers use stereotypes? 
• Richard Dyer suggested that they serve many purposes for both the producer and for the audience. They provide an 'ordering process' that allows the audience to make sense of the world, and they provide a shortcut for the producer. 
• However, by consistently being exposed to stereotypical representations, a dominant hegemonic ideology is cultivated in the target audience. 
• So, for Spectre for example, what is the impact of this cultivation on the target, white, male, middle aged audience? How might this stereotype affect the treatment of women in reality?