Question 1B

Section A: Theoretical evaluation of production

• section a - question 1b of the A2 exam is worth 25 marks

focus on - 

1. genre
2. narrative
3. representation
4. audience
5. media language

• micro/macro elements

genre theories

• steve neale (1980) - all genres are instances of repetition and difference
• douglas pye - films have to conform to audience expectations about narrative
• tom ryall - conventions = narrative, themes, characters/stereotypes, iconography

Genre and audience

• genre offers audience a structure or framework
• audiences gain enjoyment from 'spotting the conventions' and making comparisons with other films of the same genre

narrative theories

• propp - 8 character roles
• todorov - equilibrium - disequilibrium - new equilibrium
• barthes - 5 codes (action, enigma, cultural, symbolic, semic)
• levi strauss - binary opposites

narrative

• all media texts tell stories, the structure is called the narrative
• a story must have verisimilitude (appear to be real) in order to engage us

- technical code

- verbal code

- symbolic code

- structure

- character

- narrative conflict

Representation

• who or what is being represented?
• how is the representation created?
• who has created the representation?
• why has the representation been created in that way? what is the intention?
• what is the effect of the representation?

to maintain a representation of reality, media language elements such as lighting, music, editing, camera work and mise en scene are used

sometimes representations are seen to be a deliberate attempt to create associations and ideas for the audience

Audience

every media text is made with a view to pleasing an audience in some way - how did you try to please your audience?

• consider: age, gender, demographic profile, socio-economic group, existing/new, lifestyle, values, attitude
• categories A, B, C1, C2, D, E
• is your audience mass or niche?
• what would the 3 reactions to your coursework be:

1. a preferred reading (your intended interpretation) 
2. an oppositional reading (someone who didn't like it)
3. a negotiated reading (someone who isn't the target audience but might appreciate it for whatever reason)

Media Language

• Denotations
• Connotations
• Anchorage

lots of decisions were made regarding micro aspects such as:

• camera
• editing
• lighting
• sound
• mise en scene
• costume
• special effects (visual, lighting and sound)

- chose 1 page or scene from coursework and analyse the aspects above in great detail. 

Exam

- How do contemporary media represent different collective groups in different ways?

• main focus of essay
• diverse representations including fiction (films), non fiction (newspapers, news) and self representation (youtube, facebook etc.)
• talk about at least 2 media
• talk about similarities and differences between modern and past media
• Structure - into (quote, rewrite in own words, link to issues of representation and media, state your focus.. social groups and text) // historical example // contemp examples // connect examples together // conclusion (return to start, prediction for future).
• referencing to film dates, theorists and dates
• 
  

Stereotypes

• created by society and are part of a cultures ideology
• they categorize people into groups whose members all share the same/ similar characteristics, mainly negative ones
• stereotypes are categorical & general suggester the traits apply to all members
• they are simplistic

Propaganda - a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position 

British Youth

• yobs
• gangs
• violence
• junkies
• reckless
• asbos
• binge drinkers
• chavs
• hoodies

Representing Youth

IPSOS MORI Survey 2005:

• 40% of articles on violence, crime, anti-social behaviour 
• 71% are negative

Brunel Uni 2007:

• TV News: violent crime or celebrities; young people are only 1% of sources

Women in Journalism 2008:

• 72% of articles were negative, 3.4% positive
• 75% about crime, drugs, police
• Boys: yobs, thugs, sick, feral, hoodies, louts, scum (words used to describe)
• Only positive stories are about boys who died young

Case Study 

• What roll did new media technologies, particularly networking sites play in the london riots?
• Do media cause riots or revolutions?#

Broken Britain

• How can you link cultural hegemony to this article?

From the article it gives the impression that the middle class dominates the rest of society and makes society believe that lower class are associated with bad behaviour. 

Teen Trouble: 26 Nov 2007

Young offenders - 12% of crime

mosquito, dispersal order, asbo

1993 2 10 yr olds arrested for murder - created everyone to look at youths differently

4.2 million cctv in the uk

media demonizes whole generation when its a small minority - cultivation theory (the more you see it the more you believe it)

6 x more likely to fall down stairs than be a victim of knife crime     

youths behave hostile towards adults because adults look down on them and think they are all troublesome



        

        

Internet

Memes
'a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the internet'


An Anthropolgical Introduction to Youtube

1.       When was Youtube first released?

April 25th 2005

2.       According to Michael Wesch what does Web 2.0 allow people to do?

allows people to link together and connect

3.       When media changes what else changes?

human relations

4.       What influenced the loss of community? And what has now filled this void?

women going to work, supermarkets as apposed to grocers, mobile phones, independance

5.       How are communities connected?

6.       Explain what he means by voyeuristic capabilities?

7.       Write 3 points about what he refers when he discusses playing with identity

•       ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

•       ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

•       ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8.       What does the ‘Free hugs phenomenon’ suggest about people?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

David Gauntlett

5 key themes

1. Creativity as a process - about emotions and experiences
2. Making and sharing - to feel alive, to participate in community
3. Happiness - through creativty and community
4. Creativity as social glue - a middle layer between individuals and society
5. Making your mark - and making the world your own