Audience classification: Demographics and Psychographics

The first aspect of the Audience key concept we need to study is how media companies target and classify audiences.

In order to do this, we need to learn about audience demographics and psychographics. These are two crucial aspects of how audiences are classified and identified by media companies. 

Notes from today's lesson on Audience

Demographic classification:

• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Social class
• Race/ethnicity
• Job/profession/earnings
• Home (city/village/countryside)

Social class classification

Advertisers have traditionally classified people into the following groups:

• AB – Managerial and professional 
• C1 – Supervisory and clerical 
• C2 – Skilled manual 
• DE – Unskilled manual and unemployed

Audience profiling

Advertisers these days are interested in more than just a social class classification. Now they try to sell a brand or lifestyle and therefore need to know more about their audience than simply age, gender or where they live.

So we also need to think about the kind of brands audiences are interested in and what this says about their lifestyle and interests. Is this product aimed at people who buy Armani and Porsche? Banana Republic and Apple? John Lewis and The Times? Lush and the Vegan Store? Peppa Pig and Haribo? The brands we buy or like say a lot about our personality and attitudes in life.

Psychographics

Media companies use audience profiling to create a more detailed picture of their audience. This means looking at the audience's personality, interests and the brands and lifestyle they enjoy. Young and Rubicam identified a range of different groups that became known as Psychographics. You can revise the different psychographic groups here.

Demographics and Psychographics: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'Demographics and Psychographics'.

1) What information do media companies use to create a demographic profile of their audience?

2) Why are media companies and advertisers increasingly using audience profiling and not just demographics?

3) What are the seven different Pychographic groups? 

4) Write a brief summary of what each Psychographic group is seeking or motivated by.

5) What psychographic group or groups do YOU belong in? Think about your own interests and lifestyle and explain your decision. Remember, you may fit into two or three different groups! 

Extension tasks

This is a more detailed A Level explanation of the different Psychographic groups so revise the psychographic groups here.

You can read more about audience targeting on BBC Bitesize here.

Due date: on Google Classroom

Introduction to Media: Blog Index

We have almost completed our first half-term of GCSE Media Studies and have our first assessment approaching.  

You've already covered lots of excellent content and have started developing the analytical writing skills you will need in the exams next year.

Introduction to Media - index so far

We now need to create an index of all our blogposts so far. This process is an excellent start to our ongoing revision and will also highlight if you've missed anything through absence. Your index should include the following:

1) First blog task - 10 questions

2) Poster Analysis
3) Denotation and Connotation

4) Introduction to Photoshop
5) Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things
6) Camerawork - Doctor Who: Shots and angles

7) Camera Movement and Editing

8) Blog feedback and learner response

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work quickly and easily for checking and revision. This also means if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in assessments and exams due to gaps in your knowledge.

Creating your index

To create your index, first copy the list of work above and paste it as plain text into a new blogpost called 'GCSE Media Autumn term index'. Then, open your Media blog in another tab and use your blog archive to open up all your work from last term. For each post, copy the URL - this is the web address that will end .blogspot.com/name of the post. For example: 

https://mediamacguffingcseyear1.blogspot.com/2020/01/representation-introduction.html

Once you've got the hang of it, you should find the index only takes 10 minutes to produce. 

First Media assessment

Your first Media assessment is coming up shortly - exact date specified by your teacher. You will need to revise everything in this index for the assessment.

Good luck!

Blog Feedback and Learner Response

You will be receiving blog feedback from your teacher via email.

This is a very important opportunity to reflect on the work you've done so far in GCSE Media Studies and identify the areas you need to improve over the next few weeks.

Whenever you receive blog feedback over email you must do the following:

Open up your email in Outlook and read your feedback carefully

1) Copy and paste your feedback and Next Steps into a NEW blogpost in your blog called 'Blog feedback and Learner Response'.

2) Below the feedback paste a screenshot of you completing your Next Steps and then publish the blogpost.

3) Reply to the original email from your teacher confirming you have completed the learner response and provide a link to your learner response blogpost.

This is how we get better in Media Studies - make the most of this opportunity! 

Camera Movement & Editing - Blog Task

In addition to camera shots and angles, we also need to learn about camera movement and editing.  

Remember, writing analysis in Media means picking out the interesting or important aspects of something and then examining WHY or HOW they have been put together to create an effect on the audience.

Camera movement: notes

There are a range of key camera movements we need to learn:

Pan: horizontal turn left or right

Used to follow movement. A whip pan (very fast pan) can create a feeling of action or drama.

Track/Dolly: Camera moves on tracks/wheels

Tracks action smoothly – look for in chases or fast-moving sequences.

Handheld: camera held by hand, often shaky

Handheld camera can add urgency, realism, pace or unease to a scene.

Zoom: focal length of lens changed to make subject appear closer or further away

A zoom into a character’s face can show realisation or an emotional reaction.

Crane: Camera attached to crane – can pan, track or ‘swoop’ in or out as required

Crane shots are often high angle and show large, epic scenes of dramatic action.

Tilt: Camera tilts up or down from fixed point

The hero or villain can be made to look weak or powerful using a tilt (high/low angle).

If you want to know more about camera movement, or missed the lesson, this episode of the Shot List from Studio Binder goes into real detail:

Editing: Notes

Video: Cuts and Transitions

Film transitions

Cut (Straight cut, jump cut, match cut): Shot changes from one to another – the most common cut.

Dissolve: Shot melts into another – often shows passing of time.

Fade: Shot fades away and another shot appears. Fades to black often signify endings (of the day, scene or film)

Pace of editing
The speed at which the film cuts from one shot to the next makes a huge difference to the experience for the audience. Generally, slow cuts build tension while fast cuts suggest action and excitement.

Juxtaposition
The word juxtaposition literally means ‘the act of placing together side by side’. In editing, this is called Parallel Editing. 

In film, two shots may be placed together to create meaning for the audience. E.g. A shot of the hero may be followed by a shot of his love interest to link these in the audience’s mind.

Rocket Jump film school on YouTube has an excellent video outlining cuts and transitions in editing:

Camera movement and editing: blog tasks

We need to be able to recognise and analyse the camera movement and editing when studying film or television. As ever with media, we need to be able to explain the effect this camerawork has on the audience. What connotations are created by using this style of filmmaking?

Create a blogpost called 'Camera movement and editing'.

Re-watch the Minority Report chase scene that we analysed in class:

Blog tasks:

1) Pick three aspects of camera movement in the Minority Report clip. Identify the type of camera movement and write about why the director chose to use that camera movement in the scene and what effect it has on the audience.

2) Pick two aspects of editing in the Minority Report clip and write about what effect it has on the audience.

3) Finally, revise last week's work on camerawork by picking out two shots or camera angles in the clip that communicate meaning to the audience.

Extension task

Linked above is a video from Studio Binder on camera movements - read their webpage on this topic and you'll learn about this in even more detail.

You can then look at their section on editing. 

Example analysis: The Night Manager (BBC, 2016)

Here's another example of how you write media analysis for camerawork and editing using the BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.

 

1) Analyse the camera movement:

The camera movement at the beginning of the scene is slow, steady and fits the relaxed atmosphere as they enter the restaurant. The smooth track or dolly shot as they walk to the table (0.14 - 0.17) makes the audience feel as if they are joining the party and included in the exclusive group in the island restaurant. This all changes in the scene where the kidnappers take the main character's son. The camera movement is suddenly handheld and edgy, signalling the tension and danger to the audience. This adds realism and suspense and contrasts strongly with the smooth camera movement of the opening to the scene. The camera continues to move (handheld) throughout this scene as the kidnapping develops - this keeps the audience on edge and creates the idea that danger or something terrible may be happening.

As the kidnappers try to escape, the camera pans loosely from left to right and back again (0.57) to create the effect of someone looking around to see where the next danger will appear from. Finally, when the kidnappers have gone and the boy is returned safely, the camerawork is still handheld but not as shaky as previously. This restores normality to the scene as the danger has passed.

2) Analyse the editing:

The pace of editing suddenly increases when the kidnappers burst into the restaurant (0.22) with a series of rapid cuts to communicate the drama and danger to the audience. There is then a close up of the boy's father juxtaposed with a shot of the main kidnapper holding the boy. This tells the audience these are the two critical characters for this scene and that they will decide what happens next.

Camera Shots and Angles: Blog Task

There is a lot to take in for camerawork - We will be covering this across the next two weeks and returning to it when we study TV later this year.  

This task will also give us an opportunity to use everything we have learned about media language so far (denotation, connotation and mise-en-scene) to improve our media analysis.

Remember, writing analysis in Media means picking out the interesting or important aspects of something and then examining WHY or HOW they have been put together to create an effect on the audience.

Camera Shots: Notes

Learning to accurately identify different camera shots and the effect they have on an audience is a critical skill in Media Studies. 

Before long, you'll find yourself naturally identifying interesting examples of camera shots, movements or angles when you're watching movies, TV or YouTube. The key aspect is always to consider WHY the director has chosen to present the scene in that way - what are they trying to communicate to the audience?

Here's a great YouTuber for Film Studies - Darius Britt AKA D4Darius. Notice that he uses 'full shot' instead of long shot - but otherwise this is pretty much the same as the shots that we learn in class:

 

Camera shots recap:

• Wide shot / establishing shot (WS/ES)
• Long shot (LS)
• Medium shot (MS)
• Medium close up (MCU)
• Over-the-shoulder shot (OTS)
• Close up (CU)
• Big close up / Extreme close up (BCU/XCU)

Camera angle:

• High angle: makes subject look small and weak.
• Low angle: makes subject look big and powerful.
• Unusual perspective: can be used to surprise the audience or show danger (e.g. looking down off a cliff)

Here's a reminder graphic courtesy of resource site poetryessay.co.uk: 

Camerawork: Blog Tasks

We need to be able to recognise and analyse the camera shots and angles when studying film or television. As ever with media, we need to be able to explain the effect this camerawork has on the audience.

Create a blogpost called 'Camerawork blog tasks'.

Watch this clip from Doctor Who and complete the tasks below:

Blog tasks:

1) Pick three camera shots from the Doctor Who scene, take a screenshot and explain what type of shot it is and what meanings or effect they have on the audience.

2) Pick one camera angle that is used in the scene, take a screenshot and explain the effect it has on the audience. 

3) Pick one aspect of mise-en-scene from the scene, take a screenshot and explain what connotations are being communicated to the audience.

Extension task

Go back to the opening scene of Stranger Things that we analysed for mise-en-scene. What camera shots can you find that are significant in communicating meaning? Are there any particular camera angles used to tell the audience about the characters or narrative?

Example analysis: The Night Manager (BBC, 2016)

Here's an example of how you write media analysis for camerawork using this BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.

 

1) Three camera shots:

- The opening establishing shot clearly shows the characters getting off a boat and walking into the restaurant. This both sets the scene for the following action and also confirms the characters are very rich.

- The extreme close-up on the main character's eye at 0.52 successfully communicates the intensity of the scene and the mixture of fear and emotion he feels as he watches his son being kidnapped. This has the effect of causing the audience to sympathise with the main character and wonder what will happen to the boy after being taken.

- The over-the-shoulder shot at 1.13 shows the main character recognises the man who saved the boy and that the man with the face injuries is not who he says he is. Like many over-the-shoulder shots, it is also a medium close-up which allows the audience to see the confusion on the main character's face and the realisation that he has seen him before.

2) Camera angles:

- The power between the two key characters is shown using camera angles. The high angle shot at 1.21 looking down on the man who has been beaten up shows his powerlessness and that he will rely on others to make him better. He looks broken and defeated as the close-up shot from above shows him looking up at the main character. In contrast, the main character is shown in a low-angle close-up immediately afterwards (1.23) to show his power over the broken man. The camera is looking up at him from the perspective of the man on the floor. This introduces a clear power relationship between the two characters - emphasised by the dialogue at the end: "We're going to take care of you."

3) Mise-en-scene: 

- The restaurant setting helps to communicate the wealth and power that the main character is dealing with. It is clearly a luxurious destination and the way the family greets the owner shows they go here often. The costumes support this with characters wearing expensive clothes and wearing sunglasses. Arriving by boat also shows how rich and powerful the characters are.

Media Language: Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a vital aspect of media language and builds nicely on our work on denotation and connotation.

Mise-en-scène is a French term meaning ‘Putting on Stage’. It refers to the Media language used by the producer in their media product to communicate with their audience so…everything we see on screen. We can remember what this includes using the acronym CLAMPS:

• Costume
• Lighting
• Actor placement and movement
• Make-up
• Props
• Setting

When we look at a clip, image or advert in Media Studies we need to be able to identify aspects of mise-en-scene and explain the effect it has on the audience.

This video explains the power of mise-en-scene in film analysis: 

Mise-en-scene: Blog tasks

Watch the opening of television drama ‘Stranger Things’, a science fiction story set in the 1980s when four friends get wrapped up in a dangerous alternate universe.



Create a new blogpost called 'Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things analysis'. 

1) Choose THREE aspects of mise-en-scene (e.g. costume, lighting and setting) and write a short paragraph for each about the denotation and connotation and what is communicated to the audience.

For example: 

Costume: The character at the start is wearing a white lab coat. This suggests to the audience...

Lighting: 

Setting: 

Props: 

Actor placement/movement/expression: 

Extension tasks

Watch the extract again. Try and write an analysis of the other aspects of mise-en-scene. Work through all the aspects of CLAMPS (the mnemonic we use to remember mise-en-scene).

Now think about the clip more generally. What does this opening sequence suggest the series will be about in terms of narrative, character and genre? What is it that tells you this? 

Read this excellent article on the 1980s references in Stranger Things. Which of these links specifically to mise-en-scene? 

Finish this for homework if not finished in class.

Introduction to Photoshop

The initial Photoshop tasks are essential in building a foundation of knowledge for what will become one of your most useful tools whilst completing your Media Studies GCSE.

Every single task that you complete in today's lesson should be uploaded to your Blog under the heading 'Introduction to Photoshop'

Colour Tasks:

1. Firstly, you need to select a colour palette that you wish to replicate throughout your task. Some recommended options include:

    - Urban            - Fashionable            - Expensive            - Skin-tone            - Pastel            - Vibrant

    - Fresh             - Youthful                  - Earth                    - Autumn               - Winter          - Fruity

Example: Urban

2. Secondly, you need to create a blank A4 page on Photoshop where you will copy your chosen image on to. Once you have done this, use the blank space below your image to create a colour palette based on your image. To do this, you will use the 'eyedropper' tool to grab a colour from your image, and the 'brush' tool to spread it across your page.

Example Palette:

3. Once you have created your palette, you should then create another A4 photoshop page and copy the blank parrot image onto it. You will then once again use the 'eyedropper' tool to select colours from your palette, followed by the 'paint bucket' tool to drop those colours into your parrot image. You should place a smaller version of your original image in the corner of your parrot image so that we can see the reference for your colour selections.

Example Finished Parrot:

Layer Tasks:

1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Layer Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.

2. Secondly, look across at the layers that exist in the document. These all contain rectangles of increasing size. Your task is to reorder the layers so that I can see part of all of the rectangles in the document. You should not need to move any shapes out of the way, this is simply about reordering the layers to allow visibility.

Layer Section: 

Transform Tasks:

1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Transform Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.

2. Find an image on Google Images that you want to use for this task. Use Ctrl+T to enter 'Transform' mode which will allow you to both move and resize the image that you have selected.

3. Once happy with the size of your original image, right click the layer that your image is in and click the 'duplicate layer' option to create a copy. Once you have done this twice, use Ctrl+T to change the size of your two copies to make them different from the original.

Example:

Text Tasks:

1. Firstly, open up the Photoshop file 'Text Test' that has been posted onto GC and save a copy of it into your own MediaShare folder.

2. Click the 'T' icon on the left hand sidebar to access the text tool. To create a text box, you should click and drag to make a box the size that you wish for it to be.

3. You are then going to create 3 text boxes all containing the phrase 'Media Studies' with the following requirements

    a. Birch Std Regular - Yellow - Size 32

    b. Snap ITC Regular - Purple - Size 48

    c. Forte Regular - Red - Size 72

Again, every single task that you complete in today's lesson should be uploaded to your Blog under the heading 'Introduction to Photoshop' - If you're unsure of how to do this, then please ask!