GCSE Media: Autumn term index

We have completed our first term of GCSE Media Studies - and it's amazing how much content we've already covered!  

This includes our first TWO exam Close Study Products - the two Film Industry CSPs (Doctor Strange and I, Daniel Blake). 

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

1) Introduction to the subject and you
2) Key concepts (LIAR) and analysis of Film Poster
3) Denotation and Connotation: Advert analyses (WaterAid)
4) Mise-en-scene: Stranger Things
5) Camerawork and editing blog tasks

6) Blog feedback and learner response
7) October assessment – feedback and learner response

8) Reception theory – Harry Brown trailer analysis
9) Audience effects theory - Blue Planet analysis
10) Audience and Industry - impact of internet essay

11) Industries - Ownership and control (Facebook and Instagram)
12) Film Industry: Introduction to Marvel
13) Film Industry: Doctor Strange
14) Film Industry: I, Daniel Blake
15) Audience and Industry internet essay - 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 10-15 minutes to produce.

Audience and industry essay - feedback and learner response

Your audience power and industry essays have shown fantastic progress in Media - well done! 

It's brilliant to see you writing in such depth having clearly picked up many of the key points regarding audience power, media industries and the impact of the internet. 

The first part of your learner response is to read the email from your teacher giving you feedback on your essay. If anything doesn't make sense, ask your teacher - that's why we're here! 

Your audience essay learner response is as follows:

Create a new blog post called 'Audience essay feedback and learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Copy and paste your feedback from the email in full - WWW, EBI and LR.

2) What was the word count for your essay?

3) What was your strongest paragraph? Why do you think it was better than others?

4) What was your weakest paragraph? Why do you think it wasn't as good as others?

5) How can you improve your extended writing in GCSE Media Studies in future?

6) Write ONE thing you have learned about the internet, audience and industry from completing this essay.

Extension task

Research one of the three industries (music, film/TV, news) and find statistics and quotes that link to how the audience experience of that industry has changed as a result of the internet. For example, social media has now overtaken TV as the main news source for young people - showing how power is shifting in the news industry away from traditional institutions (full details in this BBC news article). 


Revision: January assessment

When you come back in January you will have your next GCSE Media assessment. This will be on everything we have learned in Media so far including:

• Denotation and connotation
• Audience theories
• Industry terminology
• Film Industry CSPs (Doctor Strange and I, Daniel Blake)

If you do not finish your learner response in the lesson, this needs to be completed at home by your next Media lesson.

Film Industry: I, Daniel Blake

Our second Film Industry CSP is Ken Loach's independent social realist film I, Daniel Blake.

Remember: for film, we only need to study the industries key concept - so this means the companies behind the film, the budget, the marketing and promotion and finally the box office success.

Hollywood v Independent cinema

Independent films are very different to Hollywood blockbusters like Doctor Strange. The style of ‘indie’ films is very different to Hollywood blockbusters, as the directors and producers have more creative input – it’s being made in their vision, not in the vision of studio bosses.

Independent films have much smaller budgets, and are often supported financially by public service broadcasters, film institutions and charity funding. They are also distributed by smaller companies.

I, Daniel Blake notes

I, Daniel Blake is an award-winning independent British Drama film. The main character, Daniel Blake, 59, who has worked as a joiner most of his life in the North East of England needs help from the State for the first time ever following an illness.

He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one roomed homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat some 300 miles away.

Daniel  stands up and fights for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Katie) and her two children.   It is a drama that has a strong political message about Britain in an age of government austerity.

Key details:

• I, Daniel Blake was released in 2016 and was directed by Ken Loach. The film was rated by the BBFC as a 15.
• A UK/French co-production, the film is a classed as a drama due to the nature of the narrative and themes within the film.
• The cast is made up of lesser known actors, including Dave Johns, Hayley Squires and Sharon Percy.
• The film is classed as an independent film, due to the fact that it is a low budget film with a relatively unknown cast.

Director power: Ken Loach

Ken Loach has been a director for over 50 years. He’s never had Hollywood success, mainly because he’s never wanted it. Loach’s style is social realism – telling stories that represent the lives of ordinary working-class people and the social issues they face, for example unemployment, poverty and addiction. His films also have political themes. Rather than create films for entertainment or money, his goal is to expose and educate people to the issues that many people in society face.

Ken Loach's 2019 film Sorry We Missed You highlighted the difficulty of working class people working on zero hour contracts (you can watch the trailer here). Here he talks to Sky News about the film and how it compares to Marvel superhero blockbusters like Doctor Strange:

Marketing and promotion

Along with traditional trailer and print adverts, the film makers eOne also used disruptive marketing such as:

• Organise free (or ‘pay what you can’) screenings and talks in community centres across the UK to build local enthusiasm for the film’s message.
• Film was premiered not in London, but Newcastle (where the film is set) to gain local support. 
• Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the London premiere and people that had been denied benefit payments were asked to placard the event.
• ‘I, Daniel Blake’ was projected onto the Houses of Parliament ('guerrilla marketing') and in various cities
• Loach appeared on BBC Question Time to talk on issue giving the film extra credibility

A conventional trailer was also produced for the film:

Additional promotion:

• A partnership was set up with Trinity Mirror (Daily Mirror owners) to run a marketing campaign based on the film. The Daily Mirror traditionally supports the Labour Party and left-wing causes so therefore agreed with the main message of the film.
• The film also paired up with NomadiX Media's iProjector to create an outdoor campaign using quotes from the film.
• Ken Loach and the writer did interviews with newspapers and magazines to promote the key messages of the film (see clip from Economist below).
• Finally, a video was released using members of the public and politicians that supported the film’s message. This was highlighted with the hashtag #WeAreAllDanielBlake

Secret Cinema Youth screening

Secret Cinema, as part of their charitable Secret Youth campaign, organised a screening of the film in both London’s East End and Newcastle. The event was aimed at first-time voters, and the event happened just before the 2017 general election

The screening was accompanied by talks from Ken Loach and performances from artists that either supported or had a connection with the film’s themes. They also organised food bank donation stalls at the screening and encouraged people to contribute

Budget, box office and critical success

It is very difficult to establish the exact production costs of ‘I, Daniel Blake’ although 16 Films Producer, Rebecca O’Brien, said it was a ‘modest amount’, even for a Ken Loach film. We know some of the funding it received (e.g. £300k from the BFI) and can estimate it to be around £2 million. Compare that to the $165 million that it cost to make our other CSP, Doctor Strange.

I, Daniel Blake was exhibited in 24 countries and performed well in Europe and other smaller countries. The film grossed £11 million and received a wide range of positive critic reviews.

‘I, Daniel Blake’ Is Ken Loach’s most successful UK release ever and continued to sell well around Europe. Like all Ken Loach films, it did particularly well in France. As well as Box Office success, it was also a critical success and award winner (including the renowned Palme D’or from the Cannes Film Festival).

Regulation: BBFC rating

‘I, Daniel Blake’ was awarded a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classifications (BBFC).  This was despite the following scenes being included:

• Bad language (uttered by the main characters out of anger and frustration or for emphasis. Was justified by context and not impactful.)
• Sexual scenes (There are some verbal sexual references voiced in the film, particularly in a scene where a man pays a surprise visit to a woman who is working as a prostitute secretly, to try to dissuade her from prostituting herself.)
• Frightening and Intense scenes (There are two notable scenes of emotional intensity. They include 'the food bank' scene and the ending 'funeral' scene.)

I, Daniel Blake: blog tasks

1) What is independent cinema and how is it different to Hollywood blockbusters?

2) What is I, Daniel Blake about?

3) Who directed I, Daniel Blake and why is this important?

4) How was I, Daniel Blake promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign and how they targeted their audience.

5) What unusual or creative marketing methods were used to get audiences talking about the film?

6) What was the estimated production budget for I, Daniel Blake and how much did it make at the box office?

7) How can independent films like I, Daniel Blake compete with Hollywood blockbusters like Doctor Strange?

8) In your opinion, was I, Daniel Blake a success?


Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this Media Magazine article on the disruptive marketing campaign used to publicise I, Daniel Blake. Media Magazine is an excellent publication aimed at A Level Media students and it's a great resource for GCSE students aiming for the top grades.

Read this marketing case study on I, Daniel Blake. What does 'making a film launch a political movement' mean?

I, Daniel Blake is an A Level Media text for another exam board. Watch Media teacher Mrs Fisher's YouTube lesson on I, Daniel Blake and make notes.

Read this Hollywood Reporter interview with executive Alex Hamilton on film marketing - including the I, Daniel Blake grassroots marketing campaign. Why was it successful?

Complete for homework if you don't finish it during the lessons - due date on Google Classroom.

Film Industry: Doctor Strange

Our first Film Industry CSP is Marvel blockbuster Doctor Strange.

For film, we only need to study the industries key concept - so this means the companies behind the film, the budget, the marketing and promotion and finally the box office success.

Reminder: industry terminology

In our Introduction to Media unit, we learned a range of media industries terminology that we may well be tested on in the exam. Make sure you know the following:

Conglomerate
Most major media companies are conglomerates that own a range of smaller companies (called subsidiaries). An example of this is Disney owning Marvel.

Vertical integration
Vertical integration is when one conglomerate owns different companies in the same chain of production. E.g Disney owns film studios, CGI specialists, film distributors and TV channels such as the Disney Channel. This gives Disney the chance to make money at every stage of production. Complete ownership = more profit.

Horizontal integration

Horizontal integration is when one company buys other companies at the same level of distribution. E.g Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 (at a cost of $1 billion) so that they could cancel out the competition by making money from both. Horizontal integration allows companies to widen their audience and find other ways to make money.

Synergy 

Synergy is when a company creates a brand that can be used across different media products and platforms. E.g Disney makes movies but then also has related stage shows, theme parks, merchandise, soundtracks and events.

Doctor Strange notes

Doctor Strange is a superhero film from the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) which is part of the Marvel media franchise. A film franchise is a series of films film franchises are multi-picture stories, often including some of the same characters from film to film.

Franchises have become even more important than individual stars. They consist of connected universes (Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Middle Earth, and the DC Extended Universe) and many sequels (or prequels).

Blockbuster movies

Doctor Strange is a blockbuster movie. A blockbuster is a major studio movie that's made with a large budget, big stars and often involves a franchise. 

A true blockbuster is extremely popular and brings in a lot of money. Typically, a blockbuster is a summer movie that audiences line up to see the first weekend it's released (which coincides with the school holidays and more family time).  

Disney and Marvel

In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for US$4 billion. The Walt Disney Company now owns Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and Pixar.

Walt Disney Studios are one of Hollywood's major film studios and generated an income of $2.4 billion in 2017.  This means that they can afford to make more expensive films, market them around the world at great expense and ensure that they are hugely profitable.  

Marketing and promotion

Star Power implies that people will want to see a film with a certain star in it. Most mainstream films and blockbusters will use Star Power to attract audiences to their film. The main star in Doctor Strange is British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (from Sherlock) who is very well known and has established fans. 

Walt Disney Studios had a huge budget to make and market Doctor Strange. Some of the strategies used included:

• Traditional methods such as posters and teaser trailers on TV and in cinema.
• Cumberbatch also appeared on a range of TV chat shows and press events.
• Film-based website with gallery, story synopsis.
• Social Media profiles on Facebook and Twitter.  Social Media advertising was also used on Twitter and YouTube. Marvel produced Twitter stickers, Facebook Live events, Snapchat lenses and filters, Tumblr stunts, Giphy content and Instagram special content.

Specific IMAX promotions:

Additional promotion:

• Specific TV campaign with TV-only clips shown.
• Promotional Partners were established and promoted the film in various ways (Mobile phone company Honor, Google, Lamborghini, Microsoft, Yakoult, Skype and Philips).  This resulted in product placement meaning all had some role in the film – for example, Doctor Strange uses a Microsoft Surface Tablet – and were part of the promotion campaign in response to this.  The rationale is the more people that see the film, the more will see their products so they pay for this. 
• Marvel introduced a Doctor Strange character to their mobile and video games line-up.
• Marvel released prelude tie-in comic.

Budget and box office

Doctor Strange cost $165 million to make (which compares with £2 million for ‘I, Daniel Blake’).  This money would have been spent on the huge salaries of the stars of Doctor Strange and the amazing effects and locations (New York, Nepal, Hong Kong and London). In addition, Disney spent many more millions on the huge marketing campaign.

Doctor Strange had box office receipts of nearly $700 million (at a cost of $165 million), so can be viewed a success. However, it is not the most successful film in the Marvel Comic Universe. Infinity War, for example, took $2.03 billion at the Box Office and Endgame $2.79 billion. This places both in the top ten highest grossing movies ever. At the time of release Doctor Strange reached a major milestone by surpassing Iron Man’s box office record and setting a new global benchmark for a single-character introduction film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Film industry: Regulation

Films in the UK are regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

Doctor Strange was awarded a 12A by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).  It was deemed to have “moderate fantasy violence and injury detail”, yet was not too graphic. With a 12A, no-one under the age of 12 can see the film unless accompanied by an adult. It is quite a new classification (1989)  and was introduced due to the large gap between PG and 15.

It is important that all MCU films are 12A at the most as the major film companies want to keep the young audience for:

• Merchandising opportunities.
• Better potential box office.
• 47% of cinema audiences were aged 7-24 in the UK in 2014.  Word of mouth and peer influence is important in generating interest.

Doctor Strange: blog tasks

1) List the companies involved in the creation of Doctor Strange.

2) What is conglomerate ownership and how does it link to Doctor Strange?

3) Who regulates the film industry in the UK?

4) What age rating was Doctor Strange given? Why?

5) How was Doctor Strange promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign.

6) Analyse the film trailer for Doctor Strange. What aspects of the trailer tell you this is a big-budget blockbuster movie?

7) What was the production budget for Doctor Strange and how much did it make at the box office?

8) Would you consider Doctor Strange a successful Hollywood blockbuster? Why?

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this Guardian Film Blog on Doctor Strange - plus the comments below. Did audiences consider the film a success? Why?

Read this feature on whether there are too many Marvel sequels and spin-offs. Do you agree?

Complete for homework what you don't finish in the lessons - due next week.

Film Industry: Marketing - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Our first exam Close-Study Products will be from the Film Industry.

In our lesson, we learned the importance of film marketing and what a risky business it is for film studios. 

The two Close-Study Products (CSPs) we'll be studying for the Film Industry are:

• Doctor Strange (2016)
• I, Daniel Blake (2016)

A summary of the notes from our research activity:

Risky business
The creative industries are a risky business for companies - it costs a huge amount of money to create a media product like a film and there's no guarantee the audience will like it.

No brand loyalty
A new, original film has no established brand or audience - it has to generate all the interest through marketing. This is why film companies prefer to make sequels, reboots or films from an established franchise (like the Marvel Cinematic Universe) - there is an existing audience ready to buy the product. 

Star power
If the film isn't from an existing franchise, film studios use star actors or directors to help generate interest in the film and find an audience. Star directors like veteran political filmmaker Ken Loach have an established audience that will always watch his films regardless of subject matter.

A matter of timing
Marketing campaigns need to be carefully timed to create excitement about the film's release. Often, the first teaser trailers will drop up to a year before release - particularly for established franchise films like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Social media marketing
Once the film is out, the marketing campaign has less power - because audience word-of-mouth will take over. In the digital age, people will post online about the film immediately after seeing it - which means word-of-mouth is more important than ever. 

Why does Hollywood keep making sequels?




Film Industry: Marvel Cinematic Universe blog tasks

Read this BBC article on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and answer the following questions based on the article:

1) How many films are there in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?

2) How much money have the MCU films made in total so far?

3) Why did Marvel create the Avengers films?

4) What will Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe involve?

5) What will happen with Doctor Strange and who is the main star?

6) Who owns the rights to Spiderman and why is the character now appearing in Marvel films?

7) Which company owns the rights to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men?

8) Look at the very end of the article. What has Disney announced regarding TV shows on their new streaming service Disney+?

Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this Guardian review of Doctor Strange to prepare for studying our first CSP next week. What did the Guardian think of the film?

Read this BBC feature on Marvel at 80 years old. How has it survived so long and why is the Marvel Cinematic Universe so important to the recent success of the brand?

Complete for homework if you don't finish in the lessons - due next week.

Industries: Ownership and control

Most media companies are owned by one of the big six - massive conglomerates that dominate the media industry.

As GCSE Media students, we need to learn how media companies are bought, sold and controlled.

Notes

Industries: recap

Industries are the producers, the companies that produce (make) and distribute the media product. 

Industries have a strong interest in who their Target Audience is so that they can best appeal to them. 

Some companies dominate the industry which means they own more of the content and therefore make more money (revenue).

Vertical integration

Vertical integration is when one conglomerate owns different companies in the same chain of production.

E.G Disney owns film studios, CGI specialists, film distributors and TV channels such as the Disney Channel. This gives Disney the chance to make money at every stage of production. Complete ownership = more profit.

Horizontal integration

Horizontal integration is when one company buys other companies at the same level of distribution.

E.G Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 (at a cost of $1 billion) so that they could cancel out the competition by making money from both.

Horizontal integration allows companies to widen their audience and find other ways to make money.

Synergy

Synergy is when a company creates a brand that can be used across different media products and platforms.

E.G Disney makes movies but then also has related stage shows, theme parks, merchandise, soundtracks and events.

Ownership and control: blog task

Create a new blogpost called Industries: Ownership and Control. Read this article from Recode about Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and complete the tasks below:

1) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn in 2012?

2) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration?

3) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

4) What is a subsidiary?

5) Give three examples of media companies that have used synergy to maximise the profit from a brand (there is one above to help you).

6) Read this BBC article on Disney buying 21st Century Fox. List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire. This graphic may help you: 

7) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits?

If you don't finish these questions in the lesson, complete for homework - due next Thursday.

Industry and audience power essay

This week's work has explored media industries and whether the internet has given audiences more or less power in the media.

This is a crucial media debate and over the course of the GCSE you need to develop your own opinions on these questions. We will be using this particular topic to start developing our essay writing skills in preparation for the longer, high-mark exam questions.

You can find the lesson slides here. This will give you lots of content for your essay exploring the positives and negatives of the internet with regards to audiences and media industries. Note: you'll need your Greenford Google login to view the link.

Blog task: industry and audience power essay

Create a new blogpost called 'Industry and audience power essay'. Then, use the following guidance to help you write the essay on your blog:

Essay question: “The internet has given audiences much more power than ever before.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Word count: 500-800 words

Optional essay plan
You may find the following useful. However, you do not have to follow it exactly and will be credited for alternative or original responses that are convincing and highly effective.

Introduction (50 words): Thesis Statement (setting out your argument)

• Introduce the question and how it will be answered. Summarise how the internet has changed the position of the audience (consumer) in relation to the producer. 
• Explain what your own argument is: do you think that the internet makes the audience more powerful or less powerful and why? 

Music Industry: (150-250 words)
What changes have happened to the music industry since the rise of the internet?

Advantages for audiences:

• What are some examples of how audiences have benefited from the rise of digital media in the way that they access and consume music? Think about downloading and what platforms users are using to access music. 
• Think about ‘bedroom bands’ and subscription services such as Spotify and Apple Music. How do these services and opportunities help the audience? 

Disadvantages for audiences:

• What are the benefits of word of mouth advertising (and re-tweets, shares etc) for the producers? 
• What might happen to music artists if audiences are unwilling to pay for their music?
• What are the issues for audiences in having so much content available to them?

Film and TV Industry (150-250 words)
What changes have happened to the film and television industry since the rise of the internet?

Advantages for audiences:

• What are some examples of how audiences have benefited from the rise of digital media in the way that they access television and film? Think about downloading and new platforms for film and television.  
• Think about piracy and Apps such as Showbox: what do they offer to the consumer? 
• What about subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. How do these services and opportunities help the audience? What content is available to them? What about when they can watch?

Disadvantages for audiences:

• What potential issues are there with ‘binge-watching’ TV series?
• How might watching TV shows and films on a small screen (e.g. phone) affect the viewing experience?
• Why are companies producing less interesting films and TV shows? (E.g. sequels and reboots)

Newspaper Industry (150-250 words)
What changes have happened to the news industry since the rise of the internet?

Advantages for audiences:

• How has the internet changed the way audiences can access news?
• What is Citizen Journalism and how has it given the audience more power over reporting and receiving the news?

Disadvantages for audiences: 

• What is fake news? Why is this a problem for audiences?
• Are there any problems or concerns with citizen journalism? 

Conclusion (50 words)

• Have you answered the question with a clear conclusion? Have you demonstrated that the internet makes the audience more powerful or less powerful and why?

Complete this essay for homework - due date on Google Classroom. Remember: the word count MINIMUM is 500 words. 

Audience: Effects theory

As well as studying target audience and reception theory, we also need to explore WHY audiences enjoy using and interacting with the media and what effect the media has on them.

This means learning a range of audience theories to add to our work on Stuart Hall's Reception theory. 

Audience theory: key notes and terminology

Passive & Active

Passive: This is the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.

Active: This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.

Hypodermic Needle Theory

This is the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members. 

Two-step flow theory

This is the theory that consumers form their opinions based on opinion leaders like newspapers, politicians and, nowadays, celebrities.

Uses and Gratifications - Blumler & Katz

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: learning information that you did not already know or that is useful for living (e.g. documentaries; weather or traffic). 

IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on screen.

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: escapism and being entertained away from your normal life.

RELATIONSHIPS: social interaction, caring about characters or celebrities, forming relationships e.g watching a soap opera for a long time because you care about what happens to long-standing characters.

The 3 Vs

VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions. 
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters. 
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching people e.g hidden camera shows / elements of reality TV like Big Brother.

Audience effects theory: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called ‘Audience Effects Theory’ and complete the following tasks:

1) Write a definition of a passive audience: 

2) Write a definition of an active audience: 

3) Write a definition of the hypodermic needle theory: 

4) Write down a media product for each category of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory and WHY it fits that particular audience use/gratification: 

INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: 
 > Why: 

PERSONAL IDENTITY:
 > Why:  

DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: 
 > Why:

RELATIONSHIPS:
 > Why: 

5) Re-watch the clip from Blue Planet above and write a paragraph analysing how elements of the clip offer the audience pleasures or gratifications (use media terminology from Uses and Gratifications theory and the 3 Vs - notes outlined above). 

Extension: To take this further, select a media text of your own choice, embed it in your blog and write another detailed paragraph analysing the audience pleasures in that product.

Extension question 2: Think about the hypodermic needle theory. Do you think most audiences believe everything they see in the media? Why? Explain your answer and try to argue both sides.

Finish for homework if you don't complete it in the lesson - due next Thursday.

Audience: Reception theory

Reception theory is an important media theory exploring how audiences respond to media texts.

Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist who looked at the relationship between the text and the audience. He suggested that meanings are fluid and open to interpretation depending on context and the consumer’s experiences as individuals as well as communities.

Hall states there are three readings to any media text:

Preferred reading

The meaning the producers intend to communicate. This builds on the idea that producers can position the audience in a certain way and influence their reading so they accept the intended message by using recognised codes and conventions (such as stereotypes).

Negotiated reading

Somewhere between the preferred and oppositional reading. The message is modified (partly accepted and partly rejected) depending on the individual experiences of the audience (e.g their age, gender or social class).

Oppositional reading

The oppositional reading goes against the meaning the producers are trying to create. The audience reject the intended message and construct an opposite reading instead. This can be due to their own social, political or moral beliefs and values. 

Reception theory: blog task

Create a new blogpost called 'Reception theory'.

1) What is the preferred reading of a media text?

2) What is the oppositional reading of a media text?

Re-watch the trailer for the film Harry Brown:

3) How does the Harry Brown trailer position the audience to respond to the teenage characters in the film?

4) Why might young people reject this reading and construct an oppositional reading of the trailer?

Look at this McDonald's advert:

5) Write a 150+ word analysis of the McDonald's advert using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

6) Now find your own advertisement and write a 150+ word analysis using preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings.

Extension task: 

Watch the rest of the Plan B TEDx lecture about his plan to help disadvantaged young people through film and music. Do you agree that he presents a positive view of young people?

Finish for homework if you don't complete this during this week's lessons - due next Thursday.

Blog feedback and learner response

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

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 LR into a NEW blogpost in your blog called 'Blog feedback and Learner Response'.

2) Below the feedback, complete the learner response tasks or questions 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! 

Audience: Demographics & 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 profiles

Advertisers these days are interested in more than just a social class classification. Now they try to sell a brand or lifestyle.

So you also need to think about the kind of brands your audience will be interested in.

Armani and Porsche? Banana Republic and Apple? John Lewis and The Times? Nike and PlayStation? Peppa Pig and Haribo?

Psychographics

Media companies use audience profiling to create a more detailed picture of their audience. One method is called psychographics and involves looking at the audience's personality, interests and the brands and lifestyle they enjoy.

Audience profile Photoshop task

Create an audience profile for a magazine of your choice using Photoshop.

First, use demographics: Age, gender, education, social class, race/ethnicity, job/profession/ earnings, home (city/village/countryside).

Then write some statements that your target audience agree with. Look at the NME example for inspiration. Statements such as 'It's important to look good' or 'Enjoy life and don't worry about the future' work well for this part of the profile.

Then use brand logos that the audience will use or enjoy and build them into your profile.

NME magazine example:

Make sure you save your audience profile in your folder on the Media Shared drive - we will be adding to it in future lessons as we learn more about audience!

Camerawork and editing: blog tasks

There is a lot to take in for camerawork and editing - we will be teaching this over two double lessons and will give you time to work on your blog in each of them. 

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 as we learn the shots 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)

Camera movement: notes

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).

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.

Camerawork and editing: blog task

We need to be able to recognise and analyse the camera shot, angle and movement 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 and editing analysis'.

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

NOTE: If you have studied the following clip from Doctor Who instead, use this for your blog tasks:

Blog tasks:

1) Pick three camera shots from the scene 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 and explain the effect it has on the audience. 

3) Pick one aspect of camera movement in the 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.

4) Pick one aspect of editing in the clip and write about what it tells the audience.

Example analysis: The Night Manager (BBC, 2016)

Here's an example of what you need to do 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) 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.

4) 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.

Finish this blog task for homework - due next week Thursday.