Media Studies Flying Start 2018

Media Studies Flying Start 2018 Introduction to the course: Welcome to Media Studies (Eduqas). Over the 2 years of A Level Media Studies course you will be studying the following subject areas: Media Language Media Institutions Audience Representation Each of these areas covers a range of different skills. You will be looking at these areas and learning how: The media represents events, issues, individuals and social groups in different ways. To create your own media products, using industry standard software. To develop your research and analysis skills through the study of a range of media forms such as magazines, newspapers, film posters, television, computer games, radio etc. To analyse how the media uses conventions and techniques to create meaning for an audience. Different media are targeted to specific audiences. To evaluate professional media to understand how the producers and directors aim to make an audience think or feel. Please read through the Key Concepts Booklet first and then complete ONE of the tasks on the next page in new Word or PowerPoint document & email this to me - zde@varndean.ac.uk Due: Week 1 September 2018

Summer Tasks: Summer Task 1 - Audience (how the media texts target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how audiences become producers themselves) Choose any magazine front cover or film poster - annotate and analyse how the product is tailored and targeted for a particular audience/s (at least 10 points/ideas or approx 250 words). Add a screenshot of the text your have chosen to your document and call this 'Summer Task 1 - Audience'. You will find example analysis of magazine covers and film posters on the internet (eg SlideShare), should you need them. Summer Task 2 - Media Language (how the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meanings) Analysis of why a director/producer has made certain decisions in creating a product is a key part of Media Studies. Write a 250 words analysis of ONE aspect of the Comic Con Wonder Woman trailer (e.g. setting, costume, use of colour, camera shots, sound, etc.) including screenshots to illustrate your points. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lgoqhfb4nm Summer Task 3 - Representation (how media forms portray events, issues, individuals and social groups) One of the key principles underpinning the A Level Media Studies course is the concept of representation and the role the media plays in shaping our understanding of the world. Media theorist David Gauntlett argues that: "Popular media has a significant but not entirely straightforward relationship with people's sense of gender and identity." ('Media, Gender and Identity', 2002) Research Task: What are the stereotypes for the following groups of people? Are they positive or negative? Gender (men/women), Age (teens/the elderly), Disability (chose one disability eg amputees, Downs Syndrome), Regional Identity (Northern/Southern), Ethnicity (black/white /Asian/Arabic), Sexuality (gay/straight), Class/Status (Working/Middle/Upper classes) Summer Task 4 - Media Institutions (how the media industries processes of production, distribution and circulation affect media forms and platforms) Research Task: 1. When talking about the media, what do we mean by the 'Big Six'? 2. Who are the 'Big Six'? What other companies do they own? 3. Find an example of a major media product that each of the 'Big Six' have produced within the last year, and research key information about these productions (budget, cast (if relevant) and relevant crew eg director, release dates) REMINDERS: If you need help there are countless tutorials on the internet, and the research skills you develop whilst finding information will also be invaluable for your Media A Level!

.KEY CONCEPTS.

.REPRESENTATION KEY CONCEPTS. When analysing a text, we are interested in HOW the subject is represented, but also WHY they may be represented in that way. HOW Positively Negatively Over-represented Under-represented Empowering Disempowering Subverting a stereotype Reinforcing a stereotype 1

WHY To make an interesting narrative or story (humour/intensity) or to appeal to the audience s needs and desires (to make the product desirable). To comfort the audience by reinforcing their view of the world, providing a sense of security or continuity To promote or reinforce a particular view or ideology To reinforce or challenge hegemony* (e.g. a male hegemony) * - Power To enable audiences to relate to the characters To challenge audiences by offering an alternative perspective 2

.IDENTIFYING THE TARGET AUDIENCE. How to Specify a Demographic: Start with age: Select an age range, e.g. 25-31, or... Describe the age of your target audience: (children, teenagers, young adults, adults or mature) e.g. 'a teenage demographic' or 'children' Then consider gender: e.g. 'female demographic' or 'men' Next, consider interests: e.g. 'fans of...' or 'people who enjoy...' Consider ethnicity, religion, cultural practice and sexuality: e.g. 'Christians' or 'homosexual men' 3

Consider viewing habits: e.g. 'regular readers/viewers of...' Also consider the size/type of the audience: Is it a large (mass) audience or a small (niche) audience? Is it a mainstream audience or an alternative audience? Where relevant, also consider... DEMOGRAPHICS. Category A Upper middle class - bankers, doctors; Category B Middle class - teachers, middle managers; Category C1 Lower middle class - office supervisors, nurses; Category C2 Skilled working class - tradespeople; Category D Working class - unskilled manual labour; Category E People at the lowest level of income - unemployed, students, pensioners. PSYCHOGRAPHICS. Adverts are more likely to be identified using psychographics rather than demographics, for example... Aspirers: People who want to appear rich and attractive. 'People who aspire to be...' Reformers: Explorers: People who want social change, are unimpressed by status and make decisions based on their values (e.g. environmentalists) Adventurous people who like talking risks Mainstreamers: People who follow the crowd Strugglers: People who find it hard to achieve (often connected with poverty) PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AUDIENCES. Texts often have a primary target audience, but also a secondary one. For example, Pixar studios primarily make their films aimed at a young audience, but appeal to a secondary audience of adults (e.g. parents). 4

.WHY DO AUDIENCES CONSUME MEDIA TEXTS?..USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY (BLUMLER AND KATZ, 1974). According to Blumler and Katz, these are the reasons why people consume media texts. Media producers may design their texts to appeal to these needs and desires. INFORMATION & SURVEILLANCE Finding out about events Seeking advice Learning Satisfying curiosity/interest Security through knowledge PERSONAL IDENTITY Reinforcing personal values Finding models of behavior (role models) Identifying with people in the media Gaining insight into self SOCIAL INTERACTION Finding a basis for conversation Identifying with others Gaining a sense of belonging Having a substitute for real-life companionship Gaining insight into the circumstances of others Helping to carry out social roles Enabling one to connect with family, friends and society ENTERTAINMENT Escaping Being diverted from problems Relaxing, getting cultural enjoyment Filling time Emotional release Sexual Arousal 5

UTOPIAN SOLUTIONS (RICHARD DYER, 1992). Richard Dyer argued that media offer us something that is lacking in modern life. Specifically, a sense of COMMUNITY The audience feels part of a group. E.g. Watching soaps can give audiences a sense of community or shared experiences with the characters. Talking to people on Facebook also reinforces this idea. INTENSITY The audience feels that life is exciting. E.g. Watching an action film can offer audiences a sense of intensity. ABUNDANCE The illusion of having plenty. E.g. Watching James Bond never having to worry whether he can afford the next vodka-martini can offer audiences the illusion of abundance. TRANSPARENCY The illusion that life is simple. E.g. Action films often offer audiences a sense of transparency, in that we know who is good and who is bad. ENERGY The illusion that you are energetic. E.g. Watching characters run, jump, shoot and dodge explosions offer audiences a sense of energy, which may be missing in their lives. 6

HOW WILL THE AUDIENCE RESPOND? Theorists used to believe that audiences were passive, accepting the messages of media texts without question. They believed that audiences were easily influenced and often imitated what they saw or read. Current thinking rightly sees audiences as more active and discerning, often challenging and questioning what they encounter in the media. THE RECEPTION MODEL (STUART HALL, 1980). Stuart Hall identified that there are three ways in which audiences can respond to a text. He said there were preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings. Preferred reading Negotiated reading The reader accepts the message that is intended by the writer and sees it as natural and transparent (e.g. that page 3 of The Sun is sexually alluring or a bit of fun ) The audience slightly modifies the original message, partly reflecting on their own views and experiences (e.g. that page 3 is not my kind of thing, but is still harmless) Oppositional reading The reader understands the original message, but chooses to criticise or go against it (e.g. that page 3 of The Sun is an example of base sexual inequality and crass female objectification) DAVID GAUNTLETT'S 'PICK AND MIX' THEORY (2002). David Gauntlett argues that audiences are very selective when engaging with media texts. They may pick their own values and identities when reading a text, whilst ignoring other parts. For example, when reading The Sun, readers may choose to ignore page 3 altogether and concentrate instead on stories they can relate to. 7

.PRINT LAYOUT. Masthead Headline Sub-heading Gives the name (and often date) of publication. Words in large font found at the top of the story, grabbing the audience s attention and flagging up the narrative. Usually answers the questions: who what where and when in a sentence. Byline Pull quote Caption Cropping Anchoring Typography Copy The name of the writer (by ) A quote from an article or interview is copied and enlarged to pique the audience s interest (usually something funny or shocking). The words beside a photo, which explains what the audience is seeing. Selecting a particular part of an image for emphasis. The use of words to create and add meaning to an image. The font style e.g. serif or sans-serif The writing/article in a print text (the text refers to the product, as a whole). 8

.NARRATIVE THEORIES/CONCEPTS. Linear narratives Linear narratives are stories that have a beginning, middle and an end (which happen in time order). Non-linear narratives These narratives play with the time order in which the story is shown and may include flashbacks (for example, in Pulp Fiction). Todorov (Disequilibrium) Todorov suggested that all stories are based on a change from equilibrium (where everything is in order) to disequilibrium (chaos/disorder). This can also be described as stability versus instability. Eventually, the narrative is ordered into a new equilibrium. Binary oppositions Claude Levi Strauss (as well as Roland Barthes') identified that narratives were often drawn out of the conflict of oppositions (good vs. evil, strong vs. weak). Roland Barthes' Enigma Code Texts can often tease the audience with mysterious or unexplained elements to draw them into the narrative. What happened last night? Why is there a tiger in the bathroom? Closure Most texts have closure (or a closed ending) where all of the problems are resolved and all of the questions have been answered. 9

Open ending Some texts have an open ending and leave some elements a mystery. Exposition Very often, narratives use exposition, where characters explain essential parts of the plot (this can include sub-titles or a voice-over). Propp s 'Spheres of Action' (1928). Vladimir Propp analysed one hundred Russian folk tales and found an identical narrative structure in each of them. He identified spheres of action, where a character would appropriate specific roles to progress the story. The eight character roles and their spheres of action are: 1. The villain: villainy, fighting, action 2. The donor or provider: giving, magical agent or helper 3. The helper: moves the hero, rescues from a pursuit, solves difficult tasks, transforms the hero 4. The princess and her father: a sought-for person who assigns difficult tasks, brands, exposes, recognises, punishes 5. The dispatcher: sends the hero on quest or mission 6. The hero: departs on search, reacts to donor, attempts difficult tasks 7. The false hero: takes unfounded glory for the hero's actions However, many of these theories have limitations. For instance, can you think of any texts which do not follow the above patterns?.other narrative devices. Hooks: Teasers: Cliffhangers: Dramatic irony: A scene where a question is raised and we want to know the answer A scene which gives a clue to the answer A high tension end of an episode or sequence When the audience know more than the characters 10

.CAMERA SHOTS. Name of Shot Example (with description) Useful for (and shortcut) LONG SHOT (LS) Setting the scene (establishing shot) Action Movement A wide view of the scene. MEDIUM SHOT (MS) Conversations Single character s actions Cuts the body just below the waist. CLOSE-UP (CU) Show character s emotions Reveal character s reactions to events. Just above the head down to the lower chest - usually only one character in the h EXTREME CLOSE-UP (XCU) Cuts right into the character s face, usually focusing on facial features such as the eyes. Show subtle emotions Create drama Reveal significant plot details (e.g. important detail in a photograph) OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT (OSS) Dialogue scenes/conversations The camera is positioned behind the character as if looking over the shoulder. 11

LOW-ANGLE Looking up, suggesting power and superiority. Taken from below the character as if they are looking down on us. HIGH-ANGLE Looking down, suggesting weakness, inferiority and vulnerability. Taken from above the character(s). HAND-HELD CAMERA Creates a documentary-like look. Creates a higher sense of realism. The shot is shaky, as if someone is holding the camera. POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT (POV) To events from someone s perspective. Usually used to build suspense (i.e. we see things from a killer/monster s eyes). Shot from a character's viewpoint. 12

.CAMERA ANGLES/MOVEMENT.Movement. Tracking Dolly Steadicam Hand-held Zoom Crane shot Aerial shot Camera moves at the side of the action/character, as if on a slowly moving train. Camera moves towards the action/character, Camera moves smoothly amid the action (attached to the camera person). Shaky use of camera (realism or documentary style). Camera lens zooms towards or away from the action from a fixed point Camera moves high above the action or from a high point towards the characters to give an idea where the characters are Camera shoots from a helicopter to give a huge view of the setting.angle. Low angle Eye level High angle Canted angle (askew) Looking up to the subject, suggesting power, authority, superiority. Level with characters. Looking down on the subject, suggesting weakness and powerlessness. When the camera is tilted/slanted to the left or right to create a sense of uneasiness or distortion of reality..focus. Shallow focus Focus pulls Deep focus Draws attention to a character or object in the foreground When the foreground character or object is in focus and the lens is pulled to focus on something in the background, or vice versa All characters or objects are important.lighting. High key Low key Positive, happy, joyful, lots of light. Dark, lots of shadows, mysterious and dangerous. 13

.TRANSITIONS & EDITS. Cut Dissolve Fade in Fade out Continuity editing Montage Juxtaposition When two shots are edited together usually to change angle. A merging between two shots to signal the passing of space or time. A shot gradually turns from black to the beginning of a scene. A shot gradually turns to black. Editing gives the illusion of time running smoothly and uninterrupted (most narratives use continuity editing) A collection of shots edited together, usually from different times and places (and usually accompanied by music) that create an idea or tell a story. The placing of (sometimes contrasting) shots together to create meaning, e.g. juxtaposing shots of warfare and grinning politicians creates specific meaning..sound. Diegetic sound Sound which characters can hear (e.g. speech, the sound of explosions etc.) Non-diegetic sound Parallel sound Sound that has been added (which the characters cannot hear) e.g. voice over and non-diegetic music. Sound that complements the actions onscreen. Asynchronous sound Sound that is produced in the world of the text but the audience cannot see it being created (e.g. footsteps when we cannot see the person walking). Voice over Contrapuntal sound A person who talks over the images, usually narrating or contributing to the story. Sound that is in contrast to what we see onscreen (for instance tense music over a scene of celebration). 14

.GENRE. Term Genre Subgenre Hybrid genre Genre code/trope Repertoire of Elements Intertextuality Pastiche Parody/spoof Definition A category of text, with fixed conventions (e.g. horror). A text that focuses on a particular set of conventions within a specific genre (e.g. zombie movies are a subgenre of horror films). Mixture of two or more genre conventions (e.g. Shaun of the Dead is a horror/comedy/romance hybrid). A specific ingredient of the genre (e.g. guns in an action film). All of the elements of a particular genre. E.g. An old West setting, horses, duels, cowboy hats and a Sherriff s badge are the repertoire of elements for a western. A text deliberately borrows a sequence from an existing media text (e.g. The Simpsons consistently borrows sequences from other media texts) A text borrows heavily from a certain genre. (Hot Fuzz uses many conventions from the buddy-cop action subgenre.) A text makes fun of certain genre conventions (e.g. Scary Movie makes fun of horror films)..tv SCHEDULING. Zoning: The placing together of programmes of the same genre to encourage audiences to stay watching that channel, e.g. Channel 4 comedy programmes on a Friday evening or a string of Channel 5 crime dramas. Stripping: Placing programmes at the same time every evening so that audiences get used to watching them as part of their evening's viewing, e.g. Coronation Street and EastEnders. 15

.ADVANCED THEORIES & CONCEPTS. Theory/Concept Laura Mulvey - The Male Gaze (Mulvey, 1975) Description Mulvey argued that women are often presented as passive (often sexualised) 'objects' for the pleasure of the male gaze. John Berger - "Men act. Women appear." (Berger, 1972) In his book 'Ways of Seeing', John Berger argued that, in art: "Men act. Women appear." Similar to Mulvey, he argued that texts often present women as passive objects of beauty, while men are the decisive characters of action. Naomi Wolf - The Beauty Myth (Wolf, 1991) Wolf argued that, for women, beauty is an economic value. Women (more than men) need beauty in order to be successful and it is this value which the media often presents as being of prime importance. The Female Gaze (Gamman & Marshment, 1988) These theorists claim that men can also be positioned as sexualised objects for the pleasure of the female gaze. Winship (Winship, 1987) Winship argued that women need lifestyle magazines because they are excluded from mainstream culture and that they are encouraged to use products to please men. Tough Guise (Earp & Katz, 1999) Earp and Katz argue in this film that the representation of men as tough and violent reaffirms the status quo of male violence (particularly directed towards women) in the world. Moral Panics (Cohen, 1972) The concept of moral panic was developed as a result of Stanley Cohen's studies of youth groups in the 1960s and may affect how an issue is represented. Cohen argues that a moral panic occurs when society sees itself threatened by the values and activities of a... 16

Theory/Concept Imagined Communities (Shaun Moore, 1998) Description (continued) group who are stigmatised as deviant and seen as threatening to mainstream society's values. The process by which a moral panic develops involves stages: 1) The occurrence of a deviant act or social phenomenon 2) The act or problem being widely reported on in the media, e.g. initially on the news and then spilling over into internet chatrooms and incorporated into fictional narratives etc. Shaun Moore (1998) argued that media texts often allow audiences to perceive themselves as part of an imagined community, where the audience feel that they have something in common with other imagined members of the audience. Racial Stereotypes (Alvarado, 1987) Alvarado (1987) has suggested that there are four types of representations for members of the black community. The humorous e.g. Eddie Murphy The exotic models such as Naomi Campbell The pitied representations of needy black communities through charity advertising or films such as Blood Diamond The dangerous portrayed in news and documentary reports of black inner-city gangs or gun crime. Left and right wing (political ideologies) In short, left wingers believe in the community (e.g. increased taxes so the wealthy can take care of the poor, regulation of companies to avoid exploitation) and right wingers believe in the freedom of the individual (less tax and regulation and more freedom to make your own way in the world). Hegemony This can mean two things. Firstly: any dominant power (e.g. hegemonic masculinity), but can also be used to refer to the process by which making that power appear natural or 'common sense'. 17

News Values Theory/Concept Description This concept poses that news is prioritised according to the following criteria: Is it a negative story or bad news? Is there the potential for personalisation and human interest? Does the story have shock value? Does it feature or create celebrities out of people to whom the general public can relate? Is there continuity with this or other stories? Does the story have close enough proximity to the target audience (e.g. are British people involved?) 18

1..OPTIONS.HOW TO STRUCTURE A PARAGRAPH OF ANALYSIS. It is important that you do NOT describe a scene as if it were real, e.g. The hero looks concerned before the robber pulls out a gun..., instead: 1. Identify the use of a technique, using media terminology. (e.g. We see a close up of ) 2. Make specific reference to the text. (e.g. a close up of the hero s eyes, looking concerned ) 3. Use the words connotes and/or signifies. (e.g. This signifies ) 4. Analyse the purpose or effect of the technique (explore what the connotations are). (e.g. danger, as we know the hero suspects something ). 5. Discuss the impact on the audience. (e.g. This is likely to create tension for the audience, as they expect something may happen, but they do not know what. ) FOR DEVELOPMENT (CHOOSE FROM BELOW). Connect with another element (e.g. sound). (e.g. This notion is confirmed by the ominous orchestral music that is building ) Discuss the appeal to the audience. (e.g. This may appeal to people in the audience who identify with the hero and want him to succeed. or This offers audiences a sense of intensity (Dyer, 1992) ) Does it reinforce or subvert a stereotype? (e.g. This reinforces the stereotype of men being powerful and in control, as he appears to sense danger before it happens. ) Does it support or challenge an ideology? (e.g. This supports a patriarchal ideology, as men are the dominant force in the scene. Or This displays a male bias because ) Explore alternative interpretations. (e.g. Despite being positioned to feel support for the hero, we could see him here in a negative light - like an angry shark, waiting for the kill. ) 19