Who owns this media product? Who owns them? Are they part of a conglomerate and/or vertically integrated?
Late Night Womans Hour
Knee Jerk Reaction:
Owned by BBC Radio 4 who is owned by the BBC
Could argue BBC is vertically integrated as it owns BBC Television channels, BBC Film, BBC Radio (it produces media in different areas for profit and to limit competition) however they would disagree.
Wouldn't be seen as a conglomeration as it is not large enough
BBC is a public broadcaster service, a service for society to keep original media production alive (not funded by advertisement, but by license fee payed by audience) BBC Ethos: inform, educate and entertain.
Curran and Seaton - conglomerates and monopolies and driven by power and profit in the media which limits risk, but also creativity and variety
Specialised niche targeted audience, of only women
Podcast available to different new audience of 'on the go' people, making it a socially diverse product.
CONTEXT: BBC Radio 4 - older demographic. Late Night Womans Hour, 2015 spin off on the 1960's Woman's Hour radio show. Episode focuses on particular theme of 'hygge' relevant to female audience. BBC owned by no one, as they are accountable for the public service.
EVIDENCE: Academic discussion, Lots of technical breaking down of meanings and metaphors: aimed at a an intelligent audience eg, questioning back and forth, debating, reflecting. Touch on many themes and topics to attract variety of audience: hygge, Scandinavia, crafts, cooking, feminism, social world issues.
Brief Introduction:
Late Night Womans Hour, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, is a 2015 spin off radio podcast from the 1960's show 'Womans Hour'. BBC Radio 4 is owned by the BBC, a public broadcaster service funded by a license fee payed by the audience, rather than by advertising, with the ethos to inform educate and entertain. I will explore this through the 2016 podcast episode: Home.
Argument:
I would argue that the BBC is not a conglomerate, but rather uses vertical integration for slight purposes of profit, yet still achieves being a socially diverse service that provides media for the 'community'. In the episode, I can identify that the BBC target a specialised, niche audience of intelligent and independent women, due to the academic discussion and debating on a large variety of topics and themes, from crafts and cooking to feminism and social world issues we face today. This supports the BBC's ethos that they are a service provided for the public's benefit rather than for the monetary value of the product. This would challenge theories by Curran and Seaton who believe conglomerates and monopolies are solely driven by power and profit, refraining from taking risks, limiting creativity an variety in the media. However, I could also argue that the BBC does reflect some of the beliefs of Curran and Seaton as they use a form of both vertical and horizontal integration for the purpose of limiting competitionand increasing profit. For example, the BBC create media in areas such as BBC Film, BBC Radio, BBC Online and BBC Television, beneath in which they specialise varied channels and platforms, creating a wide variety of media products within their company. This could help argue that the BBC in reality uses these integration for purposes that subvert from their ethos of being a service 'for the people'.
Monday 29 April 2019
Friday 26 April 2019
Exam Question - Videogames
Component 1 - Section B (industry and audience)
Assassins Creed 3: Liberation
How does this product attract/target its audiences? How does it construct an audience? [12]
Knee Jerk Reaction:
Both mass and niche audiences
First black female protagonist, further attracts a new target audience(female demographic)
Ubisoft released game, huge fanbase, large successful company
Accessible on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, the most popular software at the time (2012), as well as handheld console, targeting 'on the go' consumer
Uses themes of violence and adventure (action codes and dramatic cinematography in trailer) to attract typical audience of assassins creed players.
Franchise - has a loyal fanbase, that will come back as they are familiar with the line o products.
Henry Jenkins Fandom - online communities, fan-made content, constructing new more active audience
18+ certificate, attractive as you can do things that you cant in reality, eg, kill people
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5RxYUw4DFY
Built up, tense Non diegetic music
Dramatic cinematography
Cameras purposely angled in the perspective of a player, as if you already are playing the game
Slow motion effects
Themes of violence and adventure
Brief Introduction for 12 marker:
Assassins Creed 3: Liberation was released by Ubisoft in 2012 rated with a 18+ age certificate. Both mass and niche audiences are targeted in this product.
Argument:
Often in videogames women are heavily underrepresented as partial characters, who are typically sexualised and objectified. In this product however, the first assassins creed black female protagonist takes the lead role, attractive a new and wider target audience of a female demographic, and therefore attracting a more niche audience of new players.
On the other hand, the game was released by the large successful company Ubisoft, who have a huge, loyal fanbase. These fans trust the production by this corporation and will therefore be attracted by their typical use of themes of violence and adventure within the marketing of their product. This is presented in areas such as the action codes and dramatic cinematography in the trailer for the 2012 game. The audio visual advertisement also uses built up and tense non diegetic music, along with camera angles in the perspective of a player, as though viewers are already playing the game. This will attract a larger active group of action and adventure game players as it uses the typically attractive conventions of this game genre.
Henry Jenkins fandom theory reveals a different more active audience type who participate in the creation of media related to the product. Assassins Creed 3: Liberation constructs a motivated audience who produce their own media, such as reviews, and gameplay videos via Youtube, which are then circulated within the committed community.
Assassins Creed 3: Liberation
How does this product attract/target its audiences? How does it construct an audience? [12]
Knee Jerk Reaction:
Both mass and niche audiences
First black female protagonist, further attracts a new target audience(female demographic)
Ubisoft released game, huge fanbase, large successful company
Accessible on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, the most popular software at the time (2012), as well as handheld console, targeting 'on the go' consumer
Uses themes of violence and adventure (action codes and dramatic cinematography in trailer) to attract typical audience of assassins creed players.
Franchise - has a loyal fanbase, that will come back as they are familiar with the line o products.
Henry Jenkins Fandom - online communities, fan-made content, constructing new more active audience
18+ certificate, attractive as you can do things that you cant in reality, eg, kill people
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5RxYUw4DFY
Built up, tense Non diegetic music
Dramatic cinematography
Cameras purposely angled in the perspective of a player, as if you already are playing the game
Slow motion effects
Themes of violence and adventure
Brief Introduction for 12 marker:
Assassins Creed 3: Liberation was released by Ubisoft in 2012 rated with a 18+ age certificate. Both mass and niche audiences are targeted in this product.
Argument:
Often in videogames women are heavily underrepresented as partial characters, who are typically sexualised and objectified. In this product however, the first assassins creed black female protagonist takes the lead role, attractive a new and wider target audience of a female demographic, and therefore attracting a more niche audience of new players.
On the other hand, the game was released by the large successful company Ubisoft, who have a huge, loyal fanbase. These fans trust the production by this corporation and will therefore be attracted by their typical use of themes of violence and adventure within the marketing of their product. This is presented in areas such as the action codes and dramatic cinematography in the trailer for the 2012 game. The audio visual advertisement also uses built up and tense non diegetic music, along with camera angles in the perspective of a player, as though viewers are already playing the game. This will attract a larger active group of action and adventure game players as it uses the typically attractive conventions of this game genre.
Henry Jenkins fandom theory reveals a different more active audience type who participate in the creation of media related to the product. Assassins Creed 3: Liberation constructs a motivated audience who produce their own media, such as reviews, and gameplay videos via Youtube, which are then circulated within the committed community.
Wednesday 24 April 2019
Exam Question - Music Videos
Why did the producer represent people, issues and events in this way? What choices did they make and why?
Beyonce Formation / Unseen text (This is America Childish Gambino)
Knee Jerk Reaction:
New Orleans crisis
Women represented in subversive and powerful nature
Post colonialism - Paul Gilroy, hierarchies of power still exist today
Hyperrealism, Beyonce's 'angelic image created which in reality does not exist
Binary, Black vs White, Rich vs Poor, through costume/setting
Intertextuality, newspaper cover of Martin. L King reflecting issues of racism in America
Gun/Gang violence in America
Racism, ethnic minority representation, reference to black gospel pride
Police brutality
Chaotic scenes
Key Words
Symbolic Annihilation
Stereotypes
Mise-en-scene of police and authority
Rebellion
Suggestions of Violence and Oppression
Video VHS effect - symbolic intertextual reference to police brutality captured on dashcams
Shots of hurricane Katrina, racial conflict representation
Bell Hooks - feminism is for everyone - Formation - power, unity, strength of black women
Intimidating mode-of-address
EVIDENCE:
Positions Beyonce as a strong, independent, black woman.
Wide variety of african american representation challenging symbolic annihilation theory
She wears costumes of white high class 1920's New Orleans people, creating binary and therefore meaning through black vs white, rich vs poor.
DEFINITION, ARGUMENT, CONTEXT:
Representation is where a group, issue or event is RE presented or 'shown again' by the producer. By using media language to represent certain groups, the producer can both reinforce and challenge hegemonic norms. Representation can be used to challenge hegemony and stereotype, offering a subversive critique of dominant ideologies. Music videos are a medium in which this can be explored. The issue of ethnicity and how/why different groups are represented, often dominates this industry. I am going to ague that both videos both challenge the representation of African-Americans in modern day America. I will explore this through Beyonce's Formation, released as a single from her 2016 album Lemonade, following the crisis in New Orleans which won a grammy for best music video, and This is America by Childish Gambino, which has over 500 million views on Youtube.
The symbolism of the Antebellum era shown by the costume the producer has chosen demonstrates Beyonces manipulation and ownership of black slavery narrative. Beyonce is placed in a position of power, through the representation with in the mise-en-scene, for example, where a mid shot shows her laying on top of a sinking police car, additionally, shots where she stands in front of groups of black men and women, creating a sense of unity within the ethnic community. This polysemic meaning
Beyonce Formation / Unseen text (This is America Childish Gambino)
Knee Jerk Reaction:
New Orleans crisis
Women represented in subversive and powerful nature
Post colonialism - Paul Gilroy, hierarchies of power still exist today
Hyperrealism, Beyonce's 'angelic image created which in reality does not exist
Binary, Black vs White, Rich vs Poor, through costume/setting
Intertextuality, newspaper cover of Martin. L King reflecting issues of racism in America
Gun/Gang violence in America
Racism, ethnic minority representation, reference to black gospel pride
Police brutality
Chaotic scenes
Key Words
Symbolic Annihilation
Stereotypes
Mise-en-scene of police and authority
Rebellion
Suggestions of Violence and Oppression
Video VHS effect - symbolic intertextual reference to police brutality captured on dashcams
Shots of hurricane Katrina, racial conflict representation
Bell Hooks - feminism is for everyone - Formation - power, unity, strength of black women
Intimidating mode-of-address
EVIDENCE:
Positions Beyonce as a strong, independent, black woman.
Wide variety of african american representation challenging symbolic annihilation theory
She wears costumes of white high class 1920's New Orleans people, creating binary and therefore meaning through black vs white, rich vs poor.
DEFINITION, ARGUMENT, CONTEXT:
Representation is where a group, issue or event is RE presented or 'shown again' by the producer. By using media language to represent certain groups, the producer can both reinforce and challenge hegemonic norms. Representation can be used to challenge hegemony and stereotype, offering a subversive critique of dominant ideologies. Music videos are a medium in which this can be explored. The issue of ethnicity and how/why different groups are represented, often dominates this industry. I am going to ague that both videos both challenge the representation of African-Americans in modern day America. I will explore this through Beyonce's Formation, released as a single from her 2016 album Lemonade, following the crisis in New Orleans which won a grammy for best music video, and This is America by Childish Gambino, which has over 500 million views on Youtube.
The symbolism of the Antebellum era shown by the costume the producer has chosen demonstrates Beyonces manipulation and ownership of black slavery narrative. Beyonce is placed in a position of power, through the representation with in the mise-en-scene, for example, where a mid shot shows her laying on top of a sinking police car, additionally, shots where she stands in front of groups of black men and women, creating a sense of unity within the ethnic community. This polysemic meaning
How to Revise
Mindmaps
- For each study case create a mind map for a industry, audience, media language, representation. ✓
- Identify which case study has which area of analysis ✓
Flash cards
- Context on each study case ✓
- For each study case create a mind map for a industry, audience, media language, representation. ✓
- Identify which case study has which area of analysis ✓
Flash cards
- Context on each study case ✓
Tuesday 23 April 2019
Plus Time Revision
Postmodernism/Hyperreality
Hyperreality - A representation of nothing. A representation of something that does not exist. Through the use of hyperreal imagery, audiences now confuse the signs of real for the real. In many cases hyperreal is much more attractive than reality itself.
Simulacra - A copy of a copy, a representation of a representation. Something that refers to something else and not something 'real'. Jean Baudrillard argued that this copy of a copy is real in it's own right...
Simulation - An imitation of something real
Architype - Is a stereotype for a character in a media text.
Zoella: Picnic Party
Aspirational
Lifestyle attraction
Advertisement for the products used in her blog post.
Any type of reality is removed through being photographed by professional photographer.
Hyperreality created through consumerist approach.
Consumerism - a better life from buying products.
Attitude Online:
Stereotypical representation of men
Constant representation for profit
Escapist fantasy, as it subverts the reality of how difficult it is to be gay in the modern world by creating gay connotations of the heterosexual models/subjects.
Humans:
Breakfast scene - Anita constructs the hyperreal image of a perfect breakfast. "this is how breakfast is supposed to be!"
Family fall in love with a representation of something that doesn't actually exist
In what ways do the representations in this product make claims about realism? (Zoella and Attitude Online)
DEFINE: Hyperrealism is the representation of something that does not exist. Through the use of hyperreal imagery, audiences now confuse the signs of real for the real. In many cases hyperreal is much more attractive than reality itself.
ARGUMENT: These products use hyperrealism to construct a 'perfect' representation of unrealistic expectations and lifestyles that are aspirational to audiences.
CONTEXT: Attitude online and Zoella are examples of modern day online media products; a gay magazine website, and a 14 million subscriber Youtube channel.
POINT: Zoella's channel presents an unrealistic lifestyle with connotations of feminine, dainty, perfect qualities that are not accessible in the real world. It also forms expectations of an idealistic beauty.
ARGUMENT: On her online lifstyle blog, her post from 2016, called 'Picnic Party' creates a hyperreal representation of an outdoor activity, that exists
Hegemony
When one group of people wields power over another though coercion and consent.
Marxism - Ruling class manipulates and controls the working class, 'keep the rich and the poor poor'
'Religion is the opiate of the masses'
Meritocracy - a society in which we are judged by what qualifications we have
Forms of Hegemony:
Patriarchal
Racial
Cultural
Religious
Genre
Political
John Berger - 'men act, women appear'
Men have narratives
Women are there for visual appeal
Naomi Wolf - the beauty myth
When someone appears in a media text and is supposed to be attractive but isn't
Humans:
Anita is 'hegemonicaly attractive' yet some people may think Laura is more attractive
Anita is of different 'exotic' ethnicity to white british main characters
Could argue that Humans reinforces patriarchal/cultural hegemony OR could argue it raises awareness, and shines light on todays societal values and representation of east asian women in the media being objects of sexual nature.
Tide Print Advert:
Reinforces patriarchal/cultural hegemony eg, housewife image, 'washes whiter than ever'
Advertising today: present a utopia where buying a product will come with a lifestyle. They promote that capitalism is right
Adbusters; aggressively anti-advertisement
Formation:
challenges cultural hegemony
Zoella:
reinforces beauty standards and patriarchal hegemony
Gender Performativity
Judith Butler
Gender Performance - The notion of performing the characteristics commonly associated with a gender
For Butler, gender is not constructed from the moment of birth but is something that is learnt and reinforced
Sex and gender are two separately different concepts
Gender Performativity - how the world reacts to your performance of gender
Woman
Alfred Hitchcock's name is presented in a far larger font that Grace Kelly's, reinforcing patriarchal hegemony. Cultivating an ideological perspective that men are superior, more important, powerful, and more creative than women. The symbolic connotation of the low cut of the low cut top, lustful facial expression and sexualised direct mode of address reinforces the notion that women are there to be looked at by heterosexual men. Hitchcock and his wife present a binary opposition.
Pull quote reading 'they're like snow capped volcanoes'. Clear example of objectification, and a patriarchal expectation that women should be prim and proper, yet sexually active. The Madonna and Whore complex.
A singular and restrictive representation of women is presented in order to construct a target audience, motivated by financial
Humans
Intradiegetic gaze, reinforcement of the male gaze, where a character looks at a women for their own pleasure. (The dad looking at Anita in a sexual way)
Matti subverts gender stereotypes. Tomboy, violent, takes typical roles of women.
Intertextuality
Allows a producer to attract a specific audience
Les Revenants
- Reference to Texas Chainsaw massacre, as Clair is watching it. Creates a reflection of her character, therefore audiences noticing this reference will typically be fans of this film, and therefore likely to like the character, through relating o her lifestyle
- Intertextual reference of diegetic sound of Mogwai music, having a very niche following and fanbase, attracting a very specific audience
-Victor creates visual code of intertextuality from horror genre, where a small boy is isolated in dark shots, eg, insidious.
Riptide
- Low key red lighting creates intertextual reference to 1970's Italian horror film
- Anchorage of lyric and visual code in 'dentist' scene create intertextual refference to the 'fear of the dentist' which many in the audience will relate to
Humans
- establishing montage of Anita looking up at the moon, initiates she has a character,
- opening theme tune shots make reference to medical drama, sci-fi, documentary, drum and bass, electronica, techno, attracts varied audiences through genre hybridity. Not being able to differentiate between fiction/non-fiction, postmodernism
- relatable family lifestyle construction, intertextual reference to British Sitcom Outnumbered
- not be
Hyperreality - A representation of nothing. A representation of something that does not exist. Through the use of hyperreal imagery, audiences now confuse the signs of real for the real. In many cases hyperreal is much more attractive than reality itself.
Simulacra - A copy of a copy, a representation of a representation. Something that refers to something else and not something 'real'. Jean Baudrillard argued that this copy of a copy is real in it's own right...
Simulation - An imitation of something real
Architype - Is a stereotype for a character in a media text.
Zoella: Picnic Party
Aspirational
Lifestyle attraction
Advertisement for the products used in her blog post.
Any type of reality is removed through being photographed by professional photographer.
Hyperreality created through consumerist approach.
Consumerism - a better life from buying products.
Attitude Online:
Stereotypical representation of men
Constant representation for profit
Escapist fantasy, as it subverts the reality of how difficult it is to be gay in the modern world by creating gay connotations of the heterosexual models/subjects.
Humans:
Breakfast scene - Anita constructs the hyperreal image of a perfect breakfast. "this is how breakfast is supposed to be!"
Family fall in love with a representation of something that doesn't actually exist
In what ways do the representations in this product make claims about realism? (Zoella and Attitude Online)
DEFINE: Hyperrealism is the representation of something that does not exist. Through the use of hyperreal imagery, audiences now confuse the signs of real for the real. In many cases hyperreal is much more attractive than reality itself.
ARGUMENT: These products use hyperrealism to construct a 'perfect' representation of unrealistic expectations and lifestyles that are aspirational to audiences.
CONTEXT: Attitude online and Zoella are examples of modern day online media products; a gay magazine website, and a 14 million subscriber Youtube channel.
POINT: Zoella's channel presents an unrealistic lifestyle with connotations of feminine, dainty, perfect qualities that are not accessible in the real world. It also forms expectations of an idealistic beauty.
ARGUMENT: On her online lifstyle blog, her post from 2016, called 'Picnic Party' creates a hyperreal representation of an outdoor activity, that exists
Hegemony
When one group of people wields power over another though coercion and consent.
Marxism - Ruling class manipulates and controls the working class, 'keep the rich and the poor poor'
'Religion is the opiate of the masses'
Meritocracy - a society in which we are judged by what qualifications we have
Forms of Hegemony:
Patriarchal
Racial
Cultural
Religious
Genre
Political
John Berger - 'men act, women appear'
Men have narratives
Women are there for visual appeal
Naomi Wolf - the beauty myth
When someone appears in a media text and is supposed to be attractive but isn't
Humans:
Anita is 'hegemonicaly attractive' yet some people may think Laura is more attractive
Anita is of different 'exotic' ethnicity to white british main characters
Could argue that Humans reinforces patriarchal/cultural hegemony OR could argue it raises awareness, and shines light on todays societal values and representation of east asian women in the media being objects of sexual nature.
Tide Print Advert:
Reinforces patriarchal/cultural hegemony eg, housewife image, 'washes whiter than ever'
Advertising today: present a utopia where buying a product will come with a lifestyle. They promote that capitalism is right
Adbusters; aggressively anti-advertisement
Formation:
challenges cultural hegemony
Zoella:
reinforces beauty standards and patriarchal hegemony
Gender Performativity
Judith Butler
Gender Performance - The notion of performing the characteristics commonly associated with a gender
For Butler, gender is not constructed from the moment of birth but is something that is learnt and reinforced
Sex and gender are two separately different concepts
Gender Performativity - how the world reacts to your performance of gender
Woman
Pull quote reading 'they're like snow capped volcanoes'. Clear example of objectification, and a patriarchal expectation that women should be prim and proper, yet sexually active. The Madonna and Whore complex.
A singular and restrictive representation of women is presented in order to construct a target audience, motivated by financial
Humans
Intradiegetic gaze, reinforcement of the male gaze, where a character looks at a women for their own pleasure. (The dad looking at Anita in a sexual way)
Matti subverts gender stereotypes. Tomboy, violent, takes typical roles of women.
Intertextuality
Allows a producer to attract a specific audience
Les Revenants
- Reference to Texas Chainsaw massacre, as Clair is watching it. Creates a reflection of her character, therefore audiences noticing this reference will typically be fans of this film, and therefore likely to like the character, through relating o her lifestyle
- Intertextual reference of diegetic sound of Mogwai music, having a very niche following and fanbase, attracting a very specific audience
-Victor creates visual code of intertextuality from horror genre, where a small boy is isolated in dark shots, eg, insidious.
Riptide
- Low key red lighting creates intertextual reference to 1970's Italian horror film
- Anchorage of lyric and visual code in 'dentist' scene create intertextual refference to the 'fear of the dentist' which many in the audience will relate to
Humans
- establishing montage of Anita looking up at the moon, initiates she has a character,
- opening theme tune shots make reference to medical drama, sci-fi, documentary, drum and bass, electronica, techno, attracts varied audiences through genre hybridity. Not being able to differentiate between fiction/non-fiction, postmodernism
- relatable family lifestyle construction, intertextual reference to British Sitcom Outnumbered
- not be
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