Ok this is it!!! Our last topic for this A level course – hope you have had some fun, learned some things and generally developed as a human being!!
This last topic actually includes 5 SEPARATE CSP’s and is organised under the umbrella term: ON-LINE, SOCIAL AND PARTICIPATORY MEDIA.
For this course, the study of Online, Social and Participatory mediaand Video Games is linked. You will study some Online Social and Participatory media products (Teen Vogue and The Voice) and you will study some video games (Metroid and Tomb Raider Anniversary). You will also study SIMs Freeplay. For this product you will study both the game and its online, social and participatory media products. This will help you develop your understanding of the digitally convergent nature of media products. The list below makes it clear what you need to study.
TEEN VOGUE (which we covered in the AS course – link here)
TOMB RAIDER (which we covered in the AS course – link here)
These CSP’s need to be studied in terms of ALL 4 CONCEPTUAL AREAS:
> MEDIA LANGUAGE
> REPRESENTATION
> INDUSTRY
> AUDIENCE
For many the rise of a new media society is closely linked to the theoretical position of POSTMODERNISM, so a basic grasp of some of the ideas behind this key concept would also help
As this is quite a lot to refer to I will use this post for general ideas and approaches, so PLEASE REFER TO THE STUDENT CSP BOOKLET for SPECIFIC GUIDANCE.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09c189d You will need to listen to excerpts from the broadcast but the focus will be considering industry matters and audience response
This is a Targeted Close Study product for which you will need to focus on the following areas of the Theoretical Framework: Media Industries Media Audiences You will need to listen to excerpts from the broadcast but the focus will be considering industry matters and audience response.
Life Hacks is an example of a transitional media product which reflects changes in the contemporary media landscape (it is the replacement for a previous, similar programme, The Surgery). Life Hacks is both a traditional radio programme with a regular, scheduled broadcast time, but is also available online after broadcast for streaming and downloading. The broadcast itself and the accompanying website provides opportunities for audience interaction, which is central to the programme’s address to its audience. Life Hacks also exemplifies the challenges facing the institution as a public service broadcaster that needs to appeal to a youth audience within a competitive media landscape.
Media Industries • Life Hacks is a Radio 1 product and therefore has a public service status as part of the BBC. • Identification of funding for Radio 1 through the license fee, concept of a hypothecated tax. • Issues around the role of a public service broadcaster – how does Life Hacks reflect the need to represent the nation. Arguments over the need for addressing a youth audience already catered for commercially. • Consider the programme as distinctive in its public service remit. • The influence of new technology on media industries – Life Hacks as multi – platform media product.
Media Audiences Life Hacks is reflective of the way the industry targets niche audiences and provides an opportunity to consider industry regulation and the availability of new technology shapes audience targeting and response. • What techniques does the broadcast use to target a youth audience? • Consider the way that external factors – such as demographics and psychographics – are likely to also affect audience response and produce differing interpretations • Consider the opportunities for audience interaction and self-representation • cultivation theory including Gerbner • reception theory including Stuart Hall and Clay Shirky‘s theory around ‘the end of audience’
Social and cultural contexts Life Hacks reflects an acceptance of diversity and a degree of openness in contemporary culture around personal, social and identity issues.
Students are not required to watch the film for the assessment, but is available on both i-tunes (rent + purchase) & amazon prime (rent only).
The film should only be studied in relation to Media Industries, specifically the production and distribution context.
Film: Chicken is an example of micro budget film making and raises issues around the role and future of national cinema as well as the viability of media products produced outside of the mainstream for niche audiences.
Students do not need to watch the film but will need to be familiar with the production context and distribution materials including:
Key Questions and Issues • Identification of how Chicken is characteristic of an independent film release, with consideration of budget, distribution, circulation. • Micro budget rather than low budget film (approximately £110,000) – entirely independent financing. • Distribution techniques – reliance on new technology; VOD, streaming, audience ‘programming’ (open screen etc.) • Continued use of traditional marketing and distribution; trailers, posters, film festivals etc. • The concept of “risk-taking” in terms of narrative choice available to independent studios • Regulation of the industry through BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). • Regulation including Livingstone and Lunt
Social, economic and cultural contexts Chicken is characteristic of contemporary cultural production in its use of new technology at production and distribution stages. Reflects shifting patterns of audience consumption. As a low budget film, it will be interesting to consider this film in its economic context, especially in comparison to big-budget Hollywood films.
Theoretical approaches Chicken is characteristic of the ‘risky’ business of cultural production (Hesmondhalgh), £100K + is a lot of money for a single individual, without a guaranteed return. Chicken also represents diversity in media production (Curran and Seaton) as this film provides a voice and narrative to groups who are not necessarily represented in mainstream media. Henry Jenkinsand David Gauntlett would acknowledge that web 2.0 enabled big businesses to exploit the web for commercial reasons, but would also argue that the internet remains the capacity to work as a social good and that online communities created via ‘participatory culture’ have the power to change the world for the better. Web 2.0 refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability for end users. Similarly, Clay Shirky argues that the media industry is increasingly driven by audience feedback systems rather than top-down control of proprieters. Read page 140 below.
Note how there is a focus on making judgements and drawing conclusions in this essay
Release
Chicken had its world premiere on 27 June 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival. The film had its international premiere in competition at the 2015 Busan International Film Festival, followed by screenings at the New Hampshire International Film Festival, Giffoni International Film Festival, Cine A La Vista International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Schlingel International Film Festival and Dublin International Film Festival. It eventually received a limited theatrical release in the UK on 20 May 2016.
It was then acquired by MUBI UK, and had its British TV premiere on FilmFour April 2017. It received its DVD and Blu-ray release by Network on 18 September 2017.
Critical reception
Chicken received positive reviews and holds a 100% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 critic reviews.
Leslie Felperin of The Guardian gave the film 3/5 stars and said “first-time director Joe Stephenson elicits lively, empathetic performances from his small cast.”
Mark Kermode, also in a Guardian review, rated the film at four out of five stars stating that Scott Chambers’ performance is “superb”.
Anna Smith of Empire magazine gave the film a rating of four stars, responding that the film is “an enjoyable, involving British Drama with and impressive turn from newcomer Scott Chambers.
Cath Clarke of Time Out, commented that Chicken is “an impressively acted British Drama about a young man with learning difficulties.”
CineVue praised the film and mentioned that it is “the sort of British indie which restores faith in cinema”.
Accolades
Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature — Joe Stephenson (New Hampshire Film Festival 2015)[2][9]
Silver Griffoni Award for Best Film – Generation 18+ (2nd Prize) — Joe Stephenson & B Good Picture Company (Giffoni Film Festival 2016)[9]
Award for Best Film — Chicken (Cine A La Vista International Film Festival 2016)[9]
Scott Chamber’s performance as Richard got a Special Critic’s Circle mention (Dublin International Film Festival 2016)[9]
The film was shortlisted for Best Director (Joe Stephenson) and Best Newcomer (Scott Chambers) by the British Independent Film Awards.
We are now going to revisit TELEVISION, which directly connects to the CSP text that you studied in the AS year. To make it clear, there is a specific A2 television text that accompanies a specific AS televsion text. So (if) a question comes up in one of the A2 exams about television it will ask you to compare one of 3 pairs. To be absolutely clear: you will need to talk about both of your specific texts BUT you can choose which pair you talk about. So your choice of paired texts are:
To ensure that you have all had the opportunity to watch the episodes that you want to study – or for the opportunity to watch all of them (why not?) then I will play them in the first academic week of January over Teams. If this does not work for you then I will provide screening opportunities after school when we return w/c 11th January. Failing that and/or in terms of revision you can access the programmes by following the links, or we have some of the episodes on DVD.
Task 1:
SO . . . CHOOSE YOUR TEXTS!
And remember that the key approach is to think about AUDIENCES & INSTITUTIONS in other words,
Who is the primary, secondary and tertiary audience for these products?
What audience theories can you apply to which help you to develop a better understanding of the potential target audience?
What ideas and approaches about media institutions (rather than individuals) can be applied in terms of the production, distribution & exhibition of your chosen pair of television programmes?
Task 2:
READ THESE: Hesmondhalgh; Livingstone & Lunt; Curran and Seaton.
Extract 5 bullet points that include quotation (that you could use in an essay as support for an argument – think about what the argument would be?)
For up to date information and answers to questions that other students have asked pleased make sure you REGULARLY look at out FAQ’s page.
Make sure your intentions and ideas match the set brief.
Make sure you are fully aware of what you need to do – ie the exact requirements for each production.
Make sure you don’t lose sight of the theoretical perspectives! So this part of the course is about applying narrative theory, audience theory, representation, semiotics, feminist critical thinking, postcolonialism, postmodernism etc etc to your own practical production work.
Make a plan of action (you have 5 weeks!) so plan your time, your resources, your skills, your participants.
Complete your statement of intent and submit to me on relevant form (can be found on the NEA page). DEADLINE IS FRIDAY 18th @3:20 – email, blog, office 365 etc
Make sure you have gone through your personal statement with me.
Make sure you have reviewed your AS work with me.
Makes sure you are on track to complete your work by the deadline!!
Advertising and Marketing – Score pre-1970 product.
This is a targeted CSP and needs to be studied with reference to two elements of the Theoretical Framework (MEDIA LANGUAGE and MEDIA REPRESENTATION) and all relevant contexts.
TASK 1: look at the CSP below and use some of the starting points provided to make your first post. Make this post broad and contextual (ie get as much information as you can) but divide up your responses in terms of: 1) MEDIA LANGUAGE & 2) MEDIA REPRESENTATION
Media Language
Detailed study of Score should enable students to develop an understanding of the dynamic and changing relationships between media forms, products and audiences. Analysis should include:
Mise-en-scene analysis
Production values and Aesthetics
Semiotics: how images signify cultural meanings
How advertising conventions are socially and historically relative
The way in which media language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies
How does Score construct a narrative which appeals to its target audience
How and why audience responses to the narrative of this advert may have changed over time
How does this advert create desire for the product
Techniques of Persuasion
Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the persuasive techniques used in the advert and issues surrounding brand values, brand message, brand personality and brand positioning should inform the analysis
Media Representations
Discussion of the Score advertisement will focus mainly on representation of gender including
The processes which lead media producers to make choices about how to represent social groups
How audience responses to interpretations of media representations reflect social, cultural and historical attitudes
The effect of historical contexts on representations
Theories of representation including Hall
Theories of gender performativity including Butler
Feminist theories including bel hooks and van Zoonen
Theories of identity including Gauntlett
Historical, social and cultural contexts
The Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967, as such it can be examined productively by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. 1967 can be seen as a period of slow transformation in western cultures with legislation about and changing attitudes to the role of women – and men – in society, something that the advert can be seen to negotiate.
Produced in the year of decriminilasiation of homosexuality the representation of heterosexuality could be read as signaling more anxiety than might first appear. The reference to colonialist values can also be linked to social and cultural contexts of the ending of Empire (see this link).
In comparison, Men’s Health magazine represents a notable social and cultural shift in expectations of contemporary masculinity (a shift which could be usefully compared with the advert for Score Hair cream). The study of Men’s Health can be linked to social and cultural contexts through reference to body image and changes in what society deems acceptable and unacceptable representations.
Similarly, comparisons with Maybelline campaign and Oh! magazine would be useful in exploring a range of different theoretical ideas and approaches: feminist critical thinking, postcolonialism, postmodernism.
The advertising techniques of fifty years could be compared to those of today. For example, references could be made with the Lynx Effect advert and the Specsavers adverts (both from 2010) which received criticism from the ASA, read this link or this link. And again reference to body image and changes in what society deems acceptable and unacceptable representations. So have ideas and acceptance around representation of gender really changed since the 1960’s?
Task 2: Create 1-2 slides that look at this CSP from 1 of the following critical perspective: (save as jpeg and upload to blog). Be prepared to show this in class and talk about it.
Task 4: create a parody or pastiche (ie postmodernism) of the Score advert from you particular theoretical perspective – I will explain . . . But you MUST use photoshop. Create 1 or 2 products.
In order to develop this knowledge and understanding, you should consider one complete print edition of the newspaper chosen by your teacher and selected key pages from the newspaper’s website, including the homepage and at least one other page
CONNECT NEWSPAPERS CSP TO 2020 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
TASK 1: Write a paragraph on the following (post on your blog) – use your own words and avoid copying big chunks of text from either the internet or from someone else in the class
Jurgen Habermas and the concept of the Public Sphere
James Curran & Jean Seaton – the theory of the liberal free press
Noam Chomsky – the 5 filters that manufacture consent
Louis Althusser – interpellation & Ideological State Appraratus
Antonio Gramsci – the concept of hegemony / hegemonic struggle
TASK 2: SKIM READ THE FOLLOWING 2 ARTICLES AND TAKE OUT 5 QUOTES FROM BOTH AUTHORS THAT HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND: 1) THE THEORY OF THE LIBERAL FREE PRESS &2) THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
The CSP Oh Comely has changed its name to Oh. The update on the magazine’s website states: ‘Oh is a reimagination of Oh Comely magazine and is still a place to meet new people, hear their stories and hopefully leave you looking at life a little differently. And every issue will still have beautiful photography and illustration at its heart’.
Oh Comely is part of a development in lifestyle and environmental movements of the early twenty first century which rebrand consumerism as an ethical movement. Its representation of femininity reflects an aspect of the feminist movement which celebrates authenticity and empowerment
An alternative Institutional structure?
In contrast to Men’s Health magazine, Oh Comely is an independent magazine published by Iceberg Press, a small London publisher which publishes only one other title.
Presenting new strategies for institutional development and creative working practice. As well as suggesting ways for keeping print popular and relevant – Iceberg’s branding includes a commitment to print over other media forms.
Media Representations
Clearly the key areas of representation suggested by the magazine are to do with gender, primarily femininity but can also be understood in how this affects the representation of men. As such, a comparison with Men’s Health is really pertinent. As:
Oh Comely constructs a representation of femininity with its focus on creativity and quirkiness.
The focus is on women as artists, entrepreneurs, athletes and musicians and female empowerment is a major theme.
The absence of men as part of the representation of masculinity in Oh Comely magazine.
Representation of social groups: Oh constructs a lifestyle through its focus on culture and the environment. This analysis would offer the opportunity to question some of the messages and values constructed by the magazine.
Therefore it is possible to apply feminist critical thinking to this CSP for example theories of representation including
Hall
bell hooks
Van Zoonen
gender performativity – Butler
Task: create a new post on Oh. Focus on the relationship between ownership, control, working practice, politics, representation and identity.
You can understand misogyny (the poor representation of women in the media) in the same way you can understand racism, homophobia, ultra-nationalism and other forms of casual stereotyping, bias and prejudice, that is, through TEXTUAL ANALYSIS and the notion of REPRESENTATION (for example, Lacan – mirror stage). We have also spoken about how such representations can be countered, altered, challenged, adjusted and so on through more postive and emancipatory representations (GRAMSCI – hegemonic struggle).
However, prejudice may also occur beyond the level of text and can be identified as operating at a systemic INSTITUTIONAL intersection of race/class/gender <> power. Such ideas are proposed by Sut Jhally in his work for the Media Education Foundation – ‘Dreamworlds’ which looks at the role of MTV and music videos as a form of institutional / corporate sexism and misogyny
As such, this film provides a narrative of INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM, in the same way that we could look at other stories that are concerned with other institutional prejudices – racism, homophobia, Islamaphobia etc. In other words, this film presents a version of the story of INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM and MISOGYNY. It suggests a link between the presentation / representation of the female form and the ideas of a ruling patriarchy (Fox News, specifically Roger Ailes) and perhaps explains why we are presented with the stories we are presented with and how those stories are presented to us.
In other words, it helps to explain the ideas of Louis Althusser in that the ruling ideas emerge from elements of the Ideological State Apparatus (look at the connection between Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump etc) and those ideas shape who we are, what we could be, want to be etc by a mechanism that he calls INTERPELLATION. For a visual representation of this watch the sequence in Bombshell where we see how the presenters are encouraged to dress and the way in which the choice of camera angles are used to reinforce this particular dress code.
Arguments presented against sexism and misogyny (ie the hegemonic struggle re: Gramsci) are raised through Feminist Critical Thinking and we have looked at early feminist movements as well as 2nd, 3rd and 4th wave feminist critics. We have even looked at theories of gender representation that look beyond binary gender values (male/female), which can termed as intersectionality, which first emerged as Queer Theory.
We are looking at Memento as a way of going back over the very complex theoretical ideas that we covered during lockdown. As such, for this film you will need to refer to NARRATIVE (essentially how narratives are structured) and POSTMODERNISM (a way of thinking about some of themes that are in this film). You may also want to refer to The Language of Moving Image, which will enable to think about how movies are put together which should help you when you revisit your music video production.
Some ‘micro’-questions:
THINKING ABOUT NARRATIVESTRUCTURE
The film begins with Leonard shooting Teddy – the climax of his quest for vengeance. The main question facing Leonard is ‘Who killed his wife?’ and ‘How can he find him to take revenge?’ These questions seem to be answered in the first five minutes – so what enigmas are created for the audience as the plot moves (backwards in time)? How are these enigmas answered? Are the answers stable (i.e. are the undermined by what we discover later)?
If you had to plot this narrative – what shape would it take? Think about direction and shape ie Freytag’s pyramid. Can you draw out a schematic representation (ie a drawing) of this narrative structure?
What are the key ‘KERNELS‘ in this narrative structure? What ‘SATELLITES‘ particularly stand out for you?
THINKING ABOUT CHARACTER
“Extreme emotions… pieced together… add
‘em together, you end up with a person.” This is Leonard describing his memories
of his wife – to what extent is this also a good description of Leonard’s own
identity?
What strategies does Leonard use to
combat his condition? In the scene where he and Teddy discuss his ‘aide
memoirs’ Leonard insists these mementoes are better than ‘normal’ memories – what are his arguments? How
‘trustworthy’ (or open to distortion) are his mementoes in the story?
What are your impressions of Natalie –
in the first scene in coffee shop? In second, at her house when Leonard awakes
in her bed? In third when she comforts Leonard? In fourth, when she arrives at
the house bloodied… and the fifth, where she and Leonard argue? To what extent
could you see her as a completely different person in each situation?
What is the significance of the story of
Sammy Jenkiss to Leonard? How ‘true’ is this story? What does this tell us
about the relationship between facts, memories and fiction?
By the end of the film, do we feel like
Leonard got the right man by shooting Teddy? List arguments for and against
this view. How satisfying is the end of the film? What questions do you have
left?
Postmodernism & Memento
Big Question:
How could ‘Memento’ be classed as a
postmodern text?
Look for
evidence of these postmodern phenomena:
Intertexuality:
sampling artistic styles, plot or character conventions from other forms and
genres
The
‘writerly text’ (Roland Barthes): a text whose meaning is created by the
reader/consumer rather than being fixed in the text by the writer/producer.
There
is no cohesive identity, no ‘real you’; we are different people in each
individual situation, virtual and actual. Our identities are in constant flux.
There
is no ‘truth’ in history (personal or national), memory cannot be relied upon
as evidence for knowledge;
People
who claim to know the ‘truth’ can’t be trusted;
Fiction
and fact depend on each other to the point that they can’t be divided – in the
end they can’t be separated;
Knowledge
doesn’t ‘add up’ cohesively to ‘truth’; there are too many contradictory
elements.
Rhizomatic thought = ‘rhizomes’ are plant life that
don’t follow the root-tree system e.g. fungus or mould. There is no ‘core’, no
lesser or greater elements. If you destroy the centre of a mould the rest
doesn’t die (like if you destroyed the trunk of a tree), it continues to
thrive. Modern terrorist movements have a ‘rhizomatic’ structure: there is no
single leader, issuing orders down the chain of command with an overall goal
that every unit is working towards. Terrorists work in cells, with their own
individual goals and objectives, and though instructions may be sent to them,
these are very rarely orders, and they may or may not be followed e.g. when the
IRA abandoned armed activity as part of the Northern Irish peace process, some
cells decided their leaders had betrayed their ideals, and continued bombing
under the name ‘The Real IRA’. Similarly, there is no evidence the 7/7 bombers
received any orders or had any contact with the so-called ‘generals’ in the Al-Qaeda;
instead they planned, resourced and implemented their attack independently.
Theorists
Gilles Deleuze, philosopher and film critic, worked with a radical psychoanalyst called Felix Guattari to write some of the most impenetrable but insightful books attacking what we think of as ‘common sense’. He championed a vision of human identity that saw the self as multiple, with each ‘self’ possessing an immanence. Therefore there is no higher, ‘core’ you, with other selves that have less meaning – instead each self, each aspect of your identity has an existence that is intense and, though connected to other more stable selves, it doesn’t fit into a hierarchy where there are selves which are ‘more’ or ‘less’ you. He also wrote about lots of other ideas that you have to study philosophy to post-graduate level to be able to understand!
Why is this postmodern?
Along with other postmodern philosophers, Deleuze disputes the idea of a hierarchy to knowledge or experience or identity; and the notion of there being a core ‘truth’ that we can find by adding together knowledge. Instead, like Baudrillard and Lyotard, he encourages a view of the world as full of diversity, multiple truths, none less or more meaningful than the next; what he termed A Thousand Plateaus. Deleuze a great deal more cheerful than the other two, however. Instead of bemoaning the ‘end of history’, Deleuze sees the abundance of ‘immanence’ as creative and playful, with each ‘immanence’ affecting and influencing others, and consequently spawning new experiences, selves and realities (much in the way a mould or fungus spreads out into new and random forms).
Immanence = means literally ‘to remain within’, but seen by postmodernists as concept whereby things can exist without referring to anything outside of themselves for meaning. It is an intensity by itself, without needing to refer to a hierarchy for meaning. (Don’t confuse with imminence, which means the quality of something about to occur!)
