> Semiotics

Roland Barthes – Connotation, Denotation and Myth

De Saussure – Signifier and Signified

C S Pierce – Iconic, indexical and symbolic

Syntagm – Combination of images and words

Paradigm – how we can create differentiation in meaning via small changes.

> Narrative

Todorov – Equilibrium, disequilibrium, back to equilibrium

Propp – Character types such as hero, dispatcher, princess

Levi-Strauss – Binary oppositions

Freytag – Inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action – 3 acts

Chatman – Satellites and Kernels

> Genre

Steve Neale – Repetition of similarity and differences. Verisimilitude and diegesis.

> Postcolonialism

Edward Said – Orientalism – they cant represent themselves, they are viewed as stereotypes by the West.

Jaques Lacan – The ‘other’, mirror stage at 3.

Franz Fanon – Wretch of the Earth –  ‘mechanics of colonialism and its effects of those it ensnared‘ – racial stereotyping, derogatory abuse – as acceptable social interaction due to society ideas

Gilroy – Double Consciousness – multiple identity such as black and French. Hybridity – being a part of multiple identities. Syncretism – hybrid of multiple cultures.

Althusser – ISA

Gramsci – Cultural hegemony and hegemonic struggle

Ghost Town – British yet represents multiple music genres such as ska, pop – multicultural. United protest against Thatcher.

> Representation

> Feminist Critical thinking

Laura Mulvey male gaze and female gaze. Idea of scopophilia (pleasure of looking) and fetishism (cuts of different parts) – 1st Wave

Judith Butler – gender as a performance – multiple identities that are performed to different people, in different social settings, under different social conditions

bel Hook’s – multicultural – multiple identities including racism, gender, sexuality such as female and gay

Van zoonen – also that woman are not fixed as one thing but are intersected with other thing such as race. They are permanently being reconstructed.

> Liberal Free Press

> Transformation of Public Sphere

Habermas – Transformation of Public Sphere

> PSB

Curran ~ Seaton – Diverse landscapes – PSB such as BBC

Livingston & Lunt ~ Regulation – cultural health vs consumer

Hesmondhalgh – Risky Business –

> Ideology

> Audience theories

Gerbner ~ Cultivation Theory – ‘television cultivates from infancy the very predispositions and preferences that used to be acquired from other primary sources‘ – media (mainly tv) shapes the way people think

Hall ~ Reception/Preferred Reading Theory – different views such as hegemonic/negotiated/oppositional depending on different people – audiences are active in making opinions

Lasswell ~ Hypodermic – passive

Lazarfeld ~ 2 Step Flow – active

Shirky ~ End of Audience – the more ideas there are in circulation, the more ideas there are for any individual to disagree with.

Zuboff- Servaince Capitalism as the meida moinotrs us

Jenkins – Media is created through audience feedback – a shift in the public’s role in the political process

> reception theory / theory of preferred reading

> Cultivation theory

> Culture, politics, history

> (Fandom / Moral Panic)

TEEN VOGUE 

Owned by Condé Nast (who is owned by Advanced Publication) who owns GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired and Architectural Digest (AD)

Targeted at female teenagers between ages of twelve to seventeen

‘Ariana Grande Fans Criticize Eminem’s Lyrics’ – more substance problems rather than important matters such as war/politics but also ‘DisruptJ20 should be remembered for Trump protests’ – more important matters such as Trump and politics.

TOMB RAIDER 

Objectifies woman as crop top and short shorts but also more traditionally masculine – guns and strong. Camera angle of behind Lara Croft.

Made by Core Design, Aspyr

Targeted at straight men – but also empowers woman

THE VOICE WEBSITE 

SIMS FREEPLAY 

A family game about creating a neighbourhood.

Targeted at children.

Made by Maxis, conglomerate of EA.

METROID: PRIME 2 ECHOES 

Main female protagonist but less objectifying as she is in a suit the whole time – seen as

Radio has wider representation and more participatory rather than closed off. This is due to new tech and ideas. However, this leads to a lack of PSB and traditional media.

War of the Worlds

By Columbia Broadcasting Company – large top down approach.

1938 – part of Halloween special.

Reception theory by Hall

Life Hacks

‘Children’s Mental Health week’ – ‘express yourself’

BBC works with a charter (regulations) and ethos – educate, inform and entertain. Is it important as they talk about lockdown hair disasters – pay for BBC through tax. Not target audience as only young people. – Public Service Broadcasting

New tech such as streaming services could dominate the BBC.

Curran and Seaton diverse landscape – Life Hacks is very intimate and applies to certain audiences

Not top down – by the people – Clay Shirky and Jenkins rather than WotW which is made by large company to ‘inform’ rather than participate.

Diversity – Run by two women including a black lady part of life hacks and interactive while WotW by Orson Welles who is a white man.

Theory

Hypodermic vs Two Step Flow Model

Hesmonhalgh – BBC mitigates risk by PSB and WotW by vertical and horizontal as big company.

Curran and Seaton diverse radio landscape – Life Hacks more

Jenkins on participatory culture and Shirky on audience feedback

Representation leads to uses and gratifications as people see themselves.

Propp’s Character Stocks

Hero – Annabelle

False Hero – Polly

Father – Polly / Guy from scrapyard/fair

Victim – Richard

Villain – Mother

The Dispatcher / The Helper – The Chicken

Levi-Strauss Binary Oppositions

Rich vs Poor / Life vs Death /

Based on a play

Hesmondhalgh’s ideas that mitigate the ‘risky business’

• Low budget migates major losses
• ‘Independents…provide a useful means of engaging audiences’
• Using streaming services

Curran and Seaton and ideas of diverse landscape – 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.

‘profit-driven motives take precedent over creativity’

Livingstone and Lunt of consumer model rather than citizen – original concept and indie design and so is different – freedom of choices as independent. Regulation of the industry through BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).

‘little accountability for citizens interests’

Gauntlet idea of ‘participatory culture’

Although the film lost money, it is about participating. The internet remains a force of good as online communities are created via ‘participatory culture’

The impact of new media technologies for cultural production

• trailer
• social media presence (twitter, facebook etc).
• B Good Pictures: website, YouTube channel, twitter, facebook

This spread is due to new tech as streaming services can promote more than just shown in cinema – helps independent films. The trailer increase the audience.

Audience Reception – Chicken received positive reviews and holds a 100% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 critic reviews. Guardian review, rated the film at four out of five stars stating that Scott Chambers’ performance is “superb”. 

The film was shortlisted for Best Director (Joe Stephenson) and Best Newcomer (Scott Chambers) by the British Independent Film Awards.

Details

Budget raised entirely through investment by individuals, Filmed in 19 days.

Film produced and distributed by a new company set up by director Stephenson: B Good Picture Company

Some traditional marketing: trailer, film poster with review quotes etc. Social media very important to market film – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

To what extent do television producers attempt to target national and global audiences through subject matter and distribution?

Show knowledge of the changing media regulatory landscape and the shift towards globalisation

Globalization is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

Present your own CSP case studies (with institutional details) as illustrations and explorations of this issue

Deutschland – Co-produced by Sundance TV and RTL Television, distributed by Freemantle that has global recognition

Capital – By BBC and conglomerate of Kudos (large US market), Public Service Broadcaster of UK Endemol Shine UK

Highlight Hesmondhalgh’s propositions for the way in which the media industry mitigate this ‘risky business’.

He argues ‘Independents…provide a useful means of engaging audiences’ – Capital uses Kudos to seem as an independent company when it is actually part of the BBC. To other cultures, a German/American company may seem independent.

‘reduces risk by recycling archived material’ – Using 80’s setting such as 99Luftballons gives nostalgia to those in the 80’s

‘The use of sequels..are deployed to maximise audience engagament

They migate risky business by:

• Both are on popular streaming services through amazon prime and channel 4
• Deutschland- Reinhold heil- uses German musician created soundtrack- soundtrack is also on spotify – horizontal integration

Touch upon Currant and Seaton’s arguments for a more diverse media landscape.

They are media pluralists –

‘the pursuit of mass audience appeal…[produces] format-driven products’ – suggest that companies want to appeal to main audience and so create similar products – both are spy/mystery orientated to please global audiences.

‘profit-driven motives take precedent over creativity’ – large companies rather make profit and so attempt to target mainstream audiences – by using repetitive narratives as the spy genre is overpopulated.

Present your CSP case studies (with specific textual reference) as examples that either support or refute Curran and Seaton’s ideas.

Coupled with some reference to audience theory.

Two Step Flow Model

Conclude your essay with a summative paragraph.

1) What is the difference between a consumer based media regulation system and a citizen based regulation system?

Citizen based is about creating content that contributes to social and cultural health whereas Consumer based is where creators are given freedom to create what the audience wants.

2) What impact did the 2003 Communications Act have on media regulation?

To help the UK become competitive in the global market. It promoted independent services commissioned by the BBC. It needed to create content that was more commercially viable – but lacks civic-minded approach. Allowed for organisations to have little regulations through Ofcam.

‘little accountability for citizens interests’

3) What is the drawback of a self-regulated system?

Most companies have to construct their own codes. Limits on taboo subjects are not controlled such as The Daily Star that allow more sexually explicit content. This is due to Neoliberalism where people are allowed to do what they like.

4) How do you regulate media content and organisations on a global scale?

Organisations such as the UN or EU can collectively agree on certain regulations. Use terms of service to control the platforms.

Addresses all 4 elements

Capital

Language

• Include mise-en-scene and semiotics
• Narrative techniques – conventions and gratifications
• Genre – Hybrid genre (crime/drama) – Steve Neale

Representation

• Use and Subversion of stereotypes
• Representation of family and place

Audience

• Reflect contemporary issues in the audience
• Advertising campaigns construct a target audience

Industry

• BBC and so Public Service Broadcasting
• By Kudos, an independent company – specialises in US market