underlying presence within print media during 1970s-80s arguing that criminalised reputations of black males often stigmatised the black community.
wrote the book ” There ain’t no black in the union jack”
anxieties regarding immigrant behaviour in the UK after WW2 in which post-war wave of immigration from the West Indies.
draws attention to “Lurid newspaper reports of black pimps living off immoral earnings of white women”
produced racial representations that were “fixed in a matrix between the imagery of squalor and that of sordid sexuality”
Post Colonial melancholia- the deep rooted shame felt as a result of the loss of the British empire. In media the loss is deflected through nostalgia and anxieties surrounding British identity.
The story of UK race relations post W.W. 2- talks about the worries of immigrant behaviour in the post-war wave of immigration from the West Indies. Public associated these immigrants with the substandard living conditions.
Legacy of the empire- Gilroy suggests we live in “morbid culture of a once-imperial nation that has not been able to accept it’s inevitable loss of prestige”. British are undergoing a crisis of national identity. Empire immigrants and their descendants, is argued to be a visible representation of British power as it once was.
The Search for Albion – Albion England is nothing more than a distracting fantasy that disguises the reality of what Britain is really like – crippled by regional poverty and an ever-widening economic social divide.
● Cultural resistance ● Cultural hegemony ● Subcultural theory
Context: ● Race Relations ● Thatcher’s Britain
Case Studies: ● Rock Against Racism ● Rock Against Sexism
Resistance and political protest:
laws don’t necessarily equal change
change is much more likely through culture- which is normally more subtle and isn’t always riots and big gestures.
everyday people
Overt political protest is uncommon. When it occurs, it often results in a backlash.- doesn’t change public’s opinion
Cultural hegemony: (hegemony – dominant)
Antonio Gramsci: Italian philosopher writing in the 1930s
Cultural hegemony functions by framing the ideologies of the dominant social group as the only legitimate ideology. ● The ideologies of the dominant group are expressed and maintained through its economic, political, moral, and social institutions (like the education system and the media). ● These institutions socialise people into accepting the norms, values and beliefs of the dominant social group. ● As a result, oppressed groups believe that the social and economic conditions of society are natural and inevitable, rather than created by the dominant group.
Thatcher’s Britain:
Prime Minister 1979-90
Militant campaigner for middle class interests
Extreme attitude towards immigration
British Nationality Act 1981: introduced a series of increasingly strict immigration procedure and prevented Asian people from entering Britain
British national identity could be swamped by people with different culture’ – 1978 Interview
‘firm immigration control for the future is essential if we are to achieve good community relations’ – Conservative Manifesto
Subculture:
Working-class youth culture ● Unified by shared tastes in style, music and ideology ● A solution to collectively experienced problems ● A form of resistance to cultural hegemony
Teddy Boys: 1950/60s ● Responding to: post-war social changes ● Music: influenced by American rock n roll ● Style: upper-class Edwardian fashion (narrow trousers, lappelled jackets), fused with an element of rebelliousness in the form of exaggerated hairstyles and shoes (quiffs and creepers)
Skinheads: 1960s ● Responding to: social alienation. ● Rejected: late 50s conservatism, as well as the ‘peace and love’ middle class hippy movement of 60s ● Expression of: working class pride ● Music: West indian music (ska, rocksteady, reggae) ● Style: shaven heads, Dr Marten boots, braces, shirts, and cropped trousers ● Politics: Original skinheads were anti-racist, however the movement quickly polarised
Punk: 1970s ● A Reaction to: ● 1) Capitalist middle class culture that has achieved dominance and legitimacy (hegemony) ● 2) Their alienation from the adult working class culture of their parents and grandparents ● 3) The social, political and economic crisis of the mid1970s, resulting in high youth unemployment ● Values: anti-establishment, emphasis on individual freedom, on doing it yourself. ● Fashion: emphasised ugliness, shock value, irony. Used items like safety pins, ripped shirts, chains. ● Music: often self-produced and independently distributed, the music is loud and aggressive, with lyrics expressing anti-establishment views and working class concerns.
Rude Boys: 1960s-80s ● Music: listened to 1960s Jamaican ska and 1970s roots reggae. Lyrics about oppression and poverty articulated their own experience. Also influenced by the anti-establishment ethic of 1970s punk. ● Style: influenced by Jamaican Rastafarianism and also British working class fashion. Focus on dressing ‘sharp’
suits, shiny shoes, hats. ● Reacting against: oppression from the state, police, and racist thugs. Also against the ‘peace and love’ aspect of the rasta culture. Instead, emphasised self-confidence
Race relations:
Bringing race into the picture in the 1980s, Paul Gilroy highlighted how black youth cultures represented cultural solutions to collectively experienced problems of racism and poverty
Post war British Race Relations:
After WWII, Britain faced a mass labour shortage which lead to the migration of half a million people from the Caribbean (the Windrush generation 1950s-70s) searching for jobs
However, they faced severe discrimination which made it difficult for them to find employment and housing
During the 1970s and 80s, the children of the Wind Rush Generation were reaching adulthood, but found it difficult to find employment due to having faced the same prejudice their parents did – the difference was that they were willing to resist this racism
Racism from the state/police:
A clash between the police and black youth
police generated the idea that black people were criminals – more likely to steal, use drugs, start fights etc
Black community targeted by SUS Laws – a stop and search law that permitted a police officer to stop, search and potentially arrest people on suspicion
New Cross Fire 1981 – fire started by racist arsonist, killing 13 black people, whose charges were completely dismissed
Racism from Far Right Groups- NF:
Racism from Far-Right Groups: The NF ● The National Front was a far-right group ● Advocated the an end to immigration and the repatriation of non-white Britons. ● Blamed immigration for the decline in employment, housing and welfare. ● In the 1970s, the NF gained the support of disillusioned white youth ● Racial attacks, violence and intimidation
Black Music Resistance:
Black music offers a means of articulating oppression and challenging what Gilroy has termed ‘the capitalist system of racial exploitation and domination
The lyrics of many reggae songs revolve around the black experience, history, culture and consciousness of economic and social deprivation as well as criticising the the continuing enslavement of racist ideology
Rock Against Racism 1976-82
RAR campaign fought for the eradication of racism in the music industry against the rise of fascism among white working class youths
People believed they could prevent their audiences from being prejudice by the messages they put across in their music
RAR took advantage of the emerging subcultures who had similar anti-establishment ideologies as well as provided many different musical forms to which the campaign could project their anti-racist politics
RAR organised hundreds of musical events which united white bands with black bands – it was highly successful in shining a light on multiculturalism and unity
RAR’s fusion of youth culture and politics has been widely celebrated for making politics fun
Two Tone Britain:
2 Tone Records was founded by Jerry Dammers 1979 from The Specials which advocates the eradication of racism in British society
This created a new genre of British music that fused punk with Jamaican reggae and SKA
The bands signed by 2 Tone Records were largely multi-cultural, eg The Specials and The Selector, and represented the exact aim of RAR
2 Tone bands were most vocal after the election of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979 – writing lyrics about the politics of racism, sexism, violence, unemployment, youth culture and a corrupt system of government
2 Tone gigs often attracted members of the right-wing which caused huge disruption
Linear– events of the plot unfold the way that they happen
Chronological– events are sequenced in order of time
Sequential– events which are arranged one after the other in a sequence within a narrative.
Circular structure– when a plot begins in the same place in the way it ends. Character undergoes a transformation.
Time based- continuous moving image that displays a change in time.
Narrative arc– The path the story follows- ups and downs, climax and resolution which is reflected in an arc shape.
Freytag’s Pyramid– 19th century German playwright ‘Freytag’s’ diagram of dramatic structure.
exposition- background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. Earlier events are alluded to.
inciting incident– The hook, the event that sets the main character or characters on the journey that will occupy the narrative.
rising action– The incline of a narrative arc. Often, the events that lead up to the climax.
climax– The point of highest intensity or major conflict within in a narrative. The steepest point of a narrative arc.
falling action– The declining part of a narrative arc. Often, what happens after the climax and resolution of the major conflict.
resolution-
denouement– The final part of the narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
Beginning / middle / end- How linear narratives are sequenced.
Equilibrium– First stage of Todorov’s theory. The situation and characters are introduced in a normal circumstance.
Disruption– Second stage of Todorov’s theory. A change takes place causing an alter in the norm.
New equilibrium– Third stage of Todorov’s theory. The change in circumstance is overcome and the situation reaches a new normal.
Peripeteia– A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances
Anagnoresis– A character discovers their own, or another character’s true identity.
Catharsis– The process of releasing and providing relief from repressed emotions. The purging of strong emotion.
The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place– The 3 traditional unities of drama. The Aristotelian idea that a narrative should be set in once place, in one time frame, focused on one action.
flashback / flash forward-Flashback is when the current narrative is interrupted by a previous event which could provide key information about a character etc. Flash-forward is when the current narrative is interrupted by an event that is yet to take place.
Foreshadowing– When events that take place later on in the narrative are alluded to or hinted towards.
Ellipsis– The exclusion of action from a narrative because it can be inferred from dialogue and other action.
Pathos– A quality that evokes feelings of pity and sadness.
Empathy– The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
diegetic / non-diegetic sound– Diegetic sound occurs within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters. Non diegetic sound occurs externally to the narrative, not heard by the characters
slow motion– Visual effect created either by the actors or as a special effect in the edit. Time is slowed down.
My movie is about a woman who spends the night out in London with her friends. As she heads to go home, she undergoes the London Underground. Upon arriving it seems to be empty, but she gets on the train anyway. The train is actually a time travel machine and each stop either takes her into the very far past or the very far future. A catastrophic event is going to happen and in order to save the world she must figure it out using the clues from each stop before the train gets to the end of the line.
Statement of Intent:
I intend to create two film posters to advertise my film though including signifiers that aid in expressing my narrative. I will establish the key characters, ideas and themes without revealing the entire plot. My film poster will include the dominant signifier of a young girl who is slightly off centre in the camera positioning. She will be leaning against the wall with the background of the London Underground platform behind her, in which looks worn and tired. She will face the camera but looking to her left and a bright white light will shine onto her face which connotates the headlights of a train shining on her and also how in doing this, a shadow will be cast behind her giving a contrast of brightness and darkness. The dark surrounding space creates a sinister atmosphere and the un-nerving elements of the narrative. This helps to convey the action-movie type with hints of sci-fi and thriller in the genre and the anticipation that naturally comes with it. As the girl is the central plot device in my narrative, I will ensure this image is of a high resolution so it is the main focal point of the poster. In the darkness of my poster I will put my title of the film which will be “End of the Line” which will be written in a red-pink writing and a bold unusual font to give a creepy/dark connotation which will allude to the synopsis of the amount of time that she has to figure the catastrophic event out.
In my second poster, i will include a picture of the right half of the dominant signifier’s face and merge it with a picture of a creepy tunnel with train tracks. The protagonist will be staring straight at the camera with a ring light to dimly light up her face. The picture of the tunnel will also be dimly lit to fill in the darkness from the picture before. At the bottom of the poster i will put the title of the film which will be in a white font and a more neutral font. There will be brush splatters of an orangey-red colour on the font which will connotate to the rust and the tiredness of the underground. There will be another brush splatter of dark red paint on the length of the poster to create connotations of blood which will add to the suspense. i have used the film “Passengers” as my main style model as it has similar themes to my narrative. I imagine that my posters would be produced by a small indie company who were part of a large conglomerate such as “Warner Bros” and the two posters would be distributed and exhibited by a large streaming platform, like “Netflix”.
Example Film posters for inspiration:
.
Poster 1- Passengers
– dominant signifiers and iconic sings of two main characters – close up shot of their faces and wide shot of their silhouette showing their location – anchorage provided by the comments of reviewers. – Title shows connotations of not being in control – names of the actors under close up of their face – lighting is typical of the sci-fi genre (bright white ) which is used to separate all three of the different pictures of the protagonists.
Poster 2- Avatar
– dark lighting illuminating parts of the face or creating shadows making the image more sharp. – only half of the dominant signifiers face can be seen creating connotations of a foreboding/sinister atmosphere – Title uses the same colour as the dominant signifier – creating a theme. – Title font mimics the use of handwriting
Poster 3- Invasion
– dominant signifier is the Title – Title provides context/plot and other connotations – use of red font – symbolic sign illustrating themes of anger/violence/war – anchorage of streaming platforms at the bottom – Title splits the two images from the movie showing the war and the two sides of the war.
Poster 4 -Runaway Alien Train
– dominant signifier of a cowboy – showing juxtaposing opinions/connotations to the setting/theme of the cover. – iconic sign of the planets – iconic sign of a train – anchorage – credits of all those involved in the movie – strapline “bang, zoom, to the moon, punk” creates connotations of rude comedy.
What is needed to create a film? (Physical elements)
Director
Actors
Camera and Microphones
Set/Scene/Location
Producer
Money
Editing software
Screenwriter/ Script
Cameraman
Script
Narrative structures and internal elements :
Chronological – Generally, films are structured in a straight line, linear narrative in which the events are sequenced in order of time.
Flashbacks/ Foreshadowing
Ellipsis
Parallel Narrative
EXPOSITION —> CLIMAX —> DENOUEMENT
Protagonist and Antagonist
Freytag :
Exposition —> The background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. Earlier events are alluded to.
Climax —> The point of highest intensity in a narrative. A story changing event takes place.
Denouement —> The final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
Aristotle :
Catharsis = Idea that we are freed by consuming something.
Peripetia = A change in fortune
Anagnorisis = A moment of dramatic revelation
Todrov:
Often, most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END.
Todrov breaks this into a 3-part structure:
Equilibrium
Disruption
New equilibrium
Single character transformations are pursued: Traditional Todorovian stories place one lead hero at the centre of the narrative and secondary characters help them on their quest to the new equilibrium.
Developed therories on character when analyising Russian folk tales in his 1929 book ‘Morphology of the Folktale’
Stock characters are used to structure stories, suggesting that the majority of stories use familiar character types to provide familiar narrative structures
These stock characters are :
Hero
Helper
Princess
Villain
Victim
Dispatcher
Father
False Hero
(not my work)
Claude Levi Strauss (binary oppositions)
This theory suggests that NARRATIVES (=myths) are STRUCTURED around BINARY OPPOSITIONS eg: good v evil; human v alien; young v old etc.
narrative as a structure of key (oppositional) themes that underpin action and dialogue to develop a set of messages that the audience are able to decode and understand.
This creates a dominant message (ideology) of a film/TV programme/advert/music video
this way audiences are encouraged to make a judgements about characters, groups, places, history, society.
Levi-Strauss examined the nature of myths and legends in ancient and primitive cultures, from this analysis he suggested that myths were used to deal with the contradictions in experience, to explain the apparently inexplicable, and to justify the inevitable’ (Turner 2000:83)
the way in which individual students / audience members decode specific texts, is also contingent on their own individual ideas, attitudes and beliefs
texts can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society, which would make it a reactionary text ,or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society, in which case it could be seen as a radical text.
Seymour Chatman –
there are 2 parts to a story, the important things and the embellishment, the important things are called kernels, these are the key moments in the plot.
‘Blinded by the Light’, directed by Gurinder Chadha (known for 2002 film ‘Bend it like Beckham’), was released in January 2019.
Blinded by the Light is an example of a US/UK co-production and distribution. Its distributor New Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films although it is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures, part of the global conglomerate, WarnerMedia.
‘Bend It Films’ is a UK based, indie production company owned by major US conglomerate ‘Warner Brothers’. Linking to the fact that major companies need new ideas and concepts, provided by the independent companies they own whilst independent companies need major companies to fuel distribution and exhibition because these major companies have the right to use streaming platforms to display their productions.
Blinded by the Light is a low-mid budget production ($15m) co-funded by New Line Cinema (an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group) and independent production companies including Levantine Films. Bend it Films and Ingenious Media. Blinded by the Light has grossed $17.2 million.
In an interview with Stefan Pape of the ‘HeyUGuys’ YouTube channel in August 2019, Chadha said that she created a film with a similar theme to ‘Bend it like Beckham’ because it is “what she knows” and that she was “worried about the repetition” which is why she left a 17 year gap between the two. This links to David Hesmondhalgh’s idea that the “cultural industries are risky” and indie companies and even majors often rely on repetition of what they know, and are good at producing, to keep a dedicated audience and fan base, meaning money and reduction of risk.
The role of the use of Bruce Springsteen’s music in getting the film financed and in the marketing of the film-Blinded by the Light has been described as a feelgood jukebox musical film using the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Use of traditional marketing and distribution techniques; trailers, posters, film festivals etc.
Marketing techniques such as use of genre, nostalgia, identity, social consciousness
Distribution techniques – reliance on new technology; VOD, streaming
Regulation of the industry through BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).
it can be considered in its economic context having a mix of independent and major production and distribution contexts targeting a different audience to ‘indie’ and high budget films.
It is based on the ‘true story’ of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s. These links demonstrate how the historical context, nostalgia and British-Asian identity is used in the promotion of the film.
“One would assume it would mostly appeal to British Asians who lived through the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen fans, and in particular, Asian Bruce Springsteen fans who lived through the 1980s.” – Guardian Article : ‘My film is bridging cultural divides. This gives me hope in such polarised times’ by Sarfraz Manzoor, Thursday 29 Aug 2019
Use of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as a way of distribution and advertisement. The ‘Meta’ conglomerate uses horizontal integration. The verified Instagram account ‘@blindedbythelightmovie’ has over 6,000 followers however it only follows 5 people, including the director, writer and leading characters. Perhaps the use of these accounts is to send a direct message of promotion rather than a way of connecting with their consumers. (Concentration of media)
Cultural Industries– refers to various businesses that produce, distribute, market or sell products that belong categorically in creative arts. Includingclothing, decorative material for homes, books, movies, television programs, or music.
Production- the action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials, or the process of being so manufactured.
Distribution- Distribution means to spread the product throughout the marketplace such that a large number of people can buy it. The methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign.
Exhibition/Consumption- the sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group.
Media Concentration- in which decreasing numbers of individuals and organizations own media outlets, effectively concentrating the ownership of multiple organizations into the control of very few entities.
Conglomerates- a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises.
Globalisation- The production, distribution, and consumption of media products on a global scale, facilitating the exchange and diffusion of ideas cross-culturally.
Cultural Imperialism- Cultural Imperialism Theory states that Western nations dominate the media around the world which in return has a powerful effect on Third World Cultures by imposing n them Western views and therefore destroying their native cultures
Vertical Integration- refers to the merger of companies that are in the same business but in different stages of production or distribution.
Horizontal Integration- is the merger of two or more companies that occupy similar levels in the production supply chain.
Mergers- an acquisition in which one or more of the undertakings involved carries on a media business.
Monopolies- concentrated control of major mass communications within a society.
Gate Keepers- is a process by which information is filtered to the public by the media.
Regulation-a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.
Deregulation-the removal of regulations or restrictions, especially in a particular industry.
Free Market- an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.
Commodification- the act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold.
Convergence- a phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer networks, and media content.
Diversity- it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences
Innovation- the process of not just an “invention” of a new value for journalism, but also the process of implementing this new value in a market or a social setting to make it sustainable.
David Hesmondhalgh is a British Sociologist who is currently a professor of media, music and culture at the University of Leeds. He wrote a book called ‘Cultural Industries‘ published in 2002. He is acknowledged as a key figure in developing the “cultural industries” approach to media, which emphasises the complex and contradictory nature of cultural production under capitalism. A critical reflection highlights that there is a ‘myth‘ about how the creative industry really is and how much work they require. Leaving people vulnerable to the illusion that they will be a ‘star‘ if they have some sort of creative talent.
David states networking is also incredibly important in the industry, its all about who you know and who you have ties to. Without this it is much harder to achieve the spotlight, even if you are better or a hard worker.
‘for every individual who succeeds, there are many who do not. For many, it will be the result of a perfectly reasonable personal decision that the commitment and determination required is not for them’ (p. 20)
David also states that its a risky business. It is competitive as those are fighting for the spotlight but its also determined on the opinions of the audience or the producers. This means creative people are competing for the majority in order to be liked and successful.
The creative industry is divided into 3 groups:
Production– people who create thing e.g write a song, make a movie, make a painting.
Distribution– people who promote and market things to reach the target audience using advertisements.
Consumption– The audience consuming the information e.g by going to the cinema, going to a concert; to consume the product.
Key Quotes:
“the distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out“
“in its utopian presentation, creative work is now imagined only as a self-actualising pleasure, rather than a potentially arduous or problematic obligation undertaken through material necessity” (2009, p. 417)
Media buisnesses are reliant upon changing audience consumption patterns”– The media and creative industry is based off of audience preference, taste, and how audiences will react to productions.
Risk is minimized by many different things:
‘Fan culture’, if productions develop a strong, reliable and loyal fan base, producers can almost rely on a positive reaction from these consumers towards future productions.
Marketing and advertising, the use of advertisement allows creative/ media products to gain the attention of their target audience
Trying not to create a ‘monopoly’, often, large, worldwide companies such as ‘Disney’ and ‘Apple’ leave one aspect of production, distribution or consumption to a third party company in order to create a legal monopoly.
Repetition; Producers stick to their strengths and create similar products time and time again to create a loyal fan base so that they don’t have to continue finding new target audience.
