Media texts should be recognizable and use familiar codes and conventions. Steve Neale is a key genre theorist who argues that genre-based categories are not fixed commodities. Factors used to diagnose the genre of a product include levels of verisimilitude, narrative similarities, character-driven motifs, iconography, and audience targeting. Familiarity in media is essential to sell something too left field.

Steve Neale – similarities and differences/predictability and innovation

Levels of verisimilitude – to what extent real world is referenced in products.

Narrative similarities – identification of defined story structures or formulaic narrative devices.

Character driven motifs – lead characters might have defined attributes or narrative arcs.

Iconography – mise en scene expectations + camera or editing styles

Audience targeting – genres crafted to appeal to audiences.

Repetition and audience pleasure – audiences are appealed to with the use of repeated motifs, themes, or stylistic devices.

Genre subversion – all genres are subject to evolve or change common expectations based on audience needs, contextual influences or economic influences.

Genre hybridity – A combination or intertwining of several genres.

Auteur effects – The input and influence specific individuals have on media products.

Steve Neale:

Suggests threes a corpus containing repertoires (conventions) of different elements o f which you can choose which ones are used.

Genres draw on repertoires from elements and the main tensions are between repetition and sameness versus variation and change.

Products must maintain some element of familiarity through the repetition of genre conventions but also must provoke excitement through difference, for example hybrid genres.

Steve Neale – similarities and differences/predictability and innovation

Levels of verisimilitude – to what extent real world is referenced in products.

Narrative similarities – identification of defined story structures or formulaic narrative devices.

Character driven motifs – lead characters might have defined attributes or narrative arcs.

Iconography – mise en scene expectations + camera or editing styles

Audience targeting – genres crafted to appeal to audiences.

Repetition and audience pleasure – audiences are appealed to with the use of repeated motifs, themes, or stylistic devices.

Genre subversion – all genres are subject to evolve or change common expectations based on audience needs, contextual influences or economic influences.

Genre hybridity – A combination or intertwining of several genres.

Auteur effects – The input and influence specific individuals have on media products.

NEA Adverts Similarities and Differences

Similarities – Links to websites and social media accounts, Where/when to play/watch/listen, logos of companies involved, age ratings, non-photorealistic images for video games.

Differences – Enigma codes used to keep focus less on the people present in pictures but instead what is in front of them (sky, drum kit, punchbag).

Goal for media texts should be something recognisable and familiar (utilise familiar codes and conventions) 

Subgenres are used too as for example all rock music does not sound the same so it makes sense to split it into more specific ideas e.g. alternative rock, prog rock etc

Steve Neale : key genre theorist 

. Genre based around tension of similarity and difference

. Predictability and innovation 

Familiarity in media is essential because selling something too left field won’t pick up as much interest – this is why more experimental films will use more film poster like posters, as in fitting in with the competition.

Without deliberate intent to create a creative/innovative unique take on a media text, the exam board may perceive this as “false” to the typical media product. This sort of “innovation” in the texts needs to be included in statement of intents.

More steve neale stuff

. Steve argues that genre-based categories are not fixed commodities. 

. Genres change and subdivide; fuse and die

. There are no fixed lists of ingredients that determine genre.

Repetition and Difference 

Factors used to diagnosed the genre of a product:

. Levels of verisimilitude : degree to which a product references real world

. Narrative similarities : defined story structures or formulaic narrative devices

. Character-driven motifs : audiences expect some genres to deliver explicit character-driven motifs. Lead characters might have defined attributes or follow genre-driven narrative arcs.

. Iconography : refers to mise en scene expectations as well as camera and editing styles.

. Audience targeting : Neale also highlights the way that genres are crafted to create appeal for specific audience segments.

Similarities	Differences
My magazine shall use typical and common features : Price	Focus more on vibrant colour
Date of issue	Not taking itself too seriously
Title/Artist in big stand out lettering
Image of interviewee on the cover
Simple A4 dimensions

Audience targeting- Steve Neale claims that genres are created to appeal to specific audiences

Genre subversion- all genres are subject to a continuous evolution

Genre hybridity- deliberate inclusion or intertwining of conventions across a number of genres

Iconography- Mise en scene expectations, camera and editing styles

~Character driven motifs- lead characters may have defined attributes to follow genre-driven narrative arcs. All characters are defined by genres

NEA similarities and differences

Similarities	Differences
Barcodes	Style of product
Links to online website	Size
Age ratings	Font
Name of games being advertised	Main focus of Image
Target audience

title (shes not all that)

(gossip girl)

(the beginning of the end..)

	mon	tue	wed	thurs	fri	sat	sun
week 1		feedback and take photots	make 3 poster	Dr M away	inset day
week 2	potser	poster	poster	poster	poster	p
week 3	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tt
week 4	sports day	tik tok	Dr m he trip	Dr M He trip	Dr M HE trip	tt
week 5	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tt
week 6	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tik tok	tt soi
week 7	tik tok if not done and statement of intent	statement of intent	statement of intent	statement of intent	HAND IN ALL WORK

SOI Version2: 

I intend to create a game magazine called “RGB”, I have chosen this name as it is an intertextual reference to pixel colours which will resonate with my niche target audience, it comes from the light on a computer screen where red, green, and blue are all mixed. it is also a highly used term within the gaming community. Because of this mixing of colour, it brings connotations of inclusivity, symbolizing the magazines mission. This magazine will target the psychographic audience category of the reformer, who seek enlightenment through the topics mentioned within RBG.  

The RGB magazine will cover topics that combat the modern stereotypes and ideas, such as the male gaze in video games, the lack of female protagonists and the stereotypical portrayal of women when they do appear (18% of the time as stated by Statista). RGB will address these issues, but also give more exposure to videogames with female protagonists on the cover and inside pages. All of this should engage an active audience of 15–30-year-old females and males that are unhappy with the treatment of women within video games.  

Although it is a financial risk to go against mainstream media, as said by Hesmondalgh in his cultural industries theory, I believe the audience for this issue is wide enough and active enough to make the magazine successful, as Statista states 41% of women within the UK define themselves as feminist, proving how this could be a commercially viable product. 

I will be using a cross-media production by making an Instagram account to place prominently on the cover of the magazine, allowing the audience to stay updated with videogame news between magazines, the Instagram would also be used as a promotional tool for the magazine 

The advertisements in RBG will target the ABC1(NRS Social Grade) demographic and be described as middle – upper end of the working market who can afford to spend considerable amounts of money on gaming consoles or accessories. The price points will be mid-market, £200-500 for accessories and £2500+ for full computers. The advertisements will be targeted to this group because people with less money will not be as inclined to buy new hardware for their games. The brands advertised will be luxury and include taglines to persuade people to purchase them. The use of dramatic lighting and contrasts will help to create the image of luxury within these advertisements, appealing to the target audiences purchasing power. 

RGB will challenge stereotypes and dominant ideologies around gaming, this will be evident on the front cover of the magazine with a female protagonist from a AAA videogame. The cover will also feature 2 photos of new release games from the inside pages of the magazine. The cover lines of the magazine will combat damaging dominant ideologies with cover lines such as, “levelling the playing field: empowering women in the gaming world!” will directly confront damaging dominant ideologies and promote a more inclusive gaming culture.