Representation

Initial answer:
1) List the different people/groups represented in the trailer (men/women/Americans etc.)

In this clip we see a large variety of people and groups represented in this trailer. To list them, we can see British protagonists, powerful male protagonists, women and foreign antagonists.

2) For each group, decide whether the representation is a dominant or alternative portrayal

Bond films are notorious for their traditional, stereotypical roles. Therefore, they tend not to  subvert from the general conventions. However, we can argue that not all the women in this film are presented as weak. We can see some instances of them being portrayed as powerful.

3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer?

Most prevalent to me was the foreign antagonists. They are depicted as being harmful and are associated with guns, violence and muscle cars.  Moreover, it is evident that women are presented as quite brittle and vulnerable.  

Extended answer:

To begin, in this trailer the most prominent examples of representation was the binary opposite antagonists and protagonists. The antagonists are a European, foreign terrorist organisation whereas the protagonists tend to predominantly be the British characters, such as James Bond. Instantly, this alludes to Medhurst's theory. He stated that stereotyping is a form of communicating vast amounts of information about  a character in a short space of time. Almost like a shorthand for identification. This is prevalent in this trailer as this representation being common over the medium , makes the audience instantly assume that all foreign, europeans tend to follow this stereotype which subsequently creates an overall negative representation of all Eastern Europeans. 

To elaborate on this idea, Dyer's theory can also be applied he. He simply stated that a complex, board group can be reduced to a few key characteristics. His entire theory was primarily based off power. He believed that those with more power stereotype those with less power. This specific trailer demonstrates his idea perfectly as it relegates the diverse group of foreign people to negative value judgement. This is because they are seen as unlawful yet British people are shown as protagonists, saving the day and resorting equilibrium.  The idea of power is prominent here as typically British people are considered as being more prestigious compared to Eastern Europeans.

In terms of the representation of genders in this film, we can see two very different, distinct representations of each gender. Males are presented as powerful, courageous and ruthless. This representation is dominant as it is the generic perception of men over many forms of social media. In vast contrast, we can these that in this same tailer, females are represented as vulnerable to attack and subsequently in need of protection from men. This is shown through the blonde woman who appears unstable and relies heavily on Bond for safety. Moreover, they are often considered quite attractive and are portrayed as being very sexual. This is most apparent through the use of costume and make up. This links to Mulvey's theory. She conjured the idea of 'the male gaze.' Her theory stated that the dominant view in the media is masculine and benefits men. This is because women are present within the media entirely for the pleasure of men to look at, hence 'the male gaze.' This further links to the idea of women being objectified and presented as sex objects. However, occasionally we are presented with manipulative women. This could be a way of subverting from typical gender roles. This has been shown before in Bond films. For instance, the iconic scene where the new Bond is introduced by emerging out of the water, almost as if parallel to a scene where a woman is introduced the same way. This alludes to the more recent theory of 'the female gaze.' This theory consists of a similar idea to Mulvey's but women are objectifying men. It was proposed by theorist Rosalind Gill and is an example of post feminist media culture in modern day.

Audience: Effects Theories

1a) Do you play violent video games and/or watch violent films? Are you violent in ‘real life’?
I don't usually play violent video games and I like to think that I'm not a violent person at all in real life.

1b) Do you ever see a product advertised on TV or on the internet and decide you want to buy it?
It is more likely that I would be attracted to products advertised online as I use the internet more compared to the TV. However, most of the time, if a product is advertised well and appeals to me, I am drawn to wanting to buy it.

1c) Have you ever seen a documentary which has drawn your attention to an issue which you now feel strongly about?
Yes, several instances of this have happened. For example, 

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?
• Direct Effect Theories
• Diffusion Theories
• Indirect Effect Theories
• The Pluralist Approach

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 
Horror films, rock music and video games.

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.
The  1999 Columbine massacre refers to the school shooting that took place in Columbine High School.

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?
The ease of access to firearms and the social acceptance of gun ownership, the alienation felt by teenagers who felt as though they did not fit in, the hopelessness caused by living in an area where unemployment was high and was economically disadvantaged and the general desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, the news, the internet.

6) What does Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggest?

This theory considers the way the media affects attitudes rather than behaviour. The media is seen as part of our socialisation process, communicating ‘appropriate’ attitudes and the norms and values of the culture. It claims that when attitudes are repeated, they become normalised or naturalised and then accepted, making people desensitised.

7) How does this front page of the Daily Mail (from this week - Wednesday 16 November) link to Cultivation theory? The Mail Online version of the story is here.
It is the claim that all 'under-5s' fit into that assumption or category.



8) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?
An action film is likely to contain violence for a ‘good’ reason is acceptable or violence for a ‘bad’ reason must be punished.


9) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?
The hypodermic syringe modelled is criticised for making simplified judgements about the audience. However, 

10) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?
Today, this show appears to many modern viewers as racist and offensive. Times have changed and so have
people’s attitudes and values. What was acceptable as the topic for comedy some decades ago, no longer is today.

11) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?
An example he uses is the fact that The Sun and The Guardian report the same ‘facts’ very
differently.

12) Which audience theory do you think is most convincing? Why? It is important that you develop critical autonomy in judging the arguments for and against different theories and form your own opinion on these issues.
The pluralist view which sees media as free to present whatever point of view they wish and audiences being  equally free to interpret the ideas they are presented with. This view sees the audience, not as a manipulated mass, but as individuals who have the ability to interpret the media or form opinions based off of it
as they please.

Audience theory

Hypodermic needle model

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 
The coverage of this particular task links to the hypodermic needle as it explicitly alludes to how he is addicted to video games. This is suggestive of the video games being the origin of his criminal behaviour. As well as this, this article may be criticised for including irrelevant, exposing information such as his family structure and a photo of his face which violates his confidentiality.

                                           

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

The two-step flow model was developed in the 1940s and suggests the audience are influenced by ‘opinion leaders.’ These are often  high profile people in the media with a large fanbase who mediate how the audience react to media texts. In other words, consumers are influenced by certain people in the media who hold a higher level of status within the media. I believe that this model is definitely still relevant today as there are still many, if not more, people dominating the media and consumers.

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

This Youtube blogger reviews games and has built a reputation in the gaming and Youtube community. Thus, his content is significant to a large following, especially considering his 2 million subscriber count. He undoubtedly fits into this model as his position in the media enables him to give out his opinions to a large following. In several of his videos, he is reviewing games whilst playing them. By doing this, he is essentially giving out his opinion(s) of games which his large fanbase will take into account and likely into consideration when deciding whether to bother buying/playing a game.

3) How this this Telegraph article on influential tweeters fit the two-step flow model?

This article fits the two-step model because it shows us that Britain's public feel like they are most influenced by a group of singers, One Direction rather than other more arguably influential and inspirational people such as Allan Sugar. However, because of their immense popularity among young people, One Direction still had more of an influence on the media. 

4) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model?

Jamal Edwards links to the two-step flow model as he is using the media as a platform to express his thoughts. He is a 'self-made multimillionaire' who achieved his status entirely through his own dedication to his field of work. This perhaps is a message to the many viewers of his profile that working hard enough can get you anywhere you want regardless of your background. Jamal Edward's influential message is likely to work as an incentive for many people so they too can work harder towards goals they seek to attain.

Uses and Gratifications theory

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points.

Diversion: For this category I have decided the best example are drama, comedy, mystery series. The reason I specifically chose series was because they allow its audiences to become committed to the storylines whereas with films or book, the period of time a fan can remain actively engaged in the media text is significantly shorter. Examples of these kinds of series include 'Jane The Virgin', 'Pretty Little Liars', 'Devious Maids' etc. These series all consist of elaborate, complex storylines to fully consume the viewers into the show. This ensures viewers will return as they are very engrossed into the narrative. To amplify this, the use of characters is also relevant as viewers will form connections with certain characters and this bond means any events occurring that may affect their favourited characters could cause an emotional impact on viewers. This means they are likely to continue watching to continue their 'relationship' with the characters on screen.

Personal Relationships: Next, I have chosen 'Desperate Housewives' to represent this gratification. I think this television series works well with this category as it has been airing from 2004 to 2012. This is a very long time period in which the audiences are likely to form connections with all the characters, differentiating between disliked and favourited characters. This is a good example of personal relationships because the show revolves around a group of 4 women who eventually viewers will become engrossed with due to the complexity of their storylines.

Personal Identity: For personal identity, I have chosen the film The Breakfast Club. The film is about five high school students who meet in detention, where they discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. This movie is a good example of personal identity because it captures the time of being a teenager very well and a lot of people in the age period can also identify with this film.


Surveillance: Finally, I have chosen the popular social media platform, Twitter. I think that this platform is an especially convenient way of retrieving information, more so than other forms of media such as BBC News on TV or by using newspapers because many people with demanding lifestyles may not have enough time to watch the news on TV or buy a copy of the newspaper every day. However, people are more likely to have constant access to the internet so they can use social media platforms such as Twitter quite easily. The short and brief tweets also make it easy to catch up on current affairs without wasting too much time yet still having access to links that enable users to see the entire story.

Succeeders

Psychographic profiling

Succeeders

Strong goal orientation, confidence, work ethic, organisation ... support status quo, stability. Brand choice based on reward, prestige - the very best . Also attracted to 'caring' and protective brands ... stress relief. (Top management)

Structure

Who you are working with:

The psychographic group you are researching:

Introduce your example couple that represents your group:

1) Make up their names:

 Sulwen and Abhainn 

2) Where do they work/study?

 ABC1 careers such as teaching.

3) What do they do in their spare time?

 They like to focus on getting as much of there work done. making sure that they have some kind of organised structure to their day. hey know what they need to do in order to reach their goals. they may often take small holidays here and there to places like Italy, Greece maybe even Dubai. They have hobbies such as a certain sport or art that they like to spend doing in their free time.

Their media consumption:

Print: What newspapers/magazines does your group read (if any)? Is this on paper or tablet?

Broadcast: What TV programmes/channels do your group watch? Radio stations? TV package – Freeview or Sky? Films?

-reality tv shows, the news - bbc. homes under the hammer, rip off Britain.

-sky broadband-

E-Media: What technology do they own? What websites do they visit (if any)?

most likely to have Facebook maybe twitter and instagram.

usually used for business purposes however also for personal use but not highly active.

https://prezi.com/b7ihpk3upxj-/the-succeeders/

Genre

Genre

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

visual iconographies are enough to act alone to indicate a genre.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

Newspaper genres

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?

The difference between action films and disaster movies is that action movies usually depend isolate the hero whereas in disaster films, the heroic role is spread out within a group of characters who have different abilities.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell?

Period or country, director /star, technical process, style, series, audience.

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences:

Prior knowledge, to compare a text or to reject a text. 

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

Prior knowledge, to rejection of texts and preparation. 

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

Gangster films. We can see Reservoir Dogs, Scarface and The Sopranos mentioned. One code of the traditional gangster movie was to have a Tommy Gun hidden in a violin case

Superheroes

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

Spiderman, The X Men, Avengers Assemble,  Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron man. 

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

An adaption of the superman logo.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

The superhero genre established their key conventions until they were well known and the audience were familiar. Then, these were mocked in a parody and reconstructed again within the films that followed the intentionally funny parody.

General

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I have picked the television series 'The Walking Dead'

2) In what context did you encounter it?

The streaming service Netflix.

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

It encouraged me to watch more because the episodes play continuously.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text? 

horror drama

5) What is your experience of this genre?

I realised there were many more than the typical key conventions within this series such as romance.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

Finding sanctuary and ultimately survival.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

This text does push the boundaries of its genre as it varies from being very tranquil to violent. Often we see scenes of the group eating together happily and having found a resolution for that one episode.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

Gore, violence and downfall.

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

Google classed it as serial, horror fiction and zombie.

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

IMDb classed it as drama, horror, sci-fi 

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?

Use of props like guns/bats and zombies.

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

Fairly often

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

When children are born or romantic relationships are formed.

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?

For example, often we can see romantic relationships being formed which is typical in romance films or humour is used in this series which is typical of comedy.

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

Often we can see the regular theme of violence being brought up in various forms, death and tragedy. 

Mode of address

1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

This series is aimed predominantly at teenage males.

2) How does the text address you?

This text addresses me by allowing me a way of vicariously releasing pent up aggression.

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

It assumes I enjoy watching gore and violence.

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

It assumes I am working to middle class, aged from 15-25, male and white.

5) What interests does it assume you have?

The show consists of mainly graphic violence and gore which suggests it assumes their viewers to enjoy watching shows with these kinds of themes.

Relationship to other texts

1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?

The entire show is actually based off the comics. Although the show varies slightly from it, we can see that the narrative typically tends to follow the comics.

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

The comics it is based off of.

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

The narrative.

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

The actors.

Narrative Blog Task

Christmas 2014 - "The Boy Who Learnt To Share": To begin, we will start with the employment of Propp's character theory. He proposed that there are ‘seven spheres of action.’ In this clip we could identify the little boy as ‘the villain,’ as well as ‘the princess’ and the parents are ‘the heroes.’ We are most likely to associate the boy as being the villain because of his greed and the medium shots or close up’s on his expression. We are likely to associate the parents as heroes because they resolve the conflict by buying KFC Throughout the advert, we can see Barthes enigma and action codes. The first shot we see is an example of an enigma code as the audience are intrigued by the title ‘The boy who learnt to share.’ The next shot we can see includes the child and his sister who look excitedly out the window and start running. This is an example of an action code as we are aware that something exciting will happen. Finally, we will look at Todorov’s theory of equilibrium. This advert begins with disequilibrium as the child will not share but new equilibrium is restored through the KFC.

We Need To Talk About Kevin - Official Trailer: To begin, we will start with the employment of Propp's character theory. He proposed that there are ‘seven spheres of action.’ In this clip we could identify the little boy and his older self as ‘the villain,’ and the mother as ‘the hereo.’ We are most likely to associate the boy as being the villain because of his ominous dialogue, suggestive expressions and the use of sinister music. We can see Barthes enigma and action codes used consistently in the advert. The shot where the toddler has destroyed his mother’s art room, we can see his sinister facial expression and the shock on his mother’s face. This is an example of an action code as we are likely to associate the next action as the child being told off. Finally, towards the end of the advert we can see fast paced editing and dramatic shots - this is an example of enigma code. Finally, we will look at Todorov’s theory of equilibrium. This trailer is a very good example of his theory. To begin, there is equilibrium. The couple are happy and enjoying their lives. Next we see disequilibrium as the couple are arguing and having issues with their son. Finally, after the peak of chaos has been hit, we see the mother sitting down again. This is an example of new equilibrium.

Girl, Interrupted Ending scene: This clip is a movie scene and the employment of character theory is harder to see here. However, the girl who appears to be the focus of the scene and is sitting in the back of the cab is ‘the hero.’ The several women looking out the window could be example of ‘the donors.’ Next, Todrov’s theory of equilibrium is a lot harder to find in this clip as it begins with new equilibrium. This is due to the scene being the final one in the film. However, we can assume that the state of new equilibrium was found after a state of disequilibrium. Finally, the use of enigma and action Codes in this clip are sparse. However, we can see the protagonist looking at the cab driver’s plate and this is an example of an action code because we assume she recognises him. 

Institution: Brand values

1) To begin, we will look at Tumblr, the popular microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007, and owned by Yahoo! since 2013. This source of social media enables users to post multimedia and other content to a blog that they have made. Their brand values would be about lifestyle, quality, fun, community and boldness. Tumblr fits into almost all of dyer's lines of appeal through its content but most arguably it consists of mainly rich, luxurious lifestyles, dreams and fantasy, art, culture, history and beautiful women. As there are so many lines of appeal, you can argue that Tumblr is attempting to appeal to the largest demographic possible, similar to most social media platforms.

Tumblr is about self expression and quality content.

Creativity.

2) Next, we will look at American Apparel which is an American clothing manufacturer, designer, marketer and retailer based in Los Angeles, California. American Apparel fits into dreams and fantasy, beautiful women, self-importance and pride. Their use of beautiful women is especially significant as the company has long relied on sex as a key selling point. According to Tom Reichert, "As long as people desire to be attractive to others, and as long as people desire romance, intimacy, and love, and all the wonderful feelings they involve, advertisers can show how their products help meet those needs and desires. Whether we like it or not, products play a role in society’s intimacy equation."

American Apparel is all about high quality products.

Stylish.

3) Now we will move onto IAMS, a popular brand name for dog food and cat food manufactured by Spectrum Brands in Europe and Mars, Inc worldwide. IAMS was founded in 1946, in Dayton, Ohio, United States. IAMS fits into happy families - everyone wants to belong and childhood. I believe this because a large selection of their adverts use families, specifically children. This could be used to evoke either nostalgia or nurturing instincts. Also, perhaps they fit into rich, luxurious lifestyles because pets are a luxury so they may be inspiring people to want a lifestyle that includes pets because in their adverts, the animals are shown in a positive light.

IAMS is about having the best food available to your pets.

Nurture.

4) To continue, Dominos is an American pizza restaurant chain and international franchise pizza delivery corporation. Dominos fits into comedy & humour  as many of their adverts are designed with content to make us laugh. This could of intentionally been used to allow the audience to see that their brand values are about fun. Also, almost all their content uses vibrant and pleasant photos of their pizza perhaps to let us see that another brand value of theirs is also quality.

Dominos is about having fun and enjoying their products.

Enjoyment.

5) Lastly, is a very well known British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer known as Tesco. Through Tesco's advertising, we can see that they focus predominantly on their 'low prices' and 'high quality products'. Although most of their adverts are many minimalistic and don't use people at all, some of their video adverts use families which suggest Tesco fits into happy families. Also, almost all their adverts use humour to show us one of their brand values is having fun. From this, we can argue that they also fit into the comedy and humour line of appeal.

Tesco is about good quality foods and low prices.

Affordable.