Research Log 5- Moral Panics

Moral Panics

By Kenneth Thompson

Section 2- Why The Panic?

• 'Increasing rapidity in the succession of moral panics; one barely finishes before another takes its place.'

• 'Britain is not alone in having moral panic, they seem to be increasingly frequent in modern societies as we approach the millennium.' 

• "It is true that the British are alarmed and frightened by social fragmentation and growing violence. It is also true that the moral compasses by which to steer are increasingly uncertain.

           'The real dynamics of social breakdown are left unaddressed."

            (The Observer, 27 October 1996)

• 'They appeal to people who are alarmed by an apparent fragmentation or breakdown of the social order, which leaves them at risk in some way.'

• 'Politicians and some parts of the media are eager to lead the campaign to have action taken that they claim would suppress the threat.'        

• 'The language of moral panic is not new. It is a complaint that has rung down the ages.'

(Quote from Peter Beaumont)

• 'When morality is no longer a question of a few basic rules, authoritatively pronounced on by politicians and church leaders, then society has to argue, debate, negotiate and renegotiate. It is messy, painful, noisy, transparent, often intrusive, but it's far more democratic than the old way.

To Jacques it isn't surprising that the media seemed to present one moral debate after another. (Jacques, in the Guardian, 1996)

• 'Drawing on ideas taken from American sociological theories of deviance and collective behaviour.'

• 'Intensely concerned about a particular issue or perceived threat- which, as measured by concrete indicators, turns out not to be especially damaging' (Goode and Ben Yehuda 1994)

 

Textual Analysis Practice

 The Daily Express the headline 'Muslims Tell British: Go To Hell!' seems to be representing all Muslims and representing them in a negative way creating and reinforcing the stereotype that all Muslims hate the British. However, if you look closely at the actual copy it reads 'Rant in court as student who tried to kill MP is jailed for life', so as a matter of fact the headline seems to have nothing to do with the actual article. The size of the headline itself is large and in your face in comparison to the small summary copy- this could suggest the idea that it doesn't matter what these people do they'll always be a threat or hold some sort of danger.

Ironically, next to the main story is a humorous image of Anton Du Beke and Ann Widecombe both with happy, smiling faces. This is juxtaposed to the brash statement, possibly implying that besides that issue, besides the problem of these awful people everything in Britain is great- get rid of them and all the problems will disappear.  By putting this pointless story on the front of the paper in comparison to such a negative outlook the media are mediating the audiences outlook on the Islamic faith creating a stigma that they are dangerous, because the typical audience will then focus on the main story.

 

Research Log 4- Moral Panic

Article Written By Ian Marsh and Gaynor Melville (Both lecturers in Liverpool Hope University)

Published in the Internet Journal of Criminology in 2011 (http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/)

'Moral Panics and the British Media - A Look at Some Contemporary Folk Devils'

http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/marsh_melville_moral_panics_and_the_british_media_march_2011.pdf

• In the opening introduction the writers present a definition or explanation of the term 'moral panic';

'The term moral panic has been widely adopted both by the mass media and in
everyday usage to refer to the exaggerated social reaction caused by the activities of
particular groups and/or individuals.'

• The opening then considers John Young's review of Cohen's work;

'The review concludes that there are 

key elements to moral panics and that these panics are the result of real events and 

actual behaviour and cannot be dismissed as myths.'

• I think this quote is suggesting that even though moral panics are often mediated by media texts (newspapers, films, tv shows etc), the concept of the moral panic isn't pulled from thin air; there's often a key event that the elaboration of the stereotypes or stigma stem from. For example 9/11- people may always have had a subconscious worry towards the Islamic faith and its followers, but after 9/11 because of the horror of the event and conspiracy theories that surround it; thanks to the media which elaborated and changed the worry to a fear.

'Young’s revisiting of the notion that 

moral panics ‘translate fantasy into reality’'

• In society today sometimes on a daily basis we see news stories that seem completely unbelievable, with moral panics this can be the case- witchcraft is a belief in certain countries but it's often perceived to be evil and dark and we often think of spells, how it's spooky and dangerous like the supernatural. In fact it's simply a group of people that look to the spirits/nature kind of like Paganism.

Research Log 3- Moral Panic

Article Written By Andrew Brown

Published in the Guardian newspaper/online website 5th November 2014

'Why I don't believe people who say they loath Islam but not Muslims'

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2014/nov/05/islam-muslims-hate-ideology-racism

'It is psychologically unnatural to claim that you hate an ideology without hating the people in whose lives it is expressed'

• Muslims I think this is a quote that is very eye opening and thought provoking, in society today a large majority of the public would probably admit they do hate the Islam faith (an ideology that has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years) however, they don't admit to hate those who worship it; this is impossible the faith of Islam is the people- without them there would not be a faith to hate. Although, I believe it's actually not the faith they hate because what people see is not the true representation- they actually hate the stereotypically, mediated version that they are presented with.

'50 or 60 years ago racial prejudice was an entirely natural part of English life. In order to change that, it was necessary to mark it as a uniquely dreadful and disfiguring condition: racism became a kind of moral leprosy.'

• This is quite a worrying idea. Yes, we are aware that in the 1950's and 1960's racial prejudice was seen as normal not just in English life but America also, but this suggests that so we could carry on applying racial prejudice in our day to lives we had to make it necessary danger almost; to fear it, see it as a threat mark it as a disease 'moral leprosy'. Linking to my essay this gives the alternative idea that it's not just the media that presents the moral panic of Islam, it's us; the people in society, the audience.

'Stalin and Mao would have enthusiastically endorsed Sam Harris when he wrote that “there are some beliefs so terrible that we are justified in killing people just for holding them”, just as they would have endorsed his defence of torturing prisoners.'

• This is a prime example of a moral panic in the media- people only say these things about whichever moral panic because of what they are presented with because 99% of the time they have seen it in it's primary source, they don't have the chance.

Research Log 2- Moral Panics

Dissertation written by Christine Anne Rabinak in 2009

'The Associative Representation of Fear Memories Mediated by the Amygdala'

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christine_Rabinak/publication/30862975_The_Associative_Representation_of_Fear_Memories_Mediated_by_the_Amygdala/links/09e415138fb04980d3000000.pdf

'Fear and the expression of fear behaviors are evolutionarily advantageous and 

necessary for survival.'

• Fear can be looked at as positive in some sense because it makes us cautious and aware of the dangers in the environment we live in.

'An example of the tragedy of PTSD is illustrated in the following quote 

from a Marine who served 3 tours in Iraq. 

My brother decided to join the National Guard to get some money for college and 

they promised he wouldn’t go to Iraq. Instead after enlisting he was sent to Iraq. 

Since he has been home…he refuses to talk to anyone…He called me a few 

weeks ago for the first time and told me he’s having nightmares…about picking 

up the pieces of his fellow soldiers after a car bomb hit…Every one of the 2

Marines I served with has broken down crying…saying all they can do since they 

got back is bounce from job to job, drink, do drugs, and contemplate suicide to 

end the pain…soldiers with wounds you can’t see (Richards, 2007). '

• This stood out to me not just because of the representation of fear in someone's very personal experience but also because I could link this to my essay because I am using Islam, due to the negative representation of the Islamic faith in the media people may jump to the conclusion that this man has suffered not because of his job but because of the people of Islamic faith in Iraq rather than the soldiers that are fighting. The media creates a stereotype that puts audiences under the assumption that everything that goes wrong in countries associated with Islam is always down to those under that religious belief, I think this is because it's the quickest assumption they hear the country or name and it immediately comes to mind. 

Research Log 1- Moral Panics

Article Written By Sean Dunne

Media Magazine 8, April 2004

'Handling Hutton- what you should know about the controversy over the Hutton Report'

https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/media-magazine/articles/15840

• 'The role of a national broadcaster which must remain impartial even while receiving public money via Government is always a difficult one. At its heart are questions over what public service broadcasting is for: to provide a unique range and variety of programming or to be just another producer of popular entertainment chasing audience figures?'

I think this is implying that national broadcasters on TV Media often do just screen programmes and certain programmes or stories to get more views rather than providing the audience with the honest true stories that may not bring more views, on the basis of profit and earnings.

• 'The Government holds lots of information that the public want or need. It employs impartial civil servants whose job it is to inform the public, usually via the news media, of what is happening. If the issue is controversial or shows the Government in a bad light, special advisors (or spin doctors) like Campbell get involved and advise how to release the information.'

Although this quote may be primarily about the Government rather than moral panic I think it could be related. The Government holds information on many things so they would have an impact on what is publicised through the media (whether it be tabloid or online), therefore this suggests they have control over many topics and could give its employees instructions to present a certain group or issue in society in a negative way or in a way which would benefit the Government to provide them with a positive reputation from the public.

•  'News sources are sometimes called primary definers. They are an important influence on what goes into the news because they hold the information. This is an ideological issue because in this way powerful voices can decide what we can think about by influencing the news agenda.'

Powerful voices influencing the news are what could be the cause of many moral panics we have in society today, for example the stigma towards mental health, asylum seekers or Islam; they have the power to control what the audience of the media texts think- whether it be positive or negative.

Britain Represented in the Media

The media uses many types of theories of representation to portray an image or various images of Britain depending on the people in a certain area or the area of Britain itself.

For example many reality TV shows in the past few years have given people stereotypical views of certain parts of the country through stereotypes. Two contrasting equally popular reality shows are Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex; both shows portray the so called normal lives of a group of young people living in different areas not far from each other but they live completely different lifestyles, Made in Chelsea shows the more elite younger generation living in the posh London borough of Chelsea, Kensington - even though the characters in the show are being filmed living their actual lives they are portrayed in a stereotypical way. Each character has their own individual style and identity but do all wear designer clothes, very put together and speak with a formal accent. Their behaviour is always quite exaggerated and they are often over emotional or very cold towards others. The same can be said for the reality show 'The Only Way is Essex' although Brentwood in Essex is not that far from London the characters are complete opposites and the stereotype of 'Essex girls' are enforced often to an extreme- the characters are never seen without the typical fake tan, face full of make-up and often work in boutiques, hair salons or fashion and modelling. The same can be said for the 'Essex boys' who are all muscular, fit and own clubs or restaurants. These reality shows have provided various stereotypes as over recent years they have become more popular now covering certain parts of Britain including Wales, Newcastle and most recently Cheshire. Although audiences find the reality shows very amusing they tend to give people negative views through the certain stereotypical portrayal, if not decoders that do not enjoy the shows can find the characters irritating, comedic (through their pathetic behaviour). As well as this the certain stereotypes can effect peoples outlook on the place the show is set or just on Britain itself.




This print based advert is a typical representation of Britain by the Visit Britain, I think this advert is using the Reflexive approach because the image is a simple, natural image of the British countryside and is using nothing but an image depicting a reflection of the real countryside of Britain- truly reinforcing the idea of what you get.
The photographs itself depicts the traditionally rural image of Britain that is always very enchanting and almost fairytale like. The natural beauty of the clearing with the overgrown flowers and trees connote a rural image of Britain. The use of the rule of thirds gives a focus on the open gate which makes the target audience feel an urge to come and explore Britain.
The main cover line acts an anchorage for the main image being 'Countryside Is Great' which again emphasises the idea of Britain's countryside as the vocal point of the image. The other cover lines include the word 'Britain' which comes directly under 'Great', the contrast in size suggest a patriotic love of Britain showing that Britain is loved by those who liver their because it's fantastic. The other cover line is the phrase 'Discover the untouched beauty of Britain's ancient woodlands' the use of the words 'untouched' and 'ancient' could be used to emphasise the historical elements of Britain's history and suggest that's the things that can be explored across Britain.

I think this music video from One Direction is a very typical representation of the prim and proper British boy in the country, I think mediation is used in this music video because it picks certain elements through the use of selection, the audience are made to see a portrayal of the rural British country, the music video shows grand, historic looking buildings, classic steam engines and timeless cars. All depicting the best traits of the laid back, natural wonders of the British countryside. As well as this the audience are shown the image of the five band members who are portrayed as the stereotypical idea of a perfect British boy. The organisation and construction of the video shows the audience CU shots of the boys faces to make identification with the audience who would most likely be young teenage girls- this would most definitely heighten their emotions as they would feel they had an emotional connection with the band. Even though the rural backdrop was stunning it was also a clever construction, because the image is so simple the focus will be on the boys which would attract the target audience.


             

Psycho

In the opening of the film the captions are overlaid over the camera shots to provide information for the viewer; the first caption the audience see says ‘Phoenix, Arizona’ providing the setting, the second caption ‘Friday December the Eleventh’ and the third and final caption ‘Two forty-three P.M’ establishes equilibrium. The film uses a caption to establish the setting by stating the place, date and time. We are shown the city in the afternoon in daylight showing a typical American city, depicting nothing out of the ordinary.

 

 The audience are shown a long shot as the camera pans over the rooftops of the city towards an apartment block and then focuses on a single window finally taking the audience into the apartment. The audience is then introduced to the characters Marion and Sam in what is meant to be an intimate moment forcing the audience to identify with the characters themselves. Alfred Hitchcock allows the audience to identify with Marion and her situation as soon as the film opens because after this their focus is completely on Marion up until her violent death. In this scene a picture is painted of Marion and Sam’s romantic yet complicated relationship; they are in love and wish to start a life together but don’t want to tell anyone yet and are restricted due to Sam’s tricky marital situation with his wife as he doesn’t have enough money to pay his debts. This allows the audience to create an emotional connection with the characters and immediately hope that they end up together.

 

 At this early stage in the film Hitchcock has provided the audience with a red herring (‘MacGuffin’ in Hitchcock films) as they are shown the story of Marion and Sam they are in a false sense of thought that they’ll be following their story and developing relationship. After the apartment the audience are taken to the setting of Marion’s place of work; shots of Marion chatting with her colleague in a friendly way helps the audience identify further with Marion’s character as the typical everyday working American girl. In this scene the audience are introduced to the character of Cassidy, he is portrayed as a sleazy and demanding older man who thinks he should be able to get his way all the time. Here mise-en-scene is used; the prop being the large envelope of Cassidy’s containing $40,000, Marion is told to take the money to the bank by her boss but seizing the opportunity and through desperation Marion steals the money to help Sam pay his wife and pay for their wedding and new life together. However, even though Marion steals the money rather than disliking Marion the audience continue to root for her because of Hitchcock’s portrayal of her character as the audience know she is respectable and stealing the money through desperation and love as well as the identification they’ve developed with the character.

 

As Marion begins her journey out of Phoenix the audience in order for the audience to continue to associate with Marion’s character Hitchcock uses restricted narration to keep the audiences sole focus on Marion. A key feature that helps the audience connect to the character of Marion is Janet Leigh’s prominent eyes; they provide an insight into the characters feelings especially in the close up shots, audience members can’t help but empathise with her as she is overcome with a flood of various emotions. As well as the tight close up shots of Marion’s face the audience can hear the voiceover of other people’s voices; at this point it’s clear Marion is worried and fearing violent repercussion’s, the thoughts suggest to the audience (along with Marion’s facial expressions) that she’s paranoid. Hitchcock continues to use restricted narration as Marion is spotted and followed by an intimidating policeman who becomes suspicious of Marion. The audience continue to see each character through Marion’s perspective, I think due to the personal identification the audience build with Marion they begin to feel how she feels; when Marion is questioned by the policeman she continuously insists she is innocence but it’s clear she is beginning to succumb to the pressure and stress, possibly suggesting that she’s beginning to think she’s made the wrong choice.

 

After pulling up to Bates Motel we are introduced to Norman Bates, a character who is portrayed as a weak, vulnerable character as well as Norman the audience are made aware of Norman’s mother from a long shot of her figure in the window of the house. It’s at the Bates Motel Marion decides she is going to return to Phoenix with the $40,000, proving to the audience that she was always the good character they believed her to be as she knows she is in the wrong and she has a sense of moral.

 

The restricted narration that Hitchcock has kept the whole way through the film at this point moves away from Marion in a plot twist as Marion is brutally murdered. Before this Marion and Norman have a heated discussion, I think at one point during this confrontation (when Marion asks brings up Norman’s mother) without realising it she puts herself in danger as at this point Norman’s double personality of his mother takes over. The iconic shower scene in which Marion is murdered has become one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history, in the scene we see Marion looking relaxed only to have her life taken away by what we see as a silhouette leaving the audience wondering ‘Who was that?’ providing an enigma code, a sense of mystery bringing another element to the film. Marion’s dead corpse on the bathroom floor is an image that will stay with most audience members, Hitchcock brings us back to Marion’s face and the audience are once again struck by Marion’s eyes.

 

After Marion’s murder the audience are forced to establish with the character of Norman Bates, after building identification with Marion the audience now have to identify with Norman as he disposes of her body; the audience member will disagree with the goings on in the film but have no choice as they are following the plot.

 

The musical score in Psycho is very important because it is used to build tension; Hitchcock used a string orchestra- Hitchcock thought that the single tone would reflect the use of black and white cinematography of the film. The music in the film is fast paced and creates tension, especially with the fast pace.

Analysis of a Genre

I have chosen to analyse the trailer for the upcoming film 'Into The Woods' due for release next year; it's a film adaptation of the Broadway musical 'Into The Woods', a twist on the classic tales written by the brothers Grimm. This trailer is a hybrid genre of fantasy, musical, family and romance (because of the love story between Cinderella and Prince Charming).

The trailer begins with a long shot of a willow tree in the woods, followed by camera shots of individual classic fairytales characters repeating the line of dialogue 'I wish'; the continuous shots of the woods give emphasise of how the setting is a key element for the narrative of the film. The audience are then shown a skewed low angle shot of a door bursting open in almost an explosion of light followed by a close up of the witches (Meryl Streep) face which immediately allows the audience to create some identification between themselves an the character and notice the intense, crazed look in her eyes. This shot of the door itself brings the first magical element to the film as it's the first sense of enchantment we see.

Iconography is used a lot throughout this trailer because of the classic items associated with each brothers Grimm character: red riding hoods red cape, Jack's cow, beans and beanstalk, Cinderella's  slipper and Rapunzel's golden hair. These iconic features have been associated with the characters for hundreds of years and can, for many audience members, provide a sense of nostalgia; these stories have been told for generations to children by their parents, creating a comforting, family feel.

The stars of this film include well loved house hold names but they haven't just been chosen for this reason; Into The Woods based on a musical and each star have some musical background including the upcoming child actors. Everyone is aware of Meryl Streep's performance as Donna in 'Mamma Mia' and Johnny Depp's performance in 'Sweeney Todd', however, the young actors playing the child stars have received Tony Awards. This film being a hyrbrid genre is also a fantasy, the audience will recognise Anna Kendrick for her appearances in the 'Twilight Saga' films and Chris Pine's 'Captain Kirk' in 'Star Trek' and 'Star Trek Into Darkness' which both have a fantasy type genre about them. I think the stars in this film have been carefully picked as they all have an eclectic mix of talents and were chosen wisely.

Rob Marshall was the director for this film, in the past he's been credited for his directing on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Annie and Chicago. Most films of a more musical genre which is understandably why he's been chosen to direct this film as it's based on a musical.

Mise en Scene is prominent in the trailer; the trailer shows that there will be various changes throughout the film but the main setting will be the woods. In the first few seconds of the trailer the audience are presented with a montage of clips where each character enters the woods. After this the audience are taken the cottage of the baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) live; the trailer also includes long shots of castles and towers which can are associated settings to certain characters. The characters costumes have quite a medieval style about them, they're very old world style and fit in with the fantasy genre of the film; each characters costume is very simple but effective using light tones of pastel blues, off whites and baby pinks. The lighting throughout the trailer is dark but not eerie, it compliments the dark greens and dreary colours of the woods.

 
 

Media diary 6

I recently went to watch One Republic on their European Native tour; I can’t explain how amazing the vocals were, it was literally like listening to the album rather than having Ryan Tedder singing on stage!

The vibe they created definitely made me feel as though if they could they’d be having an open air concert. So much emotion could be heard vocally and emotionally through the expressions in each band members faces, it was beautiful. They sung their songs from the recent album ‘Native’ as well as some of the bands most famous songs: ‘Apologise’, ‘Good Life’ and various others too.

I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much during a concert! It was unreal how much emotion you felt just watching the band perform, the lyrics that Ryan (the bands frontman) writes are beautiful yet so powerful…I can’t express how they capture the audiences heart the way they do!

The stage setting itself was fabulous; the lighting reflected the band so well and each song had its own stage setting that made it special in its own right. Personally my favourite section was when they used the outer crop of the stage, it was set up to create a more intimate, acoustic feel where Ryan played the piano and sung so passionately. I did cry during that section but overall I had one of the best nights with my best friend watching my favourite band! I’ll definitely be going back to see them when they return next year!

Media Diary- Week 5- Made in Chelsea

This week my favourite reality show made a comeback! Made in Chelsea returned with a bang on Monday night, after a summer in New York City the Chelsea gang were all catching up back home in Chelsea. As always the audiences were given a bit of drama with emotions running high over what went from being a summer fling to a whirlwind permanent romance, a jealous ex and an inner conflict.

If you aren't an MIC fan then you may not understand this part of my diary and you will have no clue who I'm talking about...apologies! So here's a quick summary; Binky, Louise, Lucy and Stevie take a little trip down to Devon to see Andy (who as we know didn't spend the summer in NYC). In Devon it's revealed that Andy is a bit gutted that Louise found true love in NYC with Alik - I mean I can understand she's his ex and Alik's practically his clone! Back in London Spencer is a changed man; no drinking, single, embracing his creative side and a new hair cut of course. Little Sam Thompson hates to admit he thinks he needs to listen to his big sister Louise and get a job so (after a game of tennis of course) gets a job working for Jamie. Final scenes of the first episode probably excited the audience the most; at Spencer's saints and sins party we see Lucy and Proudlock finally make conversation after those 'just friendly' kisses in NYC, an extremely awkward situation for Louise between her new boyfriend and ex, then Mr Mytonn giving Binks the jealous puppy dog eyes as she flirts with new character Will...the personal trainer.

Best bit of the episode would probably have to be seeing Spencer and Andy's bromance slowly growing again in Spencer's flat/ art studio. I honestly never thought I would watch Spencer Matthews painting whilst laughing happily with Andy Jordan. Worst part of the episode, well I loved all of it all I can say is where was Mark Francis?! Mark Francis. He is the funniest character Made in Chelsea will ever have, please give him more scenes E4!

Media Diary-Week 4: The Vamps Concert

The Vamps are a British pop band that formed in 2012 and have since released their debut album Meet the Vamps, supported Mcfly on their Memory Lane Tour and performed as support acts for The Wanted, Little Mix, Lawson and Demi Lovato at several festivals. The Vamps consist of four members Brad Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), James Mcvey (lead guitar and vocals), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals). After proving to be quite a success in the UK the band also released their single Wild Heart as their debut single in the United States and Canada.

This weekend I went to the bands 'Meet the Vamps' tour in the Echo Arena - it was fabulous! They had so many surprises for the audience; their stage presence made you feel as if you were watching friends that you know! The surprises were the support acts they had accompanying them on the tour; it was a surprise because usually the tickets say 'The Vamps and special guests' but these tickets didn't. So when I heard three support acts were performing I was ecstatic! The first act I'd seen before on the McBusted Tour in April - a band called E of E - I didn't like them the first time and I didn't like them this time, although, they had improved with their live vocals. The second supporting act was Luke Friend from the X-Factor; he sang his own songs acoustically to promote his single which is released in February, his voice was beautiful: so raw and rough but gentle all in one! My personal favourite support act was the last - the stunning Scottish artist that is Nina Nesbitt! I'd never seen her live before but I'd heard so many people speak highly of her live performances. Speechless. That is the only word I can use to describe how I felt after listening to her voice. She was perfect!

The Vamps themselves showed a lively, energetic and encouraging stage presence! They created a great atmosphere by energising the audience; you could see how happy they were when everyone sang along, I imagine it's because they realised how much their fans love them and their music - probably because (besides the fact they travel internationally and go to all these award shows) they genuinely seem like a bunch of friendly boys who just want to make music and have fun! They were so thankful and humble for the experience they've been given and the opportunities they've received!

The only thing I didn't enjoy was the fact I had to go home at the end of the night! To be quite honest, in general, I struggle to find a negative in concerts - unless something obvious like the vocals or instruments are really bad - concerts are my one true love and my favourite hobby.

Media Diary- Week 3: The 1975 Concert

The 1975 are a Manchester based indie-rock band consisting of band members Matty Healy (vocals, guitar), George Daniel (drums, backing vocals), Adam Hann (guitar) and Ross Macdonald (bass); their self titled debut album was released in September 2013 and went to No.1 in the UK Albums Chart. They've toured internationally as well as performing at the annual Coachella festival in California this year. On Friday (26th September) I travelled to Manchester with a couple of friends to see them perform in the O2 Academy, it was honestly one of the best concert experiences ever!

In the days leading up I began to get nervous about going and became sceptical, not because I didn't want to see the band but because of the venue itself. We have an O2 Academy in Liverpool (which I've been to various times for gigs) but from the pictures I'd been shown this one was much bigger and being my height surrounded by literally hundreds of people made me think I was going to get crushed. I've witnessed a mosh pit...yeah, not for me. However, I was wrong! I'll admit at points during the concert I was on edge but overall I shouldn't of worried at all. Getting into the venue did take a while; we queued for 45 minutes possibly an hour but it was all worth it, we definitely got a surprise when we got in as we were so close to the stage- as you can see from this photo taken by my friend at the concert!                                            

Lead vocalist Matty Healy

The 1975 were absolutely unbelievable! Their live performance was exactly like you'd expect to hear; it was like listening to the album and I love that because it makes me admire the band more knowing that what you hear through your headphones or speakers is genuine, knowing they're not one of those acts who are a let down when you go and see them is a relief. Stage setting for the tour was what you'd expect from the band; I'm actually shocked they only had two smoke machines considering how much smoke there was! At one point you couldn't see the stage at all...you could of easily thought you were surrounded by clouds! As the smoke cleared they brought down three white strobe lights to create an image of their album cover....

...then they appeared, each member in all black-definitely embracing the theme they'd created with their album style! The whole stage setting created such an amazing atmosphere and to be in the crown with so many fellow fans I always think is like being with people you know in a sense, your all gathered for one reason, a bunch of strangers with one definite thing in common. My favourite part (besides seeing the band in front of me and hearing my favourite songs) was when the whole crowd sang along to the songs; it always is my highlight of a concert! The vocals, guitar and drums where a success, I couldn't fault a single moment of their performance but you could call me a biased fan I suppose. Matty, the lead vocalist, was so humble too by thanking each and every fan for supporting the band to get them where they are right now (being honest every act does that when you see them these days though), it felt genuine when you heard him speak in his Northern accent a familiar sound! 

The band did have supporting acts but honestly the crowds roar was so loud I didn't hear their names but I did hear the music and they were exactly what you'd expect from the band. Both brilliant with an immense talent! I wish I had gotten their names because I'd be so interested to look them up on YouTube and see other performances!

I think the only thing I'd change was possibly where we stood; we were so close to the speakers that when we left my ears constantly felt like they needed to pop. I'd also change the amount of people around me (as stupid as it sounds) yes, I loved being around fellow fans but I had no room to move- I was hit in the nose at least twice and had people stand on my feet, push past and through me so many times I couldn't even count.

We entered the venue at about half 7 only to leave at around half 11, after 4 hours of standing all our legs had no strength at all; I mean we all felt like the muscles in our legs had just gone to jelly. You'd think we'd head home...oh no not us! We're those group of girls you see at the side door waiting for the band to appear- we waited for at least an hour and then finally they came out: Matty, George, Hanns, Ross...we were so happy it topped off the night! After seeing them we got in the car and began the journey home! It was the best night ever! I'd definitely go and see them again.



Media Diary- Week 2: The Great Gatsby 2013

As an English Literature student in class we've been reading The Great Gatsby, so naturally at the weekend I went home and watched the film. I decided to watch the 2013 adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan; directed by Baz Luhrmann the film itself won 2 Oscars as well as 41other awards and received 51 other nomination. I have to be honest I wasn't sure whether to watch the film- not because I didn't want to spoil the ending, simply because when I've watched the trailer I just got very confused. However, after watching the film I just realised I should of watched it a long time ago! I cannot begin to express how amazed I am after watching the film itself; The visual effects, the costumes, the cars, the portrayal of the characters was just phenomenal!

The Great Gatsby is the adaptation of F.Scott.Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby'; the story itself is about the mysterious Mr Gatsby, who throws the elaborate yet extraordinary parties. Although the film is primarily about Gatsby it's told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Nick lives next door to Gatsby and is recounting his memories of the events of the summer but will it be the nouveau riche of West Egg or the traditional wealth of East Egg that wins the underlining battle of American society. Most of all will viewers get answer they crave...Just who is Jay Gatsby and is he all that he seems to be?

As a whole the film is a credit to Baz Luhrmann; obviously the film would never be an exact copy of the novel but it grasps the concept to a tee. The major scenes are set, scripted and filmed perfectly- the visual effects make the facade of Gatsby seem so much more real. Explosions of colour burst onto the screen with monstorous impact that can't be ignored; one of my personal favourite scenes is the first party of Gatsby's that Nick attends, looking through Nick's eyes you see the shining lights, glamorous gown, suave suits and the crazed guests drunk and as giddy as teenagers!In the film you are drawn to Gatsby's aura, I think you find yourself yearning to be apart of the story or at least a part f you wishes you could have been there in the 1920's to experience this big, American party of the century!

DiCaprio played a fantastic Gatsby on screen and would have done Fitgerald proud, he is the ambiguous, tragically romantic man that enchants you from beginning to end. I've never been a fan of Tobey Maguire (judge me, but not even in Spiderman) however in Gatsby his Nick Carraway is enticing- questioning who Gatsby is and whether he's trust worthy. The only actor I would change was Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan; he certainly has the intimidating, physical demeanour about him but personally he's just not what I imagine as my vision of Tom.

My favourite thing about the film would have to be the way the 1920's and all it's energy was brought to life though the camera lense. This was down to the beautiful costumes in the various array of colours, with there stunning, classic designs. One aspect that did stand out was the soundtrack- it brought the classic and modern together as one- artists on the soundtrack itself include Will.I.Am, Jay-Z, Beyonce and various other artists. Hearing the music throughout the film did strike me because I genuinely assumed it would be classic for the 1920's with elements of jazz, so to be able to hear such modern artists was a pleasant surprise.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone whether they're a literature student or if they've read the book or not. Luhrmann has produced another delight for his audience; it's beautiful, it's poetic and it captures Fitzgerald's book incredibly. I think this will now be one of my favourite, go to films!

Media Diary- Week 1: Cilla

These days, I have to admit, I don't watch much TV. Besides watching my weekly favourites it's rare that I really take notice; this week I was intrigued to watch the new three part biopic 'Cilla', a portrayal of the musical career of Liverpool's own Cilla Black. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Cilla Black but I thought it would be interesting to see the portrayal of Liverpool in the 60's and whether the producers actually included Liverpool in the episodes not just filming in studios.

The first episode itself was surprisingly enjoyable! I have to say I didn't recognise anywhere I knew besides The Cavern (although I'm not convinced it was the actual Cavern), although I did get the essence of Liverpool coming through. The drama itself is about Cilla's musical career rather than her personal life and I did recognise a lot of the music and had heard of many of the bands the character Cilla went to see during the episode.

What I did find most surprising was the fact that the drama revealed her involvement with The Beatles as well as her close friendship with Ringo Starr. On the other hand, I didn't know some of the things the characters referenced but I wouldn't use this to criticise the story line itself; I understand that being a teenage I most probably was not the target audience the drama was aimed at. 

I was most impressed with the actors performances; Sheridan Smith is an actress I admire when she stars on both stage- 'Legally Blonde', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Flare Path' and screen- 'Gavin and Stacey', 'Mrs Biggs', 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'- I loved her performance, when you watch her on screen it's easy to see the passion she brings, she truly embodies the character. Cilla's husband Bobby was portrayed by welsh actor Aneurin Barnard who starred in the BBC historical drama 'The White Queen' (playing King Richard III), 'Moonfleet' and 'Hunky Dory'. 

After watching the first episode on Monday night the only thing that did irritate me slightly was the accents. I felt that on a whole they were okay but at certain points they did fade and I'd only go as far as to say they were maybe a little wishy washy. Interestingly enough, I read an article in the Daily Mirror criticising the accents; the writer wrote how 'the performances were hailed' but the accents 'left a lot to be desired'. Tom Dunlea, the actor who played Ringo, was the one under most criticism after many members of the public thought his Ringo sounded Irish rather than scouse.

Overall, I think I will continue to watch the concluding two episodes because I did enjoy watching; it was light-hearted and easy to watch. The two things that I'd say were my favourite were; the costumes, I could definitely picture real teenagers in the 60's  in those costumes...in my eyes they were spot on! The second was the music; I knew some of the songs and I loved that the songs were all recorded live on set! If I was to give advice to the writers the only thing I would say was the fact that I couldn't understand why Bobby was portrayed as stupid at times and a liar, if he was meant to be a witty character it worked because he did make me laugh but when I wasn't supposed to.

Images

This photograph is a good example of the use of rules of thirds. You can clearly see the three sections when you look at the image; the grassy floor, the kangaroos and the sky with beams of light and clouds.

I think this is an interesting example of the use of lines and shapes. The shape of the wave and the depth draws our to attention to the shape of the enormous iceberg underneath the water, then you notice the small top of the iceberg above sea level in comparison.

In this mage uses light to give the impression that the beam of light is shining on a heavenly object; this is due to the fact it's one single beam of light being projected through such a small place. Also, the harsh darkness of the room gives the beacon of light an even greater impact.

The focus of this picture when you first look at it is the camera and the mans hands, but when you look again you begin to notice all the details behind the camera. By looking at this we notice that the man is taking a picture as well as taking into account the details of whatever he's taking the picture of. This suggests that the foreground is equally important as the background.

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