Even though Pride is based off the story of a group of people from the gay community choosing to support the miners whilst they are on strike, there is not much focus played upon the miners themselves. It is mainly on the struggle and character development of those involved in the group LGSM (Lesbian and Gays support the Miners). When there is focus on the miners there is little depth to the scenes and only brushes upon their struggles, whereas in scenes involving their wives and community, there is more meaning to the scenes. For example, Sian a Miner's wife has a fairly important role in the story and a lot of her story focusses on her struggle to get her community to accept the help of LGSM and also her support for her husband.
We rarely see the Miners without the company of either LGSM or their family and friends. One scene that provides viewers with an insight into the strike is when the miners from the town are facing the police officers on the picket line. The scene is very chaotic and rushed, with the miners pushing in the crowd against the police. The mise-en-secne provides the audience with the information , using police uniforms and vans that this is a fight between authority and and regular middle class workers. The scene sets up the enigma code of will the miners be successful in this strike and be able to defend their rights? Or will it fail? As an audience we already know the outcome of the strike however it is not known by the miners therefore it provides empathy towards the miners.
This scene can be seen as a remake of the archive footage that is shown at the begging of the film. The archive footage provides the audience with the knowledge that this is an event that did occur in 1984 and is something that changed the way in which communities and the country viewed each other. The almost identical scenes allow the audience to link the two together and gather the understanding that this was a daily occurrence for the miners.
The second scene we are looking at is when 'LGSM meet the miners' In this scene Dai introduces LGSM to Cliff, Sian, Heffina and Gwen and some of the miners wives. The fact that LGSM meet the miners wives before the miners is important as it shows that not only are the men of the village effected by the strikes but so are their wives and families.
When LGSM enter the working mens club you are able to hear the miners singing and clapping in the bar. This shows how quiet their lives are compared to LGSM who live in London .
This scene shows the awkwardness of their first meeting as the Welsh people don't really know how to react to LGSM. When Cliff is talking you can see that he struggles to even say 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners'. When looking at both groups when speaking in the kitchen you are able to visually see how different both groups are. The members of the Welsh community are older than LGSM and are dressed quite smart in suits and dresses whilst LGSM are wearing bright colours and leather jackets.
The character Gwen who comes across as the 'nan character' symbolises how very little they know about Lesbian and Gay people. Gwen is used as comedic relief to make the scene less serious as the two groups meet.
This scene is very important later on in the film when LGSM return to Wales after Christmas. When comparing the scenes you are able to see how hard life gets for the mining community. They are rationing foods, have no heating which results in them sharing water and then the Miners van gets smashed to pieces. This showing the difficulties of trying to live during the strike.
Moral panic analysis: Past, present and future Author: Chas Critcher (Media and communications studies, Swansea University)
Examples used of past moral panics- Pedophilia (Maddie McCan), Gun crime (Ryan 'Reece' Jones), Binge drinking, recreational drug taking, media violence, immigration, dangerous dogs (Dogfight goes wrong, granddaughter is killed)
"Britain appeared to be experiencing orchestrated moral panic."
Useful when speaking about moral panics.
Identities and the media. How do the contemporary media represent the identities of different groups.
Examples used within this- Feminism- Sexuality, black actors in the UK, Mackelmore 'Same Love'
'Identity isn't fixed, but changes over time and in different situations, and we can have multiple identities. For example: our online identity can be very different from the identity we have at college or at home.'
This is useful when speaking about internet safety or internet user stereotypes.
"Through the interactivity of digital media, audiences can increasingly select, manipulate or reject media representations, and thus can create their own identities."
This would be used when speaking about the internet and mediation or when speaking about internet users stereotypes.
"Online technologies have enabled audiences to participate more actively, to play a bigger role in constructing their identity, exercise more choice in the media they use, and also find new ways to display their public identity."
"Online technology can also contribute to the construction and display of collective identities."
The role of stereotypes Author: Richard Dyer (1999)
Within this essay, Dyer talks about the different ways stereotypes are used to define certain groups within society. Broken down into four sections 'An ordering process', 'Short cut', 'Reference', 'Expression of values'.
Examples used within this: Alcoholics, Dumb blonde, Gay people within film
"Stereotypes as a form of 'ordering' the mass of complex and inchoate date that we receive from the world are only a particular form- to do with the representation and categorisation of persons"
Useful when talking about stereotyping people online.
'The type is any character constructed through the use of a few immediately recognisable and defining traits, which do not change of 'develop' through the course of the narrative.'
This quote could be used when trying to define some 'Stereotypical online users' eg. Troll, Hacker, Stalker, Bully.
"Stereotypes proclaim, 'this is what everyone--you, me and us-- thinks members of such and such a social group are like'."
Media magazine 34 Author: Priscilla McClay (Dec 2010)
'Have your say: How is Internet Comment(ing) changing the News media?'
What the article is about:
This article is about how online newspaper websites allow the public to share their own views and speaks about how/if certain comments are favoured over others due to them backing up the argument made within the article. Interesting quotes:
'Its a triumph for freedom of speech'
Useful when talking about the internet and how its given people a new way to get their opinions heard. Could also be useful when talking about online stereotypes.
'Even with a powerful commitment to free speech, no news website can allow users to comment completely free of restrictions'w
Useful when talking about how a newspaper constructs their articles in order to reinforce their own ideas.
'The Sun still had the power to select which comments it used in its news coverage.'
Useful when talking about mediation. Could they favour comments? Is the comment section bias? Do newspapers only show comments that help further their own views? (Speaking of the Baby P case)
'I found that the paper had not represented a single user who disagreed with their campaign'
Useful when talking about mediation. Continuation of favoured comments (Speaking of the Baby P case)
'The opinions quoted are genuine, but the overall impression becomes less about the significance of the Baby P case and more about praising The Sun.'- Advantages for the newspaper?
Useful when trying to see if it really is a moral panic, is it really that big of an issue if people are about to forget about it and the newspaper and their actions are more important than the 'folk devils'.
Creating a moral panic
In this article the author looks at how Stanley Cohen created the terms 'Folk devils' and the events that lead up to 'Moral panics' and the role the media takes when this happens.
'They are the people who are represented by the media as outsides'- Folk Devils
Useful when introducing the essay and speaking about how the news media creates or reinforces negative representations (stereotyping)
'Role of the media when reporting an isolated event or group of similar incidents' &
'May pose a threat to law and order or public health'- Moral Panics
Useful when talking about how the media will manipulate stories and negatively represent a group within society. (mediation)
After the moral panic
The author then goes on to speak about how the media will report on the events after the panic has began.
'The deviancy amplification spiral refers to the way in which he media report on events'
'Media select and allocate prominence to their stories -generally include continuity: stories that are already in the news' (mediation) (is the issue really a moral panic?)
Body image is a big problem within today's society, I have chosen his article because it not only speaks about the different representations of body image but how this is also having an effect on the audience.
This article was written by the Author Sara Mills in April 2010. This article focuses on how the problem of body image is represented within the comedy genre, with examples from TV and Film this article answers the following questions:
Are TV shows and films normalizing negative representations of body image?
Why do audiences find body image a source of humor?
Does the size matter within today's media?
How are different representations effecting groups within society?
Negative representations
This article speaks about how the media portrays life for a 'fat person' and suggesting that characters who are overweight were "less likely to be shown having romantic relationships", and that life is better for 'thin' people. This idea is then followed by an example from the TV show Gavin and Stacey.
This leading on the stereotypical appearance and behavior of 'fat people', speaking about how characters are represented Mills goes on to talk about how body image is portrayed within kids films saying that "The fat characters in 64% of the films were cruel, evil, unfriendly and/or unattractive." and how fat people are often associated with "laziness, gluttony or even poverty and lack of education'.
Mills uses examples from the TV show Gavin and Stacey to back up the points that she has made, "This can be applied to Gavin and Stacey, where the two attractive 'normal' actors are the leads, each supported by a heavyweight sidekick". I agree with this quotation because these character types are frequently used within the media and are shown that the most important thing in their lives are to be a comfort and supporter of the lead actors if their character comes into trouble.
Body image being a source of humor
Examples of body image being a source of humor within children's TV/Films
Drake and Josh (TV show)- 'Josh'
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate factory (film)- 'Augustus Gloop'
Heavyweights (film)-Story about an American 'Fat camp' for children.
Media representations effecting the audience/ normalizing body image issues
Within this article Mills has referred multiple times to how these ideas will effect the audience- Size zero debate and how people are idolizing celebrities due to how they look.
The format typical for a soap opera is to be continually broadcast on weekdays, and occasionally weekends. Episodes are usually broadcast during the daytime and early evening (E.g. Doctors is shown around 2pm where as Coronation Street is broadcast at 19:30pm), however due to their popularity TV Soap Operas often have 'Omnibus' episodes shown late at night for people who have possibly missed episodes.
Soap Operas are usually based around a small community so that the audience are able to relate to the same characters in each episode. Storylines in Soap Operas unfold through a number of different episodes, the length of how long the same storyline runs for will depend on how big the storyline is or its relevance in society. When nearing the end of a storyline a new one will be introduced so that the episodes will flow smoothly when storylines change.
Appeals:
When thinking of the Uses & Gratifications model the audience would mainly use Soap Operas for Entertainment/Escapism, a lot of soaps are shown at times where most people will be sitting down at home to relax, having episodes shown at the same time will create a routine and help people relax. For entertainment purposes, soaps do show everyday events however they show events/situations that are dramatic or certain characters are used for comedic purposes. People will often use
Soap Operas for Social interaction. Shows like Eastenders are very popular with high viewer ratings so people will use the latest episode of the show to create conversation about events that have happened or speculate who has done what, an example of people using this show for Social Interaction could be the "Who killed Lucy Beale?" storyline and people speculating who the murderer was. The audience could also use this show for Personal identity purposes, as these shows often portray real life events the audience may be able to relate to characters and the situations that they are in.
Different soaps also appeal to different people for example people from the north of the UK are most likely to watch Coronation Street because they will be able to relate and see similarities with themselves and the character being portrayed.
Target Audience:
The target audience of Soap Operas is typically a member of the Mainstream category, a mainstream audience member is a person who has a daily routine, watching the Soaps at the same time on weekdays will fit into this persons 'routine'. Soap Operas are very popular and have high viewer ratings, this due to the Mainstream audience being the biggest of the 4C's. A mainstream audience members core need in life is for security, knowing these shows will be on every weekday at a specific time will fulfil this need. When looking at lifestyle categories the typical audience member would be a traditionalist. As previously said soaps broadcast times very rarely switch so for a traditionalist being able to stay to a routine will encourage them to watch soaps.
When creating an audience profile the typical audience member would be in groups C2-E. The audience would be mainly women in their late twenties and older. They would find it relaxing to watch the soaps after a day of working or taking care of children. They are most likely have a basic level of education.
Opening sequence: Emmerdale
(I have added the Brookside opening titles, to show similarities between different soaps)
The opening sequence of this programme is very typical of this genre, throughout the audience are given short clips of settings that are used in the programme and at the end the audience are finally able to see the overall setting. For example, this opening sequence shows 4 different settings each very different to the other and then before the sequence ends giving an overall view of where the programme is set. In one of the settings (Set in 'Home farm' the manor house) clothes are spread over the floor whilst in the top right you can see a woman running in just a shirt, by showing this the audience are able to come up with their own ideas of possible storylines e.g. Cheating. Throughout the opening sequence the lighting of each setting varies this helping to portray the drama and changes that happen within the show. The music of this show is very dramatic and flows with the changing settings. The music is very traditional and sounds like an orchestra, this representing the shows history and possibly appealing the more traditional people within the audience.
However, some soaps prefer to introduce the audience to characters instead of showing different settings, these tend to be soaps that are shown in the daytime like the show Neighbours or Hollyoaks (Shown below). These opening sequence is entirely different to the previous one.
Neighbours and Hollyoaks is shown at a earlier time and is a lot less traditional compared to the opening for Emmerdale, this possibly suggesting that it would appeal to a younger audience. In this sequence a lot of graphics is used to create backgrounds for characters instead of showing actual settings, these backgrounds do give the audience a sense of what the show is about however doesn't actually tell show the audience where the show is set. The use of graphics makes the show seem very in 'up to date' in within todays society. The characters are also posing for this sequence making it seem like the show cares more about the way it looks than the stories it is portraying. The music in this sequence is very fast paced and formal making the editing of the sequence also fast paced in order to keep in time with the music. A various amount of camera shots are used within this sequence however a lot of CU shots and long shots are used to emphasize the characters appearance.
Despite the two opening sequences being so different they are both very typical of the Soap Opera genre. Soaps have very distinctive theme tunes, making them very easy for the audience to remember and creating differences between very similar shows.
When
looking at the technical codes of a soap they are quite basic and repeatedly
use the same camera shots. The main cameras shots used in a Soap Opera would be
'CU', 'MLS' and 'Over the shoulder shots'. In normal scenes these shots are
used when the characters are interacting, however in more dramatic scenes as a
various amount camera angles are used to emphasize the character’s emotions and
their actions. The editing of this type of show is usually jump cuts into
different scenes so that different storylines are able to be shown easily, by
using jump cuts scenes change without the audience really noticing due to the
change being so fast. To make episodes more dramatic, when it comes to a very
important part of a scene it jumps cuts into something different, leaving a cliff
hanger and the audience wanting to know the outcome of what has just happened.
Narratives in Soap Operas are very similar to one another and events can
sometimes be predictable, however in major storylines soaps will often add a
twist to add to the drama of the events that have already taken place.
In Soap
Operas non diegetic music is very rarely used and is most often used when an
important character has left the show, when a character is making their final appearance
on the show after working on the show for a long amount of time, their
departure is often dramatized due to adding slow piano music or a softer
version of the show’s theme tune.
Characters and representations:
In Soap Operas there are many different types of
characters, but most soaps have similar characters such as: (Examples from- Coronation Street/Emmerdale/Eastenders)
The disobedient teenager- David Platt, Ben Mitchell,
Troublemaker/Law breaker- Phil Mitchell, Cain Dingle, Tracey Barlow
The gossip/Nosey neighbour- Norris Cole, Val Pollard,
These stereotypes/archetypes are used in Soap Operas so that the audience are able to easily identify which character who fit into categories like the ones above. The functions of these characters change throughout storylines, certain characters play a huge role in storylines, some help to move storylines along and then certain characters are used to help resolve the problem. However the functions of certain characters do change, this often changed to add twists to storylines.
An example typically linked to Elderly resident's function could be that they guide characters helping to move the story onwards and often giving a character important advice in order to help them do 'the right thing'.
The typical functions of the Troublemakers/Law breakers are either to start the problem or help resolve it (often by breaking the law to do so). These characters have a reputation that they are not to be messed with and this helping the audience to possible predict that something dramatic will happen with this character.
Soap Operas using the 'Nosey neighbour' character also use this person because the audience are likely to relate and know someone who is like this character, the audience are able to recognise similarities between their own lives and soaps.
Narrative:
Soap Operas try to portray real life events however to make the programme appealing to the audience the storylines or characters actions are exaggerated to make the episodes dramatic so they are not deemed to be 'boring'. Twists can play a huge part in a soap's storyline which then could have lasting effects on other characters and also due to a lot of soaps using mysteries (Previous example, Who Shot Lucy Beale?) this intrigues the audience to try and solve the problem. When looking at the structure of Soap Operas they most of the time do stick to Todorov's narrative theory and in some cases have an end result of a new equilibrium being introduced, e.g. people divorce. Soap Operas tell the audience a lot about the world, however due to them partially portraying real life situations they do emphasize certain things to do with this, e.g. Family/Friends are important, make the most out of the time you have.
Taylor Swift has represented herself by wearing a white pullover
jumper that has a print of seagulls flying through the sky and by choosing to
wear natural make-up with her iconic red lipstick. The choice to make her appearance
minimalistic can connote innocence and freedom. The print on her jumper is brought
out by the lack of colour of bright colours in the rest of the image, birds are
often used to represent freedom so the use of them on her jumper fading into
the rest of the picture can make the image look calming. The red lipstick
connotes a classic/vintage feel which Taylor is well known for. The clothes and
make-up that Taylor is wearing is brought out by the background which is an
off-white colour which helps enhance the white/pale colours on the rest of
image.
The encoders have chosen to show Taylor in a MS with her
face cut off by the boarder to make the image seem less like a photo-shoot and
more like a classic polaroid picture. It takes Taylor out of the lime light and
her pop star persona and makes the image seem natural and represent the idea of
her music being innocent. The boarder of the image is made out to be like a
polaroid picture which connote a vintage feel which links to the name of the
album ‘1989’ which to a known Swift fan is the year she was born. The encoders
have chosen to use a lot of white on this album because it helps represents
Swift’s innocence and reminiscent. The chosen font/copy gives a very personal
feeling to the album as if each album is personally handwritten by the pop
star.
The preferred reading is that Taylor’s music is very personal
and about events and feeling that she’s been through in her past which is now
captured in time through this album. The album is very simple and the preferred
reading is that her music is also simple
Text 2: Rolling Stone magazine (Taylor Swift 'Heart Break kids')
Taylor is represented very differently to her usual
representations of her being ‘Innocent’. This cover represents Swift with an ‘rock
star edge’ and a sex icon. Taylor's outfit is a white t-shirt with mustard coloured
high-shorts and a blue/gold varsity jacket. This outfit juxtaposes the representation
of her being sex Icon as she bares a lot of skin instead of the innocent
country girl she is usually portrayed as. Swift’s hair is loose and in her face
giving her a rockier look as she is seen moving her hair to reveal her face,
her make-up is also very natural however she has a lot eye make-up on which
helps enhance her eyes as she looks directly into the camera.
The encoders of the magazine are representing Swift as a sex
icon with an edge instead of her usual persona. Swift is shown in MS as she’s
sitting down. The encoders have shown her sitting because it is able so show
Swift’s notorious long shapely legs. The encoders have shown Taylor with a
white background also helps to emphasize Swift’s long features to help
represent her as a ‘Sex icon’. The encoders have also labelled Swift as ‘The
heartbreak kid’. This also links the representation of Swift with ‘edge’ this
not only linking to the songstress’s music but on a personal level as well.
The target audience for this magazine would be people
between the ages for 15-30, however the typical audience member for this specific
issue would probably be girls due to Taylor's following mainly being female. The
audience would be interested in music and popular culture within the music
world since this is what rolling stone mainly focuses on. The target audience
would probably an out-going person who could use this magazine for social
needs.
Text 3: Taylor Swift advertising 'Keds'
Yet again Swift is represented through her clothing, however
in this text she is also represented through her body language. Swift is seen
cuddling with other models in the advert showing that she is a welcoming, out-going,
and in a way a trend-setter. Taylor is sitting top of a wall with her arms over
the fellow models shoulders pulling them into her. This shows Taylor as a
confident friendly person. Swift also is wearing a blue skirt showing her long
legs, which then emphasizes the brightly coloured shoes (The product) that she
is wearing. To the left there are three images, two don’t show swift being the
model however the middle shows her walking along the wall with the other models.
She is seen with her arms out and looking happy, this then links to the
representation of her being out-going.
The encoders have shown Swift and the other models in a LS
which helps separate the models from the product which are all shown in front
of the white wall. The encoders have shown Taylor with other models instead of
alone like in the previous two texts, this then helping to connote that Swift
is a friendly, out-going person. The encoders have also chosen the copy to say ‘Brave
inspires brave.’ This then suggesting that Swift is the ‘Trend-setter’ who has
dared to wear the product and has then inspired the other models to wear the
same. The encoders have used the rule of thirds to separate the product, models
and copy. However, they have used this to show Swift off centre and in between
the other models this then suggesting that she is the centre of attention and
that people should be aware of the products she is wearing. The advert shows
Swift as an average girl with her friends having fun during the summer and
wants to make sure that she is wearing the best looking products, this then
creating a bond with the audience who are mainly young girls who can see
identify with her.
Text 4: Billboard magazine article (Extract)
The image shown is a photo from a photoshoot taken of Swift,
it helps represent her as dramatic yet classy. The image yet again shows Swift
in a different light because it is dark coloured, mysterious background compared
to what she is wearing. She is also shown lying on a floor but leaning on a
chair whilst looking into a camera. Yet again Swift is represented through her appearance
and this time showing a classy side to her by wearing a stylist dress.
The audience of Billboard magazine would possibly be the
same as the audience for the Rolling stone magazine, however I think that this
magazine is open to bigger audience who are not only interested in popular
music but also pop culture and the successes of a different range of artists.
The audience would consider Taylor to be a very accomplished singer and a
possible inspiration for aspiring musicians.
In society celebrities and pop culture is seen very
important and so the audience would be inspired by the work of the songstress.
Fashion also plays a big role within society and is very popular so many
celebrities are seen as trend setters and role models which most people will
look up to for inspiration.
1. The masthead of this magazine is 'Seventeen'. The use of this word is to show that the magazine is aimed at a specific audience. The use of the masthead being a number makes the audience believe that the content of the magazine will include subjects that most teenagers/seventeen year olds would be interested in for example pop culture. The use of the number 'Seventeen' is used because it makes the audience believe that the magazine is not aimed at small children yet it is not aimed at adults, the magazine is aimed at people who are not quite part of the 'adult world' yet they are becoming an adult, the magazine is for people who still want to be interested and have time to look at specific subjects specifically pop culture despite the fact that they are growing up. The masthead is also a brightly coloured orange and in italics, the use of the bright colour is to stand out against what the celebrity is wearing. The bright colour is to show that the content of the magazine is 'lively'. The use of italics is to show that this magazine is different, it has an edge and does not contain the same articles/subjects as any other magazine everything in this magazine is fresh and new for the audience to read/ look at.
2. The main image is a picture of Jennifer Lawrence who is a current, popular actress who is known for staring in the major film/book franchise 'The Hunger Games'. The actress has been chosen to be on the cover of the magazine because she is known for her eccentric, fun loving personality. This can link to what the content of the magazine is. The celebrity is shown to be smiling and enjoying the fact that she is on the cover of the magazine, this can show not only people who are a fan of her but also people who don't know who she is that the magazine is enjoyable and includes articles that appeal to people who like pop culture. The fact that such a well known/current movie star is used on the cover is to symbolise that this magazine is not only current but has a certain amount of power due to the fact that they are able to get such a high profile actress to model for the cover. The body language of Jennifer not only shows her to be laughing but shows her to be leaning slightly forward showing that she is relaxed, from this the audience can connote that this magazine is something that they can also relax whilst reading it. The colour of the models costume is bright red/orange colour with white and a gold necklace with blue jewels. The use of these colours are to make the cover stand out, the use of the blue jewellery is to contrast with the other colours that are shown and to help make the actresses eyes stand out, her eyes are looking directly at the camera as if she is looking to the audience making a connection between the magazine and reader.
3. The layout of this magazine is slightly cluttered yet the use of the white background and bright colours that fit within the colour scheme make it seem like its not as much than it actually is. The magazine cover contains a few Unique selling points (USP's). For example at the top of the cover it says 'FREE SHOPPING $$$ FOR YOU! SEE PAGE 27 NOW!' This is a USP because the use of exclamation marks makes it seem import and has a sense of urgency.
4.
5. The target audience of this magazine are the mainstream audience, their core need in life is security and familiarity and by using a well known celebrity on the cover of the fulfils this need. The mainstreamer also looks for good value for money and the cover shows that this magazine is full of content including '250+ easy hair ideas', all for the price of $2.99.
When trying to create an audience profile I think that the typical audience member is a female, possibly late teens/early twenties, she likes to go out and socialise with friends and family possibly even going to the cinema to see a film starting the celebrity.
This
trailer shows that the film follows the typical conventions of the Fantasy
genre. Within the two and a half minute trailer the audience are shown. a
variety of costumes, at the beginning before entering Wonderland, the
characters dressed in elegant suits/dresses at what looks to be a high-class
social event. However, once the Alice enters 'Wonderland' the audience see
colourful costumes that they would find to be 'Unusual' or 'Strange', this is
typical of a fantasy film because they combine clothes that look familiar to
the audience and make them look like they are from a completely different world.
The character’s hair and make-up is used to exaggerate the character’s
features. In this film there are many characters that look 'odd' for
example the character 'The Mad Hatter' has bright red, curly, wild hair that
helps to symbolise how 'mad' the hatter actually is. The Villain of this movie
is 'The Red Queen' this is easy for the audience to distinguish due to the
chosen hair and make-up choices, the queen is made to have an enormous head
compared to her body, which can help symbolise her power. Another typical
character in a fantasy film is for example talking animals, the character of
the Cheshire Cat is completely impossible for many reasons yet seems normal in
a fantasy film like this. The main character Alice, drinks a potion and then
shrinks this is typical of the fantasy genre because a lot of events that occur
are impossible or based upon things such as magic.
This film
stays within the conventions of a fantasy film, At the start the film is set at
a mansion on a bright sunny day However the trailer then shows Alice falling
down a hole into a place called 'Wonderland'. An unusual looking place made up
of forests and castles. Throughout the trailer it gradually gets darker as
Alice travels through Wonderland. This is normal for a fantasy film because it
is a set in an unusual place and as the brightness decreases it creates a sense
of danger and make the character’s environments seem unsafe. At the beginning
of the trailer the scenes are longer as the audience see a man proposing to
Alice, however as the trailer moves on the scenes get shorter and more fast
paced which helps to build tension and create a sinister atmosphere. This also
links to the music throughout the trailer due to it being quiet and slow at the
beginning and building up into a fast pace and dramatic. Another typical
convention of a fantasy film is it being high production value, not only are
the costumes due to them being so eccentric but this film used a lot of CGI for
the settings in the film.
I think
that the plot is very typical of a fantasy film, the film is set in the past and
the main character Alice is accidentally transported into another world and is
needed to help solve a problem/ defeat a villain. Which in this case Alice is
needed to help defeat The Red Queen. Throughout the film Alice goes on an
adventure of self-discovery and has to believe she is strong enough to defeat
the queen and help save her friends. The trailer seems to start off slowly as
Alice is in her normal life but as soon as she enters Wonderland the trailer
shows the movie becoming fast paced and full of action, the ending is also
typical of a fantasy film due to the positive outcome and Alice has completed
her quest. This film also has a lot of popular actors, for example Johnny Depp
and Helena Bonham Carter who are both known for portraying characters in other
high value production fantasy films such as 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and
'Harry Potter'. The director of this film is also Tim Burton who is renowned
for his dark fantasy films. I think Propp's character roles can also link to
this film because Alice can be seen as a 'hero', the Hatter is like a 'mentor'
and the red queen is the 'Villain'
I think
that a binary opposition in this film is Good V Evil, this follows the
conventions of a fantasy film because the main character battles against a
villain and tries to improve people's lives. A theme that definitely runs
through this film is 'Friendship' because Alice's quest is to defeat The Red
Queen and help her friends who are in Wonderland. Another theme that is in this
film is 'Anything is possible' this is shown in the trailer when Alice says
'This is impossible' and The Mad Hatter replies saying 'Only if you believe it
is', this theme is used to encourage the audience to believe in themselves and
portray a positive message that is usually shown in a fantasy film.
I am a big fan of country/rock music and sometimes I judge a song before listening to the whole thing, however the album DNA by the girl group Little Mix is on my playlist.
I think that the target audience for this album is teenage girls possibly between the ages of 11-17, who listen to a lot of Pop music. The typical audience member also might have watched this girl group on the X-factor in 2011. The audience member may have been the same age or slightly younger than the singers in the group, who could have possibly related to the singers or seen them as role models.
I believe Little Mix is my guilty pleasure because despite the fact I listen to a lot of country music, I have always secretly been a fan of their music and sing along to their songs if they come on the radio. I am a fan of music where you can hear each individual instrument and most of the songs on this album are made on computers. I think that I listen to this album differently to the usual music I consume because usually I like songs with a lot of meaning that I can relate to and with this album I care less about the lyrics and more about the fast rhythm. I think that when thinking of the Uses and Gratification's Model I think I use this album mainly for Social interaction, I am the only one out of my friends who likes country/rock music so when listening to this album I am able to talk to my friends about it due to them being fans of Pop music.
This week I have watched the 1964 Disney movie Mary Popp
ins starring
Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. I think
that when applying uses and gratifications I mainly use this film for
Entertainment/Escapism. Throughout my life I have watched a lot of Disney films
yet this has always been my go to film if I just want to relax. I think that
since growing up I have always loved the humour in Disney films especially that
in Mary Poppins, I think that Dike Van Dyke plays his character amazingly and
is able to make the audience laugh at any moment throughout the movie. I also
think that escapism is key to this movie because as the characters in the film
are transported so is the audience, the use of uplifting catchy songs is also
beneficial when fulfilling the audiences needs for entertainment/escapism. I
think that I also use this film to fulfil my needs for social interaction, I
have a lot of family and friends that are also Disney fanatics so by watching
this film my needs for social interaction is fulfilled because I am able to
talk about the movie with people. I also think that growing up I used this film
to fulfil my needs for personal identity, I think that as a child I was able to
relate to the characters of Michael and Jane Banks (the two children in the
film).
This week I have also watched Emmerdale, this week there was
a special live episode which would be a flashback so that the mystery of ‘Who
shot Robert?’ would come to an end. I think that I used this mainly to fulfil
my needs for social interaction, this live episode was talked about on TV,
Social networking sites and even made headlines on newspapers. I think that by
watching the soaps people’s needs for social interaction are fulfilled because
no matter what happens the latest episode and story lines are always talked
about. I think that this TV show also fulfils my needs of entertainment and
escapism, no matter how bad the storyline or acting is I am always entertained
no matter what happens and due to the live episode being a flashback it
completely entertained me and left me on the edge of my seat.
Dolly Parton is an award winning country music singer/songwriter, however she is also known for her other works as an actress and author. Dolly Parton entered the Country Music Hall of Fame and is best known for songs such as 'Jolene', 'I Will Always Love You', '9 to 5' and 'Coat of Many Colours'. Blue Smoke is Dolly Parton's 42nd solo studio album released early in 2014, which includes not only new songs but also some of her greatest hits in country music.
This album has changed my life in many different ways, since listening to this album my taste in music has completely changed and I have now become a big fan of country and country/rock music and listen to other musicians such as Uncle Kracker, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Hunter Hayes. I first heard part of this album simply on an advert and became a fan and asked for the album for my birthday. I had obviously heard famous songs such as '9 to 5' and 'I Will Always Love You' as I grew up but I never really appreciated and listened to the lyrics of the songs. I now listen to this album all the time and can fully connect with the songs.
I particularly connect to a song called 'Try' I listen to this song a lot and love what this song is trying to tell the listener. This song speaks about people's dreams and that to be successful you have to try your hardest to be the best person you can possibly be. The song talks about making the most of things and that anything is possible if you believe in yourself, it doesn't matter if you don't succeed at first but you have to try again because life is hard. I connect with this song because I can relate with certain situations and how hard it can be to deal with them, I think I in particularly connect with this song because I am not a very confident person meaning I find certain situations hard to deal with, I also think that due to loving Disney as a child I am a big believer in following your dreams which this talks about throughout the song.
This album speaks about many issues in a persons life, e.g. Love and heartbreak.
This album also has a song called 'You Can't Make Old Friends' which features well known country singer Kenny Rogers. This is a very emotional song and talks about how people/friendships change and how important friendship is important in peoples lives, this songs speaks about how reliable friends can be throughout our lives. This song is also a very different to a song the two have previously collaborated on which is called 'Islands in the Stream' and talks about two people coming together and falling in love.
This album has completely changed my media consumption. My taste of music has changed and how I listen to songs, I appreciate the lyrics more a prefer music that has a meaning to it. This album has opened up a whole genre of music to me. I think that each individual song has a real meaning behind them.
The media text that I have chosen is the second instalment of the Shrek films. This film follows Shrek, his fiance (Princess) Fiona and Donkey as they travel to 'Far Far Away' to meet Fiona's parents (The King & Queen of Far Far Away) and ask for a blessing on their marriage.
The target audience for this film is mainly children. This film features characters from well known children's rhymes and stories eg. Princesses, Fairy Godmother, Puss 'n' Boots, Pinocchio.
When defining the typical audience member I think that it would be a child aged 5 or above, I think that when using the income status model they would be in groups C2-E. They don't need a high level of education since the storyline is fairly simple and easy to understand. I also think that they would be drawn to this film because of the bright colours that are used. However, I don't think that the audience for this film is limited to just children, I think that some adults would be part of this audience and find the film entertaining as it could possibly make them feel nostalgic as they see there favourite childhood stories come to life. When considering Young & Rubicam's 4C's I think that the audience for this film would be in the Mainstream group, I think they would be in this group because this film has a strong link to friendship and companionship and a person who is part of the Mainstream audience would prefer to make their life choices with a group of people rather than independently, they prefer 'We' rather than 'Me'. The Mainstream audience is also the biggest out of the 4C groups and I think that this film can appeal a lot of people. Also, people who are in the Mainstream audience look for familiarity in the media texts they consume and I think that this film is fulfils that purpose, they know a lot about the film already since that it is based upon childhood stories. The Mainstreamer's core need in life is security and I believe that they do gain security from this film because they already know a lot about the film, the storyline is about friendship and how people should not make judgements just because people look or act a certain way even if it may be different which would help fulfil their needs for security.
The encoder's of this film want the audience to relate the this film, they use well known childhood story characters so that children can see their favourite stories coming to life and are entertained by the funny events that occur in the film, however the encoder's also want to make the older audience feel nostalgic. The use of these characters is very clever, just from watching a film like this can make people re-live childhood fantasy's and remember memories that could be linked to any of the story characters that are in the film. Throughout the film there are certain ideologies used for example, 'friendship is important'. This ideology is used people the film can see and realise how people people depend on there friend's, through certain characters it shows that friends can help get you through any situation.
Another ideology that is used in this film is that 'you shouldn't treat people differently just because they don't look or act the same way as you' through the use of an ogre that is seen as 'hideous' they show Shrek being accepted by people, also by showing our favourite childhood story characters eg. Pinocchio and the three little pigs in a certain way that they could be seen as 'outcasts' can make the audience realise how much people judge others just because they look or act differently. This film celebrates people's uniqueness and shows that it doesn't matter if you don't look or act 'normal' and that 'it is our differences that make people unique'.
Overall, this film tells people that being different is ok and that people should accept other's even if they are different to what society decides is 'normal'
However, instead of believing the preferred reading that's shown above they could have an oppositional reading. People may see the meaning of the film but decides to look at it in a different way due to other reasons, for example someone who could have been bullied. Someone who had been a victim of bullying may disagree with the idea that in the end people's difference's will be accepted by others, however due to bullying they may have a different view instead of believing the ideology that 'Friendship is important' they may decide that friendship actually isn't too important and that people can manage to get through life without the support of a 'best friend'.
In someone's life they may have felt as if they where an 'outcast' that nobody seemed to like, this may affect there reading they may not agree with ideology 'It is our differences that make people unique' and believe instead that our differences do not make us unique and could actually worsen our position in life.
The media text that I have chosen is the TV show 'The X factor UK'. When
considering the Income Status Model, the typical audience member would be in
group’s D & E. These groups contain people who are working class,
unemployed, students and pensioners. When creating an audience profile I think
that the typical audience member would be a girl in their late teens and over,
they most likely grew up watching the show. I think that they would most likely
be British, working or even middle class with a basic level of education. They
find the best thing to do on a Saturday night is to relax by watching TV. They
are most likely to have a left wing political view.
Out of Young and Rubicam’s 4C’s the category this show
appeals to is the Mainstream category. The X Factor is a talent show that would
appeal to the mainstream audience. The Mainstream category is the biggest out
of the 4C’s. A member of the Mainstream category is a person who like
familiarity meaning that they would enjoy the fact that it is shown every year
and every week from September up until December. The typical audience member would
prefer that they could make choices based upon ‘we’ rather than ‘me’. Their
core need in life is for security. Out of the lifestyle categories I think the
two categories would be ‘Groupies’ and ‘Traditionalists’. I chose the ‘Groupies’
because they want to be accepted by those around them meaning that they would
like the fact they could join in conversations. I also chose ‘Traditionalists’
due to the fact that they are people who like things to remain the same,
meaning that this show would defiantly appeal to them.
Name of the text- Doctor who series 35, episode two: The Witch's Familiar
Date/Time-26th September, 19:45 Genre- Sci Fi/ Fantasy/ Drama
What is the purpose- The purpose of this text is to provide light entertainment. Doctor who is able to broaden peoples imagination, through the different adventures/problems the doctor faces and the inventions he uses along the way peoples mind's are opened up to new possibilities.
Institution producing the text- BBC, 2015 producer Steven Moffat Target audience- The target audience for this text would be people who fit into groups D and E in the income status model. I think that Doctor who is targeted at these types of people because it is a light entertainment for the family to enjoy watching together, however I have also chosen these groups due adults growing up watching it as they where a child. In the Young & Rubican's "4C'S" I think that the target audience would be a Mainstreamer. I think this because it is a popular show that people all over the world enjoy watching, it appears on TV every year so it is perfect for the type of person who likes a routine. The target audience in the lifestyle category would be 'Groupies' and 'Traditionalist' because they would be part of a massive group of people who enjoy the program, but also traditionalists will like the show because it is the same every year, it shows The Doctor and his companion travelling around time and space.
Your reaction to the text- My reaction to the text was that I was very intrigued, this episode follows on from the first of this series. In my opinion as the episode rolled on it got better and i found myself getting more and more engrossed. Also throughout this episode I found that the Doctor made more jokes unlike he does in other episodes.
Why would people consume the text- People would consume this text because some people may have grown up watching the program and might find by watching it gives them back part of there childhood. A lot of people are also interested in Sci-Fi and might enjoy the idea of travelling through time and space.
Could some people react to the text differently? How?- Some people could react differently to this text because they might not enjoy Sci-Fi and find it to be boring. Also, some people might not understand certain things if they have not watched previous episodes.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 (Film review)
After 10 years of casting a spell on people all over the world, on the 15th of July 2011 the story of the young wizard Harry Potter came to an end in a very magical way.
The film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is the final instalment in the Harry Potter franchise. The battle between the heroes of Hogwarts and the growing army of death-eaters comes to a climactic end. With the help of his friends and fellow students will Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) be able to defeat Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers?
Based on J.K Rowling's award winning novels the film adaptation which is directed by David Yates (also known for directing the last 3 Harry Potter films) is said to be a perfect ending to the franchise. However a lot of hardcore Harry Potter fans disagree and are not to keen due to certain story lines not being shown throughout the films. However overall the film has received excellent reviews.
(From right to left-Bellatrix Lestrange ,Narcissa Malfoy ,Lucious Malfoy, Draco Malfoy)
Through the 10 years of watching Harry Potter we have not only seen the characters grow up before us but we have also seen the amazing actors. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) along with the rest of the cast grow and develop there characters in there own individual ways. During the film we see a very special moment between the characters of Harry and Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). It is a beautiful moment and perfectly performed by the two actors. We also see the characters of Lord Voldemort's followers (Death-eaters) develop. In the film we see Lord Voldemort growing weaker everytime Harry gets closer to discovering the last and final horcrux.
Throughout the film there are lots of special effects to show the duelling wizards and how the battle takes its toll on Hogwarts castle. We as the audience are left on the edges of our seats as we see the different stages of the battle. Also throughout this we hear the excellent work of the London Symphony Orchestra and composer Alexandre Desplat. The soundtrack works well with the amazing scenes on screen, creating a intense mood as the battle comes to an end.
Does this last battle leave the wizarding world in peril?
I chose this photo because it is interesting, there is so much going on with the individual hot air balloons that people will be drawn into looking at it. I think that this photo is a good example of using the rule of thirds because you see each stage of taking off in a hot air balloon.
