Pride: Masculinity

Pride is a film that challenges the stereotype of what it means to be a man. In society someone who is masculine shows specific character traits such as, being emotionless, strong, aggressive and independent.  However despite many of the characters possessing strength and confidence, they are not necessarily masculine.

One character that changes over the course of the film is Carl. At the beginning, Carl is a typical working man, which is suggested by his clothing.

Social Realism BFI- ScreenOnline by Richard Armstrong

"In the years following World War 1, it was widely felt that the key to a national cinema lay in 'realism and restraint'."

"This view reflected the tastes of mainly south-eastern middle-class audience."

"Meanwhile, working class audiences, it was said favoured Hollywood genre movies."

"Realism carried patrician connotations of education and high seriousness."

Michael Balcon- "British industry's longstanding rivalry with Hollywood in terms of 'realism and tinsel'."

"smoothed away the tensions of the class-bound society in the depiction of factory life."

"Thanks to relaxation to censorship, characters had sex lives, money worries, social problems."

"The New Wav protagonist was usually a working-class male without bearings in a society in which traditional industries and the cultures that went with them were in decline."

"Addressed the erosion of regional and class identities amid a landscape, rendered increasingly uniform by consumerism."

1960s- "Ken Loach and Mike Leigh assessed the impact of the consumer society on family life, charting the erosion of the welfare state ad the consensus that built it."

"A national cinema with a genuine and vital commitment to the way we live."

Samantha Lay- British Social Realism

Introduction

"The contention here is that social realism has been a major mode of expression in British screen culture that continues to this day." 

"Social realism as a concept cannot be understood in the British context without an understanding of the terms in which social realism texts have been discussed and how such texts are perceived by audiences, critics and film theorists."- Readings (preferred, negotiated, oppositional) Impact.

"Films should have a social purpose, and a moral force, rather than being merely entertaining or diverting."

"It is impossible to speak of social realist film-making in Britain without acknowledging the influence and importance of television."

1980's- "A resurgence of interest in social realism took place as a response to the harsh economic and social realities of life under the Thatcher administrations." - Personal Identification, sees an event/situation/section of society as a complete outsider- detaches audience allows them to be more objective and see the argument or message that the film promotes. 

1. Social Realism In The British Context 

"It is something of a catch-all term" 

"Social realist texts are described as 'gritty' and 'raw', offering a 'slice of life' or a view of 'life as it really is'." - Life as it really is to who?

"There is no universal, all- encompassing definition of realism, nor is there agreement amongst academics and film-makers as to its purpose and use."

"Many realisms all share an interest in presenting some aspects of life as its is lived."

Carroll (1996)- "should only be used with a prefix attached". 

"The addition of a prefix, such as social-, neo-, documentary-, specifies the 'what' and crucially, 'when' of that movement or moment."

"Realism is irrevocably tied to the specifics of time and place, or 'moment'."- ever-changing, prompts different responses. Situated culture, where they there? Alive at the time it is set?, Where they where born. Where they live.

Cultural experiences- Effected by the issue?, Class, political outlook.

"Truth has as many faces as there are eyes that see it." 

Zola- "Constructing exhaustively detailed descriptions of the worlds characters inhabited.... extending to character formulation, development and situations". - importance of of setting, and the need for it to be meticulous and correct. 

http://ojs.cf.ac.uk/index.php/newreadings/article/download/41/92

Andre Bazin- Film as a Social Documentary (2001) - "Realism should provide room enough for audiences to find their own realities."- readings etc.  

"Depth of shot and long takes would allow for this space to negotiate the realism of the text."

"There is not one, but several realisms. Each era looks for its own, that is to say the technique and the aesthetic which can best capture it."

"Hollywood films, for example, can be regarded as realistic in setting, characterisation, situation (they nave basis/reference/currency in the 'real world' they allude to), they are not necessarily realist texts." 

Branston and Stafford- "Intended to capture the experience of the actual event depicted."

"The film-maker has a specific argument or message to deliver about the social world."- Les Mis- could be considered social realist, musical?

 

Social Realism Coursework- Research

Social Realism: Art, Nationhood, and Politics by David Forrest

Introduction

"Films that reflect a range of social, environments and issues."

"Rejects the artifice and escapism of more classically orientated narrative models."

"There has been a tendency to view such films in the context of what they have to tell us about the issues and themes they invoke rather than what they say about their art."

"We are invited to read the films as we would approach a poem or a painting, as artefacts of social and artistic worth."

"There is no comparable compulsion in our own critical culture."- comparing New-wave in France 

and Neo- Realism in Italy to British Social Realism. 

"Place limits on a full and thorough consideration of its complexion and influence."- talking about pre-existing definitions of British Social Realism.

Julia Hallam & Margaret Marshment:

"Social realism is a discursive term used by film critics and reviewers to 

describe films that aim to show the effects of environmental factors on the 

development of character through depictions that emphasise the 

relationship between location and identity. Traditionally associated in 

Britain with a reformist or occasionally revolutionary politics that deemed 

adverse social circumstances could be changed by the introduction of more 

enlightened social policies or structural change in society, social realism 

tends to be associated with an observational style of camerawork that 

emphasises situations and events and an episodic narrative structure, 

creating ‘kitchen sink’ dramas and ‘gritty’ character studies of the 

underbelly of urban life."

 

He find it interesting because of, "The identification of the importance of "environment" in designating the Social Realist text." 

"British Filmmaking has encompassed an eclectic and persistently innovative school of creative figures, who have sought to interpret British society in an ever diversifying way." 

http://www.samiraahmed.co.uk/poor-cows-and-angry-young-men-50-years-of-kitchen-sink-drama/- Kitchen Sink dramas.

https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2086/4720/SOCIAL+REALISM+AND+REPRESENTATION+OF+THE+WORKING+CLASS+IN+CONTEMPORARY+BRITISH+CINEMA.pdf?sequence=1

https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/17977380/Working_class_Realism001.pdf

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3FxUnFFNpAIC&pg=PA274&dq=claire+monk&hl=en&ei=sn-9Tp6lAYWc8gOGqcmbBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=claire%20monk&f=false

Creativity and Genre in TV Crime Drama

The article is written by Nick Lacey and was published in Media Magazines 33rd issue, during September 2010.

The article aims to cover the following points:

• The importance of change and development in different genres
• The themes and use of zeitgeists in TV crime dramas
• The role of women in crime dramas
• The ideologies supported by cim dramas 
• The different between the creative risks taken by mainstream and non mainstream institutions 

The article states that,

"If two texts are too similar they are unlikely to be popular" 

Later elaborating on this point, writing: "Genres that are not creatively developed will inevitably atrophy and lose their popularity." This suggests that without change and development, a genre such as TV crime dramas will lose desirability and viewers. I believe that this may be true, however after the recent growth in popularity of Super hero films, many films have chosen to abide by the generic features and iconography that make up the super hero genre, whilst maintaining a large amount of success. This therefore suggests that, it is possible for similar texts to be popular and lack of creativity and development doesn't aways cause a decline in audience. I believe this is also true of the TV crime drama genre. Although some have been developed and altered, sometimes creating a hybrid genre, many have such to the generic features of the classic crime drama genre. 

An example of a generic crime drama would be the non "glossy look" BBC programme Common by Jimmy McGovern:

I would agree that some porgrammes are opting to create hybrids such as Life on Mars which combines crime drama with Sci-fi as the protagonist Sam Tyler played by John Simm, who travels back in time to the 1970's.




Even though I don't believe that the development of the genre is purely to blame for the success of a particular TV Crime Drama, I realise that there is a lot more competition, with so many channels and also lots more independent creators using platforms such as Youtube. Therefore I understand why many creators have chosen to develop the genre to make is appear more unique and engaging.

Lacey's article states that the producer of CSI Jerry Bruckheimer demanded,
"a show so stylistically different that a channel- surfing audience would be forced to stop and view the unusual looking image."

The article goes on to say, "If a generic variation is going to appeal to audiences, it is likely to express the zeitgeist." This statement is supported by Common (shown above) in which they explore the contemporary fight to remove the joint enterprise law from our current justice system. Jimmy McGovern is renowned for highlighting current issues, allowing them to gain more acknowledgement whilst engaging the audience. Lacey also uses CSI as a case study, "Mac (an American 'Everyman' name) Taylor, lost his wife in the destruction of the twin towers". The uses of the zeitgeist makes the topics feel more relevant and engaging for the audience, but as the article states, "we cannot simple 'read' society off a TV crime programme."

Despite the fact that TV crime dramas are quite diverse in the topics they cover, the article suggests that, "TV crime series serve to reassure audiences that the police are an effective, if not always perfect, bulwark against crime". However recently there have been more and ore programmes based on the corruption of the police, creating an opposing ideology, making it seem as though the police are the enemy. The audiences perception would also be based on cultural experience and maybe situated culture.

An example of a TV crime series showing the corruption of the Police, is Good Cop:

Television- Documentaries

Examples:

• Who Do You Think You Are?
• 9/11: The Falling Man
• Life on Earth- David Attenborough 
• When Boris Met Dave
• Supersize She
• Educating Yorkshire/Essex/Cardiff
• My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding 
• Dynamo:Magician Impossible 
• Gleeful- The Real Show Choir's of America 
• MacIntyre Undercover- Chelsea Headhunters

Format

Documentaries typically run in series' over the course of around 4-8 weeks with a new episode being broadcast weekly. Other documentaries are one off episodes and are considered 'Documentary Films'. This genre often appears on our televisions during the evening at around 8 or 9 o'clock. Documentaries aim to inform, and give the audience an inside view of a certain topic or event. They usually last for an hour and have one or occasionally two presenters. However some documentaries don't have any presenters, such a Making a Murderer. This show has no presenter

Appeals
Documentaries offer the audience information and in some cases, personal identification. A lot of documentaries are filmed in familiar settings such as urban streets and family homes, however they usually follow a more extreme and unfamiliar narrative. This allows the audience to associate with the documentary allowing them to fully emerge themselves in the "story". Hand held, POV shots are also used in documentaries particularly covert documentaries such as MacIntyre Undercover and The Hidden Enemy, making the audience sympathise with the camera man/woman, making the events feel closer to home, creating a sense of personal identification. Documentaries are based on facts and aim to uncover more facts and evidence as the programme goes on providing the audience with information.

Target Audience

Documentaries are often thought of as a programme for a more elderly audience, however documentaries have become so varied and wide spread, they attract a diverse audience. For example, CBBC have started their own documentary series called "My Life" in which they choose a topic each week and explore more about it, such as living with autism or becoming a ballet dancer, this attracts a younger audience from around the ages of 7-12, whilst also maintaining the attention of their parents. Because documentaries do cover such spectrum of topics its difficult to give the genre as a whole a target audience, however most are aimed towards Explorers or potentially Reformers. They fulfil their needs of discovery and enlightenment. They also allow the reformers to make their own mind up about the topic or event because they provide them with more information so that they can make a more informed decision. 

Opening Sequence

 Eg- https://youtu.be/1NenCBS3AQc

The opening sequence of Sir David Attenborough's Life of Mammals, uses a montage of wild animals. Each clip fades into the next, layering the images creating a dream like atmosphere. This feeling is heightened by the use of slow motion, back lighting and calming music. The slow motion emphasises the movements of each animal, making them appear powerful, majestic and some what hypnotising. The back lighting adds to the dream like feel, with the sun often beaming through the gaps around the animal, creating a shadowy outline of the creature adding a sense of mystery. The music is an soothing, orchestral music consisting of trumpets, violins and symbols to create a mature, soothing sound.

Setting

Documentaries are set in real life places such as a desert or street with no studios or special effects involved. This also adds to the authenticity and sense of trust that the audience are placing in the facts and information provided by the documentary.

Technical Codes

Documentaries often use handheld POV shots which encourages personal identification with the audience and also adds a sense of jeopardy. They also use secondary shots from other sources such as security cameras or hidden cameras. This validates the information they are giving and also allows them to get shots that would be impossible to retrieve themselves with a huge television camera. 

Characters & Representations

In most documentaries there are five distinct characters, the presenter who conducts the research, the expert (often a policeman or scientist), the victim, the criminal and the general public who offer an outsiders view. Even though documentaries are non-fiction they still have a narrative and aim to hold their audiences attention just as a drama or soap opera would. In David Attenborough the victims are often the prey, whilst the criminals are the predators. Even though the life cycle is a vital and natural event, theses types of documentaries makes the audience fear for the prey even in cases where they already know the outcome. 

Narrative
Documentaries follow a presenter, uncovering more information, providing evidence and facts for the audience. Like Todorov suggests their is often a disruption mid way through the documentary. The scan be either in the event itself or in the search for information. However it is then repaired or at least uncovered. A lot of documentaries also look at some binary oppositions such as truth vs myth and the impossible vs possible. 

Music Video Research 6

Artist: The Wombats
Song: Greek Tragedy
Director: Finn Keenan
Genre: Indie Rock

Visual Style/ Mise-en-scene

Settings:City streets: Familiarity, a place for everyone, everyday routine, cash point, cafe, cant do anything in privacy, stalker, they cant escape her, audience feel uncomfortable, fearful, empathetic.

Modern, expensive house: Contrasts between her cluttered, small bedroom, large light, open space. Suggests the bands success and also shows the audience that she doesn't belong there, and she shouldn't be there. Audience feel sorry for the band, could be used to symbolise the effect media and fans have on celebrities- no privacy, constant harassment. 

Run down/ Dilapidated Warehouse: Feels as though it is far away from anywhere, she shouldn't be there, abandoned, no one else there, no on will hear them scream, turns the plot into being more threatening and suspicious. 

Concert Venue: Allows us to see the band performing live, also allows the narrative to progress, her gaze looks more hypnotised and demented, crazed, determined. The audience can see the clear contrast between her and the rest of their fans who are simply enjoying the gig.

The protagonists bedroom: posters of the wall in a collage all over her wall- emphasises the fact that she is an obsessive fan, promotes the band through the narrative, makes it obvious to the audience who's music video this is, also shows how young she is and how free she feels both in the world and her room. 

Slow motion tracking shot around the girl with her arms spread out like a plane: freedom, happiness, calm, at one with everything, relaxation, euphoria, shows audience her psychopathic personality which will only be made evident later in the video. 

Extremely fast pace montage of blurry/out of focus, shaky, brightly lit footage of the band, changing in time with every beat of the drum- Homemade footage, the videos are not professionally shot, they are filmed with a hand held camera, amateur, already giving the audience a sense of whats about to happen, danger, stalker, warning, news flash, white lines running across the screen, like a broken TV, dramatic, juxtaposes her calmness and stillness. (This repeats itself 4 times.)

Close up shot of Tord in the cafe: shot tracks out to reveal that it is being filmed from across the road, stalker, invasion of privacy, grainy, shaky, dull coloured, low mega pixel quality, show that this is her footage, stalker, following them, seeking joy out of finding them around town, obsession. 

Medium Close up shot of Murph: Muph looks up, the camera is moved to face inwards and becomes very jumpy, suggests that she is running away, she has been spotted by him, she enjoys the danger, the chase, audience fear for their safety. 

Selfie shot: Girls arm outstretched, show that she is just a fan, she has taken the 'fan' a bit too far, she is infatuated with the band, excited, cant believe she is actually meeting them rather than just watching them. Adds a sense of normality to her, makes the audience question their own level of 'fan' for certain artists, gives them a sense of how it feels to be famous. 

High angle shot of her in a crowd- spotlight on her, red lights over the rest of the crowd- looking upwards, eyes close slightly, mouth open, still. Everyone else is dancing , moving, juxtaposes her stillness. Shows that she is a minority, not all fans are 'mental, demented, 'fangirls'.

Midshot of her sitting in her room in front of a camera, then cuts to a clip from the POV of that camera that was previously in shot- the image becomes more grainy and matches the quality of the videos of the band members in the street- this implies that she is very proud of her stalkers ways and is slightly obsessed with promoting and basting about her 'achievements', it also clarifies to the audience that the footage is hers and she is the one following them. You tuber, conversing with other fans. 

Over the shoulder shot of her pointing a camera at Dan in the street- allows the audience to see it from her perspective, gives them a sense of the thrill that she feels, shows that she is hiding, waiting for him to walk past.

Narrative devices and techniques used 

Shows how 'fans' are often tarnished as 'fangirls' who take their fan status too far because of the minority. 

Humorous because The Wombats are exaggerating their famousness and wealth. Even though the final shots of them tied up in ropes is shocking it is also quite funny, when they look like puppets. This could be showing the power that fans have over a band. If the fans don't buy their music or tickets, they are nothing. We have the power to 'pull the strings' and alter what they are doing. 

An obsessed fan is stalking the Wombats, taking videos of them doing everyday tasks like eating in a cafe or walking down the street, she even videos Murph through the window of his own house. She sees certain things happen. 

Murphs toaster breaks- she buys him a new one- then throws it in the bath when she breaks into his flat.

Tord is seen with a dog- she buys him a do teddy which can be seen moments before she slits his throat warning the audience of her presence. 

She spills coffee on his jumper as she tries to take a picture with him, knits him a new jumper, goes to give him it 

Conventional/ Unconventional

Convention: We see the band performing the song live on stage both miming and playing their instruments. 

1) Analyse the Masthead and the Strap line. 
The masthead 'NME' stands for New Musical Express. The acronym NME is a slight play on words because it sounds like the word 'enemy'. This has connotations of  rivalry, hate and controversy. This is relevant to the music industry as the corporation side has been accused of destroying "real music" by championing the monetary value of the music over the actual sound. This creates a conflict between both the artists and fans and the music modals such as SYCO. It could also represent the battle to reach number 1 in the charts, and the difficulty of selling records after the popularisation of online music streaming websites such as Spotify and Youtube. The New Musical Express also implies that they are providing their readers with the most contemporary new music, which you might not necessarily have heard before. However by combining this with the use of already established celebrities and bands used in the image and in the cover lines which assures the reader that it will also provide them with a sense of familiarity.

2) Analyse the Main Image
The main image on the cover is medium shot of 'Arctic Monkeys' front man Alex Turner holding a LP record. Alex Turner is iconic of the Indie Rock genre of music, and also embodies the influence that the 70s and 80s has had not only on music, but also style. The fact that he is holding a record also highlights the revival of the past, appealing to both younger and older music fans. This also alludes to the content of the magazine which is further emphasised by the main cover line 'The Record That Changed My Life'. Arctic Monkeys as a band worked their way up by playing small gigs, before breaking onto the more mainstream music scene. This supports the ideology that, hard work pays off.

3) Layout and Mise-en-scene
The main colours used on the cover are red, white and blue. This could be used to symbolise the patriotic nature of the magazine and its content. Even though  this magazine regularly includes, international artists, they pride themselves on uncovering the best of British music. It also includes lots of cover lines and general information, but it is displayed in a fairly organised fashion. This could suggest that you are getting good value for money as well as revealing the topics of the articles inside.


4) Interpellation 
This magazines supports the ideology that music is important to our lives.

Pan!

Genre: Adventure, fantasy, family.

Mise-en-scene

• Costume

Peter Pan: Navy, high neck Jumper, high waisted grey trousers, Black boots- part of the group, different, special, stands out, leader, respected

Children in orphanage- Dirty white shirts underneath grey jumper, grey high waisted trousers, black boots- Uniform, school, unity, common cause, poor, uncared for, militant, troop, determined, defiant, rebellious, brave.

Cook- white diamond shaped hat, sticks out either side of her head, big white collar around neck, black dress, Black leather belt, rosary beads hanging from belt- Nun, religious, powerful, order, authority, loyalty.

Blackbeard- Red Sash, Black feather collar and cuffs, Shoulder pads and metal chest plate, long red socks, black boots. Long black jacket.

Hook- Beige fedora hat, Karachi green trousers, emerald green jacket, black knee boots- Formal

Tiger Lily- colourful, wide colourful hair, pompoms, and multi coloured dreadlocks, pink eyeshadow, Colourful head dress- tall, wide, beads, crystals- powerful, royal, status, foreign, other worldly, the unknown. 

Setting

Orphanage- Poor, lonely, unwanted, children, unwanted, unloved, uncared for

Flying sailing ship- Pirates, danger, Journey, the unknown, battles, voyage, discovery, imagination, the impossible,

Mine- Work, poor,

Colourful Forest- nature, animals, discovery, vibrant, wildlife, uncivilised, freedom

Underwater in the sea- Vast, discovery, sea life, clean

Use of Camera

Close up shot of bowl hitting the floor, spilling the porridge- shows Peters rebellion and force. Inner strength, the ability to stand up for others and himself, stands up for what right. Harsh, his emotions spilling over. Finally given up, can't conform any longer. Starts the revolution of the "lost boys". 

Wide shot of flying over city- magical, unexpected, imagination, a different world. Travelling to a new place. 

Low angle shot of Blackbeard- Powerful, menacing, intimidating, dominant, superior.

Character types

The Princess- Tiger Lily

The Hero- Peter Pan 

The Villain- Blackbeard 

The Helper- Hook 

Music

Clock ticking- Passing of Time, Flashback 

Mothers Voice Over- Flashback, gives background information, reason for Peter Pans being at the Orphanage, purpose, letter, lonely, setting

Sudden Silence's- simulates nothingness, the calm before the storm, a chance of reflection and builds tension.  

Themes and binary oppositions

The Known vs The Unknown 

Natives vs Visitors 

Reality vs Fantasy 

Love vs Hate 

Enemies vs Allies 

Good vs Evil

Bravery vs weakness

Home vs away 

Family vs friendship

Loneliness vs belonging 

Rebellion vs Compliance 

Lost vs Found 

Secrets vs The Unconcealed 

Society vs Wilderness 

Imprisonment vs Freedom

 

Pan is an example of a hybrid genre, showing elements of adventure, fantasy and genres. Pan was one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, and was set to be a hit at the box office, however after receiving an abundance of negative reviews,, it couldn't live up to the high expectations.

 

This film provides the audience with many binary oppositions, with one of the most important being, loneliness vs. solidarity. This is shown by the use of shot types, when Peter Pan is left on the steps of the Orphanage by his Mother. A wide shot is used, revealing a deserted cobbled street which is dimly lit and filled with fog. This highlights the fact that Peter is being abandoned and has no one to rely on. The only person he thought he could rely on is leaving him. The darkness and fog could represent his future, that has suddenly become uncertain, after this life changing event. The wide shot emphasises the fact that he is alone and makes the audience feel more sympathetic and protective towards Peter instantly allowing them to form a relationship with "the hero" of the film, willing him to succeed.

Uses and Gratification!

First Dates 

First Dates is a series shown on Channel 4 every Thursday at 10pm. It follows people as they go on blind dates set up by Fred the restaurant owner. Some go well resulting in relationships and some go catastrophically wrong resulting in a very awkward meal together. Although this is not the most intellectually challenging or action packed programme it includes many of the Uses and Gratification model causing it to attract a large audience. 

First Dates uses a combination of Escapism/Entertainment, Personal Identity and Social Interaction in order to appeal to its audience of mainly mainstreamers. It is very entertaining using humour throughout mainly through the conversations between the two 'singletons'. Each episode they manage to create an awkward atmosphere no matter how well the dates are going. They do this by cutting there music so the silence between the two is emphasised, this makes the audience laugh because of how awkward it is. They also crop images, zooming in on peoples faces, really highlighting their facial expressions in response to something the other person has said. This also makes the audience laugh and sympathise with the dater. The fact that they provide us with information about each dater at the beginning (age, hometown...) also helps the audience to create a bond with them, allowing them to feel more invested in there relationship, willing them to do well. This point also relates to personal identity because it also allows you to relate to the people on it. An average episode contains about 6 pairs of data, with a huge range of different personalities and styles. By using such a range of people it is very likely that you will find something in common with at least one of them. First Dates is a great programme to watch with other people, and discuss how comparable you think they are. There is also a hashtag present throughout the programme encouraging you to interact on social media discussing the programme with other audience members. The programme itself also has its own twitter and Facebook page which is active throughout each episode, often replying to messages which makes the audience feel more involved in the show. 

Simpsons Hit and Run

Simpsons Hit and Run is was a very popular playstation game during the mid 2000's. It allows you to drive around Springfield completing challenges as all the different Simpsons characters, high jacking different vehicles and avoiding the police. As you progressed through the game, more cars and more characters became available to use. 

This game mainly uses Escapism/Entertainment in order to appeal to its audience. The non-realistic cartoon images allow the gamer to escape to a world that they know doesn't exist yet they can still fully immerse themselves in that world. This is because although thing such as 'Duff beer' and the 'Itchy and Scratchy' show don't actually exist in the real world, they are realistic within the Simpsons world. The controllers also helped the realistic feel of the game. Whenever you drive over a rough surface the controller vibrates as if to mimic the feeling of actually being in the car. The family life in the game is also fairly realistic illustrating the stereotypical family of two parents and a son and a daughter. This makes it more familiar to the audience attracting a mainstream audience, specifically teenagers with an interest in the Simpsons and gaming. 

Audience Classification!

My Left Foot 

A media text that I have consumed over the past week is quite an old film called, 'My Left Foot' which is a biographical film portraying the difficult life led by the poet and artist, Christy Brown. The film was originally released in 1989, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the protagonist. Christy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a young child and was practically paralysed unable to do anything for himself. His mother was warned that he would never amount to much, advising that she gave up on him from then on. Despite his physical disability his mind was thriving, giving him knowledge and wisdom well beyond his years. Unfortunately nobody knew this because he could not express his thoughts, constantly living with the frustration of knowing answers and not being able to tell anyone. The only part of his body that still functioned was his left foot- hence the name- which he used to his advantage, teaching himself how to paint and write poetry using his foot. The film tells his inspiring story of how he battled through the adversity and became one of the most successful poets in Irelands history. It is a popular film with critics and audiences alike with 97% of its reviews on 'Rotten Tomatoes' being positive. 

The film is mainly targeted at a Mainstream audience. The main actor is Daniel Day-Lewis who- even during the late 80's- was a famous mainstream actor who has since appeared in films and television programmes such as Lincoln and There will be Blood. The film is quite typical of a British comedy which provides the audience with a sense of security and familiarity because they know what to expect with the young boy overcoming the adversity. The fact that the story is based on the reality also allows the audience to form an understanding of what will happen, even before they have seen the film. It also allows them to build up an expectation of how it will be shot, as close to real life as possible. This will also create a sense of familiarity which is perfect for The Mainstreamers because their core need in life is security. Even though it was aimed at the mainstreamers which is the largest of the 4C categories, the box office of $14.7million surpassed everyones expectations from a film with a budget of $600,000.

Guilty Pleasures!

The Eurovision Song Contest 
The Eurovision Song Contest is a yearly competition in which each EU country (plus Australia- don't ask) puts forward their most flamboyant performers with their catchiest songs. We can then vote for who we thought "gave the best performance" or alternatively, whatever country is nearest to ours. Eurovision is usually broadcast on BBC 1 during April, and is watched by over 200 million people worldwide! Clearly Im not the only one who enjoys a cheeky bit of Eurovision although I imagine a large proportion of that 200 million would not admit to watching it- understandable. Eurovision is aimed at The Mainstreamers . Eurovision has occurred annually since 1956, and very little has changed. The Mainstreamers core need in life is security, which the Eurovision Song Contest definitely provides them with. Everything about it is predictable and familiar, from the format to the voting. The votes are often easy to predict because it is heavily influenced by geography, which means that the audiences expectations for the United Kingdom are often very low. Although no map placement could save us when we choose people like Blue and that famous British singer Englebert Humperdinck who was born in India to represent us... For this reason it is the perfect programme for The Cynics and also The groupies and trendies because it encourages you to watch with your family and friends. It is also widely talked about on social media and in face to face conversations. The Groupies and the Trendies will feel the need to watch this so that they can fit in and join in or lead the discussion about it. Despite it being for them, not many would admit to watching it if it was not brought up in conversation because it is not seen to be "cool" in society.

I would like to consider my music taste to be pretty good, however this particular musical favourite does not support this statement in anyway. The standard of music is really emphasised by the fact that my favourite Eurovision song of all time is So Lucky for Moldova (video below). If you think thats bad, just imagine the others! I also believe in the ideology that, If you are the best singer or songwriter you deserve to win a singing competition. Unfortunately Eurovision doesn't follow this ideology, intend it is apically a popularity contest. As well as all of this, Eurovision is just seen as pretty embarrassing and cheesy by 90% of the human population yet lots of us watch it! The obviously scripted jokes and flirting between foreign hosts, just adds to the Eurovision charm and familiarity.

I watch the Eurovision for entertainment and generally take a preferred reading. I think that it is just some light-hearted competition between countries which unites us as a content and breaks down any language barriers. However I can also see how some people could watch this and think that it is just a way to make a mockery of our musical culture and as a way of taking revenge for recent political arguments through the voting system.

As well as entertainment, Eurovision also provides a sense of nostalgia and humour which also contribute to the reasons why I watch it. My aunties have always been a huge fan of Eurovision and used to throw parties dedicated to the event, which would include a Eurovision sweep stake and quiz! My family are and absolute hoot as you can imagine. Eurovision now reminds me of these parties and  makes me reminisce about the past, when everything was better. It also makes me laugh, because of how ridiculous most of it is. Graham Norton's commentary is also very sarcastic which creates a lot of humour, often mocking the contestants. Despite the fact that Eurovision is tacky and definitely a guilty pleasure, I love it!

Active and Passive Audiences

1a/b). Two theories that are associated with the debates effect are The Hypodermic Syringe model and The Desensitisation or Inoculation model. The Hypodermic Syringe model is a short term effect theory which suggests that there is a direct connection between people who are exposed to violent images in media texts and people who use violence in real life situations. According to this model the audience is passive and accepts the images and messages 'injected' into them by the mass media. An example of this would be the tragic case of Jamie Bulger, a young boy from Liverpool who was horrifically murdered by two 10-year-old boys. The boys had apparently been watching 'Childs Play 3' before the incident, which fuelled many newspapers to imply that this was a 'copycat killing' and made people question whether the use of violence in the media should be tolerated. The Desensitisation model is a long term effect theory that states that long term exposure to the media messages makes the audience immune to them. For example, violence has become a regular occurrence in British media texts, so much so that it no longer shocks us because we are so used to it. Horror films used to create a sense of fear for their audience through their use of tension and atmosphere but now a days violence is becoming increasingly present in most popular horror films such as, saw and Friday the 13th. Because there are so many films that now contain violence we have grown accustomed to it. 

2) A theory which assumes that the audience is passive suggests that they don't have any of their own opinions and are easily influenced, robot that are programmed to accept and be manipulated by the media. It also suggests that the audience have absolutely no control over how they respond to a media text, they act in the way the media and its producers want them act- brainwashed by what they see. The Sensitisation model is passive and  suggests that people see something in the media so regularly that it puts them off doing it. For example people aren't violent because violence is highlighted so much in media.  

A theory which assumes that the audience is active treat the audience as opinionated individuals that have total control over themselves. It also suggests that they have the ability to stray from the crowd and be rebellious, making bold choices without accepting the media's messages. Katz and Lazarsfeld's theory, the two step flow is partly an active theory. This theory realised that the media wasn't influential enough to control people, but it was part of a larger system called situated culture. It implies that information received by the media using the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders, which influences the audience in a non direct way. This is active because opinion leaders are audience members too, and they will have to make a mindful decision about the media text therefore being active. Also the audience members are forced to find an opinion leader which makes them active. 

3) I think that the statement violence in television and film causes violent behaviour is incorrect because it suggests that we have no choice as to how we behave. As an audience member we are often effected by the media, however overall we as individuals have the ability to determine what we do about it. Just because a media text effects you, it doesn't necessarily make you do what it is suggesting. The Hypodermic Syringe model which would support this statement also does not take into account any other factors which could influence a person behaviour such as mental health or general personality. Millions of people watched 'The Dark Night Rises' which involves a lot of violence, and if this theory was true, surely this would mean millions of people would have suddenly become very violent. But after the release of this film the world crime rates remained pretty similar and overall it had little/no effect of the violence of its audience members. 

4) I think that the active audience theories are more acceptable than the passive audience theories because they actually recognise the audience of individuals that can make up their own minds, and behave in the way they want to. The passive theories seem to suggest that every audience member is part of the same group who all react to media texts in exactly the same way, which influences them to all act in exactly the same way- the way intended by the media or it producers.  The 4C's is a perfect example of this. The 4C's suggests that every single person in the world fits into one of their 4 categories- The Mainstream, The Explorer, The Aspirer or The Succeeder. The Mainstream is the largest of these groups and implies that everyone who falls into this category is exactly the same. However after completing various surveys and questionnaires to see which I fell under I quickly realised that although some of the characteristic did describe me, other people who where also in the same group had some similarities to me, however we where all individuals that were also very different. The passive audience theory fails to realise that everyone is different, and hold the ability to  form there own opinions and have the option to behave rebelliously. 

5) A media text that I particularly enjoy is "First Dates", a channel 4, reality TV show which follows a couple as they enjoy (or hate) a blind date. One of the main reasons that I enjoy it is because it offers a source of entertainment and escapism. The programme is humorous and easy-to-watch which means that I can watch it and relax without having to put any real thought or effort into it. The diverse and vibrant daters make me laugh with their flustered small talk and cringe worthy chat up lines, creating a sense of enjoyment and also allows me to forget the things around me for an hour each week, creating an escape. The show takes full advantage of Britain's diverse population, inviting daters of all different ages, sexualities and personalities. This allows me to personally identify with some of them. Relationships are a common part of most peoples lives, and this combined with the range of people means that it attracts a very large mainstream audience which then makes it a very popular topic for social interaction. My friends also watch the programme and we often discuss it face to face or occasionally over text whilst the programme is on. It makes me more aware of the conversation and also allows me to join in. #firstdates regularly trends on Twitter which also allows me to connect with people from across the country that share my love for the show, creating a lot of conversation and debate. 

6.a/b) 
This advert is for Dove skin care products, which questions conventional beauty offering alternatives to the size 0, 20 year old models who currently dominate in advertisements. 

The first woman is standing with her arms behind her head, with a straight posture and smiling portraying her confidence and showing that she is comfortable in her own body. This also makes it look very posed, as if she is imitating a more traditional model. The second woman is only photographed from the neck upwards which allows her features to become more visible, emphasising her age. She is looking straight down the camera lens which instantly makes the audience form more of a connection with her. It also creates a strong sense of sincerity and makes her look very proud which is highlighted by her smile. A preferred reading of this would be to realise that everyone is beautiful, no matter what size or age you are which is shown by the use of unconventional, diverse models. It also has the questions layer out in a questionnaire kind of format which invites the audience to make their own mind up. A preferred reading would mean that the audience would answer the questions and become more physically involved in the advertisement, making them feel like they could help make a difference. They want the audience to believe that by buying their product they can be more confident in their own skin whilst supporting their campaign for real beauty. 

If I was to take an oppositional reading, I would look at the line that says, "Does beauty on squeeze into size 8?". This could suggest that people that aren't seen to have the bodies of "real women" because they are so slim, aren't as beautiful as those that do. I would also realise that Dove sells beauty. Dove sells the idea of what beauty is. If women did actually believe that they were beautiful, as they are trying to suggest, nobody would bother to buy their product and they would be losing sales. This would make me think that the advert is not sincere. By drawing so much attention to beauty it is also promoting the ideology that appearance and social acceptance are the most important things in life. It is very shallow and does not reference anything other that beauty. Although it appears to want to make people feel more confident, it is actually drawing attention to their flaws and implying that people will judge you solely on appearance even giving people the option to decide whether the models are wrinkled or wonderful, or fit or fat. 

"The Text That Changed my Life."

Cher-ing The Music


The media text that changed my life, is possibly one of the most hated singles ever to grace the UK charts- 'Believe' by Cher. Despite the fact that the song was released when I was just 9 months old, it seemed to follow me throughout my toddler years, which for most would become horrendously irritating but for me it was fabulous. 

Music is my passion and  my most favourite media text, and I think this song played a fundamental part in making me believe, (no pun intended), this. I remember my parents playing a very eclectic mix of music when I was younger, from Chaka Khan to The Lighthouse Family, but nothing really captured my attention until Cher came along. As soon as I heard the familiar sound of the 90's electronic keyboard intro, I would demand my microphone and sing it as loud as I could and danced around to the delight of my neighbours (shown in the image above). Even at the tender age of 2, when I struggled to string a sentence together, I could still quote very single lyric, still can to this day.  Despite following the auto-tuned, generic pop songs of its time, for some reason Cher was different and made me fall in love with music. 

Believe is a very typical 90s pop song, which seemed to take elements of many other musicians such as Culture Club and even Britney Spears to create a familiar sound. I think this attracted me because I felt as though I had heard it many times before and it was instantly memorable, with the same chord progressions repeating throughout making it easy to pick up the melody as well as the fairly simple lyrics. Despite focusing on a topic aimed at adults, the language used is very basic making it more accessible to a wider age range of people. Both of these elements combined made it easier for me as a toddler to sing the lyrics, and causing my music obsession to begin. It was also the first time that I realised that people actually got paid for singing! Something that I struggled to comprehend because music was a hobby, not a job. 

As Ive grown up, the song has been labelled a "guilty pleasure" which I suppose I would agree with. Now when I hear it, it creates a sense of nostalgia by reminding me of when I was younger. It also makes me realise just how much music has developed over the past 17 years. If that song was released in 2015, I don't think it would have had the same impact because it wouldn't appeal to as much of a wide mainstream audience and I might have never of heard it in the first place because it wouldn't get as much radio play or advertisements. Believe is very much a song of its time, which I think also creates a sense of nostalgia not just for that specific song but for that specific time period. It makes me laugh because the production and editing of the song is pretty shocking, with more auto tune than genuine voices included. Of all the great songs that I could have chosen to listen to, it had to be Cher. The song appeared a lot on Top of the Pops, which also introduced me to many new artists which I also thoroughly enjoyed such as Steps and Atomic Kitten. In a way Cher's Believe also gave me hope that maybe I could have a successful music career, proving that you don't have to be the best to reach number 1 in the charts. Now I write songs and play guitar in the hope that one day I could be just a successful as Cher.

This Is England '90 Finale!

WARNING- This blog post may contain spoilers!

Name?: This Is England ’90  

Date & Time?: 4^th October, 2015, 9pm
Where?: Channel 4
Genre?: British Drama/ Social Realism
What is the purpose?: To entertain, and to create a sense of nostalgia for the audience members who experienced England in 1990.
Target Audience?: The Mainstream, consisting of teenagers and people in their 20's.

This Is England ’90 is the third series of the Shane Meadows 'This Is England' phenomena. The series was created after the success of the original film (set in 1983) surpassed all expectations, winning numerous awards including a BAFTA and BIFA. It became a favourite amongst reviewers and fans alike boosting the careers of the actors and especially its director Shane Meadows. By leaving a five year gap between the two most recent series' more and more anticipation built up around the series, and with more anticipation brought more expectation. All of the episodes where made available to watch on 4OD which allowed new people to become fans whilst still keeping the attention of their original dedicated fan base. After all of the build up the finale series- This Is England '90-did not disappoint, ending with an action-packed feature length episode.    

In my opinion, This Is England has been one of the most consistent programmes on TV, contently maintaining its outstanding acting and shocking story lines- and the finale was no different. One of the best things about Shane Meadows is his ability to draw everything that had happened in past series' together, providing the audience with some closure and understanding about each individual character, whilst still leaving many questions unanswered. For example, is Combo still alive? Combo is one of my favourite characters and I think this is mainly down to, Stephen Grahams incredible acting. In the first few series' he made the audience feel incredibly angry and apathetic towards him, after portraying extreme acts of racism and general violence towards others. One scene that was specifically poignant was near the ending of the film when Combo attacked Milky because of his race. It was extremely shocking and disgusting to think that somebody could do that to another person, especially over something like the colour of their skin. The film ends with the audience feeling quite confused and angry. It is un known whether Milk survived the attack, which is cleverly mirrored at the end of the '90's series. This time Combo and Milky have swapped roles, leaving Combo in danger with the audience still wondering whether he survived. Even though I thought that I would never be able to forgive him for what he had done previously, Grahams has managed to make me feel sympathetic and even worried for his character. This is something that I definitely didn't expect to feel, although the scenes in the youth club really capture Combos reformed, more loving nature. The editing is very typical of an indie production, with point of view camera angles, and a mix of historical news clips and actual clips shot by This Is England. The use of music and costume is what really gives it the 90's feel, using music that was released around that time such as Waterfall and Fools Gold by The Stone Roses.

Circa Waves: Young Chasers Review

Rating?: ✮✮✮✮

Band?: Circa Waves
Members?: Kieran Shudall, Joe Flaconer, Sam Rourke and Colin Jones. 
Release date?: 30th March, 2015
Genre?: Indie/Rock

The highly anticipated debut album from the Liverpudlian indie-rockers Circa Waves- Young Chasers- was released earlier this year to the delight of their dedicated fans. 

The record is jam packed full of catchy hooks and memorable lyrics just waiting to be screamed by a festival crowd. There are thirteen songs in total, some of which are old classics such as their first single, 'Fossils' and some are new such as, 'My Love' and 'Best Years'. They have managed to capture an essence of nostalgia, producing a sound that will take you back to being seventeen again enjoying city life in the sun, with a few splashes of 'The Kooks', 'The Libertines' and 'The Strokes' thrown in for good measure. Many people have already began to compare the boys to The Beatles which is understandable, not only because they are a 4-piece from Liverpool, but also because their songs are refreshing in the now-a-days pop heavy music scene. 

The band consists of frontman Kieran Shudall, guitarist Joe Falconer, bassist Sam Rourke and drummer Colin Jones who all met at University. Like The Beatles, the original drummer, Sian Plummer, left the band just before they reached any success. The album reveals the vulnerability of being young, from crowd surfing to missing your Mum. After meeting the boys at their Liverpool gig in April, you could really tell how humbled and shocked they were by the success of their music,  and I predict that there will be a lot more to come. This album was definitely intended to be listened to loudly in the sun, and despite their somewhat conventional sound I am definitely a fan of theirs and if that makes me a 'filthy scavenger of the indie landfill' (which is how the NME describes their fans) then so be it. 

Photographic Composition

I chose this image because I thinks its a good example of a Foreground/background photograph. It has two main points of interest- the mens legs, and the Cavern Club behind them. I think the photographer is cleverly advertising some of Liverpool's most important assets, its people and its vibrant music scene. 

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