B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? (30)
The three texts I have looked at for the Industry topic are Nirvana's album, 'Nevermind', Radiohead's album 'King of Limbs' and Lady Gaga's album 'Born this Way'.
Nirvana's 1991 album 'Nevermind' combined more alternative genres such as 'punk' with popular genres at the time such as 'metal' and 'pop' to create a genre known as 'grunge', this hybrid of conventions resulted in the post-modern genre of grunge which attracted a variety of mainstream and more niche audiences and was a huge commercial and global success.
On a major label, artists have to promote their album(s); in order to promote 'Nevermind,' Nirvana appeared on mainstream TV shows and set out on a European tour at the start of November 1991. In 1991 the first single of 'Nevermind', 'Smells like teen spirit' went straight into the UK top 10 (number 9). They appeared on the TV show 'Top of the Pops' to perform their single, however they were asked to mime, and were only allowed live vocals. The band rebelled and during the performance Cobain sang slowly, messing around with the vocals and through the use of wide-shots and low angles, Krist Novoselic was captured exaggerating his movements when playing the guitar- this appeared comical and rebellious to the audience.
Nirvana also appeared on the Jonathan Ross show. They were supposed to perform their new single (Smells like teen spirit), however they didn't do as they were asked and performed another song from their album called 'Territorial Pissing'. Low key lighting and a tight-packed, confined playing area, emphasised Nirvana's rebellious representation. This appearance on the Jonathan Ross show was after their stunt on Top of the Pops.
Unlike artists today, the internet wasn't around for Nirvana to promote their album(s). During an interview with Swedish TV, Nirvana were captured using a wide shot, as they sat in a boat, smoking and wearing 'normal' clothes, through the dialogue and their body language they appeared quite nervous and awkward with the press. Without the use of the internet it was more difficult to promote their album, Nirvana relied on the TV performances, word of mouth, tours, reviews and music videos to promote their album and gain a wider audience.
Unlike Nirvana, Radiohead had access to the internet and used it to promote their album(s) and attract their fans. Free of major labels (EMI), they embraced digital technology and released their 6th album 'In Rainbows' (2007) via their website- download only. This allowed their audience/ fans to 'pay what they want' for the album. This experiment made more money than previous album releases, selling 300,000 to 400,000 copies.
Unlike Nirvana, Radiohead didn't have to release singles or tour around Europe to promote the album, as they were free of major label contracts. They did however release a music video for the song 'Lotus Flower' from 'King of Limbs' (2011), the production value was low budget, wide-shots, close-ups and high/ low angles were used to capture Thom Yorke dancing in an abandoned location. The low production value, appeals to a niche audience. Liam Gallagher commented on the 'King of Limbs' album, using bad language to describe why one of their songs from the album is "about a f**king tree". This interview with Gallagher, even though it was a negative comment on the album, gave Radiohead more press, promoting their album further. Radiohead are already an established band globally, the lack of promotion shows that they don't need to promote themselves to be successful.
For Lady Gaga's 2011 album 'Born this way', she released 5 singles accompanied with music videos to promote her album, as well as tours and promotion through social media. Gaga is an influencer offline and online, she embraces technology to form a relationship with fans. Her fans are called 'Little Monsters' and they call her 'Mother Monster'; her relationship with her fans is a 'parasocial interaction,' Gaga retweets her fans comments to her via twitter. Her parasocial interaction spans around millions of followers on her range of social media; 47 million Facebook followers, 18 million Twitter followers and 21,000 followers on Google+.
The internet boosts the sales, of the albums through the download format. In the US 'Born this way' sold 1.108 million copies in its first week, with an estimated 440,000 copies sold on Amazon in two days at the price of 99-cents (59p). The price of the album, may suggest that is the reason Gaga was so successful and sold so many copies. This is also the case for Radiohead's 2007, self-release album 'In Rainbows'. Offering the album as 'pay what you want' allowed them to earn more money than previous releases.
Gaga's album debuted at the top 5 spots of every major market, including the Billboard 200, after its release. This shows that the internet boosts global appeal, as Nirvana had to tour and rely on TV appearances as well interviews with magazines to gain global appeal. It took Nirvana 5 months to get to number one, whereas Gaga's album entered the top charts within its first week after release.
The global appeal for my three texts varies, as each artist works in a different genre, Nirvana 'grunge', Radiohead 'rock' and Lady Gaga 'synth-pop'. The internet plays a big part in the global appeal/ success of the artists, as it took Lady Gaga and Radiohead a week to debut on the top charts, whereas it took Nirvana 5 months to get to number one. Major labels also have an effect on the global appeal, due to the touring and interviews the artists have to do in order to promote their albums.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
A2 Media, Television industry- Audience Homework
Section 1
A) Identify the main targeted audience of Mad Men.
Matthew Weiner's television series 'Mad Men' depicts one of New York's most acclaimed advertising agencies at the beginning of the 1960s. The target audience for this program is an 'active niche' audience. The consumers of this text are attracted to a specific area or subject; for example in Mad Men the audience would enjoy following the character driven plot.
B) Identify one way the text has been encoded to appeal to that type of audience
Mad Men has been encoded to appeal to a niche audience; through the mise-en-scene the audience may gain gratification from the program due to the attention to detail, as it shows clear representations of 1960s culture.
The target audience for Mad Men are middle class males and females, due to the highbrow nature of the text as well as the character driven plot.
C) Justify how that point/ technique/ convention would gratify your previously identified type of audience
In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would fine escapism within the program as they're learning about another time. This links with 'retrophilia' where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience gain from the program as it gives them authentic information on the 1960s due to the amount of detail captured through the mise-en-scene in the program.
D) Describe a narrative sequence where this point/ technique/ convention is present
With reference to Mad Men series 5, episode 11, you can see the attention to detail throughout.
Through the mise-en-scene you can see clear references to 1960's culture. Three characters from the program, Peggy, Kenny and Harry, are captured using mid-shots, wide shots and close ups revealing aspects of the 60's culture through the stylistic features that have been encoded within the program. For example a wide shot is used to capture Kenny and Peggy sitting on an orange couch in one of the offices at the company. The bright orange sofa reflects 1960's decor; orange along with dark green, brown and yellow were popular in furniture, carpets and wallpapers during the 1960's; through the attention to detail the program has been encoded to represent 1960's culture.
Section 2
2) Does 'Lost' target a passive audience? Justify your answer
J.J Abram's TV program 'Lost' targets a passive audience. You can tell this through the use of dialogue, as the audience members are being told everything, resulting in them being injected with the messages without questioning what they're seeing.
3) Identify how Lost is encoded to gratify a passive audience.
The dialogue has been encoded to tell the passive audience members everything that is happening within the program. This aspect results in the audience members sitting back and taking everything in, without questioning what they're being told/ shown. This gratifies the audience members as all they have to do is watch the program. Enigma codes have been encoded for the audience to follow within the program, which hooks them into the narrative. Passive audiences would gain gratification from this text through the use of its high production value and cinematography, as it resembles a movie.
4) Justify one point/ technique/ convention that would force Mad Men's audience to decide the text actively in order to gain gratification
The niche text gratifies its audience through the mise-en-scene as the attention to detail shows clear representations of 1960s culture. Joan Harris- portrayed by Christine Hendricks- was styled to represent a typical female in the 60s. Her hairstyle, make-up and the clothes she wears are typical to the time period as the clothes have been chosen to emphasise her 'hour-glass figure'; a body shape/ type women aimed for/ wanted in the 60s. The audience would have to have some knowledge of the 60s to link the style of Joan Harris to the time period.
5) Explain and justify how Peaky Blinders has been encoded to gratify both passive and active audiences.
Steven Knights 'Peaky Blinders' is aired on BBC Two, and has developed a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious 'high-brow' drama series, a text that is rich is intelligence and culture. Peaky Blinders has elements of a high-brow text but it also contains mainstream conventions, such as the music. The music would gratify the passive audiences as the soundtrack includes contemporary artists such as Nick Cave and The White Stripes's Jack White, this use of modern music intertwined within the program creates a post-modern program and also boosts the audience appeal/ gratification. The high-brow elements within the program, such as the concept and narrative would attract and gratify the active audience, as it is about soldiers returning home from WWI, who start up a criminal gang in Birmingham.
Unlike mainstream texts such as Lost, Peaky Blinders doesn't tell the audience everything through the narrative, Peaky Blinders uses enigma codes and a character driven plot which entice the active audience.
The text has been complemented for its high production value and cinematography. A passive audience would take gratification from this as (cinematically) it resembles a movie. The cast of Peaky Blinders are well-known actors who have starred in various well-known movies, which also boosts the appeal of the audience and makes the program appear more like a movie, which gratifies the passive audience.
A) Identify the main targeted audience of Mad Men.
Matthew Weiner's television series 'Mad Men' depicts one of New York's most acclaimed advertising agencies at the beginning of the 1960s. The target audience for this program is an 'active niche' audience. The consumers of this text are attracted to a specific area or subject; for example in Mad Men the audience would enjoy following the character driven plot.
B) Identify one way the text has been encoded to appeal to that type of audience
Mad Men has been encoded to appeal to a niche audience; through the mise-en-scene the audience may gain gratification from the program due to the attention to detail, as it shows clear representations of 1960s culture.
The target audience for Mad Men are middle class males and females, due to the highbrow nature of the text as well as the character driven plot.
C) Justify how that point/ technique/ convention would gratify your previously identified type of audience
In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would fine escapism within the program as they're learning about another time. This links with 'retrophilia' where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience gain from the program as it gives them authentic information on the 1960s due to the amount of detail captured through the mise-en-scene in the program.
D) Describe a narrative sequence where this point/ technique/ convention is present
With reference to Mad Men series 5, episode 11, you can see the attention to detail throughout.
Through the mise-en-scene you can see clear references to 1960's culture. Three characters from the program, Peggy, Kenny and Harry, are captured using mid-shots, wide shots and close ups revealing aspects of the 60's culture through the stylistic features that have been encoded within the program. For example a wide shot is used to capture Kenny and Peggy sitting on an orange couch in one of the offices at the company. The bright orange sofa reflects 1960's decor; orange along with dark green, brown and yellow were popular in furniture, carpets and wallpapers during the 1960's; through the attention to detail the program has been encoded to represent 1960's culture.
Section 2
2) Does 'Lost' target a passive audience? Justify your answer
J.J Abram's TV program 'Lost' targets a passive audience. You can tell this through the use of dialogue, as the audience members are being told everything, resulting in them being injected with the messages without questioning what they're seeing.
3) Identify how Lost is encoded to gratify a passive audience.
The dialogue has been encoded to tell the passive audience members everything that is happening within the program. This aspect results in the audience members sitting back and taking everything in, without questioning what they're being told/ shown. This gratifies the audience members as all they have to do is watch the program. Enigma codes have been encoded for the audience to follow within the program, which hooks them into the narrative. Passive audiences would gain gratification from this text through the use of its high production value and cinematography, as it resembles a movie.
4) Justify one point/ technique/ convention that would force Mad Men's audience to decide the text actively in order to gain gratification
The niche text gratifies its audience through the mise-en-scene as the attention to detail shows clear representations of 1960s culture. Joan Harris- portrayed by Christine Hendricks- was styled to represent a typical female in the 60s. Her hairstyle, make-up and the clothes she wears are typical to the time period as the clothes have been chosen to emphasise her 'hour-glass figure'; a body shape/ type women aimed for/ wanted in the 60s. The audience would have to have some knowledge of the 60s to link the style of Joan Harris to the time period.
5) Explain and justify how Peaky Blinders has been encoded to gratify both passive and active audiences.
Steven Knights 'Peaky Blinders' is aired on BBC Two, and has developed a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious 'high-brow' drama series, a text that is rich is intelligence and culture. Peaky Blinders has elements of a high-brow text but it also contains mainstream conventions, such as the music. The music would gratify the passive audiences as the soundtrack includes contemporary artists such as Nick Cave and The White Stripes's Jack White, this use of modern music intertwined within the program creates a post-modern program and also boosts the audience appeal/ gratification. The high-brow elements within the program, such as the concept and narrative would attract and gratify the active audience, as it is about soldiers returning home from WWI, who start up a criminal gang in Birmingham.
Unlike mainstream texts such as Lost, Peaky Blinders doesn't tell the audience everything through the narrative, Peaky Blinders uses enigma codes and a character driven plot which entice the active audience.
The text has been complemented for its high production value and cinematography. A passive audience would take gratification from this as (cinematically) it resembles a movie. The cast of Peaky Blinders are well-known actors who have starred in various well-known movies, which also boosts the appeal of the audience and makes the program appear more like a movie, which gratifies the passive audience.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Monday, 17 February 2014
Half-Term Homework
Discuss the
audience appeal of your three main texts [30].
My first television text is J.J. Abram’s ‘Lost’. Lost is a
mainstream text and targets a popular and wide spread audience, known as a ‘mainstream
audience’. Conventions of this particular text can be seen repeatedly
throughout Lost, specifically in the scene where a group of people go for a
hike in search for a radio signal. Camera shots like close-ups, high-angles and
dutch angles are used along with non-diegetic sound to create enigma codes,
which hook the audience into the programme. For example, in the scene where a
group of six go for a hike in search for a radio signal, a non-diegetic ‘boom’
sound is heard, the noise exaggerated creating an enigma code as the audience
do not know what made this sound, a straight cut to a tracking shot of
something moving at a fast pace in the grass. This tracking shot is shot at a
dutch angle creating another enigma code as the audience don’t know what animal
this is. Fast paced, mid-shots and tracking shots are used to capture five of
them running away into the jungle. A mid-shot is used to capture Sawyer (the
sixth member of the group) pointing a gun towards this animal, the camera is
positioned at a dutch angle creating uncertainty. Shot reverse shot is then
used to capture Sawyer shooting towards the animal, then to the beast running
towards him and back to Sawyer. Through the use of a close-up and the dialogue
it is established that the animal running towards them was a Polar Bear. This
is another enigma, as the audience are aware that Polar Bears don’t belong in
that climate, leaving the audience questioning the text and becoming more
entertained.
Various different enigma codes have been set up for the
audience to follow within Lost, which leave the audience questioning the text
and also hooking them in to discover the future events within the program.
These enigma codes boost the appeal of the show to audiences as they offer a
sense of gratification, social integration and entertainment. The mainstream
audience who view ‘Lost’ take a passive viewing of the program, this is
because, through the dialogue, they’re being told everything which results in
the audience sitting back and taking the information that they’re being given
without questioning it. An example of this would be in the opening scene of the
second episode where a tracking shot is used to follow three characters,
Charlie, Kate and Jack, as they walk through the jungle. Through the dialogue
you can hear them talk about the plane crash, telling the audience straight
away what has happened to them, resulting in a passive audience as they’re
being told the action.
As well as through the mise-en-scene and the cinematography
the audience appeal is boosted through websites which promote the show. The
production company of Lost, ABC, stock Lost merchandise on their website,
allowing fans of the show to buy t-shirts, DVDs, toys of the characters and
more. As well as the merchandise you can find a section about Lost, linking
different biographies of the characters that feature in the different seasons
of Lost. Whilst researching I found various blogs dedicated into posting
information, pictures and scenes from the Lost seasons. When looking at the
articles on fan sites I have found that none of the fans post comments about
certain episodes, which confirms the mass audience take the preferred reading
and are being passive, not arguing with the different scenarios in Lost.
However, the blogs boost the audience appeal to the show as other viewers can
visit these sites and research more into the program.
My second text for this section is Mad Men, season 5 episode
11. Mad Men appeals to a niche audience, because the production company and the
channel the program is shown on is ‘AMC’ an independent, American cable show.
Audiences in Britain would have to subscribe in able to watch the show. The
episode received directing and writing nominations at the 2012 Primetime Emmy
Awards as well as Lead Actor, Lead Actress and Supporting Actress in a drama
series. The episode also received critical acclaim from TV journalists, along
with the nominations at the Emmy’s it boosts the audiences appeal to the
program as it is shown to be successful. The advertising for season 5 of Mad
Men was marketed by Sky Atlantic with the tag line “The four-time Emmy Winner
is back” showing more of the audiences appeal as it shows that the program has
won awards and has been nominated for them.
Through the mise-en-scene audiences may gain gratification
from the program as the attention to detail shows clear representations of
1960s culture. Joan Harris- portrayed by Christina Hendricks- was styled to
represent a typical female in the 60s. Her hair style, make-up and the way she
dresses is typical to the time period as she has been styled to emphasize her ‘hour-glass
figure’, with dresses that were pulled in at the waist; this was a body type
women aimed for/ wanted in the 60s.
“A top-notch episode full of closed-door talks and identity
politics,” in Mad Men you can see references to identity politics, which you
can also see within Sky Atlantic’s advertisement for the program. A wide shot
is used to capture Jon Hamm’s character, Don Draper, looking into what appears
(through the mise-en-scene) as a shop window. You can see that it is this
character due to the reflection. In the window you can see a display of two mannequins,
one male and one female. The male has been constructed to sit down, fully
clothes on an old fashioned chair. The woman in the shot has no clothes on and
has been constructed to represent women as sexual objects for male pleasure.
The female mannequin is captured standing on a slightly raised platform in
front of the male mannequin clearly showing men’s power over women during the
60s.
In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would find
escapism within the program as they’re learning about another time. This links
with ‘retrophilia’ where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the
past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience would get
from the program as it gives the audience authentic information on the 1960s
due to the amount of detail within the program.
Within this episode we see Peggy Olson’s departure from the
company, through research and looking at various fan websites and the guardian
newspaper discussions, I found that audiences were shocked with this departure.
In the episode a wide shot is used to capture Peggy waiting with contends from
her desk for an elevator. The shot captures her smiling as you hear the non-diegetic
music of ‘You really got me’ playing as she walks out of the frame. The music
at the end of this shot was described as a “massive musical climax” on the
Guardian’s page, the post then went on to say “This rush of rock’n’roll seemed
significant, as if it was representative of all the exciting adventures yet to
come for Peggy.” Audiences and fans of the show took to forums and blogs to
post comments onto them discussing Peggy’s departure. Comments such as “Peggy’s
departure came as a surprise” (the Guardian), show shock within the audience at
Peggy’s departure and show that Mad Men is a character driven program rather
than plot driven as the audience(s) follow the stories of the characters on the
show. Compared to Lost, the fans of Mad Men are much more active as they
discuss the scenarios that happen within the certain episodes on blogs with
other fans. Some fans review and conduct a deep discussion on the program/
episode. For example ‘The Orange Couch’ looked at season 5 episode 11 on their
YouTube channel and opened a deep discussion about themes and scenarios within
that particular episode, confirming the audience of Mad Men take a more active
role. These forums and blogs created by the fans offer them gratification and
social integration as they can debate the themes within the program with
others, which boosts the appeal of the program.
My third and final text for this section is Steven Knights ‘Peaky
Blinders’. This crime drama, set in 1919, follows former World War One soldiers
who have returned home and formed a criminal gang in Birmingham. The program
aired on BBC Two, a channel which screens programmes targeting the arts,
culture and drama and some comedy. These types of texts appeal to audience who
aren’t already served by BBC One of ITV. Over its first 30 years the channel developed
a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious ‘high-brow’ drama
series. A ‘high-brow’ text is rich in intelligence and culture. Peaky Blinders
has elements of a high-brow text but it also contains mainstream conventions
such as the music. The Peaky Blinders soundtrack includes contemporary artists
such as Nick Cave and The White Stripes, this use of modern music intertwined
within the program creates a post-modern program, it also boosts audience
appeal as they may be fans of the artists
The text has been complemented for its high production value
and cinematography. An active audience would take gratification from this as
(cinematically) it resembles a movie. Peaky Blinders has been compared to the
American Program ‘Boardwalk Empire’, as both programmes are stylistic, have
film star casts, set in the past and are about crime. A negotiated audience
would enjoy the text however would think that it lacks originality as it often
seems to mirror some of the key narrative themes from Boardwalk Empire, the
American text set in the same era. The text was also accused of giving up its
artistic merit and realism for mainstream convention.
The cast of Peaky Blinders is another element which boosts
the audiences appeal to the program as three of the actors are movie stars.
Cillian Murphy who portrays ‘Tommy Shelby’ in Peaky Blinders is a well-known
actor who has featured in films such as ‘Inception’ (2010), ‘The Dark Knight’
(2008) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005). Award winning actor Sam Neill, portrays ‘Inspector
Chester Campbell’ in Peaky Blinders. He is well known for his roles in ‘Jurassic
Park’ (1993), ‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001), ‘The Piano’ (1993) and ‘The Hunt For
Red October’ (1990). ‘Aunt Polly’ is portrayed by award winning actress Helen
McCroy. McCroy is well known for her role as Draco Malfoy’s mother in the Harry
Potter series as well as her roles in ‘Skyfall’ (2012) and ‘Hugo’ (2011). By
casting films stars into the program, Peaky Blinders boosts its appeal as a
wider audience made up of fans of these actors would have viewed the program.
The encoding and decoding model is a theory which Stuart
Hall devised for an active audience which examines the relationship between a
text and its audience. Encoding is the process by which a text is constructed
by its producers and decoding is the process by which the audience reads,
understands and interprets a text. Everything that is being shown to the
audience has been constructed and encoded for them to decode. By encoding the
text it allows the audience to participate and become more active with the text
which gratifies them, letting them go to forums and chat rooms and discuss the
text with others.
In response to Peaky Blinders,
audiences and fans took to forums and blogs to discuss the program. BBC Two
also have a web page dedicated to Peaky Blinders. Information on the cast, music
as well as clips and articles are linked onto this website allowing the
audience to research more into this program and become a more active audience.
It also keeps them updated about the second series that is soon to be released.
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Peaky Blinders Response
How has your chosen media text attracted its audience?
Steven Knights Peaky Blinders is a crime drama, set in 1919, which follows former world war one soldiers who have returned home and formed a criminal gang in Birmingham. The program aired on BBC Two, a channel which screens programmes targeting the arts, culture, drama and some comedy. These types of texts appeal to audiences who aren't already served by BBC One or ITV. Over its first 30 years the channel developed a reputation for screening highly praised and prestigious 'high brow' drama series.A 'high brow' text is rich in intelligence and culture. Peaky Blinders has elements of a high brow text but also contains mainstream conventions such as the music. The Peaky Blinders soundtrack includes contemporary artists such as Nick Cave and The White Stripes, this use of modern music within the program could attract the audience as they may be fans of the artists and or it brings a post modern element.
The text has been complemented for its high production value and cinematography. An active audience would take gratification from this as (cinematically) it would remind them of a movie.
Peaky Blinders has been compared to the American program 'Boardwalk Empire', as both programmes are stylistic, have film star casts, set in the past and are about crime. A negotiated audience would enjoy the text however would think that it lacks originality and often seems to mirror some of the key narrative themes of Boardwalk Empire, the American text set in the same era. The text was also accused of giving up its artistic merit and realism for mainstream convention.
The cast of Peaky Blinders is another aspect of the program which attracts the audience as the cast consists of 3 stars.
Cillian Murphy portrays 'Tommy' in Peaky Blinders and is a well know actor. His filmography includes Inception (2010), The Dark Knight (2008), Batman Begins (2005) and 28 Days Later (2002).
Award winning actor Sam Neill, portrays 'Inspector Chester Campbell' in Peaky Blinders. He's known for Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park III (2001), The Piano (1993) and The Hunt For Red October (1990).
'Aunt Polly' is portrayed by award winning actress Helen McCroy. McCroy is well known for her role as Draco Malfoy's mother in the Harry Potter series as well as her roles in Skyfall (2012) and Hugo (2011).
By casting film stars into the program, Peaky Blinders would have attracted a wider audience made up of these stars' fans who follow their career(s).
Audiences in the 1920s weren't as active compared to recent years as modern technology allows the audience nowadays to practise more creating a much more active audience.
In response to Peaky Blinders audiences and fans of the program took to forums/ chat rooms on the internet to discuss the issues within the program.
The encoding and decoding model is a theory which Stuart Hall devised for an active audience which examines the relationship between a text and its audience. Encoding is the process by which a text is constructed by its producers and decoding is the process by which the audience reads, understands and interprets a text. Everything that is being shown to the audience has been constructed and encoded for them to decode. By encoding the text it allows the audience to participate and become more active with the text which gratifies them, letting them go to forums and chat rooms and discuss the text with others.
BBC Two also have a web page dedicated to Peaky Blinders. Information on the cast, music as well as clips and articles are linked onto this website allowing the audience to research more into this program and become a more active audience. It also keeps them updated about the second series that is soon to be released.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Lost exam response
B4. 'Most media texts target a range of different audiences.' How true is this for your chosen texts?
'Lost' is a mainstream text and targets a popular and wide spread audience, which is know as a 'mainstream audience'. Conventions of a mainstream text can be seen repeatedly throughout Lost.
Conventions of this particular text can be seen specifically in the scene where a group of people go for a hike in search for a radio signal where they can send a signal for help. A high angle is used to capture the group walking through the jungle, non-diegetic sound can be heard quietly of a high pitched frequency creating uncertainty within the audience and also creating an enigma.
A non-diegetic 'boom' sound is then heard, the noise is exaggerated creating another enigma code, cuts to a tracking shot of this animal capturing the grass, implying that there is something running towards the group. Fast paced mid-shots and tracking shots are used to capture Sayid, Kate, Charlie, Shannon and Boone running away through the jungle. A mid-shot is then used to capture Sawyer pointing a gun towards the animal, the camera is positioned at a slight dutch angle creating uncertainty about what will happen next. Shot reverse shot is then used to capture Sawyer shooting towards the animal then to the beast running towards him and then back to Sawyer.
Through the use of a close-up and through the dialogue its established that the animal running towards them was a Polar Bear. This is another enigma, as the audience know that a Polar bear doesn't belong in that climate which leaves the audience questioning the text and being more entertained.
Within Lost various different enigma codes have been set up for the audience to follow. The enigma codes leave the audience questioning the text and also hooks them in to find out what's going to happen next to the characters.
The mainstream audience who view 'Lost' are taking a passive viewing of the programme, this is because they're being told everything (through the dialogue) which results in the audience just sitting back and taking the information they're being given. For example during the opening scene of Lost you're introduced to three of the characters, Charlie, Kate and Jack. A tracking shot is used to follow the three as they walk through a jungle- you can tell their location through the mise-en-scene. Through the dialogue you hear them talk about a plane crash, this tells the audience whats happened to them, resulting in a more passive audience as they're being told the action.
The program Lost is a mainstream text, you can tell this as on the production's website (ABC) they stock Lost merchandise. Where fans of the show can go and buy t-shirts, DVDs, toys of the characters and more. Also on the website you can find a section about Lost, which links to different bio's of the characters that appeared throughout the seasons. Whilst researching about the audiences response to Lost, I came across a website/ blog created by fans of the program. The site called 'LOST MEDIA' allows fans to post comments about certain episodes and to blog/ post about things that link with program and the stars. When looking at the articles on fan sites I have found that non of the fans post comments about certain episode posts, which shows/ confirms that the mass audience take the preferred reading and are being passive as they are not arguing with different scenarios that happen within Lost.
'Lost' is a mainstream text and targets a popular and wide spread audience, which is know as a 'mainstream audience'. Conventions of a mainstream text can be seen repeatedly throughout Lost.
Conventions of this particular text can be seen specifically in the scene where a group of people go for a hike in search for a radio signal where they can send a signal for help. A high angle is used to capture the group walking through the jungle, non-diegetic sound can be heard quietly of a high pitched frequency creating uncertainty within the audience and also creating an enigma.
A non-diegetic 'boom' sound is then heard, the noise is exaggerated creating another enigma code, cuts to a tracking shot of this animal capturing the grass, implying that there is something running towards the group. Fast paced mid-shots and tracking shots are used to capture Sayid, Kate, Charlie, Shannon and Boone running away through the jungle. A mid-shot is then used to capture Sawyer pointing a gun towards the animal, the camera is positioned at a slight dutch angle creating uncertainty about what will happen next. Shot reverse shot is then used to capture Sawyer shooting towards the animal then to the beast running towards him and then back to Sawyer.
Through the use of a close-up and through the dialogue its established that the animal running towards them was a Polar Bear. This is another enigma, as the audience know that a Polar bear doesn't belong in that climate which leaves the audience questioning the text and being more entertained.
Within Lost various different enigma codes have been set up for the audience to follow. The enigma codes leave the audience questioning the text and also hooks them in to find out what's going to happen next to the characters.
The mainstream audience who view 'Lost' are taking a passive viewing of the programme, this is because they're being told everything (through the dialogue) which results in the audience just sitting back and taking the information they're being given. For example during the opening scene of Lost you're introduced to three of the characters, Charlie, Kate and Jack. A tracking shot is used to follow the three as they walk through a jungle- you can tell their location through the mise-en-scene. Through the dialogue you hear them talk about a plane crash, this tells the audience whats happened to them, resulting in a more passive audience as they're being told the action.
The program Lost is a mainstream text, you can tell this as on the production's website (ABC) they stock Lost merchandise. Where fans of the show can go and buy t-shirts, DVDs, toys of the characters and more. Also on the website you can find a section about Lost, which links to different bio's of the characters that appeared throughout the seasons. Whilst researching about the audiences response to Lost, I came across a website/ blog created by fans of the program. The site called 'LOST MEDIA' allows fans to post comments about certain episodes and to blog/ post about things that link with program and the stars. When looking at the articles on fan sites I have found that non of the fans post comments about certain episode posts, which shows/ confirms that the mass audience take the preferred reading and are being passive as they are not arguing with different scenarios that happen within Lost.
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Mad Men response
B1. Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts. [30]
Mad Men, season 5 episode 11 appeals to a niche audience. This is because the production and the channel it is shown on is 'AMC' an American cable show. Audiences in Britain would have to subscribe in able to watch Mad Men. The episode received directing and writing nominations at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards as well as Lead Actor, Lead Actress and Supporting Actress in a drama series. The episode also received critical acclaim from TV journalists along with nominations at the Emmy's it boosts the audiences appeal as it shows the show is successful.
The advertising for season 5 of Mad Men was marketed by Sky Atlantic with the tag line "The four-time Emmy Winner is back" showing more of the audiences appeal as it shows that the program has won awards and been nominated for them.
Through the mise-en-scene you can see clear representations of the 1960s because of the attention to detail. Joan Harris portrayed by Christina Hendricks was styled to represent a female within the 60s. Her hair style and make up is typical to the time period as well as the way she dresses. She has been styled to emphasise her 'hour-glass' figure, which is shown through her flattering dresses which cling to her body- going in at the waist. The hour-glass figure of hers is one that women during the 60s wanted.
"A top-notch episode full of closed-door talks and identity politics," in Mad Men you can see references to identity politics, you can also see this within Sky Atlantics advertisement for the program. A wide shot is used to capture Jon Hamm's character, Don Draper, looking into what appears (through the mise-en-scene) as a shop window. You can see that it's Jon Draper looking into the window as you can see his reflection in the window. In the shop window there's a display of two mannequins, one male and one female. The male is constructed sitting down fully clothed on an old fashioned chair, the woman has no clothes on and has been constructed to represent women as sexual objects. The female mannequin is captured standing on a slightly raised platform in front of the male mannequin clearly showing men's power over women during the 60s.
In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would find escapism within the program as they're learning about another time. This links with 'retrophilia' where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience would get from the program as it gives the audience authentic information on the 1960s due to the amount of detail within the program.
Within this episode we see Peggy Olson's departure from the company, through research and looking at various fan websites and the guardian newspaper discussions I found that audiences were shocked with this departure. In the episode a wide shot is used to capture Peggy waiting with contents from her desk for an elevator. The shot captures her smiling as you hear non-diegetic music "You really got me" playing as she walks out of the frame. The music at the end of this shot was described as "a massive musical climax" on the Guardian's page the post then went on to say "This rush of rock'n'roll seemed significant, as if it was representative of all the exciting adventures yet to come for Peggy."
Audiences/ fans of the show took to forums and blogs and posted comments such as "Peggy's departure came as a surprise" (the Guardian), "There’s a lot to process here, but I’m going to start with the obvious. Peggy Olson! WTF," (fans blog). These comments show shock within the audience at Peggy's departure and show that Mad Men is character driven rather than plot driven as the audience(s) follow the stories of the characters on the show. Compared to Lost, the fans of Mad Men are much more active as they discuss the scenarios that happen within certain episodes on blogs with other fans. Some fans review and conduct a deep discussion on the program/ episode. For example 'The Orange Couch' looked at season 5 episode 11 on their YouTube channel and opened a deep discussion about the themes and scenarios within that particular episode showing/ confirming the audience of Mad Men take a more active role.
The forums and blogs created by the fans offer them gratification and social integration as they can debate the themes within the program with others which could boost the appeal of the show.
Mad Men, season 5 episode 11 appeals to a niche audience. This is because the production and the channel it is shown on is 'AMC' an American cable show. Audiences in Britain would have to subscribe in able to watch Mad Men. The episode received directing and writing nominations at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards as well as Lead Actor, Lead Actress and Supporting Actress in a drama series. The episode also received critical acclaim from TV journalists along with nominations at the Emmy's it boosts the audiences appeal as it shows the show is successful.
The advertising for season 5 of Mad Men was marketed by Sky Atlantic with the tag line "The four-time Emmy Winner is back" showing more of the audiences appeal as it shows that the program has won awards and been nominated for them.
Through the mise-en-scene you can see clear representations of the 1960s because of the attention to detail. Joan Harris portrayed by Christina Hendricks was styled to represent a female within the 60s. Her hair style and make up is typical to the time period as well as the way she dresses. She has been styled to emphasise her 'hour-glass' figure, which is shown through her flattering dresses which cling to her body- going in at the waist. The hour-glass figure of hers is one that women during the 60s wanted.
"A top-notch episode full of closed-door talks and identity politics," in Mad Men you can see references to identity politics, you can also see this within Sky Atlantics advertisement for the program. A wide shot is used to capture Jon Hamm's character, Don Draper, looking into what appears (through the mise-en-scene) as a shop window. You can see that it's Jon Draper looking into the window as you can see his reflection in the window. In the shop window there's a display of two mannequins, one male and one female. The male is constructed sitting down fully clothed on an old fashioned chair, the woman has no clothes on and has been constructed to represent women as sexual objects. The female mannequin is captured standing on a slightly raised platform in front of the male mannequin clearly showing men's power over women during the 60s.
In terms of uses and gratifications, the audience would find escapism within the program as they're learning about another time. This links with 'retrophilia' where the audience enjoy watching and learning things about the past. Retrophilia also links in with information that the audience would get from the program as it gives the audience authentic information on the 1960s due to the amount of detail within the program.
Within this episode we see Peggy Olson's departure from the company, through research and looking at various fan websites and the guardian newspaper discussions I found that audiences were shocked with this departure. In the episode a wide shot is used to capture Peggy waiting with contents from her desk for an elevator. The shot captures her smiling as you hear non-diegetic music "You really got me" playing as she walks out of the frame. The music at the end of this shot was described as "a massive musical climax" on the Guardian's page the post then went on to say "This rush of rock'n'roll seemed significant, as if it was representative of all the exciting adventures yet to come for Peggy."
Audiences/ fans of the show took to forums and blogs and posted comments such as "Peggy's departure came as a surprise" (the Guardian), "There’s a lot to process here, but I’m going to start with the obvious. Peggy Olson! WTF," (fans blog). These comments show shock within the audience at Peggy's departure and show that Mad Men is character driven rather than plot driven as the audience(s) follow the stories of the characters on the show. Compared to Lost, the fans of Mad Men are much more active as they discuss the scenarios that happen within certain episodes on blogs with other fans. Some fans review and conduct a deep discussion on the program/ episode. For example 'The Orange Couch' looked at season 5 episode 11 on their YouTube channel and opened a deep discussion about the themes and scenarios within that particular episode showing/ confirming the audience of Mad Men take a more active role.
The forums and blogs created by the fans offer them gratification and social integration as they can debate the themes within the program with others which could boost the appeal of the show.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Drive and Film Noir
The characters in the film are typical of the noir genre. The main protagonist, Driver, portrayed by Ryan Gosling, is a cynical character within the film- a character linked with the Noir genre. He's represented as hard heated, lonely, a 'cold' character and physically tough, these representations are seen through the mise-en-scene. During the scene where Driver is having dinner with Irene, her son and her husband you see through the mise-en-scene that Driver is represented as a 'cold' character. He is captured using a mid-shot capturing him sitting at the dinner table, the wallpaper behind him is a light blue colour which reflects a tone of blue onto him representing him as a cold character. This representation also links with the cynical protagonist common in the noir genre as they can be described as 'cold-hearted'. Irene is captured differently in this scene, she is captured as a warmer person. Through the use of mise-en-scene and the lighting a brown/ red, warm light is reflected onto her showing a contrast between the two.
 |
| Here you can see that Driver is a cold character and Irene a warmer character (mise-en-scene of the wallpaper and the light) |
 |
| Close-up is used to capture the femme fatale smoking |
Femme fatale's can be seen in 2005 film 'Sin City' directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino (guest director). During the opening scene of Sin City you see a typical femme fatale found in the noir genre. You can see this through the use of mise-en-scene, she is captured using a high-angle as she walks to the end of the balcony of the skyscraper- you can tell this is the location as the high angle also shows other skyscrapers and urban life. This scene (and the whole film) has been edited into black and white filter to resemble that of a comic book however, bold colours are seen in appropriate places. In this scene you can see an example of this use of colour as to capture the femme fatale and her characteristics her dress is bright red- connotations of passion and danger, then a close-up is used to capture her smoking and here you see she is wearing red lipstick another convention of the femme fatale in noir.
 |
| Close-up used to capture the femme fatale smoking also see red lipstick, similar to the shot used in 'Drive' to capture Blanche (example of shot above). |
 |
| This is the high angle used to capture femme fatale on the balcony on the skyscraper. |
During the scene in Drive where the robbery of the pawn shop takes place, another convention of noir can be seen- the use of neon lights/ signs. The sets of film noir films have a gloomy feel, low key lighting, venesian-blinds used to keep out the sunlight, dark alleys and streets are conventions of the film noir genre. These contrast with the neon signs which were a popular aspect within the genre.
Neon signs can be found in urban environments. In this particular scene (in Drive) they are shown in a shop window which is located in a grimy location. In Sin City neon lights can be seen in shop windows however they are most commonly seen as signs to strip-clubs and pubs within the city. There locations are also grimy and urban like the location of the pawn shop in Drive.
Characters and Representations of District 9
Wikus
His representation at the start is that he is a bit of a Geek and a pen pusher. Through the mise-en-scene you can see this as he wears stereotypical clothes that a 'geek' would commonly wear- a sweater vest, shirt and tie with his hair styled to the side sprayed onto his head using gel. Wikus is married to the daughter of the boss of the MNU, this shows that the only way Wikus has got this job is due to nepotism. He can be represented as a hero in parts of the film however not throughout. He helps Christopher get to the smaller ship (where his son is) that will take him up to the mothership which will enable him to go and save his people and then fix Wikus. Wikus could be considered the donor at the end of the film as he gives Christopher the fuel to go back to the mothership. He could also be considered as the helper when he is defending Christopher and son when they start the ship and go back to the mothership.
Christopher
Christopher is the true hero of the film as he is the one who goes and wants to save and help his people. He can also be seen as a religious character as through his actions and the mise-en-scene he resembles Christ. Christopher wants what is best for his people/ species and you hear him in the film talk to Wikus about helping him after he saves his species first. This conversation is captured using a wide shot to show Christopher and Wikus talking about using fuel to return to Christophers birth planet where he can help Wikus. When the two are in the government building, Christopher is captured using a wide shot as he looks at a Prawn who has been killed and is an experiment which the humans have been looking at. Close-up/ mid-shots are used to capture the humans/ army people shooting towards Wikus and Christopher but Christopher is captured using a wide shot as he looks down at the dead Prawn. The bullets miss Christopher suggesting a miracle by God/ he resembles Christ.
The scene where you see Christopher and his son fly off to the mothership a low angle is used to capture the smaller ship on its way to the mothership. Through the miss-en-scene you see that the ship is in the shape of a cross which also resembles Christ.
The scene where you see Christopher and his son fly off to the mothership a low angle is used to capture the smaller ship on its way to the mothership. Through the miss-en-scene you see that the ship is in the shape of a cross which also resembles Christ.
Tania
Tania is Wikus's wife and also is Wikus's boss's daughter- this is how Wikus got the job at MNU.
In terms of Todorov's folk tale theory, Tania is represented as the 'Princess'.
In terms of Todorov's folk tale theory, Tania is represented as the 'Princess'.
Christopher's Son
In District 9 Christopher resembles Christ within the narrative, also making his son a religious character. In terms of Todorov's folk tale theory, Christopher's son would be considered the helper as he assists his father throughout the film, when preparing the ship and helping Wikus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)