Gravity: Trailer Conventions...?

Don McCullin

McCullin

Imagine... presents McCullin, a powerful documentary portrait of legendary British war photographer and photojournalist Don McCullin. Told through a series of searingly honest and often graphic interviews, McCullin recounts a life lived in the theatre of war - from his first assignment with the violent teenage gangs on his home turf of Finsbury Park, to capturing international conflicts of the past 50 years. The film lays bare McCullin's disgust for the destruction of human life, juxtaposed with the adrenaline rush of a life spent under enemy fire.

Available on BBC iPLayer until Tuesday 6 August 2013:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b036j3fp/
 

 

Collective Identity and Representation...

• I know I should've illustrated the post below for the benefit of those who don't read books without pictures, but it's been a long day. You need to have a go at this question: it's not going away. 
• Although it's your choice, the generic question will be the easiest to tackle, but unless you show rather more commitment than many of you have done, you'll mess it up. You've watched the texts and you're all capable of talking about the way the working class is represented but you need to string your ideas together in a decent essay and you MUST include some theory. 
• No theory = no chance of getting a C or above. Simple as that.
• You MUST refer to texts from film AND television and you MUST show some knowledge of how representation has changed - and while this does reflect changes in society (more dysfunctional family life - though it's there in the first Coronation Street with the Tanners), it's also reflecting commercial/institutional considerations. You also need to get across the idea that what you are watching is often a series of RE-PRESENTATION of other representations of working class and that this has a far longer history than the 1959/1960 Angry Young Man films...
• In the hour you'll have for this question, you should be able to knock off close to four sides of well-structured work where your thoughts are supported by reference to the texts and some theoretical ideas. If you're sitting around counting the ceiling tiles (if there are any) for 30 minutes, then you've done yourself a disservice.
• So... revise it and make sure you know your stuff. Don't make it up.
• The first time you mention a film, refer to its director and put the date of its release in brackets. Reference to theory ought to have the date in brackets too - where possible.
• There's loads of info on the blog to help you with your revision. 
• We have had As in this question before and not only from natural grade A students, but also from those prepared to work to achieve something.
• The post below is thorough and probably could've been trimmed, but, like I've often said, time to take some responsibility for your own work...
• Good luck!

Representation of the Working Class in Popluar British Film and Soaps

A. State you’re discussing the representation of the wc in popular film and in soap operas on TV.
B. We tend to think of the rep od wc on the screen in the angry young man films (circa 1960) as a radical shift from views of the past – but heavily influenced by representations from but they were heavily influenced by previous images of wc culture from literature, journalism, art and photography dating between the 1880s and 1940s (see Eley and Rob Shields in http://heworthmediastudies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/roots-of-working-class-representation.html - such as?
C. What we’re dealing with is re-presentation as much as representation – and this is something that continues to this day – writers and directors don’t just base their representation on reality but on versions of reality.
D. Key area of change with the AYM movies is that the working class was no longer marginalised as in the past when it could be said that representation seems to reinforce Gramsci’s theory of hegemony – explain it… look at the slideshare at the address above…
E. What was the representation of wc life like in those AYM films – a little bit of detail about Sat Night Sun Morning would go down well here – talk about Arthur rebelling against the constrictions of the class system in an era where the wc had jobs and money and the country was coming out of post-war austerity, but their ambitions were thwarted by the class system… Note also that a recent relaxation in the censorship laws allowed more explicit language and scenes – such as the discussion of abortion
F. Why was rep in Coronation Street different? Talk about Ken and his relationship with his family; talk about the representation of women – both were affected by institutional concerns – ITV was considered a lowbrow channel with a working class audience and the traditional audience of soaps was female (you could stick some theory in here about soaps and female audiences e.g Hobson (1982) claimed soaps gave female viewers a ‘cultural space’ in the dominant patriarchal society that they could call their own) – need to build an audience to ensure advertising revenue.

G.Two strands of wc representation, one, an often visceral depiction of wc life where the effects of the class system can be seen in the brutalisation of family life, growing up and relationships – as in Ken Loach’s Kes and Sweet Sixteen, Shane Meadows’ This Is England and Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur (2011). These films were made with little compromise – Loach, for example, refused to tone down the language in Sweet Sixteen (2002) (in which a young Glaswegian teenager gets sucked deeper into the drug trade which has already seen his mother jailed, until he stabs his step-father), which meant the audience it was intended for wasn’t allowed to see it.
H. In later British films, representation of working class retains many of the tropes now seemingly ingrained into national consciousness - Billy Elliott’s terraced housing, northern accents, macho males and (the remains of) grim industrial factories, but it’s hard to determine how much is this is based on real life and how much is based on a collective identity of working class created over the years by a variety of sources that includes earlier representation on the television and in the cinema. However, there are some notable differences, reflecting genuine concern about working class life. The more popular strand of modern wc film includes Brassed Off, Billy Elliott, The Full Monty and Made in Dagenham – the first three depict Britain in a post-industrial landscape - the pits or factories are closing or closed and all depict the effects of unemployment on family and community – give some examples. All, however, are sort of feel bad/feel good movies and have rousing finales that seem depict the victory of the underdog.
I. There are institutional reasons behind this because of the film companies’ need to appeal to an audience beyond a local one. Film distribution and exhibition in the UK is dominated by Hollywood and many British films don’t get beyond the ‘art house circuit’ – if that. To give an example of the pressure the UK film industry is up against, Warner Brothers’ the Dark Knight opened in 4366 screens across the UK; the independent, working class-set film, This Is England, opened in only 62.
J. The US, of course, is the biggest marker for English speaking movies and in most cases, it provided at least partial financial backing for the films in question (Brassed Off was backed by Miramax, a branch of Disney, for example) – hence the representation of wc has been governed by concerns of audience and institution. 

K. Despite Brassed Off’s overtly political stance and the the speech at the Royal Albert Hall, the band’s victory reunites the community and the families – all the wives are present, including the one who left her husband; all the men are on the same side, including the one who took the government’s offer of redundancy money; the company spy is reintegrated with her community on a personal, professional and social level; despite refusing to accept the trophy, they take it anyhow and the film ends with a rousing, if ironic, Land of Hope and Glory as the victory bus passes under the Houses of Parliament.
L. Representation of gender - All four films depict a crisis of masculinity – the men can no longer fulfil their traditional roles as wage earners – even in Made in Dagenham where it’s the women who take industrial action to seek equal pay, the men cannot work when the women strike – and families break down.
M. Made in Dagenham - about the 1968 strike at a Ford factory by women in pursuit of equal pay - depicts the effects on the working class family of the capitalist system and we see the men emasculated, because Ford can no longer employ the men as a result of the strike. There is a favorable portrayal of organized labor and Marxist ideas, which is unusual in a climate where unions are demonized, but the film claims gender as the primary form of oppression. Lisa relinquishes her poise, momentarily, and seeks affinity with Rita O'Grady, the strike leader. "Do you know who I am?" she asks. Her husband treats her like a fool, but she has a first-class Cambridge degree and adores reading about people making history. "That's what you are doing," she tells O'Grady. "Tell me what it feels like when you've done it." This is an elegant and clever moment where gender transcends class.
N. To seek some sort of status, male characters in Full Monty and BE take up occupations/pastimes traditionally associated with women to forge a new identity in the post-industrial world. BE overcomes the stereotypical macho reactions of the working class northern male and his father eventually supports him. The film was criticised for the portrayal of women – didn’t show their staunch support for the miners’ strike; unlike BO which pictured their protest amps outside the mines, depicted the tensions within the families of the miners and the support they gave each other when money was short. Gauntlett (2002): in contrast with the past - or the modern popular view of the past - we no longer get singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities. Today, nothing about identity is clear-cut, and the contradictory messages of popular culture make the 'ideal' model for the self even more indistinct. 

O. In FM, homosexual and black characters are seen as parts of the community and are integral to the success of the venture and the formation of a new wc identity in the post-industrial landscape – compare this with the ONE black character depicted at the start of Sat Night Sun Morning, who Arthur tells us is all right, but who never appears again.
P. Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share (2012), portrays many of the visual and narrative working class tropes from this genre (deprived Glasgow, unemployment, crime and the brutality suffered by the lead character), but it has more in common with the popular strand of wc films as it is often comic and ends on an uplifting note as the protagonists pull off "a heist worthy of Danny Ocean"; indeed the film has been marketed as “This year’s Full Monty.” Is this representation to be seen as a result of a commercial compromise? Or has Loach's representation been further mediated through media critics using lazy shorthand to describe a film in terms their readers will understand? Or is it a bit of both...?
Q. The representation of class in modern soaps has changed over the years. Though wc accent is still a signifier of class, storylines have become more issued-based and hard-hitting, building on the success of Brookside (starting in 1982 on Channel 4) which depicted the strains on the life of a wc family struggling in their attempt to live in a middle class housing estate against a background of industrial unrest and unemployment in Thatcher’s Britain.
R. The BBC’s Eastenders followed suit in 1985 and runs heavily trailed storylines about spousal abuse, drug use, drug selling, AIDS, racism etc. Unfortunately, Brookside’s attempts to pursue viewing figures led to sensationalistic stories far removed from its origins and it lost viewers and was cancelled and with Eastenders, it could be argued that any ‘good’ done by raising the issues is negated by the frequency by which they occur and the manner in which they are promoted.

S. Eastenders – introduced a greater ethnic mix of characters, but also more stories about young people and more stories about crime in an effort to maintain viewing figures in a much changed media landscape where the basic terrestrial channels are no longer the only source of entertainment. Although the show continues to feature strong female characters, the view of working class life as one rife with serious social issues and violent crime is not one that soap audiences in 1961 would recognise. 

T. In 1967, critics claimed Coronation Street didn’t reflect life in 1960s Britain. Granada tried to update the programme, with the hope of introducing more issue-driven stories, including Emily Nugent having an out of wedlock child, but they were dropped for fear of upsetting viewers. CS still lags behind Eastenders in its use of ethnic minorities and while both have introduced gay characters, Eastenders preferred issue-based storylines around this whereas Coronation Street has used this to reflect the tolerance of the community by NOT making an issue of it. The camp representation of the gay character in CS perhaps reflects the fact its audience as a whole is older than that of Eastenders and it’s one they’re more familiar with, and the need for the institutions to respond to this is one of the reasons why the representation of working class life is different between the shows. Note there's greater representation of dysfunctional family life in modern soaps and films (where the representation is often in response to outside pressures like unemployment) - although this is there in the very first CS - see the Tanners.
U. Both shows now have more middle class characters (or those aspiring to that level), as reflected by the mise-en-scene of some of the houses, the dress (Rosie is clearly depicted as a snob) and the jobs they undertake. Coronation Street’s opening credits used to show new flats as well as the traditional rooftops of the terraces, but the sequence has changed; the flats have gone and there is a rosy sunny glow over the rooftops, as if reflecting nostalgia for the show’s heyday – and, of course, the fact that the mean age of its audience is older than that of its BBC rival.
V. The question is, of course, just how do viewers consume soaps. Gerbner (1986) felt viewers can’t escape the encroachment of television into their lives, that it ‘cultivates the minds of viewers over a long period of time.’ However, Hawkins and Pingree (1983) could not find conclusive proof of the direction of the relationship between television viewing and viewers' ideas about social reality.
W. The Broadcasting Standards Commission researched audience attitude to the British Soap Opera in 2002 and found viewers enjoyed soaps on different levels and for different reasons, with escapism the main one. Some viewers did see them as featuring ‘somewhere realistic with recognisable characters,’ others thought they were too entertainment-driven to be realistic – ‘sanitised reality,’ as one viewer put it. It was found that Coronation Street has an older audience than Eastenders, perhaps reflecting its long history, but also as a result of the nature of the storylines, which tend to revolve less around crime and gangsters and contain more warmth and humour. 

X. Identity theory and the influence of the media have moved on from basic Marxist concerns that the media can control us, even though you might see some truth in Gramsci’s idea of hegemony - much of the media is controlled by the dominant group in society and the viewpoints associated with this group become embedded in the products themselves - hence the marginalisation in the representation of the working class in British cinema until the late 1950s. Audiences are increasingly recognised as active in their relationship with the media. Gammon and Marshment (1998) stress the role of the audience in the construction of meaning from texts and suggest there is a range of interpretations offered by any text and Henry Jenkins (1992): ‘Fans actively assert their mastery over the mass-produced texts which provide the raw material for their own cultural productions and the basis for their social interactions.’
Y. I think the way forward is to acknowledge Collective Identity exists but that it seems to difficult measure or ascertain HOW FAR British soap operas and film have helped to create a sense of collective identity. Thomas De Zengotita (2005) – Almost everything we know about the world comes to us through some sort of media and this influences our view of the world and even our self-definition but Gauntlett (2002): The media disseminates a huge number of messages about identity and acceptable forms of self-expression, gender, sexuality, and lifestyle. At the same time, the public have their own robust set of diverse feelings on these issues. The media's suggestions may be seductive, but can never simply overpower contrary feelings in the audience. It seems appropriate to speak of a slow but engaged dialogue between media and media consumers. Neither the media nor the audience are powerful in themselves, but both have powerful arguments – and the media, of course,is but one source. Note the way, in the age of web 2.0, that collective identity is also reflected in the use of websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter, official sites and unofficial fan sites, including fan fiction sites. Note also the use of the tabloid press, who will feature stories about Soap stars and refer to them by their characters’ names and who use television and film fiction as lazy shorthand to paint a picture for their readers with headlines like, "Shameless Britain," to refer to rundown wc estates in the north of England – but then haven’t films and TV been doing this themselves when representing aspects of wc life? 

Z. Despite this, Greg Philo of the Glasgow Media Group notes that the audience does not exist as a silent mass with a collective identity, but as active, thinking, reflective, creative audiences who share cultural experiences in common – and this is surely all the more so when viewers can re-evaluate their relationship to the text by interacting with each other through conversation or through fan sites.

How is identity formed?

• Jacques Lacan – psychoanalyst. Identified the Mirror Stage, where a child begins to develop their identity from what it sees (1936).  The mirror stage describes the formation of the Ego via the process of identification, the Ego being the result of identifying with one's own specular image.  Cinema and television act as a distorting mirror for spectators who then (mis) recognise themselves.
• Foucault: An 'identity' is communicated to others in your interactions with them, but this is not a fixed thing within a person. It is a shifting, temporary construction.
• Gary Giddens (1991) claims that mediated experiences make us reflect upon and rethink our own self-narrative in relation to others: the self is not something we are born with, and it is not fixed.  Instead, the self is reflexively made- thoughtfully constructed by the individual. We all choose a lifestyle.
• Henry Jenkins (1992): We need to interact in order to form our identity - with other people – or with the media; this can involve partaking in an event (in reality, or virtually) with people with whom we feel affinity helps us to form collective identity.
•  David Gauntlett (2002) Media products provide numerous kinds of 'guidance' - in the myriad suggestions of ways of living which they imply. We lap up this material because the social construction of identity today is the knowing social construction of identity. Your life is your project. The media provides some of the tools which can be used in this work. Like many toolkits, it contains some good utensils and some useless ones; some that might give beauty to the project, and some that might spoil it. (People find different uses for different materials, too, so one person's 'bad' tool might be a gift to another.) Note how Gauntlett credits people with ability to choose or reject or reshape… 

Collective Identity Questions...

A selection...

• How do media representations influence Collective Identity?
• Discuss the ways in which different groups are represented by the media.
• Explain the role of the media in the construction of collective identity
• What is Collective Identity and how is it mediated?
• Discuss the social implications of media in relation to collective identity.
• Media representations are complex, not simple and straight forward. How far do you agree with this statement in relation to the group you have studied?
• With reference to one group of people you have studied, discuss how their identity been mediated?

Bauer Media

The Heat is on as Bauer looks to change its tune
Publisher of Closer and Grazia and owner of Kiss and Magic radio needs to close its deal

John Plunkett
guardian.co.uk
Sunday 20 January 2013

This week MediaGuardian 25, our survey of Britain's most important media companies, covering TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, music and digital, looks at Bauer Media.

It might seem strange to suggest the biggest publisher of consumer magazines in the UK, including Grazia, Heat and FHM, is playing catch-up. But that is where Bauer Media finds itself in the other UK sector in which it operates.

Home to a stable of radio stations led by Kiss and Magic, the privately-owned German company lags behind the number one commercial player, Global Radio, which last year saw off a last-minute bid by Bauer to buy Smooth Radio owner GMG Radio.

No surprise, then, that Bauer has been closely linked with bids for two national music stations which are for sale, Absolute Radio, owned by the Times of India's parent company, and Malcolm Bluemel's Planet Rock.

Both are loss-making – Absolute to the tune of £4m a year – but Bauer, with rock stations Kerrang! and Q already in its portfolio, is well-equipped to make savings by co-locating or rebranding (probably both).

The business, which spans 42 radio stations and 56 consumer magazines, reaching around 19 million people in the UK every week, is part of the Hamburg-based Bauer Media Group.

The family-run company, led by 73-year-old chairman Heinz Bauer, paid £1.14bn for Emap's consumer magazine and radio divisions in 2007. Bauer's UK interests were previously limited to H Bauer, publisher of Take A Break. Enders Analysis described the purchase price at the time as "nothing short of miraculous" given the prevailing economic winds; it would fetch a fraction of that money today. In a tough magazine sector, Bauer's once market leading men's title FHM has run out of steam, eclipsed by Hearst's Men's Health, while the publishing sensation of the last decade, Heat, has been in steep decline in recent years, with celebrity gossip available on Mail Online and elsewhere.

Bauer's best print performer is said to be its celebrity weekly Closer. Launched in 2002, it is estimated to make a profit of around £9m a year, roughly double that of its other star performer, glossy weekly Grazia. Bauer, fiercely protective of such figures, does not comment.

The award-winning Grazia, edited by Jane Bruton, launched in 2005 and remains Bauer's most recent high profile launch (later titles have included the nerdy Wonderpedia and bi-monthly Landscape, aimed at nature-lovers). Bauer's attempt to create a "male Grazia" with Gaz7etta, an aspirational men's weekly (and the antithesis of another fading Bauer title, Zoo) failed to get past the pilot stage in 2010.

"The quality of what they do is very good, they are excellent magazine publishers," says one senior industry observer. "But they could be a little bit bolder when it comes to creating new concepts. When you are the market leader then you need to lead the market."

Paul Keenan, chief executive of Bauer Media in the UK, says a priority for the company is digital offshoots of existing big brands, whether that's a Grazia app or launching its film magazine Empire on the iPad in the US. "We want to launch a multimedia brand with a very strong print offering within it," he says.

"Print will continue to be an engaging platform for people who are passionate about something. We intend to continue to develop print products but will now surround those with digital extensions and additions which make the brand more useful and engaging and accessible."

One launch Bauer is said to have investigated is an upmarket magazine for older women – either a trendier version of Yours (which it also publishes) or a more mature Grazia, depending on your point of view. Keenan prefers not to comment, as he does on speculation regarding Absolute and Planet Rock.

Douglas McCabe, a media analyst at Enders Analysis, says: "The biggest challenge for Bauer is how do they cope in a mobile world when penetration of mobile devices – smartphones, tablets, even e-readers – grows into heartland Bauer territory, in other words the mass market."

Bauer is seen as a smart day-to-day business which keep costs under control, with Keenan regarded as a good operator who knows his market well.

The UK chief executive talks to Heinz Bauer at least once a week, and works closely with Saskia Bauer, one of the chairman's four daughters, all of whom have senior positions within the company.
More enthusiastic about digital radio than Global, Bauer has a number of digital-only radio stations, including The Hits and Smash Hits, as well as a radio spin-off of Heat which has also transferred to TV, one of seven stations on Box TV, Bauer's joint venture with Channel 4. Q also has its own radio station but its TV version was closed to make way for Heat.

If there is a criticism of Bauer it is a perceived inability to close a deal. Along with the GMG Radio stations that went to Global, Bauer was also interested – but ultimately missed out – in buying BBC Magazines two years ago and a batch of Global stations in the west Midlands in 2009.

Keenan responds: "We've said at the right price and at the right time in the right place, we will act."

It remains to be seen whether the song will remain the same at Planet Rock and Absolute, or if Bauer will find itself singing a different tune in coming weeks. Given the stations' respective playlists, expect it to be something by Guns 'N' Roses.

The numbers
Pre-tax profits: £57.3m* (£63.3m, 2010)
Revenues: £228m* (£246m, 2010)
Employees: 2,000
Radio: weekly reach 13.4m, 10.8% share
Magazines: total reach 8.6m readers
* excludes radio stations, full year 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/20/bauer-media-closer-grazia-kiss?INTCMP=SRCH

Trying to beat the pirates...

LEAKED OSCAR SCREENERS ARE BitTORRENT SMASH HITS

January 13, 2013 – 4:57 am

Even before the 2013 Oscar nominees were announced on January 10, 2013, there were already many movies in the running. One of them, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, is currently getting a huge thumbs up from the Internet. Last weekend a perfect review copy leaked online and in just 24 hours racked up 500,000 downloads. The Hobbit, currently the most popular Oscars leak, has more than two million downloads to date with a week’s head start over Tarantino’s western. By Enigmax of TorrentFreak.

 

With the Academy Awards just weeks away, January is an exciting time for movie lovers around the world. In the run up to “Oscar Sunday” on February 24, the nominees were announced on January 10 following the deliberations of 5,700 Academy members.

 

Some of those voters will have made their assessments from a trip to the theater but some highly privileged individuals will have received a piece of cinematic gold from the studios – access to pre-release copies of all the top movies “for their consideration.”

 

The industry has worked very hard indeed to keep movies from leaking onto the Internet so these early copies are handed out amid tight security. The availability of a dreadful ‘camcordered’ copy online is annoying enough but a perfect digital copy is a nightmare for the studios. To this end, while physical DVD copies still appear to be issued, these days so-called “screeners” are also distributed to Academy members digitally.

 

However, it appears to make very little difference what kind of security measures are put in place, movies still leak online. As 2012 entered its final months the tell-tale signs that screeners were being sent out became obvious online after they became available on BitTorrent tagged “DVDSCR”.

 

Billy Bob Thornton’s Jayne Mansfield’s Car appeared online in October 2012 followed by thrillers Citadel and The Sweeney in November.

 

With Christmas round the corner, December certainly delivered the treats. The Perks of Being a Wallflower starring Emma Watson, Denzel Washington’s Flight, Lincoln from veteran Steven Spielberg, and James Bond’s latest outing Skyfall all found their way onto the web from screener copies.

 

And in January the bonanza continued. The first new leak of the year, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, has proven a massive hit with file-sharers. According to statistics gathered by TorrentFreak the fantasy movie has been downloaded at least two million times since it appeared on the first of the month.

 

Just three days later and the Osama Bin Laden hunt movie Zero Dark Thirty was debuting online, joined on the same day by a copy of Anthony Hopkins’ Hitchcock.

 

Last weekend was particularly busy as The Sessions made its appearance along with West of Memphis, Celeste & Jesse Forever, Anna Karenina and Hyde Park on Hudson.

 

But there was also a very big leak, one that millions of people have been waiting for and could turn out to be the biggest so far this Oscar season. Django Unchained, the latest movie from much-loved writer/director Quentin Tarantino, appeared online January 5 (Saturday) and quickly caught fire.

 

The western, which stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio, became an immediate smash-hit on BitTorrent. Statistics gathered Sunday by TorrentFreak show that the movie was downloaded at least 500,000 times in its first 24 hours online.

 

And, as an interesting footnote, people wanting to blame these stats on The Pirate Bay will be disappointed. Although it is back online now, the world’s most famous torrent site was offline all day on January 6 and played no part in proceedings.

 

http://bigozine2.com/feature/?p=855

 

 

Another exam-style question and plan for the AS January exam...

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

1. New developments all the time
2. Recent developments can be illustrated in the use of technological convergence to promote films – look at official film websites e.g. Slumdog a) streaming of video material b) flash technology c) links to games etc to increase interactivity, which in turn creates the illusion of giving the audience a sense of ownership so they will be more likely to see the film/DVD d) links to social networking (sites such as…), which again creates a sense of interactivity e) links to reviews, interviews etc. f) the Long Tail effect – the film website will act as a promotional tool for the DVD/BluRay long after the film has finished being exhibited in cinemas. On some websites, such as those for Sony films, there are links to other upcoming Sony films. Note the advantages of being a vertically integrated company like Sony.
3.  IMAX and 3D - Blockbuster films developed for IMAX as well as regular screening; some in 3D – increasingly popular over last few years – now not just action movies (the Life Of Pi, for example) but these are the type of big budget event movies that show off  this kind of technology. Note that not all cinemas are geared up for this level of development. The Hobbit - shot at 48 frames per second, as opposed to the industry standard of 24 - director Peter Jackson thought it offers a sgarper image and reflects the real way of seeing - but only cinemas can show it this way and critics have complained the visuals resemble those of a video game and were too 'shiny'.
4. Viral marketing – look at Slumdog, again…
5. Use of phones to watch trailers, films, to browse the net for information about films
6. Use of digital movie cameras and editing – refer to Slumdog and Amber… But note that while many film directors are going difital, some, like Christopher Nolan, want to stick to traditional 35 mm - see http://heworthmediastudies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/celluloid-versus-digital.html - but also notice a few of the potential pitfalls - cinemas will have to undergo an expensive conversion for digital exhbition, but arthouse/second run cinemas will not be able to show older movies; some people think the digital image deteriorates over time, as was the case with Toy Story.
7. Owners of social network sites target adverts, including those for films, to individuals based on their profiles
8. Use of CGI – can create more realistic effects; can create the illusion of crowds, landscapes and cityscapes that could save money – although over reliance on effects can lead to movies where the effects are the main reason to see the movie! However, these kind of films are popular with the main cinema-going audience, the 16-25 year-olds
9. Digital distribution and exhibition – what state is it currently in the UK? What are the hopes for future development? How does a small, independent company like Amber use new technology to promote and distribute their works?
10. Legal downloads – has the music industry shown the way? Will the trend be for people to download from sites such as netflix?
11. Illegal downloads – how have companies tried to combat this i.e. early DVD/BluRay releases…
12. The audience as prosumers… audiences use social networking sites –post their own reviews, post trailers from YouTube, post their own mash-ups, post songs from the soundtracks. These sites have a potential audience of millions. Some ‘audience’ sites, like http://www.aintitcool.com/ have been quoted in press reviews. Negative reviews/comments on widely read sites like this can have an effect on other users and make up their minds about whether or not they see the film.

Exam style question and plan for AS January exam

Successful media products depend as much on marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

1. Film distribution = everything that happens between the film being made and it being exhibited, whether in a cinema, on DVD, TV, the internet or anywhere else. Distribution is the most important part of the film industry, where completed films are brought to life and connected with an audience
2. Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place. In the practice of Hollywood and other forms of industrial cinema, the phases of production, distribution and exhibition operate most effectively when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company. In the UK, distribution is very much focused on marketing and sustaining a global product in local markets.
3. In the independent film sector, vertical integration does not operate so commonly. Producers tend not to have long-term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors. Here, as the pig-in-the-middle, distribution is necessarily a collaborative process, requiring the materials and rights of the producer and the cooperation of the exhibitor to promote and show the film in the best way possible.
4. 50% of money spent on a film often goes on promotion Film is a business like any other; it doesn’t rely on waiting and listening to audience response before delivering the product; it relies on knowing which part of the world and the media need its products and will pay for them. Does market forces competition give the consumer more power and choice and, therefore, influence, what’s made OR does it convince us that what we want is being made for us? Do millions go to see The Dark Knight when it opens because it’s a great film or because it’s been well-marketed? Or both?
5. Promotion involves above the line advertising, such as posters, trailers, billboards and spin-offs and promotional partners. It also involves related merchandising and below the line publicity which is not paid for but generates mutual interest. For example, an interview with a star in a newspaper or reviews in a magazine. Not all films are treated equally.
6. Bigger companies (i.e. those Hollywood majors like Sony-Columbia) have more financial muscle to promote their product and the big companies who control much of the industry, control not only the distribution of their own products, but that of others (Fox, for example, distributed Slumdog Millionaire in the USA and Canada).
7. However, the product itself can be ‘shaped’ or ‘tailored’ to certain audiences. Slumdog was devised in a way that it would appeal to a global audience – explain how – talk about the significance of the deal with Celador, of hiring the particular writer and director; the significance of the Indian nationality of most of the crew; the language; the cast; the storyline and the way it was changed from the already successful source material; the style of filming.
8. Beyond that, though, the film had to carefully marketed and distributed – look at the deals made to ensure distribution around the world, because Celador/Film 4 isn’t a vertically integrated company with its own distribution companies in other countries.
9. Look at the way it shown in film festivals – especially in Toronto, a city with a large Asian population.
10. Look at the effect of its platform release
11. What about the marketing/promotional tactics – backed by Fox, the director amd stars had access to Fox TV shows and Fox websites to promote Slumdog; the film had its own website – what was on it? How was the film promoted using the website? Use of social networking and below the line adbertising by fans of the film on their social networking sites? Viral marketing?
12. Note the long tail effect of the way the film’s release and its website serve to promote the DVD and BluRay releases long after the film has been shown in cinemas

Year 12 - Amber Films - Homework for next week...

Bullet point your response - or use powerpoint - it's up to you.

All answers need to be brief.

1/  What's the rationale behind Amber Films, a small, independent film company based in Dean Street in Newcastle?
2/  How is the company funded?
3/  How was a film like Shootong Mapgies made?
4/  What's the impact of digital technology on the production, marketing, distribution and exhibition?
5/  How is the comopany trying to raise money for their new film?

Look at the websites for Amber Films and the Side Gallery and search this blog for various posts to help you.

Monsters and Viral Marketing

http://industry.bfi.org.uk/media/pdf/9/b/Monsters_case_study.pdf

Textual Analysis tips

Textual Analysis – The Next Steps

It is very important for everyone to review their progress in textual analysis. You are about to embark on an Assessment for Learning unit where you will:

a)      Find out more about how your work will be assessed

b)      Identify both good practice and become more critical in identifying how work can be improved

c)       Critically reflect upon your own work and make changes in your approach to boost your attainment.

You need to:

1)      Watch the exam text again

2)      Read through the assessment criteria (blue sheets) and identify what skills  / standards are required (you should all be aiming for Levels 3 and 4)

3)      Make sure you understand the three different assessment objects and understand what they actually mean by these terms a) Explanation, analysis and argument b)Use of example c) Use of terminology

4)      Using the stimulus material provided by SO analyse the strengths and areas for improvement in both essays

5)      Award marks and be prepared to justify your judgements making specific references to the mark scheme

Following this discussion, and following further analysis of good practice you will:

a)      Be expected to redraft your orginal attempt in order to put into practice “good practice”

b)      Sit another mock exam on textual analysis AND film institution the week before the Christmas hols.

Please note – you will be receiving your marked scripts early next week as we are currently identifying anyone who needs to attend booster classes in advance of the exam.

VERY IMPORTANT – our departmental blog – www.heworth.mediastudies.blogspot.com is packed with very useful revision materials and this is regularly updated so make sure you use it!!!!!!

Please remember – this is a very large class but teaching staff in Media Studies are very keen to support you in the run up to the exam and with your coursework. Always ask questions and seek out feedback if you are unsure how to make progress. 

Many thanks

EH, GW, SO

State of Play textual analysis model

Model Essay: State of Play

The extract immediately positions the audience as close observers of the chase. The medium close ups intercut between two different sets of feet, stylised in highly contrasting footwear – (trainers and polished black shoes), and combine with tracking shots to keep pace with the characters’ movements. The overlaying of diegetic sound in the form of tribal drums makes sense as soon as the handheld close up reveals the character on the run to be black. The music is effective in reinforcing his black identity, particularly through the use of bongo drums, arguably showing disregard for political correctness. The quick pace of the editing allows the director to establish a city location – very probably London – through establishing shots featuring crowds of people, contrasting in their behaviour compared to the black youth. At this point in the first narrative, the director offers a conventional representation as the black character is clearly experiencing disequilibrium (Todorov) and the audience is encouraged to believe this character is in danger. Arguably this supports the cultural view that black youths are both the protagonists of crime but can also be the victims. The director uses mise en scene in the actor’s gesture of looking behind him, with highly anxious facial expression filling the frame, to confirm disorder and vulnerability.

The editing performs a complex role in threading together three disparate narratives that by the end of the opening sequence seem to tie together. Throughout each sequence, representations of class and status are significant. In contrast to the very first narrative the audience are instantly cut to a radically contrasting character – a middle aged, middle class, white male. The director uses every aspect of mise-en-scene, clothing, (his suit, shirt, tie and expensive overcoat), his gestures (confident, strident walking) his props (the Financial Times) to communicate a man of high class and social standing. Mid shots dominate as a means to help communicate body language. He mirrors the first narrative in that he too is on his way somewhere, however his representation is so different to the black boy that the audience is intrigued as to how these two characters could be connected, if at all. To further complicate the sequence, a third narrative is intercut featuring a young girl, who again, through mise en scene is represented as lower class. The setting of the café connotates a working class environment, matched by her clothing and gestures (multiple consumption of cans of coke) indicating that she has been waiting for someone for some time, very probably the black youth. They are linked together through a shared social class. The other man is still at this point disconnected, primarily due to the major contrast in social class.The camera movement is highly significant in the café sequence as the camera steadily pans in on the girl from behind to establish the idea that she is vulnerable and quite literally “needs to watch her back”. Her significance is magnified by the camera tilting downwards to slowly reveal a briefcase, barely concealed by a bin-bag. The length of the edit on the briefcase as a key prop helps the audience to anticipate what is coming to the black youth.

Arguably the most interesting contrast in representation is focussed on the differences between the black youth and his assassin. The director uses close ups to reveal an arguably stereotypical representation of the black youth : gold earring, hoody, trainers , and in contrast the more middle class status of the assassin is more gradually revealed. Costume emerges as a vital aspect of mise en scene in establishing higher status through polished shoes and an expensive woollen overcoat. As his identity is revealed, his calm and controlled gestures  illuminate his experience in killing in cold blood. The medium close up of the assassin, aiming the gun from the point of view of the victim, reinforces his clinical, organised approach. The director uses deliberately complex camera work to build tension for the audience. At the point when the black youth is successfully hiding from the assassin the editing slows down and he fills the frame with the use of a low angle, however this misleads the audience as we see in medium shot the impact of the shooting as he slides down the frame and the camera remains static. In terms of status, the black youth is now defined as a victim, although the audience are compelled to wonder if his own actions have facilitated his violent downfall.

Sound plays an important role in establishing meaning, particularly through non diegetic sound to set the tone and pace of this action-packed sequence. Interestingly the director has chosen to completely avoid diegetic script. Arguably the lack of discourse between the characters forces the audience to rely heavily on visual codes – particularly mise-en- scene and editing – to piece together what promises to be a highly complex and absorbing narrative. The director has been highly successful in establishing representation of class and status as a major source of intrigue, leaving the audience perplexed at how such disparate characters could be interconnected. 

Potential Tasks

·         Highlight all media-specific language

·         Consider the introduction – is the question repeated or is a point made

·         To what extent is analysis balanced across the technical codes

·         The section with the motor-cycle courier has been missed out – is this a problem?

·         The LACK of diegetic script has been discussed – is it useful to sometimes discuss what is NOT THERE

·         Please note – this is NOT A PERFECT TEXTUAL ANALYSIS – what are a) the strengths b) the limitations

·         Think about everything you’ve learned about textual analysis so far – can you come up with the ultimate top ten tips!!!!!!!!!!

Synergy

Synergy revision 10 from wmorris

Spider-Man and synergy

Synergy & Covergence from wmorris

Production, Distribution and Marketing...

Audience & institution from simonw72

OCR exam board guide to photography...

OCR exam board guide to camera shots...

OCR exam board guide to camera movement...

AS January Exam - Revision Guide

AS Media Studies Timeline

Section A: Textual Analysis: Our Work Plan

1.       Attempt 2009 Dr Who question in timed conditions

2.       Reflect upon feedback and redraft

3.       Textual analysis OCR sample scripts- research of Examiner’s Reports

4.       Attempt State of Play – representation of status/ ethnicity (mark and students redraft)

5.       Attempt Sugar Rush  - representation of Sugar Rush (mark and redraft)

6.       Attempt period drama e.g. Dowton Abbey or good text for age

7.       Also cover other representational issues – (age, regional/ national identity, youth culture, disability which was covered last year. PLEASE NOTE AGE HAS NOT BEEN CROPPED UP SINCE JAN2009, ETHNICITY SINCE JAN 2010 AND GENDER SINCE JUNE 2010!!!) 

·         By January exam should have completed a minimum of 4 textual analyses in timed conditions AND redrafts with teacher’s comments/ SA 

Section B – Film and Institutions

You will be covering a lot of material as this topic is challenging. It is VITAL that you use some time in the exam to work out the most relevant material and you should spend five minutes PLANNING your response to ensure you answer the question.

It is advised that you regularly respond to the long answer questions set by EH and GW on this topic so that you can draw upon this work in the exam. You should be familiar with at least one example of a Hollywood film that has been able to market a film at great cost and be confident to compare this to British examples (Independent Film companies) and understand the concepts of co-production, horizontal and vertical integration, synergy USING MEDIA SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AT ALL TIMES TO CONVEY YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TOPIC. You should also understand the role of the British Film Council (linked to the British cultural Test) which can offer governmental funding) and Film Four as a major British production company, often working in co-production (increasingly with Danish/Swedish and global counterparts). Also think about using Michael Winterbottom (Everyday) as an example of a British filmmaker who does not use contemporary methods exhaustively and can be categorised as a traditional British filmmaker who is still making movies, without the intention of making massive profits BUT still successful in serving niche film audiences.

Regularly look at the past questions listed below and practise planning your response WITH DETAILED EXAMPLES, writing a highly effective intro (making a POINT in the opening statement) and ending with a thoughtful quotation. This is the best way to revise:

Jan 2009

·         Extract Monarch of the Glen AGE

·         Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences in the film industry

 

June 2009

·         Extract Dr Who Gender

·         How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?

Jan 2010

·         Extract Hotel Babylon Ethnicity

·         “Media production is dominated by global institution which sells their products and services to national audiences.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?” 

Jan 2011

·         Extract Hustle GENDER

·         Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in film

June 2011

·         Extract Merlin CLASS AND STATUS

·         “Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.” To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the media area you have studied?

Jan 2012

·         Extract Fingersmith SEXUALITY

·         To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

Synergy Revision...

Synergy revision 10 from wmorris

From here: http://www.slideshare.net/wmorris/synergy-revision-10

Spiderman and synergy

Synergy & Covergence from wmorris

Taken from here: http://www.slideshare.net/wmorris/synergy-covergence#btnNext

Top Tips for A2 Production Work

 Key Points to Remember and Apply

1.Irregular blog entries are a dead giveaway that you’re not fully engaged with this project.

2. Entries do not have to be epic e.g. you can offer production schedules / a review

3. Entries shouldn’t be long but feature multi-media platforms

4. A clear project outline is VITAL, making intentions and responsibilities explicit.

5. Inevitably you will have similar entries at the beginning when you’re developing your concept BUT very soon your blog should emerge as distinct – a personal journey

6. Be reflective – discuss problems / how to overcome set backs – EVIDENCE THE LEARNING CURVE

7.Aim for 60 blog entries – you have until end of April so this averages at about 3 entries per week.

8. Integrate AUDIENCE RESEARCH through the stages of production – gain feedback on RUSHES (the filming) and the ROUGH CUT (first edit ) as well as final product. Audience Research could influence the direction of your construct

9. When filming make sure you can evidence you’ve been organised by producing production schedules / props lists /costumes / location detail – easy to produce but great for your blog

10. Could produce video diaries as reflective

11. When filming always start the camera ROLLING 10 SECONDS BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE SCENE and ALWAYS ANNOUNCE THE CUT AND KEEP THE CAMERA ROLLING.

12. Where possible frame the shot accurately

13. Try to film a range of shots from different angles

14. Experiment with different camera movements / position and continuously think about AUDIENCE POSITIONING

15. Build into your filming consideration of ALL ASPECTS OF MISE EN SCENE – excellent for analysis during evaluation

16. Don’t leave too much head space but remember you can crop and resize frames during post-production

17. Use generic conventions BUT try to challenge them too – GENRES ARE FLUID AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING

18. Film Trailers – a) don’t have to make absolute sense but must establish genre and appeal to their target audience b) must be mindful that a range of locations / actors is vital c) sound is a VITAL technical code and should be thought about from the very outset

19. Music Videos – a)Film performance vide early doors from range of camera angles so you have library bank of footage b) evidence you’ve tried to ask for permission to use the song c) identify through textual analysis that even with slow songs you need a massive number of shots and costume changes

20. Short Films – Stingers are only five minutes and tend to be quite abstract but whole narratives can be communicated (v ambitious but when they come off they are highly rewarded as challenging and few will attempt them!) You MUST research the genre of short films – loads on web!

21 Documentaries – as above you must research stylistics of different types of docs before identifying and justifying chosen style. Must have a good concept and access to interesting subjects / topics – (Alex you have very promising material)

22.Don’t be a doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooofus and neglect your ancillary work – both pieces combined are worth 50% of your moving image work

23. Every aspect of your production should be interconnected – RP + Main + Ancilliaries + Evaluations – generic conventions / house-styles/target audience

24. Original photography – and having a range of original images – is just as vital for A2.

25. Pace yourself – we appreciate Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeja Studies is not the centre of your universe and although it may not be your best subject  (Isla – we forgive you and understand you are an English Lang genius but if you don’t get an A in your Jan resit you will have to pay for all of us to go the pics!!!!!!!!! I’M JOKING!!!) and you MUST spread your attention across all subjects. WE UNDERSTAND THIS !!!!!!

26. Remember to keep your diaries up to date so your skills and concepts can be matched to the stages of production. This will help make preparation and revision for the A2 exam much easier.

27. Don’t hogg the equipment – we’re all in this together so play fair

28. Enjoy – use us / talk to us / listen to us (we’re old and have been doing this for ages).

29. Use last year’s work as guidance – we’ll give you a copy of the marks. Ignore this at your peril!!!!

There’s bound to be more ….. but this will do for now.

EH GW