Task: Review the Representation theorists.
Write a two to three sentence introduction for each one of the Representation theorists and post them in the comments section below. Remember that we haven't cover Butler yet, so you don't need to include that one.
523305-applying-academic-ideas-to-long-form-tv-drama.pptx
NB: Take your time, try to make them as accurate as you are able, but also focus on being as terse as your are able.
Task: Review the Media Language theorists.
Write a two to three sentence introduction for each one of the Media Language theorists and post them in the comments section below.
523305-applying-academic-ideas-to-long-form-tv-drama.pptx
NB: Take your time, try to make them as accurate as you are able, but also focus on being as terse as your are able.
This is not an easy task. You can work in pairs, or individually. Create a practise task for Paper 1. Make the task on a word document and upload it to the following folder:
To create this task you will need to find two different newspaper sources from 2023 and then write an analysis question. See example below:
Chatham and Clarendon Media Studies Blog: LEVI-STRAUSS - ANALYSIS
A few rules about sources:
A few rules about questions:
NB: An online source can include either a web page from a national newspaper's website or a suitable social media source.
13A - Upload in time for the lesson on Wednesday 26th of Feb
13B - Upload in time for the lesson on Friday 28th of Feb
We are preparing to answer the following question:
To what extent does Media Ownership affect video game audiences?
You will be presenting on one of the following areas...
APPLY THIS MARK SCHEME TO ALL INDUSTRY QUESTIONS
The following link takes you to the factsheet on Animal Crossing that has been produced by OCR. This will already be slightly out of date, but the exam board will be happy to accept any of the evidence in this as current and detailed.
A Level Media Studies Factsheet - Video games: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
NB: BE AWARE THAT THE FOLLOWING LINKED POWERPOINT AND ESSAY IS USING EXAMPLES FROM MINECRAFT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. THE CORE IDEAS WILL BE SIMILAR, BUT NOT IDENTICAL.
Task 1: Read through the PowerPoint and Essay
Task 2: Re-read and summarise the key points/Core ideas that they are trying to make. Give each core idea a score out of 5 to say how important you feel they are. Post these points, with a score, in the comments section below.
5 = Sophisticated idea that answers the question cleverly.
4 = Important idea that answers the question well.
3 = Sound idea but not vital.
2 = Vague or unclear idea that might be interesting if properly considered.
1 = Very unclear or way off the question.
Task 3: This is the difficult task. Now identify the evidence that has been used (IT SHOULD ALL REFER TO MINECRAFT) and replace it will evidence taken from Animal Crossing.
To what extent does Media Ownership affect video game audiences?
Media Ownership refers to the control and influence that individuals or groups can have over the content produced in media outlets. Audience can be affected by factors such as the creation and censorship, the accessibility of the product, marketing techniques and the representation of characters within the game. A pivotal example of this is the 2011 Sandbox game ‘Minecraft’. To understand the effect of Media Ownership fully, Curran and Seaton’s theory should be applied – the idea that the owners of media companies control or influence the values and messaging that the media product presents and whether this is biased.
Media ownership can most significantly affect creation, distribution and censorship of video games, which directly impacts the audiences consuming them. The industry is now increasingly dominated by high-budget productions from mainstream producers that attempt to minimise the risk entailed by developing franchises and playing safe with content, as theorised by Hesmondhalgh. Although Minecraft was originally developed by Mojang – an independent company – it was later acquired by the corporation Microsoft in September 2014 for $2.5 billion. This supports Curran and Seaton’s media industries theory, which states that ownership is passing between fewer and fewer hands to oligopolies. However, Curran and Seaton also believed that this compromised creativity for the pursuit of profit and revenue. This isn’t necessarily the case with Minecraft. Minecraft prides itself on being a platform for ‘limitless creativity’, allowing players to play, build and interact freely within their servers. Minecraft’s player base play a large role in the way the game is shaped, acting as ‘prosumers’. The official Minecraft sites have dedicated forums for players to offer feedback for updates, bug fixes, and additions to the existing game which official moderators review and report on. Media owners allowing players to partake in the creation of their games has had surprisingly positive impacts, encouraging producer/consumer interaction. Additionally, the distribution of video games has recently become faster, easier and cheaper globally due to media ownership due to the increase of online retailers, such as Steam and mobile App Stores. The reduction of a ‘middle man’ - such as HMV or Game in the UK – has allowed retailers to reduce prices, and audiences to be able to access their games immediately and remotely. Video games therefore become more popular amongst audiences.
Media ownership can also affect video game audiences through their games level of physical, social or economic accessibility. Physical inaccessibility may refer to a product or service which does not match someone's visual, aural or motor abilities and needs, and can be a very common barrier to audiences accessing certain video games. Producers have the ability to implement adaptations to make their games compatible with the demands of a wider audience, which the 2011 sandbox video game ‘Minecraft’ has done. For instance, the game has an ‘accessibility menu’ which allows players to edit various aspects of their user interface and player experience, such as text editing (size, colour, font), audio output, ‘Text to Speech’ narration and controller compatibility. They have also responded to community feedback to differentiate certain block textures to make them recognisable for visually impaired and colourblind people, which led to the 2022 Ore Update. This is an example of how media ownership can make video games more inclusive for their audiences. To contrast, there are also socio-economic accessibility barriers to video games which many producers, such as Microsoft and Mojang for ‘Minecraft’, have the ability to overcome. For example, many video games are unaffordable in certain countries due to foreign currency depreciation. A common resolution to this problem has been the implementation of ‘regional pricing’: adjustment of a product’s price to a specific location and its demand. However, many games like ‘Minecraft’ are yet to introduce such methods, with the PC version of Minecraft remaining at around £24.99. This is likely due to desire to maximise profit, but reduces their potential audience reach significantly, and could lead to current customers negatively perceiving the brand.
Another way that audience can be affected is by the owner’s application of marketing strategies and monetisation. Both are used by many video games using techniques such as subscription models, microtransactions, donations or virtual currency. The main method used is the microtransactions or ‘freemiums’ which sets the game up with a fixed price but this is only a ‘base’ version and in order to unlock more features the client must pay. An example of this could be ‘The Sims’ franchise, especially The Sims 4 which has a total of 73 DLC packs – consisting of ‘expansion packs’, ‘stuff packs’, ‘game packs’ and ‘kits’ ranging from £4.99 to £34.99. The affect that this could have on the audience is that they see the extra products as ‘greed’ since, using the pervious example, the packs become almost essential to the ‘base’ of the game since it is a life simulator. Minecraft originally did not employ many marketing techniques and instead relied on word of mouth to gain popularity. As the game began gaining popularity Mojang recognized that this was due to the creative freedom it allows players. By providing a platform that empowered users to build and share their creations, Minecraft fostered a community-driven ecosystem. Another technique that Minecraft used that traditional video games did not is the use of ‘Marketplace’ - this allowed users to join a ‘Partner Program’ where they can sell their bonus content and receive profit from (around 30-50%) with Minecraft taking a platform fee (adding to their revenue). This effects the audience as it attracts other programmers that want to broadcast their talent. The other method, outside of their game, that allows for Minecraft to generate revenue is by selling merchandise globally with items such as stationary, clothing, toys and books integrating ‘game reality’ and real life overall creating a stronger connection between the product and consumer. This effects the audience as it creates a sense of ‘identity’ for them conveying how Minecraft have utilised its committed fan-base to generate a consistent profit (in 2021 alone Minecraft made an estimated $380 million).
When Minecraft was first introduced there was only one free playable character which was Steve. The clearly masculine character, since he has facial hair, suggests that the target audience for the game was men and, based on the playable characters, women were not included. We could apply Curran and Seaton to this since it could be reflecting Perssons personal beliefs. In 2012 Persson wrote that “Blocky things are just more masculine” suggesting that his bias is then represented in Minecraft as for almost all the NPC characters, like villagers, are male except for the villainous witch. This can then be further argued with his original representation of female characters being the villainous witch and his personal beliefs about women. In 2017, he wrote that feminism is a "social disease" and called video game developer and feminism supporter Zoë Quinn a "cunt", although he was generally critical of the Gamergate movement. He has described intersectional feminism as a "framework for bigotry" and the use of the word mansplaining as being sexist. Although a spokesperson for Microsoft stated that his views "do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang". This can be used to argue against Curran and Seaton as more recently, Minecraft have realised the oversight and have introduced a more feminine character for free called Alex. Owen Hill understood that “jolly old Steve doesn’t really represent the diversity of our player base.” The idea that you had to pay to be a female character was not uncommon in video games as playing as a girl required, on average, an additional purchase of $7.53, much more than the games themselves cost. This and the sexualisation of female characters effect the audience as it could discourage women from playing the game and therefore narrows the target audience. This can be shown by the 2005 study where, Karen E. Dill and K. P. Thill distinguished three major stereotypical depictions of women in gaming: (1) sexualized, (2) scantily clad, and (3) a vision of beauty. The study revealed that over 80% of women in video games represented one of these depictions. More than one quarter of female characters embodied all of the three stereotypical categories at once. Dill and Thill also note that another prevalent theme in the depiction of women was a combination of aggression and sex, referred to as "eroticized aggression". Other representations of LGBTQ+ is also less. In a study conducted by the LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD, only 21 out of 50 major video games released in 2020 included any LGBTQ+ characters. Furthermore, many games that do include LGBTQ+ representation often do so through optional side content rather than integrating it into the main story. This many also discourage LGBTQ+ people from identifying with the game due to their lack of representation.
In conclusion, video game ownership significantly influences audiences through various facets of the production and distribution process, from marketing to accessibility to monetisation. Media producers have the ability to create products based on the gratification needs of an audience, or use their own content to shape a specific target audience. The effectiveness of this ultimately depends on the economic capabilities and aims of the producer, which causes differences in the industry.
Both Stranger Things and D83 make interesting
use of intertextuality to explore social contexts; this is especially true when
considering the representation of empowered women. Applying Van Zoonen to both
shows, allows us to note that the historical diegesis provides a realistic depiction
of the patriarchal structures experienced by women in the 1980s. In both West
Germany, and Hawkins Indiana, women are represented in domestic roles: Yvonne
Edel and Karen Wheeler are both housewives. Similarly, in the world of work, Frau
Netz and Hopper’s dispatcher, Flo, are subordinate within the male dominated workplace. However, while men, quite realistically dominate the
social order, women are not objectified in the way that Van Zoonen would have
us expect. Instead, we see the use of intertextuality to present very nuanced
and empowered female characters across both series. All three of the female
protagonists in Stranger Things are
leant complexity by the use of intertextuality. Joyce shares an intertextual
world with her son, and their shared understanding of Poltergeist allows them
to communicate through the walls; Nancy looks set to embody the ‘last girl’
horror archetype, but is also an intertextual reference to the intrepid teen
detective Nancy Drew; and 11 calls on the audiences intertextual awareness of
both E.T. and the dangerous psychic girls of Steven King’s ‘Carrie’ and ‘Firestarter.’
I would argue that the Duffer brother’s are unique, but subsequently much
copied, in the way they control intertextuality, using it not to just
evoke nostalgia, but to drive elements of characterisation and to challenge social
conventions around the depiction of women. This challenge to social conventions
is also present in the depiction of D83’s Lenora, a woman in power in a
male-dominated field, succeeding by being ruthlessly efficient. This representation
may be designed to appeal to modern audiences due to its (somewhat) feminist
ideological implications. However, it must also be acknowledged that she could simply
be an intertextual reference to a generic trope; as Neale suggests, she may be an example of repetition, referencing powerful, ruthless women like ‘M’ of the Bond franchise. However, yet another possibility remains, which is very much in
keeping with the political contexts of the show. It may be that Lenora is
intended to construct the preferred reading that communist Germany was egalitarian
in its promotion of women to positions of power, challenging the socio-historic assumptions about Germany's fractured past. Again, it is hard to say if
this is truly unique, but it is certainly true that both texts are making very different and varied use of intertextuality in relation to social context.
The purpose of this post is to gather together a range of evidence to support our discussion of theory with regard to newspapers. It will grow over the course of time, and I would ask that you add to it as we progress by posting links in the comments section. The better you know these covers, webpages etc. the more freely you will be able to quote them as evidence.
ATTITUDES TO BREXIT
01: ELECTION RESULT COVERS
02: ARTICLE 50 RULING
03: ONLINE SOURCES
ATTITUDES TO NET ZERO
Articles from The Guardian
Only 65% of UK firms have plan to cut emissions to net zero, study shows | Business | The Guardian
Articles from The Daily Mail
ATTITUDES TO RACE 01 - STEPHEN LAWRENCE CASE
1: What is the Stephen Lawrence case?
2: How would you expect The Daily Mail to report on this case?
3: How would you expect The Guardian to report on this case?
4: Find evidence about the way they reported and post below...
Task 1: Read and grade
Another way that we can assess the validity of the statement, is to examine the way that the two shows use intertextuality to address historical context. Both are set in 1983 and use intertextuality to establish the verisimilitude of their diegeses, but while both use mise en scene and music to this end, the certainly don’t use intertextuality 'in the same way.' Let's start by looking at the way that D83 uses visual and aural signifiers in the sequence that introduces the recently kidnapped Martin to West Germany. Firstly, We can apply Barthes by considering the way that signifiers such as the Puma T Shirt, Adidas Trainers and Levi’s 501s act as intertextual references which clearly connote the historical diegeses, but also suggest values and ideological messages around identity within a capitalist society. The protagonist's exposure to Western these brands (especially Levi's) symbolise the allure and cultural dominance of capitalist consumerism, serving as an intertextual reference to Cold War tensions between East and West. As the scene continues, Martin ‘escapes’ and runs into a supermarket, filled with shelves of brightly coloured products. These signs work as myths, communicating the ideological message that the West is a place of abundance. However, the soundtrack features a direct intertextual reference to the song ‘Sweet Dreams’ which is playing in the supermarket. Just as the western branded clothing established the authenticity of the West German 1980s setting, so the music powerfully reinforces the verisimilitude of the diegesis. However, the song bemoans the consumer capitalist focus on choice, suggesting that the endless choices of the capitalist West are essentially empty and unfulfilling. So, far from being a simple and unoriginal method to build a believable 1980s setting, here, intertextuality is also used to constructs a thought provoking and original commentary on the difficulties faced by Germany in coming to terms with its culturally and politically divided past.
Task 2: Now write a paragraph about Stranger Things.
You may wish to consider using one or more of the following ideas. However, whatever you choose, remember that you need to COMPARE and ANSWER THE QUESTION.
- Like D83, we can apply Barthes to the way that Stranger Things uses signifiers to construct both its historical, and also its cultural diegesis. For example, the opening sequence establishes the setting of Wheeler household using intertextual references to 1980s cinema. The warm, inviting lighting, suburban kitchen layout, period-accurate props (like the wood-panelled T.V. and the rotary phone) are all intertextual nods to films such as E.T. (1982) and Poltergeist (1982). The costumes, particularly Karen Wheeler’s homemaker attire and Mike's casual, era-appropriate clothing, reinforce the cultural and historical setting. However, while D83 has been highly praised for its authentic rendering of 1980s Germany, these details immediately immerse viewers in a hyperreal version of the 1980s, recalling iconic portrayals of suburban American families in Spielbergian cinema.
- Intertextuality is perhaps the most easily recognisable feature of Postmodern texts, so it is not surprising that Baudrillard is highly applicable to the way that Stanger Things uses intertextuality. Baudrillard theorises simulations lead to a state of hyperreality. We have already established that Stranger Things relies on signifiers (mise en scene and music) to construct its hyperreal Spielbergian diegesis and we might argue that there is nothing original about this, after all pastiche in has been popular with TV audiences since the 1960s. However, few directors are quite so committed to this process; the Duffer Brothers even used Leica Summilux-C lenses to recreate the visual style of Spielberg’s late 20th-century classics (Goonies, E.T. etc). One of the pleasures of watching Stranger Things is nostalgia. But nostalgia for what? Not, the reality of 1980s small town life. It is nostalgia for the simulacrum. Stranger Things attempts to simulate a feeling: of family, adventure, camaraderie, the Spielbergian American Dream. It’s a copy, of a copy, of a copy. But consciously so. From its opening disequilibrium Stranger Things makes it clear that the American Dream is not all it seems, that there is something else beneath all this, something sinister, something Alien (1979).
- Stranger Things reflects 1980s values, attitudes, and ideologies influenced by key historical events like the Cold War, using intertextual tropes that some may view as archetypical rather than original. The depiction of Hawkins National Laboratory, tied to fears of governmental secrecy and unethical experimentation, mirrors societal anxieties of the era. These themes, combined with the nostalgic references to films like E.T., form recognisable intertextual motifs that enhance audience enjoyment but also encourage multiple readings. Applying Hall’s encoding/decoding model we may see some viewers decode these references as nostalgic, while others may see them as counter-typical reinterpretations of familiar narratives, blending historical context with creative storytelling.
You work for a independent media production and marketing company. You have been tasked with creating a promotional package for a teenaged music artist to include a two minute extract from a music video, the homepage of a website and the front cover for a copy of The Big Issue. Your target audience is aged 16 to 25, socially conscious and media savvy.
You may produce the music video in groups of 1 to 4, but you must produce an individual website and cover.
See more details below:
MUSIC VIDEO
Your music video must feature a filmic narrative and style referencing one of the following genres:
Teen drama, Film Noir, Horror or Science Fiction
You may feature the artist within your music video, but you don't need to.
NB: Remember to look at existing music videos/scenes from relevant films. If you find something interesting post it in the comments section below.
WEBSITE
At minimum, your website should contain:
Promotional material for music video, including behind the scenes shots.
A merch section.
A section featuring the artist performing TikTok style performances of other songs.
A promotional gallery section.
NB: Remember to look at existing websites for ideas. If you find a particularly good website, post a link in the comments section below.
MAGAZINE COVER
Your cover should closely resemble a real cover of The Big Issue, using similar style, format and fonts. You should include one main cover line for the artist and at least three other sell lines for other stories in the issue.
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE COVERS
DEADLINE: 14th February 2025
