P1: Media & Rep

 Friday 4th November 2022             LO: to develop the language of media analysis.

1) what is this? Album cover 

2) what is this genre?  pop rock

3) who are the target audience? 

4) How is the artist represented? 

5) What told you these things? 

Media Language: How the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meanings. 

genre conventions of camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing and sound.

How does the content incorporate the viewpoints and ideology of the producer?

How can multiple meanings be communicated and interpreted by the producer and audience?

representation: how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups. 

what messages and values are communicated about different groups of people, individuals and events.?

what positive and negative stereotypes are evident and why?

what conclusions can we make about these representations?

contexts: political, social and cultural. 

how have they been influenced or developed in response to each context?

Denotation- elements that are unarguable;the factual elements 

Connotation- elements that are arguable;elements that are personal to the viewer.

Royalty- 

Denotations- 

• monochrome 
• tattoos 
• watch 
• jewellery
• serif text 
• baby 

Connotations- Mise en scene is used by showing his jewellery and the font: the jewellery suggests wealth and importance which is complemented by the serif font which is sophisticated showing off his wealth even more. 

The man is holding a baby close to his chest which shows that despite his wealth he is caring and that family is important to him, the baby also brings a sense of innocence.

Born this way -

Denotations-

• monochrome 
• motorcycle 
• red lipstick/ eyeliner 
• sans serif text 

Connotations- 

HW:

“The products constructed to market James Bond Films are designed to offer a clear appeal to a wide global audience of young males aged 17-35” Discuss.

I agree with this statement as, you can see throughout most of these three adverts they use Mise En Scene to explicitly attract a young male audience, particularly heterosexual men. In the first James Bond movie poster, we can see Mise En Scene has been used through costume and props such as a gun and minimal clothing on the women. The gun appears to be centred on the poster suggesting that the movie revolves around violence, which is stereotypically more appealing to a male audience, it is also representative of the cold war and threat of espionage everybody was worried about at the time. The women on the poster are off centre and, in the background, showing their lack of importance and thereby reinforcing the patriarchal society of the 1960's, when the film was made. The small amount of clothing on them shows how women were objectified by the media for male attention, showing off the heteronormative society in the 60s, the woman stood closest to Bond is wearing the least amount of clothing while the woman stood furthest away is wearing a relatively conservative outfit which also reinforces the fact that women were only seen for their bodies. I think in this poster all of the elements show a very clear appeal to a male audience of 17–35-year-olds. 

In the second movie poster, James Bond appears to be smothered by multiple female arms holding various objects such as a wine glass and a knife, these are examples of mise en scene that foreshadow the main themes in the film. He is surrounded by 8 female arms that all look like they are coming from one woman, this is suggestive of the title of the movie - octopussy - and also suggests that he is popular with women as he essentially has 8 women after him, the target audience here would obviously be young men because they can admire bond and his sex appeal. In contrast to this idea, the knife pointing near his stomach could suggest that he isn't all he seems, that someone has a vendetta against him and wants him dead. the woman could have been used to entice him so that he vulnerable and an easier target to kill, hinting that this movie has violence and crime. The woman is wearing a very high cut dress so that you can see her tan lines which would obviously be appealing to a heterosexual male audience as it could hint there may elements of nudity or partial nudity in the movie. 

Unlike the other two posters the 'Skyfall' one does not feature any women anywhere on the poster, so they have used other elements to be able to appeal to this target audience. First of all, this poster is the only of the three that has not been animated or drawn, which makes it stand out to the others, however there is 1 constant throughout the three posters that being Bond holding a gun which just shows the running theme of gun violence throughout the films. Editing has been used to show Bond in the foreground of the poster with a smoke effect on the sides of him that suggests he is in a gun fight where he has fallen to the floor, however he is still able to point his gun at someone, this makes the poster more appealing to the male audience because it shows his will power to not be defeated. 

Wednesday 9th November 2022                        LO: to understand the terminology and theory needed to                                                                             analyse music videos 

signs are polysemic. 

polysemic- multiple meanings 

semiotics refers to how a signifier can have a literal denotation but it might signify a greater meaning (connotation).

semiotics in film- 

what might we decipher about the producer from their choice of signs?

need to be able to describe the denoted signs. consider the signified connotation. 

analysis of silence of the lambs-

camerawork-

long shot - isolation prisoner 

shot reverse shot 

POV shot shows the facial expression of the FBI agent showing her feeling uncomfortable in the mans presence asking for her ID which is ironic considering he is the one in prison, which shows that he is self entitled and thinks he is more important than her. 

the shot reverse shot shows the two different emotions of the people during the same conversation

Wednesday 16th November 2022                LO: to practise using the terminology and theory needed to                                                                                 analyse music videos 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7QlX3yR2xs

Intertextual reference to Cinderella.
Binary oppositions rich vs poor 
Narrative 

Intertextual reference to little red riding hood.

Cinderella banned from the ball but goes anyway. 

centred on screen 

outfit, hair and makeup 

covered and surrounded by jewels 

model walk

red lipstick, hair -Marilyn Monroe 

intertextual reference to Frozen and Elsa 

Friday 18th November 2022                         

Treat People with Kindness- Harry Styles 

• The message of this video is to treat people with respect and kindness no matter their age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion etc. 
• Genre- gospel, pop-rock
• black and white shows how it was inspired by 1940s era
• choreography was inspired by 1940s Nicholas Brothers dance scene from Stormy Weather - context
• costumes representative of era - however woman in video not representative of women's fashion 
• not everyone was respected in 40s, lots of racism, sexism etc - the message of the song is that everyone should be treated with kindness.
• 
  

Wednesday 23rd November 2022                        LO: to research the set texts.

Chosen set texts:

List A- Emeli Sande - Heaven 

List B- Radiohead - Burn the Witch 

Heaven- 

artist: Emeli Sande 

genre: classic soul.

released - 12th August 2011 

lyrics: https://genius.com/Emeli-sande-heaven-lyrics

song meaning-

music video- filmed in London the beginning of the music video shows Sandé sitting at a window in a house, the scene later changes a number of times to different people; the people who are looking upset. As she starts singing the chorus, singing "oh heaven" it shows Sandé singing and a view of the clouds in the sky. Throughout the music video there are various shots of Sandé around different towns and places in London. There are often shots of people saying prayers and carrying a statue of Mary and a Cross resembling heaven and God; there are also shots of Sandé standing and singing outside a cathedral.                 -Wikipedia 

How the video links to song: 

how artist has been represented:

Burn the witch-

artist: Radiohead

genre: alternative/indie

released: 3 May 2016

lyrics: https://genius.com/Radiohead-burn-the-witch-lyrics

Song meaning:

music video: The story homages the 1973 horror film the wicker man and depicts mob rule in a rural community. An inspector is greeted by a town mayor and shown a series of unsettling sights, culminating in the unveiling of a wicker man. The mayor urges the inspector to climb into it, whereupon he is locked inside as a human sacrifice and the wicker man is set on fire. As the flames gather, the townspeople turn their backs and wave goodbye to the camera. The inspector escapes among the trees.

 -Wikipedia 

How the video links to song:

How artist has been represented: 

Friday 25th November 2022

Modernism- second half of 20th century.
Postmodernism- a cultural movement that draws attention to its own construction rather than sense of reality.

Music videos: intertextuality, self-reflexive, stylised, experimental, unconventional. 

codes and conventions in heaven music video:

• midshot & closeups to personalise the artist and help with proximity 
• establishing shots/ wide angles identify location 
• range of angles keeps it engaging 
• edits and cutting follow tempo of the song; cut on the beat 
• slow motion used to reflect changes in tempo 
• colour grading reflects tone or genre of the song
• variety of locations 
• costume and makeup can reinforce colour scheme/tone of video
• props can illustrate lyrics/create realism 
• natural lighting 
• performance- artist singing 

what are the main purposes of a music video?

• To sell/promote a song 
• To provide a better understanding of a song through visual elements 
• To highlight the talents of the artist - singing, dancing, performing
• To help build a brand identity/sell the artist

How are music videos categorised?

• normally match musical genre
• each have own, slightly different, conventions 
• also use performance, narrative or conceptual styles - or a mixture.
• can also be hybrids 

promotional tools:

• look - visually stylish, engaging, experimental but repetitive.
• narratives - help bring songs alive visually; provide escape or solution; add social commentary/political view.
• building proximity - audience feels closer to artist; relationship with fans built/ developed.

developing technologies:

scope in production has meant music videos have become increasingly experimental. Technical convergence means that the whole process could be done on smartphones.

Wednesday 30th November 2022                            LO:to explore the conventions, contexts &                                                                                                     representations in Heaven 

How are artists, as a brand shown in music videos?

• usually, in a positive light to make them look good.
• in a certain way to appeal to their target audience.

Representation- things to consider:

• how did the management want you to see them?
• how did they achieve this?
• who was it aimed at?
• are any social stereotypes used?

Heaven music video:

where was it filmed? London

who directed it? Jake Nava

how was it released?  On YouTube

Friday 2nd December 2022                    LO: to explore the use of media language and representations in                                                                         case studies.

Binary oppositions in the music video:

old man, young women

dodgy man in closed alley vs innocent children in an open park

massive religious connotations:

hooded figure carrying cross 

its about struggle, temptation, redemption, new beginnings 

performance

elegant

dark coloured room

surrounded b people

self realisation

acceptance

proud of herself

nobodies paying attention to her 

singing to herself no one can hear her 

regal/gala

camerawork:

stay focused on her 

background noise

pans to her 

song starts 

walks towards camera

midshot

tracking shot  

How has 'street life' been represented in heaven?

The video is set in East London which is a kind of neglected run down area in terms of the streets, we can see graffiti on the walls and litter on the ground which shows us the sort of crime that goes on in this part of London, a woman walking the streets in a red a dress has sexualised connotations of possible prostitution, showing other representations of crime and the difficulty of living in London. The representation of the working class suggests a link between crime and lower class people, creating an image that people of the working class are the main cause of crime in this part of London. Sande in this video is represented as more middle class than other people in this video, showing how she wants to be portrayed differently to the media.

Wednesday 7th December 2022                        LO: to explore the use of media language and                                                                                                         intertextuality in case study videos 

Burn The Witch:

Who directed it? Chris Hopewell

What is the message/meaning of the video? raise awareness about Europe's refugee crisis 

What was going on in Britain in 2015-16? Brexit / refugee crisis, trumps presidential campaign 

how the media language connote theme of persecution

how mes is used to establish ideas of normality and tradition

how rural life is depicted 

NOTES:

sound - bird chirping - normality

mowing the lawn- normality

MES- red post box - traditionally english

looks like they're decorating a maypole with flowers - find out its a hangman noose - idea of persecution

painted red X on peoples doors - persecution 

small town traditions - turns out they are decorating and making food to watch someone get burnt 

rural village - lots of trees and gardening 

children playing on the see saw - innocence 

looks like woman being sacrificed - pagan tradition

Friday 9th December 2022                            LO: to explore the use of media language & intertextuality                                                                                 in case study videos. 

Burn the Witch intertextual references:

- Trumpton and Camberwick Green TV series
- Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
- The Wicker Man (1973)
- News reports of immigrant farm workers 
- Nazi propaganda films 

Trumpton:

episodes take place in town of Trumpton 

each episode begins with a shot of the town hall clock

the style of the programme follows the pattern established by camberwick green 

in the episodes domestic problems are solved by the end 

fire brigade is the most recognised feature and usually end each episode with a song 

Camberwick Green:

each episode begins with shot of a musical box 

hexagon lid of box made of colourful triangles opens like a camera shutter revealing puppet character

each episode there is a domestic crisis which by the end is solved 

ends with narrator saying goodbye to puppet character 

Blue Velvet (David Lynch):

film directed by David Lynch

genre: psychological thriller 

about: young college student returns home visits ill father, finds a severed ear leading him to discover a criminal conspiracy and a romantic relationship

awards: years best film and best director 

The Wicker Man (1973):

film directed by Robin Hardy

genre: folk horror

about: police sergeant, Howie, visits Scottish island searching for missing girl. Howie is christian and is appalled to find out the island has abandoned christianity and now practises celtic paganism. they teach children about the maypole and copulate openly in the fields. When harvests fail they sacrifice people. force Howie into a wicker man with animals and set it on fire.

News reports of immigrant farm workers:

Pressure from global retailers to reduce food costs has altered downstream agri-food work regimes, with many food producers having adopted more flexible modes of working and employed migrant labour from lower income countries. Since the expansion of the European Union (EU) in 2004, the farming and food sector in the UK has recruited large numbers of migrant workers from central and eastern EU countries. The decision by the UK electorate in 2016 to leave the EU .

Nazi propaganda:

Explain how and why Burn The Witch uses uses intertextuality effectively.

In Burn the witch intertextuality is used through the animation style. Trumpton was a children's tv show where different problems would be presented and solved by the end of the episode. The use of a similar animation style to this in the music video creates a more lighthearted feel to the serious topics being shown, however it can also be seen as criticism towards the ways society is handling the problems. For example the people shown working in the greenhouse and waving to the man in sync represents the ongoing problem of farmers having to employ migrants from low income countries, this raises awareness to the problem whilst also criticises how the UK has handled the situations.

There are many references to the movie The Wicker Man, showing people practising a pagan ritual with mask and gowns on, as well as the use of a similar looking wicker man at the end. At the end of the movie a man is forced into the wicker man with some animals and set on fire, this scene is recreated in the music video with people turning away from the burning man showing that society is turning their back on the worlds problems.

Wednesday 4th January 2022            LO: to explore viewpoints & ideologies, contexts and audience                                                                             response to music video case studies.

Heaven:

 hedonism - the woman walking down a dark alley in a red tight dress has provocative         connotations. the use of drugs - can seem like a good idea at the time however can later on negatively       impact you.

 feminism - emeli is often backlit - angel like, powerful given status. only hear her singing no     background voices. the men in the video are often shown as giving in and weaker. 

 individualism - the video frequently cuts back to Emeli focusing on her performance

Burn the witch:

 nationalism - practise pagan religion instead of catholic 

 xenophobia/ethnocentrism - the outsider in the video gets burned in a wicker man

 individualism - focuses on one character and his differences 

 globalisation - the village live in a 'separate' world not relying on resources from the rest       of the world. 

 authoritarianism - 

ideologies are criticised and made fun in order to promote the opposite. 

what is the disruption? the man with the clipboard coming to the village. 

is the producer saying its bad? no because 

what is the new equilibrium? the man being burned 

is the producer suggesting this is how the world should be? no

 

Burn the witch analysis:

Wednesday 11th January 2023                            Advertising

LO: to understand the purpose of advertising and the language used to analyse texts. 

• colour palette: red, black and gold 
• mid shot: 
• font: serif font associated with femininity 
• beauty appeal: people will be more attracted to the product if they see a beautiful person using it. 
• connotations of the colour red- romance 
• product is placed to the right.
• bottle shaped like apple - snow white/ adam and eve - poison apple
• 
  

AIDA: 

advertisers traditionally use this approach to hook audiences attention in advertising:

Attention

Interest 

Desire

Action

Media Language Analysis:

• looks like famous actor from inbetweeners -celebrity endorsement 
• Fear- without this product men cannot get as many women 
• statistical claim - use of specific number to impress 
• Mise En Scene - costume and hair made to look like an average man, use of lynx makes him better 
• font - sans serif blocky font - associated with masculinity 
• medium close up shot so we are still able to see the clicker
• product shot bottom right - we read left to right so it is the last thing we see as we look at the advert 
• 
  

• celebrity endorsement - elvis presley - respected and idolised singer 
• elvis associated with his sideburns- use of a coke bottle in place of sideburns creates exaggeration - comedic effect 
• colour palette- red and white - traditional coca cola colours - contrasting and bright
• sans serif font- 
• elvis is iconic- coke is comparing themselves to him saying that they are iconic and reached their peak- bottle shape and flavour is iconic.- they don't make singers as iconic as elvis anymore but coke will continue to make their iconic drink.
• logo located in bottom right - last thing we see as we look at the advert. 

• celebrity endorsement: use of celebrity Andy Serkis as an ambassador for the charity will make people remember the charity and donate.
• colour palette- person shown in black and white to show the seriousness of the matter which is reinforced by his facial expression.
• sans serif text - serious
• bottom text uses 'we' showing that it is a matter that everyone needs to address in order to put an end to the problem. 
• stop making excuses and act on it.

Friday 13th January 2023                Representation

LO: to explore how representations are constructed in advertising. 

1. How is intertextuality used to construct meaning in one of the music videos you have studied?

In burn the witch intertextuality is used to construct meaning by the use of a similar animation style to trumpton because it highlights the hypocrisy of reinforcing traditional British values while criticising the ideologies. The use of the animations creates a more light hearted feel to the serious topics being shown in the video which shows how Radiohead are criticising society and the ideologies in order to raise awareness about them.

18/01/23          Last lesson continued...

Set Texts:

The old spice 'smell like a man' campaign from 2010 was a transformative mass market campaign for the aftershave brand.

Prior to 2010 the old spice brand was associated with a much older more mature male audience.

This campaign that sought to reposition the brand and make it more accessible to younger audiences.

The campaign features the american actor and sports star Isiah Mustafa.

This poster was part of a follow up campaign in 2011 which sought to build on the success of the initial campaign. 

The lucozade i 'believe' campaign poster from 2013 was part of a £4m mass market campaign to educate consumers about how the soft drink brand can help improve peoples sports performance.

It features a range of sports personalities, including footballer Gareth Bale as a key brand ambassador.

The campaign aimed to bring to life the claim that it 'hydrates you better than water'. The brand wanted the advert to reinforce how they were combining scientific expertise with product innovation.

 

Shelter, the UK based housing and homelessness charity, launched 'a home for everyone' campaign in 2011.

As a non-commercial product, it encouraged donations to charity rather than purchase of a product.

It was produced for those at risk of homelessness to point them to shelter's free services and guide them to seek advice on issues around homelessness earlier.

Old spice ad:

overview of brand/organisation:

brand image & values (before & after):

previous advertising campaigns:

star vehicle: representation & values:

advertising campaign content:

social context (UK):

Lucozade Sport:

overview of brand/organisation:

brand image & values (before & after):

previous advertising campaigns:

star vehicle: representation & values:

advertising campaign content:

social context (UK):

Shelter:

overview of brand/organisation:

brand image & values (before & after):

previous advertising campaigns:

advertising campaign content:

social context (UK):

Friday 20th January 2023                    Analysis and Context

LO: to analyse context and codes & conventions in the old spice advert.

Context 1960's:

sixties male grooming ads consisted of two elements: 1) manly superstuds, the hairier the better and/or 2) the women who cant resist them. The brand Musk is literally represented as a pheromone, propelling women to involuntarily throw themselves at the male wearer. The promise: a lifetime of easy promiscuity.

Rebranding:

In 2010 Old Spice introduced a campaign seeking a fresh brand image after decades of simply implementing the same message. The result was one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history as an example of how a 75 year old was able to reinvent and sustain itself via the use of a range of promotional media - TV, print, online, social media .

In this old brand image, it seems as though they are trying to show themselves to be a sophisticated brand, we can see in the text it talks about the greatness of men and how they achieved it showing that only great men can use this. In the newer brand image this idea is eliminated as nowhere does it read that only great men can use it the image also uses very random images of a man being an island with a volcano coming out of the head which creates a more jokey lighthearted feel to the brand.

Analyse how media language and representation has been used in this advert.

Media language has been used in this advert to represent a tropical island in the Bahamas, this is done through the use of mise en scene and editing.We can see editing has been used to show a man with a volcano exploding out of his head  connoting that this product is 'mind - blowingly' good. 

We can see mise en scene through the colour palette, typical island colours are used such as blue, from the sky and ocean, and green, from the palm trees, these colours connote sustainability and a sense of paradise. This feeling of paradise can be further seen when looking at the palm trees and the people relaxing, sunbathing and having fun, as if the scent of this product will bring back memories of a time when you were on a tropical holiday or even just a time when you were relaxed.

 Representation of gender roles in this advert can be seen as stereotypical, we can see the men in the advert are doing the more adventurous possibly life threatening activities such as shark fishing, treasure hunting and being stranded on an island, showing men to be risk takers and full of energy. However the women are sunbathing in bikinis, ignoring the fact that they are on a beach, the use of a half nude woman shows how women are stereotypically looked at for their bodies in the media. 

Context:

what are the attitudes towards mens grooming?  - social context 

what do we understand about the concept of masculinity now?  - cultural context 

what do we associate with Caribbean cultures? luxury, exotic holidays, reggae music 

Wednesday 25th January 2023         Masculinity

traditional traits/characteristics of masculinity shown in early representations of men, in texts aimed at men:

• burly 
• facial hair 
• confident
• quick witted
• smart
• rugged
• long hair
• denim
• open shirt with medallions 
• rough
• action, violence and general toughness

i think that the old spice campaign 

Friday 3rd February 2023                Analysis and Context

LO: to analyse context and codes & conventions in the lucozade advert.

History of Lucozade: 

Lucozade started in the late 1930s

1950s marketed as a drink to provide you energy when you're feeling tired or rundown.

used to be seen as medicinal drink for when your'e ill

was most often sold in chemist shops

1970s sales fell, general population became healthier 

attempted to change image of the brand - 1982 - provide energy for busy and successful people

late 90s diversified- lucozade sport was launched 

isotonic sports drinks 

lucozade sport first brand to launch a sports sponsorship deal

1998- lucozade brought Lara Croft in their advertising campaign. - Lara relied on lucozade to help sustain her level of endurance and energy 

Hydrosport active launched in 2003 - fitness water for people who exercise and go to the gym 

By 2013 they established themselves as a leading sports drink in the UK

Adverts for energy/soft drinks:

soft drinks:

use of bright colours 

centre on the product 

cold condensation on the can - refreshing 

energy drinks:

neon colours 

visualises the energy through lighting bolts, smoke etc

motivating tagline 

Analyse how media language & representation has been used in this advert. 

This Lucozade advert has used a celebrity in order to make this product more appealing to the audience. The use of the famous footballer Gareth Bale with beads of sweat on his face implies that he has been exercising and is hydrating himself with Lucozade, encouraging people to buy this product because their favourite footballer uses it. His serious, almost robotic expression directly addresses the audience making them feel involved in the campaign by making it their duty to buy the product. The large text reading 'in a different league' in all caps, uses play on words to joke about Bale switching football teams, however it also tells us that Lucozade is in a different league to other sports drinks and therefore you should buy it. The representation of a male sportsperson who plays football is stereotypical for a British sports drink campaign, as football is a dominant sport in the UK, whose fans are typically males. By using this they appeal to a very large audience within the UK, thereby persuading more people to purchase the product. In the top right corner there is a set of data which we can assume is Bales stats as a footballer, along with the robotic facial expression, this makes it seem like he is a playable character on a video game such as FIFA, a widely known game in the UK popular with both teen and adult males. 

Wednesday 22nd February 2023                 DIRT

Explain how and why Burn The Witch uses uses intertextuality effectively.

In Burn the witch intertextuality is used through the animation style. Trumpton was a children's tv show where different problems would be presented and solved by the end of the episode. The use of a similar animation style to this in the music video creates a more light-hearted feel to the serious topics being shown, however it can also be seen as criticism towards the ways society is handling the problems. For example the people shown working in the greenhouse and waving to the man in sync represents the ongoing problem of farmers having to employ migrants from low income countries, this raises awareness to the problem whilst also criticises how the UK has handled the situations.

There are many references to the movie The Wicker Man, showing people practising a pagan ritual with mask and gowns on, as well as the use of a similar looking wicker man at the end. At the end of the movie a man is forced into the wicker man with some animals and set on fire, this scene is recreated in the music video with people turning away from the burning man showing that society is turning their back on the worlds problems.

Friday 24th February 2023                        Analysis and Context 

LO: to analyse context and codes & conventions in the shelter advert

messages about suffering or need closer to home pose a different type of challenge. Those in the images may be closer to us culturally than those in Africa; we may have a greater sense of empathy with their plight in society whose pressures we understand more.

very specific target audience: people in housing trouble who were uncertain of their rights or the possible assistance available to them. The posters were not aimed at the wider public but at those in need who were not accessing the services available to them through their lack of awareness.

Charity adverts VS Commercial adverts:

• commercial adverts are trying to sell products or services. their audience are people who can buy their product. Use of language that will intrigue people.

• charity adverts are trying to raise awareness about issues that can be helped and get people to donate. their audience are mainly people who the charity can help but also general public who can help. Use of language that will make public empathise with the people, they also use imperative verbs to tell us to take initiative. use of close ups/mid close ups of mainly children.

Cultural and Social context in 2011 (UK):

• Homelessness: 50,000
• The recession: There was growth in the first three quarters, but the economy contracted again at the end of the year. Unemployment peaked at 2.6 million, the highest since 1996. The squeeze on household spending intensified as inflation topped 5%. 
• How many people rented their homes: 35.7%
• Average income: £26,100 annual earnings
• living costs: increased
• strikes over pay 

Identify which technical codes are used in this advert and analyse how media language has been used to sell the product.

direct address- sad expression - makes us sympathise with them 
layout focuses on their face and expression with questions and statements to make us think.

typical shelter colours of black, red and white - desaturated faces 
typography - sans serif text placed in front of their faces in a bold colour so we do not overlook the statements.

high key lighting on their faces which fades into the dark background shows their facial expression and features.

Representation: 

what is being represented? the charity that is helping with homeless people 

These posters have been made to raise awareness about the problem with homelessness in 2011, they do this by using elements of media language such as camerawork and mise en scene. The direct address and sad expressions makes it seem like they are turning to the public for help, thereby making the audience feel responsible for solving the crisis. The colour palette used is typical Shelter colours (red, black and white) however mainly focusing on the red which has connotations of urgency and trouble showing us that something needs to happen. The main text is set out to cover their faces so we do not overlook the statements which give us a feeling of insight into the peoples experiences, making us feel connected to them. Lighting focuses on the faces which have been desaturated to make them look malnourished and uncared for in their homelessness, this makes the audience sympathise with them and affects their emotions, prompting them to help the cause. 

who/what is being represented?

The charity that is helping people who are experiencing homelessness, showing the negative effects it has on people.

Is the representation positive or negative? 

Negative because their facial expressions are solemn and have been desaturated to show the effects this has had on them. 

Wednesday 1st March 2023         

Explain what viewpoints and ideologies Shelter's 'A Home for Everyone' campaign reinforces.

Social Duty - we have a social responsibility to help others who are in need.

Social Inequality - The people look normal and not like they are struggling, however the advert suggests they are which shows that social inequality exists 

Stereotypes - 

Friday 10th March 2023             Exam Format

LO: to analyse representation and media language in similar adverts.

Paper 1: Q5 & 6

Question 5 - 10 marks 

                     - usually music videos or advertising

Question 6 - 15 marks 

                     - usually on The Big Issue or advert comparison

Analyse how effectively the old spice advert uses the combination of of elements of media language to create meaning.

This advert uses media language to create an idea that the product will make you feel like you're in the Bahamas. The use of the editing of the volcano exploding out of the head of the famous actor Isaiah Mustafa, shows that this product is so good that it blew his mind, persuading people to buy it, because if someone famous likes it then it must be worth it. The Old Spice brand was also typically associated with older, mature men, so by using a famous actor/sportsperson they appeal to a more younger, online audience who will likely know who it is. 

Soft drink ads:

Mens grooming product ads:

Charity (homelessness) ads:

Powerade advert HW:

Analyse how effectively the advert uses the combination of elements of media language to communicate multiple meanings.

• basketball player - sporty - uses powerade to energise and hydrate 
• blue smoke coming away from him as he runs - powered by powerade
• bottle enlarged to size of the man, bright blue - draws attention
• blue connotations - hydration 

Media language has been used in this advert through the use of editing with the bright blue smoke, following the man playing sports, showing that he is energised from powerade. He is a tall, muscular man playing sports, which is likely to persuade people to drink this product because society are influenced by attractive people. The product is blue which we can assume is artificially coloured however blue also has connotations of hydration which is further suggested in the text 'focus. hustle. hydrate. believe.'. Mise en scene is used through the mans clothing, he is wearing a blue basketball uniform which suggests he is playing for team powerade, this enticing an audience of people who are into basketball 

CASE STUDY 3: THE BIG ISSUE

Friday 17th March 2023                           THE BIG ISSUE 

LO: to research institutions and ideologies behind case study product.

                                                                          

Common magazine codes and conventions: 

Design:

Colour palette based on the main image (3 colours or more)

Famous person in that field for main image

Block caps often used

Layout:

Cover lines surrounding the main image 

Masthead at top left 

Language:

Puns 

Cover lines based on articles inside

Friday 24th March 2023                  The Big Issue

LO: to research institutions and ideologies behind case study product.

The Big Issue is a street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick. The paper started as a response to the increasing numbers of homeless people in the London, and a new magazine is released each fortnight. 

The Big Issue covers topics such as:

• news 
• advice
• culture
• opinion 
• life 

Target audience: 

    more women than men 

    aged between 25 and 49

    high income earners

    university educated

    socially conscious

    interested in politics, popular and high culture

    

Price of a magazine: £3.00

The organisation has unveiled a new look for the print magazine aiming to meet the needs of both the vendors and readers. The UK's first lockdown slashed revenue by 80% and was forced to switch to digital.

GRAMSCI AND HEGEMONY: 

Cultural hegemony is the dominance of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class who manipulate the culture of that society (beliefs, values, perceptions) so that the worldview of the ruling class becomes the accepted cultural norm.

In mainstream newspapers you can see Gramscis model of the social-political landscape of a culture of society as being hegemonic.

Hegemonic: dominant ideology that shapes the way that society see the world, themselves and others.

Most newspapers have a mass audience in which they are addressing; the udience shares the values of that newspaper.

 

The Sun believe their audience share a set of values being: 

• celebrity
• Royal Family - negative view 
• anti-drugs
• British values 
• British pop culture 

Wednesday 29th March 2023                        The Big Issue

LO: to analyse big issue covers effectively.

explain the similarities and differences in terms of media language conventions used.

conventional:

• big masthead 
• main image - centred
• 3 colours- takes the colours from the main image 
• image overlaying masthead

unconventional:

• layout- cover lines usually up sides 
• masthead on bottom and top - split masthead - anchors the main image as the big issue

Mode of address:

how the text speaks to the audience and involves them.

how a text influences the audience

direct mode of address- model looking at audience or the writing speaks to 'you'.

indirect mode of address- the model looks away or writing refers to the 'people' or 'the public'.

different modes of address: formal, informal, humorous, serious, hostile, friendly

Media producers are keen to establish a relationship with their perceived audience

how they address or speak to their audience is a crucial factor in establishing a relationship

Analysis:

The use of a split masthead anchors the main image as the 'big issue' of the magazine, it also entices us to look at the bottom of the cover to finish reading the title. The use of overlapping of the main image on the masthead and the cover lines placed on the sides of the cover are conforming to typical conventions of magazine front covers. The main image of a disabled person creates a representation that the Big Issue is inclusive 

Wednesday 26th April 2023                 Representation

LO: to analyse the representations & constructed ideologies

Pink background colour - connotations of femininity

Black masthead -

Background plain - solely focusing on the image 

both slightly smiling, making eye contact - happy passing the reign over to Charles.

Both rulers making eye contact - trusting each others ability

cover line - Charles focus on nature - green

The Big  Issue Revision:

The set pages clearly represent the values and ideologies of the magazine and its publisher.

Their pages represent homeless people in a positive and sympathetic light because supporting the homeless is their main goal as a magazine.

Drugs, alcohol and violence are mentioned in set pages, creating a realistic representations of homeless life for vendors.

The representations of homelessness are not idealised.

Left wing ideologies are clearly represented. - the magazine paints a reasonably negative picture of the conservative government.

Set pages are dominated by men, this could be because writers are primarily male, and so are the readers.- May also reflect the fact that men are more likely to become homeless than women are, so they are focusing on creating more positive role models for men.

End of year assessment DIRT

Question 5: How and why are stereotypes used in music videos?

• 10 marks - 17 minutes

Talk about conventions and genres

Theory: Andrew Goodwin

Counter-types explained in the context of stereotypes

Question 6:

• 15 marks - 25 minutes

Line of reasoning 

knowledge and understanding 

Judgments and conclusions

Target Q6: write a judgment/ refer to the question

Target Q5: talk about more than representation 

November PPE mock DIRT:

Question5: Music Video

link analysis back to context and meaning of the song every time.

camerawork: rather than focusing on one shot, look at repeated use of ...

 

general points:

• shots angles and movements e.g. close ups on singer/ wide shot of band, location/studio shots
• editing e.g recognition of shot sequence, pacing, jump cuts, and other editing transitions and SFX
• musical performance, e.g. matching styles of music and use of MES
• identify the genre of the music and the video performance
• recognise the explicit promotion of an ideological viewpoint
• identify technical conventions (3 minutes long or matches radio airplay)
  
• demonstrate how MVs construct representations of the TA

Specific points: Burn the Witch

• song played over an animated film - alternative, artistic, symbolic
• the artist is absent, but present in the music video
• the music video uses stop motion animation and intertextual reference to the children's TV show Trumpton, there is evident ideology of community - rural pasts signified by the opening shots of the village as they prepare for the visit from a man in a suit being chauffeur driven-signifying the importance of this visitor or outsider 
•  take idyllic, nostalgic ideas and transform them e.g 'maypole' turns out to be a noose 
• the nostalgia of the community constructs fictions from the past - and is morally judgmental- hence the burning of the witch. and crossing of the doors, the representation of the ducking stool signifies a paganism which was forbidden.
• the past and rural communities are stereotyped as closed communities and depicts mob rule. the community is not welcoming to outsider - embedded in the narrative and MES e.g. the city visitor in a suit is the 'alien' other to the countryside model village.
• the way of life is represented is an extreme to the outsider - consider the reaction of the gentlemen to the image of the gallows.
• the narrative of the video signposts cider apple makers - the suited gentleman is making nots, shakes his head at what is observed.
• when the mayor takes the gentleman to the village fayre he unveils a wicker man in which the witch hunt can be completed by burning the witch, who is the gentleman, signifying the anti-authority beliefs of the village and symbolising a human sacrifice.

Question 6: Big Issue 

• show a demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the media theoretical framework to analyse source D.
• how media reps are constructed which consistently provides logical connections and a good line of reasoning.
• judgments and conclusions regarding how effective the source is.
• bring in the context where relevant 
• make a judgement 

discuss how typical elements of magazine covers are all present, creating a rep of the big issue which is fairly mainstream - possibly beyond producer choice, somewhat subverted.

conventional elements presented in a somewhat unconventional manner all of which combine to create a cover challenges and subverts mainstream reps, traditional industry contexts and expectations of what a magazine should ok like

discuss the collage mature of the cover implies an attempt to appeal to an atypical audience.

juxtaposition and choice of figures creates an explicit ideological message. Big Issue vendors being given a hand up not handout literally side. by side with the rich, famous and fantastic. implicit reps is one of the equality, although the main cover line suggests that either 'we' are the magazine or 'we' are the vendors in which celebrities are being represented as supportive or friends 

focus on the choice of particular iconographies and their representation implications 

choice of range of different social groups on the cover is notable 

Target:

practise questions with time limits.

link questions to contexts