Revison - Component 2c - Online Media (2 QUESTIONS)

Question 1

How significant is the role of individual producers in online media industries? Make reference to Zoella to support your argument? (15)

Underline

How significant is the role of individual producers in online media industries? Make reference to Zoella to support your argument? (15)

Knee Jerk

Individual users extremely important for online media industries, and increasingly so as digital media becomes ever more convergent. However, while Zoella presents herself as an amateur internet user who is relatable to her fans, in actually she is part of a...

Plan

• Clay Shirky - 'End of audience' theories

• Opposite of industrially produced media

• Uses digitally convergent media

• Tanya Burr's lifestyle blog - slightly racier.

• James Charles - loss of 2 million subscribers, scandals

• Merchandising

• My little pony/ Assassins Creed mashup - Henry Jenkins

• Zoella is an amateur

• Zoella's book is ghostwritten

• Clear examples of Zoella collaborating with producers

• Mistakes left in! Hyperreal construction of identity

• £50 advent calendar: hurt her brand

• Both vertically integrated and an example of multimedia integrated industry

• 11 million subscribers

• Over 1 billion views

• 50% of 15-24 year olds have watched a vlog in the last month: a young and digitally active audience - high levels of expendable income

• Second channel: provides a target audience with a different brand identity

• Brand endorsement: significant number of blogposts are 'advertorials'

• Curran and Seaton: solely motivated by power and profit

• Paid wage by Youtube: £15,000 a month!! However, a vast majority of individual producers are paid absolutely nothing!

• £4,000 a month from ads on zoella.co.uk

• Motivated by a capitalist ideology, with a massive focus on commodity fetishism, consumerist ideology

• 'Ultimate pizza taste test with mark'

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Question 2

To what extent do the representations in Attitude make claims about realism? (15)

Underline

To what extent do the representations in Attitude make claims about realism? (15)

Knee Jerk

While representations often make claims about reality, it is worth noting that representations can never be real, simply because they are a reflection of the ideology of the producer. However, the representation of a certain group will also affect not only the target audience of a media product, but also the people being represented.

Paragraph Plan

1. Who is being represented?
2. How is this representation constructed?
3. What message is presented to the target audience?
4. How does this representation affect the group represented?

Plan

• Attitude presents a hyperreal representation of gay, young men to their target audience of gay, young men. By making claims about reality, this raises many issues.
• 1. Gay people are represented as affluent and young
• 2. Gay people are represented as out, proud and confident
• 3. Gay people are represented as being particularly interested in style and fashion.
• 4. Gay people are represented as hyper sexualised, and only interested in a very singular and specific body type. Presents an unattainable body image.

• One way in which the representation of gay men in Attitude make claims about realism is through the representation that gay men are out, proud and confident with their sexuality.
• For example, in the article 'TARON EGERTON AND SIR ELTON JOHN TEAM UP FOR BRAND NEW SONG '(I'M GONNA) LOVE ME AGAIN', Elton John is represented as a proud and confident gay icon.
• Flamboyant costume
• Direct mode of address
• Status as a celebrity
• Article creates a sweeping and stereotypical representation of gay men for the target gay audience. Hall considered stereotypes, which through constant repetition can cultivate a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Additionally, over time stereotypes can change...
• 70's, homosexuality seen as a mental health issue, now homosexuality more widely accepted.
• However, there is a discrepancy between the representation and the reality. A hyperreal and perfect 'reality' is constructed for the target audience. However, this is unlikely to be the reality for every audience member.
• The front cover of Attitude magazine takes a completely different perspective, and through its confrontational lexis shines light on the significant problem of young gay people being bullied at school. While there are more hard hitting articles on the website, the majority of content is focused on positive and normalised stories.
• The menu bar in particular offers the gay target audience an escapist fantasy, where they only need to be interested in 'entertainment', 'travel' and 'boys'.

• Escapist fantasy for a marginalised and discriminated group

• Confidence through normalisation

• Gives the gay audience a sense of identity and a way of living your life

Revision - Component2a - Magazines

Question

Explore how the set editions of Woman and Adbusters appeal to their target audience.

Woman Magazine

• The slang is very 1960's in a very informal mode of address. This may be appealing to the audience

• Binary oppositions between a mans life and a woman's life, the article is worded that men live a secret life and that women are intrigued to know the real details.

• The image of the man getting stood on by the woman positions the audience in a light hearted mode of address.

• Photo of older, mature male model appeals to a mature audience: aspirational. Stereotypically attractive...... but not unobtainable

• Theme of article: men! Presents men as both hyper masculine and mysterious: 'man sized bottles'

• Masculinity is power. Appeals to audience by creating a gender binary. Hegemonically appealing.

• Men are other(ed) 'thats why we differ'

• Insider information on men: cultivates heteronormative view of the world

• Audiences can pick and mix their own ideology. Feminist audiences can take pleasure in the explicit image of a woman crushing a man's head.

Adbusters

• About global warming

• Binary opposition between people big american truck in the photo and a woman sat on the side of the street who appears to be homeless.

• Sophisticated lexis 'disintegration of the polar ice sheets' Assumed knowledge of climate change and global warming.

• Climate change theme reinforced through the code '350ppm' (parts per million) a reference to concentration of greenhouse gasses. Once more, a sophisticated mode of address.

• Appeals to target audience through presenting agreeable political message: that there is a discrepancy between rich and poor, and this is affecting the climate.

• Rejection of commodity fetishism through ruined, rough post-production techniques. Steve Neale's theory of genre: of repetition and in this case difference. Reinforces anti capitalist beliefs

• Pick and mix - can enjoy the magazine from a design and aesthetic perspective

• Reading the magazine provides the audience with cultural capital, and also allows social interaction with other left wing/ anarchist/ anti capitalists

• Oppositional reading: audiences may feel disgusted by the homeless person, and might take exception to her presence

Revision - Component2a - Magazines

Woman - Non-Creative

• Woman magazine is creating a standardised product for a standardised audience.

• By creating a specialised and singular audience they can charge more for advertising space. The first line of the soap advert is 'Because you are a woman.'

• The fashion in the magazines are stereotypical, conservative and conformist.

• Jackie Kennedy - Her husband is John.F Kennedy, but they are talking about how nice she is with no relevance to her assassinated husband, they avoid political views due to the audience not knowing how to react.

Adbusters - Creative

• Looks like it has low production values, could be a bad thing as to a mainstream and mass audience the magazine looks like it will be rubbish.

• There is no anchorage on the front cover, a mainstream audience will not be intrigued.

• Post-West. West means Europe, UK, America. Post means after, the audience might interpret that this means Europe and America will be destroyed, we do not know it could mean a numerous things.

• An oppositional reading could be that they believe the magazine to be about terrorism and they may think its disgusting and completely disregard the magazine due to their own interpretation.

• 'Your plant is screwed and the world will be better if you weren't here' deliberately trying to upset the audience, they don't want to be financially successful they do not care.

Revision - Component2a - Television

Question

"All genres exist and function through a process of repetition and difference" - Use Steve Neale's genre theory to explore this notion in Humans and Les Revenants [30]

Underline

"All genres exist and function through a process of repetition and difference" - Use Steve Neale's genre theory to explore this notion in Humans and Les Revenants [30]

Knee Jerk

DAC

Defintion
Argument
Context

Neale argues that genre works through presenting a series of easily identifiable generic paradigms in order to ensure an audience. However, in order to maintain audiences over time, there is also a requirement for the producer to vary genre conventions. Thus all media products exist as a combination of the repetition and difference of genre conventions. I shall argue that both of the TV shows I have studied are simultaneously typical and yet atypical in the ways they present as genre. This is primarily to appeal to both a core and a niche audience. In order to explore this, I shall be using the examples of Humans, a 2015 Channel 4 sci-fi UKTV series, based off the Swedish sci-fi show Real Humans, and Les Revenants, a French supernatural drama/zombie show, first broadcast in 2012 on Canal Plus, and based on 2004 film of the same name. Both shows have been distributed to a number of audiences in other countries.

Plan

• Genre Hybridity

• When he is walking down the hallway there is a proairetic code connoting something is going to happen and it is typical of horror movies, however what we actually see if a typically attractive, middle aged woman sat in his kitchen eating pasta out of a pan as she is hungry.

• This entire show is massively anti-climatic, when we watch horror films we expect to see people dying, however in this episode we see more people coming back to life than dying.

• Les Revenants is designed for a niche and cult audience as it stereotypically atypical. This is why Les Revenants is subverting these conventions in order to appeal to the audience. Normal mainstream audiences will be disappointed and bored through this, however to the cult audience they will enjoy the show due to it being exciting from not seeing the 'norm' of a horror movie.

• By Les Revenants swapping between 3 different scenes (Busstop, Pub and House, and Camilles bedroom) it is appealing to a wider range of audiences, it is appealing to teens aswell as adults and appealing to the working class aswell as the middle class.

• Les Revenants has a vast ensemble cast, to appeal to different ages/classes.

• The mise-en-scene of the settings enforces the idea of the working class suburbs being dull and boring. To ensure the feeling of being un safe for Julie.

• The sound is low tempo and sparse, which is non diegetic sound. We also hear ambient sounds such as roaring of the buses, to make it seem more real and relatable to the audience.

• Claude Levi-Strauss - Binary Oppositions, there is a major binary opposition between the dark and scary town with an innocent little boy which enforces the idea that Viktor is creepy and shouldn't be there.

• Henry Jenkins - Fandom. We see many examples of Les Revenants giving their audience the opportunity to draw up their own conclusions, which will allow the audience to speak between themselves to take the story beyond the show.

• Each episode focuses on a different character as the show goes on. Camille is the focus in episode 1. Except from episode 8 which is called 'La Horde' which creates a character arc.

• The show is French and funded by companies such as EU, and French Alp etc.

• There is many French aspects of Les Revenants, there is a stereotypically loving atmosphere and close-knit families which adds to these stereotypes. Another reason to make it French and differ from a British show is the setting, for a french audience it will give the pleasure of a stereotypically french atmosphere which could be nostalgic or a sense of escapism.

• Les Revenants is atypical through the use of their setting, we are seeing sights of France that are not stereotypical, if a English or American producer are wanting to set it in France they will more than likely chose Paris. A big reason as to why Les Revenants is probably set in The Alps is because of the funding so it is also as if it is an advert aswell as a TV show.

• Humans is about technological singularity and means humans and robots will become equal. This is actually happening, people are losing their jobs to robots. This is an allegory.

• Anita plays a role of a mum to Sophie, Anita plays a role of a doll, Anita is also a sexually attractive woman who is competition towards Laura. Anita plays a role of a toy. Anita serves many different purposes.

• "This is how breakfast is supposed to be" an example of hyperreality, Anita is perfect because she is not real and she is a Madonna and she is a Whore. We suggest that she doesn't have control and she doesn't have consent.

• In the scene of Odi messing up we are positioned in a british shopping centre such as a Morrisons or Tesco, which is an easily identifiable scene for the british audience which is appealing.

• We are positioned with George so when he gets told to scrap Odi. We sympathise with George and we understand that nobody wants to scrap him as he is lovely and that George loves him.

• Humans deals with a range of hard to explain and deal with subjects, such as rape, we see Miska being raped at the end of the episode, but technically she is not raped as she is a robot, which can bring in so many moral issues. We are eye to eye with Niska, the expression she pulls is that she is completely emotionless, dehumanising her even further. We are supposed to feel upset and sorry for Niska.

• Humans repeat these ideas and encode sci-fi elements, the bright green synth eyes are a convention of sci-fi its not a full on convention it is subtle. The entire show is just showing that all synths are objectified. Every synth goes through a process multiple times of being objectified.

• Different people can have different readings of the same thing, this is what Humans allows the audience to do, people chose their preferred reading. It could be about how women are treated in our society whereas it could also be to other people about a show with robots with no deeper meanings. There is no correct meaning which is what polysemy is all about.

Revision - Component1a - Music Videos

Question

How do the representations in these music videos show the values, attitudes and beliefs of the producer?
Formation - Beyonce
Blackpink - ddu-du-ddu-du

Underline

How do the representations in these music videos show the values, attitudes and beliefs of the producer?

Knee Jerk

Representation - a re-presentation, where a group, issue or event is 'shown again' by the producer. By using media language to represent certain groups, the producer can both reinforce and challenge hegemonic norms. I shall argue that the video to Formation by Beyonce and the video to ddu-du-ddu-du by Blackpink both reinforce and challenge stereotypes of women.

Plan

• Semiotics - Roland Barthes

• Structuralism - Claude Levi Strauss

• Representation - Stuart Hall

• Pick'n'Mix - David Gauntlet

• Feminist Theory - Lisbet Van Zoonen/bell hooks

• Post colonialism  - Paul Gilroy - hierarchies of power still exist today!

• L/A shots

• Americanisation/Westernisation

• Shot in California

• Fast paced editing in BP, slow in formation

• MES of police and authority

• Rebelion

• CU shots - celebrity

• Gun fetishism - post malone?

• Gang signs! cute! binary opposition!

• Warlike!

• Video VHS effect - symbolic intertextual reference to police brutality captioned on dash-cams

• BP - men in balaclavas, men less important!

• Intertextual reference - BP girl swinging from chandelier: Miley Cyrus wrecking ball!!

• Celebrity iconography

• Shots of Hurricane Katrina, representation of racial conflict

• bell hooks - feminism is for everyone

• Intimidating mode of address

Paragraphs

PEA

One way in which the ideology of the producer of ddu-du-ddu-du is shown to be subversive through the use of glamorisation within masculine objects. For example, we see a pink diamante tank with one of the lead singers positioned on top eating popcorn,

One way in which the ideology of the producer of ddu-du-ddu-du is shown to be conventional is through the reinforcement of female stereotypes. This is primarily achieved through the consistently stereotypically feminine MES such as shopping bags, presents, jewels, gems and summer dresses. This is further reinforced through the feminine objects being situated in stereotypically masculine and aggressive settings, creating a binary opposition, and emphasising how unnatural this is...

Costumes in both videos are generally heavily sexualised, with the purpose of emphasising the bodies of the young, female performers. An excellent example of Van-Zoonen's observation women's bodies are used to fulfil the gaze of the male target audience, and to become an aspirational figure for the female target audience. This reinforces that the hegemonically accepted goal of all women in society is to be looked at by heterosexual men.

In Formation, the producer primarily represents black women as being of a lesser hierarchal status than white people. Long shot of Beyonce stranded on top of a police car demonstrates both her powerlessness and her vulnerability in the face of authority. Her 'formation; of women dancing in a deserted car park, demonstrating a lack of financial capital ..... The positioning of men around her, taking on the role of bodyguards is symbolic of danger

The symbolism of the Antebellum era costume demonstrates Beyonce's manipulation and ownership of the black slavery narrative. By being positioned as a slaver Beyonce is arguably placed into a position of power, however the polysemic image is potentially controversial for her audience. 

Revision - Component1b - Newspapers

Question

How do The Times and The Daily Mirror attract and maintain their audiences both locally and globally?

Underline

How do The Times and The Daily Mirror attract and maintain their audiences both locally and globally?

Knee-Jerk

Attraction is to bring in audiences
Maintaining audiences is essential for the newspaper industry, as it ensures financial success by promoting brand loyalty. British newspapers naturally primarily target a British, local audience, with an international audience mainly as an afterthought.

Content

• The Times

• Subscription - Audiences are encouraged to subscribe to the Times, allowing them to pay £1/day as opposed to £1.80, a significant saving, although it requires setting up a direct debit.

• Consistent presentation of dominant ideology. Broadly pro Brexit, and supportive of May's government.

• The Times will shift their ideology in order to suit their audience. An industry dominated by profit and power.

• "The isis bride" (former?) British Citizen, a particularly emotive issue for British audiences, that encourages debate and discussion, encouraging audiences to buy every week.

• "Boy 7 electrocuted after climbing over pub wall"

• The Mirror

• "How to make the most of your GP appointment" - practical yet ridiculously common sense life advice, providing the audience with the gratification of information.

• Puzzle Solutions - the solution for the puzzle is published the next day: codebreaker puzzle = £75.

• "Good food daily recipe to collect" encourages brand loyalty.

• Online comments on The Mirror online allows audiences to share their own views and opinions which may be radically offensive: an excellent example of Shirky's theory.

• The Mirror cultivates a left wing ideology, constructing a left wing audience who show brand loyalty to the product.

• Jordan Pickford - English goalkeeper involved in a street brawl. "if it bleeds, it leads" Especially important to working class audience fascinated by alcohol, football and fighting, cultivating the ideology of the target audience.

Revision - Component1b - Newspapers

Question

How do specific processes of production, distribution and circulation shape The Times and The Mirror?

Facts

• The Times

• Owned by News UK, a subsidiary of News International, an enormous media conglomerate.

• Long established, a British institution est. 1785

• Sister Paper: The Sunday Times

• Circulation 2019: 417,298 a day

• Compact format, easier to read

• Vertically integrated industry

• Currently £1.80

• Daily newspaper

• Right wing

• Middle class, older audience

• The Daily Mirror

• Tabloid Newspaper/Redtop

• Working class audience

• Owned by Reach PLC (Previously Trinity Mirror)

• Founded in 1903

• Circulation 587,803 a day (2017)

• Sister Paper: Sunday Mirror

• Reach also publishes a range of local newspapers - diversification

• "The intelligent tabloid. "hashtagmadeuthink"

• Cover price 80p

• Both newspapers

• Produced daily

• Extremely short production cycle, meaning more emphasis on quantity rather than quality.

• Examples of a highly specialised industry

• Hierarchal structure with editors, journalists, designers and printers

• Tend to be owned by massive multinational corporations, with an interest in profit and power

Underline

How do specific processes of production, distribution and circulation shape The Times and The Mirror?

Knee-Jerk

Both newspapers target a mass audience and want a mass circulation.

Plan

• The Times

• Advert for "first class train journey London to Budapest" £3k holiday: newspapers make money through advertising revenue. Reach of advertising is vast!

• Article: opinion editorial on Gin and Tonic "speaking to: Unto power of a nice G&T"

• Page three: soft news: cricket: middle class sport

• Kidney Beans vs Lentils: very soft story! Demonstrates a middle class mass audience.

• Big focus on Brexit and british politics, demonstrating its newsworthiness to the mass target audience. An industry driven by power, profit and money.

• Average level of reading comprehension for the Times is 15 years old. Slightly above national average demonstrating a middle class audience.

• The Daily Mirror

• Mcdonalds advert on the front page, promotion of gambling.

• Double Page image splash of a model of Theresa May skewering someone with her nose demonstrates an anti-right wing ideology.

• Jordan Pickford story is bigger and more easy to read on the front page than it is on The Times looking like it is more appealing to working class that someone got in a bar fight compared to in The Times.

• "Tips for a good night's sleep": soft news, and appealing to a mass audience. Cyclical, reoccurring news story.

• Front page skyline on Mick Jagger suggest a need to cater for a mass audience.

• 80% of sports coverage devoted to football. Football is hegemonic-ally established as Britain's national sport. A need to appeal to a mass audience.

• Use of slang and informal lexis.

• Level of reading comprehension: approximately 9 years old, the average reading age for the UK!

Revision - Component1a - Newspapers

Question

How do these products make use of intertextuality and genre conventions in order to reflect the ideology of the producer?

Underline

How do these products make use of intertextuality and genre conventions in order to reflect the ideology of the producer?

Knee Jerk

Daily Mail - Conservative (right)
Daily Mirror - Labour (left)

Both newspaper are heavily influenced by the favoured political party, which is shown through the use of intertextuality and genre conventions. The Daily Mirror favours the left wing labour party while The Daily Mail is particularly right wing newspaper.

Intertextuality refers to where a media product refers to another media product in order to engage the audience.

Genre Conventions are the typical aspects the genre of the media product, and are vital to the producer to allow them to target a specific audience.

Ideology refers to the ideas and beliefs of the producer, and is used primarily to allow the audience to relate to the media product.

Plan

• 'If it bleeds it leads'

• Bias

• Semiotics - Roland Barthes

• Structuralism - Claude Levi Strauss

• Representation - Stuart Hall

• Cultivation Theory - George Gerbner

• Reception - Stuart Hall

• Pick'n'mix - David Gauntlet

• Anchorage

• Tabloids

• Repetition and Difference - Steve Neale Genre Theory

• Informal mode of address

• Working Class audience

• Binary Oppositions - Claude Levi Strauss

• Language/Lexis

• Reach PLC

• Serif/Sans Serif

• Paradigmatic Features

Content

• Daily Mail

• Through the mise-en-scene of the serif font used it is portraying a more formal mode of address. This fits Daily Mail's intended target audience as the right wing party is predominantly favoured by middle class people, by the use of the serif font it makes the newspaper more favoured to them therefore identifying with their audience.

• The use of the lexis 'hooded' reinforces the already known ideology that people with their hood up are bad and are dangerous. Through the use of this headline it makes the intertextual reference to a thriller film, so the audience then overcome a fear and paranoia due to the intertextual references from the headline.

• Dehumanisation of criminals: referred to as a disease, as something that needs to be wiped out.

• "hooded thug" highly emotive and hyperbolic lexis that anchors the audience to believe that young people who wear hoods are intrinsically murderers. Highly conventional of tabloid newspapers, creating a moral panic, targeting the mail's conservative audience who likely agree with tough measures for crime.

• Conflict between hard and soft news, allowing Mail to provide a conservative audience with a range of pleasure.

• Headline is a clear intertextual reference which takes advantage of the audience's love of crime dramas. A construction of an exciting and dangerous world. Deliberately targeting a mass, mainstream audience through manipulation.

• Daily Mirror

• One way in which the ideology of the Daily Mirror is reflected is through the use of intertextuality. For example the main image features a mid shot of a group of stereotypical assembled American Trump supporters. Their status as American is reinforced through the MES of their costume, the symbolic code presented by the red, white and blue. This clear intertextual reference to an American comedy is again reinforced through the genre convention of the exaggerated laughter, and the MES of the American flag suit is clearly ridiculous and borders on parody. A - the extreme patriotism is here presented as satire to a British audience, encouraging the British audience to take comfort in the fact that something similar is not happening here. It additionally anchors the meaning that American people are stereotypically stupid, funny and ridiculous.

• Trump is presented as the antagonist, and as a binary opposition to Hilary Clinton, even positioned on opposites sides of the page. An intertextual reference to popular action films, such as Dr No.

• Bias through selection: Mirror selects an image of Trump where he appears to have a severe learning difficulty. Preferred reading is to laugh at him, demonstrating the ideology of the Daily Mirror.

• Colour of the text is symbolic of American patriotism.

• Binary opposition created: fear over loss of jobs and immigrants, a juxtaposition between the representation of the hispanic woman holding a 'hispanics for trump' placard. Demonstrates to the audience the extreme uncertainty and confusion in America. Heavy use of irony, and the presentation of a confusing, ridiculous narrative.

• Cultivation of a left wing, anti-trump ideology to anchor the audience in to believing Trump is a force for bad, and ultimately to sell more newspapers. This is an example of Narrativisation.

• Comparison between two newspapers

• Both take a different mode of address. Daily Mail much more formal, while the Mirror adopts a more informal mode of address. 

Revision - Component2a - Film Industry

Curran and Seaton - Power and Media Industries

• The media industries tend to be owned by a small group of people limiting the ideologies that are presented to the audience
• Conglomeration
• Where one company 'buys out' other companies, in order to become larger and to eliminate competition.

David Hesmondhalgh - Media Industries

• Media industries are organised in certain ways.
• Vertical Integration
• Where an organisation acquires another organisation 'up or down' in the production chain. For example, Paramount Pictures own Showcase cinemas.
• Horizontal Integration
• Where an organisation buys others in the same sector. For example, Stream publishing focuses purely on magazines.
• Digital/Multi Media Integration
• "They buy into other related areas of cultural industry production to ensure cross-promotion"

Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt - Regulation

• 'Regulation' refers to the rules and restrictions that every media industry has to follow. For example the UK film industry must use the BBFC's age certifications, and television must adhere to OFCOM's regulations

• There is a struggle in recent UK regulation policy between the need to further the interests of citizens (by offering protection from harmful or offensive material), and the need to further the interests of consumers (by ensuring choice, value for money, and market competition)

• The increasing power of global media corporations, together with the rise of convergent media technologies and developments in the production, distribution and marketing of digital media have placed traditional approaches to media regulation at risk.

• Online media production, distribution and circulation in particular often allows producers to completely ignore media regulations

Question: How have the films you have studied been shaped by economic factors?

Underline

How have the films you have studied been shaped by economic factors?

Knee Jerk

Both films have been absolutely influenced by economic factors, with I, Daniel Blake being an independently produced film with political themes, and Straight Outta Compton being a major release with mass market appeal.

Plan

• I, Daniel Blake distributed by eOne films

• Straight Outta Compton distributed by Universal Pictures

• Ken Loach is the director of I, Daniel Blake

• I, Daniel Blake was made in 2016

• Straight Outta Compton was made in 2015

• I, Daniel Blake was produced by BFI (royal charter) and BBC

• Straight Outta Compton was produced by Legendary Pictures

• Straight Outta Compton is Biopic

• I, Daniel Blake is a Social Realist film which are usually hard hitting, political films

• I, Daniel Blake is a little indie film

• Straight Outta Compton is a major film

• Advertising Strategies

• Social Media

• hashtag straightouttaxxxx

• hashtag wearealldanielblake

• I, Daniel Blake made 15.8mil

• Straight Outta Compton made 201.6mil box office

Content

• Straight Outta Compton

• Trailer uses remixed, modernised, versions of the original songs, targeting not only an existing fanbase, but also a new audience.

• Straight Outta Compton cut the film down that was shown in cinemas to be suitable for a wider range of audience giving it an age certificate of 15 meaning that their profits will increase, however they still distributed the 18 version but online so it didn't affect their profits as much as it would if they distributed the 18 into cinemas.

• Straight Outta Compton can be accessed digitally showing that they are getting more money from distributing it to a range of sights. Also through marketing techniques they can build up an already founded fandom so digital streaming sights will be more willing to pay a big fee for the movie as they may think they will get more subscriptions.

• Straight Outta Compton had a budget of 28-50million. It is a mid to high budget for Hollywood films. High stakes in terms of budget.

• The trailer had 7.5 million views, indicates a viral online success.

• Target audience is a mass, generalised audience, with a particular focus on young, black men.

• Predominantly black cast, and a black director. From a sociohistorical perspective it is deemed as a hard sell.

• Teaser photos released days before the film's release, on social media. Downloaded 6 million times. Innovative marketing strategy and an example of viral marketing.

• Regulation: BBFC 15 certificate when released theatrically. Film was re-edited to ensure a lower age certificate to reach a bigger audience and teenagers with expendable income.

• Film was also released as an 18 rated directors cut.

• Distributed through Netflix reaching a larger home audience. Also Now TV.

• Produced by Legendary Pictures, a higher producer specialising in big budget blockbusters.

• Distributed by Universal Pictures, a vertically integrated, international conglomeration.

• An international marketing campaign, targeting the big movie territories.

• Social media marketing, viral, hashtags...

• Star appeal - sold through the likeness of NWA.

• I, Daniel Blake

• The trailer had 1.2 million views. Word of mouth, viral media.

• I, Daniel Blake can be accessed digitally showing that they are getting more money from distributing it to a range of sights. Also through marketing techniques they can build up an already founded fandom so digital streaming sights will be more willing to pay a big fee for the movie as they may think they will get more subscriptions.

• Co-produced by many smaller organisations and stakeholders.

• A British, French and Belgian co-production, demonstrating internationalism.

• Small, specialised and niche audience necessitates its budget its met through a variety of sources.

• Risky from an economic perspective: heavily politicised ideological message, favouring the left wing labour party.

• Depressing and hard hitting theme.

• Largely unknown actors, lacks star appeal.

• Low budget leads to low production values.

• Subsidised cinema tickets at £3.50 in order to ensure a working class audience are able to see it.

• However, the film predominantly attracted a white middle class audience, which is typical of Loaches films.

• Also released in other European countries, Moi, Daniel Blake.

• Won the Palme D'or, the biggest prize at the Cannes film festival.

• I, Daniel Blake was funded by a range of different companies this was to reduce the risk of the films and to be risk-adverse.

• Screened in social clubs in events around the UK.

Revision - Component1b - Advertising

In component 1b Kiss of the Vampire poster will not come up in Component 2 Section B. Additionally, only AUDIENCE style questions, not INDUSTRY questions will come up if advertising appears in Component 2 section B

Question: Explore how audiences can use or interact with the advertisements you have studied?

Underline

• Explore how audiences can use or interact with the advertisements you have studied?

Knee-Jerk

• The adverts I have studied offer their target audiences several uses and interactions, though primarily this is motivated by power and profit by selling a lifestyle to the audience.

Plan

• Selling Lifestyle
• Target Audience
• Ideology
• Anchorage
• Cultivation Theory - George Gerbner
• Reception Theory - Stuart Hall
• Soundtrack (Wateraid)
• Stereotypes
• Binary Oppositions - Claude Levi Strauss (Structuralism)
• Lexis
• Close-Ups
• Mise-en-Scene
• Setting
• Guilt Tripping
• Pick'n'mix Theory - David Gauntlet
• Identity
• Positivity
• Intertextuality

Introduction

• The adverts I have studied offer their target audiences several uses and interactions, though primarily this is motivated by power and profit, and by selling a lifestyle to the audience.

Content

• Wateraid Advert - 2016

• On screen graphics at end of adverts states: "text SUNNY to XXXX to give £3". SUNNY has positive and utopian connotation, providing the audience a definitive way to interact in a positive manner.

• Representation of Zambian woman: audience (target working class and white) form a binary opposition between themselves and Claudia. Emphasises the preferred reading to be sympathetic, and once more encourages donation.

• The audience is positioned with Claudia with a low angled tracking shot following her feet as she walks, forcing the audience to empathise to Claudia's situation.

• Convention of charity advert: close up of black persons feet, wearing flimsy shoes.

• Symbolic code of bucket, symbolises poverty, and is connotative of central african identity.

• Setting: quintessentially 'African', MES of girls with buckets on heads, the hazy sunlight drifting through scrubby trees and the laughing children playing next to a water fountain provides the audience with the pleasure of escapism.

• Diegetic singing, togetherness, and borderline worship of water presents a positive stereotype of black people, yet also reinforces the ideological perspective that poor, black african people should be thankful for the intervention and charity of white people, or at the very least, British people.

• The capital of Zambia is Lusaka, a well developed city. The reason why the advert isn't set in Lusaka is because it isn't the real 'Africa'. The representation of Zambia is misleading focusing on a small, rural village rather than the semi-affluent city of Lusaka.

• Tide - 1950's

• The producer has taken this approach to using a stereotypical housewife as the main selling point in the advert this is so it is identifiable with the target audience which is a working class housewife and advertising the product as something new and exciting to entice the consumer into buying.

• 'You women' direct mode of address, positioning target white working class audience in a community, which can be achieved through purchasing Tide.

• The Housewife, repeated across many Tide adverts is an aspirational figure. Slim, attractive and amorous, she provides the audience with the use and potential interaction of living an ideal lifestyle.

• Promotes cleaning and ashing clothes as positive and optimistic lifestyle. Reinforces the stereotype that women play a limited role in society.

• Reinforces patriarchal hegemony.

• Sociohistorical context of the 1950s limited roles and opportunities for women.

• Z line rule provides the audience with a simple and easily followed set of instructions, allowing them to feel confident to use the product.

• Cultivates the ideology that women are housewives and live in a patriarchal society. Provides male secondary audience the advantage of a subservient wife.

• The colour red is highly connotative of love and passions, a paradigmatic of the romance genre (intertextuality) allowing women to identify themselves as the hero of the story.

• Red signifies and emphasises the quality of the product, and royal significance of the brand.

Revision - Component1a - Advertising

Component 1 - Section A

Kiss of the Vampire Poster & 'US' Movie Trailer
Explore the ways in which these adverts use representations to position audiences.
You should make reference to:

• How groups are represented
• Intertextuality
• Genre Conventions
• Viewpoints and Ideologies

Use the bullet points given in the question to make reference to as a plan, write a paragraph on each bullet point to ensure discussion of all topics to make sure nothing is left out and everything has been explored.

• Underline
• Underlining the key words in the question will help from keeping you going off on a tangent.

• Knee Jerk reaction
• Your immediate response is the one you have familiarised yourself with the most and there is certain aspects that would jump out at you.

• Plan
• All key words/theories need to be written down.

• DAC
• 12 marks or higher you need an introduction. For this question the introduction should be shorter than normal. DAC - Definition, Argument, Context.

• Paragraphs

Knee Jerk Reaction

• Binary Opposition between the bunnies and the chaos and darkness that has been happening in the trailer. 

• There are similarities in how representations position audience through horror paradigms, however 'US' focuses primarily on a black family, which is highly subversive/atypical.

• Normally a movie uses black people as a token character however this trailer is subversive and a few white token characters are used.

Plan

• Binary Opposition - Claude Levi Strauss

• Semiotics - Roland Barthes

• Mise-en-scene - Lighting - very low key lighting a generic paradigm of a horror movie.

• Stereotypes

• bell hooks - feminist theory

• Ethnicity

• Hermeneutic code

• Symbolic code

• Genre/horror conventions

• Judith Butler - Gender Performativity

• Character Archetypes

• Intertextuality - Of the music at the beginning is a remix of a classic which could be seen as a binary opposition

• Referential code - Jaws T-Shirt

• Representation - Stuart Hall

• Paul Gilroy - Post-Colonial theory

DAC

D - Positioning is an essential technique for producers, as it allows the audience to be placed in a particular situation. One of the most effective ways to do this is through representation, the re-presentation of a group, issue or event.

C - In order to explore this idea, I shall be referring to the theatrical poster for the 1963 British Hammer horror Kiss Of The Vampire, and the 2019 theatrical trailer to the modern horror film US.

A - There are similarities in how representations position audiences through horror paradigms, however US focusses primarily on a black family, which is highly subversive/atypical.

Content

• KOTVP 
• The stereotypical way of a man controlling a woman is portrayed in the poster but only on one side of the poster, it is shown on the left hand side as we see the woman laying lifelessly whereas on the right hand side we see a binary opposition as it is the woman controlling the man so the left side and right side have switched roles showing the movie is subversive but not too subversive that it would upset the audience in 1963 as the ideas of woman having power was unheard of.

• MES of darkness, the night setting is connotative of the horror genre and is highly typical. Positions the audience as fans of the horror genre.

• Gesture and performance of the women reinforces their role within the film, and conforms to patriarchal hegemonic norms and standards.

• Woman on the left takes the role of the 'damsel in distress' archetype, positioning the audience in the role of a heterosexual man.

• Van Zoonen - Male Gaze: MES of the exposed skin, is a combination with the stereotypical attractiveness of the women assumes a heterosexual male target audience, and reinforces ideas of patriarchy.

• Iconography of the full moon hints at the supernatural elements of the film, positioning the audience through the use of hermeneutic codes.

• While the film is set in exotic eastern Europe, the actors are predominantly white and British, which reinforces patriotic viewpoints.

• US
• Almost exclusively black cast would be unthinkable in 1963, purely because the film could be seen as being financially unviable.

• Therefore for a horror film, a very atypical situation.

• Father wears a Harvard, connotative of wisdom, intelligence, and middle class identity subverts the stereotypical middle class family through the main characters ethnicity.

• Ink stains function as a hermeneutic code, and are highly paradigmatic of the psychological horror genre, to target a specific audience.

• All black cast positions audience as a young, middle class black person, subverting the expectation the audiences are predominantly white.

• Over the shoulder shot of walking along the beach, MES lightening functions as a proairetic code, suggesting bad things are going to happen.

• Extreme close up of woman's crying face is connotative of the horror film, and positions the target audience directly with the young, black protagonist.

• Referential code to the Directors earlier film Get Out, allowing it to target a pre-existing audience.

Online Media - Industry

Attitude Mini Research Task

• Who publishes Attitude?
• Stream Publishing Limited
• What other products does the publisher publish?
• Hertz, Vauxhall etc.

Stream bought Attitude to reduce their competition as they already have bought a gay magazine so by buying the bestselling gay magazine they are conglomerating to reduce the competition which is an example of horizontal integration and risk adverse practices. 

2/3 of a magazines revenue comes from sales and a 1/3 comes from advertisements. If a magazine didn't include adverts then the cover price would increase (Example adbusters which RRP is £11.99).

The audience for Attitude is a professional male meaning that they have cultural capital and quite a prestigious job.

'Pink Pound' - Because gay men won't necessarily have kids they are seen to have more money and more expendable income so they can spend it on your product.

The only reason for a media product to exist is to make money. It is a consumerist society.

Brand Identity is the ideology of an institution (an institution being a company) what is it actually putting out there.

The inside front cover double page spread is £157,000.

Synergy is where two things work well together, convergence leads to synergy.

Stream have internationalised their brand. They own a gay dutch magazine even though its published in English.

Companies try to be risk adverse by using multisector and multimedia integration. David Hesmondhalgh produced the idea of multimedia integration.

Attitude Online - Theories (Hall & Gilroy)

Misogyny - The hatred of women.

Stereotypes and Inequality in Attitude - Stuart Hall

• Stuart Hall suggests that the media and the power of media representations play an important role in defining the ideological thinking of audiences regarding specific groups.

• Hall's argument that stereotyping, as a form of representation, reduces people to a few simple characteristics or traits Hall's argument that stereotyping tends to occur where there are inequalities of power as subordinate or excluded groups are constructed as different or 'other'.

• Hall's work focuses on the use of stereotypes by the media - arguing that stereotypes work by reducing characters to simplistic physical characteristics and behaviour traits. Hall argues that stereotypes reflect the amount of power that social groups have within society, and that negative stereotypes reflect, in Hall's view, social inequalities or the wider views of society. In other words, the construction of specific groups as 'outsiders' or 'others' by media products mirror their social exclusion from wider society.

Theories around ethnicity and post-colonial theory - Paul Gilroy

• Post-colonialism is the study of the impact that being under direct rule has had on former colonies. For example, despite being a tiny island, Britain colonised and declared ownership of many countries, including India and Australia.

• These ideas and attitudes continue to shape contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity in the postcolonial era.

• These postcolonial attitudes have constructed racial hierarchies in our society, where, for example, white people are by and large given more positive and important roles than BME people.

• Media producers are also guilty of using binary oppositions to reinforce BME people and characters as 'others'.

Attitude provides a very stereotypical representation of gay men - six packs, stereotypically attractive males.

There are different gay communities other than attitude - the other stereotype of gay guys are referred to as looking young and being 'twigs'. Also another representation of gay males is 'bears' where they are fat hairy men etc.

Attitude Online - Initial Analysis

Attitude Online

• Sans-serif font makes the article more modern and formal rather than it being serif and less serious. Showing that the topic is a serious topic to be spoken about.

• The basic straightforward colour scheme connotes a neutral and easy to read and informative article.

• The headline which will get you clicking is in caps. The folio 'opinion' is in caps as well, the reason why they included these folio's is to make the website easy to navigate and being able to include more stories in different categories.

• Attitude Online is a gay magazine - they appeal to this audience by including topics such as west end dancing that a straight audience wouldn't be familiar with.

• The reappropriation - using a slang or offensive word to describe yourself.

• Stereotypically a good looking man who will be attractive to gay men.

• The man is dancing and he is in character. The image has connotations of old school musicals which is anchoring and codified as gay.

Attitude Website - How are gay men represented?

• Lots of conformity to stereotypes for men being quite vain specifically on weight loss and improving muscle definition. A focus on aesthetics.
• Example Article - Want to improve your weight loss, muscle definition, and conditioning? Crossrope has the answer.

• Hyper sexualised - The models are posed in such a way that you couldn't think its not about sex, it tells us that the representation of gay men is that they are open and in your face.
• Example Article - Meet the ridiculously beautiful boys of e4's 'shipwrecked' reboot.

• ...however, the magazine and website has a definitive target audience, and may go 'hidden' in the general populace so it isn't in your face its only if you look for it you will find it.

• Articles focusses on the team's body image as opposed to their sporting prowess, again reinforcing an emphasis on aesthetics.
• Example Article - Gay rugby players of the King's Cross Steelers strip off to talk body image.

• Extravagant and with exotic lifestyles - maybe regarded as camp
• Example Article - Thailands best spots for a romantic escape.

• Proud and self-confident. Gives audience the confidence to come out and to live with pride
• Example Article - AJ Pritchard wants to be the first professional dancer on 'Strictly' in a same-sex couple.

• Gay men are sexualised most of the models have ab's and muscles so they are stereotypically attractive. They are encoding straight men such as Cristiano Ronaldo to look homosexual, it is a singular and stereotypical representation. Rather than just making them out to be a celeb for what they're famous at they're showing that they are attractive aswell.
• Example Article - Here are Cristiano Ronaldo's hottest ever moments to celebrate his birthday.

• In this website we see a singular, stereotypical representation also like Woman magazine. However, the difference is that Woman magazine is not made to want people to sleep with them and more to appeal to woman for inspirational purposes rather than sexual purposes.

• Heteronormativity - We assume that people are straight - however we have the opposite here and see a specific representation of masculinity.

• There is a great extent of singular stereotypical representation of masculinity as it is all over the website of these big muscly stereotypically attractive guys this could make males feel inferior and intimidated as this is adopting feminist standards. Hyper-masculinity goes beyond the stereotypical male.

• Stereotypical gay people are usually deemed as feminine skinny and not very manly. However, these guys on Attitude magazine are the complete opposite which leaves the primary audience confused due to these stereotypes being completely broken.

• If this is all we see on Attitude being the gay primary audience seeing the same body type over and over again, not being able to see anyone without that body type. It creates a cultivation of what males need to look like, this could send the primary gay audience into a bit of a panic and they may become intimidated.

• The actual purpose of Attitude Online is to promote the magazine and selling it. This is an example of Digital Convergence. This is an example of the push pull effect, people are being pushed away by the technology and internet however the producers are pulling them back in by advertising the magazine all over the homepage.

• By the magazine being online it lets gay men who are closeted to look at the content without needing to admit what they are however a gay man who is closeted wouldn't want to go out and buy the magazine as they will be afraid that their sexuality will come out.

• Attitude is not offering a diverse representation of men.

Attitude Magazine - Front Cover Textual Analysis

• There is a prominent Z-Line in the front cover, we are automatically seeing the attitude brand along with the models face then as we scan over to the bottom we are aware of who the model is. So we get 3 main points of information just from the first glance of the magazine making it informing.

• The facial expression from Jake Shears looks almost like he is in shock and he is looking right at us as the audience positioning us in this shot, by the look on his face its as if us as the audience has done something bad and been caught connoting the badness of it which could lure into sexual connotations aswell.

• The colour scheme contrasts well with the black, white and hot pink this makes it seem vibrant and with the use of the hot pink this connotes femininity and we can almost tell straight away that this man is gay and/or represented as gay. The black background also emphasises the other colours and the bold headlines such as 'Masculinity' at the top of the magazine.

• The Mise-en-scene of the models costume makes him seem even more feminine and gay, the way his shirt is unbuttoned but still covering his body gives a sense of a hermeneutic code as although his shirt is covered there is a reason for it being unbuttoned so we can assume that there is to be some sort of sexualising within the magazine.

• His nail vanish and makeup acts as a binary opposition and a reject of the hegemonic norms. We do not expect a male to be wearing makeup or nail varnish so it is a shift of the hegemonic paradigms of a male. Also with the red nail vanish it is a connotation of sexualised aspects.

• The sell line is something that gives you a sneak peak on what is inside making the consumer feel promised that there is something inside so they would buy the magazine.

Online Media - Industry and Audience

We do not understand algorithms, we do not understand why these videos are so popular but why are these videos being created?

Zoella's Thumbnail and Video Titles - Textual Analysis:

• Using brands in the thumbnail and description as they're pre-established brands which will generate her revenue. For example when she posts a video with asos in the title if someone types in asos to shop there then zoella's video will show up in her google results.

• Her face is in every single thumbnail, and it is the exact same facial expression in every single one of her videos. Her thumbnails work and they get clicks because her face looks interesting and inviting it also looks approachable so it is appealing to the younger audience.

• Her font is always the same which is handwritten this connotes that she's laid-back, non-threatening which works and gets more people clicking on it.

• 'reacting' is a key word in thumbnails and extremely popular which is why Zoella uses these words instead of others in order to get views.

• Zoella has stamped her name on all of her video titles, this is to make ease for the audience so when they type her name they don't need to go onto her channel to find her videos they're just there straight away, and most vloggers do it because it works.

Algorithm

• A set of rules to sort certain things 'If i do this then this does that'

Netflix

• Audiences no longer exist. All that remains is a hyperreal construction forged by algorithms.

• Netflix watches what you watch and keep data on what you like to watch they're do it to get data rather than views and clicks.

Zoella is not targeting an audience, but it using algorithmic practice to target a theoretical machine fabricated audience.

We are living in a particularly boring and utterly incomprehensible science fiction novel.

Clickbait

• The correct words are being used like 'crazy' 'photos' 'perfect timing' which clickbait articles know works therefore they use it.

• Hyperboles and exaggeration is used in clickbait articles as producers know it works so when they click it gives them views and revenues.

Zoella is a hyperreal construction of Zoe Sugg, her friends, her family and even the internet itself, which is confusing as the internet itself is confusing and we don't understand how it but it works.

Youtube is trying to engage hyper engagement. It is creating a vicious circle which is not ethical at all, people with mental health issues will be watching youtube videos and get sucked into specially recommended videos which fills their brain with rubbish.

All these conspiracy theories are exploiting those who are vulnerable.

Online Media - Blogs (Zoella and Tanya Burr)

Zoella Website

• Sans-Serif font - basic font suggests that the target audience are young and uneducated.

• Titles are all in capital letters, she is using capital letters as it is easy to read and easy to understand.

• Lexis appeals to a younger audience.

• The things she shows in her blog serve an aesthetic function. She is showing her bar cart but she isn't going to get drunk it is a hyperreality.

• Zoella's website is full of hyperlinks, so when you click on a link you get distracted by another website. Known as a rabbit hole.

• The user experience (UX).

• The string of fairy lights on the top of the website exaggerates her girlyness which is a stereotypical representation of girls.

• No nudity in Zoella's blog, The way she's represented is childish and innocent, she is a young woman in pyjamas in her bedroom with her dog.

Tanya Burr Website

• It is different to Zoella's blog as it is more sophisticated through the font (Serif) - and titles are in lower case compared to capital letters.

• Tanya Burr is a bit more exposed on her blog, we see photos with cleavage and in bikini's demonstrating that she is adult and mature.

Multimodality

• Combines different types. Magazine - images and text. All media are types of multimodality.

Introduction to Online Media - Lesson 1 and 2

Online Media

• Media which is distributed using the internet. Digital technology is making things happen.

• DIGITAL CONVERGENCE

• An example of digital convergence is radio and it has been converged into podcasts which can be listened to through the internet and online.

• Another example is Youtube.

• Youtube has been made possible through the use of Broadband and fibre optic. Also made possible through the use of advancement of storage.

Vlogging

• A document of your life, like a diary.

• Microblogging - Twitter - short updates of your life.

• Vlogging is interesting as the audience for it is predominantly young people/ teenagers.

• Participatory Culture - Clay Shirky

• Vlogging and online video has become one of the biggest and most influential forms of media. Recent research shows 42% of internet users said they have watched a vlog within the last month rising to 50% for 16-24 year olds (Guardian, 2015), clearly demonstrating an ability to reach and influence vast range of audiences.

Producers sell audiences - giving the audience to a company.

• Aspirational 
• We see what we want to be

• Personal Identity/Identification
• Able to relate to people

• Unscripted Narrative
• Random topics, anything can happen, they can say what they want

• Authenticity
• Being real

• Direct mode of address
• Talking to the audience directly

• Audience interaction
• Comment on Youtube

pseudo science - Jackson Galaxy

• USP - different because he's got a weirdly shaped beard and he's bald, full sleeve arms and stretched earlobes.

Zoella

• UK based Zoella is the world's most popular beauty vlogger, with 12 million fans subscribed to her Youtube channel at this current time. Zoella, who started broadcasting fashion and beauty related videos from 2009, has over 1 billion video views, and is the 147th most subscribed channel on the website; her second channel 'MoreZoella' has over 4.8 million subscribers and over 727 million video views. She also has over 13.6 millions on Twitter and over 10.9 million on Instagram.

• A persona - an online persona is another personality.

'June Faves' - June 2016

• Intertextual knowledge - 'nala' her dogs name is taken from the Lion King. (Referential Code)

• Her facial expressions are extremely expressive and exaggerated.

• She has a neutral british accent its not posh.

• Her vocal delivery is undulating (up and down)

• She speaks like that is it keeps the audience involvement.

• Zoella doesn't sware, if she swares on her youtube account then her account would get demonitized.

• We are currently in the age of web 2.0, clean white background, simple logical layout.

• There are frequent jump cuts which is a cut from one thing to the same thing.

• Increase the level of authenticity is when 'mistakes' happen. (sitting on her leg, calling her dog).

• Her mode of address is like a children's show presenter, she's consistently happy and consistently welcoming.

• Linda Blacker Zoella - Photoshoot.

• She's very petite and childlike, the preferred reading is that were not supposed to find her sexually attractive. As heterosexual men are not the preferred audience it is actually young heterosexual women that she is targeting. Were supposed to think she is 'cute' and 'pretty' not sexualised.

• She's cultivating herself to be young approachable this is through her high pitch voice and she looks significantly younger than what she is. She has learnt how to speak in a nice and approachable way.

• She is portrayed as cute through her very large eyes, they're inviting and also her teeth are a little wonky but they're not hollywood perfect but she hasn't perfected them so she'll be more relatable although she has definitely got the money to get them fixed.

• She has strands of hair out of her bun, it makes her haircut non threatening and girlish.

Radio Unit - Lesson 3

How does LNWH abide by OFCOM's regulatory framework?

• 'Ensure a wide range of services and a wide appeal is available.'
• Although the show is broadly middle class, the show always has something different therefore a wide range of services and a wide appeal is available.

• 'Maintain plurality in broadcasting.'
• Through use of the danish chef.

• 'Protect audiences from offensive or harmful material.'
• the show does often swear but swearing isn't deemed as offensive to the audience through regulations.

• 'Protect audiences against unfairness or infringement of privacy.'
• They never talk about anyone else, if they are to be brought up then they wont explain who they are which keeps the persons privacy.

Diversity and Creativity in the media.

• Curran and Seaton claimed that the media are controlled by a small number of companies driven by profit and power. They claimed that the concentration of media is limiting variety, creativity and quality and that if ownership of media can be more diverse this will help to create more varied and adventurous productions.

• BBC could be seen as an exception as they are not driven by profit due to them not making a profit as they are a public broadcasting service, however they do need money as they need money to make more shows.

• Adbusters is a completely not for profit media product.

The Times is published by NewsUK, they are a major publisher this is bad as we will constantly be seeing the same ideology through different media products.

Comfy Radio - LNWH

• They do not have any annoying voices, they're just calm and not annoying to watch.

• It meets the needs of the audience as it is repetitive and slow, there isn't much going on, and its relaxing for the target audience.

• It offers a non judgemental space, nobody is having a go at anyone they all have their own time to speak there is a friendly egalitarian and producing a utopia for the audience where middle class women sit and talk being undisrupted.

One of the most important things for a media product is that it needs to have authenticity. They can do this through hashtags.

Hashtags are used to share information quickly.

They mention the hashtag on the show but the hashtag isn't used very much which shows that their target audience is older and they aren't on twitter a more suitable social media platform is Facebook for the older generation.

It allows people who are not the target audience to still interact with it. For example, a man with no hair enjoyed the hair episode, so he is the complete opposite from the target audience intended for LNWH.

Radio Unit - Lesson 2

Late Night Women's Hour - Criticisms

• Boring and dull.

• Show has an extremely middle class focus due to the topics (Hygge).

• There is an all female panel so this show could be seen as sexist.

• The show is not relatable to the majority of the audience due to the topics (IKEA).

• They make out IKEA is too common which makes them come across as pretentious.

• 'A winter mug' isn't relatable to the audience.

• There is an obsession with the danish and scandinavian culture which is quite a middle class thing to aspire to showing the cultural capital. Therefore again not being relatable to the audience.

• The way they talk about food and somewhere to live they talk like its an adventure whereas to other people (the audience) see food and a house as essential so they are out of touch with the panel.

• The BBC has a remit (something they must do) which is a legal obligation themselves to create a diversification of media output. 

• The BBC have a remit to show diversification in media outputs. (example: Jeremy Clarkson being kept on Top Gear for so long due to him showing that the BBC weren't bias to the left wing as Jeremy Clarkson was a far right wing person it appealed to more audiences)

• The BBC is a public broadcasting service (PBS) so they need to appeal to every single audience.

• The BBC were cutting costs so they sold Great British Bake Off which they got heavily criticised because of it.

• The BBC is an institution that has certain cultural capital.

• BBC is paid for by the people.

We are discussing an oppositional reading, what has been written above isn't the dominant ideology and shows how audiences can have different perceptions and readings of the producers imposed ideology (Reception Theory - Stuart Hall)

How have digital platforms changed the way we consume radio?

• You can now listen to radio on your phone through websites.

• Podcasts on youtube/Spotify.

• DAB radio in cars - more popular than FM/AM.

• Apps for some radio shows.

• BBCSounds

• Podcasts allow you to skip to the parts you want to. Don't need to listen to it live you can listen to it whenever you want.

• Some programmes you can actually watch the presenter talking live which brings a visual element to radio which was never there before.

• Radio gives audiences the sense of someone talking to you which is direct address and like you're hanging out with the presenters.

• Social Media allows audiences to interact with the radio shows thanks to digital technology.

• Apps offer a better user experience for the user (UX).

• Downloading podcasts onto your phone you can listen to it offline.

• You can use your phone anywhere to listen to radio.

• DIGITAL CONVERGENCE
• Where stuff comes together

• Audio Streaming
• Where listeners can click on a link to play a radio programme instantly over the internet.
• Everyone around the world can get access to this.
• The ability for audio streaming to be accessed via the internet has added a global reach to radio output as listeners abroad can also tune in to programming.
• Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)
• A greater number of wavelengths and therefore stations are available with digital audio.
• The use of DAB has increased the amount of stations allowing for niche programming and also improved quality to encourage more listeners.
• Podcasts
• Programmes are packaged and available as downloadable content on a range of different platforms
• Listening to radio programming in podcast form is more flexible for audiences and allows audiences who have missed the broadcast programme to listen
• Cross Platform
• The combination of visuals with audio output and availability of radio through television platforms
• The combination of media platforms has allowed radio to utilise visual elements such as web cams to remain appealing to a modern audience

Regulation

• Radio is regulated by OFCOM.

• Localness

• The BBC need to make sure that the radio shows have an element of being local.

• Content

• Radio and TV in the UK is broadly self-regulated.

• LNWH is broadcast after the 9pm watershed.

• The regulation is largely ineffective as although the show is past the watershed people are allowed to watch it whenever through digital technology. All it takes to watch something that is regulated as not ideal to watch is a few clicks to confirm your age which can be easily lied about, making the regulation of radio ineffective as it is extremely hard to regulate.

• A LNWH's radio episode contained 4 fucks, 2 shits, 2 arses, 2 bastards this was heavily criticised by The Sun as they are massive competitors against the BBC. They believed that it shouldn't be acceptable to show this due to the ideologies etc of the show.

Plurality

• Where a media product exhibits and gives voice to a wide range of ideological perspectives.

• The BBC is a public service broadcaster, it has a self-imposed remit to 'Inform, Educate and Entertain'.

• The BBC tries to offer different radio shows for different audiences.

Radio Unit - Lesson 1

Late Night Women's Hour - Radio

Spin off of Women's HourBroadcast on BBC Radio 4Presented by Lauren Laverne

• How does LNWH meet the needs of its audience?

• Discusses the idea of women like things to do, such as cooking and reading.

• Also makes reference to Women's roles in society back in the day and also nowadays.

• The language they use is quite sophisticated so it appeals to the middle class audience, they also use big words 'democratisation'.

• 'I knew our marriage was over when we bought an Ikea wardrobe' - quite snobby, by dismissing an Ikea wardrobe it suggests that they buy things way more expensive and high end than normal.

• Also takes the form of a round table discussion - nobody shouts over each other which is quite professional. Quite 'egalitarian' which means they are all equal they are not one over each other.

• 'Winter mug' - the mode of address is extremely middle class, its a panel of middle class people talking to a middle class audience. However, working class people can still listen to it and understand.

• It paints a utopia 'perfect world' image.

• Entire show is about hygge - and quizzing the danish person on it.

• Creates a binary between men and women it talks about hardworking men and emotional women.

• 'Gasp at 20 books'

• Sexist show to an extent with talking about women doing the cooking and housekeeping etc.

• Who is the target audience for this programme?

• Women that are middle aged and middle class as the language used in this radio show is quite high end and sophisticated.

• Could appeal to feminists as it is an all female panel.

• Appeals to an international audience as one of the panel is danish.

• What regulatory issues arise from this particular episode?

• OFCOM - no material that is likely to harm or offend, there is dashes of sexism but you really need to pick it out and due to the time it is shown (11pm this isn't the dominant ideology)

• Why does the BBC broadcast this show?

• Possibly makes the BBC seem friendly as the show is very friendly whilst discussing certain topics.

• BBC is a PBS - biggest in the world and isn't paid for by advertising however it has certain necessities and needs to do certain things.

• To inform, educate and entertain.

• BBC have a remit and have to produce a range of shows that target a range of audiences.

Woman's Hour - Context

• First broadcast was in 1946 at 2pm in the afternoon.

• The first broadcast was immediately after WW2, getting the morale back up and getting them to rebuild after WW2.

• Designed to educate female audiences and was purposely put on at a time which would be ideal for an average females day for example being around picking the kids up from school and cleaning etc.

• Moved in the 70's to a radio channel due to diversification of audience.

• Big criticism of the show was that the show was too middle class.

• Topics discussed such as 'How to hang your husbands suit'.