Summer Project: coursework planning

Summer Project: coursework planning

Research: TV drama trailer analysis 

TV drama trailer 1: Narrative and genre

Family matters are a family drama with a sub-genre of comedy which shows family values and the different things that happen in a family in a comical manner. Both the genres put together turns real life family issues into something that can be seen in a comical way.  The narrative shows a ‘troublesome’ teenager with strict and stressed out parents and how his grandmother is a lot more relaxed and nice towards him which a stereotype is for grandparents towards their grandchildren.  In the trailer, according to Todorov’s theory the disequilibrium is the kid not being able to go out and the parents expecting him to stay home and help his grandma but in reality the grandma was very kind and didn’t want any help and let the grandson go out like he wanted which wad the new equilibrium although that set a bit of controversy between the parents. This would make audience want to watch it in order to find out what really happened, whether the kid was allowed to go, for more comedy and entertainment and so on as even though some of the narrative has been given away through the trailer, audience would watch it to have a laugh even if they don’t watch it for the thrill of finding out what happens next.

TV drama trailer 2: Mise-en-scene

The mise-en-scene used in Luther creates loads of representations and uses media conventions to get messages through to the audience. Starting off with his costume, the way Luther’s dressed gives audience an idea of what sort of person he is and what his job role could potentially be. He’s dressed formal and is wearing a long jacket which is what is typically thought to be worn by spy agents. The setting and props used in the scene being shown in the trailer don’t give away much information and keeps what’s happening a mystery especially because only one location is being shown. The setting also shows that the protagonist is in quite an intellectual job which he puts a lot of work into mentally and seems quite well-paid because he has his own office. The props used around the room give away some of information about his job e.g. all the files and mug shots of different people connotes that he is something along the lines of a detective or someone looking into mysteries. There’s also a use of low-key lighting to represent the dull side and mystery to the drama showing that the drama isn’t all about happiness and a bright life but rather mystery and they also highlighted the protagonists face at the end using the low-key lighting from a higher angle to show who the drama is based on and who the most important person is throughout the series also because he’s the only one being shown. 

TV drama trailer 3: Camerawork

The camerawork in ‘The Perfect Date’ consists of different shots such as long shots, medium shots, tracking shots and even some drone shots when they’re showing the car drive by. They have used close ups to emphasize certain aspects such as props the protagonist is using/ holding.  They have also used pan shots when the main character is driving to show movement and also shows realism and make the audience feel a closer connection with the characters as if they’re in the scene as well. The medium and long shots are used to show the setting and give more detail to audience using media conventions without having to directly address certain things. 

TV drama trailer 4: Editing

There is a lot of fast-paced editing in this series with scenes being continuously changed to create tension and make audience wonder what's happening in each scene so that they're tempted to watch the episodes in order to find out what's happening. This connotes that something dramatic is about to happen or the narrative is about to face a plot twist, change of scenes or so on... It creates so many questions within the audience as the change from shot to shot makes them curious and wonder what's going to happen next which is what attracts them to go ahead and watch the whole series. The trailer uses narrative hook to get the audience hooked in from just the trailer using fast-paced and intense editing. Rather than showing one scene and leaving it at a cliff-hanger, they have shown several different scenes which leaves most audience curious and what to find out more and even if one scene doesn't attract them, another would this way. 

TV drama trailer 5: Sound

Black-ish is a family and comedy TV drama with loads and fun filled scenes which is being presented to audience through the music in the trailer. The non-diegetic sound added into the background creates a jolly and happy feel for audience which connotes how the audience would feel throughout watching the series as it is filled with a lot of comedy and surreal things that could happen within a family. There is also use of dialogue in the trailer which is diegetic sound which adds the comical element into the trailer and the drama itself and gives audience a real taste of what’s happening and what the drama is going to be like if they were to watch the drama. On top of dialogue and non-diegetic sound being played in the background, there are also other noises in the background which people wouldn’t pay much attention to but creates a lot of realism such as the noises props make e.g. closing the fridge. 

TV drama trailer 6: Trailer conventions, graphics, text-on-screen etc.

Game of Thrones is a very popular TV drama that has been running successfully since April 2011 due to their professional use of trailer conventions, graphics, text-on-screen etc. In the season 8 trailer, they have used trailer conventions such as fast-paced editing; including jump cuts, dramatic music in the background to build up tension. They have also included text on the screen in the beginning to start off by putting the production company’s name. They then slowly introduce the name of the drama at the end of the trailer, in this trailer they’ve also put ‘THE FINAL SEASON’ right below the title which make audience feel like they need to watch it as if they’ve got a final chance to do so and they’d also want to watch it to find out the answer to the questions they’d have from cliff hangers.  Putting the release date at the end gives audience more information and a date for them to look forward to. The setting is quite out of the norm in today’s age and straight away tells us that it’s not set in the same time-frame or in the ideal world creating surrealism and increases interest in audience. On top of that, they’ve also used different types of lighting to create a mood and carry out a message to audience. For example, the use of low-key lighting to create suspense and not reveal certain things such as the actors face or what they’re doing. 

Planning: TV drama concept

Title: SAVE YOURSELF

Tagline: IT’S A COLD WORLD

Genre (and sub-genre/hybrid genre if applicable): family with crime as a sub-genre

Setting (note brief – at least two locations): the family home and the area they live in/the streets and local park and shops etc.

Number of episodes: 1 series with 14 episodes

Channel and time/day of broadcast (note brief – prime-time, pre-watershed, family audience): It will be broadcasted on ITV at 7:30pm every Tuesday as this a time families tend to come together to watch TV during dinner or after dinner. Mid-week is when they’re less likely to be doing anything else and stay at home meaning it’s likely to be prime-time and being aired at 7:30pm also shows that it’s pre-watershed.  

Logline – one sentence that sums up the whole TV drama series and hooks people in (25 words or fewer): an Asian family living in London with the parents going through a divorce and the hard time at home makes the kids fall into other distractions.

Other successful TV dramas that are similar to yours: Top boy; based on multi-cultural (mainly the black community) and how kids are being influenced and fall into traps in the streets. Shows a real part of London that isn’t usual shown in films and TV.

Narrative arc – what happens in the overall series and in what order: The series as a whole sees family drama with the parents going through their own issue whilst the kids get diverted by other things and begin to fall into doing things that distracts their school life to help them get through what’s happening. The parents also face a lot of hate and go through a difficult time during their divorce as a lot of people in their community can’t accept the fact that they’re getting a divorce. The children's distractions is the main disequilibrium in the story. They then also come to realise that their children are falling into other things and finally realise the impact it’s having on their children and not just themselves. They then decide to sort things out with their children and do what makes their kids happy whilst also going through with their divorce which is the new equilibrium. The series then finishes off with the parents going into court but the audience don’t see whether they end up going through with the divorce or not; cliff-hanger.  

Episodic narratives – what will happen in each episode? What happens in the overall series and in what order: the first two episodes are based around the parent’s arguments and constant tension in the house and how it psychologically has an impact on the children. The third episode’s on both the kids in school and focusing on how down they feel and the impact it has on their education. The fourth and fifth episode is on the children opening to people that are going to play a big part later on in the series;the boy ends up getting closer with older boys in his school and in the area he lives who persuade him to join them and the girl finds the love and comfort from a guy in school and opens up to him and talks about all her problems to him. The following episodes talk about how it affects them academically, different methods they choose to deal with their parents’ divorce situation, the type of criticism the parents get from society as divorce isn’t a popular thing in the Asian community. The 8^TH and 9^TH episode get more tensed as the parents start to notice the changes in their children and realise that their family problems are having an impact on them and try to handle issues in different ways. Episode 10 is when everything starts to fall back into place again slowly as the protagonists attempt to resolve the problems. Episode 11 is the lead to a happy ending as the parents meet their daughter’s new boyfriend and the son agrees to go back into education and focus on what he was doing before. Episode 12 sees he finale of this series where the children are happy and able to take in what’s happening and processing it easier and the parents go to court but the drama finishes their on a cliff hanger to suggest a potential second series.

Main protagonist – their motivation, conflicts etc.: the parents and their two children are the protagonists. The story starts off because of the parents going through a divorce. The two kids then reinforce teenage stereotypes by being easily influenced and falling into things teenagers typically do around their age.

Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal: the side roles are played by the boy’s friends who are a massive influence on him and lead him into taking part in gang related activities. Another side role is played by the girl’s boyfriend who comes into the story a few episodes later and plays a massive part in their daughter getting through her parents’ divorce situation.

Target audience for your TV drama (note brief – family audience, pre-watershed broadcast etc.): age, gender, social class, interests, psychographic groups etc. Our main target audience are families and teenagers as those are the people our whole narrative revolves around. We’re aiming this drama at a working class, British audience hence why it’s being aired on a public service broadcaster (ITV). We’re also aiming this at people with an British Asian background as there aren’t much shows on TV that they can relate to and a lot of them that are available are very stereotypical. 

Statement of intent

The genre for my TV drama is going to be family. There are also going to be other sub-genre with it such as romance. Just like most trailers, there’s going to be use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound in order to create realism and give audience an idea of how the series is going to be but to also have a theme music running in the background to match the shot changes and fast-paced editing to create anticipation and excitement. The camerawork is mainly going to be medium and long shots so that audience can get as much information as possible through the settings and atmosphere; media conventions without having to be directly told some things. We will also use close-ups to focus on specific things such as the characters facial expression or a prop they’re holding and so on…  Our characters will have London accents to represent where they’re from/show what city it’s set in. Other characters will have an accent from another Country to show the diversity and they aren’t natively English.

The protagonists in this drama will be the parents and their two children so it isn’t just focused on one person but rather the whole family which suits the genre and the target audience. There won’t be an antagonist in particular but it’s the decisions that they take in life that makes them meeting certain turnings and slip up in their life.  The main characters will be from a diverse; Asian background to show diversity in London and emphasize the importance of accepting and respecting different cultures and people from other cultures. The reason we’ve chose London as the location is because this is a British drama and London has a very diverse population with people from different countries so it’d make it more realistic to set this drama here.

We are using our characters to challenge some of the stereotypes of Asians in society and to also prove that where you come from or who you were doesn’t determine who you are now or going to be in the future.  However we will also be using some stereotypes that aren’t negative to add a bit of humour and to create realism.

Our target audience is going to be British viewers all over the UK but mainly in London as it is set in London and they’d more likely be able to relate to and understand some of the things being shown in the drama. We are also aiming this at the Asian community and other diverse backgrounds as there isn’t much specifically for them or about them in the British TV industry so it’ll be something new for them.

Our trailer would be broadcasted on ITV as that is where it’ll be aired weekly for 14 weeks. We will also promote it on YouTube as that is a platform all different groups of people use and also on social media mainly to reach the younger audience and people are more likely to share it around this way.

Radio Final Index

Radio Final Index

1. Introduction to Radio: blog tasks

2. BBC Radio 1 - Life Hacks: Blog tasks

3. War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds: Blog tasks

War of the Worlds: Blog tasks

Media Factsheet #176

1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?

It tells the story of an alien invasion and the ensuing conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race from Mars. The text has been frequently interpreted as a commentary on British Imperialism and Victorian fear and prejudice. The book has been adapted for both radio and (several) films.

2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?

It was broadcasted on the 30th of October 1938 to get the Halloween enthusiasm popping.

3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?

MANY FLEE HOMES TO ESCAPE ‘GAS RAID FROM MARS’ – PHONE CALLS SWAMP POLICE AT BROADCAST OF WELLES FANTASY they report the hoax as a real life issue. 

4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the the broadcast and its reaction?

War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News’ suggests that hysteria it caused was not entirely a myth. “Instead it was something decades ahead of its time: history’s first viral-media phenomenon.” He argues that “the stories of those whom the show frightened offer a fascinating window onto how users engage with media content, spreading and reinterpreting it to suit their own world views. But it’s even more important to understand how the press magnified and distorted those reactions, creating a story that terrified the nation all over again, so that we can recognise when the same thing happens today. Our news media still have a penchant for making us fear the wrong things, of inflating certain stories into false Armageddons, as they did with War of the Worlds.”

5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?

- By creating a hybrid form – mixing conventional storytelling with news conventions – Welles blurred the boundaries between fact and fiction in a way that audiences had never experienced.
- War of the Worlds reworks a Victorian narrative about an alien invasion (which he considered “boring”) and turns it into an exciting radio play through his use of pastiche.

6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?

Understanding the social context, including the issues and concerns of late 1930s America, helps to explain why the audience may have responded to the text as if it were real.

7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?

CBS

8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?

The newspaper companies had competition with the radio and them creating a bad image for radio would potentially increase the amount of audience they get as the more people that read about the article or hear of the article, the more people are likely to begin to not rely on radio but newspapers for their facts.  

9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?

The hypodermic needle theory suggests that what is being shown on the media is 'injected' into people as they believe everything that is being said or told and their lives almost revolve around the information given from there. This is more applicable in the 1930's compared to now as people weren't that familiar with media platforms then and didn't know how they could be manipulated and didn't question what they saw or heard in the media before believing it. 

10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?

The cultivation theory suggests that repeated exposure to the media continuously over time can manipulate audiences perception of reality. This links to the War of the Worlds broadcast as audiences chose to believe what they were being told over the radio in-between other broadcasts even though it didn't sound realistic. 

11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?

The preferred reading was for it to just be hoax to prank their audience as a joke for Halloween.
The oppositional reading is that other media platforms such as the newspaper exaggerated what had happened and creating a bad brand image for the radio broadcasters.  

12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?

It was easier for people to get fooled back in the 1930's as they didn't have many media platforms and they were so sure everything that was shown or said on the media was true. Whereas, in today's generation there are so many different platforms and people are also more cautious about what they believe as there is a lot of false information in the media these days.

Analysis and opinion

1) Why do you think the 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds has become such a significant moment in media history?

Because it showed how manipulated audiences were by the media and how much they relied on it for their news that they blindly believed everything that was being said without even thinking if it's true or false. 

2) War of the Worlds feels like a 1938 version of 'fake news'. But which is the greater example of fake news - Orson Welles's use of radio conventions to create realism or the newspapers exaggerating the audience reaction to discredit radio?

What was said in the newspaper was more 'fake news' then the radio as although they were talking about something that happened, they over-exaggerated it so much to make themselves seem better and it gives audience the suggestion that they exaggerate everything that they write about. 

3) Do you agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory? If not, was there a point in history audiences were more susceptible to believing anything they saw or heard in the media?

I agree with the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle Theory as it gives a better explanation as to why people are so manipulated by the media and believe everything being said or shown especially a few years before when they relied on a few media platforms for all their news and information.  

4) Has the digital media age made the Hypodermic Needle model more or less relevant? Why?

It has made it less relevant as people have plenty of media platforms to go to and they know if something is true, they'd see or hear of it from several different platforms rather than just one. They're also more wary therefore they don't believe everything straight away, if something doesn't sound believable they stop and question it rather than just going with what is said in the media.

5) Do you agree with George Gerbner's Cultivation theory - that suggests exposure to the media has a gradual but significant effect on audience's views and beliefs? Give examples to support your argument.

I agree with the cultivation theory as over the years people have become so reliant on the media for their news rather than believing what people tell them in real life. An example could even be the War of the Worlds hoax which people just decided to believe as they were so used to believing everything that was being said in the radio that when something false was being told they couldn't even identify it. 

6) Is Gerbner's Cultivation theory more or less valid today than it would have been in 1938? Why?

It would be less valid today but I believe that it is still more valid than the hypodermic needle theory as even if audience aren't quick to fall for what is being said on radio or TV, they put their trust in things being said and shown on social media by social media influencers or they see models online and on magazines and believe that these people really looking like that in real life and put pressure on themselves to try and be like that. 

BBC Radio 1 - Life Hacks: Blog tasks

BBC Radio 1 - Life Hacks: Blog tasks

Analysis

1) What do the titles The Surgery and Life Hacks suggest?

  The titles are made to suit younger audience who Radio 1 is trying to attract as 'Life Hacks' is something that more younger people are into rather than the older generation as it is more of a modern idea as younger people look for easier and most efficient alternatives of doing things. 

2) How are the programmes constructed to appeal to a youth audience?

Both shows ran around times that suit a youth audience as it is during times when a lot of them would be free and just relaxing so they can listen to the radio whilst doing so. 

3) What does the choice of presenters (Cel Spellman and Katie Thistleton) and Dr Modgil suggest about the BBC’s approach to diversity and representation?

The two main presenters are both from a white background which doesn't show much diversity, however they're both quite young which suits the demographics of their target audience. Dr Modgil is a British doctor who is from a different, Asian background which finally adds diversity to the show and shows how Radio 1 is a diverse broadcaster accepting different races to work for them. 

4) Go to the Life Hacks iPlayer page and analyse the content. What does this suggest regarding the Life Hacks audience and what the BBC is hoping to achieve with the programme?

BBC have used colour whilst also keeping the layout and professional and easy on the eye so it's not too overwhelming for the audience. 
They have also avoided using lots of text and made it more visual and easy on the eye so it looks more appealing to the audience and makes it easier for them to make a choice. 

5) Go to the Life Hacks podcast episodes page. Listen to a few episodes of the podcast and explain how the topics may a) appeal to a youth audience and b) help fulfil the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.

The podcasts are all based on topics that are issues in society that people are trying to raise awareness for; especially the youth, which would raise their interest in Radio 1's podcasts. 
They also fulfil their responsibility as a public service broadcaster by educated people on topics that are based on ongoing issues in society. 

Audience

1) What is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?

Their target audience are the younger generation although they are currently struggling to attract them at the moment. 

2) Who is the actual audience for BBC Radio 1?

The actual audience for them are middle class and working class, mid-age age people. 

3) What audience pleasures are offered by Life Hacks? Apply Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory.

Personal identity because it helps people identify things about themselves through the media which they may have not previously known about or lacked knowledge on. 

4) Read this Guardian review of Life Hacks. What points does the reviewer make about Life Hacks and the particular podcast episode they listened to?

The reviewer talks about how they subconsciously listened to a few life inspiration/entrepreneurial podcasts last week.

5) Read this NME feature on Radio 1 listener figures. What are the key statistics to take from this article regarding the decline in Radio 1 audience ratings?

- Radio 1 has lost 200,000 weekly listeners since May, when they attracted 9.4 million listeners a week.

- 9.2 million listeners that Radio 1 now pulls in each week is officially the second-lowest ever recorded ratings for the BBC station

- The lowest weekly rating of 9.1 million (May 2017)

Industries

1) How does Life Hacks meet the BBC mission statement to Educate, Inform and Entertain? 

They inform and educate people on social issues and attempt to raise awareness on issues that need more media coverage and attention to make people more conscious of these issues. They entertain by having celebrities and upcoming people coming in to talk on the radio about various different things. 

2) Read the first five pages of this Ofcom document laying out its regulation of the BBC. Pick out three key points in the summary section.

- What the BBC is
- What expectations they need to meet and their mission statement
- TV license

3) Now read what the license framework will seek to do (letters a-h). Which of these points relate to BBC Radio 1 and Life Hacks?

People expect a lot from the BBC as it is a public service broadcaster which their TV license fee go towards. BBC got Ofcom to help them set up the license fee for the nation. 

4) What do you think are the three most important aspects in the a-h list? Why?

- Support social action campaigns on BBC radio; it helps educated and raise awareness of things which helps them achieve one of their mission statement. It also attracts more younger audience it shows they care about social issues. 

5) Read point 1.9: What do Ofcom plan to review in terms of diversity and audience? 

Announcing an in-depth review of how different audiences are represented and portrayed on the BBC.
As part of our analysis we plan to examine the on-screen diversity of the BBC’s programming, including in its popular peak time shows. 

Read this Guardian interview with BBC 1 Controller Ben Cooper.

6) What is Ben Cooper trying to do with Radio 1?

Ben Cooper’s eye-catching and ambitious mission to make BBC Radio 1 like a Netflix for radio.

7) How does he argue that Radio 1 is doing better with younger audiences than the statistics suggest?

He reckons the most common age of a Radio 1 listener is 18. And for its YouTube channel it is 12- to 17-year-old females. 

8) Why does he suggest Radio 1 is distinctive from commercial radio?

He states- “Are we distinctive from commercial radio? Yes we are,” he says. “We will play something like 4,000 different tracks a month, commercial radio plays about 400. 

9) Why is Radio 1 increasingly focusing on YouTube views and digital platforms?

Because their target market is the youth audience and seeing as many of them aren't listening to Radio 1, they're having to go out their way to use different methods to reach their target audience. YouTube is quite popular amongst youngsters and a lot of other groups in the market so it is a smart decision made by BBC to post their content on it. 

10) In your opinion, should the BBC’s remit include targeting young audiences via Radio 1 or should this content be left to commercial broadcasters? Explain your answer.

As BBC is a public service broadcaster, they should have something to offer to everyone and if they didn't target the younger audience, it'd leave a gap in the market so it is good that they're targeting them. The future of BBC also lays in the younger generations hands as their views and popularity's starting to decrease and they need to do things to reach out to the newer audience and keep them viewing in order to continue running successfully a few years down the line.

Film & TV assessment: Learner response

Film & TV assessment: Learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: Good examples included from CSPS.

EBI: More focused on the demand of the questions, especially Q2.

2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment (even if you got full marks for the question).

1 - A range of different genres are suggested on the poster – e.g. the background is almost

space (sci-fi); the silver symbol in the background alludes to comic books/Marvel universe; the woman on the left suggests martial arts or kung-fu movies – this is reinforced by the faint images in the background.

2 - Promotion of Chicken was through a combination of traditional marketing methods (trailer, film poster with review quotes, interviews and reviews such as Mark Kermode’s review on the BBC) and new/digital media.

3 - the effect of social and cultural context on representations.

The contexts of production are more important and influential than any intent of the

‘authors’ as it is impossible for the individual to transcend social and cultural contexts Television drama is powerfully influenced by dominant social and cultural attitudes to e.g. ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality

Television drama draws on a long and enduring tradition of narrative and genre conventions; therefore drama itself as a form is much more significant than the social and cultural contexts of any individual production.

3) The first question demanded a response using postmodern terminology. Write a definition here of the three main terms:

Bricolage: Bring ideas from other things to make a new one. Almost like taking inspiration and combining different ideas together to create a new meaning. 

Pastiche: Similar to a parody but the intention isn't to imitate and make fun of a different context. Borrowing ideas from other media forms. 

Intertextuality: The shaping of a text's meaning by another text. The relationship between texts, especially literary ones. 

4) The second question was on the film industry. Write down two points from the mark scheme about Chicken's promotion and distribution that you didn't include in your answer. 

- Digital distribution in USA/Canada followed in January 2018 and the film is now available on Amazon Prime in the UK. The distribution of Chicken was challenging but ultimately quite effective for a niche micro-budget film.
- The struggle to distribute a micro-budget independent film in a global market dominated by major conglomerates. Chicken took two years from the film being made (2014) to appearing in cinemas (2016).

5) Look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 25 mark essay question on your TV Close-Study Products. Write a complete essay plan for this question based on the suggested answers in the mark scheme. You can either use something similar to your actual answer or alternatively start from scratch. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed plan focused on the question (representations; social and cultural contexts of production) and offering specific references to Capital and Deutschland 83 for each section. Try and cover the two texts equally if you can and aim to plan around 5-6 paragraphs in total.

The representations in Capital reflect social and cultural contexts in London as they have used loads of stereotypes to reflect the diverse culture in London. Although the TV drama is only based on one road in the whole of London. The way events, issues, individuals and social groups (including social identity) are represented through processes of selection and combination is putting life in London into a nutshell which gives people that live out of London to also get an understanding and almost experience the London life through the actors shoes. They have used a lot of diversity when it comes to race, religion, social class etc. which is normal to find in London; this concept therefore creates realism and shows how much diversity and various different lives people live in one city - especially one that is popular world wide. For example, they have included a Pakistani family who reinforce stereotypes of an Asian family that live in London as they give importance to family values and all living together as one, owning a corner shop and they also have one extremist in the family who is very passionate and serious when it comes to his religion and their beliefs. They have the British White bankers life in contrast to this family who's main is to make as much as possible and even though he's earning a lot, it doesn't seem to be enough for him as he is just greedy for more and more. 

Introduction to Radio: blog tasks

Introduction to Radio: blog tasks

BBC Sounds:

1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?

It has half the national market, with dozens of stations reaching more than 34 million people a week. Radio 2 alone reaches 15 million listeners a week and for all the criticism of the Today programme, one in nine Britons still tune in to hear John Humphrys and his co-presenters harangue politicians every week.

2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?

Purnell says just 3% of under-35s use the iPlayer catch-up radio app.

3) What is BBC Sounds?

A new app and website which will bring radio livestreams, catchup services, music mixes and podcasts together under one roof.

4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?

-  Spotify has started to include a large number of podcasts; including BBC material.

- A growing number of people listen to the radio via voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa.

5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?

They need to reconsider the entire tone of how the BBC tells stories, shifting away from rigid formality if it wants to attract the precious under-35 audience: “It has to be a warmer, more story-led journey. You need to report the very personal experience of it.''

6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?

Because it is one of the oldest broadcasting channels that's been around from the beginning days and it'd be a shame if BBC becomes extinct because they're not able to keep up with changes in society and development in technology because they've made the effort to try by introducing things such as BBC iPlayer and BBC sounds to keep up to date and attract a younger audience. 

7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?

The BBC sounds app is a radio station aimed at a younger audience where they can listen to radio on their phones as it more convenient for them to listen to it from where they are. Other than music, the topics of discussion are chosen specifically to suit a younger audience as they discuss social issues that young people would be more interested in and passionate about e.g. the LGBTQ society which older people wouldn't really want to discuss as they are less accepting of this. 

8) How does it link to BBC Radio?

It is quite similar to BBC radio as but the only difference is that the content has been changed to suit a different audience as they play different types of music and discuss different topics to suit their target audience.

9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?

Sounds is easy to use, though I found the programme information a little tricky to access, and the search – as ever with the BBC – isn’t sensitive enough. My other main problem is there isn’t enough content. The BBC has thousands of amazing audio programmes! If you browse podcasts via, say, the Apple Podcasts app, you have 16 categories to choose from, and within each, at least 20 series to try. Sounds needs to feel as packed as Netflix in order to properly work.

10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?

The Fear, The NoSleep Podcast, Spooked.

ShoutOut Network

1) What is the ShoutOut Network?

ShoutOut Network is a London-based network of diverse podcasts.

2) What podcasts are offered by the ShoutOut Network?

They offer a diverse range of podcasts to suit different target audience e.g. Wolves in The City is fortnightly podcast for black men exploring their sexuality in the city.

3) What audience do they reach?

Race wise they're aimed at a broad and diverse audience but when it comes to age, their main target market would millennial's and the younger audience as ShoutOut Network talk about issues that may not usually be regarding on usual radios and podcasts which are usually created to grab the older audience's attention. 

4) What are the 2015 statistics on podcast listening in the UK?

From Autumn 2015 approximately 3.7 million adults listened to podcasts which is around 6.5% of the adult population. 

5) The article suggests podcasts are ‘picking up more steam’. Do you think podcasts the future of radio?

Podcasts could potentially be the future of radio as people are able to access it more easily whenever and wherever they want in most cases, they could even download it to listen to it later on when they don't have data or signal. This makes it more convenient for people especially as many people in the city lead a busy life with a packed schedule so it'd be most appropriate for them to download podcasts and listen to them during their journey's rather than radios are radios are usually a live stream. 

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean blog tasks

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean blog tasks

Media Magazine reading: Billie Jean, birth of an icon

1) What was the budget for Billie Jean? How did this compare with later Michael Jackson videos?

The budget for the video was $50,000 which wasn't enough for all the things Michael wanted to do. The budget then increased to $300,000 five weeks after the promo was released and for ‘Thriller’ it was $2million. The budget started increasing after Billie Jean as record companies were willing to invest more after seeing the popularity of the music video.

2) Why was the video rejected by MTV?

MTV refused to air the video, arguing that it didn’t suit their ‘middle America’ audience. In other words. they didn't want to air music by a black guy.

3) Applying Goodwin's theory of music video, how does Billie Jean reflect the genre characteristics of pop music video?

Billie Jean music video could be classified as an Illustrate as it reflects the pop culture with the lights and MJ's dancing and it has a link to the song itself. 

It could also go under the category of Amplify as some of the scenes were repeated to suit the story-line within the video. 

4) How do the visuals reflect the lyrics in Billie Jean?

Because the spy and pop genre have both been carried out well in the music video mainly using elements of mise-en-scene e.g. costume, setting, props etc.

5) Why does the video feature fewer close-up shots than in most pop videos?

Because messages were also being conveyed through the things around such as setting and costumes. Close-ups weren't an essential as audiences didn't need to pick up the persona's facial expressions to get an understanding on what's happening. 

6) What intertextual references can be found in the video?

There isn't much intertextual reference in this video as it is quite old, however there are links to the film industry as he has used a film set as one of the settings. 

7) How does the video use the notion of looking as a recurring motif?

Throughout most the music video MJ doesn't look directly at the camera which connotes that he doesn't pay attention to the media and paparazzi; he doesn't let them distract him. However there's a close-up shot which then turns into an extreme close-up of his eyes at 2:25 where he references a woman claiming a baby is his which he has been falsely accused for in real life, the shot of his eye could be to represent that he's not lying.

8) What representations can be found in the video?

The representation of paparazzi as they're just following MJ around everywhere he goes and the costume the reporter/photographer's been given is like what spy detectives wear which connotes that the media and paparazzi are spying on MJ and trying to catch out anything he does by following him.

Close-textual analysis of the music video

1) How is mise-en-scene used to create intertextuality - reference to other media products or genres? E.g. colour/black and white; light/lighting.

Mise-en-scene is used to create intertextuality

2) How does the video use narrative theory of equilibrium?

The in-equilibrium is that Michael Jackson's being followed by paparazzi and people are trying to make false claims about him. It is then solved when he avoids all the images they try to capture of him and he also references it using his lyrics to indirectly get the message through that they are false claims.

3) How are characters used to create narrative through binary opposition?

Michael Jackson is shown as the hero whilst the photographer who's following him around is represented as the villain which shows binary opposition. 

4) What is the significance of the freeze-frames and split-screen visual effects?

It helps add more emphasis as freeze-frames make audiences pay more attention to a certain scene that the editor wants them to. Split screens helped the scene change from one to another more smoothly in those days, especially if it was from one setting to another or featuring a different person and scenario.

5) What meanings could the recurring motif of 'pictures-within-pictures' create for the audience?

'Picture-within-pictures' could be used to refer to other scenes that previously took place. They could also be carrying out messages within the music video that aren't being conveyed through the lyrics but they still want to get through to the audience. 

6) Does the video reinforce or subvert theories of race and ethnicity - such as Gilroy's diaspora or Hall's black characterisations in American media?

There's not much to do with race in the music video itself other than MTV refusing to air a black guys music on their channel even though they wouldn't admit to this. There have been no direct reference to African culture not black characterisation.

7) Does this video reflect Steve Neale's genre theory of 'repetition and difference'? Does it reflect other music videos or does it innovate?

Especially because Billie Jean was created a few years back, there wasn't music videos for MJ to get inspiration from so I believe that the whole idea was innovated by them also because he wanted to do something new. 

8) Analyse the video using postmodern theory (e.g. Baudrillard's hyper-reality; Strinati's five definitions of postmodernism). How does the 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading?

The music video has a lot of postmodern aspects for something that was created in the 80's. There were a lot of new visual effects, lighting, shot changes etc. The 'picture-in-picture' was a new concept and reflected a lot of postmodernism as not many people were aware of the idea of showing a shot within a shot whether it's an image, video or anything else.