Ideology and Binary Oppostion

1) Watch this clip from BBC Question Time with Russell Brand and Nigel Farage. The BBC deliberately placed the two against each other and the episode resulted in far more people watching and tweeting than usual.

What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching this clip?

The main identifiable binary opposition is between Frage and Brand themselves,they are polar opposites. They are dressed differently from the other and have difference because of their opposing political ideologies. 
There are examples of Politicians and the average person. The politician(Farage) are seen as more powerful than the average person, which Russel Brand tries to embody, who is powerless and seen as unknowable. We also see. Brand is very left wing which is supposed to be his party labour, nearing Marxism, while Farage is more right wing and represents UKIP. Brand emphasises I;m just like you' and how he is like an average person, to show the binary oppositions of Rich vs Poor. The male audience member who was defending Farage's points about immigrants is to represent the UK citizen, while the lady and Brand represent immigrants(thoughts about).  

What ideologies are on display in this clip?

Within the crowd there are opposing ideologies, the man in the crowd stimulates them to oppose what Brand's views, which was originally what the audience were conforming to earlier in the clip. The ideologies that are stated are: there is the distribution between rich and poor is unbalanced and immigrants are used as a scapegoat for the problems this country is facing themselves. Also, that this country is being overcrowded due to immigrants and there are corrupt people in the country that are using up the resources 

2) Now do the same activity for a clip of your choice. Embed the YouTube video in your blog and answer the questions in detail:

What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching your clip?

• Police vs Youth
• Police vs Black people/ Black youth/ Black boys
• Black vs White
• Police vs general public
• Young people vs Adults

What ideologies are on display in your clip?

• That black youth standing on the side of the street must causing trouble
• That youth aren't capable of having a job 
• The police don't believe their suspects even with someone of the general public helping them
• Young people getting in trouble leading to police to intervene 
• White people are relentless, specifically in this clip, with their tormenting of black people.

MIGRAIN index

INDEX:

1) Media consumption audit
2) Language and Genre: Reading an image - advert analyses
3) Institution: brand values
4) Narrative: narrative theory YouTube clip analysis
5) Genre: Factsheet questions and Chandler genre analysis task
7) Audience: Effects theory - factsheet and questions
8) Audience Pleasures: The battle of the Christmas adverts
9) Audience: audience theory blog tasks/questions
10) Representation: clip analysis - dominant and alternative representations
11) Audience: psychographics
12) Audience Pleasures: The battle of the Christmas adverts
13) Representation: Photoshop collages - dominant and alternative representations
14) Ideology: BBC QT analysis and binary opposition
15) Ideology: Media Magazine reading and notes

Audience Theory

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?
The two step flow model is when someone posts information and then changes the opinion of the public. 

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?
The You tuber fits as he plays a certain game gives a review and then posts it on a global website for all to see.

3) How this this Telegraph article on influential tweeters fit the two-step flow model?
Public ideologies may be swayed by the two-step model they use their information, post it and so changes peoples ideologies/thoughts.


4) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model?

Jamal Edwards links to the model as he uses social media to show his ideas and thoughts by using his platform. 

Diversion: Shows such as 'Empire' create entertainment and elation by creating an imaginary world filled with drama.

Personal Relationships: Teen drived shows such as Teen Wolf, Vampire diaries etc. create personal relationship's through the actors and the emotions portrayed on screen.

Personal Identity: Instagram allows people to show their identities and identify with others through certain pictures of their choice to showcase themselves in a certain way  

Surveillance: Twitter a social media site allows people to post, share and keep up with what happens globally, as it is used around the world, this allows them to post their ideologies and thoughts about anything. 

Representation Blog Task

1) List the different people/groups represented in the trailer (men/women/Americans etc.)

• Representation of women
• Representation of men

2) For each group, decide whether the representation is a dominant or alternative portrayal.

Bradley Cooper joins a dancing competition and alternative portrayal - challenges traditional pov of male role. Jennifer Lawrence's character speaks inappropriately at dinner in trailer - challenges traditional version of typical, ideal, sympathetic woman (shown by blonde 'sister' character), but conforms to traditional male gaze otherwise, which is a dominant portrayal. 

3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer?

• Jenifer Lawrence a white female a recent Oscar winner - known for Hunger Games (teen audience - another book adaptation) - is blonde in that movie but hair dyed black for this movie
• Her costume is black (black 'sexy ' visual indicators also mark out her depressed state - widow- mourning - depression linked to casual sex. The audience invited to view her sexual encounters voyeuristically and also as comedy through quick, off beat edits in trailer. 
• Association of depression/mental illness-casual sex - tradition of portraying depression as a sex fantasy? Suspect morality of doing this? Conflicts with constructions of reality in mise-en-scene in this trailer.
• Romance constructed throughout trailer.
• Triumph depicted in trailer - both protagonists dressed in white and are then cheered on by community- promise of fulfilment of generic promise of romantic comedy.

•  Use of a token black background character, a stereotypical representation of people of colour.
• Use of a typical foreign (European?) therapist

• Bradley Cooper a white male also nominated, is shown to be bi-polar and body obsessed- running in black bin bag to sweat more etc.
• Conforms to traditional pov -He is positioned as central holder of the gaze
• Conflicts in the film are often caused by male anger and aggression and the film/trailer shows this style of hyper masculine conflict resolution isn't working.
•  Sex role stereotyping via the representation of the parents- mother more caring but father is not but through the movie starts to slowly accept son.

Christmas Ads (in November)

1) Which do you think is the most appealing and why? Try to use some of our audience theory in your answer. 

To me, the Sainburys' advert struck a chord in modern day audience and tries to make a personal bond to the audience by: having both parent of hetro/homosexual backgrounds for the audience to identify to these different  families. Also, the use of a jingle in the ad is really popular for the advert to distinct themselves from others.

2) Are there any audience pleasures that two or more of the adverts have in common? Choose two examples to illustrate your point. 

The Sainsbury and Heathrow ads create a sense of family and togetherness for the year. Also, both use voyeuristic pleasure with a perception that everyone has equal values.

3) Choose a different advert and identify the target audience for the advert. Answer in terms of demography and psychography. What tells you this?

John Lewis which is an elite store appeals to the middle class rather than those of a higher class in their 'Monty the Penguin ad'.

4) Why do you think Christmas adverts, in particular, often use emotive language and narratives to appeal to a wide audience?

To create an equal sense of intimacy within the ads, of the 'moral' of Christmas 'family and togetherness' and so by creating a more emotive ad grasps the mass rather than the few. Because they are trying to create a warm, loving image for their brand and they are trying to appeal to the mass audience. 

5) Choose an advert with a narrative and, just for fun, apply one of our narrative theories to it. Why does a narrative have a place in an advert? 

The M&S advert uses their narrative to connote togetherness and family, but also, showcasing the not thought of idea that Ms.Claus also has a job on Christmas. By using a two young siblings imposes the idea of normal family quarrels. However, the basic narrative of family is brought when the siblings after fighting only wanting the best for each other, a really emotive advert. 

Audience: Effects theories (Media Factsheet 30)

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

There are documentaries which I watch commenting on issues which are faced globally. I do watch violent movies and play violent games but not violent in life. Yes, there are many Ads which may target thongs such as technology and made me want to buy products of that sought. 

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

The Diffusion theories, Direct Effect theory, Indirect Effect theories and the Pluralist approach.

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

 Marilyn Manson for the Columbine High School shootings, Natural Born Killers for the murders of couples and Child's play was blamed for the murder of Jamie Bulger,

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the fact sheet.
The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999. Where two students, been previously bullied, went into their school with guns and killed 15 people.

5) What are the reasons listed on the fact sheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?
The easy access to be ablt to get automatic weaponsin America, being able to access violent images which may change their psyche and the way social groups and subculture in school may have played a part.

6) What does Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggest?

People becoming desensitised with the repeat of attitudes and thoughts which become more normalised because of the representatives. 

7) How does this front page of the Daily Mail (from this week - Wednesday 16 November) link to Cultivation theory? The Mail Online version of the story is here.

We are known to hear about these certain events that they claim that the people fitting in this category will be placed within these ideals. 

8) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

That action movies represent 'good' violence as a means to help others/ help some through hardships but 'bad' violence would be applied to the villain/antagonist which would be against other people for their pleasure.

9) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the fact sheet?

Criticism are that the direct effect theories saying that the mass of people are more likely to be unaware and be easily led to stray into a certain path.

10) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

There is a sense of a dynamic change as before people dint assume one certain meaning behind a text and didn't create a sought of image/meaning for themselves. However, rather now people have this problem.

Media Fact Sheets

Genre: Categorising texts 

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

Visual iconographies are enough alone to show a genre.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?
Narrative is important as it helps viewers/reader in identifying the genre through specific plot lines .

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?
In action movies there is a main protagonist who is isolated and makes the final decision in the end. While, in disaster movies it is a group, with different abilities, who make the final decision.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

Period, Star, Technical, Style, Series and Audience.

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

Prior knowledge, comparison, rejection of texts and preparation.

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

Prior knowledge, to rejection of texts and preparation.

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

Gangster films are the genre mentioned and it lists Reservoir Dogs, Scarface and The Sopranos.
Superheroes: A Genre Case Study 

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

Spiderman, The X Men, Avengers Assemble,  Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron man. 

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

The chages made to the Batman logo to be taken more seriously.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

The superhero genre made their key conventions known until it was implimented and the audience became familiar with it. They were mocked in a parody ,and so, reconstructed again within the films that followed the intentionally funny parody.

General: Stranger Things(Netflix)

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I chose it because the premise of the show is short but complicated.

2) In what context did you encounter it?

Netflix the streaming service

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

The streaming aspect gives of a serious cinematic feel.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

Science fiction, Supernatural fiction and Historical period drama

5) What is your experience of this genre?

Little. I do not have a particular fondness of jumpscares and horror.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

Unravelling series of mysteries involving secret government experiments, unnerving supernatural forces, and an unusual little girl.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

It is slightly atypical in the sense that you can't know the whole plot without watching each extract and little hints are given which complicate the story excel in making it quite bearable to watch.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

Scary, gory and unpredictable

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

Imdb have classed it as a Drama, Horror and Mystery

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

Rotten Tomatoes classed it as just Drama.

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?

Having jump scares and tension built through eerie music. Having props know to the 90s specifically(keeping to their theme) 

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

Slightly

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

In Horror we normally see the enemy/villain. However, Stranger Things uses sound and small shots of the enemy to proper submerge the viewers. It is also uses the ideas of action genre as the main character Eleven is seen to be the one with all the power.

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s)?

Having a romantic aspect of a boy meets girl type relationship being built in the foreground of the main story. Typical of a 90s teen drama and not much into Horror.

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

The constant gurgling sound when the alien is near or is ready to attack, which was foreshadowed at the beginning with the children playing a board game and being a attacked by a creature. The contentious motif of light when a mother is searching for her son.  

Mode of address

1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

A young demographic of teenagers and anyone born in the 90s era. No specific gender demographic.

2) How does the text address you?

Assumes I want to part from the normal apocalyptic type action and into a more in depth drama.

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

Someone who enjoys a deeper and more sinister look on making a child's board game come to life.

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

Middle-class white male from 12-17 or millennials. 

5) What interests does it assume you have?

Interest in Detectives, Supernatural and Covert secret government organisations. 

Relationship to other texts

1) What inter-textual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?

Inter-textual references N/A

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

Sense 8 as they both use the idea of Science fiction, Drama and keep true to their time settings.

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

Both use the sense of supernatural and a secret organisation going after super powered beings. Also using excruciating cliffhangers to leave audiences sceptical and wanting to keep watching.

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

Sense 8 goes beyond simple curiosity with its longer season and uses a lot of know faces for popularity in for its show. While, Stranger Things is able to compact intricate detail and cliffhangers foreshadowing to the next interlude/season into 8 episodes.

Narrative blog task

500 Days of Summer is unique in the sense that it's narrative is not presented chronologically. In the movie, we don't go through the story in a linear perspective.

ENIGMA codes: In the trailer, the audience is left with many enigma codes such as, why does the girl break up with Tom? What happens afterwards and what happened between them to cause the break up?

ACTION codes: The audience could consider the action code could be when she breaks up with him.

Equilibrium: The equilibrium that we the audience see could be before Tom meets the girl and goes out with her.

Disequilibrium: The disequilibrium is the obvious and clear point where the girl breaks up with Tom as it creates a lot of complications for Tom and essentially changes him as a person.

New Equilibrium: The new equilibrium is when he tries to change and move one but has difficulty in doing this. This part is not shown too much in the trailer so it leaves it up to the audience as an anchor to try and watch the movie and find out.

The Villain: The woman could easily be both the Villain or The Princess.
The Donor and the Helper:  In this trailer, we see many friends helping Tom in his break up so we can see that they are the ones to help him resolve the disequilibrium.
The Princess: The woman could be the Princess but also it can be interpreted that she is not a typical Princess. It could also be interpreted that the Hero is in fact the Princess all along and that he has to save himself from the break up.
The Hero: Tom the main protagonist is the clear and apparent hero of the story.

ENIGMA codes: In the trailer, the audience is left with many enigma codes such as, who are the two main characters and why are they fighting? What are their motives and what are the reasons behind their binary opposition?

ACTION codes: The audience can see that the action codes of violence are presented when Fisk kills the man in the beginning of the scene.

Equilibrium: The equilibrium that we the audience see could be the calm state of the city and the generally setting.

Disequilibrium: The disequilibrium is the obvious and clear point where the first character (Fisk) kills a man to show violence and create disequilibrium in the natural order of affairs.

New Equilibrium: The new equilibrium is when we are introduced to the main protagonist Matt Murdock who is fighting for justice as a lawyer to try and "make the city a better place" and go against Fisk.

The Villain: We don't see him as the villain at first but it is Wilson Fisk shown at the beginning. He could also be the False Hero as his intentions are good but are immediately presented as bad after his actions of killing a man.
The Donor and the Helper:  In this trailer, we see many friends helping Matt but the most dominant ones are the Vicar and the blind old man who helps to train him.
The Princess: We could interpret that the princess that needs to be saved could be the city and setting itself as both the villain and hero talk about saving the city repeatedly.
The Hero: The main protagonist in this trailer is Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer.

At the start of the trailer, as the audience we can see many fade outs which allows the audience to take in every different scene to the story and the surroundings of where the movie would be taken. This is important because before even watching the movie the audience get an idea of what may happen and can identify similar scene to the previous squeals. As they show the different scenes of the movie this brings the attention of the fan base of this movie to get more excited of what the movie could bring, also bringing more popularity towards the movie. In the trailer, it shows linear pattern which allows the audience to get a grasp of the resolution. This is effective because it shows a all rounder of the movie by using the fade out technique by giving the audience hints of what the movie involves. By using the medium close up shots and medium long shots it enables the audience to establish the settings and create identification with the protagonist as we see she is most of the shots and she is trying solve the problem around her by defeating the villain, which makes her the hero the  princess are the people of each distract that she is trying to save, the people she cares about.  Having close up shot of the protagonist it allows the audience to connect with the her for the short of time by seeing her facial expression and identify the emotion she is trying to put across. The trailer brings enigma codes to the audiences minds as they as they try to figure out what could happen and how she is going to defeat the villain. Throughout out the trailer they are many action codes which could represent the genre of the movie being a adventure fiction movie. Throughout the movie, it gives the audience a disequilibrium effect as it involves conflict and the distributed by unfortunate events and evil characters. 

Media Consumption

Newspapers

Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read? 

As my parents bring many newspapers from their commutes, I would read the Sun, Daily 

Mirror and sometimes the Independent 

What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why? 

The humour column/section or the headline news.

What sections do you never read, and why? 

I don't normally read the sports section of the papers or horoscopes. Particularly, as I have 

no actual interest in sport and I only glance at horoscopes from time to time.

What kinds of stories do you usually read and why? 

Breaking news stories and many world news, most involving war and conflict.

Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read? 

My mother and I love the front pages of the Sun.

Do you look at the online versions of any newspapers? 

Yes, the Daily Mail as it always has some interesting headline about celebrities doing 

something extremely bad.

Magazines

What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why? 

i-D, Fader and O, the Oprah Magazine. I think as they showcase a lot of black artists 

which interest me.

What sections of the magazines do you read? 

The interviews they have of celebrities who intrigue me but mostly I spend time cutting 

up their front pages. 

Television

Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television? 

4 hours

What times of day do you usually watch television? 

From 5 onward

What programmes do you like best and why? 

On E4 I watch The Goldbergs, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother as they are all 

quite mediocre and so makes them quite funny. Channel 4 has more interesting shows like 

Gogglebox on Fridays and First Dates or my Mother's favourite Come Dine With Me.

Do you watch alone or with others? If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch? 

I mostly watch with my Mum and/or my little brother,9, (if he isn't occupied on his iPad). But

mostly my Mum decided as she always has the remote and I always have to lie about

wanting to 'check' a channel to actually watch what I want.

Do you watch 'live' TV or on-demand/catch-up? Do you use any other devices to watch TV (such as laptop of tablet?) 

I guess the X-Factor when it is 'live' or Big Brother. I use 4od to watch missed episodes of 

boxsets.

Radio

Do you listen to the radio? 

Sometimes, I do listen to the radio

If yes, what stations do you like best and why? 

I don't have a particular station but on Sundays my Dad always has Premiere on 

when I wake up.

Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio? 

under 1 hour

What times of the day do you usually listen to the radio?

Sundays or Saturdays (all in the morning)

Where do you listen to the radio? 

At home and sometimes on the bus when I,m bored

What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening to the radio? 

Pretending I'm in a music video and look outside the window . Also, trying to multi-task by

reading at the same time

Cinema

What films have you seen in the cinema in the last month? 

I have seen Suicide Squad,Deadpool, Zootopia and The Jungle Book

What films have you seen in other places – for example, through rental, satellite film

channels or through video-on-demand? 

I actually see a lot of my movies on Film4 such as Hunger Games or Skyfall. Also through

Netflix on my TV.

Who else watched the films with you? 

My little brother.

Who decided what films to watch?

Myself.

What devices do you typically use to watch films: TV, laptop, tablet, phone etc.?

I use both my phone and computer.

Online

How often do you access the internet? 

Everyday.

Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work? 

Home and School

What are the main sites that you access? 

Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube and KissCartoon/Asian.

What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to 

make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment? 

Social media is for entertainment but for my own independent learning. The Kiss sites is for 

watching old cartoons and East Asian dramas

What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet? 

Eating and Drinking an excessive amount of water.

What different devices do you use to access the internet? What is your primary device for

accessing the internet? 

A computer or phone. I mostly use my computer for everything and at night use my phone

to read.

What social networks do you use regularly (e.g. Twitter, Instagram)? Why do you belong to 

these networks in particular? 

I use Tumblr. I use Tumblr as I get great frame work of landscapes and 

animals ,also, people to draw from. There are great memes amongst Tumblr and Instagram 

which I happily screenshot for future uses. 

Reflection

How can you develop the amount and variety of media you consume? 

Reading more about economic elements of media rather than the entertainment side of it.  

What will you change in your media consumption habits this year as a result of studying A 

Level Media? 

Being more insightful and appreciative when it comes to movies, but also lessening my 

media consumption as I'm quite sleep deprived.

List three sources of media (websites/newspapers/apps/TV programmes etc.) that you will 

start to access this year that you haven't engaged with previously. 

Apps, Websites and News outlets.