Denotation and connotation
Denotation: the literal meaning of something
E.g. A rose is a garden plantConnotation: the suggestion behind this literal meaning (reading between the lines)
E.g .The rose suggests romance and love.
When writing media analysis, you need to consider the following questions:
Denotation: what do you see?
Connotation: what is suggested? What does it mean?
Analysis: what is the effect on the audience? How is this effect created?
Example: Skittles
Denotation: There is some text with colourful streams behind each letter set around a pack shot of the product itself. The background appears to be sky.
Connotation: The advert builds on the slogan for Skittles ‘Taste the rainbow’. The connotation of the colour suggests that Skittles are joyful, fun and will provide a positive experience for the audience. The colours are vibrant and the sky in the background creates connotations of flying – this suggests to the audience that this is an exciting product.
Analysis: The advert helps the audience understand the product as the colours reflect the actual Skittles themselves. In addition, the text across the top of the advert (referring to a ‘punch in the mouth’) uses humour to connect with the audience and suggests the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. This adds to the positive, happy brand values that are suggested by the construction of the advert.
Denotation: There is some text with colourful streams behind each letter set around a pack shot of the product itself. The background appears to be sky.
Connotation: The advert builds on the slogan for Skittles ‘Taste the rainbow’. The connotation of the colour suggests that Skittles are joyful, fun and will provide a positive experience for the audience. The colours are vibrant and the sky in the background creates connotations of flying – this suggests to the audience that this is an exciting product.
Analysis: The advert helps the audience understand the product as the colours reflect the actual Skittles themselves. In addition, the text across the top of the advert (referring to a ‘punch in the mouth’) uses humour to connect with the audience and suggests the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. This adds to the positive, happy brand values that are suggested by the construction of the advert.
Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scène is a French term meaning ‘Putting on Stage’. It refers to the Media language used by the producer in their media product to communicate with their audience so…everything we see on screen. We can remember what this includes using the acronym CLAMPS:
- Costume
- Lighting
- Actor placement and movement
- Make-up
- Props
- Setting
This video explains the power of mise-en-scene in film analysis:
Camera shots and angles
Learning to accurately identify different camera shots and the effect they have on an audience is a critical skill in Media Studies.
Before long, you'll find yourself naturally identifying interesting examples of camera shots, movements or angles when you're watching movies, TV or YouTube. The key aspect is always to consider WHY the director has chosen to present the scene in that way - what are they trying to communicate to the audience?
Here's a great YouTuber for Film Studies - Darius Britt AKA D4Darius. Notice that he uses 'full shot' instead of long shot - but otherwise this is pretty much as we learn the shots in class:
Camera shots:
Before long, you'll find yourself naturally identifying interesting examples of camera shots, movements or angles when you're watching movies, TV or YouTube. The key aspect is always to consider WHY the director has chosen to present the scene in that way - what are they trying to communicate to the audience?
Here's a great YouTuber for Film Studies - Darius Britt AKA D4Darius. Notice that he uses 'full shot' instead of long shot - but otherwise this is pretty much as we learn the shots in class:
Camera shots:
- Wide shot / establishing shot (WS/ES) = Used to introduce a location/setting
- Long shot (LS) = Head to toe visible, shows plenty of background fits in plenty of action
- Medium shot (MS) = Waist to head visible. Actor and setting roughly equal in frame
- Medium close up (MCU) = Camera get closer in on the character so that the face and top of shoulders are shown
- Over-the-shoulder shot (OTS)
- Close up (CU)
- Extreme close up (BCU/XCU)
- High angle: makes subject look small and weak.
- Low angle: makes subject look big and powerful.
- Unusual perspective: can be used to surprise the audience or show danger (e.g. looking down off a cliff)
Here's a reminder graphic courtesy of resource site poetryessay.co.uk:
Example analysis: The Night Manager (BBC, 2016)
Here's an example of how you write media analysis for camerawork using this BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.
1) Three camera shots:
- The opening establishing shot clearly shows the characters getting off a boat and walking into the restaurant. This both sets the scene for the following action and also confirms the characters are very rich.
- The extreme close-up on the main character's eye at 0.52 successfully communicates the intensity of the scene and the mixture of fear and emotion he feels as he watches his son being kidnapped. This has the effect of causing the audience to sympathise with the main character and wonder what will happen to the boy after being taken.
- The over-the-shoulder shot at 1.13 shows the main character recognises the man who saved the boy and that the man with the face injuries is not who he says he is. Like many over-the-shoulder shots, it is also a medium close-up which allows the audience to see the confusion on the main character's face and the realisation that he has seen him before.
2) Camera angles:
- The power between the two key characters is shown using camera angles. The high angle shot at 1.21 looking down on the man who has been beaten up shows his powerlessness and that he will rely on others to make him better. He looks broken and defeated as the close-up shot from above shows him looking up at the main character. In contrast, the main character is shown in a low-angle close-up immediately afterwards (1.23) to show his power over the broken man. The camera is looking up at him from the perspective of the man on the floor. This introduces a clear power relationship between the two characters - emphasised by the dialogue at the end: "We're going to take care of you."
3) Mise-en-scene:
- The opening establishing shot clearly shows the characters getting off a boat and walking into the restaurant. This both sets the scene for the following action and also confirms the characters are very rich.
- The extreme close-up on the main character's eye at 0.52 successfully communicates the intensity of the scene and the mixture of fear and emotion he feels as he watches his son being kidnapped. This has the effect of causing the audience to sympathise with the main character and wonder what will happen to the boy after being taken.
- The over-the-shoulder shot at 1.13 shows the main character recognises the man who saved the boy and that the man with the face injuries is not who he says he is. Like many over-the-shoulder shots, it is also a medium close-up which allows the audience to see the confusion on the main character's face and the realisation that he has seen him before.
2) Camera angles:
- The power between the two key characters is shown using camera angles. The high angle shot at 1.21 looking down on the man who has been beaten up shows his powerlessness and that he will rely on others to make him better. He looks broken and defeated as the close-up shot from above shows him looking up at the main character. In contrast, the main character is shown in a low-angle close-up immediately afterwards (1.23) to show his power over the broken man. The camera is looking up at him from the perspective of the man on the floor. This introduces a clear power relationship between the two characters - emphasised by the dialogue at the end: "We're going to take care of you."
3) Mise-en-scene:
- The restaurant setting helps to communicate the wealth and power that the main character is dealing with. It is clearly a luxurious destination and the way the family greets the owner shows they go here often. The costumes support this with characters wearing expensive clothes and wearing sunglasses. Arriving by boat also shows how rich and powerful the characters are.
Camera movement
There are a range of key camera movements we need to learn:
Pan: horizontal turn left or right
Used to follow movement. A whip pan (very fast pan) can create a feeling of action or drama.
Track/Dolly: Camera moves on tracks/wheels
Tracks action smoothly – look for in chases or fast-moving sequences.
Handheld: camera held by hand, often shaky
Handheld camera can add urgency, realism, pace or unease to a scene.
Zoom: focal length of lens changed to make subject appear closer or further away
A zoom into a character’s face can show realisation or an emotional reaction.
Crane: Camera attached to crane – can pan, track or ‘swoop’ in or out as required
Crane shots are often high angle and show large, epic scenes of dramatic action.
Tilt: Camera tilts up or down from fixed point
The hero or villain can be made to look weak or powerful using a tilt (high/low angle).
If you want to know more about camera movement, or missed the lesson, this episode of the Shot List from Studio Binder goes into real detail:
Editing: notes
Video: cuts and transitions
Film transitions
Cut (Straight cut, jump cut, match cut): Shot changes from one to another – the most common cut.
Dissolve: Shot melts into another – often shows passing of time.
Fade: Shot fades away and another shot appears. Fades to black often signify endings (of the day, scene or film)
The speed at which the film cuts from one shot to the next makes a huge difference to the experience for the audience. Generally, slow cuts build tension while fast cuts suggest action and excitement.
Juxtaposition
The word juxtaposition literally means ‘the act of placing together side by side’. In editing, this is called Parallel Editing.
In film, two shots may be placed together to create meaning for the audience. E.g. A shot of the hero may be followed by a shot of his love interest to link these in the audience’s mind.
Rocket Jump film school on YouTube has an excellent video outlining cuts and transitions in editing:
Example analysis: The Night Manager (BBC, 2016)
Here's another example of how you write media analysis for camerawork and editing using the BBC drama clip from The Night Manager.
1) Analyse the camera movement:
The camera movement at the beginning of the scene is slow, steady and fits the relaxed atmosphere as they enter the restaurant. The smooth track or dolly shot as they walk to the table (0.14 - 0.17) makes the audience feel as if they are joining the party and included in the exclusive group in the island restaurant. This all changes in the scene where the kidnappers take the main character's son. The camera movement is suddenly handheld and edgy, signalling the tension and danger to the audience. This adds realism and suspense and contrasts strongly with the smooth camera movement of the opening to the scene. The camera continues to move (handheld) throughout this scene as the kidnapping develops - this keeps the audience on edge and creates the idea that danger or something terrible may be happening.
As the kidnappers try to escape, the camera pans loosely from left to right and back again (0.57) to create the effect of someone looking around to see where the next danger will appear from. Finally, when the kidnappers have gone and the boy is returned safely, the camerawork is still handheld but not as shaky as previously. This restores normality to the scene as the danger has passed.
The camera movement at the beginning of the scene is slow, steady and fits the relaxed atmosphere as they enter the restaurant. The smooth track or dolly shot as they walk to the table (0.14 - 0.17) makes the audience feel as if they are joining the party and included in the exclusive group in the island restaurant. This all changes in the scene where the kidnappers take the main character's son. The camera movement is suddenly handheld and edgy, signalling the tension and danger to the audience. This adds realism and suspense and contrasts strongly with the smooth camera movement of the opening to the scene. The camera continues to move (handheld) throughout this scene as the kidnapping develops - this keeps the audience on edge and creates the idea that danger or something terrible may be happening.
As the kidnappers try to escape, the camera pans loosely from left to right and back again (0.57) to create the effect of someone looking around to see where the next danger will appear from. Finally, when the kidnappers have gone and the boy is returned safely, the camerawork is still handheld but not as shaky as previously. This restores normality to the scene as the danger has passed.
2) Analyse the editing:
The pace of editing suddenly increases when the kidnappers burst into the restaurant (0.22) with a series of rapid cuts to communicate the drama and danger to the audience. There is then a close up of the boy's father juxtaposed with a shot of the main kidnapper holding the boy. This tells the audience these are the two critical characters for this scene and that they will decide what happens next.
Demographics and psychographics
In order to do this, we need to learn about audience demographics and psychographics. These are two crucial aspects of how audiences are classified and identified by media companies.
Notes from today's lesson on Audience
Demographic classification:
Audience profiling
Psychographics
Media companies use audience profiling to create a more detailed picture of their audience. This means looking at the audience's personality, interests and the brands and lifestyle they enjoy. Young and Rubicam identified a range of different groups that became known as Psychographics. You can revise the different psychographic groups here.
Notes from today's lesson on Audience
Demographic classification:
- Age
- Gender
- Education
- Social class
- Race/ethnicity
- Job/profession/earnings
- Home (city/village/countryside)
Social class classification
Advertisers have traditionally classified people into the following groups:
- AB – Managerial and professional
- C1 – Supervisory and clerical
- C2 – Skilled manual
- DE – Unskilled manual and unemployed
Audience profiling
Advertisers these days are interested in more than just a social class classification. Now they try to sell a brand or lifestyle and therefore need to know more about their audience than simply age, gender or where they live.
So we also need to think about the kind of brands audiences are interested in and what this says about their lifestyle and interests. Is this product aimed at people who buy Armani and Porsche? Banana Republic and Apple? John Lewis and The Times? Lush and the Vegan Store? Peppa Pig and Haribo? The brands we buy or like say a lot about our personality and attitudes in life.
Psychographics
Media companies use audience profiling to create a more detailed picture of their audience. This means looking at the audience's personality, interests and the brands and lifestyle they enjoy. Young and Rubicam identified a range of different groups that became known as Psychographics. You can revise the different psychographic groups here.
Reception theory
Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist who looked at the relationship between the text and the audience. He suggested that meanings are fluid and open to interpretation depending on context and the consumer’s experiences as individuals as well as communities.
Hall states there are three readings to any media text:
Preferred reading
The meaning the producers intend to communicate. This builds on the idea that producers can position the audience in a certain way and influence their reading so they accept the intended message by using recognised codes and conventions (such as stereotypes).
Negotiated reading
Somewhere between the preferred and oppositional reading. The message is modified (partly accepted and partly rejected) depending on the individual experiences of the audience (e.g their age, gender or social class).
Oppositional reading
The oppositional reading goes against the meaning the producers are trying to create. The audience reject the intended message and construct an opposite reading instead. This can be due to their own social, political or moral beliefs and values.
The rest of the Plan B TEDx lecture about his plan to help disadvantaged young people through film and music.
Audience theory: key notes and terminology
Passive & Active
Passive: This is the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.
Active: This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.
Two-step flow theory
This is the theory that consumers form their opinions based on opinion leaders like newspapers, politicians and, nowadays, celebrities.
The 3 Vs
VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions.
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters.
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching people e.g hidden camera shows / elements of reality TV like Big Brother.
Passive & Active
Passive: This is the view that audiences passively take in information from the media and that these messages have the same effect on everyone.
Active: This is the more modern and generally accepted view that audiences interact with and make conscious choices regarding the media they consume.
Hypodermic Needle Theory
This is the suggestion that audiences are always passive and therefore take the intended message from the producer as if it was injected into their minds. This assumes no individual difference in audience members.
Two-step flow theory
This is the theory that consumers form their opinions based on opinion leaders like newspapers, politicians and, nowadays, celebrities.
Uses and Gratifications - Blumler & Katz
INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: learning information that you did not already know or that is useful for living (e.g. documentaries; weather or traffic).
IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on screen.
DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: escapism and being entertained away from your normal life.
RELATIONSHIPS: social interaction, caring about characters or celebrities, forming relationships e.g watching a soap opera for a long time because you care about what happens to long-standing characters.
The 3 Vs
VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions.
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters.
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching people e.g hidden camera shows / elements of reality TV like Big Brother.
Industries: Ownership and control
Industries: recap
Industries are the producers, the companies that produce (make) and distribute the media product.
Industries have a strong interest in who their target audience is so that they can best appeal to them.
Some companies dominate the industry which means they own more of the content and therefore make more money (revenue).
Synergy
Industries are the producers, the companies that produce (make) and distribute the media product.
Industries have a strong interest in who their target audience is so that they can best appeal to them.
Some companies dominate the industry which means they own more of the content and therefore make more money (revenue).
Vertical integration
Vertical integration is when one conglomerate owns different companies in the same chain of production.
For example, Disney owns film studios, CGI specialists, film distributors, TV channels (such as the Disney Channel) and streaming service Disney+. This gives Disney the chance to make money at every stage of production and distribution. Complete ownership = more profit and control.
Horizontal integration
Horizontal integration is when one company buys other companies at the same level of distribution.
For example, Facebook acquired Instagram (at a cost of $1 billion) so that they could cancel out the competition by making money from both.
Horizontal integration allows companies to widen their audience and find other ways to make money.
Synergy
Synergy is when a company creates a brand that can be used across different media products and platforms. For example, Disney makes movies but then also has related stage shows, theme parks, merchandise, soundtracks and events all linked to the same brand or characters.
Convergence
Technological convergence refers to the fact we can now access all different types of media on one device.
The growth of smartphones has completely changed the relationship between industries and audiences.
Traditional industries like newspapers are now moving into video or online content and audiences can now create their own user-generated content.
Film Industry: Marketing - Marvel Cinematic Universe
Our first exam Close-Study Products will be from the Film Industry.
In our lesson, we learned the importance of film marketing and what a risky business it is for film studios.
The two Close-Study Products (CSPs) we'll be studying for the Film Industry are:
A summary of the notes from our research activity:
Risky business
The creative industries are a risky business for companies - it costs a huge amount of money to create a media product like a film and there's no guarantee the audience will like it.
No brand loyalty
A new, original film has no established brand or audience - it has to generate all the interest through marketing. This is why film companies prefer to make sequels, reboots or films from an established franchise (like the Marvel Cinematic Universe) - there is an existing audience ready to buy the product.
Star power
If the film isn't from an existing franchise, film studios use star actors or directors to help generate interest in the film and find an audience. Star directors like veteran political filmmaker Ken Loach have an established audience that will always watch his films regardless of subject matter.
A matter of timing
Marketing campaigns need to be carefully timed to create excitement about the film's release. Often, the first teaser trailers will drop up to a year before release - particularly for established franchise films like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Social media marketing
Once the film is out, the marketing campaign has less power - because audience word-of-mouth will take over. In the digital age, people will post online about the film immediately after seeing it - which means word-of-mouth is more important than ever.
In our lesson, we learned the importance of film marketing and what a risky business it is for film studios.
The two Close-Study Products (CSPs) we'll be studying for the Film Industry are:
- Black Widow (2020)
- I, Daniel Blake (2016)
A summary of the notes from our research activity:
Risky business
The creative industries are a risky business for companies - it costs a huge amount of money to create a media product like a film and there's no guarantee the audience will like it.
No brand loyalty
A new, original film has no established brand or audience - it has to generate all the interest through marketing. This is why film companies prefer to make sequels, reboots or films from an established franchise (like the Marvel Cinematic Universe) - there is an existing audience ready to buy the product.
Star power
If the film isn't from an existing franchise, film studios use star actors or directors to help generate interest in the film and find an audience. Star directors like veteran political filmmaker Ken Loach have an established audience that will always watch his films regardless of subject matter.
A matter of timing
Marketing campaigns need to be carefully timed to create excitement about the film's release. Often, the first teaser trailers will drop up to a year before release - particularly for established franchise films like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Social media marketing
Once the film is out, the marketing campaign has less power - because audience word-of-mouth will take over. In the digital age, people will post online about the film immediately after seeing it - which means word-of-mouth is more important than ever.
Film Industry: Black Widow
Film franchise
A film franchise is a series of films or multi-picture stories, often including some of the same characters from film to film.
Franchises have become even more important than individual stars. They consist of connected universes (e.g. Star Wars, Marvel's Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe etc) and many sequels (or prequels).
Blockbuster movies
Black Widow is a blockbuster movie. A blockbuster is a major studio movie that's made with a large budget, big stars and often involves a franchise.
A true blockbuster is extremely popular and brings in a lot of money. Typically, a blockbuster is a summer movie that audiences line up to see the first weekend it's released (which coincides with the school holidays and more family time).
Disney and Marvel
In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for US$4 billion. The Walt Disney Company now owns Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and Pixar.
Walt Disney Studios are one of Hollywood's major film studios and generated an income of $2.4 billion in 2017. This means that they can afford to make more expensive films, market them around the world at great expense and ensure that they are hugely profitable.
Marketing and promotion
Star Power implies that people will want to see a film with a certain star in it. Most mainstream films and blockbusters will use Star Power to attract audiences to their film. The main star in Black Widow is Scarlett Johansson who is very well known and has established fans.
Walt Disney Studios had a huge budget to make and market Black Widow although the success of the film was badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic closing cinemas. Some of the strategies used included:
- Traditional methods such as posters and teaser trailers on TV and in cinema.
- Stars of the film appeared on a range of TV chat shows and press events.
- Film trailers were released on YouTube and in cinemas.
- Specific IMAX promotions with 22 minutes of the film shot in 1.90:1 aspect ratio especially for IMAX cinemas.
- Section of the Marvel website with gallery, story synopsis, character posters and opportunities to buy or stream the movie.
- Social media profiles on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Social media and YouTube advertising was also heavily used by Marvel to promote the film including using tweets from audience members on massive billboards.
Star interviews and TV appearances:
Specific IMAX promotional videos:
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the film industry and changed the release strategy for many films. While cinemas are still the primary way of making money for the film industry, some movies are being released to streaming services alongside cinema - or bypassing cinema altogether. Watch this report on Black Widow with an interview with IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond:
Social media marketing
The film used tweets from audience members to help promote the film:
Was the film a global box office hit?
Black Widow’s success is difficult to judge due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Black Widow’s budget was $200m and it only made $379m at the worldwide box office due to the pandemic. Marvel would have spent well over $100m on marketing the film globally so the profit level is very low. Most Marvel films have made around $1 billion at the box office.
However, this doesn’t take into account revenues through Disney+ so Black Widow may well still make Marvel and Disney a profit in the end.
Film industry: Regulation
Films in the UK are regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
Black Widow was awarded a 12A by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). It was deemed to have “moderate violence, injury detail”, yet was not too graphic.
With a 12A, no-one under the age of 12 can see the film unless accompanied by an adult. It is quite a new classification (1989) and was introduced due to the large gap between PG and 15.
It is important that all MCU films are 12A at the most as the major film companies want to keep the young audience for:
- Merchandising opportunities.
- Better potential box office.
- 47% of cinema audiences were aged 7-24 in the UK in 2014. Word of mouth and peer influence is important in generating interest.
Hollywood v Independent cinema
Independent films are very different to Hollywood blockbusters like Black Widow. The style of ‘indie’ films is very different to Hollywood blockbusters, as the directors and producers have more creative input – it’s being made in their vision, not in the vision of studio bosses.
Independent films have much smaller budgets, and are often supported financially by public service broadcasters, film institutions and charity funding. They are also distributed by smaller companies.
I, Daniel Blake notes
I, Daniel Blake is an award-winning independent British Drama film. The main character, Daniel Blake, 59, who has worked as a joiner most of his life in the North East of England needs help from the State for the first time ever following an illness.
He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one roomed homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat some 300 miles away.
Daniel stands up and fights for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Katie) and her two children. It is a drama that has a strong political message about Britain in an age of government austerity.
Additional promotion:
Independent films are very different to Hollywood blockbusters like Black Widow. The style of ‘indie’ films is very different to Hollywood blockbusters, as the directors and producers have more creative input – it’s being made in their vision, not in the vision of studio bosses.
Independent films have much smaller budgets, and are often supported financially by public service broadcasters, film institutions and charity funding. They are also distributed by smaller companies.
I, Daniel Blake notes
I, Daniel Blake is an award-winning independent British Drama film. The main character, Daniel Blake, 59, who has worked as a joiner most of his life in the North East of England needs help from the State for the first time ever following an illness.He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one roomed homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat some 300 miles away.
Daniel stands up and fights for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Katie) and her two children. It is a drama that has a strong political message about Britain in an age of government austerity.
Key details:
- I, Daniel Blake was released in 2016 and was directed by Ken Loach. The film was rated by the BBFC as a 15.
- A UK/French co-production, the film is a classed as a drama due to the nature of the narrative and themes within the film.
- The cast is made up of lesser known actors, including Dave Johns, Hayley Squires and Sharon Percy.
- The film is classed as an independent film, due to the fact that it is a low budget film with a relatively unknown cast.
Director power: Ken Loach
Ken Loach has been a director for over 50 years. He’s never had Hollywood success, mainly because he’s never wanted it. Loach’s style is social realism – telling stories that represent the lives of ordinary working-class people and the social issues they face, for example unemployment, poverty and addiction. His films also have political themes. Rather than create films for entertainment or money, his goal is to expose and educate people to the issues that many people in society face.
Ken Loach's 2019 film Sorry We Missed You highlighted the difficulty of working class people working on zero hour contracts (you can watch the trailer here). Here he talks to Sky News about the film and how it compares to Marvel superhero blockbusters like Black Widow:
Marketing and promotion
Along with traditional trailer and print adverts, the film makers eOne also used disruptive marketing such as:
- Organise free (or ‘pay what you can’) screenings and talks in community centres across the UK to build local enthusiasm for the film’s message.
- Film was premiered not in London, but Newcastle (where the film is set) to gain local support.
- The then Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the London premiere and people that had been denied benefit payments were asked to placard the event.
- ‘I, Daniel Blake’ was projected onto the Houses of Parliament ('guerrilla marketing') and in various cities
- Loach appeared on BBC Question Time to talk on issue giving the film extra credibility
A conventional trailer was also produced for the film:
Additional promotion:
- A partnership was set up with Trinity Mirror (Daily Mirror owners) to run a marketing campaign based on the film. The Daily Mirror traditionally supports the Labour Party and left-wing causes so therefore agreed with the main message of the film.
- The film also paired up with NomadiX Media's iProjector to create an outdoor campaign using quotes from the film.
- Ken Loach and the writer did interviews with newspapers and magazines to promote the key messages of the film (see clip from Economist below).
- Finally, a video was released using members of the public and politicians that supported the film’s message. This was highlighted with the hashtag #WeAreAllDanielBlake
Secret Cinema Youth screening
Secret Cinema, as part of their charitable Secret Youth campaign, organised a screening of the film in both London’s East End and Newcastle. The event was aimed at first-time voters, and the event happened just before the 2017 general election
The screening was accompanied by talks from Ken Loach and performances from artists that either supported or had a connection with the film’s themes. They also organised food bank donation stalls at the screening and encouraged people to contribute
Budget, box office and critical success
The screening was accompanied by talks from Ken Loach and performances from artists that either supported or had a connection with the film’s themes. They also organised food bank donation stalls at the screening and encouraged people to contribute
Budget, box office and critical success
It is very difficult to establish the exact production costs of ‘I, Daniel Blake’ although 16 Films Producer, Rebecca O’Brien, said it was a ‘modest amount’, even for a Ken Loach film. We know some of the funding it received (e.g. £300k from the BFI) and can estimate it to be around £2 million. Compare that to the $200 million that it cost to make our other CSP, Black Widow.
I, Daniel Blake was exhibited in 24 countries and performed well in Europe and other smaller countries. The film grossed £11 million and received a wide range of positive critic reviews.
‘I, Daniel Blake’ Is Ken Loach’s most successful UK release ever and continued to sell well around Europe. Like all Ken Loach films, it did particularly well in France. As well as Box Office success, it was also a critical success and award winner (including the renowned Palme D’or from the Cannes Film Festival).
I, Daniel Blake was exhibited in 24 countries and performed well in Europe and other smaller countries. The film grossed £11 million and received a wide range of positive critic reviews.
‘I, Daniel Blake’ Is Ken Loach’s most successful UK release ever and continued to sell well around Europe. Like all Ken Loach films, it did particularly well in France. As well as Box Office success, it was also a critical success and award winner (including the renowned Palme D’or from the Cannes Film Festival).
Regulation: BBFC rating
‘I, Daniel Blake’ was awarded a 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Classifications (BBFC). This was due to the following scenes being included:
- Bad language (uttered by the main characters out of anger and frustration or for emphasis. Was justified by context and not impactful.)
- Frightening and Intense scenes (There are two notable scenes of emotional intensity. They include 'the food bank' scene and the ending 'funeral' scene.)
This explains briefly how the BBFC works:
Codes and conventions of print adverts
How are women represented in advertising?
Oxo TV adverts
Explore how the representations of women have changed through these two adverts for Oxo. Are they really as different as they first appear?
1980s Oxo advert
2017 Oxo advert: Change of Plan
In 2017 Oxo launched a 'new family' to advertise some of their recent products and released a TV advert called 'Change of Plan'. There are definitely some significant changes between the 1980s Oxo family and the updated version - although perhaps the gender representations on display haven't progressed quite as much as it first appears.
When studying print adverts we need to look for the following conventions or typical features:
- Picture of product
- USP - unique selling point. What is it that makes the product special or different to appeal to consumers?
- Lighting
- Setting / colour scheme
- Logo – this is usually the brand name
- Slogan – this is a catchy phrase summing up the ethos of the product e.g Nike’s ‘Just Do It’
Persuasive techniques in advertising
Advertisements are generally trying to persuade their target audience to:
- Buy a product or service
- Believe something or act in a certain way
- Agree with a point of view
There are many persuasive techniques used in advertising. A selection include:
- Image and colour scheme- to catch and keep attention
- Slogan – a catchy phrase or statement
- Established brand identity – associated with success or taste or good quality.
- Repetition – constant reference to product name
- Association / Star Power – e.g. celebrity endorsement
- Emotional appeal or shock tactics – designed to create strong feelings
- Expert opinion – ‘4 out of 5 dentists…’
- Imperative- Giving no choice e.g ‘Taste the rainbow’
Media analysis example - Maltesers advert
Conventions and analysis
- Pictures of the product (Maltesers) to remind us of the type of product it is. The image also reinforces the word ‘lighter’ as the chocolates dance and jump off the floor.
- The Logo is bright and large in the centre of the advert. The word ‘malt’ relates to the flavours used and ‘tesers’ is a play on the word ‘tease’ which ties in with the playful, light ethos.
- The Background features the heavy use of red. It is bright and eye-catching with connotations of love. This makes the consumer recognise the brand colour and makes them think they love the product, or may gift it to someone they love.
- The Slogan at the bottom is clearly visible and stands out against the background. ‘Lighter’ and ‘enjoy’ reinforce the USP – that Maltesers are slightly healthier or 'lighter' chocolate.
- The Colour Scheme is red and white - recognisable from the packets of Maltesers, creating a brand identity.
Gender stereotypes in advertising
Key words
Representation: the way a group or individual is portrayed in the media.
Normalised: when something becomes considered ‘normal’ or ‘usual’
Stereotype: viewing a group or individual in a fixed, over-simplified way.
Conventions: typical features of a media product.
Reinforce a stereotype: the representation supports our usual expectations.
Subvert a stereotype: the representation goes against our usual expectations.
Social, Cultural and Historical contexts
Another aspect we have to consider whenever we study a media product is how it reflects British society and what message it may be sending to audiences. Our exam board AQA calls this 'social and cultural contexts' and those words will appear in several exam questions in our final exams. Similarly, when we study media products from history, we will also need to consider historical contexts - how the media product reflects the time period in which it was created. These are the key questions to ask:
Social contexts: How do media products influence or affect people in society?
Cultural contexts: How the media reflects the typical ideas, opinions and beliefs in society and the media industries.
Historical contexts: How has society (and the type of media product) changed over time?
The representation of women in advertising is a great example of all three of these contexts. The way women are presented in adverts says a lot about the culture the advert is created in, it may well affect the way both women and men feel and behave in society and it also has changed over time.
How are women represented in advertising?
The stereotype of women in advertising is often negative. Representations through the history of advertising have suggested that women are inferior to men, bad drivers, powerless, sexualised or focused on domestic work (e.g. cleaning). This potentially influences media audiences and the views in wider society.
Oxo TV adverts
Explore how the representations of women have changed through these two adverts for Oxo. Are they really as different as they first appear?
1980s Oxo advert
2017 Oxo advert: Change of Plan
Unfortunately, this advert is no longer on YouTube but can be watched on the Ads of the World website here or alternatively on Google Drive here (using your Greenford Google login).
Advertising CSP 1: OMO print advert
The first close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 1955 advert for OMO washing powder that appeared in Woman's Own magazine.
This product provides an excellent opportunity to analyse the changing representation of women in advertising over the last 60 years.
Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing
In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:
- Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]
- Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]
And here's an image of an annotated advert from the lesson on OMO - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this.
This product provides an excellent opportunity to analyse the changing representation of women in advertising over the last 60 years.
Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing
In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:
- Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]
- Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]
OMO advert CSP (1955)
OMO was a popular washing powder brand in the 1950s. This advert was from 1955 and needs to be studied both in terms of historical context and how it would be received today.
In 1955, British society was still adjusting after World War Two in which women took on many traditionally male jobs with men off fighting. This led to advertising in the 1950s often trying to reinforce traditional female stereotypes of housewives and mothers in order to protect male power both at work and at home.
Annotations
In the lesson, you'll have a chance to annotate your own copy of the OMO advert and make notes of the key conventions and what they communicate to the audience.
Here are some of the questions we discussed when we annotated our copy of the advert in class:
Advertising CSP 2: Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert
Our second close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 Galaxy chocolate advert 'Chauffeur' featuring a CGI version of Hollywood film star Audrey Hepburn.
This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: celebrity, place (Italy), gender and more.
Galaxy advert: background information
This is the advert CSP:
You can read more about the incredible CGI technology that went into creating the advert here. There is also a Guardian feature from the production company behind the advert explaining the technical process.
GLOW words to use for this CSP
Historical context of confectionary advertising
Galaxy brand identity
The Galaxy brand identity has focused on luxury and indulgence for over 25 years. This 1995 advert is a good example of the Galaxy brand and also features a nostalgic soundtrack:
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63.
For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures.
Intertextuality in Media Products
Narrative theory
This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: celebrity, place (Italy), gender and more.
Galaxy advert: background information
This is the advert CSP:
You can read more about the incredible CGI technology that went into creating the advert here. There is also a Guardian feature from the production company behind the advert explaining the technical process.
GLOW words to use for this CSP
- Intertextuality: When one media text refers to or suggests another media text
- Semiotic codes: The media language choices (‘signs’) that create connotations for the audience.
Historical context of confectionary advertising
Nostalgia, or a "yearning for yesterday," is a frequently used advertising tool. It is particularly common in the chocolate industry.
This classic Flake advert from the 1980s creates a nostalgic atmosphere of a more innocent time:
This classic Flake advert from the 1980s creates a nostalgic atmosphere of a more innocent time:
Galaxy brand identity
The Galaxy brand identity has focused on luxury and indulgence for over 25 years. This 1995 advert is a good example of the Galaxy brand and also features a nostalgic soundtrack:
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63.For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures.
Intertextuality in Media Products
Intertextuality is where one media product (e.g. Galaxy) makes reference to other media products (e.g. Audrey Hepburn movies such as 1953 film Roman Holiday) to interest and engage the audience.
Narrative theory
We also need to learn narrative theories in GCSE Media Studies and the Galaxy advert is an ideal time to learn these. Narrative theories help us understand how media texts are constructed to engage an audience and keep them watching or reading until the end.
Propp’s Character theory
Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character functions when he analysed 100 fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:
Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives.
Galaxy advert: Representations
The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted?
Place: Italy
Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero
Todorov: equilibrium
Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.
They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.
Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives.
Galaxy advert: Representations
The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted?
Place: Italy
Celebrity: Audrey Hepburn
Product: Galaxy chocolate
Time: 1950s
Gender: Men & Women
Advertising CSP 3: Represent NHS Blood campaign
Our final close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the NHS Blood and Transplant online campaign video 'Represent' featuring Lady Leshurr.
This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, class, age, disability and ability and place. It's also a different type of advert as it's not promoting a product but instead is a campaign designed to influence the audience's behaviour.
Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing
In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:
1) Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]
2) Explain how advertisements reflect the social and cultural contexts in which they were created. [12 marks]
Think about how you might answer those questions based on the CSPs we have studied.
Represent: background information
Lady Leshurr is an English rapper, singer and producer. She is famous for her freestyling rap style and has her own clothing line.
This is the advert CSP:
This is a 'making of' video about how the Represent video was made:
This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, class, age, disability and ability and place. It's also a different type of advert as it's not promoting a product but instead is a campaign designed to influence the audience's behaviour.
Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing
In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:
1) Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]
2) Explain how advertisements reflect the social and cultural contexts in which they were created. [12 marks]
Think about how you might answer those questions based on the CSPs we have studied.
Advertising campaigns
Some adverts are produced in a series as a campaign. An advertising campaign is a series of advertisements that share a singular theme, message or idea. These are used to raise awareness of an issue or of the brand itself. The best campaigns have an emotional impact on audiences.
An advertising campaign will usually appear across multiple media platforms - print, broadcast and online.
Represent: background information
Lady Leshurr is an English rapper, singer and producer. She is famous for her freestyling rap style and has her own clothing line.
This is the advert CSP:
This is a 'making of' video about how the Represent video was made:
The two articles we read in the lesson provide details on the campaign and how it was developed. This also gives information on why blood from people with a BAME background is so vital.
GLOW words to use in connection to this campaign
GLOW words to use in connection to this campaign
- Literal – the actual, obvious meaning
- Semiotics - the message behind what you see (hidden messages)
- Reinforce stereotype – when a representation is what we expect
- Challenge/subvert stereotype - When a representation goes against what we normally see in the media
- Mass - A mass audience is made up of a large group of people (men, women, children, elderly)
- Niche - A niche audience is a small subset with very unique interests or characteristics
Codes and conventions of urban music videos
- There are many low-angled, close up shots in hip hop videos, to imply the artists’ power over their audience. The low angle gives them the power, because they look down on the audience and the close up gives status because it implies they’re important enough to have a frame to themselves.
- Sections of direct contact with the camera (the artist usually spends a lot of time looking straight into the camera as if to talk or have a conversation with the audience and relate to them)
- Props regarding costume tend to be used, for e.g. gold jewellery (male rap artists are commonly known to wear heavy chains or prominent rings)
- Show a clear display of emotions – if the tone of the song is angry, the artist is likely to present this through their gestures and facial expressions.
- Strong editing cuts between concept / performance and narrative.
Magazines: Typography Photoshop workshop
Typography is a crucial aspect of communicating meaning to an audience.
"Typefaces give voice to words"
There are two main terms that we need to learn:
Serif
Serif fonts have tabs (or 'feet') at the corners of the letters. Serif fonts are more old fashioned, traditional or authoritative. They are particularly suited to long passages of text as they create a 'line' for the reader to follow.
Sans Serif
Sans Serif fonts are more modern and do not have tabs or 'feet' on the letters. They are used for titles, headings and create a more contemporary, modern feel to the product.
"Typefaces give voice to words"
There are two main terms that we need to learn:
Serif fonts have tabs (or 'feet') at the corners of the letters. Serif fonts are more old fashioned, traditional or authoritative. They are particularly suited to long passages of text as they create a 'line' for the reader to follow.
Sans Serif
Sans Serif fonts are more modern and do not have tabs or 'feet' on the letters. They are used for titles, headings and create a more contemporary, modern feel to the product.
Magazines: Tatler CSP
Print magazine Tatler is our first Close Study Product. We need to study the media language and representation of people, places and groups on the front cover of Tatler (January 2021).
General
And here's the first episode of the documentary - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous:
Media language
Representations
Some of the key notes from the lesson are here:
General
- Tatler is Britain’s oldest magazine (founded in 1901).
- Targeted at upper classes and upper-middle classes.
- Lifestyle magazine with focus on fashion; high society events such as balls and celebrities such as the Royal family and members of the aristocracy (people with inherited wealth, titles and land.)
- There are versions in Russia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
- Over the years, Tatler has remained interested in the lives of the Royal family, but has tried to re-invent itself as more ‘edgy’ and modern in recent years, to try and target a younger audience.
And here's the first episode of the documentary - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous:
Media language
- This refers to how the producers communicate their message to the audience through the media text.
- Mise-en-scene: what you see - remember CLAMPS (Costume / Lighting / Actors / Make-up / Props / Setting)
- Typography / Fonts: serif title and sans serif cover lines.
- Words used and their connotations.
- Colour schemes: usually two or three in a magazine. Sometimes title matches or is juxtaposed with colours elsewhere on the cover.
Representations
- Tend to reflect dominant representations/stereotypes of wealthy upper-class British people on the cover through images and cover lines.
- The cover star is Emma Weymouth (aka Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath) and is a rare black cover star for Tatler. Emma Thynn's father is a Nigerian oil billionaire and her mother is an English socialite (socialite: a person who is well known in fashionable society). This cover star shows Tatler is trying to update its representation of race in the magazine in response to recent cultural changes such as the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Average age of Tatler reader is 41 but the cover tends to focus on celebrities or models who are younger than this (due to dominant ideals of beauty in the Media).
- Cover lines (stories inside) tend to focus on preoccupations of upper classes e.g ‘Inside the new British establishment'; Blond ambition (about Boris Johnson's brother); Off-duty Royal dressing.
Social and cultural contexts
- The issues that Tatler is concerned with tend to be political but not in a particularly gritty way because the magazine is more interested in fashion, merchandise, beauty and ‘lifestyle’ rather than dealing with news in any depth. Hence references to Boris Johnson's brother and 'the workings of the Westminster web'.
- The preoccupation with parties, private schools, luxury holidays and exclusivity (the ‘Tatler Privilege Club’) assumes a high level of income and an elitist attitude which may alienate or offend people from a different social class. 81% of the readership has an above average income. 44% buy shoes or clothes more than once a month so the cultural context of the magazine could be judged as ‘niche’ (for the few) rather than ‘mainstream’ (for everyone).
- Some of the stories featured in Tatler can be seen as outdated as they are concerned with riding, hunting and shooting which are pursuits generally only enjoyed by upper classes.
Here's an annotated copy of the cover of Tatler to help you (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this).
Magazines: Heat CSP
Heat is our second magazine Close Study Product. We need to study the media language and representation of people and groups on the front cover of Heat 21-27 November 2020.
General
The key notes on Heat are here:
Terminology: low brow and high brow culture
High brow: Intellectual, cultured. Aimed at intelligent or educated people. E.g. University Challenge / The Times.
Low brow: Lacking culture or intellectual content. Usually aimed at less educated people or seen as a 'guilty pleasure'. E.g. reality TV, celebrity magazines.
General
- From Bauer Media’s website about the brand of Heat: “Heat is the brand that sets popular culture alight and gets people talking. Now a huge multiplatform brand that's unrivalled in the entertainment market, heat is more than just a magazine- it's a radio station, a podcast, an app and has a huge online and social media presence.”
- From the Heat media pack: "In print – we bring readers a truly unique, quality experience. From clever A-list access shoots no other magazine could pull off to celeb news – heat has the celeb contacts to give readers the exclusive every time."
- The magazine also offers shopping and lifestyle tips: "Our all-inclusive approach promises style for everybody, no matter what shape or size, and our team test fashion and beauty products to make sure readers spend their hard-earned pennies wisely. And Life Hacks gives readers down-time inspo by curating the buzziest experiences in travel, food, fitness, wellbeing and homes."
Heat's target audience
- FEMALE/MALE: 90% / 10%
- AVG AGE: 37
- AGE PROFILE: 52% AGED 15/34 (14% 15-24, 37% 25-34)
- SEGMENT: 50% ABC1
- MARITAL STATUS: 57% MARRIED (or living with partner) / 43% single
Source: Heat Media Pack
Media language
Representations
Social and cultural contexts
The features in Heat focus on a few key areas:
- Typography / Fonts: Sans serif fonts to make the magazine feel modern, informal and offering the latest gossip. ‘Posh’ written in serif to make it feel ‘posh’.
- Cover lines: Indirect address favoured by celebrity gossip magazines emphasises the gossip feel. Questions to audience create inclusive, gossipy feel and words like ‘shock new pics’ and ‘Behind closed doors’.
- Name checks/star appeal: the cover is packed with celebrity gossip and the magazine sells itself on having the latest celebrity gossip. Note the stars are given first names only - Heat readers know these celebs already and want to hear the latest.
- Colour scheme: Pink, yellow and red. Bright colours to attract attention – important without a single central image. Gossip magazines tend to be busier and more packed with images to suggest issues that are bursting with different stories.
Representations
- The people represented on the cover are mostly celebrities and well known actors, reality television stars and music artists. Why?
- Celebrities are presented as important and desirable – but some of the paparazzi photography is designed to make them look like ‘normal’ people.
Social and cultural contexts
The features in Heat focus on a few key areas:
- Relationships: normative and subversive as words are used such as ‘secretive’, ‘baby daddy’ and ‘heartache’. Focus is on relationship breakdowns.
- Shopping: Christmas shopping suggestions on front cover. Heat magazine emphasises High Street shopping recommendations and affordable ways to get the latest looks.
- British TV and music: Most of the images and stories relate to reality TV stars and/or pop stars (or former pop stars). This is an example of intertextuality with Heat regularly references other media products (e.g. ‘I’m A Celeb Exclusive’).
Music video: Introduction
Our next media topic is Music Video.
We will be studying the industry and audience contexts for this topic and need to cover two CSPs:
BLACKPINK: How You Like That
We will be studying the industry and audience contexts for this topic and need to cover two CSPs:
BLACKPINK: How You Like That
Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products:
Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time.
Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How music contributes to an audience's sense of identity. Fandom. How the internet has changed the position of the audience.
PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry.
Music video will appear in Paper 1, Section B of Exam
Section B is only on INDUSTRIES and AUDIENCES and will consist of:
Music video in the digital age
We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products:
Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time.
Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How music contributes to an audience's sense of identity. Fandom. How the internet has changed the position of the audience.
PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry.
Music video will appear in Paper 1, Section B of Exam
Section B is only on INDUSTRIES and AUDIENCES and will consist of:
- 1 short answer question
- 2 medium answer questions – one on audience, one on industry
- 1 extended essay style question on one of the media forms we have studied - which is very likely to be Music Video due to the advance information we have from AQA about the Summer 2022 exams.
- This essay question will require you to make judgements and draw conclusions.
Music video: introduction and history
Music video key conventions
Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.
Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube.
Intertextuality
Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references.
Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.
Intertextuality
Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references.
Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.
Music video history
Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis)
MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances.
In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films)
Music video in the digital age
In 2005 the launch of YouTube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self-promotion is more common.
The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies.
Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth:
Problems with piracy
Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth:
Problems with piracy
Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and (most recently) Youtube Music.
New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access.
What are the key conventions of music video?
Movement - often fast pace either in terms of actors, camera work or editing
Performance - band or artist playing showcasing their talent
Narrative - Including a strong message or story sometimes an emotional meaning attached
Visual effects - animation or range of camera shots and angles
Promotional device - to sell the band or artists music
Editing and sound - footage is usually edited to match the music
Mise-en-scene - CLAMPS
Music Video: BLACKPINK - How You Like That
Our first music video CSP is BLACKPINK - How You Like That.
This 2020 video promoted the lead single from Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album, The Album. The video, released on 26th June 2020, was premiered on Blackpink's YouTube channel at the same time as the single was released.
The video broke many YouTube records, including most-watched premiere (1.66 million concurrent viewers), most views within 24 hours for a music video (86 million views) and fastest video to achieve 100, 200 and 600 million views. It was the 3rd most viewed music video of 2020. As of Autumn 2021, the video has had over 1 BILLION views.
BLACKPINK: How You Like That
K-pop: global phenomenon
The K-pop genre reflects the global nature of the media and music industries. Over the last 20 years, K-pop has become a cultural sensation as groups like BTS and BLACKPINK enjoyed global success. This has also resulted in Korean culture becoming mainstream in the West.
Audience
BLACKPINK’s audience: Blinks
BLACKPINK fans are known as ‘Blinks’ and are largely teenage girls and young women. Their fans are worldwide but they are particularly big in the Philippines and Indonesia as well as western countries such as the UK and USA.
Avril, a 16-year-old Blink (Blackpink’s fandom name) from Peru discovered them in 2018. “Everything about them made me become a fan,” she tells Vogue over Twitter. “The way they perform, their iconic songs and choreos, their friendship, even the way they dress. Blackpink were on a whole new level.”
Audience pleasures
Applying Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:
- Diversion: music video conventions – performance, effects, fast pace etc.
- Personal relationships: Fan interaction online through social media is a key element of K-pop’s global success. Fans feel like they ‘know’ the band members.
- Personal identity: K-pop fandom often involves copying the look of band members and seeing their own style reflected on screen.
- Surveillance: Western audiences gain knowledge of Korean music and culture.
Marketing and promotion to the audience
The video’s release was preceded by a series of teasers on the band’s social media accounts (including posters, photos focusing on individual band members and videos) and a reality show (24/365 with Blackpink, available on YouTube).
A “dance performance” video including the choreography for the music video was released in July 2020; by March 2021 this had achieved over 600 million views and was placed in the top 20 videos of the year by Billboard magazine.
Dance performance:
BLACKPINK 24/365 - Behind the scenes of the How You Like It music video shoot:
Industries
BLACKPINK: manufactured by YG Entertainment
Blackpink was formed in 2016 by Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment and by 2020 was one of the most successful K-Pop bands in the world. As of 2021, the band was the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act, and Asian act on YouTube.
The changing nature of the music industry
How You Like That demonstrates the changing nature of the music industry and how important YouTube and social media has become for music artists.
The way people consume music videos has changed – now phones, tablets and YouTube are the primary ways audiences engage with music videos (known as convergence). It also shows music video has become a media form in its own right, not just a way to sell an album.
BLACKPINK’s billions of YouTube views also bring in money through advertising.
Music: a global industry
K-pop demonstrates the global nature of the industry with BLACKPINK selling out arenas across the UK and USA as well as in the East. They played Wembley Arena in 2019 as well as huge US music festival Coachella.
Music videos: regulation
With music videos now largely consumed on YouTube, regulating the content of music videos is very difficult. Some UK-based record companies get their music videos rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The kinds of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include bad language, dangerous behaviour presented as safe, drug misuse, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.
Music video: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Our second music video CSP is Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from Sheffield. The lead singer is called Alex Turner. Since forming in 2002, they have released six albums and won seven Brit Awards. They were one of the first bands to come to the public’s attention due to the internet, heralding a new way that bands are produced and marketed.
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is their first single from debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not released with niche, independent record label Domino. The album was released in January 2006 and went straight to number 1 selling over 350,000 copies in its first week.
Unlike BLACKPINK, Arctic Monkeys weren’t put together by an entertainment company, they were all friends from school. They formed in 2002 and wrote songs based on their lives and what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They played pubs and small venues in and around Sheffield, and built up a huge following online using Myspace. You can read more about the Myspace phenomenon on Forbes here.
This background video on the Arctic Monkeys is relevant for us up until around 3mins 30:
The power of the internet
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from Sheffield. The lead singer is called Alex Turner. Since forming in 2002, they have released six albums and won seven Brit Awards. They were one of the first bands to come to the public’s attention due to the internet, heralding a new way that bands are produced and marketed.
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is their first single from debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not released with niche, independent record label Domino. The album was released in January 2006 and went straight to number 1 selling over 350,000 copies in its first week.
Unlike BLACKPINK, Arctic Monkeys weren’t put together by an entertainment company, they were all friends from school. They formed in 2002 and wrote songs based on their lives and what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They played pubs and small venues in and around Sheffield, and built up a huge following online using Myspace. You can read more about the Myspace phenomenon on Forbes here.
This background video on the Arctic Monkeys is relevant for us up until around 3mins 30:
Video analysis and audience appeal
The power of the internet
- Social Media was only starting to be introduced in the early 2000s.
- You could chat to people with similar interests on chatroom or forums.
- You used AOL or MSN Messenger to talk to your friends, send emojis and share pictures and music.
- Myspace was released in 2003 and was one of the first major social networking sites. Myspace was used by bands and artists to gain fans without the need for a record company.
- Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, though this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out. It allowed their music to be heard by a much wider audience.
- The sharing of their music encouraged people to talk about and share their music, which created a buzz about the band.
- Their fan base moved online, creating online communities where they could share songs and information.
Arctic Monkeys: performance video
- This is a performance video designed to look like a 1980s TV performance on programmes such as Top of the Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was filmed using old 1980s Ikegami 3-tube colour TV cameras to give it an authentic, nostalgic effect.
- The simple performance video subverts music video conventions that became steadily more complicated and narrative-based in the 1980s and 1990s.
- It opens with the singer introducing the song and adding the words 'Don't believe the hype'. This could be a reference to the online following the band built up using Myspace.
Audience
- Arctic Monkeys' audience are likely to be predominantly white, middle class and reasonably young. Psychographic groups might include Reformers and Explorers. Recent global success pushed the band into bigger psychographic groups such as Mainstreamers.
- Audience pleasures would include diversion - the song is upbeat and fast-paced. Fans who followed the band from the early days might find a sense of personal relationship while many young people would get a sense of personal identity from the lyrics to the song (about going out to a club and drinking).
- Older fans would enjoy a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s-style performance video.
Industries
Convergence and technology
- Technological convergence is the development of technology (such as phones and tablets) that allows us to access all types of media through one device. This has fundamentally changed the way music videos are produced, consumed and shared.
- Technological convergence has created both challenges and opportunities for the music industry - both artists and record companies.
Record company
- Arctic Monkeys did not sign to a major label, but recorded their own music before signing to independent record label, Domino Records. They were not interested in working with a major as it would undermine their creative control.
- Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not went straight to number one and sold over 350,000 copies in its first week of release.
Music video regulation
Music video regulation is controlled by the BBFC who set certain standards and ratings for different age groups who they believe should be exposed to content specific to their age via age ratings and certification. YouTube and Vevo work in partnership with the BBFC to age rate all music videos for artists who are signed to Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK (the 'big three'). However, not all music producers sign up to this though and the BBFC does not have the power to regulate content on YouTube.
The BBFC regulate many different aspects of music videos. The sort of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include:
- drug misuse
- dangerous behaviour presented as safe
- bad language
- sexual behaviour and nudity
- threatening behaviour and violence
Television: Introduction to TV drama
Our next topic is Television - a crucial in-depth topic.
These are particularly important CSPs as we know they will definitely come up in Media Paper 2. The first 42 marks of this paper will be based on your knowledge and understanding of the two TV programmes across Media Language, Industries, Audiences and Representations.
The CSPs: Doctor Who (1963) and His Dark Materials (2020)
We need to study the following episodes as our in-depth CSPs:
Episode 1 of Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963)
Episode 1 of His Dark Materials (Season 2): The City of Magpies (2020)
These are particularly important CSPs as we know they will definitely come up in Media Paper 2. The first 42 marks of this paper will be based on your knowledge and understanding of the two TV programmes across Media Language, Industries, Audiences and Representations.
The CSPs: Doctor Who (1963) and His Dark Materials (2020)
We need to study the following episodes as our in-depth CSPs:
Episode 1 of Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child (1963)
Episode 1 of His Dark Materials (Season 2): The City of Magpies (2020)
Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child opening:
His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer:
Assessment: Paper 2 Section A
Television will be tested using two medium response questions on an extract clip from one of the two episodes we will be studying. One question will be worth 8 marks and one will be worth 12 marks. There will then be one extended 20-mark essay covering the whole of both of the episodes you have studied.
Introduction to TV Drama
NCIS
We can use the mnemonic NCIS to remember how to analyse the genre of film or television:
Narrative: the storyline and preoccupations / issues e.g an action adventure film usually features a dangerous quest or mission. Todorov’s Equilibrium theory of narrative structure might apply here.
Characters: the people who drive the story. Here you may see examples of Propp’s character types e.g. In fantasy there is often a hero, princess, helper, villain etc.
Iconography: the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) to create a particular look e.g. a horror movie may be particularly focused on blood, darkness and set at night.
Setting: the locations or time period used e.g. in Western movies, you will often see it located in American or Mexican deserts around 1800s.
Introduction to TV Drama
Television drama is a popular TV genre. ‘Binge-watching’ series in one go is a recent phenomenon while other dramas have built hugely loyal fanbases (e.g. Doctor Who) over many years.
There are many sub-genres and hybrid genres in TV drama from costume drama to fantasy or science-fiction.
Key conventions
TV Drama has certain recognisable conventions or typical features. These include:
- Dramatic narrative, usually linear (with continuity across episodes.) This is called a narrative arc where the story goes across the series.
- Ensemble cast (characters with own storylines). Sometimes an episode will focus more on one character or another.
- Specific technical codes e.g. realistic lighting and editing for social dramas to keep it gritty. Common use of flashback, point of view shots, dialogue and voice over, enigma and action codes throughout.
- Use of stereotypical ‘stock’ characters get storylines across quickly.
TV Drama series
A TV drama series is a set of connected TV episodes that run under the same title e.g. Stranger Things, Doctor Who or His Dark Materials. They are usually structured in ‘seasons’ or ‘series’ and often end with a ‘season finale’. (‘Season’ is the American term but you will hear the British term 'series'.)
A TV drama series is a set of connected TV episodes that run under the same title e.g. Stranger Things, Doctor Who or His Dark Materials. They are usually structured in ‘seasons’ or ‘series’ and often end with a ‘season finale’. (‘Season’ is the American term but you will hear the British term 'series'.)
Genre
Genre definition: a style or category of TV, film, music or literature.
Genre is the term to classify any TV or film media product that has a chosen style and follows certain codes and conventions e.g. comedy, action or crime drama.
Genres can change over time and there is increasingly a fashion to combine genres to create hybrid genres. E.g. Science fiction and fantasy.
NCIS
We can use the mnemonic NCIS to remember how to analyse the genre of film or television:
Narrative: the storyline and preoccupations / issues e.g an action adventure film usually features a dangerous quest or mission. Todorov’s Equilibrium theory of narrative structure might apply here.
Characters: the people who drive the story. Here you may see examples of Propp’s character types e.g. In fantasy there is often a hero, princess, helper, villain etc.
Iconography: the mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) to create a particular look e.g. a horror movie may be particularly focused on blood, darkness and set at night.
Setting: the locations or time period used e.g. in Western movies, you will often see it located in American or Mexican deserts around 1800s.
Doctor Who: Language and Representations
Our first television Close-Study Product is Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child from 1963.
This is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the product in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. In addition, this CSP will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse. This means we need to put in extra work on this media topic to ensure we are confident analysing clips in detail.
Notes from the lessons
Todorov: equilibrium
Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.
They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.
Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives.
Propp: character types
Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character roles when he analysed classic fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:
Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero
Representations
Daniel Chandler's representation theory: CAGE
This is a theory about how the media constructs or represents individuals or groups of people through the media. Key markers of identity can be remembered through the acronym CAGE:
C- Class
A- Age
G- Gender
E- Ethnicity
Characters and representation in An Unearthly Child
Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is the first of a long-standing tradition of Doctor Who companions. It was felt improper in 1963 for an older man, such as the Doctor, to be travelling through space with a young 15 year old girl; so she was written as his Granddaughter. She is a strong link to the young target audience and will often react in ways that the audience might in future episodes [e.g. screaming at aliens]. Classically relatable.
She also provides a link between the chaotic alien madness of the Doctor and the human confusion embodied by Barbara and Ian (and the audience). She is therefore a translator of the more Sci-Fi elements of the story to a naïve 1960s audience. She can often be seen explaining some of the Doctor’s stranger outbursts to the humans Barbara and Ian. Another example of exposition.
This is an in-depth study which means we need to analyse the product in terms of media language, industries, audience and representation. In addition, this CSP will be examined in Paper 2 with a short clip to analyse. This means we need to put in extra work on this media topic to ensure we are confident analysing clips in detail.
Notes from the lessons
Narrative theories
Todorov: equilibrium
Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.
They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.
Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives.
Propp: character types
Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character roles when he analysed classic fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:
Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero
Roland Barthes: Enigma and Action Codes
Action Codes: anything that suggests something dramatic is about to happen. E.g. when the TARDIS begins to take off or when the shadow appears in the final shot of the episode.
Enigma Codes: a narrative code that creates mystery and gives the audience questions to keep them watching e.g. who is the Doctor and where is he taking them? Will the teachers get home? What is the mysterious shadow in the final scene?
Levi-Strauss: Binary opposition
Binary opposition is a theory that all narratives are driven by conflict of a series of opposing forces. There are many examples that can be found in this Doctor Who episode e.g. good v evil; young v old; human v alien; dark v light etc.
Doctor Who: An introduction
- Listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world with over 800 episodes.
- The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS [Time And Relative Dimension In Space]. The TARDIS has a vast interior but appears smaller on the outside.
- The Doctor travels through space and time preventing evil aliens or people from harming innocent people or changing history.
- The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during his travels, including the Daleks and the Cybermen.
- Twelve male actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation. In 2018 the BBC had their first female incarnation for the thirteenth Doctor.
Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
Social and historical context
First episode: Saturday, November 23rd, 1963 on the BBC. The plot was a narrative arc (a story over several episodes) involving the Doctor and his companions voyaging 100,000 years into Earth’s past to help some cavemen discover fire.
William Hartnell was the first Doctor, as an anti-hero who frequently put his companions in jeopardy for his own curiosity. Daleks made an appearance in the first series, as the arch enemies of the Doctor.
Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2018 and is the first woman to be cast as the character.
1960s Britain
1961: First man in space – Russian Yuri Gagarin.
1962: The Beatles spark a British music revolution.
1964: BBC2 TV channel launched (third UK TV channel).
1965: The introduction of the mini skirt in a fashion show.
1967: BBC Radio 1 pop music station launched.
1969: First Man on the Moon – American Neil Armstrong.
1969: Concorde is flown for the first time.
1970: Mass media – 90% of households in UK have a TV, many now in colour.
The 1960s saw a shift in British culture. There was more freedom for young people and a breakaway from traditions.
Episode analysis: An Unearthly Child
An Unearthly Child (sometimes referred to as 100,000 BC) is the first narrative arc in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC TV in four weekly parts from 23 November to 14 December 1963. Scripted by the Australian writer Anthony Coburn, it introduces William Hartnell as the First Doctor and original companions; Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, with Jacqueline Hill and William Russell as school teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. The first episode deals with Ian and Barbara's discovery of the Doctor and his time-space ship TARDIS in a junkyard in contemporary London.
Plot of episode 1
Schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are concerned about one of their pupils, Susan Foreman, who seems to have a very ‘alien’ outlook on England. They have come to her listed address to investigate. They arrive in a junkyard and find a police box, which proves to be no ordinary police box. When Ian and Barbara enter, they discover it to be much bigger on the inside than the outside. In the TARDIS is Susan and her grandfather, the Doctor. Fearing that Barbara and Ian will give away the secret of the TARDIS, he kidnaps them and takes the machine to the Stone Age, where they will have to fight for their lives.
The First Doctor was played as less mischievous and more cruel than later incarnations. He also seems less concerned about saving the human race.
His companion was made his ‘granddaughter’ because it was thought inappropriate for an old man to be accompanied by a young girl if she were unrelated to him.
Representations
Daniel Chandler's representation theory: CAGE
This is a theory about how the media constructs or represents individuals or groups of people through the media. Key markers of identity can be remembered through the acronym CAGE:
C- Class
A- Age
G- Gender
E- Ethnicity
Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is the first of a long-standing tradition of Doctor Who companions. It was felt improper in 1963 for an older man, such as the Doctor, to be travelling through space with a young 15 year old girl; so she was written as his Granddaughter. She is a strong link to the young target audience and will often react in ways that the audience might in future episodes [e.g. screaming at aliens]. Classically relatable.
She also provides a link between the chaotic alien madness of the Doctor and the human confusion embodied by Barbara and Ian (and the audience). She is therefore a translator of the more Sci-Fi elements of the story to a naïve 1960s audience. She can often be seen explaining some of the Doctor’s stranger outbursts to the humans Barbara and Ian. Another example of exposition.
The Doctor
The Doctor represents the new age of technology and science that was emerging in the 1960s. The ‘space race’ was underway and the world was fascinated with all things space travel and linked to other planets. He represents this new world of discovery.
The Doctor represents the new age of technology and science that was emerging in the 1960s. The ‘space race’ was underway and the world was fascinated with all things space travel and linked to other planets. He represents this new world of discovery.
He is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey and he explores the universe with usually human companions who serve as audience surrogate characters to ask questions which allow the Doctor to provide relevant exposition. He is often eccentric, distracted and dark in mood. Some commentators have said he symbolises the struggle between good and evil, some have said he is a symbol of a God-like presence who wanders through time and space trying to change history for the better.
Teachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton
Barbara and Ian represent traditional human values and are classically middle class. They are the people the Doctor explains everything to, so that the audience understands as well. This is known as exposition.
They are also Science and History teachers so often offer advice and opinions to the Doctor on matters of space and time. They also have very clearly defined gender roles in the series.
Barbara and Ian also play the narrative role of mother and father to Susan who is very naive and who has not had that paternal guidance from the Doctor. They are very traditional in their gender roles. Ian is very physical when there is fighting or physical work to be done. Barbara is represented in a more homely, caring role in the series. These were stereotypical gender roles in the early 60s – but times were changing. Ian and Barbara are bonded by their human characteristics in their Space adventures. They represent the caring, empathetic part of the human condition in how they look after Susan and, in later episodes, the Doctor himself.
Doctor Who: Audience and Industries
The second half of our Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child case study focuses on the key concepts of Industry and Audience.
You'll find all the answers you need in the notes and clips below. You can then complete the blog tasks at the bottom of this blogpost.
Notes from the lessons
Audience
Reminder: demographics and psychographics
Demographics: The audience classified through ‘fixed’ characteristics such as: age, gender, race/ethnicity, where you live, job.
Psychographics: The audience classified through beliefs, values, hobbies and interests such as: Strugglers, Reformers, Aspirers and Mainstreamers.
General audience notes:
- Mainstream family audience – broad appeal as millions of people watch the BBC.
- Long-running which shows it appeals to mainstream audience (age 10-40+).
- An Unearthly Child given PG certificate – parental guidance.
- Demographics: A-E class as some complex plot points but also action that is easy to understand.
- Gender: split down middle (although traditional science fiction fans were male, this has changed over time. From 1970-2010 the female sci-fi audience grew by 22%).
Audience pleasures
We can apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when analysing the audience pleasures offered by Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child. Remember, we must consider it from the perspective of a viewer in the 1960s who would have reacted in quite a different way to an audience in 2020. Remember, the four key categories for Uses and Gratifications theory:
INFORMATION/SURVEILLANCE: learning information that you did not already know. Doctor Who offers its audience an education about space travel, science and history.
PERSONAL IDENTITY: personally relating to something - seeing your lifestyle on screen. Think about how different audiences may identify with Susan, her teachers or the Doctor.
DIVERSION/ENTERTAINMENT: escapism and being entertained away from your normal life. Science Fiction is a classic genre for escapism - what examples of this could be found in the episode?
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: caring about characters and wanting to find out what happens to them. This is the first episode of four - which characters do you think the audience will want to follow on their journey?
The 3 Vs
VISCERAL PLEASURE: Physical thrill of watching something e.g hairs on the back of your neck in a horror film, sport, big explosions.
VICARIOUS PLEASURE: Experiencing something through the characters (e.g. time/space travel).
VOYEURISTIC PLEASURE: Watching something you wouldn't normally get a chance to see (e.g. inside TARDIS).
Doctor Who fan culture: Whovians
Doctor Who now has an international online fan culture of events, fan fiction, fan-edited trailers and more. The BBC also produces merchandise to sell to this audience.
The 'Whoniverse'
The ‘Whoniverse’ is made up of podcasts, spin-offs (other shows that derive from the main Doctor Who and have settings, ideas, characters in common e.g. K-9 which is a kid’s show about Doctor Who’s robot dog) and documentaries, behind-the-scenes, sneak peaks and so on.
In the most recent series of Doctor Who, this fan culture actually appeared in an episode:
You can read more about Doctor Who's fans and its cultural impact in the extension articles at the bottom of this post.
Industries
TV industry in 1963
There were only two TV channels in the UK in 1963: BBC and ITV.
In terms of technology, videotape had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time.
In 1967, BBC2 launched as the first colour TV channel. BBC1 and ITV then switched to colour in 1969 as more people bought colour TVs.
Compared to the digital and streaming TV landscape of today, 1960s television was a different world.
Importance of Doctor Who to BBC
Doctor Who is one of the most iconic franchises that the BBC has. It has been shown all over the world through BBC Worldwide and generates huge income for the BBC.
In 2014, a BBC Worldwide Report stated Sherlock and Doctor Who as the BBC’s biggest exports of the past year. The worldwide simulcast (simultaneous transmission) of “The Day of the Doctor” in 2013 saw this episode air at the same time in 98 countries on six continents.
Doctor Who franchise: spin-offs
The BBC has maximised the popularity of the Doctor Who franchise by creating a series of spin-offs that build on the same universe or characters as the original show. These include:
- K9
- Sarah Jane Adventures
- Torchwood
- Class
These spin-offs allow the BBC to target slightly different audiences while still taking advantage of the huge Doctor Who fanbase.
Spin-offs - opening titles:
End of Year 10 exam: revision and preparation
Your End of Year 10 Media exam is a great opportunity to practice exam skills and work out what progress you need to make next year to reach your targets.
Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I always have flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some - just pop in and ask! Aim to create flash cards in three key areas:
Your exam will be a mini-version of the real Paper 2 exam you'll do next summer. Your exact date will depend on the timetable and when you have your Media lessons in the week of options exams - your teacher will be able to tell you when the exam will run.
Below is a full guide to what you need to revise for Paper 2:
Paper 2
Paper 2 Section A is Television - our first in-depth topic.
Section A: Television
- Short extract from either Doctor Who – An Unearthly Child (1963) or His Dark Materials – The City of Magpies (2020). Google Drive folder with CSP videos here for revision or you can watch on iPlayer.
- The extract will be shown twice and you can make notes. There will then be three questions on the extract (2 marks, 8 marks, 12 marks).
- The final question is a 20-mark essay on BOTH of your TV Close-Study Products.
Your real Paper 2 will also have a Section B with two 20-mark essays on either Newspapers, Videogames or Online, Social and Participatory Media. However, these will not appear in your end of year exam as we have not studied them yet.
Paper 1 assessment?
You will have a half-sized version of Paper 1 as your September assessment in Year 11. More details on that nearer the time!
How to revise
Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I always have flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some - just pop in and ask! Aim to create flash cards in three key areas:
- Media terminology
- Media theories
- CSPs
Good luck with your revision and give the exam your best shot!
Television: His Dark Materials - Audience and Industry
There are some important contexts we need to learn for the Industry and Audience key concepts for His Dark Materials.
His Dark Materials is an example of contemporary family/fantasy TV drama. The series is based on the
trilogy of books of the same name by Philip Pullman. The second series is based on the book
The Subtle Knife.
Industries
The CSP episode is the opening episode of Season 2, The City of Magpies, and was first broadcast in the UK on Sunday 8 November 2020 on BBC1 at 8.10pm. It was made available on iPlayer on the same
day, and on DVD from 28 December 2020.
It is significant because it was co-commissioned for an international audience by the BBC and the
American television network HBO, and was always intended to be distributed on a number of
platforms: as a scheduled, broadcast programme (BBC1), on cable (HBO), as well as on demand
(iPlayer) and on DVD. It was created for these platforms by an independent company, Bad Wolf.
The first episode of the first series of His Dark Materials series was watched by audiences of 7.2 million in the UK and 423,000 on HBO. The first broadcasts of the CSP episode had audiences of 4.4 million on BBC1 and 227,000 on HBO.
Industry terminology: GLoW
Some of the key terminology for studying the Industries contexts for His Dark Materials:
- Co-production: a media product produced by two separate companies or institutions. His Dark Materials is a big-budget co-production between the BBC (from the UK) and HBO (from America).
- Brand Identity: how a business presents itself and wants to be perceived by the consumer.
His Dark Materials marketing and promotion
As His Dark Materials was aimed at an international audience, the show features both British and American star names such as Brits Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy and American Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the smash hit musical Hamilton.
There were a range of videos and promotional events designed to create a buzz around the new season of His Dark Materials:
His Dark Materials Season 1 recap
His Dark Materials Comic-Con panel:
Bad Wolf: outstanding TV drama production company based in Wales
Bad Wolf was founded in 2015 to create ambitious, imaginative and relevant drama for the global TV marketplace. From its headquarters in South Wales the company has built up an international reputation as one of the foremost independent production companies in the UK, producing over 50 hours of high-end drama for broadcasters and networks including HBO, BBC, AMC and Sky.
Read more of this on the Bad Wolf website and watch the Bad Wolf showreel here.
HBO: raising the bar for television
HBO: raising the bar for television
HBO is an American pay-TV company that is known for producing some of the greatest TV shows of all time from The Sopranos to The Wire to Succession. As a co-commission with the BBC, His Dark Materials had two hugely respected media giants behind it - and in HBO's case a huge amount of money. HBO has over 40 million subscribers and brings in around $7 BILLION in subscription revenue each year. To put this into perspective, the whole BBC budget (for everything - TV, radio, website, iPlayer etc.) is around £5 billion of which around £3.5 billion comes from the licence fee).
HBO - Changing an industry:
Audience
His Dark Materials was pitched by the BBC as a family drama.
Target audience
The way audiences watch TV has changed
Target audience
- Aimed at a contemporary family audience for the BBC Sunday night broadcast slot (8.10pm)
- Targeted at fans of the fantasy genre along with fans of the original books by Philip Pullman.
- Diverse representations of gender and race may appeal to a younger audience.
- Rated for 14+ by HBO due to some scenes that may be frightening to younger children.
- The UK DVD release of His Dark Materials season 2 is rated 12 by the BBFC.
The way audiences watch TV has changed
His Dark Materials provides an opportunity to study the contemporary television industry and audiences. The series was created at a time when the BBC’s role and finances were under question, and when on-demand streaming through sources such as Netflix and Amazon Prime had become normalised. These latter companies were creating big-budget series to attract and satisfy more subscribers. His Dark Materials was rumoured to be the BBC’s most expensive series to date, with HBO sharing the costs and guaranteeing an international audience. This helps the BBC to compete with their streaming rivals like Netflix.
Fans - the fandom reaction
Watch this fan reaction video to His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer from TV fan YouTube channel Sesskasays:
Watch this fan reaction video to His Dark Materials Season 2 trailer from TV fan YouTube channel Sesskasays:
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