A2 Exam Blog
Sunday 24 April 2016
Mixtape- Wish I Was There
This mixtape is a selection of songs I wish I had been around to hear at the time of release. The mixtape consists of pop, rock, country, and rock and roll music from 1958 onwards.
Wednesday 20 April 2016
Postmodern adverts
This advert for Hyundai is set up to seem like a chase from a horror/thriller film. It features people running through a forest, being chased by bears, using the product (in this case a car with remote start feature) to escape. This advert is a parody however as once the product has been explained and the car has pulled away there is a short scene featuring the bears. The bears can talk and have a short conversation about the car and revealing they just wanted a hug. This can also be an example of bricolage (Levi-Strauss) as it uses a serious sequence similar to a horror movie and then adds in the element of humor at the end to engage with the audience.
This Pepsi advert features Pink, Beyonce and Britney Spears, using celebrity endorsement to advertise the product. The advert uses the well-known and popular song "We will rock you" as the song for the advert, the three well-known music artists performing it together. The advert is set in ancient Rome, with the artists dressed in very minimal 'gladiator' outfits. There is little mention of the brand it is promoting, only showing the Pepsi cans a few times in the video. This is postmodern as it is set in acient Rome however uses a modern song and musicians, as well as including a product that has absolutely nothing to do with the song, artists or setting.
This is one of a series of adverts by BT including Rebel Wilson. These adverts often show 'behind the scenes' where the crew are seen, directing Rebel on what to do. These adverts could be conidered parodies as similar to the Hyundai advert it seems serious but at the end there is an element of humor. The advert seems to be making fun of other adverts by big brands, using a similar set and plan as they would for a serious advert but then showing the crew and making a reference to the use of special effects, one of the crew saying "We'll do it with effects" when Rebel says she can't do the splits.
This is a christmas advert for Cadburys chocolate. It uses bricolage as it uses the Thunderbirds themetune as the background music. This adds to the advert as they might otherwhise consider using christmas music as the background track.
This Specsavers advert is a parody of an advert by Linx (The Linx effect) where the deodorant attracts huge numbers of girls. This advert parodies this as it begins the same, you see groups of girls runing towards the man on the beach, but when they approach he puts on his glasses so he can see properly. The girls are instantly discouraged at the sight of his glasses and the 'Should have gone to specsavers' message is shown. Specsavers has a number of adverts similar to this, using the slogan so they are well known.
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Explain how certain types of media can be defined as postmodern
One text that can be defined at postmodern
is Drive. There are a number of aspects of the film that can be considered
postmodern, the location, characters, music and genre.
The main character, The Driver or The Kid,
is a mix between a hero and a villain. He works as a getaway driver for
criminals, which is shown in the first scene. He doesn’t assist in their crimes
only drives. He can be considered a hero of this story as most of his actions
are to help other. He meets Irene and her son Benicio, who live next door. They
become the only bright spot in The Driver’s life, something worth changing for.
His relationship with Irene is very slow, innocent and almost childlike. There is
very little contact within their relationship, the only physical contact being
when they hold hands in the car and the kiss in the elevator. There is also
deletion of general dialogue and sexual attraction within their relationship.
The Driver has very little dialogue throughout the film and small changes in
his facial expressions say the things he doesn’t. The lack of sexual attraction
is an odd feature of this film as there is a well-known cast and in a similar
film there might be more physical contact within the relationship.
The Driver could also be considered a
villain as in the second half of the film he kills 6 people. Four of these
could be considered self-defence and a number of them where to protect Irene
and Benicio. Some may consider him a psychopath however I believe he is acting
out to try and be a better person for Irene. When he meets them they become a
big part of his life and near the end of the film he calls Irene and tells her
she and Benicio were the best thing that happened to him. I think that although
some deaths could have been avoided, most were unavoidable or needed to protect
himself, Irene and Benicio. I think this makes the film postmodern as usually
there is a clear difference between the hero and the villain, whereas here there
is no clear definition.
This film is a mix of a number of genres.
It is mainly a crime film, though it doesn’t include much police involvement
and focuses mainly on the ‘bad guys’. It could be considered that there are no
‘good guys’ in the film however I think for part of the film at least, The
Driver could be considered a hero as he tried to change for Irene and Benicio.
It is also partially an action film as there is a car chase and near the end of
the film there are a number of fights between The Driver and the ‘bad guys’.
There is an element of romance between The Driver and Irene, however their
relationship is very slow moving and could be considered non-existent. There is
very little physical contact which would be considered odd in any other romantic
film.
There is an element of Neo Noir in Drive as
it includes a number of similar characters to this genre. In this film we are
on the side of the ‘bad guys’ such as The Driver. He is considered the ‘Tough
Guy’ of the film, Cook and Shannon are the ‘Fall guys’ the most likely to die.
There are villains, Nino and Cook, and ‘The Boss’, Bernie. Irene is the ‘Femme
Fatale’, the girl the hero or tough guys is after and Blanche is the other
(good) woman, the distraction, deterring the hero from his mission. This film
could also be considered as a psychological/thriller film as it includes a lot
of violence and fights throughout. The number of different genres this film
could be makes it postmodern as it includes a number of different features of
different genres, straying outside the boundaries of a normal crime film, which
is the main genre of this film. It deletes certain parts from the genre, the
involvement of police, a clear cut ‘good guy’ and changes the focus to the
‘villains’. There is a very narrow focus onto a small number of characters in a
self-contained world and there is no involvement of the general public as there
often is in crime or action films.
The location of the film could also be
considered postmodern as it is set in L.A. however it seems to be s hyperreal
version of the city. It is deserted and empty, the only scene with a number of
other people being in the first scene, where The Driver hides amongst crowds
leaving a sports game. There is a distinct lack or people throughout the rest
of the film. The city itself could be considered a character in itself or
relating to The Driver. It mirrors his quiet and empty character as he has very
little backstory and limited dialogue. It is hard to distinguish a time setting
for the film as there is no indication of a time period other than the use of
mobile phones that suggest the past few years. This could be considered as
postmodern as it is not set in a definite time setting or place as although the
city resembles L.A. the lack of people suggests otherwise. This links to the
hyper reality of the setting as the world seems self-contained, focused on a
small number of individuals with no external involvement.
The music of this film is overall very
similar. Throughout the film the use of 80’s disco/electro music gives it a
retro feel and links the whole film together. However one song, towards the end
of the film stands out as completely different. O My Love is a song used near
the end of the film, beginning as The Driver finds Shannon dead in the garage
and ending as he rams Nino’s car off the road. Although many would suggest that
this song has no reason to be in the film to believe it does. The lyrics are
the crucial part of the song as they link to The Driver and his struggles
throughout the film. There are a number of references to light and dark which
links very strongly to the idea that The Driver is battling to be a better man
for Irene and himself all through the film. He was in a dark place and when he
met Irene and Benicio they became a huge part of his life, the only bright
spot, something he wants to live for. I think this is a huge link between him
and the lyrics of the song as the main storyline is his fight to change and how
things work out to stop him doing so. It shows how he has tried hard to change
and how he has lost the fight, circumstances leading to his situation and the
death of multiple people. He knows that the only way out it to kill Nino, to be
free of the mess he made. This is why he kills Bernie and Nino, he wants to get
rid of the money and keep Irene safe and uninvolved. I think the music can be
considered postmodern as there is a steady use of disco/electro music until
this song which seems almost like a Disney song. The film uses different songs
from different genres and this song in particular is so separate from the hard,
brutal violence of the rest of the film that make it stand out and makes this
part of the film so significant.
I think Drive is a postmodern film as it
uses a number of different features from different genres within it, in the
music, location and characters. It is hard to classify as one specific genre as
it includes things from so many different ones.
Another example of a text that could be
considered postmodern is Django Unchained. This film includes a number of
intertextual references to other existing texts. The main reference being to
the original Django film. Franco Nero, who played the original Django, made an
appearance in the film, meeting and talking to Django, making reference to his
name (the D is silent). There is also a number of references to other existing
texts within the costumes of the characters. The Blue Boy outfit, worn by
Django when he becomes a free man is from The Blue Boy painting by
Gainsborough. The green jacket and cowboy hat is a copy of Little Joe’s outfit
from the cowboy TV show, Bonanza.
Django Unchained could be considered a
Western however the main part of the plot is set in the South and there are
scenes set in the mountains, these reference The Great Silence. There are no
cowboys in the film and the main heroes are non-American, a German and an
African-American. This is unusual as part of a Western as usually the hero is a
white American. There are a number of links to other films such as The Great
Silence, Django, Birth of a Nation and The Searchers. There are also a few
elements of parody such as the KKK scene, where there is confusion and disarray
amongst the group over their masks. There is also some over acting within the
film, some of the actors such as Stephan and other black slave characters seem
quite over the top or exaggerated. This can be considered a parody of older
Westerns as the over exaggeration of certain characteristics such as loyalty to
their masters makes fun of the way black characters were portrayed as this
probably wasn’t the case at the time.
Thursday 10 March 2016
Genre questions
General
In
what context did you encounter it? (web, film, TV etc)
I first encountered the genre of pop
through music, from radio, TV and the web.
What
influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of
the text?
I often encountered the text as music,
later encountering music videos.
To
what genre did you initially assign the text?
Pop
What
is your experience of this genre?
I think pop is a very generic genre, it is
based on repetition and reuse of existing work. Annoyingly catchy, sticks in
your head.
What
subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
Romance is a big theme in pop music. There
are a huge number of pop songs based on romantic experiences.
How
typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
My music video is typical of the genre as
it includes an element of narrative and performance which is typical of pop
music videos
What
expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
Bright colours, catchy, repetitive,
interesting/abstract music videos. Narrative or performance.
Have
you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?
Pop, classification of similar music videos
on websites such as YouTube
What
generic labels have others given the same text?
Pop or popular music
Which
conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?
Within my text there are conventions of the
pop genre such as the performance aspect of it.
To
what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
I think my text stretches the conventions
of pop as most music videos show the name of the song and artist at the
beginning however it follows a lot of conventions as it includes both
performance and narrative. However my video does not include any synchronised
dancing or bright coloured backgrounds.
Where
and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?
My music video does not follow conventions
of pop as it used a natural environment rather than a predominantly performance
video filmed in a studio or lavish set.
Which
conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
Using a natural environment could be considered
a convention of Indie music videos
What
familiar motifs or images are used?
I kept the guitar the whole way through the
video and used it as the main image on the digipak as I wanted to create an
image for my artist.
Which
of the formal/stylistic techniques employed are typical/untypical of the genre?
I used a black and white filter over some
clips and a coloured filter to adjust the look of the rest of the video. The black
and white filter is not typical of the pop genre.
What
institutional constraints are reflected in the form of the text?
I was unable to use all the tools available
to a big record company, so my text is not as professional or as refined as it
would be if it were created by a
What
relationship to 'reality' does the text lay claim to?
I think my text can be seen as very
realistic as it is in a natural environment rather than a bright, colourful
studio or stage. There are no outrageous outfits used in the video or excessive
props.
Whose
realities does it reflect?
I tried to make my video reflect the
reality of my audience, so it better appeals to them.
What
purposes does the genre serve?
For people to listen to and enjoy,
interesting music videos that draw you in and make you want to watch the whole
thing.
In
what ways are these purposes embodied in the text?
I created a narrative music video to try
and keep the audience interested the whole way through.
To
what extent did your purposes match these when you engaged with the text?
I think my purpose matched this as
What
ideological assumptions and values seem to be embedded in the text?
I think the idea of a romantic relationship
is shown in this text as the video shows the narrative of a couple who are
separated and at the end of the video they meet again, suggesting their
relationship will continue.
What
pleasures does this genre offer to you personally?
This genre often creates relatable songs
and interesting music videos.
What
pleasures does the text appeal to (and how typical of the genre is this)?
I think the song I chose could be viewed as
relatable and the video is interesting, using the narrative aspect to draw the
audience in.
Did
you feel 'critical or accepting, resisting or validating, casual or concentrated,
apathetic or motivated' (and why)?
I felt critical of similar pop music videos
as I wanted my music video to show my artist as having actual talent rather
than relying on looks to become popular. I was accepting of other existing
music videos because they had aspects I wanted to include in my own music
video.
Which
elements of the text seemed salient because of your knowledge of the genre?
I think the narrative and performance aspects
are most important parts of the text as they make up most of the video.
What
predictions about events did your generic identification of the text lead to
(and to what extent did these prove accurate)?
My generic identification of the next
What
inferences about people and their motivations did your genre identification
give rise to (and how far were these confirmed)?
My genre identification suggests that
people will watch music videos like mine
How
and why did your interpretation of the text differ from the interpretation of
the same text by other people?
Other people had different opinions of my
music video to me. Other people saw it as entertaining and liked certain parts
about it such as the filters I used.
Mode of
address
What
sort of audience was your text aimed at (and how typical was this of the
genre)?
Young audience (14-24). This is typical of
the genre as pop artist appeal to younger audiences.
How
does the text address your classmates?
I think because it appeals to my target
audience and they fall into this category they are able to view it as they
would a similar pop music video.
What
sort of person does it assume they are?
Young adults (14-24), interested in pop
music, keep up with trends.
What
assumptions have you made about their class, age, gender and ethnicity?
Young adults, any class,
What
interests does it assume they have?
Pop music, similar artists e.g. Olly Murs,
Ellie Goulding
What
relevance does the text actually have for you?
The text is relevant to me as it shows my
opinion of pop artists. My chosen artist, Sam Church, is shown both singing and
playing guitar rather than just singing.
What
knowledge does it take for granted?
Knowledge of existing pop artists and their
music and videos means my video can look realistic and professional.
To
what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the text seeks to position
you as?
I think I resemble the ideal reader as I consider
myself part of the target audience.
Are
there any notable shifts in the text's mode of address (and if so, what do they
involve)?
No the video consistently uses narrative
and performance to portray the song
What
responses does the text seem to expect from your audience?
I wanted my audience to recognise my artist
as a talented individual, being able to play an instrument and sing rather than
just sing or perform a dance as part of the video.
How
open to negotiation is their response (are they invited, instructed or coerced
to respond in particular ways)?
I think my audience are able to react to my
video however they want.
Is
there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways (think in terms of
enjoyment for the audience or consequences for the institution)?
No, my audience is able to react whatever
way they want to the video depending on their opinion to it
To
what extent did people find themselves 'reading against the grain' of the text
and the genre?
I think the majority of my audience will
see my music video as it is meant to be seen, a few might view parts of it as a
convention of a different genre.
Which
attempts to position your audience in this text do they accept, reject or seek
to negotiate (and why)?
I have tried to make my music video
relatable to the target audience so I believe they will accept the text as it
includes a narrative they can relate to and the characters are similar to them.
How
closely aligned is the way in which the text addresses you with the way in
which the genre positions you (Kress 1988, 107)?
Relationship
to other texts
What
intertextual references are there in the text you have created (and to what
other texts)?
I used a number of different ideas to
create my music video e.g. narrative element from existing music videos/songs,
James Blunt- 1973 gave me the idea for black and white vs colour shots for the
video.
Generically,
which other texts does the text you created resemble most closely?
Narrative love videos such as
What
key features are shared by these texts?
Use of narrative, telling the story of the
song through the video
What
major differences do you notice between them?
My music video includes a mix of narrative
and performance
Gender: Female
Age: 14-24
Hobbies and activities: Going to the
cinema, going shopping and watching TV
Likes: Music, films, people and
celebrities, fashion and magazines
Brands: Primark, Nintendo, Forever 21, New
Look
Favourite artists: Sam Smith, Ellie
Goulding, Taylor Swift, George Ezra, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Olly Murs
Re-presentation
TASK 1
On your blog, select the 'characters' from your video and/or magazine and screen shot each main 'character'.
The characters in my music video:
Artist- Sam Church
Love interest- Chloe Chapman
TASK 2
Next you you need to decide what 'type' of character you have represented, generally there are just three 'types' as described below
Character Typing
There are three different kinds of character typing:
1. An archetype is a familiar character who has emerged from hundreds of years of fairytales and storytelling.
2. A stereotype is a character usually used in advertising and marketing in order to sell a particular product to a certain group of people. They can also be used ‘negatively’ in the Media – such as ‘asylum seekers,’ or ‘hoodies’.
3. A generic type is a character familiar through use in a particular genre (type) of movie.
Explain which type of character(s) you have used and connect to existing texts (i.e. music videos or films)
Artist- Sam Church
I think the artist in my music video is a generic type of the pop genre as he is similar to a number of existing well known pop artists e.g. Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith etc. He could be seen as 'manufactured' as a number of pop artists are, styled heavily to appeal to the target audience. He is styled to look appealing to the audience, his clothing and mise en scene used to give him a good image. However I think that my artist is slightly different because I made his guitar a big part of his image, emphasising that he can play as well as sing. A number of artists develop a motif or image to make them more recognisable however it is usually some part of their outfit or styling rather than an instrument.
Love interest- Chloe Chapman
I think this is an archetype as the 'love interest' is a familiar character/concept used in a number of narratives. I also think it could be classified as a generic type as this is an idea seen in a number of music videos and lyrics to songs. Romance is one of the main themes of pop songs so it makes sense that the 'love interest' is used so much in the accompanying videos.
TASK 3
Annotate your character screen shots with answers to the following questions (the codes referred to are narrative codes)
Key Questions about Specific Representations
- What is being represented?
- How is it represented? Using what codes? Within what genre?
- How is the representation made to seem 'true', 'commonsense' or 'natural'?
- Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect? How do you know?
- At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know?
- What does the representation mean to you? What does the representation mean to others? How do you account for the differences?
- How do people make sense of it? According to what codes?
- With what alternative representations could it be compared? How does it differ?
- A reflexive consideration - Why is the concept of representation problematic?
Monday 29 February 2016
Digital Technology and Creativity - Potential Question 1a
Example Question from OCR
"Digital technology turns media
consumers into media producers.” In your own experience, how has your
creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your
coursework productions? (25 Marks - 30 minutes)
Ideas and theories to help you.
"A process needed for problem
solving...not a special gift enjoyed by a few but a common ability possessed by
most people" (Jones 1993)
"The making of the new and the re
arranging of the old" (Bentley 1997)
"Creativity results from the
interaction of a system composed of three elements: a culture that contains
symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain, and a
field of experts who recognise and validate the innovation." (Csikszentmihalyi
1996)
"There is no absolute judgement [on
creativity] All judgements are comparisons of one thing with another."
(Donald Larning)
Themes and Questions
1. Is creativity an internal cognitive
function, or is it an external social or cultural phenomenon?
Creativity is a mixture of things you see in your environment and your own ideas. You can find inspiration from things around you but you can develop the ideas to make them your own. I believe that most ideas are a mix of existing ideas or things in the environment around, however they are original as they are a mix of different things in a new way. Creativity does not have to be a completely original idea you thought up it can be mixture of ideas, experiences or things that already exist.
Creativity is a mixture of things you see in your environment and your own ideas. You can find inspiration from things around you but you can develop the ideas to make them your own. I believe that most ideas are a mix of existing ideas or things in the environment around, however they are original as they are a mix of different things in a new way. Creativity does not have to be a completely original idea you thought up it can be mixture of ideas, experiences or things that already exist.
2. Is creativity a pervasive, ubiquitous
feature of human activity, or a special faculty, either reserved for particular
groups, individuals, or particular domains of activity, in particularly
artistic activity?
I think anyone can be creative, it is not a skill reserved for certain people. Creativity comes in many different forms and is used by everyone. You do not have to be artistic to be creative.
I think anyone can be creative, it is not a skill reserved for certain people. Creativity comes in many different forms and is used by everyone. You do not have to be artistic to be creative.
3. Is creativity an inevitable social good,
invariably progressive, harmonious and collaborative; or is it capable of
disruption, political critique and dissent, and even anti-social outcomes?
Creativity can be both positive and negative. Different people have different views and opinions and creativity can be interpreted in different ways. Creativity can be meant to be good but could be viewed as disruptive or offensive by someone else.
Creativity can be both positive and negative. Different people have different views and opinions and creativity can be interpreted in different ways. Creativity can be meant to be good but could be viewed as disruptive or offensive by someone else.
4. What does the notion of creative
teaching and learning imply?
Creativity can be learnt by anyone and it can be used to aid learning of other topics.
Creativity can be learnt by anyone and it can be used to aid learning of other topics.
Benaji, Burn and Buckingham (2006)
1a Topics
The 1a topics are:
Creativity
Digital technology
Research and planning
Post Production
Real Media Conventions
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