Section A and B – Theory Overview

Friday 24th May 2013

Unit G325: Critical Perspectives in Media

Why?

Aims & Objectives

• Re-cap prior learning in relation to what is expected of you for this Section of the exam.

• Go through some important areas for Section A that you need to address, as well as cover some extra theories worth “whacking in” for certain Key Concepts for Question 1 b)

• Look at the structure YOU COULD follow for EITHER Question 1 a) or b) on the Blog.

• Cover some important theory for Section B as well.

• Review the learning.

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analyzing media products and evaluating your own practical work (Section A)

http://ncrafts.wordpress.com/

This is a structure YOU COULD follow if your still in doubt as to HOW to present your evaluation of a certain Production Process(es) for Question 1 a) OR when writing about the presence of a certain Key Concept for Question 1 b).

Go to the following page:

Key areas: - Question 1 a)

• Show evidence of a “clear sense of progression” (OCR) in the outlined Production Process(es) O N L Y – For example if the focus is Post-Production DON’T talk about the filming – talk about the Editing!

• YOU MUST offer “relevant examples” (OCR) to support your understanding of HOW you have progressed in the outlined Production Process(es) – for example - for Planning & Research you completed quantitative research for AS in terms of producing questionnaires, which you repeated at A2 HOWEVER stretched your feedback ambitions to ensure you completed qualitative research through video interviews/surveys in order to obtain direct and personal feedback.

• YOU MUST use terminology that is relevant to the set Production Process(es) – for example instead of “changed” the colour of the picture, you “manipulated the image by using the hue/saturation tool in Adobe Photoshop CS4 because…”

Question 1 b) – Theories for certain key concepts

YOU SHOULD still refer to the ‘Section A Help sheet’ for guidance on what to refer to and for advice on what areas to address.

Genre –

• Steve Neale - “Genres are instances of repetition and difference”; “Repetition alone will not attract an audience”.

• Kate Wales – “Genre is an intertextual concept”

• Nicholas Abercrombie (1995) – “Television producers set out to exploit genre conventions”

• Rick Altman (1999) argues that genre offers audiences ‘a set of pleasures’.

Emotional Pleasures

Intellectual Puzzles: Certain genres offer the pleasure in trying to unravel a mystery or a puzzle – for example if there is a lack of resolution or ‘new equilibrium’ (Todorov) then this COULD occur.

EXTENSION GENRE THEORY

Narrative –

• Todorov’s 3 Part Narrative – This theory is NOT just limited to your moving image production work – it can be applied to print media work as well!

• Roland Barthes Enigma codes/clues - This theory is NOT just limited to your moving image production work – it can be applied to print media work as well!

• Levis Strauss Binary Opposition – Good v Evil; Battle of the sexes

• Vladimir Propp’s character roles – This theory DOES apply to representation as well.

• Key terms – Closed? Open? Linear? Non-Linear?

Representation –

• John Berger “men act, women appear”

• Laura Mulvey ‘Male Gaze’ and Diana Saco ‘Female Gaze’- Are certain gender roles represented in an objectified manner in order to appeal to a certain gender?

• Hegemonic Cultural Stereotyping – Does this lead to passive consumption, whereby the audience aspire to be like the characters on screen OR is this challenged due to the issues presented in all 3 products?

• Vladimir Propp’s character roles – This theory DOES apply to representation as well.

• Ferdinand De Saussure ‘Signs act as signifiers’

Audience –

• Hyperdermic syringe theory – Are the audience (passive) ‘injected’ with any dominant OR stereotypical beliefs?

• Katz’ Uses & Gratfications theory – Although DON’T go overboard on this theory!

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and Hartley’s seven subjectivities

• Socio economic needs

• Stuart Hall ‘Audience Reception theory’

Richard Kilborn (1992) – ‘Cathartic element’ to Soaps – whereby the audience let out emotions as events develop on screen. Are the audience going to be passive and/or active consuming your media texts?

Media Language –

• Basic media language such as connotations MUST be addressed when giving examples from your chosen Production (AS or A2)

• The ability to refer to these examples as verbal, non-verbal or technical codes is also key.

• Are the meanings presented understandable to a an audience in a dominant (Stuart Hall – Audience reception theory) position OR are the meanings open to interpretation by different audiences and can therefore be deemed to be polysemic?

• This is a Key Concept that will cover some of the other Key Concepts and associated theories. For example did you “exploit” (Abercrombie – 1995) a colour or theme from an existing media product in order to present certain connotations to the audience?

We are going to go through some Section B theories that YOU SHOULD consider applying to some of the Case Study examples we have covered OR your own!

This is an excellent text book that is worth getting hold of before the exam!

Gauntlett (2007) argues that web 2.0 “erodes the boundary between producer and audience”• Social media products like Facebook (2004 – present) denote how we are now

“increasingly in command” (Tapscott & Williams – 2006) of our own media consumption habits.

• “Once we take control we never give it back” (Winer – 1994) – Facebook's success can be attributed to giving away so much free traffic to other developers without getting much in return. For example:

EA Games, who own Playfish, are shutting down the Facebook games application despite over a 100 million regular players.Playfish is (or was) one of the many products affiliated to ‘infinite choice’ (Anderson – 2006) we now have through platforms such as Facebook.

Louis Althusser (1969) argues that we are controlled by the “ruling classes” – therefore

the media have the power to ‘inject’ (Hyperdermic syringe theory’ their messages and values into a passive society – however…..

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1066247/MailOnline-overtakes-Huffington-Post-become-worlds-no-2/ 2011 – 2nd most viewed News online media product in the World – higher than….

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1171927/

2013 – 7.9 million browsers a day – 38% higher than in 2012;

2013 – Over 800,000 users of the App. Globally.

Dan Gillmor (2004) – We are now the “former audience” and the ability to comment on news selection and stories suggest we are “citizen journalists”- but the statistics above also denote how UK Media power players like The Daily Mail are “going straight to their audience via the web” (Plunkett – 2008)

Other KEY THEORY – Section B

• Gillmor (2004)• Winer (1994)• Bauman (1998)• Blau (2005)

• Tapscott & Williams (2006)• Jenkins (2006)• Robertson (1994)

• Chomsky• Lull (2006)• Waters (1995)

Section B – Tips!

• YOU MUST be able to link theory with relevant case study examples. For example

Netflix:

• YOU MUST refer to at least 2 media areas – for example social media, online news content, VOD, Video Sharing, Catch-up television – and how these advances have impacted analogue media institutions and products.

• Statistics/facts and interesting figures to support your argument are KEY!

• Offer an insight into the future! ESSENTIAL in order to get a Level 3 - 4

- 6 million Global members (Jan 2013) and nearly 30 million in the US alone.

- The ability to download films whenever and wherever through a multitude of devices connotes how this product is offering “the kinds of entertainment experiences people want” (Jenkins – 2006)

What you have learnt– Plenary3

minutesYOU MUST write down x3 things theory\key term/area you have learnt or “re-learnt” today

YOU COULD give more than x3 examples.

Homework:

1) Revise!

2) COMPLETE a Section 1 a) and b) Question of your choice by adapting the language from the Past Paper that’s available on the Blog.

Due: Email/Give to me when we meet up for revision!