Year 12 cover work: Representation

Year 12 cover work for Monday 30 November:

Apologies, we're taking the Year 13 Media students to the BFI Reuben Library to research their Critical Investigation coursework. Your cover work is as follows:

Media Magazine reading and tasks

To continue our work on the key concept of Representation, you need to read and respond to the following Media Magazine articles. You can find our Media Magazine archive here and need to complete the tasks on your own blog.

MM50

There is an excellent article on the Female Gaze and how women are represented in advertising in Media Magazine issue 50. Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Go to our Media Magazine archive and open up MM50. Scroll to page 56 and read 'The Female Gaze: Rethinking Representation'

2) What is the article about? Summarise the article in 50 words.

3) What is the name of the film that has sparked this recent debate on body image and female representation?

4) How does the 'Female Gaze' in this article differ from the 'Male Gaze' of Laura Mulvey's theory?

5) What is your own opinion of the representation of women in advertising? Should the media carry more representation of 'real' women? Why does the media not currently feature size 14 women if that is the average size of a British woman?

6) Go to the website of A Perfect 14. Watch the trailer and read about the film. Write your own summary of the film and what it is trying to achieve.

MM51

1) Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on page 6 of Media Magazine 51 - Representation Old and New.

2) Summarise the article. For each section, write a sentence or paragraph summarising the key points. The sections you need to summarise are:

• Introduction
• Representations and the mass media
• The how, who and why of representation
• Another approach to ideology - the work of Stuart Hall
• Representations and new media
• An example - representing national identity in old and new media

3) To what extent are you aware of how you represent yourself online? Do you make conscious choices regarding, for example, what information and material to post to social media?

4) Who has the most power regarding representations in the media - institutions or audience? Explain your answer in detail using examples from the media.

If you do not complete this during lesson time, finish for homework - due Friday.

12D Cover Work - Thurs. 25/11, p6

Remember the basic rules first:

• Arrive on time - make sure you register with Mr Qureshi;
• Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
• Work responsibly on the tasks set.

Carry out a textual analysis of the following clips (like you did for the Ford advert and the 'Little Britain' scene)...

1. Graham Norton, BBC1 – Schwarzenegger (first 3 mins.)
2. London 2012 – Bond/Queen (first 3 mins.)
3. Some Girls – BBC3 trailer

For each one, provide detailed comments on your blog on the following:

• Groups/place represented? How?
• Dominant or alternative representation? Why?
• Links to theory?

Also, don't forget the homework (due for Thursday 3/12).

MEST2: Existing product research

Complete the following as an extended blog post or a selection of five blog posts:

1) Find five arthouse film clips or sequences – ideally in a genre similar to your film idea or preferred genre. There is a list of example arthouse films on the blog.

2) Write an analysis of each two- to three-minute sequence using everything you have learned about film language (camerawork, sound, mise-en-scene, editing etc.)

3) Research the target audience for each film (including the BBFC certificate) and produce your own assessment of who it appeals to and why.

You should be aiming for at least 300 words per film - you may write much more than this.

Arthouse films

There are a huge number of arthouse and independent films out there - you may well know of many yourself. These are a few to get your research started if you're unsure:

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• It Follows
• Girlhood
• Donnie Darko
• The Falling
• Run Lola Run
• La Haine
• Boyhood
• Lilting
• Borrowed Time
• Monsters
• Appropriate Behavior

You need to find YouTube clips of scenes from these films (not trailers - though you may want to watch the trailer to find out more about the narrative). There are usually scenes available, for example:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind




Girlhood





Donnie Darko




The Falling




Your existing product film research is due on Friday 4 December.

Representation theories: blog task

A reminder of the notes on Representation theories:

Richard Dyer: Stereotyping and power
Richard Dyer's theory suggests that the complexity and variety of a group is reduced to a few key characteristics. An exaggerated version of these characteristics is then applied to everyone in the group. 

He states that those with power stereotype those with less power. 

Therefore, we have stereotypes of non-white people, poor people and women... but not so many of white, middle class men.


Medhurst: shorthand that carries value judgements

Andy Medhurst suggests stereotyping is shorthand for identification. This means we use stereotypes to tell audiences a lot in a short space of time.

However, this can carry value judgements and therefore be very negative for the representation of minority groups. Medhurst gave the example of the representation of gay men: 

"The image of the screaming queen does not just mean 'all gay men are like that', it means 'all gay men are like that and aren't they awful', which in turn means 'and they are awful because they are not like us'."

Perkins: stereotypes can be positive or partly true

Tessa Perkins suggests some stereotypes can be positive and are often true.

Specifically, she stated that stereotypes are...

• Not always negative (the French are good cooks)
• Not always about the less powerful (Politicians are corrupt)
• Can be about our own social groups (Students are lazy)
• Not always false (The Scottish wear kilts)
• Can change over time (A typical British holiday was in Blackpool; now it is Spain)

Mulvey: the male gaze

Laura Mulvey suggests that the dominant view in the media is masculine and created for the benefit of men. Women are presented for men to look at, hence the ‘male gaze’. This links to the idea of ‘sex sells’ and women being represented as sex objects.

More recently, the idea of the ‘female gaze’ has been suggested. Rosalind Gill suggests the objectified male is an example of post-feminist media culture in modern Britain. Task: write down an example for each.

Linked to Mulvey...

Berger: ‘Ways of seeing’

An additional representation theory that influenced Mulvey:

John Berger (1972) stated that: “Men act and women appear”

“Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.”

Levi-Strauss: Representation and ideology

Claude Levi-Strauss suggests that representations in the media are informed by ideology: the set of beliefs and values held by the producer of the text.

Some things are included and others are left out to create a dominant or preferred representation. 

Representation task

Return to your TV or film clip that you have already analysed for dominant/alternative representations and stereotypes (original blog task was here).

You now need to write an in-depth analysis of the representation in this clip as if you were writing an essay or exam answer. 

Apply the representation theories we have learned (you must apply a minimum of three of the theories) and write a minimum of 500 words.

Complete for homework: due next week in double lesson

MEST2 brief

Now your preliminary exercises are complete, we need to start our actual MEST2 coursework planning.

The first aspect of this is to interrogate the brief you have been given - you can find the full 2016 MEST2 brief here.

We are working on Brief One - The Little Picturehouse.

Your tasks will be broadcast and print:

(a) Broadcasting
Select one of the following topics as a general inspiration for the film you wish to create:

• Modern-noir
• Play!
• Urban Life
• Summer
• The Secret
• Romance
• Friendship.

Create approximately 3 minutes of moving image footage as an extract from the proposed film.

For example, you might choose to create:

• the film's opening to establish genre, character and location;
• a moment of conflict to show your ability to create emotion/atmosphere/tension/excitement;
• contrasting scenes with transitions to show how you can create changes in tone and pace;
• a specific set-piece for example: a family conversation over dinner; a training montage; a chase scene;
• scenes that create or communicate a specific emotion such as unease, wonder, suspense, surprise etc.

You should identify where the extract would appear within the proposed film.

Your production should demonstrate an understanding of the way film uses camera shots, sound and editing to communicate story and ideas to the audience. Care should be taken when selecting locations, wardrobe, make-up and props. If appropriate, you could use post-production effects.

(b) Print
All entrants have been asked to create pages for a promotional booklet which will demonstrate the variety of local film-making talent and provide information on the shortlisted entries. Each entrant is therefore asked to create their own pages for the booklet. You should create two to three A4 pages. 

You are encouraged to be creative in your approach and try to make your pages distinctive and visually appealing. You should include information about you, your production team and the film itself.

As discussed in class, AQA have given us permission to create four pages of an A5 booklet - e.g. front cover, contents page, double page spread feature.


Your initial task is simple:

Confirm who you will be working with for MEST2.

Look over the topics for inspiration and start brainstorming ideas for your short film extract.

Preliminary exercise evaluation

After the screening of the Preliminary Exercises in class, you need to write an individual evaluation of the Preliminary Exercise you were involved in. As with the MEST2 coursework, you cannot work with others on your evaluation although you may wish to discuss strengths and weaknesses with other students (either within your group or others). 

Your evaluation needs to include the following:

• Your preliminary exercise video embedded from YouTube
• Clear reference to the brief, your planning process, how your script/storyboard/shot list helped create the final product and what you would do differently next time in terms of pre-production
• Detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your film
• Confident use of media language, particularly film language, showing clear understanding of the key concepts of Media Studies (MIGRAIN)

Here's a good example from last year to help you.

Your evaluation needs to be a minimum of 500 words and is due for Thursday 26 November (12D).

Good luck!

Representation: Photoshop collages

Create two Photoshop collages offering the dominant and alternative representations for a certain group or place. 

Think about the usual stereotype for that group and collect words, images and colours that capture that dominant representation. For the alternative, you need words, images and colours that don't fit the usual stereotype.

For example, if you were to create a collage of the dominant representation of women, you would look for feminine colours, jobs that are associated with women and more. For the alternative representation, you'd do the opposite.

You will be using Photoshop for your MEST2 print work so it's important you get to grips with it if you're not confident already. Use YouTube tutorials, Mr Qureshi and other students in the class to help you learn the software.

When you have finished the collages, save them as JPEGs (low quality) and post them to your blog along with an explanation of the task.


Target grades, folder and index checks

While you are getting to grips with Photoshop, I'll be calling you to the front for a short discussion regarding your target grade in Media, your folder status and your blog index. Make sure you have posted everything to your blog and have your folders fully up-to-date and organised.

Representation

The key notes on our new key concept - representation:

• Representation is the process by which the media presents the ‘real world’ to an audience.
• Media texts are artificial versions of reality
• Even factual media – such as news – goes through processes of selection, organisation and editing that shapes its content
• How are particular people and groups represented in the media? How and why are stereotypes created?
• Is anything true? Or is it simply a representation of the facts from a particular point of view?

Mediation

Media texts are a construction of reality, and play an important role in the way we view the world. 

Reality is therefore subject to mediation which is the process that takes place when a media text’s meaning is created.

When mediation takes place, an institution, individual or even technology comes between the actual event and the audience.

Stereotypes

Media messages have to be communicated quickly which often means relying on stereotypes. Stereotypes work as a kind of shorthand where a word, image or sound will stand for a lot more.

A stereotype is a standardised, usually oversimplified mental picture or attitude towards a person, group, place or event.

Stereotypes act like codes that give audiences a quick, common understanding of a person or group of people—usually relating to their gender, class, ethnicity or race, sexual orientation, social role or occupation.

Representation: dominant or alternative?

A representation in the media will either reinforce or challenge the stereotype.

If it reinforces the stereotype, it is a dominant representation.

If it challenges the stereotype, it is an alternative representation.

Representation: Blog task

Find a YouTube clip from film or TV and complete the same activity we have just done in class:

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

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

3) What stereotypes can you identify in the trailer?

Complete for homework if you don't complete it in the lesson - due Friday.

Y12 Folder check and MIGRAIN index

As we are at the half-way point in our MIGRAIN introduction to Media unit, we need to set a couple of pieces of homework that check we are keeping up to date with all the work so far. This means a folder check and creating an index of all our MIGRAIN key concept work so far.

Folder check
On Friday you need to bring an up-to-date folder to the lesson to show you are organising all of your notes, work, test papers and more. Specifically, we will be checking you've got the following:

• Ring binder folder or equivalent
• Dividers - section for each teacher
• Notes in chronological order/title/date
• High quality notetaking
• Blog print-out - to end of last half-term (for assessment/revision purposes)
• Homework completed/quality of homework

Due: Friday

MIGRAIN index

We have already covered many of the MIGRAIN key concepts in Media but if you've missed any lessons for whatever reason you could have missed some crucial teaching or theory that you'll need in the MEST1 exam.

In order to avoid this problem, you need to create a simple index that links to your blog post for each piece of work we've done so far this year. We'll then update this index at the end of the unit. Your index should include the following:

1) Media consumption audit
2) Reading an image: RBK advert analysis & own choice advert analysis
3) Institution: major media institution research and presentation
4) Institution: brand values
5) Institution: CoolBrands research
6) Narrative: narrative theory YouTube clip analysis
7) Audience: psychographics
8) Audience: audience theory blog tasks/questions
9) Audience: audience theory - dependency theory

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each key concept quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in the exam due to gaps in your knowledge.

Due: Friday

Dependency theory

Rokeach and DeFleur took Uses and Gratifications one step further in 1976 in suggesting that people have become dependent on the media.

With Dependency theory, they suggest that people rely on the media for information determining their decisions. This means the media can create many different feelings such as fear, anxiety, and happiness.

Dependency theory: blog task

1. What do YOU primarily use the media for: entertainment or information? (Or something else?)
2. To what extent do you feel we are dependent on the media?
3. Has our dependence on the media changed over the last 10 years? How?
4. Read this Telegraph article – does this support Dependency theory? What is your personal opinion on this issue? 

Finish for homework - due Monday.

12D cover work 05/11/15: Mr Halsey

Apologies - this time I'm out with the Year 13 Media students at the Media Magazine student conference.

Today, you need to take a short break from your preliminary exercise work and complete a learner response on your Film Language test.

The general comments I picked up while marking are:

• Get the basics right: ensure written English is correct, use paragraphs to organise your points and aim for three or four paragraphs for each question as an absolute minimum.
• Using Media terminology is essential - this was lacking in places, particularly with regards to mise-en-scene.
• Answer the question - this is so important. If you don't address what the question is asking you will struggle to achieve higher than a level 2 (6/12 marks)
• Make sure your notetaking is organised and detailed - dividing your A4 page in four and making notes for each question is a good technique.
• Analysis not description: if you are simply describing the clip, you will never access the higher levels. Make sure you are explaining the HOW and WHY - what impact does this particular aspect have on the audience?
• Revise the key terminology - there were far too many references to jump cuts. There were no jump cuts in the clip.

Your learner response task is as follows:

1) Read your feedback carefully and look at the mark and grade you achieved.

2) Read this mark scheme, grade boundaries and suggested content document. How many marks were you away from the next grade up? How much of the suggested content did you include in your answers?

3) Create a blogpost called 'Film Language test learner response'

4) Type up your feedback word-for-word (you don't have to put the mark and grade if you don't want to).

5) Complete the learner response task - this is usually to re-write your weakest question. This re-write should be aiming for 12/12 marks using all the suggested content in the mark scheme. You can also re-watch the clip if required by following the YouTube link in the mark scheme document.


If you finish all of the above during the lesson, you can return to your Preliminary exercise planning.

12D Cover Work - Thurs. 5/11, p6

Remember the basic rules first:

• Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Qureshi;
• Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
• Work responsibly on the tasks set.

Read through the Audience Theory blog post and answer the questions on your blog. Please complete for homework.

12D cover work 04/11/15: Mr Halsey

12D, please accept my humble apologies - it seems all my training, meetings and school trips are coinciding with our lessons at the moment. However, you will still be able to make a start on your coursework by working on your preliminary exercise.

Today, you need to get into groups of three or four (maximum four - set by exam board) and start your preliminary exercise.

All the key terminology and planning tasks are on this blogpost. 

Spend Wednesday's lesson working through these as a group - you can't start filming until all the planning is complete and we NEED to be filming during next Wednesday's lesson. 

Good luck!

Preliminary exercise

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task

Your preliminary exercise involves filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. 

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule. 

Time allowed: two weeks

You are advised to work in the group that you will work in for your MEST2 coursework project.

Key skills

The following clips and links should help you with the key skills you need to demonstrate in your preliminary exercise.

Match on action


Match on action (or cutting on action) is an editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot showing the same action of the subject in the first shot.


This creates the impression of continuity - the action creates a 'visual bridge' which is easy for the audience to follow.

Look at this YouTube clip for match on action - the cuts you want to look at in particular are at 2 seconds, then again at 18 seconds:

Note: if video does not embed, click on this link to open in YouTube.

Shot/reverse shot

Shot/reverse shot uses over-the-shoulder shots to show a conversation between two characters. Look at this example from the Hunger Games movie - specifically between 0.50 and 1.30.

Note: if video does not embed, click on this link to open in YouTube.

With shot/reverse shot, you need to observe the 180 degree rule. 

180 degree rule

The 180-degree rule of shooting and editing keeps the camera on one side of the action. This keeps characters grounded compositionally on a particular side of the screen or frame, and keeps them looking at one another when only one character is seen onscreen at a time. 


It is referred to as a rule because the camera, when shooting two actors, must not cross over the axis of action; if it does, it risks giving the impression that the actors' positions in the scene have been reversed. [source: Columbia Film Language Glossary]

In other words, draw an imaginary line between the two characters facing each other and then make sure the camera never crosses that line during the filming of that scene. This video is a brilliant explanation of the rule:

Note: if video does not embed, click on this link to open in YouTube.


Task list: planning

1. Sort out your group (if you haven’t done so already). An absolute maximum of FOUR in each group is set by the exam board AQA.
2. Discuss what your preliminary exercise will involve – location, sequence of events, who will act etc.
3. Write a short script for the preliminary exercise. Remember, scripts outline movement and shots as well as dialogue. The BBC Writer's Room is a brilliant resource for tips and examples of TV scriptwriting. Here's a genuine TV script example from Luther to check you are formatting your script correctly.
4. Write a shot list of every possible shot (and a few extra) you will need for this preliminary exercise. An example shot list is here.
5. Draw a complete storyboard for the sequence you plan to shoot - every shot should be in there. Storyboard sheets are available on the top of the filing cabinet in the corner of DF07.
6. Upload your completed planning to your blog then let your teacher know. You can then book out a camera and start shooting.

You can start shooting from next week but will not be able to borrow a camera without showing you have completed your planning.

Audience theory: blog tasks

Audience theory - notes and tasks

The hypodermic needle model

This is a crude theory from the 1920s that suggests the media injects information into the audience like a hypodermic needle and therefore can have a dangerous effect on us.

The two-step flow model

The two-step flow model was developed in the 1940s because the hypodermic needle theory was considered too simplistic, assuming the audience consumed media without thinking.

The two-step flow model instead suggests the audience are influenced by ‘opinion leaders’ in the media who mediate how the audience react to media texts. The theory suggests the media is not all-powerful and that social factors are important.

Blumler & Katz: Uses and Gratifications theory

Researchers Blumler and Katz reignited audience theory in 1974 by stating that media audiences are active and make conscious choices about the way they consume media.

They suggested there are four main uses or gratifications (pleasures) that audiences get from the media.

Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine - entertainment.

Personal Relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction (e.g. developing affection for characters in TV)

Personal Identity: finding ourselves reflected in texts or learning behaviour and values from the media. Reality TV or documentary (Educating Yorkshire) are good examples.

Surveillance: Information useful for living (e.g. Weather, traffic news, holiday bargains etc.)

Audience theory: blog tasks

Hypodermic needle model

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model?

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

3) How this this Telegraph article on influential tweeters fit the two-step flow model?

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

Uses and Gratifications

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points.

Remember, anything you don't complete in the lesson you need to finish for homework - due Friday.