Year 12 Electric Cinema trip - Wednesday 9 December

Don't forget the key details about our trip to the Electric Cinema:

Date: Wednesday 9 December

Meeting time: 1.15pm

Meeting place: Notting Hill Gate underground station (street level)

Full address details, a map and further information is available on our trip briefing handout.

See you there!

MEST2: Film pitch and audience focus group

Your final double lesson before Christmas will see you pitching your film idea to the rest of the class in an audience research focus group.

In order to prepare for this focus group, your group needs to develop a detailed film pitch. This is for the complete 30-minute film, not just the three minutes you plan to make for the coursework itself.

Use this MEST2 Film pitch template to make sure your film pitch contains all the information you need.

The MEST2 brief is here if you need to check the topics that you can work from.

Due: for the START of your final double coursework lesson of the year. You will pitch the film to the rest of the class during this lesson.

MEST2: BBFC Institution research

Your MEST2 brief clearly states that your film must be suitable for a 15 certificate. Film certification in the UK is the job of the BBFC - the British Board of Film Classification. Your final piece of institution research requires you to read up on the BBFC and the guidelines your film must follow.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Research the BBFC: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government?

2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.

3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.

4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?

5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?

6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Choose one 15-rated film from the BBFC case studies section and summarise the classification the film was given and why. 

Complete this for homework if you don't get it done in the lesson - due next week.

12D Cover Work - Monday 7/12, p1/2

Read the following two articles on Ideology in the Media in MM52, in the Media Magazine archive:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums&usp=sharing

P34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

P48: They Live: Ideology

Then make summaries of each article on your blog, finishing for homework if necessary. 

Ideology and binary opposition

The key notes from today's lesson:

Ideology

What is an ideology?
An ideology is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function.

Dominant ideologies

Ideologies that are told to us repeatedly by important social institutions such as the government or media are called dominant ideologies.

Dominant ideologies are ideologies or beliefs that we live by in our day-to-day lives and often do not question – they have become 'natural, common sense' things to do. This effectively dissuades people from rebelling against these beliefs, and keeps a sense of stability in society.

Why is ideology important in Media Studies?

Media texts always reflect certain values or ideologies though sometimes we may not be aware of this. When studying a media text you may look for the dominant ideology present and question whose world view is represented and which groups have not been represented.

Levi-Strauss: Binary opposition

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908-2009) was a French philosopher and one of the most important cultural theorists of the 20th century. 

His theory of binary opposition is important for media students.

Levi-Strauss suggested everyone thinks of the world around them in terms of binary opposites such as up and down, life and death etc. and therefore every culture can be understood in these terms.

Binary opposition in media

Binary opposition is used to create narrative and conflict in media. It is also used to simplify complex situations for easy consumption (e.g. TV news).

Along similar lines, if something is not easily reduced to binary opposites, it is far less likely to receive widespread media coverage.

Binary oppositions can be used to create stereotypes and promote certain ideologies or beliefs.

Blog task: binary oppositions and ideology

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

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

What ideologies are on display in this clip?

Embed the video into your blog (as above) and answer these two questions in full paragraphs.

Ideology and your own choice of clip

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

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

What ideologies are on display in your clip?


Complete for homework if you don't finish it in the lesson - due next week.

MEST2: Arthouse film institution research

Research the institutions that produce, distribute and exhibit independent arthouse films.

Work through the following tasks:

Production: Independent film studios

1) Look back at the five films you have analysed for your existing product research. Find which studios made them – e.g. Film Four, Studio Canal, BFI, BBC Films etc.
2) What other films do these studios produce? Can you find any any other independent, arthouse or low-budget examples?
3) Do the studios have any notable successes? What is the most successful low-budget or independent film the studio has released?


Distribution: Independent film distributors

1) Research film distribution using this guide from the UK Film Distributors' Association. It's called Launching Film and takes you through the whole process of distributing a movie.
Read the whole step-by-step guide (warning: this is LONG and will take you around an hour)
2) Summarise the 10 steps of film distribution in a list using your own words.

3) Now research the distributors for each of the arthouse films you have analysed for your existing product research. Who distributed each film in the UK?

4) How many cinemas did each film open in?
5) How much money did each film make? Did it make a profit against the budget?
6) Research Curzon Artificial Eye. Who are they and what do they do?
6) Look at the Curzon Artficial Eye YouTube channel. Watch three trailers for recent or upcoming independent films and identify something you can learn from each film to use in your own film production.

Exhibition: Arthouse cinemas

Find some London-based arthouse cinemas and research the following:
1) What is the name of the cinema? Where is it?
2) What type of films do they show? What films are on this week? How do their programmes differ from the major cinema chains like Vue? 
3) What type of audience attends this kind of arthouse cinemas? Are there any clues on the website regarding the target audience? How can you tell?


A case study in independent film production: Film London and Microwave Film

1) What is Film London and why does it exist?
2) What is the purpose of Microwave Film?
3) What is the London Calling project for Film London and how does it encourage independent filmmaking?

4) Choose three feature films funded by Microwave Film and embed their trailers in your blog. For each film, explain why it fits the profile for an arthouse or independent film and what target audience the film might attract.

5) Watch these top tips for film production. List three things you've learned from these short videos that you can apply to your MEST2 production work. 

You will be given lesson time for this research but will need to complete a considerable amount of it at home. Due: Friday 11 December.

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.