+*-Paper 2 Section A television crime drama Introduction-*+

 

PAPER 2 SECTION A TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA Introduction:

Summarise the key genre. narrative and character genre conventions of crime drama using your own examples and any we watch in class.  Luther is particularly useful  
Focus on the following :

Subgenres   e.g  procedural, gangster, forensic, buddy,  historical   

Hybrid genres  e.g crime/horror , crime/scifi

Narrative e.g recurring themes, situations and events e.g car chases, crime scenes.
                           Narrative resolution and structure: is the crime solved each episode?
                           Are there ongoing enigmas ( mysteries or problems to be resolved )
                            throughout a series as well as in each episode? What are they?

Character codes    e.g the investigator/hero, nemesis/villain, stock characters e.g boss, sidekick
                           What personal qualities or relationships with each other do they often have?   
                           Are they conventional representations of their gender, ethnicity or age? 

Technical codes :  Visual and sound  codes related to genre, especially in key scenes   
e.g  use of lighting and colour, music and sound effects, establishing shots of background setting, 
closeup camera shots, cross-cutting narrative scenes, fast-paced editing in action scenes, 
shot/reverse shot of investigator/nemesis, costume, iconography and props linked to character or narrative. 

+*-Exam Paper 1 Section B-*+

 

+*-EXAM PAPER 1 SECTION B-*+:

PAPER 1 Section B  45 marks ( 45 minutes writing time) Complete all of the following questions and publish on your blog. You can plan and research your answers.   

 3a What is a media conglomerate? ( 2 )

A media conglomerate is a large company that owns other subsidiary media companies. An example of this is the media conglomerate, Disney.

3b  How does ownership shape the content of newspapers? Refer to the Mirror and The Times (8)

Ownership shapes magazines in many ways. For example, the political alignment of the newspaper ownership may influence the viewpoint they share in articles. The Mirror tends to align with left-wing, labour-centred viewpoint; this means that they may share anti-conservative views on current affairs. Similarly, The Times tend to share right-wing viewpoints which may influence the content they produce as they might be politically biased when discussing particular topics such as politics, the economy or education.

Another way in which ownership shapes the content of newspapers is through media concentration. This is the idea that the more people the content is passed through, the less opinionated it becomes. An example of this can be seen in large scale magazines and newspapers that are owned by large companies. The Times is owned by News UK, a huge media conglomerate which means that content produced is run through a far greater amount of people which makes viewpoints more concentrated when finally published.

3c  What has been the impact of recent technologies on all elements of the newspaper industry and how has it responded to these challenges?  Refer to The Mirror and The Times  ( 12)

Since mobile technology has been created, there has been a decline in people's purchases of print newspapers. This is because more people find that news is a lot more accessible via social media instead of the traditional newspaper formats. Responding to these challenges, this has meant that the newspaper industry has had to diversify to protect their readership. The creation of social media and the rise of mobile phones and devices has meant that more individuals can access newspapers on the go, increasing the number of people accessing the content. Furthermore, since mobile devices are easily transportable and easy to access, it means that a larger group of people can access the content during any time of the day which is extremely beneficial to newspaper companies. An example of this can be found in The Times which has converged with different types of media including traditional print and The Times mobile app, allowing individuals to access content on their phones.

Another impact of the media industry is the pliability of individuals in distribution. Social media has become one of the biggest forms of communication in the last decade, meaning that creating awareness of different subjects has become increasingly more easy to do. To keep up with the demand of the social media industry, the newspaper industries have used social media to create brand notability amongst new audiences. The Mirror uses media convergence to use social media users as a cheaper form of distribution. This includes social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Accessing these forms of technology has meant that they can create a conversation amongst their audience which helps to distribute their content.

4a  What is the importance of fandom in media products?  Refer to the Assassins Creed franchise to support your points  ( 8 )

Fandoms have a huge importance in media products. Fandoms create hype surrounding a brand and create a conversation which creates brand notability and influences others to invest their time and money into it. This can be done through posting comments and opinions, creating and sharing fan art, using hashtags etc. An example of this can be made evident in the Assassins Creed Franchise. The Assassins Creed franchise has a well-developed fanbase coming from their multiple game instalments in their franchise. This has meant that past players and fans of the games have been able to distribute the game and build a larger user group.

Another reason that fandoms are important in media products is that they have a huge impact on how a media product is viewed and seen. If fandoms promote a media product positively, they are providing notability to the brand, making it seem for genuine and legitimate. Since creating a genuine fanbase is difficult to commercialise, when a brand can access this group of people, they can tap into a different wider audience, including the people who access reviews and comments of individuals from their fan base and people who view social media posts etc, which helps to make a different community of loyal buyers and supporters.

4b How is the gaming industry regulated or what are the challenges in this particular industry?  (8)

The gaming industry is regulated through PEGI which stands for Pan European Gaming Information. There are 5 ratings to describe the maturity of the game: 3, 7, 12, 16, 18 (with 3 being light themes, lack of graphic violence, more innocent language and 18 being the opposite) Any games 12 or above are not allowed to be rented to anyone below the respective age in order as mandated through UK law.

 

Some challenges of this particular industry include a difference in opinions on the ratings. Whilst PEGI might rate games such as mobile games higher ratings, the app stores they are sold on including Google Play might rate them differently making it harder to regulate the games within this industry. Another challenge might be the impact on younger users. Children and teens are among the majority of users in the gaming industry therefore, some parents may choose to allow their child to play a particular game whilst others may disagree with the rating of a regulator.

5 How important is a historical context to media products? Refer to your Tide advertising case study. (7) 

Historical context has a huge impact on media products. The context surrounding media products is significant as it helps to reach the target audience. An example of this can be seen in the Tide case study. The context surrounding the advert was the role of women in 1960s society. In the 1960s women were seen as homemakers due to the patriarchal society and since their job was seen as doing household duties, Tide's campaign centred around cleaning supplies for that reason. When the context surrounding a product is aimed at a specific group or audience, it usually personalises the product and makes individuals want to purchase the product. Similarly, some historical contexts can provide nostalgia for buyers. The individuals who wish to purchase the product may see an element of remembrance from their childhood and wish to relive these memories which increases product purchases.

+*-Daily Mirror Newspaper Research-*+

Research The Daily Mirror newspaper and answer the following questions. 

 1. Who owns Reach Plc? 

Nicholas Prettejohn (Chairman of the board) Jim Mullen (CEO)

2. What other newspapers do Reach Plc own?

Reach Plc also owns major regional papers the Manchester Evening News, Daily Record and Liverpool Echo.

 3. What ways can audiences access this newspaper?

Through their e-edition app - Accessible on most devices.

Through their website - Online news - Accessible to all.

In print - In shops etc.

4. How much content can you access for free and what type of content is available?

The app and online content are free but the print costs less than £!

The type of content available comes from a tabloid format - Football, news, celebs tv politics, sports etc.

5. Visit the website of some of the other newspapers Reach Plc owns and read some of their articles. What political agenda or bias do they hold?

Daily Record - Left-wing viewpoint - Holds the labour political view.

Liverpool Echo - Left-wing viewpoint - Labour leaning.

Manchester Evening News - Left-wing viewpoint - Politically aligned with the labour party

6. What evidence of this do you have? 

Article from the Courts section of the Daily record - This article had a focus on stories and events that affect minorities and side with them - use of "racist" as opposed to "Accused of racism.

7. Who is the intended readership (audience) for The Daily Mirror. You must consider the demographic profile and the psychographic profile.

C1, C2, D and E classes (Working class) with a focus on people of an older demographic The majority of readers are Strugglers, Mainstreamers and people who are retired.

+*-The times and the mirror-*+

Tabloid or broadsheet     
Explain the differences between these terms and how it links to different audiences.

Tabloid - A tabloid are usually image-led, popular newspapers - commonly have 'red tops' which are the red mastheads and focus on the gossip instead of more dedicated news.

Broadsheet - Quality lead newspaper - More news content than pictures - Cost more to purchase - Offer an in-depth analysis of particular pieces of interest.

 

Ownership : 

The times is owned by News Tv - A corporation. - The mirror is owned by Reach plc -the more individuals it goes through, the more concentrated it gets, the less opinionated it becomes.

Political bias:

To have a deeper understanding of newspaper we must have some knowledge of the British Political System, specifically English political parties. The political allegiance each paper has will impact what and how they report to their target audience.
Left-wing refers to a type of political position where people who hold these views support social equality whilst opposing forms of social hierarchy and inequality. They are assumed to be concerned about the disadvantaged in society, seeking to reduce or abolish any unjustified inequalities.
Someone with right-wing politics would have a political position that views social inequality or social divide as natural, normal, inevitable or even desirable. They will typically defend this political position on the basis of tradition, natural law or economics. Therefore, people with right-wing politics view society having hierarchies and the inequalities that result as being the natural outcome of traditional social differences or the result of competition in market economies.

+*-Statement of Aims-*+

Statement of aims:  
 
 
My magazine will be called, ‘Paradox TV’ and will be a television magazine discussing my audio-visual production called ‘The Enigma’ which is a crime drama, fitting in with the age demographic of both the genre audience and magazine audience. Much like other television magazines, my magazine will highlight my unique selling point, which is using conventions and codes of crime drama’s and shows in the print publication, to promote and describe the audio-visual production to the 18-34 mainstream audience. The foundation of the article I will include will focus on a brief synopsis of the drama, using enigma codes as to not reveal to much information to the audience, and provide some behind the scene details though the medium of an interview of the star vehicle evident on the front cover of the magazine. I will also provide some contextual information including the date it is made available in order to fit in with the brief. 
 
My magazine will have a neutral colour palette to symbolise the crime genre. As Barthes semiotics, I’ll use “Paradox” to symbolise the genres of the television shows that will be represented such as crime and mystery. It will also represent the focus on the magazine which takes a microscopic analysis of the darker elements of the television genre. The front page of the magazine will include various cover lines such as the name of protagonist, and others providing further information, drawing the audience in whilst still being enigmatic, engaging the reader. I will use studio photography, centrally framing the star vehicle with an indirect mode of address to show the protagonists power. The indirect mode of address is an enigma code, and reader will begin to question what the protagonist is glancing at. The mise en scene of the photo will be minimalistic with dim lighting in order to represent the genre. Much like the character Luther, my protagonist’s costume will be scruffy yet professional clothing in order to portray the star vehicle’s flawed hero trait.  
 
I will target the 18-34 mainstreamer and succeeder audience through the conventions of the specific groups. Mainstream audiences seek tested methods and content, so I will follow the popular conventions of a crime drama in my audio-visual production, with establishing shots of urban, city settings also using dim and darker lighting to represent the fear and mystery. Similarly, succeeder audiences seek control over the content they watch, including using the best brands and producing the best content. A popular theme amongst this age category is detective storylines. Therefore, my storyline will also centre around a detective plot to mimic the success of other crime dramas in this specific category such as Luther and Marcella. 
 
I will produce my audio-visual content on adobe premiere pro, creating an extract of a gripping crime drama for BBC 1, with a co-production with ITV. This will be a 3 minute clip of my drama, including an establishing shot of the setting, and will be used to introduce the protagonists  
Job as a detective and will represent some of their characteristics including their anti-hero and flawed hero attributes (evident through flashbacks of the crimes the detective committed himself.) I will also use slow and enigmatic music in the background to represent the genre. 

 

+*-Exam style questions-*+

 

a) What is meant by a mainstream film? [2]

A mainstream film tends to have generic themes such as making you laugh or cry, tends to have commercial success, and is escapist entertainment for the audience.

 b) Briefly explain what a media conglomerate is. [2]

A media conglomerate is a large scale company that owns multiple companies in relevant media sources such as film and music.

 c) Explain two features of independent film production. Refer briefly to me, Daniel Blake to support your points. [6]

One feature of independent film production is their focus on a particular social issue. An example of this can be seen in I, Daniel Blake, which focuses on the life of working-class individuals, poverty and the welfare state. The themes tend to be challenging or abstract. Another feature of independent film production is the effect of the film on the audience. For example, whilst mainstream film production tends to offer the audience the theme of escapism during watching, independent film production usually provides less escapist entertainment for the audience due to the more realistic themes in the film.

 d) Explain how economic contexts shape mainstream films. Refer to Black Panther to support your points. [15]

 Economic contexts shape mainstream films in many ways. One way in which economic contexts shape mainstream films is through their production. Mainstream films tend to have a larger budget meaning they can afford to produce through well-known companies in order to receive the most reception from the audience. This can be made evident in Black Panther, which was vertically integrated through Marvel Studios, a well-known brand and franchise of movies, meaning it would be viewed by a much larger audience. Similarly, economic contexts shape the mainstream film genre through the actors they are able to employ. Unlike most independent films, mainstream films use iconic characters and well-known actors who require more money to employ. They do this in order to create brand notability as well as making fans of those actors view the film they are acting in. Economic context also shape mainstream films through their means of financing. Unlike independently produced and distributed films, which may require various forms of funding, most mainstream films are funded by a particular company or conglomerate which usually distributes and produces internally. Black Panther was distributed by Walt Disney Studio Motion pictures who also owns the production company Marvel Studios. This means that they had a much larger budget from one source, enabling their success.

+*-Paper 1B: Film Marketing Black Panther as mainstream film-*+:

Paper 1 B : Film Marketing BLACK PANTHER as mainstream film 

Genre - appealing choice - action, sci fi, superhero genre which is. notably a popular genre in the film industry.

Narrative - Generic storyline that fits in the mainstream film industry - The movies ending was sad (The antagonist kills himself) 

Stars - Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Letitia Wright - They are well known, mainstream actors/ actresses - creates awareness and may increase the amount of money the film earns.

Audience - The audience might be a mainstream audience - African Americans made up the largest share of the audience. (37%), white people (35%), Hispanic (18), Asians (5%) Native American/ other (5%.) 

Franchise - It is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - It is the 18th movie in the franchise.

Producers - Kevin Feige, David J. Grant.

Ownership - Global multinational corporation - Marvel/ Disney.

Budget - $200 million - large budget due to the companies involved in the ownership and production of the film.

Funding and planning - The movie was developed by Marvel Studios with received funding from Walt Disney Company - Came from one main corporation. The film was based on the comic by Stan Lee and was directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by two main producers.

Marketing Campaign - Large Scale campaign with a wide. reach -  Used multiple methods of advertising including posters, trailers etc. Across both social media and main media.

Distribution -Wide release internationally and across multiple different platforms - Distributed by Disney making it he 18th movie in the franchise.

 Profits and reception - The film made over 1.2 billion world wide - Academy award winning.

LINKS TO OTHER PRODUCTS  (e.g soundtrack,games, other films,,merchandise, sequels )

https://shop.marvel.com/black-panther/mn/1001603/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_(soundtrack)

https://avengers.marvelhq.com/games/black-panther

+*-Crime drama magazine cover research-*+

The masthead is made apparent in the product so the audience knows what genres the magazine covers.

The main central image is a picture of the protagonist of the crime drama the magazine is covering.

The name of the crime drama the magazine is focusing on is bold in the cover line of "Sherlock."

The colour palette uses gold and white in order to make the magazine and the drama appears high brow. 

The mise en scene of the main central image includes a dark coloured chair, dark blue background and dark clothing on the star vehicle in order to represent the dark nature of the crime drama genre. 

The cover has included a direct mode of address in order to connote the mystery of the genre - enigma codes.

The cover lines relate to similar themes and people as the star vehicle and the magazine that they are representing.

The masthead is a play on words - the magazine focuses on crime tv and movies - the name they chose are a convention of the crime tv and movie genre.

The serious face and clothing of the star vehicle are similar to the clothing the main character in the 'Sherlock' narrative would wear.

Offers behind the scenes and more information - conventional - makes the reader want to read the presented article.
The forms of media they cover are listed "BOOKS; TV; FILM" so the audience knows that they are accessing when reading the magazine.

Uses the gold stamp - "greatest tv detective of all time" makes people more interested in the magazine - matches the colour palette and ties the rest of the front cover together.

The star vehicle in the main central image is using body language as a tool - hand gesture to the brain - links to the "inside the mind of" - ties cover together.

The background is dark and empty so it evokes mystery - much like the drama - makes the audience want to read on.

The adjective "Ultimate" makes people think they are accessing the best magazine for the genre - promotes both the magazine and the dramas presented in it - promo for the shows. 

+*-PAPER 1 SECTON B FILM MARKETING : Black Panther : Historical and cultural contexts-*+

PAPER 1 SECTION B FILM MARKETING: Black Panther: Historical and cultural contexts

Harlem Renaissance 
The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighbourhood in New York City as a black cultural mecca in the early 20th century and the subsequent social and artistic explosion that resulted. Lasting roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s, the period is considered a golden age in African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance and art.
Great Migration 
The northern Manhattan neighbourhood of Harlem was meant to be an upper-class white neighbourhood in the 1880s, but rapid overdevelopment led to empty buildings and desperate landlords seeking to fill them.
In the early 1900s, a few middle-class black families from another neighbourhood known as Black Bohemia moved to Harlem, and other black families followed. Some white residents initially fought to keep African Americans out of the area, but failing that many whites eventually fled.
 
The Black Panthers:
The Black Panthers, also known as the Black Panther Party, was a political organisation founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale to challenge police brutality against the African American community. Dressed in black berets and black leather jackets, the Black Panthers organised armed citizen patrols of Oakland and other U.S. cities. At its peak in 1968, the Black Panther Party had roughly 2,000 members. The organisation later declined as a result of internal tensions, deadly shootouts and FBI counterintelligence activities aimed at tweaking the organisation.
Afrofuturism:
The term Afrofuturism has its origins in African-American science fiction. Today it is generally used to refer to literature music and visual arts that explores the African-American experience and in the partial the role of slavery in that experience. 
Central to the concept of Afrofuturism is the science-fiction writers Octavia Butler and Samuel R. Delany and the Jazz musician Sun Ra, who created a mythical persona that merged science fiction with Egyptian mysticism. It is the otherness that is at the heart of Afrofuturism. 
Those inspired by Afrofuturism include the musician George Clinton, the artist Ellen Gallagher and the film director Wanuri Kahiu/
The term Afrofuturism has its origins in African-American science fiction. Today it is generally used to refer to literature music and visual art that explores the African-American experience and in particular the role of slavery in that experience.
Central to the concept of Afrofuturism is the science-fiction writers Octavia Butler and Samuel R. Delany and the Jazz musician Sun Ra, who created a mythical persona that merged science fiction with Egyptian mysticism. It is this otherness that is at the heart of Afrofuturism. 
Those inspired by Afrofuturism include the musician George Clinton, the artist Ellen Gallagher and the film director Wanuri Kahiu. 

+*-Black Panther-*+

 +*-Black Panther-*+:

1.

2. The cast is a predominately black cast which contrasts with the typical conventions of marvel and movies in general.

3. Black Panther was so successful because it paved the way for more black focused movies - proves to movie executives and directors that there is a market for the black superhero genre/ black lead movies. The movie is made by a trusted brand, has a popular storyline, contains popular actors, and is representative of the popular trends that surrounded the creators during the time of writing and production.

+*-Late Night Women's hour-*+

+*-Late Night Women's Hour-*+:


History and background of  LNWH:

Woman’s Hour was the first broadcast in the 1940s, so it’s worth considering the historical and social shifts that have occurred since the show’s inception. The original show reflects possible tokenism (a show set aside for women might imply all other radio content was oriented towards men). Late Night Woman’s Hour features frank and open discussions and demonstrates societal shifts and increased gender equality although some of the issues raised to reflect the fact that society is not yet completely equal.

Themes and subjects covered in LNWH:


Structure and content of typical episodes (interviews, feature pieces, discussion, phone-in, etc.)

Presenters (age, gender, background, broadcasting history, comparison with previous presenters)

Jane Garvey (2015}Lauren Laverne (2015–2018)Emma Barnett (2018–present)

Does the programme match Radio 4's typical style and audience?

The station continues to have a balanced audience in terms of gender (49% male / 51% female). The average age of the Radio 4 listener is 56 years old and skews towards an older audience. Our target audience of 35-54 ABC1 (commonly termed 'replenishers') makes up 24% of the audience.

Use of spoken language (mode of address, formal/informal, emotional language)

Use of any other audio codes ( background ambience, music, sting, theme  )

Opportunities for audience feedback

The target audience of LNWH ( age, gender, class, interests, use of media etc.)

The blind medium: It only involves the hearing sense. It allows the audience to use their imagination.

The companion medium: Provides a strong sense of personal connection with the audience. It also offers interactive opportunities – text, email, ‘shout out’, phone-ins, requests etc.

The intimate medium: Radio is very personal and encourages intimacy by the use of direct mode of address

The undemanding medium: Listeners can do other things while listening, they don’t need to devote all of their time to it.