theory revision

Levi-strauss- Structuralism

• French Anthropologist who emphasised ideological structure in society through Human activity. Often produced through oppositions.
• How binary oppositions are resolved leads to an ideological significance 
• -In stranger things there are clear binaries between good and bad as we see the kids fighting against the authority in order to protect 11.
• -In D83 we see the clear division between East Germany and West German as one is more liberal than the other

Van Zoonen- Feminist Theory

• Part time professor of Pop Culture in Rotterdam University as well as a part time professor in media and communication in Loughborough University.. specialising in Gender in New media, politics and pop culture 
• Gender is constructed through debates, therefore it's often based on the cultural and historical context.
• Objectifying women's bodies through media 
• There's a clear difference between how men are presented in the media compared to women
• -In stranger things the stereotypes of women are subverted when presenting the lead role of 11 to be a power girl with control and force. However conforming to the stereotype when presenting her in a innocent way when she's in danger and needs rescuing 
• -In Deautland83 the roles are again subverted when presenting Martin as powerless against his aunt who's portrayed very dominantly. However conforming when objectifying the German daughter encouraging her to perform in front of everyone 

Shirky- End of Audience

An American writer who talks about the usefulness of Modern technology, software creation and peer-to-peer engagement which allows the audience to not be the tradition passive audience who take in information and conform to it. 

But deny it and create their own meanings. An example of this would be social media trends

-Stranger Things '#JusticeForBarb' who the audience had empathised with due to how she'd been the forgotten faithful friend who eventually died.

Semiotics- visual signifiers (mise en scene) ..Symbolic signifiers provide meaning ..e.g Logos

LFTVP

Representations are constructed by the producers
Representations of stereotypical characters and themes, family types, women, values
more characters
High production values..bigger actors, directors, stylists etc
continuing narratives
Summarise how stranger things and duetland fit into this lftv
How does the audience consume it?

In what context do they consumer it? social, cultural and political..national countries are different

similarities between germany and the US...same ideological values (both capitalist societies)

technological developments..increased technological advancements and high broadband screens we're able to stream quicker..netflix, amazon, iplayer

economic context- globalisation of culture is allowing the world to merge together (pic n mix identities) also economically good for the nation due to making more money
-Bird box- 50 million views worldwide

Target audience- ABC1 -wealthy consumers that can afford different subscriptions

social context- attitudes towards to gender, ethnicity, inequality, sexuality
we all have different attitudes (e.g some countries maybe more sensitive to other topics such as censoring porn)
-German daughter going against her father..challenging stereotypes
-stranger things and different family types ..challenging


Historical context-coldward, communism and capitalism..suspicious authority in both dramas

political context= is it relevant to todays politics- YES fright of nuclear bombs across the world..US AND Germany relationship now

Conclusion

RADIO created by
BBC and commercial

Explain why popular music radio programmes fail to be recognised by Public service broadcastind. refer to the BBC one radio 1 Breakfast show

PBS- INFORM AND EDUCATIE (BBC) through programming of a diverse audience

The government control what is aired
Explain political context- whether entertain should only educate ?

main arguments..BBC is a pbs targetting a young demographic and reinforcing british values through british music internationally
and targets young people (15-29 year olds) through entertaining segments like the controversial upskirting, hot topics etc

SECONDARY ARGUMENT- "bbc should be privatised due to the commercial competition in order to reach a wider demographic"

Political context- due to the funding by government is there a bias??
some politicians think it should be privatized as it lacks competition

Cultural- help shape young british identity through advices etc

EMELE SANDE

Hand held camera- realism
Goodwin- repeated close up to represent conventional ideas
mastershot- repeated and forms a foundation..low angle with sky in the frame to represent heaven and her
her not breaking the fourth wall (making eye contact with camera)- to perhaps signify how she's reflecting on her own mistakes

Edits
Goodwins thought beats- instrumentals and lyrics that correspond with visuals .."oh heaven" and the sky
Jumping from different times- postmodern technique
montage of different characters, symbols and scenes

narrative- the characters - real to represent real perspectives
Match cut- of her and the homeless man both looking at the sky- to differentiate herself but also relatable to where she's come from

Representation
Diverse- youth, middle aged and old people

Theme
Naturalistic
shot in bethnal green

released in summer 2011- same time as london riots

With reference to Emeli Sande’s “Heaven”, how realistic are the representations offered by the video? In your answer, you should consider the social and cultural context.

Throughout this video we see numerous messages targeted to the audience such as themes of Social class, gender and religion. The song was first release in 2011 and the footage shot in Bethnal Green; an area which she previously resided in.

Personally I think themes of capitalism and a focus on social class was presented in this video like the setting as it was located in Bethnal green which is in Tower Hamlets; one of the

EXAM STRUCTURE- 25 mins- 10 or 15 marks

How is media language including intersexuality used in 'Burn the witch' to construct representations of groups, messages and values? 800 words or more



Who and what is represented throughout this music video
Introduction- 2 simple sentences of what you'll be covering in the essay and a bit of info on the band and music video

• include media language
• Camera
• editing
• sound
• mise-en-scene
• Intersexuality

Main body- Including 4 main themes you can analyse in depth
-WickerMan
-Refugee crises/ immigration
-Historical references/medieval
-Radiohead production
-


Conclusion- 2 simple sentences, overall summary and link back to question

In this essay I'll be covering how media language including intertextual references were significantly used in Radiohead's 'Burn the witch' which came out in the year 2016 during the time of the eu referendum. 

A key scene which I had noticed in the beginning of the music video was when the characters were all crowded around the town mayor as he clearly instructed them on how to behave when the visitor comes. This was obvious through his body language such as the way he nods to them and the way everyone passively conforms and nods back to him. Perhaps this is symbolic of a dictatorship or capitalistic society where the deprived working class are brainwashed by the hierarchy and have no option but to obey them. The mise en scene also had a clear part in this as the clothing of the characters were effective in representing the theme of a functional society as each individual had a particular uniform such as the; Florist, builder, painter and postman which may overall signify how each role is valuable in this capitalistic world of portraying this ideal picture when it is just a facade of exploitation. 

Nevertheless throughout this conceptual video we see numerous British historic events that left some individuals feeling isolated in the past such as when the town painter had painted a red cross on someone's door which is a reference to the medievals era during the rise of the plague; those infected were isolated from others and warned to be kept away to stop the disease from spreading. I had noticed that the painter had acted this strange way after the town discussion as before the talk he behaved normally when painting a letter box. This could perhaps again represent the indoctrination amongst the civilians. Another historic reference was when we saw a see-saw was used in the video demonstrating a girl getting dunked in the water which could symbolise how some women who were considered to be potential witches were dealt with during the medieval era. This is visually clear through the props used as that's exactly how it looked. This makes me think of how society back then had even thought of ways to segregate themselves from each other.

Another historical reference was when the florist had introduced the rope hung upon on a wooden frame, which could symbolise lynching amongst minorities and the deprived previously. Their body language in this was also significant as everyone seemed quite patronizing towards him, perhaps indirectly indicating that this environment isn't a safe place for outsiders like him.

Which moves onto my next point about this conceptual idea linking to the immigration crisis as this song was released at the time of the EU referendum which had consisted of many voting to leave in order to stop immigration for more opportunities. So I think the unpleasant and disturbing scenes used in this video was to represent how the "voters for leave" would feel towards outsiders that don't fit into their norm of a white British nation.

Also towards the end of the music video we see a reference to the Wickerman an old horror movie which displays unpleasant scenes of a town gathering up and burning a man alive in a large figure of wood which is also burnt. Perhaps this reference was used to signify how people that are brainwashed by religion would do anything to obey that law even killing, something that many white supremacist groups such as the KKK have done in the past and still have those strong beliefs of segregation. Nevertheless the village people can also symbolise the conservative force and how they both don't want the UK to change and remain the same traditional British values.

Overall I think that intertextuality was used in this video to display a deeper meaning through different references such as historic medieval events to remind British people that the attitudes towards immigrants during the referendum were very much like the evil attitudes from the past. Lastly perhaps the production of animation was used to create a more disturbing feeling as graphics were very similar to the old kids show 'Trumpton' so perhaps the creators wanted to reach out that an old demographic by using that sense of nostalgia.

audience behaviour

Cultivation- Exposure to repeated patterns of representation over a long time period. For e.g challenging traditional family types
Nuclear families vs single parent homes- Single mum being more caring and actively involved in children's lives

reception theory- stuart hall
encoding and decoding messages

• the creator encodes through signs and symbols 
• the audience will decode this through their own interpretation 

Dominant, negotiated and oppositional

dominant readings lead to dominant ideologies  

radiohead

intertextual- reference of the crosses to the plague in london (those who had the plague had an X on their door )

meaning - the band wanted to make awareness of the European refugee crisis- negative attitudes towards muslims 

The man being shown round town was actually symbolic of a refugee and is referenced to the movie 

'The wicker man' 

Animation inspired from the 1960-70s kids programme "Trumpton"

Trumptonshire -trilogy 

the boring 70s animation had taught british values of societal communities

Trumpton reference to Donald TRUMP- right winged racist president that is against migration 

EU REFERENDUM

-'Burn the witch' was released a month before the voting to leave the EU 

- propaganda which said "Breaking point for the UK" blaming immigrants and wanted to stop them coming in

- buss that promotes 'LEAVE FOR 350 MILLION TO NHS INSTEAD OF EU'

-Trumps -"Take back our country"- mythical nationalism 

-Medieval practices- crosses on door due to the plague and the witches chair (dunking potential witches to see if they really are )

-Dawn Chorus- they had setup a separate production company in order for this album to not effect the success of their previous music

HW- Deconstruct the music video..shot by shot analyses- create on slide for ideas- Next tuesday

JORJA SMITH- THE ONE

performance, abstract and conceptual

Representation
Vulnerabiltity- naked bath tub scene- body exposure
Sexuality- not subject to male gaze
high angle- lack of dominance
close-ups
relationships- narrative and performance
Cross-cutting: 
retro 70s vibe- vegas

Beyonce- formation
performance and conceptual
Black empowerment- past historic african american movement
feature- Martin luther king
CCTV- connote being watched by the authority
Location- New orleans- flooding
soouthern state
Postmodernism- modernisation of society..mix and mach- freedom of constructing identity

• intertextuality..referencing past moments 
• hypersexual female..ownership of her body and sexuality 
• mixing fantasy with the reality- Simulacra (hyperreal world- Baudrillard)
• First person narration- performing and lip syncing to her own song

There's often a relationship between lyrics and visuals..creating nostalgia, romance and nialism - Goodwin 

music videos are just a form of advertisement that are interpreted by the audience

often lyrics match with lyrics but also contradict- Jessie J- money tree

"we see the sounds"

music videos- 

PRESENT-Icons- memorable symbol.s depend on genre.. artists have authorage in order to present their distinct trademark/dresscode

Closeups- promotes the sales of the single 

DEAUTLAND

Narrative- why do all stories have a good ending? hegemony (ideological control- manipulating people to conform)
character
genre
structuralism- levi strauss (binary oppositions- Good and Bad)
postmodernism- hyperreality- is it real? commentary on politics
Gender performativity- Judith butler - Gender is a social construction that has lead to stereotypes

SHELTER- HOMELESS CHARITY

Advertising company that work with Shelter- Amplify

wanting to save people before it was too late

making it realistic and relatable

2010-Government cut in funding on council houses of 60%- David camerons decision

CSR- Camerons coalition government

Shelter- FOCUS ON THOSE VULNERABLE OF HOMELESSNESS ,

             GIVING ADVICE AND HELP

ASA (Advertising standards authority)- Regulatory framework for all ads; might be particularly for charity ads

How is media language (technical elements) used in a shelter advert- 15 marks (500 words)

• eye level shot/ direct address
• use of language 
• lighting
• colours
• gender
• use of website 
• typography
• why use adults instead of children

Shelter which is a non profit charity for those who are at risk of homelessness are very effective throughout their advertising. Their print advert had showcased a couple of technical media elements such as the image used, language and use of their logo and branding which I'll be analysing in depth throughout this essay.

Firstly the shot type used for this print ad was very effective as it was a close-up of all three people used for the campaign as they make direct address with the viewers which creates a more intimate connection. This was a successful method as human eye contact is often seen as a level of closeness and understanding of each other and as this is a campaign for potential homeless people perhaps the advertisiers done this intentionally to make the viewers understand the perspective of those going through struggle in order to build understanding and empathy, leading to wanting to do something to help those in need. which would overall make it a successful charity.

Another aspect of this print advert I had noticed was the lack of colours used which automatically creates a dull and gloomy mood, to perhaps represent the "realness" of the situation and perhaps that's how these victims feel. Nevertheless I had also noticed that the print had lacked diversity in race only using white people that look rather pale perhaps this could symbolise a dehumanising mood that there's no colour which is often associated with a level of seriousness and depression. So perhaps again the advertisers had intentionally used this technique to build portray the true devastation of the situation and how dull and helpless the victims must feel.

Moreover another effective technique used by the advertisers for this campaign was the typography used, creating a hazardous and cautious feel due to the capital letters, bald font and red colour usage all of which connotes that it must be read straight away in order to continue functioning in society. Perhaps they intended to use this method of symbolism, similar to road signs and stop signs in order to reach a wider audience and make them understand how serious this issue is as it maybe happening to more people than expected as the survey found 50% of those suffering don't come forward to admitting it. These are also short quotes from the victims but very powerful as one of the statements "But where will we live?" clearly suggests how helpless the woman must be feeling, especially considering the fact kids are potentially involved due to the word "we". The usage of these again connect and question the general public, leaving them to deal with this question and help create a change.

In Conclusion I believe that the print advert had used multiple advertising techniques in order to reach a wide audience and overall make a striking first impression due to the simplicity but power of the emotive text and also repeating their brand twice at the bottom of the page making it more memorable as the logo also suggest this concept of home as the "h" is shaped as a home. 

LUCOZADE

Gareth Bale- Famous footballer that plays for real madrid, clean reputation and looks clean
Expensive player
Mid close up shot- to capture his facial expression and part of his clothing to signify footballer
metaphorical- "In a different league" -linking to football and the superior saying
colour scheme- reinforces brand "blue and yellow"
close-up of the bottle
Barthes- mythical masculinity
Direct address at the camera   

Textual analysis of Lucozade

OLD SPICE

Post modern advert-

• Using a more humorous and comedic approach to attract consumers such as this 'hypersexuality' persona of actor Isaiah Mustafa
• using him as a parody 
• BARTHES-connotation (ideology) of the cultural context in this case which is the 'Mythical masculinity'. An idea that is constructed by society and has changed over the years especially throughout a postmodern society now where men are also caring for their physical appearance as sociologists would call this 'The New Man'
• JUDITH BUTLER- "Gender is a social construction" not natural- Acting our gender when performing to the world. Our AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION like our peers keep u from rebelling and to conform to the traditional norms and values that are associated with gender. Those that do rebel would experience SOCIAL EXCLUSION & GENDER TROUBLE- which could link to a deeper meaning of the ad and to purchase it in order to elevate socially in this case men being more desirable by women 
• BAUDRILLARD'S POSTMODERNISM- Society has moved beyond traditionalist ideologies constructing different and acceptable characteristics such as a shift from sexism. Postmod society also revolves around profit and production of goods, hence it's organisation around 'Simulation' -The play of images and signs

Carry out a textual analysis of the print advert for 'Old Spice'. How are viewpoints and ideologies constructed..use example through illustrations. 

Old spice which is an American brand of male grooming products such as fragrances, body wash etc is known for their comedic way of advertising which often creates a 'Hyperreality', such as this print advert which showcases an entire tropical beach on actor Isiah Mustafa's body. The denotation used here is clearly a vacation on his upper body as there are also numerous half naked women on him which could also be more attracting to the male audience but also the trail of sand ultimately leads to the selling product which could connote how these things will only be achieved when consuming this product.

The hyperreal world which is produced through simulation as postmodernists would say was another selling technique as the overall illustration is out of the norm and maybe seen as visually pleasing to some due to the tropical feel which may lead to fantasising. Nevertheless the use of this celebrity endorsement is used to reinforce 'Mythical masculinity' through the exaggerated muscles and the smirk on his face which maybe manipulating even towards the target audience in order to buy the  product. This also links to the ideology of men getting in 'Gender Trouble', a term created by Judith Butler which is a social construction by people meaning if they don't conform to their gender stereotypes then it'll lead to a social exclusion. Overall encouraging men to buy this product.

Nevertheless Barthes also touches on the 'Mythical masculinity' which has been constructed by a patriarchal society for years, leading to a dominance of Men compared to women. This ideology is presented through this print advert as we get a glimpse of a shirtless Isiah Mustafa with a sense of confidence throughout his face which is an automatic generic and stereotypical characteristic males are expected to have in order to achieve things in life. Perhaps the volcanic eruption on his head could connote how the 'Ideal Man' is always in control and hot headed when things don't go their way. Moreover another thing I had noticed about their adverts, are the use of strong black men when selling their product which could demonstrate how the male gaze is being subverted in this day and age due to a social concept of 'The new man' meaning men are caring more about their physical appearance. As this hasn't always been the case in society overall meaning old spice is part of that social change.