Disability in TV Drama

Disability in TV Drama

Paul Hunt is a theorist that came up with many different theories that reflect how people with disabilities are reflected in media. He named ten stereotypes that regularly occur in TV drama.

One of these was the idea that disabled people are portrayed as being pitiful or weak. People with disabilities are often shown as being too pathetic to look after themselves and other have others in the TV drama to do this. Shots used for this stereotype tend to be high angle or level with the person in the wheel chair to show that they are somewhat pathetic and week because of the state they are in.  There are many different stereotyped characters that are represented in this way in TV drama such as Artie from glee that is shown as trying hard to fit in, as he wears the same type of clothes as other people for his age.

Disabled people are also used in TV to be seen as strange, different or something to be curious about.  These types of disabled people are presented as being unusual or odd in comparison to able bodied people, whereas they are really just the same as able people. An example of this disability is the turtle boy who has been on multiple TV programs about his disability.

Disability is also represented through the idea that they can be ‘super cripples’. The idea of a sporty and heroic disabled person is represented as being almost like a miracle and something to be astonished by, whereas in reality they have just as much chance of becoming a professional athlete as any other able bodied person.  Examples of heroic disabled sport figures are such athletes as Ellie Simmonds.

Comedic elements are also used when representing disabled people in media. In many aspects of TV and film disabled people are used to create humour. For example, the character Joe Swanson from the TV program family guy is seen as a humour element in the program by the other characters making jokes about his disability. This disability provides pleasure in someone else misfortune. Because family guy is a comedy it encourages people to laugh and take the mick out of Joe this could influence society to do the same in reality.

Disabilities are portrayed as being scary or having twisted thoughts that any normal able person wouldn’t have. It is more of a mental disability that a physical a good example of this would be the joker from batman as he is portrayed as an evil character. This is further emphasises in the dark shots with little lighting to further show that he is a sinister character.

Gravity

“Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices”. To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the media area you have studied?

I agree with this statement as the majority of films that make a large, successful profit, have good distribution companies working with their films. A film needs distribution to make a decent profit as the largest films take advantage of the wide variety of formats that films are now available on. Large, successful distribution companies such as Twentieth Century Pictures, work alongside big blockbuster films so that both are able to make the most amount of money possible. For example 'The Avengers' was released in 2012, directed by Joss Whedon, the film was distributed by Walt Disney and Paramount Pictures. The films all A List star cast and the fact that the two distributors are some of the largest in Hollywood and in the world meant that The Avengers was able to gross over $1.5 billion. The equally as large budget of $220 million was completely overtaken. Films with smaller distribution companies, directors, budgets and actors regularly make less money than others. An example of film that didn’t make its money back is Dredd, the 2012 the remake of the British comic series only made $41 million at the worldwide box office. The film was distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors, which, in comparison to Paramount, is a small distribution company. The film was released on fewer formats and didn’t manage to make any of its $45 million budget back. As well as the distribution of the film the media productions helped in the failure of this movie. The films low budget only allowed for limited special effects, meaning visually the film wasn’t very impressive. The cast wasn’t A list and the niche audience all contributed to the low gross this film made. This goes to prove that if a film wants to make a profit, or come close to making any of its money back then it needs to get distribution from a large, famous company and allow a big enough budget to create good special effects and get an appearance rom at least one big name. An exception to the rule of fancy media productions and high budgets is the Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson’s 2014 comedy had a budget of $31 million and managed to get a gross of $59,076,019. This film succeeded due to the nature of the actors starring in the film. Wes Anderson is a renowned Hollywood director and managed to get many A list stars to feature in his film, because of this the film managed to gain a larger audience. This low budget film goes against the rules of a film having to have large special effects to gain a large gross.

The use of marketing of films works in the same ways as distribution does. A film needs to have a good marketing campaign if it wants to be able to do well at the world box office.  Films spend a lot of money on marketing to ensure that their film can do the best it possibly can and create the largest total gross possible. For example, the entire budget of the Avengers was $220 million, over $100 million of this large budget was spent purely on marketing. This is a good example of how marketing is a key factor in the success of a blockbuster movie. Even lower budget films are helped by a successful marketing scheme. For example The Grand Budapest created a very successful marketing campaign. Including extras included with the DVD and Blu Ray disks. The films trailers, posters and other marketing features were created to help sell the film to different audiences worldwide. Different forms of marketing are used by different films to attempt to draw large crowds to see the film. Social media is commonly used by marketing schemes to further advertise the movie. Sites such as twitter and Facebook are used to spread the word and share clips or trailers from the film. Marketing is a crucial part of creating a large gross for the production. If the marketing of a film is unsuccessful then the film is likely to be also. How much a film is marketed or spread around allows the film to become more successful.

I agree that distribution and the use of different media productions is a crucial part in the success of a film as without these two factors, a film would be less  advertised and less developed, meaning less people would go and see the movie.

The Street Representation of Disability through Editing

The Street Editing

Sherlock Holmes Representation of Gender

Representation of Gender - Sherlock Holmes

Gender is represented in many different ways throughout different forms of media.

In this clip mise en scene is used to represent different stereotypes of gender. The dark walls of the room represent the anger and violence that men are capable of. The only lighting in the room comes from the fire that allows Holmes to escape, this is used to foreshadow that the fire will help him when it comes to leaving. The men in the first scene are sat in a dark cart, this represents that these men are dangerous and that men as a gender are more violent and dark than women. Clothing is also used within mise en scene to represent gender. The main character in the clip wears a dirty white shirt with his sleeves rolled up. This is used to imply that Holmes gets thoroughly into his line of work and doesn't mind getting dirty hands. This is used to make Sherlock attractive to women. In this clip he is represented in a heroic manner and also as a man that doesn't mind getting his hands dirty, this is done intentionally to make him attractive to women and works similarly to Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory, except in reverse. When Sherlock gets on the boat the women hands him a towel, representing that women's purposes only lie in a motherly role, as she does nothing else to help Holmes.

The sound in this clip is used to represent gender stereotypes in a similar way to mise en scene. The sound in this clip is used to build up tension, as it gradually increases in volume. The emphasis in the sound when the males are fighting further increases the point that this is very stereotypical of a man being loud and boisterous. The only change is sound and music takes place when Sherlock gets onto the boat, with the women, showing that he feels safe when she is there. This could also further increase the idea that women are too weak to fight and get endangered as there is no threat when she is present. During the scene on the boat every character speaks, except the women, this shows that at the time the film is set women's opinions weren't seen as valid or needed, as they were also seen as being less intelligent and less important. Aside from being present on the boat the women does nothing to help rescue Sherlock, this further emphasises the idea that women are the weaker gender and don't like to get their hands dirty.

Gender is also represented through the use of editing. Different editing techniques are used in this clip, this allows different representations to be made. Editing is used to represent gender when the flashbacks take place. The scenes in the flashbacks appear dangerous and violent, this is shown through the connotations of the redish tint that the scene has, the fact no women are present in these flashbacks further represents that idea that only men get involved in dangerous and violent activity. Camera angles and shots allow the audience to get different views on different characters in the clip. A close-up shot is the only shot used when the women is present on screen, this represents the narrow minded view that many men had when this film is set and when it comes to women, which is that they are inferior and less intelligent to men.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Representation of Disability

Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Representation of Disability

The majority of the people in the world take disability as a serious issue. In the clip, the disabled boy is shown as weak and pitiable as he is unable to complete many simple tasks by himself, such as climbing up stairs, drinking and taking off his clothes.

In the first scene the women opens the door to her flat and the camera lowers its lens to look at the boy in the wheelchair. This gives the impression that people look down at people with disabilities and they are weaker than everyone else. As the boy enters the flat the audience can see the deep red walls which could signify love and kindness of the women. In many of the angles in this scene the dad is stood behind the boy in the wheelchair, however you cannot see the boy because the camera is too high, this represents that disabled people are often overlooked by society.

Later in the clip the boy is shown helpless as his dad has to help him get onto the bed, obviously this shows his helplessness, it also is a suggestion that the rest of people with disabilities are the same. The girl shows concern for the boy and doesn’t lock the door as she is worried the boy will be scared, this also shows a suggestion that disabled people are weak and incapable of looking after themselves.

The boy is positioned on a bed covered in multiple cushions and thick duvets, this signifies the protection that society thinks disabled people need, when it isn’t always necessary. When the boy is handed a glass of champagne he is unable to hold it and appears to be not experienced with alcohol, this may represent that disabled people don’t socialise and go out drinking as much as any other person would.

Gender in TV Drama

Gender in TV Drama

Gender is represented in many ways across all forms of media, the form one with the largest variety of gender characters and gender stereotypes is TV.

There are many different stereotypes of gender that are represented in TV. A gender stereotype shows one narrow minded view of a certain gender, for example a woman would be stereotyped as being weaker than a man and conscious about their looks, where as a man would be stereotyped as being insensitive and controlling.

In the TV series ‘Banshee’ Rebecca Bowman is shown as being physically attractive, unintelligent and weak, as her uncle is able to completely control her. Characters such as Rebecca Bowman are very stereotypical female characters as they are portrayed as being naïve, unintelligent and promiscuous. 

In the TV drama ‘True Detective’, Woody Harrelson plays ‘Martin Hart’, the character is shown as being very stereotypical of a male character. For example he regularly cheats on his wife, which shows he has little regard for women and is very insensitive. He also is a crime investigation detective, showing he is vaguely clever, as well as being physically athletic and aggressive. Similar too many other stereotypical male characters ‘Marty’ Hart is violent, overpowering and intelligent.

   

In many TV dramas the 4 areas of textual analysis are used to represent gender, for example different camera angles can be used to show the power of a character. TV dramas regularly place the cameras slightly below a male character so that the audience is looking up at the character, showing his dominance. The opposite effect is also used on self-conscious, weaker female characters, but with the camera looking down on them.  Sound can also be used to create the same effect. A deep undertone non-linguistic sound can be used to suggest dominance. Mise-en-Scene and the characters clothes, as well as surroundings, can be used to suggest that particular characters social standing in a hierarchy.

The gaze from Sarah Ghost

Representation 100 Words Reduction

Representation is the construction in any media of aspects of ‘reality’. All media texts are re-presentations of reality. They are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us. Every media form is a representation of someone's concept of existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which can be read by an audience. Without the media, our perception of reality would be very limited, we need the media to make sense of reality. Representation is a fluid process, producers position a text somewhere in relation to reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship to reality.

Representation and Textual Analysis

7 areas of representation and 4 areas of textual analysis

7 areas of representation

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class and status
• Physical ability/disability
• Regional identity

4 areas of textual analysis

Camera shots, angle, movement, composition

• Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide show, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the should shot, and variations of these.
• Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
• Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
• Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field - deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.

Editing
Includes transition of image and sound - continuity and non-continuity systems.

• Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
• Other transitions: dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.

Sound

• Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.
• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound, synchronous/asynchronous sound, sound effects, sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.

Mise-en-Scène

• Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and makeup, properties.
• Lighting: colour design.

Gender in TV Drama

Gender in TV Drama

The representation of gender is portrayed in many different ways across all aspects of media. The type of media with the largest variety is TV.

Many different stereotypes of male and female characters are used to give a certain element to add to the TV drama. For example a common stereotype for a dominant man in a TV drama would be someone who is physically athletic and attractive to a female. In the majority of TV dramas and other forms of media a female is shown as being weaker compared to the male characters and usually ends up falling for one. It is rare in media that a women character would be dominant and not need a male to accompany her or fall in love with her at one point in the drama. Many people believe this affects real life, males thinking they are dominant and females thinking less of themselves.

Laura Mulvey came up with the term “Male Gaze” that shows how women are represented in media purely to please men. Many TV dramas show this in the form of many characters across many shows, in these shows the female characters aim to please a certain male character by being overly sexual by using facial expressions and gestures. An example character of this could be Rebecca Bowman from Banshee, who regularly aims to please Proctor by sexual means.

The opposite of these characters would be dominant male characters that the women are shown to want to please. The male character is often supposedly attractive, powerful and dominant over females. These characters also can affect people’s views on society. Men may think they have to be attractive in order to make a women like them or they may start to treat women as objects as the supposedly “good looking” characters on the television do.  Many characters across media are represented like this, such as ‘Jax’ from sons of anarchy that is attractive and seems to be a dominant male character that appeals to women. 

Many see the dominance towards male characters in TV as being sexist and that it reflects in the way women see themselves 

The Inbetweeners – Disability in Media

In this scene the disabled girl is used for a comedy element, although the majority of the people in the world take disability as a serious issue, it is regularly used to create humour. In the clip, the main character throws a Frisbee that coincidentally hits the head of a girl in a wheelchair, the girl is used to create a sense of humour.

 In 1991 Paul Hunt observed the perceptions of disability throughout media and modern day society. He spoke of how disability is regularly used to create a comic element in many different types of media. Hunt described the use of  others weaknesses as a form of humour as being around since the ancient Greeks, this old method of comedy is used in this clip to show that the disabled girl is weak, which is why the character felt so bad (and therefore why the scene was funny to the audience) when the Frisbee hits her.

The makers of media aren’t always mocking disability by using it to create humour, for instance, in this clip it is used to show the luck, or the lack of it, that the character has, because his Frisbee hits the girl instead of going where he wanted it to. The stereotype of a disabled person is weakness, meaning any other ‘weak’ group in society could have easily replaced the disabled girl’s position in this scene, e.g. a child.  The disability of the girl isn’t the key part of creating the humour in this scene, meaning that the clip could still be funny despite the girl’s ‘weaknesses’.

Disabled people are often shown in humiliating circumstances in media, meaning other disabled people will often see this happening on TV. A disabled person, specifically people with a similar disability to the girl in the clip (cerebral palsy) may be offended by watching this scene as it portrays people with similar disabilities as being weak and pitiable.

As a society we tend to pity people with disabilities as they appear weaker and less abled than the rest of us. We don’t do this to be patronising or to mock, just to be nice and try and help. However many disabled people have shown they are more than capable and are able to complete massive challenges on their own, the Paralympics is a prime example of this. 

Moving Image Glossary from MissCTurner

Representation of Gender – Wire in the Blood

Representation of Gender – Wire in the Blood

Throughout the clip gender is represented in many ways, different types of textual analysis are used to represent gender. Camera angles are used in lots of ways, at the start of the clip an over the shoulder angle shot is used throughout a conversation between the two main characters. The man tells the woman that she did her work wrong and then he begins to walk off. The women pleads for him to stay which indicates women are weak and need men alongside them to do their work correctly and tell them how to do their job. As the man walks away a long shot is shown which means you can see all of his body, this gives the impression that there is distance between them and the further he goes the more unable she is. The height of the camera angles also shows the different powers of the characters, as the man walks away he is positioned above the women on the screen, this represents the male dominance in society on whole.

In the next scene the man is looking through photos and files about the dead girl. The camera angles change fast and rarely stay consistent throughout this scene, this tells the audience he is thinking and that his thought wave is a little bit crazy.  the editing in this scene also gives the same impressions, jump-cuts give the impression of his thought pattern. However this scene also gives the audience the impression that the man is the more intelligent character in the partnership, as he is doing the work and the women is not there. The mise en scene in the room gives the impression that he i intelligent. in a certain clip, butterflies are showed hanging from the wall in a frame, this a stereotypical feature of a man that is interested in science.

The next scene shows the woman at home with her son, she is panicking about finding the boy a babysitter, this shows a very stereotypical single mother that cannot seem to juggle her work life with her child. in comparison to the last scene with the man in his house, this house is shown as being messy and uncontrollable, this gives the impressions that women are incapable of living in a controllable house without a man present. Then her male partner turns up and enters the house through two swing doors. This may be slightly suggestive and have sexual connotations as he is able to enter the women's house with ease. The man ends up looking after the child. This implies the woman wouldn't be able to cope without her male companion as he turns up and 'saves the day'. The camera follows the woman during this scene and isn't very stable, This represents the woman’s instability with her single life.

The establishing shot of next scene shows a big car pull in to the drive of a dark loomey house, this gives the immediate impression of danger and villainous characters. as the man enters the scene non-verbal noises are played in the background that raise tension and gives further impressions of danger.
as the bald man walks h#into the room he is standing above multiple men sitting on the floor. this automatically shows he is more important than them. other ways that dominance is shown in this clip is though the other actors avoiding eye contact with the villain as he prowls the room.

The final scene in the clip shows the male looking after the young boy. The lighting becomes brighter than in previous scenes and the music becomes faster and more energetic, This implies the child is having a better time with the man than he does with his Mum. However it also may represent the stereotype of men being more childish than women, implying that males never grow up as he is having fun playing with the popcorn. When the boy and the man sit down the boy tells the older man how his mother struggles to cope and is always tired, this further represents and shows women as being weaker and less able to cope with problems than men.

Paul Lazarsfeld limited effects theory from Sarah Ghost

Beyoncé 1+1 video

The music video has many connotations and Beyoncé herself is shown as being very sexual and suggestive. Throughout the video there are many suggestions that make the audience believe she has had sex, e.g. the water looks like sweat and messy hair. Sounds are also used throughout the song to also show signs of sexual intercourse. For example heavy breathing and high pitched “ooh” sounds, give suggestive connotations of sexual intercourse. 

As well as sounds and body features, Beyoncé uses body movements and motions to add extra connotations and hints of sex. When the camera is pointing at the singer with just a black background, she rubs her neck and strokes her body with facial expressions that may suggestive a sexual feeling.

The video is clearly aimed to be very sensual and sexual and designed for male gaze, which suggests that males are dominant and women’s purpose is to please men. At one point in the video a still of Beyoncé with blown back hair and red lighting staring directly into the camera is shown. This picture could have many connotations. In Greek mythology a famous name appears man times, “Medusa”. This still image could be linked to Medusa in the sense of the long strands of hair that look like snakes and a glaring stare that (due to Greek mythology) could turn a man to stone. This comcomparison is fitting in many ways as medusa is said to have attracted men with her beauty before turning them into stone, which could relate to Beyoncé using male gaze and sexualisation to get more fans and views.

Throughout the video Beyonce uses many facial expressions as connotations, the most regularly used is the ‘Invitational’ smile. Marjorie Ferguson theorised that there are 4 male gaze facial expressions used in media. According to these the ‘Invitational” expression is the closest to hers. The lips are closed and a sexual look gives the audience ideas. 

Sexuality Stereotypes

Sexuality Stereotypes

Common Stereotypes

REPRESENTATIONS – COMMON STEREOTYPES

True Detective Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_HuFuKiq8U

The establishing shot at start of the clip shows  a few characters entering a building with guns and other weapons, this tells the audience from the start that these characters and dangerous and looking for trouble. The shot does not change and continues to run an over the shoulder shot whist the characters force their way into the house and threaten the people inside the building with violence. The main character then is followed by the camera around the house whilst he checks for any other people, when he finds a child in a bedroom he tells him to hide in the bathroom, an indication that this character may not be as bad as the others breaking into the house. The camera then follows him back to the centre of the house where the rest of the gang are holding the members of the people in the home hostage. The camera is angled at an over the shoulder position in able to give a hands on perspective to the viewer, this is supposed to make them feel involved and intimidated by the chaotic scenes. When a member of the intruders fires his gun and kills an innocent member of the group originally inside the house, the character that has been the centre of the cameras attention appears to change his motive and punches a member of what the audience thought was his gang, he then forcefully escapes and makes the man he punched escape with him whilst grabbing on to his shirt. After exiting the house the main character is attacked by what appears to be a random man. The camera zooms out to a long shot that allows the viewers to fully watch the action as the main character fights of two attackers with baseball bats and catches up with his fleeing victim. Throughout the 6 minute running single track shot there are many different camera techniques, angles and shots, however not all are clear as the running, nonstop and non-edited film creates a feeling of chaos that merges all these techniques into one. A running camera with majority of it being mid shot, makes the audience involved, you feel as you are running with the character and feel the need to escape the chaos as the character does in this very scene.

Audience and Institutions-the 7 Key Concept Areas Listed And Explained

Audience and Institutions-the 7 Key Concept Areas Listed And Explained

Section B: Institutions and Audiences

Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;
• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary (current) media practice

The depth and range of ownership across a range of media and the consequences of this ownership for audiences in terms of the genres and budgets for films. How for instance, can Channel4's Film4 survive in the British market place against the high concept, big-budget films made by Newcorp's FOX, Warner Bros, Disney, Universal, etc.? What kinds of niche audiences are left for Film4 to attract? Are mass audiences out of reach given the genres of films Film4 have the budgets to make? How successful have they been in reaching mass audiences with their films? How healthy is it that just a few mega media groups can own such a range of media and can decide what the public may see, and, perhaps, shape audience's tastes?

• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing

 Digital technology is enabling various media to converge in hubs, platforms and devices. For instance, mobiles phones do a lot more than act as hand held telephones: you can download and watch films and TV programmes, use them as alarm clocks, watches, play music on them, take photos and short films, text, go online, use GPS functions, a range of apps, and a whole lot more. New HD TVs, Playstations, X-Boxes, iPads, Notebooks, MacBooks, etc. are also examples of hubs which in which a variety of media technologies can converge for convenience for users. Media convergence is having an enormous impact on the film industry because of the ways in which institutions can produce and market for audiences/users on a widening range of platforms, capable of receiving their films.

Synergies can come out of an organisation's size; smaller media organisations such as Channel4 can-cross promote their films, etc. but the scale of cross-media promotion is nowhere near as great as that which can be gained by massive media organisations. Film4 is therefore unable to promote their lower budget films on a level playing field.

• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange

The audience's ability to interact with films by, for instance, using digital technology to put extracts on You Tube and overlay new sound tracks on them, etc. and make answering videos has been greatly enhanced by Web 2.0; Film studios can make films using CGI, greenscreen and other special effects that were impossible to make only a few years ago. The ways of filming and editing films have changed, too, with the introduction of digital film and film cameras, editing software, laptops, digital projectors, etc. Distributors market films using the latest software for designing high-concept film posters and trailers. They can use phone apps., online marketing, Twitter, etc. File-sharing and piracy are growing issues because the software exists to take the protective encryption of DVDs, etc and WEB 2.0 enables people to make and share copies of films easily. One way in which film companies are trying to get around this is by releasing films soon after theatrical release by selling them on video-on-demand, premium TV channels and downloads. US and UK cinemas chains are not happy about this, especially after all the investment some have made on digital equipment, projectors, etc. which unfortunately quickly goes very quickly out of date!

• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences

This means the increase of something: i.e. digital cameras, software, CGI, 3D films, film genres, etc. which are part of current trends; how significant is this for See Saw Films or Film4? Or are they still able to be successful without it by making films with genres that do not need the latest breakthroughs in digital technology? Research the film company's use of cameras, special effects, software, posters, digital distribution of films, etc.

• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences

This is a WEB 2.0 issue and how technology is coming together in hubs like laptops is one of the features of our age; the mobile phone in your pocket is a great example of technological convergence: it can do so much more than a simple phone call; think how this is affecting film making at the production, marketing and exhibition stages? The Internet is acting as a hub for many aspects of film: you will find film posters, YouTube videos on films, interviews, trailers, official film and blog websites, etc. on it.  Audiences can also remake their own films by creating extracts and running new scores over them and then posting them on YouTube. This often leads to answering videos, never mind the comments, etc. that people make  on such sites. The internet, film and videos games seems to be converging in so many ways. People can watch films in a range of ways, using an astonishing range of hardware and software. They can also find audiences of their own. This amounts to free publicity for film institutions for their films and "A Long Tail" sales into the future through endless exchange.

• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions

"Slumdog Millionaire" was originally aimed at Asian audiences living in various parts of the UK and also at Danny Boyle fans. The film's unexpected success at film festivals and being nominated for the Oscars led to another theatrical release and a crossover from the "indy" art-house into the mainstream. British film makers often make social realism films and aim them at local and regional audiences whereas this would never be enough for the major media players who tend to make high budget, high concept films. They have boutique offshoots who make and often distribute lower budget films, aimed at more high brow audiences. Disney's Mirimax and Fox's Fox Searchlight are examples of such boutique, art-house film distribution.

• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour
How you consume films whether it is as a social activity after visiting a shopping centre or on an MP4 player or Playstation, is what is at issue here. Visit Pearl and Dean to see how multiplex cinemas are adapting the experience of cinema-going to gain audiences. In an age of falling DVD sales, home cinema and an increase in downloading for both music and film audiences are changing in how they want to consume film. Identify trends and consider where the audience trends are going in the near future.

This unit should be approached through contemporary (up-to-date) examples in the form of case studies based upon one of the specified media areas. 

Representation of Me

Representation of Me

Skins Representation of Age

Skins Representation of Age

Film Production

Writer: Screen writers research and develop scripts so that they can be adapted and turned into a film by the crew and cast. Quentin Tarantino often helps and takes part in writing his scripts.

Producer: The producer of a film is in charge of making sure the film goes to plan. They insure everything runs smoothly, by hiring the crew and by putting together a talented cast.

 Casting Director: A casting Director’s job is to find actors to play the roles in the film. They have to sit through many auditions and interviews to insure they select the actors they think are right to play the part in the film.

Director: The director is the main person in charge when making a film, they tell the actors what to do and how they should do it so it should looks good when the film is finished. They bring the script to life by visualising and creating a structure to the film.

Film Finance: The people who are in charge of the film’s finance deal with buying items to create the film and make sure the producer sticks to a budget.

Camera Operator: A camera operator’s job is really in the name; their jobs include operating and preparing the camera and the equipment needed with it. They also work alongside the director to work out what bits need shooting and at which angle.

Editor: Once the film is finished the editor works closely alongside the director to make sure everything looks how it should and whether anything needs changing or cutting.

Production Designer: Production designers define and manage every visual aspect of a film and work with the Director and Producer to produce a budget and schedule for making the film.

Marketing: People working in marketing are responsible for promoting the film by creating trailers, posters and adverts in various other forms to attract attention of the film before it is released.

Exhibition: Cinema exhibition is how the film is viewed. The film tape/ digital copy is sent to cinemas around the world for the film to be played on various cinemas.

5X5

Favourite Five Albums

1.      The Wytches – Annabel Dream Reader

2.      My Bloody Valentine – mbv

3.      Cream – Strange Brew (The Best of Cream)

4.      Drenge – Drenge

5.      Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am is, That’s What I’m Not

There is a wide range of music genres and types in my five favourite albums, certain music reminds me of certain places, like the first Arctic Monkeys album reminds me of holidays as a kid as it was regularly played. 

Favourite Five Films

1.      Trainspotting

2.      Youth in revolt

3.      Nowhere Boy

4.      Submarine

5.      The Grand Budapest Hotel

All these films are interesting, none are maybe the best visually or action wise however they are all films I could watch over and over and still not grow tired of. Films with an interesting story line that interests you whilst at the same time as entertaining you.

Favourite TV Series

1.      The Following – An American crime drama that follows the story of a murderer setting up a string of highly intelligent murders, attacks and cults. The programme is intelligent and tense, leaving you to sit on the edge of your seat the whole time.

2.      The Walking Dead – An American horror drama that tells the story of the zombie apocalypse sweeping the world through a deadly disease and how the survivors manage to survive. Moments of tension between zombies and even other human’s makes you think what would happen if the world actually did end up like this.

3.      Skins – A British comedy/grim drama that follows the lives of teenage youth in Bristol. The programme makes you feel for some of the characters and loathe others cleverly giving a personality to a character. Many now famous British actors featured in early series such as, Nicholas Hoult and Dev Patel.

4.      Peaky Blinders – A period drama set in Birmingham in the early 20^th Century follows the lives of gang culture and family rivalries and is based on the stories of the notorious ‘Shelby’ family. The programme interests the viewer with some of the best staging and backdrops I have ever seen on any TV programme, as well as this, the British actors and period costumes are incredible.

5.      Orange is the New Black – An American comedy/drama that is set in a female prison.

Favourite Five Bands

1.      Cream

2.      The Smiths

3.      Catfish and the Bottlemen

4.      The Wytches

5.      Lower Than Atlantis

The variety in music choice is based on the mood and what I feel like. Five bands is extremely hard to pick so I went for five different sounding music and picked my five favourites from these categories. It is impossible to listen to one style of music and never stray. Some bands are mellower and some more heavier, some older and some newer. All intriguing and extremely good in their own way.

Favourite Five Actors

1.      Michael Cera

2.      Nico Mirrallego

3.      Scarlett Johansson

4.      Emma Stone

5.      Woody Harrelson

I don’t know much about actors or acting skills so I went to my favourite films and selected the most interesting characters and thought about which actors managed to completely transform themselves into another person on film, as that’s what makes a good actor.