P1: Media & Rep

Music Videos

Friday 4th November 2022

LO: To develop the language of media analysis

1) This is an album cover for Pink's album: "I'm not dead".

2) The genre is pop rock.

3) The target audience would most likely be teenagers or young people, who enjoy upbeat music, possibly women because she seems like a feminist singer.

4) The artist is represented as a wild and unique singer who seems like she has unruly and likes to push boundaries. She seems like she is an independent woman who knows exactly what she wants.

5) The connotations of this are her stance is powerful, expression is fierce and the style and font that she has used is over the top and crazy as well. Also, the clothes she is wearing stand out which could suggest that this album could be about not fitting into society.

Media Language

Media language is how media communicates meanings through forms, codes and conventions. 

It can generally be split into four areas: mise en scene, sound, camerawork and editing (particularly for genre conventions).

Think about:

Media Representations

Media representations are how the media portrays events, issue, individuals and social groups.

Think about:

Media Contexts

The set products in relation to three media contexts are: political, social and cultural. 

What has to be taken into consideration is how the set products have been influenced by or developed in response to each context.

Political Context 

The government, policy and public affairs of the country. 

The way in which power is used or is achieved in a country or society.

Social Context

Social context is where people live together or interact with one another on a day-to-day basis. 

The social structures by which we live our lives, such as religion, education, family, media communications, laws and government.

How do these structures affect our behaviour, values and thinking?

Cultural Context

Cultural context is related to the society where individuals are raised in and at how the culture affects behaviour. 

It incorporates values that are learned and attitudes that are shared among groups of people. 

It includes beliefs, meanings, customs, ideas, language, norms.

Denotations = The facts that are unchangeable.

Connotation = Elements that are arguable. The meaning behind things based on our personal views.

Mise En scene is French for “putting in place/stage.” In films, it often refers to “what is put in a scene.” It is the intentional composition of different elements of the film to portray meaning and mood.

The denotative elements of the album ROYALTY are:

A man with lots of tattoos and wearing nothing from what we can see except jewellery is holding a baby in his arms who is also not wearing many clothes. The baby appears to be asleep, and the man has a straight-faced expression. He has a neat haircut, and it is in black and white. There is a plain background and a parental advisory sign in the corner.

the connotative elements of the album ROYALTY are:

The fact it is in black and white could suggest that it is a downbeat or more serious album with a sadder tone to it. The mise en scene of this picture shows the importance of these two people and that the songs are most likely based around them. The jewellery he is wearing shows the importance of riches and wealth, and contrasts with the fact he is wearing no clothes. Both of them wearing very little could also suggest exposure and vulnerability.  Him holding the child with such protection could suggest that even though he seems quite clearly wealthy, that he would rather take care of family (which we assume she is to him) than his belongings.

HOMEWORK QUESTION

“The products constructed to market James Bond Films are designed to offer a clear appeal to a wide global audience of young males aged 17-35” 

Discuss.

Throughout the representations of these three advertisements, I agree that they are marketed towards the male audience of ages 17-35 and younger heterosexual men in general. In the 'Dr No' advertisement, they use mise En scene in the image to create a sense of male superiority which is portrayed by the fact that James Bond is placed cleverly more forward than the woman, to highlight him as the character of importance and he is wearing upper class clothes and holding a gun, showing his dominance. This appeals because men would like this masculine appeal and enjoy the feeling of superiority that they can share with the man pictured in the image. Within the image you can see that there are four different women to the right of James Bond, all paying attention to him, and it looks like they are lining up to get to him. Bond, however, is paying no attention to them, which could be an example of him objectifying and using all these women to his benefit, meaning Van Zoonen can be applied to this advert. Most noticeably, the women are all in a state of partial undress which stereotypically would definitely appeal to young men within this age range. The fact they are wearing so little could imply that this series includes sexual scenes between Bond and multiple women, and some men would be intrigued by this factor, being able to watch beautiful and ideal women. This would be specifically interesting to the young men of the 1960's since they only viewed women as objects of their sexual desire. Also, the editing of this uses bold colours that typically appealed to the male audience since it is mostly shades of red and yellow, giving an almost comic book action style appeal to it. Finally, we can see from the image that all of the characters are white which links into the cultural inequality and racial difficulties within the 1900s. Even though the 1960s marked the year of the civil rights movement and things began to improve in terms of racism subsiding slightly, it is clear that there was still a lot of discrimination, and it would still be a while before they advanced to the level which we have now. By making all of these key characters white, it would still appeal to a wider range of young males who may still be discriminatory and give them a sense of power.

 In the advertisement for 'Octopussy', there are various similarities and differences between it and the 'Dr No' advert. There is more of a focus in this one of only two characters in a full shot, with James Bond standing in front of a beautiful woman. This woman however appears to have multiple hands which could imply a few different things such as that she is able to completely manipulate him in different ways, sexually, emotionally and with material objects such as drinking (like she is holding in one of her hands) or through violence (showed by the knife in her hand) etc. Another theory could be that the arms belong to multiple women that show how much of a women magnet he is, and how many women he can attract and get a hold of. This could be an example of Smelik's theory since the woman seem to be posing a threat to him, manipulating him in a way. She is also, much like the first advertisement, wearing skimpy clothing, with her dress clearly see through at the bottom and a huge slit up the side of the dress, exposing a lot of her tanned skin. This would be attractive to the male gaze, and they would be inclined to watch this film because of this beautiful girl wearing minimal clothing. Although this film is from the 1980's, there is still a clear superiority of Bond, as he is stood there in a bold stance wearing expensive looking clothes and holding the gun that suggests the air of action and danger he holds, appealing to the male audience of ages 17-35. This differs with advertisements from the 2020's since nowadays, we focus on female roles in a less sexual way generally, allowing women to be the strong character like in Mulan or Black Widow for example.

This advert for Skyfall is very different to the previous two advertisements. Skyfall is a 2012 Bond film, so the most recent out of the three. Within this we can compare the fact that there are no women featured and only one character which is the main one himself. This tells us that this film is a much more action based one than the other two and that there isn't a key focus on sexualising women like there is in the other two. The shot that is taken is a medium close up of Bond in a position laying down whilst holding his gun out, mid action. This could imply that he is in a state of vulnerability because of the fact he is laying down on the ground, meaning it is harder for him to reach safety. There is editing at the bottom of the image to make a dusty effect, showing it is all very rough and could also imply a stripped back and simpler but to the point and action filled film, much like the advertisement itself. Men of this particular age would find this appealing since they typically enjoy watching action packed films with another every day normal looking man playing the character of such a strong man. The audience has definitely changed since the 1960's since now there is not so much of a focus to have beautiful women in the advertising, and there is no woman being sexualised on the front, showing us that the audience now care more for the plot and action, whereas in the 1960's it was all about the romance and objectification.

Wednesday 9th November 2022

Semiotics 

LO-To understand the terminology and theory needed to analyse music videos

Semiotics refers to how a signifier can have a literal denotation (a red traffic light) but it might signify a greater meaning (connotation) like stop/danger/attention. The sign is what tells you the connotations. A sign is basically a denotation. Sometimes a certain shot is only used for practicality. Not every camera angle has specific meaning.

At the beginning when Clarice enters the prison area shown with a handheld shot where Lecter is standing, there is a handheld pan sweep to an establishing shot that includes the whole of his cell and Lecter himself. He is stood there staring, like he has been waiting and aware of her arriving, showing him with a strange expression on his face that emphasises his psychotic nature, and showing us exactly where he is and what sort of environment, he is living in. He is a serial killer, and we can see that he has nothing else to be doing since he was already waiting for her.

There is a close up of Lecter's face as he is tilting his head back and sniffing the air, which highlights how much of a disturbing character he is because he is trying to smell Candice's scent. We can see him in extreme detail here and the focus on his expressions helps us to establish clearly what sort of a man he is: perverted and messed up.

Supermodel - Maneskin

What representations are constructed in the video?

The track opens with lead singer as he describes the mysterious woman in the video: “Alone at parties in a deadly silhouette. This woman is represented as a beautiful, slim and mysterious woman who has woken up incredibly drunk, wearing a revealing dress. The mise En scene shows us that this party was very wild, seeing as various people have been placed in different places within the room, wiped out. In the lyrics, we can see that we should not be fooled by her outward appearance and charm. There are various points within the video where the woman is shown in a medium close up shot, showing that she is the character of focus throughout the video. Also, from the editing of the video, there is a clear grainy filter which gives the video a more sophisticated style but also makes us feel as an audience like we are watching a short movie. There are also some deep focus full shots such as the one showing one of the band members by the pool. As each of the band members are introduced in the video, they begin as medium close ups before they get into action, making us focus on these new introduced characters and that within the video, they will be key characters to pay attention to. There is a close up of the mysterious blonde haired woman's feet as she is walking showing her powerful and confident strides then a slow-motion part as she is walking past their car and one of the band members recognises her as we see her face react. The band members are all actors within this video showing their audience that they are more than just singers and making an interesting storyline to hook us into their lyrics and song. As the chase begins, the camera angle changes to a low angle shot while they are all running to emphasise the lack of power, they all have now, and that they are all in the same position, running away from or after each other mindlessly. On the lyrics "You just look a bit like her dad" the camera focuses in on a pair of middle-aged men, who were working in a kitchen, looking rather angry which is following the stereotypes of a dad, being slightly on the large side, bald and appearing fierce.

Friday 25th November 2022

LO-To explore the purpose, forms and conventions of a music video

Music Videos

What are the main purposes of music videos?

Used in Heaven:

-Camera goes between focus and un-focusing

-Medium close up and close up shots helps us to identify with her, the closeness links to the closeness we can feel towards her compared to the other characters.

-Range of angles

-Establishing shots

-Location of bedroom, streets, in a vehicle, bus stop, church

-Switches to different characters, a shot pan sweeping a woman at medium range from bottom to top

-Shot of the sky=heaven and man raising his hands to heaven. She sings towards the sky for the majority of the time

-Editing and cutting follow tempo of song

-Colour grading=moody, grainy and cold to reflect the mood and the area. This shows the social realism.

-Creates realism

-Urban soul/dance genre

-Could be represented like an angel or somebody who follows a religion. I think she is a gospel singer in a church.

-Has natural lighting

-Props are used to illustrate realism

Wednesday 30th November 2022

LO- To explore the conventions, contexts and representations in Heaven

-Feminine and beautiful with lots of makeup on

-Giving a self confident look as she is looking into the camera

-Lots of pink, her hair is dyed pink and there is a desaturation that gives the picture a pink tint, and the coat is rose gold so also pink showing her importance and femininity

-High quality photo shows her high status and fame and importance

-Bare arms and see through clothes  

-Stance can show intimidation and superiority with low camera angle

-Flawless skin which could be airbrushed to remove imperfections

-Eyes and lips are highlighted to draw our attention to them

Where was 'Heaven' filmed and who directed it?

Heaven was filmed in Bethnal Green, London and Jake Nava directed the music video for the song.

How was it released?

Heaven was uploaded to her YouTube channel.

Can you find any quotes or press releases from either the artist or the record label about  the video and what it is supposed to be about?

-"The track starts quite pleasantly but gets better as it goes on and gradually gets more dramatic. It's a good example of a style that's currently in vogue, but I don't see it doing any better than her competitors."

-Robot Pigeon said that the song "stunned" them when heard the song. Saying; "drum'n'bass meets gospel pop giant. It's a spine tingling track that showcases an enormous vocal talent while at the same time ticking all the good boxes in modern urban music."

Binary Oppositions

-Temptation vs salvation, drugs vs religious iconography, sleaze vs purity, morality vs immorality, fear vs freedom

-Old man and young lady

-Close up of cross then woman getting intimate

-Dodgy man in the alleys then two young innocent children

-Man with tattoo of angel wings then another man with intoxicants

Religion

-Body language, prayer, lighting, iconography

-Hooded figure carrying cross- carrying the weight of the world

-Catholic iconography- statues of Mary, Cathedral, Rosary Beads

How has Street Life been represented in Heaven?

In Heaven, street life is represented as both positive and negative throughout the video. A positive representation of street life is shown in the scene where the sun is shining down on someone who is walking, which gives positive connotations of light and hope, showing that even in darkness there is light. It creates a positive representation of the street life this person lives within.

On the other hand, negative street life is exemplified in the shots of people smoking. Mise-en-scene has  negative connotations of drug abuse and creates the impression that people who live in central areas abuse drugs and alcohol. The video has a feeling of purity and angelic giving the impression that they are being questioned and that is a concern, connoting ideas of temptation.

Friday 9th December 2022

LO-To explore the use of media language and intertextuality in case study videos

Trumpton and Camberwick Green TV series

Trumpton and Camberwick Green are both British stop-motion children's television series. First shown on the BBC from January to March 1967, it was the second series in the Trumptonshire trilogy, which comprised Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley based around the English real life which was completely subverted in the music video. They are the animation style and characters that the Burn The Witch video is based upon.

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man is a horror/thriller film about a man called Sergeant Howie who arrives on the small Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the report of a missing child. A conservative Christian, the policeman observes the residents' frivolous sexual displays and strange pagan rituals, particularly the temptations of Willow, the daughter of the island magistrate. The more Sergeant Howie learns about the islanders' strange practices, the closer he gets to tracking down the missing child. 

The satire of conservative ideology that The Wicker Man engages in points to a growing, concerning trend in conservative rhetoric: reduced to nothing but a culture war, anyone who hails themselves a saviour of the “old-fashioned” way of life can rise to great power, regardless of their morals or ethics.

News reports of immigrant farm workers

There are higher proportions of international migrants in some industry sectors more than others; particularly the 14% of the wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants workforce are international migrants. EU nationals are employed here and 12% of the financial and business services sector's workforce are international migrants of which are EU nationals. 8% of workers in manufacturing are EU8 nationals.

Clear parallels with representation of tomato workers and immigrant workers in Burn the Witch. The contrast between the animated series that teaches children about community values with the screwed up storyline used in the video contrast heavily.

Red crosses painted on doors=plague crosses date back to 1665's Great Plague of London and beef wellington made from an entire cow.

Nazi propaganda films

During World War I, the British discovered the power of films to shape public opinion (see reading, Western Front at the Cinema in Chapter 3). The Soviets made a similar discovery in the 1920s. It began with the newsreels, short film-based news reports that in those days were played before feature films. In Germany, those newsreels showed the nation as the Nazis wanted it to be seen—rich and powerful in comparison to its neighbours. But propaganda was not limited to newsreels; other kinds of movies made in Nazi Germany also expressed the government’s political and social views. 

Explain how and why your music video uses intertextuality effectively.

There are many examples of uses of intertextuality in 'Burn the Witch' such as the storyline following the story of 'The Wicker Man. Whilst Radiohead uses the innocent characters from the children's series Trumpton and Camberwick Green to portray their story, they use a dark and demonic storyline to do so. The Wickerman is a horror/thriller film about a man arriving on a small island to investigate reports of a missing child where pagan ritual and frivolous behaviour unfolds along the side of his investigation. This storyline is linked in with the storyline that we follow within the music video of Burn The Witch and we can see the links between cults and mystery in both. In The Wicker Man, there is also the giant structure that they set alight at the end like in Radiohead's music video. Radiohead compares the xenophobia with paganism. It juxtaposes the rural and quaint connotations of Trumpton with paganism in The Wicker Man. 

Wednesday 4th January 2022

LO-To explore viewpoints and ideologies, contexts and audience response to music video case study

Burn the Witch

Nationalism- The townspeople participate in pagan rituals rather than Christian or other religions and do not seem to accept other beliefs because of how strongly these affect their lives.

Xenophobia/Ethnocentrism- The 'outsider' is singled out and not accepted by the townspeople since he ends up being burnt by them. They are afraid of this man who brings this change to their lives and uncertainty. They are criticising the xenophobia and other global issues.

Individualism- Focuses on the one character and how different he is in comparison to everybody else. He is all by himself in terms of the fact that these rituals and other things are normality for the people from this village.

Globalisation- It is like the villagers live in their own world and they rely on their own resources, shutting themselves off from the rest of the world, creating their own lives independently.

Authoritarianism- They are showing that this is what their reality is right now and what is happening in the world.

These ideologies are being criticised through Radiohead's video and they are promoting the opposite of them through showing just how wrong it is.

Heaven

Hedonism- The woman walking down a dark alley at the start in a tight short red dress indicates she was heading down to meet a 'client' of sorts. There is also a brief image of a man and a woman being intimate looking partially naked. There is a use of drugs in the video which is presented as depressing and dark. It is showing people trying to escape from reality which gives the world a negative outlook.

Feminism- Emeli Sande is wearing makeup and jewellery like she is expected to by society. She is shown as having the power, opposing society, with a lighter colour grading and more angelic and positive. We only hear her voice, adding to her status and power. The men seem to be weaker, such as drug dealers, smoker, the man with wings on his back, the homeless man begging to the heavens. She has not been sexualised since she is not been made stereotypically attractive to the male eye, not showing skin, not having long hair but having makeup on.

Individualism- It focuses on her very often, alone and like she is separate to these people in a way. It focuses on individual lives rather than people all together.

How does narrative link to ideology?

What is the disruption?

The outsider coming to the village.

Is the producer saying it's bad?

No because they are trying to show how bad what is happening in the video is.

What is the new equilibrium?

The outsider being burned.

Is the producer suggesting this is how the world should be?

No, they are showing us that this is how the world should not be.

Advertising

Wednesday 11th January 2023

LO-To understand the purpose of advertising and the language used to analyse texts

Analyse the media language used in this advert.

Colours: red, black, white

Camera/edit: mid-shot, focusing on the product as well as the model, golden font

Props: red beads. perfume, black tight dress

Elaborate makeup, alluring expression, fake nails, painted red

Attention brought to the perfume being balanced on her hand and the way her arms are positioned are highlighting the product, like she is hypnotising us.

People would be interested in the beautiful women and how perfect she looks, making us want to be able to look like her.

Her expression is sort of hypnotic just like the name of the perfume

Make us think that this 'Hypnotic Poison' could make us look or feel as beautiful as this woman but in a mysterious sort of way, hypnotically beautiful

Brand identity is shown at the bottom of the advertisement= Christian Dior logo, showing us clearly the name of the famous brand. 

Perfume bottle shaped like apple- Adam and Eve, Snow White=poison

Supernatural element, gothic, vampire, witch

How do people advertise?

AIDA- They traditionally used this approach to hook audience's attention in advertising:

Attention

Interest

Desire

Action

Media Language Analysis

Humour- The high number on the clicker, and using the man who is made to look like a comedic famous actor

Lifestyle- Suggests there will be more successful relationships and have a more fun and exciting life, no matter what you look like, using a not particularly attractive looking man

Escape- Suggesting that you will be able to escape from your everyday concerns with the Lynx effect

Celebrity Endorsement- Using a man who looks like a funny character from 'The Inbetweeners'

Font- Capital bold letters representing masculinity

Shot type- Close up, showing his proud and excited expression, making the target audience believe that this is how they could also appear if they were to use Lynx

Fear- Showing that a man who looks like an average and normal man can get so much attention from women makes the target audience fear that they won't be able to compare to him if they do not own Lynx

Celebrity endorsement- Can't make a new Elvis, saying that this drink is one of a kind, comparing Coke's reputation to the iconic look and persona of Elvis Presley.

Colours- Red and white, typical coca cola colours, stand out, contrast, bright, clear branding

Elvis associated with his sideburns- Use of a coke bottle in place of sideburns=exaggeration, comedic

Lifestyle- Suggesting that if you drink coke, you will be as iconic, successful and cool as Elvis

Fear- Fear that if you never drink coke, you'll never be successful

Logo located in bottom right- Last thing we will look at in the advert and remember what exactly it is an advert for.

Elvis=greatest musician Coke=greatest drink

                                  

Celebrity endorsement- Using Andy Serkis, a famous celebrity to endorse the charity and receive donations, showing us that it is a serious cause that he really cares for so we should also.

Direct address- Saying 'we' can do it together makes this feel like a real and personal cause that we can make a difference with both awareness and donations and to get people to actually do something about it rather than run away from it or ignore it

Friday 13th/ Wednesday 18th January 2023

LO-To explore how representations are constructed in advertising

Representation

Homework: How is intertextuality used to construct meaning in one of the music videos you have studied?

In Burn the Witch, There are many examples of uses of intertextuality such as the storyline following the tale of 'The Wicker Man. Whilst Radiohead uses the innocent characters from the children's series Trumpton and Camberwick Green to portray their story, they use a dark and dismal storyline to do so. The Wickerman is a horror/thriller film about a man arriving on a small island to investigate reports of a missing child where pagan ritual and frivolous behaviour unfolds alongside his investigation. This storyline is linked in with the storyline that we follow within the music video of Burn The Witch and we can see the links between cults and mystery in both. In The Wicker Man, there is also the giant structure that they set alight at the end like in Radiohead's music video. Radiohead compares the xenophobia with paganism. It juxtaposes the rural and quaint connotations of Trumpton with paganism in The Wicker Man. 

Trumpton and Camberwick Green are both British stop-motion children's television series. It was first shown on the BBC from January to March 1967, it was the second series in the Trumptonshire trilogy, which comprised Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley based around the English real life which was completely subverted in the music video. They are the animation style and characters that the Burn The Witch video is based upon.

Different Readings

Representations require interpretations. We make judgements based on our own personal experiences, beliefs and values. This means that not all responses are the same. There are:

Preferred/Dominant Reading: agree with meaning & buy product

Negotiated Reading: accept the meaning but might not want the product

Oppositional Reading: reject the message and will not buy the product

Exam Set Texts

-The old spice 'smell like a man' campaign from 2010 was a transformative mass market campaign for the aftershave brand.

-Prior to 2011, the old spice brand was associated with a much older, more male audience.

-This campaign that sought to reposition the brand and make it more accessible to younger audiences.

-The campaign features the American actor and sports star Isaiah Mustafa.

-This poster was part of a follow up campaign in 2011 which sought to build on the success of the initial campaign.

Old advertisement:

Previous Campaigns:

-The Lucozade 'I believe' campaign poster from 2013 was part of a £4m mass market campaign to educate consumers about how the soft drink brand can help improve people's sports performance.

-It features a range of sports personalities, including footballer Gareth Bale as a key brand ambassador.

-The campaign aimed to bring to life the claim that 'it hydrates you better than water'. The brand wanted the advert to reinforce how they were combining scientific expertise with product innovation.

Old advertisement:

Previous Campaigns:

Lucozade Context:

-Shelter, the UK-based housing and homelessness charity, launched 'A home for everyone' campaign in 2011.

-As a non-commercial product, it encouraged donations to charity rather than a purchase of a product.

-It was produced for those at risk of homelessness to point them to shelter's free services and guide them to seek advice on issues around homelessness earlier.

Old advertisement:

Previous Campaigns:

Wednesday 25th January 2023

LO-To explore the changing representations of masculinity in the media and apply them to our case study

Masculinity

Traditional characteristics of masculinity shown in early representations of men, in texts aimed at men:

Violent and rough

Facial hair

Sideburns

People in power

Strong

Confident

Smart

Open shirt and medallions

Longer hair

Denim

Rugged features

I think that the old spice campaign does adhere to modern stereotypes on the one hand because they use a very well looked after and attractive man as the model, however, he does not show any different emotions and does not appear to be at all in touch with his feminine side which are both modern representations of masculinity within 2023. I think that the target audience for old spice would be older or middle aged men since the name of the product typically sound more appealing to a more mature audience. 

Friday 27th January 2023

LO-To analyse context and codes and conventions in the lucozade advert

Analysis and Context

Identify- A man with a volcano erupting from his head and his body merging into a tropical island. There are clouds, water, blue sky, a shark on a fishing line, palm trees, sand, the product in the bottom right side of the advert, information written about the product and people. The man is being represented as almost like a god, bigger than everyone else and part of the landscape and clearly a very important and eye-catching feature.

Consider- This creates meaning that there is more to this scent than just one sort of smell, that it has many different qualities and is a tropical smelling strong smell. It represents the product as unique and the type of smell that would show the power of the person using it. The target audience is for both older and younger men or even women who may want to buy a gift for their partner based on this advertisement.

Investigate- The producer has chosen to represent the product like this to create a scent that suggests strength and masculinity, or shows how a woman would ideally want their partner to smell since the man is making an alluring facial expression that appeals to the female gaze. Also, the fact that his head is an exploding volcano shows that the product could make a man come across as more of an explosive character himself, or even edgy and dangerous, possibly good at protecting a woman. Additionally, the people on the beach below the man all seem to have lots of chaos surrounding them like the crabs attacking a man whilst the man who is above them all is calm and collected, suggesting that this is what this product would do to you if you were to purchase it. The old spice 'smell like a man' campaign from 2011 was a transformative mass market campaign for the aftershave brand so through this new advertisement they have been able to attract a much wider audience of both younger and older men.

Evaluate- This use of media language is extremely effective since there are such a range of elements to it, and it is very eye-catching: as we see it briefly we wonder what the deeper meaning behind it is, catching our attention.

Context:

what are the attitudes towards men's grooming? 

Social context 

what do we understand about the concept of masculinity now?

Cultural context 

what do we associate with Caribbean cultures?

Luxury, exotic holidays, reggae music 

Friday 3rd February 2023

LO-To analyse context and codes and conventions in the Lucozade advert

Analysis and Context

Lucozade Context

History

Adverts from the 1950's show the marketing of Lucozade as a drink to provide energy when you are feeling tired or run-down. This led to Lucozade being mostly associated with sickness or poor health. It was often sold in chemist shops, strengthening this view.

1980's

-Target market has changed from the target market illustrated in the 1950's print and 1960's TV advert.

-1950's version markets Lucozade as 'invaluable in sickness'

-1960's version markets Lucozade towards mothers as 'aids recovery'

-1980's advert features Daley Thompson marketed towards younger people, particularly teenagers or young adults who need a boost of energy during their active lifestyles

1990's

-Lucozade diversified with launch of Lucozade Sport. The brand promised to 'get  to your thirst, fast'. Lucozade Sport was the first brand to launch with a sports sponsorship deal namely British Athletics and FA Carling Premiership

-Lucozade Sport Hydro Active launched in 2003, meant as a fitness water for people who exercise or go to the gym

-1998 campaign used Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, a figure associated with strength, endurance, mental sharpness, to rely on Lucozade to help her sustain her level of endurance. 'Larazade' campaign was marketed towards younger group of people, so by endorsing a popular icon, it will promote the product well

Brand Image

-By 2013 Lucozade Sport had established itself as the leading sports drink in the UK

-It no longer connotes weakness and illness but is now a product that scientifically allows athletes to hydrate and perform 'faster, stronger for longer'

Genre Conventions

-Colour palette- All of the backgrounds are very colour coordinated with the product, the pepsi has blue and blue, coke has red and red, fanta orange with orange, monster the black and green and the man on the beach in the sprite advert is wearing green just like the bottle. Bright colours, featuring the product -and highlighting it

-Font- Bold and all white to stand out against the background with a tagline

-Condensation running down the drinks to make the drink look cold and refreshing

-Neon colours for energy drinks, a dark and bright colour contrasting highlighting the eccentricity of the drink

-Splash or fizz around the drink, a depiction of energy

Analyse how media language and representation has been used in this advert 

-Using Gareth Bale as a sponsor, promoting the product as successful and enhancing. 

-Colour palette blue and yellow like the drink, very masculine

-Bold capital slogan, pun on words

-Gareth's face is looking serious and dedicated, showing us that this is genuine and important and that Lucozade Sport makes a huge difference

-Product is in the bottom right corner, close to Gareth Bale, making us see both at the same time

-He is represented as physically dominant, strong, fit, broad shoulders, intense stare

-Stats are scientific

-Lighting focuses on his face, photo manipulated to make him look robotic

-Sweat on face shows us that he has been doing sports while hydrating himself with Lucozade

-Supports traditional stereotypes, male footballer, positive though that he is top of his game

-The best people only drink the best things

-Football is most dominant sport in the UK

Friday 24th February & Wednesday 1st March 2023

LO-To analyse context and codes and conventions in the shelter advert

Analysis and Context

Charity adverts are trying to raise awareness and lead to attempting to receive donations to help a particular cause. Their audience is as many people as they can raise awareness too, particularly people who can empathise with what they are being shown. The advertisements mostly include direct eye contact, direct address, young children, washed out colours and people having empty or sad expressions. They use guilt to persuade us to donate.

Commercial adverts are trying to sell a product. Their audience is normally specific to who their product or service is targeted to. The advertisements mostly include bold fonts with bright colours and the product being sold somewhere in the image with the brand name and logo too. They use imperative verbs to tell us what to do and persuade us to buy their product.

Cultural, social and historical Context of homelessness in England 2011

How bad was the homeless situation?

50,000 people homeless

What was going on with the recession?

The recession officially ended in the second quarter of 2009, but the nation's economy continued to be described as in an economic malaise during the second quarter of 2011.

How many people rent rather than own their own house?

35.7%

What was the average income vs living costs?

For the tax year ending 5 April 2011 the median gross annual earnings for full-time employees were £26,100. For men, the figure was £28,400, while for women the figure was £22,600. The cost of living was a lot less than it is in this year but it was going up rapidly.

What sort of debt were people getting in to?

The total UK personal debt at the end of May 2011 stood at £1,452 billion.

 

Identify which technical codes are used in this advert and analyse how media language has been

used to sell the product.

The people make direct eye contact with us with serious and sad expressions, getting us to sympathise with them.

The layout focuses on their face and expressions particularly with questions to get us thinking about their situations and then about whether or not we can relate and need the help too.

The typography is sans serif, very large and eye catching in a bright, bold colour and the messages are clearly put across. All end with 'We can help'.

Imagery of darkness and tragedy with the colour palette being similar to horror advertisements.

Warning language, telling people that 'if ignored can threaten your home' makes us want to take action or try to make a difference.

Colours are typical shelter colours, red, black and white with a desaturation of their faces to highlight the dark theme and makes them look malnourished. 

High key lighting that highlights their faces which gradually fades into the black background.

Representation

What is being represented?

The charity that is helping with homing homeless people is trying to create awareness of homelessness and the negative affect it has on lives. We are presented with the idea that homelessness is a thing that anybody could find themselves facing and even that we shouldn't be so quick to assume that just because someone looks like they are healthy and have shelter, they may not, or even just be living in temporary homes.

Is the representation positive or negative?

The representation of homelessness is negative since they are trying to put across that these people are struggling through their every day lives and doing a lot worse than we are, it gets us to think that we clearly take everything we have for granted. Ultimately though, the representation of this charity is positive since they are doing what they can to help people that are struggling like they are and the advert promotes realism.

Are stereotypes used?

You would normally associate homelessness with middle aged people, specifically men in general are what we see, whereas in this advertisement the people are a lot younger, showing us that anyone of any age can become homeless, not just the people we would expect. There are also 2 women and one man which goes against the stereotypes and also makes us feel more pity since women and children receive the most amount of pity.

How is media language used to construct the representation?

Mise en scene has been used in the lighting of the images, highlighting their faces and including the fade out into the darkness behind them which implies that much like the darkness that these photos have been taken in, the people are also living their lives in darkness, without the stability that they need and all alone. The camerawork is a close up of the three individuals' faces, with a focus on their facial expressions, getting us to question their personal lifestyle situations. They have used editing to desaturate the faces of the people to make them look pale and give a more serious tone to the situation they are representing.

Explain what viewpoints and ideologies Shelter's 'A Home for Everyone' campaign reinforces.

Social duty- We have a social responsibility to help others who are in need.

Social inequality- The people look normal, like they are not struggling, but the advert is suggesting that they are at risk of becoming homeless which suggests that social inequality exists but it is represented in a way that suggests it is normality however unfair.

Stereotypes- Stereotypes of women being the ones at more risk and that need better taking care of, also that we are all at risk.

Consumerism-Consumerism is there since adverts are being used.

Individualism- Their individual thoughts are being presented and they all have their own opinions and concerns about their homeless situations.

Friday 10th March 2023

LO-To analyse representation and media language in similar adverts

Exam Format

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist. (Heaven)

In the music video 'Heaven', Emili Sande has been represented as a pure and strong-willed woman. The representations of the surrounding people and events contrast her innocent and heavenly nature.

Within the video, there are many binary oppositions presented through the mise en scene of the video. There is an example of temptation versus salvation which is shown in the scene of the man in his room smoking and doing drugs, followed by the religious iconography. This juxtaposition suggests that Emili Sande herself is a religious and pure woman in comparison to all of the immoral representations that have been shown surrounding her. Whilst the shots that show the immoral scenes have darker and lower angles, whenever Sande is shown, she is surrounded by light. She is additionally wearing a robe that is similar to a priest's robe with a cross around her neck, highlighting the religious imagery. These oppositions show us that she cares about the issues surrounding her, but has made the correct decisions in following God and remaining independent and pure. Hall's theory can be applied to the representations in this video since both negative and positive representations have been contrasted in separate lights, creating the meaning that Sande is stronger than the people who have given into temptation, and that she is a caring woman who is trying to create awareness at the same time.

Additionally, in 'Heaven' there are frequent uses of religious imagery, implying that Sande herself follows a religion. There are many examples of catholic iconography such as the statues of Mary, the cathedral, rosary beads, and the man walking through the streets holding the wooden cross. This presents Sande as a woman who is dedicated and loyal to her religion, like she is trying to show us that God and religion are her way of escaping from the cruel reality she has to face daily. The editing of the lighting, and general mise en scene of the video gives an angelic sense, which with the contrasts of the poverty and greed, connotes ideas of temptation. This could link in to the temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where they ate the forbidden fruit, something unholy and unacceptable, much like the intoxicants being consumed which follows the close up of the man with a pair of angel wings tattooed onto him. This could be Sande's way of implying that original sin can never be escaped if we carry on making foolish decisions.

Emili Sande is represented as a strong believer of feminism in the music video 'Heaven'. She wears makeup and jewellery, like society would expect of a woman, however on the contrary, she is shown as having strong, independent power of speech and opinion shown in her lyrics, that opposes societies expectations. Throughout the video we notice that her voice is the one being heard which gives her a higher status. The men that she includes in the video seem to be weaker, such as drug dealers, a smoker, and a homeless man all alone begging to the heavens. Sande goes against Van Zoonen's theory of gender stereotypes since she is presented wearing a very modest, simple dress which doesn't draw attention to her body in any way, so she is making it clear that she won't be objectified by anybody, and she hasn't stereotypically made herself attractive to the male gaze. 

Charity Adverts

Homework

Intertextuality has been used a great extent effectively within the two adverts to promote their products. In the Davidoff advert, the layout is presented like a movie poster, which is shown by the use of the words 'Featuring Ewan Mcgregor'. This celebrity endorsement implies that the product is valuable and since Mcgregor is most famously known for his action movies or adventures such as cycling around the world, it highlights the excitement and adventurous connotations of this aftershave and the possible thrills it could kickstart into your life. The use of the lighting with the bright and heavenly white light shining onto him also suggests the positive outcome that using the aftershave could lead to, that this could even make you healthier and cleanse your soul, purifying you. Mcgregor is famously known for his role in Star Wars, which you could argue that he is dressed to indicate, his character being Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is a strong, attractive and masculine character, which men looking to buy the aftershave could then aspire to become like. Additionally, in the Old Spice advert, there are many intertextual references much like the Davidoff advert. Both of these advertisements promote their product in the bottom right corner of the image so that it is the last thing that we see as we are reading from left to right, making the product stick in our mind more than it would have done otherwise. There are many film references in the advert, which we notice if we look closely at what each of the people are doing in the image. For example, the shark references Jaws, the boat sinking like in titanic, and the pirates could even link in to the Pirates of the Caribbean. Similarly to the Davidoff advert, all of the movies intertextualised are action and adventure movies, emphasising the impact that buying the product would make on your life, making you a more active person.

In the Davidoff advert, there are connotations of romance and love. Mcgregor is wearing a white collared shirt, typical for romance movies or series such as Pride and Prejudice, and he has a mysterious gaze in his eyes which is highlighted by the lighting shaping his face and the light, warm colour palette. This representation of romance would draw people in, with the idea that their love life would be as appealing, mysterious and attractive as it has been presented with the mise en scene of the advertisement within the close up shot in both adverts. Similarly, in the Old Spice advert, the basketballer and actor Isaiah Mustafa has a smouldering look in his eyes, possibly to entice the women who may be buying the aftershave as a gift for their partners. Both actors have been in romance movies, therefore are associated with love and promotes the product in a different light to how it may originally come across: with adventure and action.

The poverty advertisement uses a combination of elements of media language to communicate multiple meanings very effectively. A key meaning that is represented in the advert is the comparison between poverty and prison. The emotive phrase 'Poverty shouldn't be a life sentence' exhibits to their audience that the poverty that people suffer through prevents people from having the human rights that are required and makes them feel like they are below people who do not live in poverty. These people do not have the option for freedom and a life like others may, and we should bear in mind that sometimes people need the help but won't be able to speak up about it. The mise en scene of the image shows an image of a person, clearly struggling with poverty, in a wide shot, highlighting their feeling of insignificance and how helpless and small they think they are. Additionally, the tally of chalk links in with the representations of a prisoner, that they are counting the days that they have been trapped, showing us that people live in poverty feel exactly the same, and that it never ends for them, exemplified by the amount of lines that surround them. They can't escape from the suffering and need help.

Another possible meaning presented in the advertisement is that if someone is feeling and struggling in the way that the person in it is, we should try to seek out the help of the charity, and that there is hope for the future as they are 'Giving hope today'. The charity has included contact information at the bottom to make people aware that there are people who care and can help. There is no direct address, asking their audience to help them, this is solely a charity advert promoting both awareness and a solution. The charity clearly wish to challenge poverty and are using the advertisement to reach those in need.

The Big Issue

Friday 17th March 2023

LO-To research institutions & ideologies behind case study product

Magazine Codes and Conventions

Direct eye contact

Direct address

Masthead beginning top left

Main image is always central

Cover lines surrounding the main image

Have a pun or slogan

Friday 24th March 2023

LO-To research institutions and ideologies behind case study product-The Big Issue

1)Explain what the magazine is, why it was started, who started it  and how it works.

The Big Issue is a magazine sold on the streets by vendors, created by John Bird and Gordon Roddick. It is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn an income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.

2)Research the sort of topics covered-List them.

The Big Issue magazine that covers current affairs, including many British socio-political issues and popular culture features.  It has a very liberal outlook and ideology, with an active approach to social change, and equality, for the disadvantaged. 

It covers a range of topics such as: charities, culture, books, film, music, advertisements, politics, rights, cuisine, environment, celebrity stories

3)Find out the target audience for the magazine?

University educated people; interested in politics, popular and high culture; have a limited disposable income; middle class; be socially conscious; slightly more women than men read The Big Issue, while 60% of the readers are aged between 18 and 49.

4) How much does a magazine cost to buy as a customer?

In 2023, the price for one magazine is £4, costing £1.75 for vendors to buy.

5) What is the magazine's ethos and tagline?

The Big Issue says 'Our trade is changing lives' with their tagline 'A hand up, not a hand out

Wednesday 26th April 2023

LO-To analyse the representations and ideologies constructed

Pink background-stands out on shelves and to reflect royalty, representing the connotations of femininity

Black masthead- representing death, mourning and the dark topic.

Photo- Showing both rulers making eye contact, perhaps trusting each others ability, looking in different directions-different views, profile shot- like we see on money and stamps.

Importance of background- Focusing of the image highlighting the focus of topic.

Expressions- Peaceful and happy, positive passing the reign on to Charles.

Significance of coverline- Charles' focus is the environment (green).

'Our vendors and the Queen'- like the queen, vendors are providing for the public, they are both serving the country in some way despite their different backgrounds. 'Our' is an inclusive term. 

3 things that appeal to the target audience:

-Use of celebrity endorsement from 2 different music generations showing that this magazine is not only for a specific audience and specific appeal to music lovers.

-Focus on the earth and environment, appealing to nature lovers.

-Bright, bold colours appealing to younger audiences.

EOY Assessment DIRT

Question 5: 10 marker - 17mins

Question 6: 15 marker - 25mins

-Candidates may also refer Andrew Goodwin's specific ideas about genre in music videos.

Andrew Goodwin believed that the visuals and illustration of a music video should match up with the music and the beat.

Target: In question 5, when referring to stereotypes in Heaven, make sure to talk about religious stereotypes and how they have been used.

Target: In question 6, make sure to include judgement. Costs 5 marks. Also, maybe use semiotics.

Question 5 

Representations-Burn the Witch/Heaven

About the artist-Heaven

-Link to overall meaning of the song

-Focus on repeated shots of specific things in music video not just of one scene but of different ones, like repeated shot of Emili Sande as heavenly

What you could have mentioned:

-Camera shots, angles and movement, for example close ups on singer/wide shot of band, location/studio shots.

-Editing, for example, the recognition of shot sequence, pacing, jump cuts and other editing transitions and special effects.

-The musical performance, for example matching styles of music and the use of mise en scene.

-Identify the genre of the music and the video performance.

Heaven:

-Beliefs are constructed by shot selection of urban landscape in the music video. The artist framed in shots of the skyscrape surrounded by nature symbolising a natural and hedonistic star image.

-Music video cuts star performance with a narrative of the UK urban environment and city life.

-The editing juxtaposes the performance with the narrative images of urban life, for example, the female character shot with effects lighting.

-There is a reinforcement of heterosexual relationships between characters reinforcing dominant messages about relationships-white female is shot as though she is emotionally hurt. There are cutaways to a black male in close-up and big close-up's making a revelation about this unknown character. At times, characters look upset in the music video.

-The use of religious iconography signifies something spiritual, for example, the church window or the tattoo on the man's back of angel wings and images of the crucifix.

-Images of children are used to create empathy-they are represented as isolated, vulnerable, with the mother- needing protection.

-Lead artist singing for redemption or a journey they're making, why are they in heaven? Connoted that there is a place for everyone in heaven.

Burn the Witch:

-A music video with the song played over an animated film-alternative, artistic, symbolic.

-The artist is absent, but present in the music video.

-The music video uses stop motion animation and intertextual reference to the children's TV show Trumpton. There is evident ideology of community-rural pasts signified by the opening shots of the village as they prepare for the visit of a man in a suit being chauffeur driven-signifying the importance of this visitor or outsider.

-The nostalgia of the community contrasts fictions from the past-and is morally judgemental-hence the burning of the witch. And crossing of the doors, representation of the ducking stool signifies a paganism which was forbidden.

-The past and rural communities are stereotypical as closed communities and depicts mob rule. The community is not welcoming to outsiders-embedded in the narrative and mise en scene. For example, the city visitor in a suit is the 'alien' other to the countryside model village.

-The way of life represented is an extreme to the outsider-consider the reaction of the gentleman to the image of the gallows.

-The narrative of the video signposts the farmworkers-the suited gentleman is making notes, shakes his head at what is observed.

-When the mayor takes the gentleman to the village fayre he unveils a wicker man in which the witch hunt can be completed by burning the witch, who is the gentleman, signifying the anti-authority beliefs of the village and symbolising a human sacrifice.

Target:Use more MES in the music videos.

Target:Link more to context in The Big Issue

Political satire-making fun of politics