Task 3 (P4,M4,D4) Individually Be able to develop responses to media products

Over the coming weeks we will look at some key theories relating to your subject. By the end of this task you should be equipped to analyse any media text using the theories that we will explore together.








Key themes
Critical approaches: eg content analysis, semiotic analysis, structuralism,
Genre: according to production technology, eg film, video, audio, print, digital; distribution method, eg television, cinema, radio, internet, CD, iPod, mobile
phone, home computer, hand-held consoles; generic codes and conventions (content, style, symbolic, cultural, technical); changes over time, eg in
audience, ideological shifts, re-definition, obsolescence, spoof, pastiche, parody
Narrative structures: narrative, eg single strand, multi-strand, closed, open, linear, non-linear; alternative narrative; enigma; climax; equilibrium
Representation: negative; positive; of social groups; of social issues; stereotyping; presence and absence


Task
Produce an article for the advertising magazine Screen Critic.
 Explain Narrative theory and the work of theorists Vladimir Propp, Tzvetan Todorov, Levi Strauss & Roland Barthes.
 Watch the Fairy Liquid adverts below …. critically, taking notes
 1.analyse genre characteristics
 2.analyse narrative structures
 3.analyse representation of characters

Fairy Liquid adverts for analysis:
▪ 1960s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taEaSfPtbY&nohtml5=False
▪ 1960's to 70's https://youtu.be/u4rXDKU_m-w
D51A3ECBDE7F4B305E03D&FORM=VRDGAR
▪ 1980s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO_vx96rSb4&nohtml5=False
▪ 1990s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mki1Zto7JZo&nohtml5=False
▪ 2000s (from 0.21 to 0.51) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLMfHbEWOcI&nohtml5=False

▪ 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb7neUBxEhc&nohtml5=False


Deadline: Noon, Friday 10 th February 2017 To moodle task 3 

HAND IN LINK TO MOODLE HERE

Semiotics Part 2

Watch this as a refresh
 This video as an example of how to conduct analysis




 Watch this one if you did not attend last Tuesday's lesson or if you want to view the content again.



Now choose a couple of fairy liquid adverts of your preference from the list below this is part of the main assessment for this unit need to analyse as part of their assessment for this unit. Write about these on your blog using some of the key terms from handout 1 and 2 to help you.

Use this to help you Handout 2: Application of Semiotic Theory and Analysis

Fairy Liquid adverts for analysis:
▪ 1960s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taEaSfPtbY&nohtml5=False
▪ 1970s (from 7.46)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=1970s+fairy+liquid+advert&&view=detail&mid=51A3ECBDE7F4B305E03
D51A3ECBDE7F4B305E03D&FORM=VRDGAR
▪ 1980s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO_vx96rSb4&nohtml5=False
▪ 1990s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mki1Zto7JZo&nohtml5=False
▪ 2000s (from 0.21 to 0.51) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLMfHbEWOcI&nohtml5=False
▪ 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-2pkdA_vkk&nohtml5=False
▪ 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb7neUBxEhc&nohtml5=False

You should focus on representational issues depending on the media product they are analysing, for example, the various representations of ‘masculinity’ found in men’s lifestyle magazines. Forming an understanding of changing representations of characters and issues in television sitcoms and soaps is also useful in approaching questions about the redevelopment and redefinitions of representations. Other examples are women in Film Noir, youth in soaps, short films and sitcoms, celebrities in newspapers and magazines, and the ‘ordinary person’ in reality television. Games and interactive media are a new arena for understanding representation and learners could consider issues such as how gender is constructed and represented, who is present or absent, and who is positively and who negatively represented within the narrative of a large-scale computer game.




https://www.filminquiry.com/analyse-movies-signs/

Task 3: Adverts and Genre

Task 3 requires you to discuss THREE areas: Narrative Theory, Representation and Genre. Today's session will deal with how we can identify and understand genre conventions in adverts.



FIRST!

Write out how you think we might define the genre of TV adverts. Answer the following questions:

• What distinguishes adverts from other kinds of TV programming?
• What kind of images would we expect to see in an advert?
• What kind of characters do we tend to see in adverts?
• What sort of expectations do you as audiences have of adverts?
• Can you identify the different kinds of adverts that there are?
• How do advert styles merge with one another, pastiche or parody existing adverts?

SECOND!

Get into groups of three or four and plan an advert. You can advertise whatever product you want (as long as it actually exists) and it's up to you whether you want to act it out or simply describe it to the rest of the class. After you've presented your idea, the rest of the class will ask questions about how your idea fits the definition of the Advertisement Genre.



THIRD!

How much do you think adverts have changed over time? Think about adverts that you used to see when you were kids. Were they particularly different to adverts now? Are the representations of gender, sexuality, race or class any different? Why might adverts need to change as time progresses - surely washing up liquid does the same thing now as it did in the 1960s?


Get into to two groups. One group will argue that Adverts are different and have moved with the times, the other will argue that they are exactly the same now as they ever were.

Tuesday Group Task 3: Adverts, Genres and Theorists

Task 3 requires you to discuss THREE areas: Narrative Theory, Representation and Genre. Today's session will bring everyone up to date on the narrative theories and then deal with how we can identify and understand genre conventions in adverts.

FIRST!

I'd like you to get into groups - those that missed last week's session teamed up with someone who was here. The person who was here last week is the 'group expert'. They will take the next 10-15 minutes to explain to the others the narrative theory of either Propp, Todorov, Levi Straus, or Barthes.

SECOND! (part a)

Those that missed last week will now put together a presentation that they will give to the rest of the class on the theorist they have just been told about. Outline what they said about narrative and apply their ideas to your own examples

SECOND! (part b)

Those that WERE here last week will now move on to this topic of genre. Write out how you think we might define the genre of TV adverts. Think about the following:

• What distinguishes adverts from other kinds of TV programming?
• What kind of images would we expect to see in an advert?
• What kind of characters do we tend to see in adverts?
• What sort of expectations do you as audiences have of adverts?
• Can you identify the different kinds of adverts that there are?
• How do advert styles merge with one another, pastiche or parody existing adverts?

THIRD!

Those working on the theorist presentations will present to the class, and the 'group experts' will evaluate whether or not the presentation is accurate, and will apply the theory to the advert genre.
The 'group experts' will then discuss how we define, understand and respond to the genre of TV advertisements. The rest of the class will say whether or not they agree with the definitions.

Semiotics and Representation Part 1

Aim of session:

To investigate the terms or representation and semiotics and apply this analysis finally to a Fairy liquid advertisement.

By the end of the session you will be able to:-

• Recall our understanding of analysing visual codes
• Explain semiotic terminology for analysing media texts.
• Apply and practice using terminology using a range of examples.
• Analyse an example of a Fairy Liquid TV Advert of your choosing using semiotic analysis.
• Evaluate your own analysis with peer and teacher feedback

Handout 2: Application of Semiotic Theory and Analysis

Using the analysis sheet handout 2 , You will be assigned a group number. View the and analyse the the example that relates to your group below write notes in the handout about that example.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Examples take from this article. https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/may/26/eight-ads-shatter-gender-stereotypes





Now choose a couple of fairy liquid adverts of your preference from the list below this is part of the main assessment for this unit need to analyse as part of their assessment for this unit. Write about these on your blog using some of the key terms from handout 1 and 2 to help you.


Fairy Liquid adverts for analysis:
▪ 1960s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taEaSfPtbY&nohtml5=False
▪ 1970s (from 7.46)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=1970s+fairy+liquid+advert&&view=detail&mid=51A3ECBDE7F4B305E03
D51A3ECBDE7F4B305E03D&FORM=VRDGAR
▪ 1980s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO_vx96rSb4&nohtml5=False
▪ 1990s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mki1Zto7JZo&nohtml5=False
▪ 2000s (from 0.21 to 0.51) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLMfHbEWOcI&nohtml5=False
▪ 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-2pkdA_vkk&nohtml5=False
▪ 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb7neUBxEhc&nohtml5=False

You should focus on representational issues depending on the media product they are analysing, for example, the various representations of ‘masculinity’ found in men’s lifestyle magazines. Forming an understanding of changing representations of characters and issues in television sitcoms and soaps is also useful in approaching questions about the redevelopment and redefinitions of representations. Other examples are women in Film Noir, youth in soaps, short films and sitcoms, celebrities in newspapers and magazines, and the ‘ordinary person’ in reality television. Games and interactive media are a new arena for understanding representation and learners could consider issues such as how gender is constructed and represented, who is present or absent, and who is positively and who negatively represented within the narrative of a large-scale computer game.

TASK 3 Introduction

Task 3 - to be completed individually

Learning Outcome: To be able to develop responses to media products

You have been commissioned to produce an article for the magazine Screen Critic, applying Narrative Theory to a selection of Fairy Liquid Adverts

• Explain the ideas of Vladimir Propp, Tzvetan Todorov, Levi Strauss, and Roland Barthes
• Analyse a selection of Fairy Liquid advertisements from the 1960s to today, analysing genre characteristics, narrative structures and character representation

Deadline: Noon, Friday 10th Feb 2017 in the Media Technician's Office

So, Today, we will be:

Getting into four groups, each one to research one of the four theorists below. Although you will be doing the task individually, you can research together. Share a computer if you have to, but make sure that you all contribute to the presentation on these guys:

  

Overview of all four:

http://www.slideshare.net/guest9e3b3b/narrative-theory-2104298

 

Vladimir Propp

http://www.slideshare.net/jordan_house/vladimir-propp-14561275

 

Tzvetan Todorov

http://www.slideshare.net/Katrinabrookes/todorovs-narrative-theory-24244633

 

Levi Strauss

http://www.slideshare.net/laurenminns/strauss-binary-opposites

 

Roland Barthes

http://www.slideshare.net/sarahlambe/barthes-5-narrative-codes-12063567

 

Each group will present an explanation of their theorist's ideas, applying it to their own example (don't use the same examples as the slideshows do!).

As each group presents, you must all make bullet point notes on each theorist - you'll need your own notes to complete the task.

After each presentation, the other three groups will feedback whether or not the theory makes sense to them - and if it doesn't, we can discuss what we think the idea is about

Deadline Friday 20th January 12:00

’

Deadline: Noon, Friday 20^th January 2017 A link to your blog needs to be pasted onto Moodle Unit 6 Task 2: here

Task 2 Help

Use the following headings to help you put together your information on each of the following theories

Theory

• Passive or active consumption; 
• Hypodermic needle model; 
• Uses and gratifications theory; 
• Reception study including Responses (negotiated, preferred, oppositional and participatory).

Questions for each theory

1. What are the key characteristics of this theory, explain in your own words how this is theory works?
2. Draw a diagram of find another way other than words to explain this theory 
3. Find and use a Media example (Poster, Film, TV show, Social Media) that you could apply this theory to? How would you measure the effect on the audience to show if this theory is successful?

2b

 Apply Reception Theory to the documentary Bowling for Columbine (Moore:2002). Identify the director’s preferred reading (encoding), along with the possible audience responses (decoding) of dominant, negotiated, oppositional, and participatory. Give textual examples to support your findings.

For help go here Bowling For Columbine & Audience Response

 Discuss how the Effects Debate (particularly Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic) contributes to the Moore’s argument.

For help go here  Task 2b Media Effects Debate Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic

Deadline: Noon, Friday 20^th January 2017 A link to your blog needs to be pasted onto Moodle Unit 6 Task 2: here

TASK 2

Task 2 a & b (P3,M3,D3) Individually

Understand how media audiences respond to media products

Audience theory: hypodermic needle model; uses and gratifications theory; reception study; passive or active consumption

Effects debates: eg effects of exposure to explicit sexual or violent content, effects of advertising, health concerns; censorship debates

Responses: negotiated; preferred; oppositional; participatory; cultural competence; fan culture

Task 2a

Write an article for a media education website MedEdUK, which helps GCSE students to understand the key concepts of media theory. This section of the website is entitled Understanding how media audiences respond to media products: Audience Theory the Key Concepts.

v  Explain with examples and names of relevant theorists the following key theories and ideas surrounding Audience Theory:

• Passive or active consumption;
• Hypodermic needle model;
• Cultivation model;
• Two step flow model and how these influence the Effects debates (sex/violence/censorship);
• Uses and gratifications theory;
• Reception study including Responses (negotiated, preferred, oppositional and participatory).

v  You also need to explain how these relate to and influence the Effects Debate (sex/violence/censorship).

Remember to include examples and where appropriate diagrams, together with your sources.

Also, use the peer teaching resources, the resources in the LRC (Media text books), and on moodle!

It is not sufficient to copy and paste from another website or book, or simply to copy the material used in the peer teaching exercise, you must use your own words and your own examples.

Deadline: Noon, Friday 20^th January 2017 A link to your blog needs to be pasted onto Moodle Unit 6 Task 2: here

Task 2b

This is the second part of your article for MedEdUK, which helps GCSE students to understand the key concepts of media theory. This section of the website is entitled Understanding how media audiences respond to media products: Audience Theory the Key Concepts. 

v  Apply Reception Theory to the documentary Bowling for Columbine (Moore:2002). Identify the director’s preferred reading (encoding), along with the possible audience responses (decoding) of dominant, negotiated, oppositional, and participatory. Give textual examples to support your findings.

v  Discuss how the Effects Debate (particularly Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic) contributes to the Moore’s argument.

Deadline: Noon, Friday 20^th January 2017 A link to your blog needs to be pasted onto Moodle Unit 6 Task 2: here

Task 2b Media Effects Debate Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic

Task 2b

This is the second part of your article for MedEdUK, which helps GCSE students to understand the key concepts of media theory. 
This section of the website is entitled Understanding how media audiences respond to media products: Audience Theory the Key Concepts. 

 Apply Reception Theory to the documentary Bowling for Columbine (Moore:2002). Identify the director’s preferred reading (encoding), along with the possible audience responses (decoding) of dominant, negotiated, oppositional, and participatory. Give textual examples to support your findings.

 Discuss how the Effects Debate (particularly Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic) contributes to the Moore’s argument.

Does the media reflect the real world or intervene in shaping the way that we understand it?

Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic

Mean world syndrome is a term coined by George Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is. Mean world syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory. Gerbner, a pioneer researcher on the effects of television on society, argued that people who watch television tended to think of the world as an intimidating and unforgiving place.

A moral panic is a feeling of fear spread among a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society.^[1][2] A Dictionary of Sociology defines a moral panic as "the process of arousing social concern over an issue – usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media."^[3] 

The Violence In the Media Debate

“Violence is one of the most fun things to watch.”—Quentin Tarantino

“You have to show violence the way it is. If you don't show it realistically, then that's immoral and harmful. If you don't upset people, then that's obscenity.”—Roman Polanski

“How a society channels male aggression is one of the greatest questions as to whether that society will survive. That's why I am not against violence in the media, I am against the glorification of immoral violence.”— Dennis Prager

“A lot of people in the movie industry tend to run and hide from it like ostriches. Movie industry people are definitely in denial right now, but you do become desensitized to violence when you see it on the screen so often. Let's face it, violence exists for one reason in movies, and that's to get an effect, create an emotion, sell tickets.”—Madeleine Stowe

“Exposure to violent electronic media has a larger effect than all but one other well known threat to public health. The only effect slightly larger than the effect of media violence on aggression is that of cigarette smoking on lung cancer."”—L. Rowell Huessman

taken from  http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/mediaviolence/violence.php

Moral Panic

You need to

Discuss how the Effects Debate (particularly Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic) contributes to the Moore’s argument.

In your words how would you describe Mean World Syndrome/Moral Panic?

How would you apply this to Moore’s argument in Bowling for Columbine? 

Further viewing





http://videogames.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001608

Bowling For Columbine & Audience Response

Today we'll be covering some examples to help you with the Task 2b piece that you're submitting on the 20th. By the end of the session you should have a good foundation to write up the first half of your essay on Bowling for Columbine...

FIRST!

Get into 3 equal sized groups (one of you will be the Dominant response group, one will be the Negotiated response group and the final will be the Oppositional response group)

The Task: You are a pressure group, campaigning to the government about advertising.
Look at this poster Protein World's Weight Loss Collection:

Each group must put together a PREPARED STATEMENT outlining their group's point-of-view on the poster. Remember that you are trying to convince a government body about this advertisement, so make sure that your statement is clear and structured.

SECOND!

Each group will present their statement

As we go around, the other two groups must evaluate whether they think that the statement is a) convincing, and b) accurately reflects their given response (be that Dominant, Negotiated or Oppositional)


Watch the trailer for Bowling for Columbine

What do you think Moore's preferred reading is? What message are we meant to come away with?

Look on youtube for clips of the film (there's plenty of 3 to 5 minute scenes)


Write up what happens in the clip, how it is supporting Moore's argument and what the Dominant, Negotiated or Oppositional response would be.

Now look at a nearby person's clip and think about how your chosen response would apply to THAT clip

Evaluate the choice of clip and response of the person sat closest to you


THIRD!

Finish up your initial movie clip and response paragraph

Begin to write up notes on a second clip and another response

Look for a third clip on youtuube for whichever response you haven't written about yet

Critical Approaches - Refresher

TASK NUMBER ONE!

Just how much can you remember of the three theories that you were introduced to before Christmas?

Get into groups of three or four and write up a 'crib sheet' for ONE of the following (I'll assign you a theory):

• Uses & Gratifications
• Reception Theory
• Passive & Active Audiences

Discuss the theory in your group, and then write out the basic outline of the theory as you remember it (I can always help fill in the gaps) - don't just jump online and copy the answers!

TASK NUMBER TWO!

Using another group's crib sheet as your guide, watch this clip and think about what the theory would say about it - it is important that you don't get distracted by what YOU think, but rather what the argument of the theory would be.

Once you are confident that you know how the theory would apply to this clip, you must now turn it on its head - discuss and write a critique of the theory: why does it fail to take into account everything that might be going on in this clip?

TASK NUMBER THREE!

Individually, you should write up a brief summary of both the benefits and the drawbacks of ALL THREE theories based upon what we have discussed in class