Obsessed with Facebook?

The images below are known as 'infographics'. They are a way of displaying statistics through images and are often used by companies to make this information more interesting to view. It is also helpful for you in terms of gaining knowledge about the media industry, particularly about websites.

 Are we too obsessed with Facebook? - have a look at this link for another infographic and see how you compare with others. Do you look at Facebook as soon as you wake up? Why is it so addictive?

It's nearly Christmas!

The making of the current John Lewis Christmas advert. Have a look at the way the cameras are operated and start thinking of moving images in terms of constructions. It should help you to realise that everything in an advert is considered and done to create a particular effect - in this case it is to provoke emotion.



Here's the final advert:

X Factor losing popularity?

As Media students you should be aware of debates and issues surrounding the media and you should also be able to form your own opinions on these things. Below is an article about The X Factor final. 

Have a read and consider the 'talent show' formula. Why does it appear to be less popular now? Are audiences tired of seeing the same thing? Has the timing of the final (spread over Saturday and Sunday) affected popularity? Do you think these type of shows will continue or do you think they will be replaced by something different? 

 

X Factor final pulls in 13m viewers on Sunday

The X Factor live final, which was won by Little Mix, was 4m viewers down on last year

 

The X Factor live final on Sunday was watched by 13 million viewers, 4 million down on last year and its lowest audience since 2007.

The ITV1 show, which was won by girl group Little Mix, averaged 12.9 million viewers, a 44% share, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. The average number of viewers rises to 13.1 million when ITV1+1 is included.

The audience was dramatically down on the 17.2 million who watched Matt Cardle win last year's final. The 2010 final managed a 55% share of the total TV audience. Last night's final was also down on the equivalent Sunday shows in 2009, which saw 15.5 million watch Joe McElderry win, and 2008, when 13.2 million tuned in to see Alexandra Burke take the title.

However, this year's audience levels were up on the 11.7 million people who watched Leon Jackson win in 2007, when the results show was still broadcast on a Saturday night. Sunday's five-minute peak of 15.3 million on ITV1 was also down on the last few years. Last year's final peaked with a record 19.4 million viewers.

But The X Factor had the consolation of beating BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final results show on Sunday, which had 10.9 million viewers, a 40% share, earlier in the evening.

(Article taken from Guardian.co.uk)

Have you heard about the accusations of the programme being a 'fix'? Do you agree? How do shows like this try to increase their audience ratings and keep it interesting and 'fresh'?

Further articles are available on The Guardian website if you are interested in reading more. They are quite short and explained clearly but simply! Once you have clicked the media tab you can then access different types of media and current issues within the news.

 

Helpful things for practical production

Promotional videos for bands (helpful for those of you doing the music brief):







Take note of the conventions of these videos. They are NOT videos of the entire song but they do show clips of performances or the artists recording songs. There are interviews, discussions about their music and also glimpses of fans and 'behind the scenes' clips. The idea of a promotional video is that it allows the audience to feel closer to the artist or band and to feel as though they are getting an insight into their lives.


Sports moving image examples (helpful for those of you doing the sports brief)



  Apologies for the quality of this one!

Take note of who is interviewed, camera angles, what is happening in the background, voiceover and also look at the similarity between the establishing shot and the final shot of the video (particularly in the first clip)


Film trailer people: I am genuinely too terrified to watch a horror trailer but I have checked on youtube and they are much easier to find than the other two briefs so you shouldn't have any trouble watching one and finding out the conventions. A few things I would suggest are: scary music, text flashing up on the screen and fading away, a shock (to prove that it will be scary enough to keep the audience hooked) and some unanswered questions to make the audience feel like they have to see the film. There will be plenty more to find but I shall leave that up to you!

Archetypes

TV archetypes: Which one are you?
Despite their apparent diversity, prime time TV
characters still conform to four basic archetypes, according to a new
documentary series. So which one are you?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/magazine-15530737

Film trailers

We looked at film trailers in class with a focus on diegetic and non diegetic sound. You should be able to understand the difference between these and also be able to explain how and why they might be used. For example, film trailers often use non diegetic sound such as voiceovers to tell the audience about the film and what they might expect to see. Certain genres of film might have different conventions according to what is appropriate for that type of film.

Here is the 'UP' trailer.


Post your film trailer below and comment on it. Make sure it is a valuable comment showing what you have learnt so far. It can be about various things and does not just have to focus on sound. Take into account technical codes.

Does film have a future?

An article about new developments in film and the arts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15238480

Codes within media

It is important to understand the codes used in both still and moving images as you need to be able to explain these and also employ them in your own production work.

A few things you need to consider are:

Symbolic codes

• Objects
• Settings
• Body Language
• Colour
• Clothing

Technical Codes (some of these only apply to moving image)

• Cropping and Editing
• Shot types
• Transitions
• Angles

Jessie J: Pose suggesting aggression. Direct eye contact suggesting confidence and challenge towards the viewer. Make up and pouting suggesting a seductive side to her.

Professor Green: Open arms and square body suggest a confrontation or perhaps that he is open to being judged. Tattoos hint that he may have a rebellious side. Direct eye contact also suggesting honesty.

David Cameron: Positioning on the stage suggests importance. Sleeves rolled up, no tie and top button open suggests that he wants to appear more casual and approachable to the audience he is trying to reach. Open palm suggests honest or reasoning.


How editing and cropping can affect meaning:

Blurred edges and pink tint suggesting romance, innocence, dreamlike quality.

Black and white suggesting a thoughtful mood.

Green/neon colour and full image revealing beer bottle and blurred shot. A few things suggested were that it looked 'skins-like' and had a youthful, party atmosphere to it. In the previous images, his gaze upwards was interpreted as thoughtful or innocent but with the added images of the graffiti, beer bottle and motion blur it hints that he has been drinking alcohol or is at a party. The graffiti and image on his t shirt also gives a more urban feel.

Moving image:

When you watch any music video, tv programme or trailer from now on you should notice the way it has been made and what that suggests about the message that is being conveyed. Below is one of the music videos we looked at in class. Make sure you keep an eye out for more interesting things!

Notice how the cuts between shots speed up as the music speeds up. Look at your notes to recap on shot and movement types.

Facebook and Audience Theory

Can the Uses and Gratifications Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explain the popularity of Facebook?

"Sue is reading a book ... Sue thinks it's time for a cup of coffee! ... Sue can't wait to watch Lost! ... Sue WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME ATTENTION, EVERYONE."

Is the Facebook status update merely a way of seeking attention? It’s true that there aren’t many other ways of getting 500+ ‘friends’ to hear what you have to say at once, but which other needs does the social networking site gratify? If Facebook was a country, it would have a greater population than the United States ; in fact it would be the third most populated country in the world. So can audience theories be used to explain its appeal?

You all shared some Facebook statuses in class and they reveal a lot about how the site fulfils some of your needs. One thing worth considering, though, is whether you edited the statuses in any way before sharing them. Did you pick your most recents statuses or did you reject some because you didn’t want to share them? If you’re happy to share your status with hundreds of friends online, why would you be apprehensive about sharing it with your teacher and classmates?

The answer may be that we see our Facebook ‘self’ as a different version of the ‘real self’. The person represented by your Facebook profile page isn’t, in the truest sense, ‘you’. In some ways it might be the person you want to be, a slightly improved version of you who looks good in every photo (thanks to the ‘de-tag’ button) and has loads of mates. This is complicated further by Facebook’s new privacy settings, which allow different lists of friends to see different things. So a user can hide that photo of themselves drunk at the England cricket match while they were supposed to be off sick from their boss. It is possible to create slightly different Facebook versions of yourself for different audiences to view. This is another point to consider. Facebook may have a 500 million-strong audience of users, but this audience is fragmented down into millions of smaller audiences, every one of them unique. Your Facebook ‘audience’ are the people who read your updates and look at your photos. You know what your audience want and you try to give it to them. We need to think not just about how updating a status will fulfil some of your own needs but also how it provides gratification for others.

Let’s look at the FB statuses you did want to share:

1. The ‘share some exciting news’ status

JUST GOT A BABY BUNNY RABBIT!!!!

Just saw police shooting tear gas at rioters!

Maybe the trend for updating people on what you’re doing comes from the old ‘XX is’… prefix which FB statuses used to have. These statuses satisfy your audience’s need for surveillance. Generally the news that we post needs to be exciting and not mundane – ‘just defrosted my freezer’ doesn’t have quite the same effect. Though that doesn’t seem to stop some people posting such drivel….

2. The ‘amuse my friends’ status

Taught my rabbit to climb the stairs J

All this room and the cat still lies in the middle of the bed! :\

Laughing at the trolley rage in Asda

Often people feel the need to write a status that’s funny. If your status gets a good reaction (some lols and likes) you will feel a sense of belonging (see Maslow) but you will also be providing diversion for your audience. Nobody needs to know about the stair-climbing bunny, but it makes us smile on a dull September afternoon. If the user then uploads a video of said bunny rabbit climbing the stairs, most of their friends will probably be happy to waste a good 5 minutes watching and commenting on it. It’s much more exciting than writing that psychology essay you were supposed to have finished an hour ago….

3. The ‘it’s a private joke’ status

Woke up today with a massive beard! Jackson, Owen I hope your happy

Mentioning your friends in a status shows that you’re using Facebook to build personal relationships. It also creates a sense of belonging - for Jackson and Owen at least - but it may exclude others who don’t know what the heck you’re on about. Maybe that’s the point? Also the status is a little bit vague – I’m imagining someone waking up with a big comedy stuck on beard attached to their chin – so people will ask questions and interaction will come about as a result.

4. The ‘song lyrics’ status

I got the moves like Jagger

This one’s quite tricky. Facebook asks ‘what’s on your mind?’ Do we take this a little too literally when we respond with the lyrics from the song that’s been stuck in our heads all day? Do we choose song lyrics to suit our mood or that we identify with? Are we simply ‘showing off’ the fact that we’re up to date with music?

5. The ‘rant’

Blackberries are pooey

I can’t help but wonder if the original word used was ‘pooey’ or something stronger? We often use FB to complain. Personal identity could come in here. FB provides a forum for us to compare our problems with others. If someone responds with a comment to support our rant, we feel better because someone has identified with us. This could work with something quite trivial, like your frustration at your mobile phone, or something more emotional, like a rant at your ex. When someone else comments that yes, he’s a complete !@*? you will feel better.

6. The ‘my life’s better than yours’ status

I feel sorry for people at Emmanuel

This is evidence of personal identity. This person may also have posted updates about how much fun they’re currently having. They are comparing their situation with that of others, and their audience will do the same when they read the update. This type of status can boost your self esteem, if what you post is true.

7. The ‘commenting on what you’ve just seen on TV’ status

HaHaHa Arsenal are rubbish

Ever checked your FB newsfeed when X factor is on? There’s always bound to be someone who makes a comment on how rubbish that last singer was or how fit Gary Barlow looks today. We often use the TV to stimulate conversation in our own living rooms, but FB now allows us to take that conversation to a new level and share it with hundreds. It’s instant – you don’t even have to wait until school on Monday to discuss it. Many statuses will relate to other things happening on other media platforms. It’s personal relationships again. No doubt many angry Arsenal fans will have commented on this one. The status won’t update its audience on anything they didn’t know, it’s purely to provoke a little conversation or, as boys like to call it ‘banter.’

So there you have it. Do the other statuses you wrote down fit with these groupings?

Perfume advertising

You can practise deconstructing these adverts using codes and conventions of a typical advert. Consider issues of Representation and try to apply theory to them too.

Below is the Davidoff 'Champion' advert which is the moving image version of the print advert we looked at today. Notice how the man in the advert and some of the images link with the print version. This is common among most advertising campaigns and something you will need to consider for your own work.



Below this are two perfume adverts for a female audience: Vera Wang 'Princess' and Christina Aguilera 'Inspire'. Watch these and think about the conventions of a moving image perfume advert. How is it different from the print version? Is it more effective? Can it reach a wider audience?

Vera Wang print version


Christina Aguilera print version

London Riots

It is important to become more involved in current affairs so that you can understand how the media works, how different viewpoints might be put across and be able to deconstruct an article and the messages (or ideology) behind it.

Below is a link to a clip of coverage of the London Riots which took place in August 2011.

Note that the clip is from BBC News and consider the style they use to present stories and the things that they choose to include or miss out. Is social media (twitter/facebook/bbm) to blame for the riots?

UK London Riots Coverage (Youtube)

Here are various newpaper front pages from the same time.  

Look at these closely and consider the different messages given out by different papers and the way that they present their stories in print form. (Think about images used, language in the headline and the focus of the story.)

Please write comments in the box at the bottom of the post. This can include ideas on how the rioters/police/government are presented, the different styles that the newspapers use, what has been included or missed and your own thoughts on the events in London. We will discuss this further in a lesson so be prepared to have something to say!

Facebook and Audience Theory

Can the Uses and Gratifications Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explain the popularity of Facebook?

"Sue is reading a book ... Sue thinks it's time for a cup of coffee! ... Sue can't wait to watch Lost! ... Sue WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME ATTENTION, EVERYONE."

Is the Facebook status update merely a way of seeking attention? It’s true that there aren’t many other ways of getting 500+ ‘friends’ to hear what you have to say at once, but which other needs does the social networking site gratify? If Facebook was a country, it would have a greater population than the United States ; in fact it would be the third most populated country in the world. So can audience theories be used to explain its appeal?

You all shared some Facebook statuses in class and they reveal a lot about how the site fulfils some of your needs. One thing worth considering, though, is whether you edited the statuses in any way before sharing them. Did you pick your most recents statuses or did you reject some because you didn’t want to share them? If you’re happy to share your status with hundreds of friends online, why would you be apprehensive about sharing it with your teacher and classmates?

The answer may be that we see our Facebook ‘self’ as a different version of the ‘real self’. The person represented by your Facebook profile page isn’t, in the truest sense, ‘you’. In some ways it might be the person you want to be, a slightly improved version of you who looks good in every photo (thanks to the ‘de-tag’ button) and has loads of mates. This is complicated further by Facebook’s new privacy settings, which allow different lists of friends to see different things. So a user can hide that photo of themselves drunk at the England cricket match while they were supposed to be off sick from their boss. It is possible to create slightly different Facebook versions of yourself for different audiences to view. This is another point to consider. Facebook may have a 500 million-strong audience of users, but this audience is fragmented down into millions of smaller audiences, every one of them unique. Your Facebook ‘audience’ are the people who read your updates and look at your photos. You know what your audience want and you try to give it to them. We need to think not just about how updating a status will fulfil some of your own needs but also how it provides gratification for others.

Let’s look at the FB statuses you did want to share:

1. The ‘share some exciting news’ status

JUST GOT A BABY BUNNY RABBIT!!!!

Just saw police shooting tear gas at rioters!

Maybe the trend for updating people on what you’re doing comes from the old ‘XX is’… prefix which FB statuses used to have. These statuses satisfy your audience’s need for surveillance. Generally the news that we post needs to be exciting and not mundane – ‘just defrosted my freezer’ doesn’t have quite the same effect. Though that doesn’t seem to stop some people posting such drivel….

2. The ‘amuse my friends’ status

Taught my rabbit to climb the stairs J

All this room and the cat still lies in the middle of the bed! :\

Laughing at the trolley rage in Asda

Often people feel the need to write a status that’s funny. If your status gets a good reaction (some lols and likes) you will feel a sense of belonging (see Maslow) but you will also be providing diversion for your audience. Nobody needs to know about the stair-climbing bunny, but it makes us smile on a dull September afternoon. If the user then uploads a video of said bunny rabbit climbing the stairs, most of their friends will probably be happy to waste a good 5 minutes watching and commenting on it. It’s much more exciting than writing that psychology essay you were supposed to have finished an hour ago….

3. The ‘it’s a private joke’ status

Woke up today with a massive beard! Jackson, Owen I hope your happy

Mentioning your friends in a status shows that you’re using Facebook to build personal relationships. It also creates a sense of belonging - for Jackson and Owen at least - but it may exclude others who don’t know what the heck you’re on about. Maybe that’s the point? Also the status is a little bit vague – I’m imagining someone waking up with a big comedy stuck on beard attached to their chin – so people will ask questions and interaction will come about as a result.

4. The ‘song lyrics’ status

I got the moves like Jagger

This one’s quite tricky. Facebook asks ‘what’s on your mind?’ Do we take this a little too literally when we respond with the lyrics from the song that’s been stuck in our heads all day? Do we choose song lyrics to suit our mood or that we identify with? Are we simply ‘showing off’ the fact that we’re up to date with music?

5. The ‘rant’

Blackberries are pooey

I can’t help but wonder if the original word used was ‘pooey’ or something stronger? We often use FB to complain. Personal identity could come in here. FB provides a forum for us to compare our problems with others. If someone responds with a comment to support our rant, we feel better because someone has identified with us. This could work with something quite trivial, like your frustration at your mobile phone, or something more emotional, like a rant at your ex. When someone else comments that yes, he’s a complete !@*? you will feel better.

6. The ‘my life’s better than yours’ status

I feel sorry for people at Emmanuel

This is evidence of personal identity. This person may also have posted updates about how much fun they’re currently having. They are comparing their situation with that of others, and their audience will do the same when they read the update. This type of status can boost your self esteem, if what you post is true.

7. The ‘commenting on what you’ve just seen on TV’ status

HaHaHa Arsenal are rubbish

Ever checked your FB newsfeed when X factor is on? There’s always bound to be someone who makes a comment on how rubbish that last singer was or how fit Gary Barlow looks today. We often use the TV to stimulate conversation in our own living rooms, but FB now allows us to take that conversation to a new level and share it with hundreds. It’s instant – you don’t even have to wait until school on Monday to discuss it. Many statuses will relate to other things happening on other media platforms. It’s personal relationships again. No doubt many angry Arsenal fans will have commented on this one. The status won’t update its audience on anything they didn’t know, it’s purely to provoke a little conversation or, as boys like to call it ‘banter.’

So there you have it. Do the other statuses you wrote down fit with these groupings?

Perfume advertising - Media Language and Codes and Conventions

We have been working on deconstructing perfume adverts, codes and conventions of a typical print perfume advert and how to create your own advert based on what you have learnt so far.

Below is the Davidoff 'Champion' advert which is the moving image version of the print advert we looked at today. Notice how the man in the advert and some of the images link with the print version. This is common among most advertising campaigns and something you will need to consider for your own work.



Below this are two perfume adverts for a female audience: Vera Wang 'Princess' and Christina Aguilera 'Inspire'. Watch these and think about the conventions of a moving image perfume advert. How is it different from the print version? Is it more effective? Can it reach a wider audience?

Vera Wang print version


Christina Aguilera print version

In the comments box please explain the perfume advert that you created today and how you targeted your audience. Example answer below:

I decided to aim my advert towards men/women in between the ages of ______. The name I chose was _____, this was because _____________. The message I wished to convey to the audience was __________ and I did this by __________.


Make sure you write about juxtaposition, colour, language, font, pictures, the perfume bottle itself and anything else you can add! Any interesting adverts you can find based on discussions from today can also be added to the comments box.



And finally, the following advert is further to our discussion today...

The London Riots

A few of you have admitted that you don't read or watch the news as much as you should. It is important that you start to become more involved in current affairs so that you can understand how the media works, how different viewpoints might be put across and be able to deconstruct an article and the messages (or ideology) behind it.

Below is a link to a clip of coverage of the London Riots which took place in August 2011.

Note that the clip is from BBC News and consider the style they use to present stories and the things that they choose to include or miss out. Is social media (twitter/facebook/bbm) to blame for the riots?

UK London Riots Coverage (Youtube)

Here are various newpaper front pages from the same time.  

Look at these closely and consider the different messages given out by different papers and the way that they present their stories in print form. (Think about images used, language in the headline and the focus of the story.)

Please write comments in the box at the bottom of the post. This can include ideas on how the rioters/police/government are presented, the different styles that the newspapers use, what has been included or missed and your own thoughts on the events in London. We will discuss this further in a lesson so be prepared to have something to say!

Why study Media?

Congratulations on entering the sixth form and on choosing the brilliant subject of Media Studies! 

You may think you know what 'media' is already and you probably have a good idea of the different types of media such as newspapers, radio, tv etc but over the next two years you will be studying the media in much more detail and learning to deconstruct (break down) the messages that we see in front of us.

We will be using this blog as a group for a variety of things:

• to share thoughts and ideas on current media debates


• to look at articles, adverts, websites and others


• to analyse and comment on media


• to have a go at using a blog and develop your own technical skills

Your teachers will post material for you to look at and study and you will be able to comment on that in the box below. Sometimes we will ask you for a specific type of answer or sometimes we will just ask your opinion. It is important that as a young adult you are able to think for yourself and form your own opinions - that is what media is all about!

Why is the media a good thing to study?* Well here are a few reasons... 

The media interprets the past and shows us what has gone into making us the way we are as people and as a society. 

It helps us to understand the workings of the world and our individual places in it.

It is a source of modern culture and entertainment.

It requires us to learn and use critical thinking skills. 

The media is made up of major industries and these are linked to business, politics and wider issues.

The media helps us to understand and define how we communicate with each other.

It helps us to learn new technology through constant change and adaptation.

Media has become part of our cultural diet and affects our day to day lives, whether we realise it or not! It is part of our everyday environment.

The media interprets our world and its values and ideas to us which in turn helps us to understand ourselves and others.

Media is carefully planned, designed and constructed to convey a certain message. It is incredibly interesting to break this construction down and understand the messages behind it.

The media brings us political and ideological messages all the time. 

Media helps us to understand life by presenting it as larger-than-life, and compel us to think in terms of the audience.

That should have given you a small insight into what we will be doing during the course. Make sure you hold onto any magazines/dvds that you buy as these might come in helpful with your work. Any interesting articles or videos that you see can be posted on here (once approved) and links to media websites are also valuable for your studies. Good luck and work hard!

*adapted from www.medialit.org