Just one more thing...

I doubt many of you will read this before tomorrow's exam but I just saw this on MSN news and thought it would be worth knowing.

We've talked a lot about how the internet has changed the way we listen to music and also about how these changes could be damaging to the industry. Undeniably, the internet offers artists a range of ways to promote themselves and it allows a wider audience to enjoy their music; however this 'enjoyment' is rarely paid for and single sales have suffered as a result. We've looked at the ways in which artists have tried to combat this, but the 'success' of an artist is still judged by their position in the weekly single and album sales charts. Having a streaming chart changes this. The article says that Ed Sheeran was the most streamed artist of the year last year. Whilst he has had successful album sales, most people wouldn't compare him to artists like Lady Gaga or Beyonce in terms of influence - yet we are watching him more. A streaming chart could be a more accurate reflection of what we're actually listening to. It's a bit like the 'Pop Powerlist' compiled by T4, which didn't simply equate power to money but also considered things like followers on social networking sites. Surely, as the music industry changes to meet the demands of new technology, the way in which we measure the success of artists must change too?

Good luck tomorrow! :-)

Ashley Judd and feminism

Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/09/ashley-judd-slaps-media-in-the-face-for-speculation-over-her-puffy-appearance.html?fb_ref=article&fb_source=profile_oneline

Easter Revision

Hope the Easter revision is going well - or that you at least have a plan to get revising soon - the exams will come around really quickly after the holidays.

Thought I'd put the task I've set you up here, mainly for the absentees on Friday.

I want you to produce a 45 minute response to the following question using your music case study:

'Audiences are becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output.'

With reference to your case study, how far is this true?

- evaluate the roles of audiences in the creation of media products from your case study

- refer to examples from all three media platforms

The notes I gave you in class are here.

In addition, we looked at the following examples:
- use of 'FanCam' at o2 Faithless gig. Fans in different locations in the arena were given cameras to film the gig. The footage was then edited and the resulting music video was uploaded to YouTube.



- o2 Academy TV (check out the YouTube channel). Fans get to star in own music videos, submit questions for interviews with artists, and upload own 'FanCam' footage. Lots of power in hands of audience here.




Remember that you need to make your answer individual, do your own research so that you can prove you haven't just relied on the information I've given you.

When you've written it - use it! Reduce the key points onto revision cards and learn them. Test yourself on how many points you can make under each platform.

Happy Easter!
Ms Campbell

Music Videos

Music videos make an excellent focus for your case study because they are featured on both the broadcast and emedia platforms. By creating videos to go with their songs, artists are able to further establish themselves as a 'brand' and promote their music across a wider range of platforms like music channels on TV , and sites like YouTube and Vevo online.

You should have analysed at least three different videos before the exam - you will need to be able to talk about them in detail. In class, we found that the videos we studied:

• often objectified women (especially hip-hop videos)
• featured elements which were overtly sexual (desensitisation of young audience members)
• promoted patriarchal ideologies - men in positions of power
  
• have become more controversial in content (Katy Perry compared to the Spice Girls)
• use codes and conventions specific to the genre of music
• can be narrative, surreal or performance based

The videos we studied are below - but now you need to make your research independent by looking at another video for yourselves - this is required to get the top grades.

Notice how both videos come from the artists' official 'Vevo' channels.

Finally, thanks to Lottie for reminding me about literal music videos! As well as being funny, I like the way these videos break the images down into individual shots. They help you to consider the target audience and the way the artist wants to be represented. Check out Enrique's Hero video too (the literal version!).



Remember you should be bringing in your Twitter results next Tuesday!

Guardian: Open journalism

The Guardian have recently shown an advert about their concept of 'open journalism', the idea being that everyone has a say in current affairs and that news can be shared via social networking and other platforms in order to reach as vast an audience as possible. The advert is really interesting and gives you an insight into modern dilemmas within the media and how news stories can be treated. It raises lots of interesting questions in relation to recent events such as homeowners rights, press intrusion and the riots. The Guardian claim to give 'the whole picture' when reporting.

Here's a link to the article and video:

Guardian Open Journalism

What do you think about it? Will the idea of open journalism work? Will it mean there are more inaccuracies as people use social networking to discuss current affairs? 

Make sure you are always considering new and interesting things. You need to be reading and viewing various parts of the media in order to have an opinion and be able to relate your work to wider concepts and ideas.

Cross media study: Lifestyle

You have looked at a variety* of beauty lifestyle products across the three platforms now. Last lesson you each had a magazine which you needed to analyse, with a particular focus on media language and ideology. Using your notes you should answer the following question.


Your answer needs to be at least two paragraphs and written in essay style. 

You can refer to other beauty products that you have found individually, whether this be print, moving image or emedia. You can refer to other key concepts but make sure that you are still answering the question.

QUESTION:

In what ways is the ideology behind the media products in your case study communicated?

In your answer you should:
● Provide a brief outline of your case study

● Support your answer with reference to examples from three media platforms

●Consider whether ideology behind the products is dominant within the beauty industry as a whole.



*The Fotoshop viral video was posted on the previous blog entry and the other adverts can easily be found on Youtube. You should have notes on everything we have looked at so far.

Fotoshop

Have a look at this spoof advert for 'Fotoshop' - this follows on from discussions we've had about the way the media portrays beauty. This is an issue which is always relevant in our society and something you must consider when looking at images.



Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.