The news room
Two Step Flow
The media we watch has an effect on the information we get.
Information is filtered through the media to the point where the media will record what has happened and we only get the parts that the media finds relevant.For example, the news reports on a story and they only air the information they think is right.
Opinion leaders pass on their information to their less active associates.
The audience mediate information, ideas and thoughts received by opinion leaders thus being influenced by a two step process, not a direct process.
A limited effects paradigm is when a social factor limits the effects of the information the media presents.
The uses and Gratifications Model
The base functions of mass communication: surveillance, correlation, transmissions, entertainment,
Surveillance of the environment refers to the medias collection and distribution of information, for example the news tells you its cold so you wear a coat.
Correlation of parts of society refers to the medias interpretations and analytical activities. For example when a charity appears on television that tells you about environmental damage so you donate to save the environment. To convey messages on the outside world.
Transmissions are when the media transmits the social heritage or norms to the audience. For example watching downtown abbey would transmit the social hierarchy to the people watching. It transmits values telling the audience who people are through the connotations.
Entertainment is the ability entertain or amuse audiences, basically keep the viewers happy. For example cartoons are made to entertain young children for hours on end.\
Blumler and Katz five base assumptions.
1. The audience is active, the audience has goals in mind when looking to consume mediated information.
2. In mass communication audiences use their own initiative to a degree. We choose what we want to consume specifically, we don't sit by and watch whatever comes on.
3. The media competes with other activities in your life to keep your attention for as long as possible. The media tries to keep you from eating, sleeping, exercising, and even other forms of media.
4. Many of the goals of mass media use can be derived from data supplied by individual audience members themselves.
5. A value judgement on mass media products is null as there are others who would disagree with those judgements, if you don't like something then you should at least try to understand why others would consume those forms of media.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Theory Lesson
Film Structures
Linear Structure - ABCD
Non Linear - CABD
Deadpool is a non linear film
hollywood mostly uses closed endings to keep the audience satisfied, but they put small teasers at the end of the credits which will make you look for a sequel soon to be released
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Binary Opposition
Focusing on the different sets of opposite values which reveal the structure of the media texts.
BVS - batman is humanity, superman is a godly being
The Martian - Survival and Death by nature
Stages of a Story - Equilibrium Theory
Equilibrium --> Disruption --> Conflict --> Climax --> New Equilibrium
Story for For the Birds
E - bird sits on the wire and is relaxed
D - other birds gather and the space is taken up, then a larger bird shows up trying to take up more space
Con - the large bird sits on the wire making it fall too low and the small birds try to get him off
Cli - the large bird is forced off the wire and the birds shoot up out of their feathers
NE - the small birds fall back down and they all hide behind the larger bird.
Character Theory
The Hero - the character who brings equilibrium to the world
The Villain - the enemy who will interfere with the equilibrium and the hero's plans, an obstacle
The Dispatcher - the one who sends the hero on there way to regaining equilibrium, usually a father/father figure
The Donor/Mentor - the donor gives the hero something to help him/her/them on their journey
The Helper - an ally to the hero
The Heroine - usually a love interest that is passive and is threatened by the villain
The False Hero - essentially a traitor
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Linear Structure - ABCD
Non Linear - CABD
Deadpool is a non linear film
hollywood mostly uses closed endings to keep the audience satisfied, but they put small teasers at the end of the credits which will make you look for a sequel soon to be released
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Binary Opposition
Focusing on the different sets of opposite values which reveal the structure of the media texts.
BVS - batman is humanity, superman is a godly being
The Martian - Survival and Death by nature
Stages of a Story - Equilibrium Theory
Equilibrium --> Disruption --> Conflict --> Climax --> New Equilibrium
Story for For the Birds
E - bird sits on the wire and is relaxed
D - other birds gather and the space is taken up, then a larger bird shows up trying to take up more space
Con - the large bird sits on the wire making it fall too low and the small birds try to get him off
Cli - the large bird is forced off the wire and the birds shoot up out of their feathers
NE - the small birds fall back down and they all hide behind the larger bird.
Character Theory
The Hero - the character who brings equilibrium to the world
The Villain - the enemy who will interfere with the equilibrium and the hero's plans, an obstacle
The Dispatcher - the one who sends the hero on there way to regaining equilibrium, usually a father/father figure
The Donor/Mentor - the donor gives the hero something to help him/her/them on their journey
The Helper - an ally to the hero
The Heroine - usually a love interest that is passive and is threatened by the villain
The False Hero - essentially a traitor
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Theory Lesson 2 - Genre
How do we identify genre?
If a film shares the same qualities as a genre then it qualifies as part of that genre.
For example: horror movies usually have low key lighting with high suspense.
action movies use explosions, intense colours, active camera work, etc.
Sci-Fi includes aliens, space, advanced technology, allot of chrome and silvers, etc.
Genre is important because it provides familiarity and when your familiar with a film it gives you comfort in watching that film, that way you know what you're watching and producers need you to be familiar with their films in order for you to feel confident in watching it.
Genres have established audiences attached to them, so anyone who likes sci-fi will go see something that meets the requirements of a sci-fi movie.
Actors are associated with genres because of their roles in films of those genres, so if you're a famous action actor then people will see an action movie with you in it, however if you're in a romance and you're famous for action it might backfire on you.
Distribution
Being classified by genre makes it easier to sell your action genre products to action fans
Helps retailers sell products by organising them.
Theorists Quotes
'Genre is a repetition with an underlying pattern of variations' - Steve Neal
Have I used the obvious codes and conventions or have I changed or challenged them.
Points, Evidence and Analysis of how you utilised the codes and conventions.
'Genres are agents of idealogical closure - they limit the meaning - potential of a given text' - John Hartley
Hybrid Genres
'Attempts to structure some order into the wide range texts and meaning that circulate in our culture for the convenience of both producers and audiences' - John Fiske
He's basically saying that its easier to categorise films by genre then it is to describe the whole premise of the movie
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The Male Gaze
Even though character scold be written with equality, however, the camera denies them the equality they should have had by focusing on shots that sexualise them in some ways.
If a film shares the same qualities as a genre then it qualifies as part of that genre.
For example: horror movies usually have low key lighting with high suspense.
action movies use explosions, intense colours, active camera work, etc.
Sci-Fi includes aliens, space, advanced technology, allot of chrome and silvers, etc.
Genre is important because it provides familiarity and when your familiar with a film it gives you comfort in watching that film, that way you know what you're watching and producers need you to be familiar with their films in order for you to feel confident in watching it.
Genres have established audiences attached to them, so anyone who likes sci-fi will go see something that meets the requirements of a sci-fi movie.
Actors are associated with genres because of their roles in films of those genres, so if you're a famous action actor then people will see an action movie with you in it, however if you're in a romance and you're famous for action it might backfire on you.
Distribution
Being classified by genre makes it easier to sell your action genre products to action fans
Helps retailers sell products by organising them.
Theorists Quotes
'Genre is a repetition with an underlying pattern of variations' - Steve Neal
Have I used the obvious codes and conventions or have I changed or challenged them.
Points, Evidence and Analysis of how you utilised the codes and conventions.
'Genres are agents of idealogical closure - they limit the meaning - potential of a given text' - John Hartley
Hybrid Genres
'Attempts to structure some order into the wide range texts and meaning that circulate in our culture for the convenience of both producers and audiences' - John Fiske
He's basically saying that its easier to categorise films by genre then it is to describe the whole premise of the movie
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The Male Gaze
Even though character scold be written with equality, however, the camera denies them the equality they should have had by focusing on shots that sexualise them in some ways.
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Audience Theory
Hegemony
This is the process of making, maintaining, and reproducing sets of meanings from given cultures.
Gamsci's Theory
Gamsci believed that the media influences the audience to follow the status quo. The media is used to enforce the support of a government.
For example Batman is someone who beats people up who don't agree with the current government.
Reception Theory
Readers/Viewers/Audiences reception of texts.
Stuart Hall developed the theory that readers have opinions in what they take in from the media, meanings can be opinionated and negotiated.
The meaning of a text is created by the relationship between the text and the reader, or the viewer and the film.
Hypothermic Needle Effect
Audiences passively soak up information from the media - this is incorrect. Stuart Hall's theory goes against this theoretical effect.
Encoding/Decoding
Encoding is when you create something with a meaning, like using colour connotations in an image.
Decoding is when the audience takes in those codes and breaks them down, like when you see red and you think things like; passion, violence, rage or blood.
A creator can never know how his/her codes will be received by the audience.
For example when you make a website intended for teenage gamers, the audience could interpret it as a gaming site for competitive adults.
When someone makes the right connections and understands the codes as intended by the creator, that is called being in a Dominant Hegemonic Position.
Not all audiences understand what is meant to be understood in a media text, this struggle to understand those meanings is called Negotiated Reading.
Some media consumers may understand the meanings in a film but they oppose it due to their own original understandings, this is called Oppositional Readings.
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In my work for the gaming website CGC reception theory would suggest that even though I am making a gaming website for young audiences to enjoy fun and casual gameplay, it could be interpreted as a gaming site for intense competitive gaming due to the inclusion of some titles that have competitive tournaments on a world class scale. Some could eve see it as a childish website to showcase gameplay to entertain passive children.
This is the process of making, maintaining, and reproducing sets of meanings from given cultures.
Gamsci's Theory
Gamsci believed that the media influences the audience to follow the status quo. The media is used to enforce the support of a government.
For example Batman is someone who beats people up who don't agree with the current government.
Reception Theory
Readers/Viewers/Audiences reception of texts.
Stuart Hall developed the theory that readers have opinions in what they take in from the media, meanings can be opinionated and negotiated.
The meaning of a text is created by the relationship between the text and the reader, or the viewer and the film.
Hypothermic Needle Effect
Audiences passively soak up information from the media - this is incorrect. Stuart Hall's theory goes against this theoretical effect.
Encoding/Decoding
Encoding is when you create something with a meaning, like using colour connotations in an image.
Decoding is when the audience takes in those codes and breaks them down, like when you see red and you think things like; passion, violence, rage or blood.
A creator can never know how his/her codes will be received by the audience.
For example when you make a website intended for teenage gamers, the audience could interpret it as a gaming site for competitive adults.
When someone makes the right connections and understands the codes as intended by the creator, that is called being in a Dominant Hegemonic Position.
Not all audiences understand what is meant to be understood in a media text, this struggle to understand those meanings is called Negotiated Reading.
Some media consumers may understand the meanings in a film but they oppose it due to their own original understandings, this is called Oppositional Readings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In my work for the gaming website CGC reception theory would suggest that even though I am making a gaming website for young audiences to enjoy fun and casual gameplay, it could be interpreted as a gaming site for intense competitive gaming due to the inclusion of some titles that have competitive tournaments on a world class scale. Some could eve see it as a childish website to showcase gameplay to entertain passive children.
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