L06

https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2008/jul/31/isthedarkknightsuitablefo

The main point of view of The Guardian is that the film Batman The Dark Knight Rises should not be rated by the BBFC as a 12A but as a 15 due to the graphic and violent content featured in the video. I agree with the article that the film shouldn't be a 12A because anybody under the age of 12 can go watch this film with their parents. This isn't suitable because the violence and the graphicness could potentially scar the child.

Passive audience theory-Hypodermic syringe implies that media has a negative impact. Mass audiences believe everything they see/hear (Adorno and Horkheimer). In the 1940's and 50's the mass media were perceived as an extreme influence towards audience adapted behaviour. This was linked to the use of advertising and consumerism. This model does not hold much audience positivity, it is a good method for a producer, politicians and also towards the use of marketing. In 1957 Vance Packard looked at the relationship between advertising and media effects in his book 'Hidden Persuasions' He believed the media were conditioning people to want products and services with consumerism. If they're influenced by this then they will be influenced by graphic scenes.

When the 'mass media' demonise groups, people or products that they believe become a threat to society, values and interests. This is called Moral panic. Stanley Cohen (1972). The group/products are referred to as folk devils.

Anderson  (2007) says that high exposure to fast paced violent games can lead to changes in brain function when processing violent images, including dampening of emotional responses to violence. this is known as desensitisation which is a cultivation theory.

Blue planet

NRS-National Readership Survey
BARB-Broadcasters audience research board
RAJAR-Radio Joint Audience Research

1)Print, Magazines, newspapers and e-editions.
2)They join with other companies to conduct audience research.
3)Primary-Questionnare, focus goup and survey. Secondary-Web, Book.

Blue Planet 2- 13,449,000
Gender-60/40 Male-Female
ABC1-60/40
Ethinicty-White British-David Attenborough


Dennis mcQuail (1972) discussed four theoretical audience pleasues:
Escapism -Escape from reality
An example of escapism would be the film Star Wars because it is set in space which means that the audience feel like they're escaping reality when they're watching it.
Surveillance-find out info
An example of Surveillance is the newspaper the Daily Mail who report on recent events that have been happening. The audience will therefore find out information.
Build Personal Relationships-create conversations and disscusions with others
An example of a soap opera which builds personal relationships is Coronation street because the characters speak to one another daily because they live on the same street and regularly feature in arguments and conflicts.
Create your own personal identity-To help to create your own identity
An example of a magazine which helps the audience create their identity is the magazine OK because the magazine focuses on celebrities and the audience may see these celebrities as inspirational and copy their style.

L03 Theories of Representation

1) Male Gaze

Women are made for mens pleasure. In the notebook Noah builds a house for

2) Hyper masculinity  

Ryan gosling is strong and fit. An example of this when he builds a house for Ali.

3)McConnell (1995) hypermasculinity 

How the media shows us things about society-Hence re-presentation.

Key Theory 1-Tim O'Sullivan et al (1998)

For representations to work, there has to be a shared recognition of people and places. All representations therefore have ideologies behind them. Ideology refers to a set of ideas which produces a partial and selective view in reality.

It is only a partial view of reality in the Notebook because Noah builds Ali a house despite them not being together for 20+ years.

Key Theory 2- Laura Mulvey (1975)

Male gaze 

Women are objectified in media texts and passive objects 

Audiences are positioned to view the women from the point of view of a heterosexual male.

Stuart Hall (1995) Alvarado (1987)

Western/White cultures continue to misrepresent ethnic minorities as in the media due to underlying racist tendicies. Eg- non-white as the 'other', evil, barbaric, pitied, humoured. 

The antagonist in my film is the parents of Ali who are rich. This has nothing to do with race just the amount of money they have.

Key Theory 4- Earp and Katz (1999)

Men are often represented as having tendencies of pathological control and violence.

Edward said-Other cultures are 

l05 data analysis

NRS-National readership survey. Print products.
RAJAR-Radio joint audience research
BARB-Broadcasters audience research
VOD-Video on demand                                                                                              

L03 sound micro element

Diegeis is the ‘story world’/world of the narrative. How real the diegesis appears is linked to the level of ‘versimillitude’ which means the appearance of being real.

My product is set in 1946 in North Carolina. In the scene Noah and Ali are confrontational which connotes their love through their argument. They both have American accents however you can tell that Noah isnt as upper class as Ali. The sound effects used in the scene is the use of rain to create pathetic fallacy.

Diegetic sound is sound that is coming from the story. Music coming from radio or tv or band or jukebox is diegetic.
Dialogue and sound effects-Tone, accent, dialogue-words that are used and associated
Sound Effects-off screen sound-when you don’t see something you hear
wild track-sound that is recorded when filming isn’t taking place
Foley artists create sounds in the studio for health and safety.
Added to create meaning.
Sound motif-sound badge

Non diegetic music-I’ll be seeing you-scene when they’re dancing

L03 Narrative Theory

What is the difference between story and narrative?
Narrative theory:
Claude Levi Strauss-Binary Opposition-Good vs Evil
Todorov (1977)
A story is a series of events-plot. The narrative is the way it is communicated and the meaning behind it.
Narratology-To study a text through relative theory.

The product I am studying is the film ‘The Notebook’. The main plot is about a couple who fall in and out of love through the years despite parent disapproval and the war. Despite being in different locations there love never leaves.

Key Theory 1- Tim O’Sulivan et al (1998) All media texts tell us some kind of story. Through careful mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves (as a culture) these are ideologies. Ideologies are the beliefs and ideal values.

In my text the ideologies are that everyone should have one love that means more than everything else.

Key theory 2: Pam cook (1985)
The standered Hollywood structure should have
Linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution.
A high degree of narrative closure
A fictional world that contains verisimilitude especially governed by spatial and temporal coherence.
Realism- verisimilitude

The enigma in my film is that the main character Noah goes off to war without telling Ali amidst an argument which means they’re split up. They then have the enigma of finding one another again after the war ends.

Key Theory 3- Tzvetan Todorov (1977)
Stage 1- A point of stable equilibrium
Stage 2- This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of disequilibrium
Stage 3- Action directed against against the disruption
Stage 4- Restoraton of a state of new equilibrium.

The couple are in love. They fall out because ali’s Family disapprove and then Noah has to go off to war. Years later when Noah returns from war he starts to make a house for Ali whilst she is is engaged. When she learns of this she leaves her finance for Noah and they die together.

Key Theory 4: Claude Levi-Strauss (1958)
Binary opposition

The binary oppositions in the film I am studying are rich vs poor because Ali is from a wealthy family whilst Noah is a working class boy.

Key Theory 5- Vladimir Prop (1928)
All narratives feature stock characters and that audiences understand stories because of such features:
Villain/antagonist
Hero/protagonist
Helper/supportor (sidekick)
Princess (the prize for the hero) not one that is rescued or saved.

Ali is the princess because she is the prize for Noah after he builds her a house.

Key theory 6: Roland Barthes (1977)
Narrative codes:
Enigma code work to keep up setting problems or puzzles for the audience.
Action codes work inform the audience in terms of what is happening in the next shot/scene.
Always a close up insert shot edit

The enigma code in the notebook

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