A-Level Media Sohail A Coursework

Thursday 31 October 2024

1) What is the history and narrative behind War of the Worlds?

It is remembered for the broadcast and for the public's reaction. This can be seen as classic example of how media can spark mass hysteria and has been widely used in discussions about audience behaviour. This was because this was an early example of hysteria from an audience this big which was mentioned all over the news at that time.

2) When was it first broadcast and what is the popular myth regarding the reaction from the audience?

The first broadcast was on the 30th of October 1938. The popular myth about the reaction from audiences was that people fled their homes in panic because they believed that the things that the broadcast was real when in fact it was a narration from the story war of the worlds.

3) How did the New York Times report the reaction the next day?

The New York Times said, “Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama as Fact.”. New York times stated that everybody was fleeing their homes in panic.

4) How did author Brad Schwartz describe the broadcast and its reaction?

He described it as not "entirely a myth". He argues that "the stories of those whom the show frightened offer a fascinating window onto how users engage with media content"

5) Why did Orson Welles use hybrid genres and pastiche and what effect might it have had on the audience?

He used hybrid genres and pastiche to make the narrative feel more real and interesting and able to create a shock factor. This ended up leading to people taking the broadcast too seriously.

6) How did world events in 1938 affect the way audiences interpreted the show?

When Hitler signed the Munich Agreement this gave people concern about things and the show may have exaggerated these concerns

7) Which company broadcast War of the Worlds in 1938?

CBS was the company that broadcasted the war of the worlds.

8) Why might the newspaper industry have deliberately exaggerated the response to the broadcast?

They may have intentionally exaggerated in order to gain views and traction so that they can profit as much as they can out if this situation.

9) Does War of the Worlds provide evidence to support the Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle theory?

War of the worlds does have evidence to support hypodermic needle theory as the theory talk about a passive and active audience. In war of the worlds, we can see a passive audience at play considering they took whatever the narrator says as truth and they actually believed that they were in danger.

10) How might Gerbner's cultivation theory be applied to the broadcast?

cultivation theory can be used since it says that a lot of viewers of television are likely to believe media messages and think that they are real.

11) Applying Hall's Reception Theory, what could be the preferred and oppositional readings of the original broadcast?

A preferred reading of the original broadcast could be that the narrative feels like it could be real and is immersive and oppositional reading could be that this could be a concern for danger.

12) Do media products still retain the ability to fool audiences as it is suggested War of the Worlds did in 1938? Has the digital media landscape changed this?

Media products generally don't have this ability anymore. This is because we now have multiple sources to reference meaning the average person nowadays is less susceptible to be fooled.

Media Magazine article on War of the Worlds

Read this excellent article on War of the Worlds in Media Magazine. You can find it in our Media Magazine archive - issue 69, page 10. Answer the following questions:

1) What reasons are provided for why the audience may have been scared by the broadcast in 1938?

some reasons that were provided were that people though it was real since the bulletins interrupted the narration which created the consciences that this was a real radio channel. Another reason why people may have been scares is due to the location as it has a reputation.

2) How did newspapers present the story?

The newspapers used this to present media and radio negatively and gave people the notion that the person behind this did this to scare people and had bad intentions.

3) How does the article describe the rise of radio?

The article describes the rise as instilling fear in other media types since radio was new at that time and could capture all aspects of newspaper and tv with the addition of music into one.

4) What does the article say about regulation of radio in the 1930s?

The article says that regulation was low at first considering it had just started gaining popularity. However, it started being heavily regulated when pirate radio was becoming more popular.

5) How does the article apply media theories to the WOTW? Give examples.

The article uses Bandura's social learning theory which talks about learning through seen experiences, cultivation theory which says that the media can have specific effects on the audiences and Stuart Hall's reception theory.

6) Look at the box on page 13 of real newspaper headlines. Pick out two and write them here - you could use these in an exam answer.

‘Radio Terror Brings Panic in All Areas; People Lose All Control’

‘Fake Radio War Stirs Terror’

Thursday 24 October 2024

Television industry contexts: Blog tasks

Television industry contexts: Blog tasks

Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas

Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. If the website is blocked or forcing you to register you can access the text of the article here. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?

The article suggests that 15 years ago if you told someone you were watching a European drama you would've been called pretentious and a bit odd.

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?

It is suggested that the appeal of his shows are accurate in terms of the culture and make it feel real.

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?

It suggests that when you read subtitles you are more glued to the screen.

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?

Some other audience pleasures that are suggested is "the locale that is such a fundamental part of their appeal. "We all love getting that insight into a different culture," says Deeks. "The unfamiliar setting gives a freshness to genre pieces."

Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on

Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?

The article says that it was released in June 2015 on Sundance TV. In the UK it was released in January 2016 on Channel 4.

2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?

The German viewing figures on the first episode was 3.19 million viewers and by the end it dropped to 1.9M. Channel 4 on the other hand had 2.13m at peak.

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?

SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83

4) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?

He uses social media to engage audiences by posting weekend picks on his facebook page. This has changed the reception as they are building a better relationship with the audiences.

The Guardian: How tech is changing television

Read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:

1) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

They have completely changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed as streaming services promote binge watching meaning that people will watch a whole season for instance in a go. This means that they have to structure the narrative around that.

2) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

This has lead to more cliffhangers as it is a way to generate hype for the next part and to have audiences talking about your show on social media.

3) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?

"from the economics of production. Shindler explains to me that dramas – regardless of how they will ultimately be screened – are usually shot in blocks. In order to maximise the use of time, and minimise the cost of actors and crew, while part of a drama is filming, another team is prepping the next section. So, while a streamed drama theoretically need not be divided at all, it still makes logistical and financial sense to hire on episode basis."

4) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?

"Live-tweeting by audiences has usefully democratised criticism, but the downside of this new media interaction has been in giving the old media a stick with which to beat broadcasters."

Media Magazine: Netflix and the Cultural Industries

Finally, go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Netflix and the Cultural Industries (MM63 - page 45). Answer the following questions:

1) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?

He argues that the creative industries have been more digitalised.

2) What is technological convergence?

"the tendency for technologies that were originally unrelated to become more closely integrated"

3) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?

Tech companies are challenging traditional broadcasters by having their own production teams and original shows. For instance Netflix have "Netflix originals".

4) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this ?

The article says that Netflix pays for licences to have shows broadcasted in other countries as the internet is the most popular way to watch content which opens up the doors for people to watch content originally made for a certain country.

Year 12 Media Paper 2 learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. Firstly, focus on the unseen question and identify two aspects of the poster that you could have written about in your answer.

the way events, issues, individuals and social groups (including social identity) are

represented through processes of selection and combination

the visual codes and iconography of the image including colour and setting as it relates to

the thriller/horror/supernatural etc genre (isolated setting, low key lighting, blue hue)

3) Look at the indicative content for Q1 again and make a note of any theories or examples of media terminology you could have used in your answer.

I could've used gender representations and genre conventions in order to develop my points deeper.

4) Now focus on the TV 25-marker. Read this exemplar response for the TV question and pick out three arguments, phrases or theories from the essay that you could use in a future question on Capital and Deutschland 83.

The Daily Mail’s review of capital described it as ‘more packed with left-wing causes than Jeremy Corbyn’s diary’ which suggests a preferred reading that is left-

wing and socialist.

However, to take an oppositional view of Capital, could it also be argued that the programme

unconsciously promotes a right-wing, capitalist ideology? This also questions the validity of Hall’s theory, as perhaps producers are unknowingly reinforcing ingrained dominant ideologies rather than deliberating encoding a particular viewpoint.

it could be argued that Capital’s relentless focus on the importance of hard work, earning money and contributing to the London economy unconsciously reinforces capitalist ideology.

5) Finally, identify three things you need to revise for Media Paper 2 before your next assessment or mock exam.

I need to revise my theories, higher detail explanation of my points and knowledge of my CSP's

TV Final Index

1) Introduction to TV Drama

2) Capital: CSP case study and analysis

3) Capital: Marxism and Hegemony

4) Deutschland 83: CSP case study and analysis

5) Postmodernism and Deutschland 83

6) TV: Industry contexts

Sunday 20 October 2024

Preliminary exercise learner response

Preliminary exercise learner response

1) Type up your teacher's feedback in full plus a summary of the comments you received from other students in the class.

Teacher comments

Opening works – having a narrative established via dialogue is good. However, you need to review the transitions – using dissolve/fade in the middle of a conversation might be confusing for the audience.
Not sure on background music – feels like a very different genre to urban drama/music?
When song comes in it’s not distinctive enough – it still feels like background music rather than a music video. Is this in audio levels or actually how it is introduced?
Location and weather (too sunny!) are an issue for this genre – it doesn’t feel ominous or dangerous. The performance element in the last section also has this problem and will need re-thinking and re-shooting.
You definitely need another scene / location / performance element for the full video.
Needed footwear element and brand identity of your artist in there – both are part of the brief.

2) Using a combination of your own reflection on the preliminary exercise and the feedback you were given, write three WWW bullet points and three EBI bullet points for your work.

WWW: Nice idea, good basis of an intro & some matching w beat edits

EBI: Some weird continuity errors, Janky edits at times & location doesn't match song.

3) How effectively did you complete the objective you laid out in your mini preliminary exercise statement of intent?

I think I have covered most of the things apart from the location.

4) What have you learned from the preliminary exercise that will help you in the actual coursework project?

I have learnt what I need to improve on such as making sure my location matches to my song and the vibe of the video.

5) Now you have completed the preliminary exercise, will you change anything about your actual coursework video plan? This could include your concept, cast/actors or technical elements such as mise-en-scene, camerawork or editing.

I will most likely keep the concept, however everything else is likely to change in order to make things more profesesional.