Doctor Strange blog tasks

1) List the companies involved in the creation of Doctor Strange.
Marvel

2) What is conglomerate ownership and how does it link to Doctor Strange?
A conglomerate is a is a larger company which owns smaller companies.
This links to Doctor strange because it is made by Marvel studios which is owned by Disney.

3) Who regulates the film industry in the UK?
The British Board of Film Classification. 

4) What age rating was Doctor Strange given? Why?

Doctor strange was given a 12a as it had moderate fantasy violence and injury detail.

5) How was Doctor Strange promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign.

-Specific TV campaigns with TV-only clips shown
-Marvel released prelude 

6) Analyse the film trailer for Doctor Strange. What aspects of the trailer tell you this is a big-budget blockbuster movie?
- Marvel studios logo
-CGI
-Action
-Doctor Strange logo

7) What was the production budget for Doctor Strange and how much did it make at the box office?

Doctor strange' s budget was $165 million and made $677.7 million at its box office.

8) Would you consider Doctor Strange a successful Hollywood blockbuster? Why?

Yes because its part of the Marvel studious franchise an used lots of CGI.

Read this Guardian Film Blog on Doctor Strange - plus the comments below. Did audiences consider the film a success? Why?

No as most of the comments were about negative things.

Read this feature on whether there are too many Marvel sequels and spin-offs. Do you agree? 

No because its all part of a story line and is all linked together. 

Industry and audience essay feedback and learner

1) Copy and paste your feedback from the email in full - WWW, EBI and LR.

Audience essay feedback:

WWW:

·         You’ve delivered a 500 word essay – just! – and offered some excellent points, particularly on the film/TV industries and news.

·         You’ve clearly picked out some key points from the lessons and notes such as the impact of streaming and citizen journalism.

·         You’ve offered a really good opinion in your introduction that acknowledges both sides of the argument. This is an excellent sign.

EBI:

·         I think you could have offered a bit more here overall in terms of word count – particularly if you’re aiming for that 7+ grade! If you just go for the bare minimum it’s unlikely you’ll reach those top grades so one to consider in future.

·         Clearer sentence structure – keep an eye on spelling, grammar and word choice. Read your conclusion back as an example – it’s pretty much all one sentence (an 85 word sentence!)

·         In an academic essay, try and avoid using subheadings and instead write excellent topic sentences – a clear sentence at the start of the paragraph that focuses on the question and develops your argument.

LR:

·         Complete the LR tasks on the GCSE Media Year 1 blog – Audience and Industry essay feedback LR

2) What was the word count for your essay?

504 words.

3) What was your strongest paragraph? Why do you think it was better than others?

My strongest paragraph is the film and television industry as i have stated all my points clearly and made a clear argument.

4) What was your weakest paragraph? Why do you think it wasn't as good as others?

My weakest paragraph was the conclusion as all i dine was just repeated mt points when i could have added more point to back my argument up.

5) How can you improve your extended writing in GCSE Media Studies in future?

I could state more points and use a clear sentence structure.

6) Write ONE thing you have learned about the internet, audience and industry from completing this essay.

That the internet allows citizens to also be journalists.

Extension task

Research one of the three industries (music, film/TV, news) and find statistics and quotes that link to how the audience experience of that industry has changed as a result of the internet. For example, social media has now overtaken TV as the main news source for young people - showing how power is shifting in the news industry away from traditional institutions (full details in this BBC news article). 

People mostly use Facebook for looking at news and 27% of Norway pay for news.
  

 "cannot afford to ignore social media, especially if they want to reach young people and women"

"In doing so, they risk losing control of content and that relationship with the reader which can drive them to other content, so they have to balance using social media platforms with building up a loyal user base of their own,"

Marvel Cinematic Universe blogtasks

1) How many films are there in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?

 There are 22 films

2) How much money have the MCU films made in total so far?

$18.2bn (£13.7bn) to date

3) Why did Marvel create the Avengers films?

In 2007, Marvel was covering from bankruptcy and had sold of the film rights to some companies.

4) What will Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe involve?

It will involves the release of Spider man: far from home, it will start 4 minutes into Avengers 4, other movies with supposedly dead characters have been confirmed and Doctor strange will return at some point in the future.

5) What will happen with Doctor Strange and who is the main star?

Doctor strange will return.
Tom Hollands

6) Who owns the rights to Spiderman and why is the character now appearing in Marvel films?

Sony owns Spiderman and  he now appears as Sony and spiderman have agreed a partnership. 

7) Which company owns the rights to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men?

Fantastic four and x-men are owned by 20th century fox

8) Look at the very end of the article. What has Disney announced regarding TV shows on their new streaming service Disney+?

They announced several new Marvel TV series. 

 9)Read this BBC feature on Marvel at 80 years old. How has it survived so long and why is the Marvel Cinematic Universe so important to the recent success of the brand?

It was poplar and was their during ww2

Industry and audience power essay

“The internet has given audiences much more power than ever before.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

INTRODUCTION
In my opinion the audience have power on the internet to an extent as the internet is more advanced than it was before and the audience can have choice on what they want to do such as using social media, research, watching videos or playing music (YouTube) and doing homework.

MUSIC INDUSTRY 

As there are things such as YouTube, spotify, sound cloud and audio mac. Also some people illegally download music. This is an advantage for some people as it is convenient for them because it loads instantly. Also the audience can find new artists or post their own music and the could possibly get famous and it is easier to access. But because now days people don't buy albums, CD 's or other apps that you have to pay for, the Artists don't get paid enough and they eventually could stop singing but if they do carry on singing and do concerts the ticket prices for the audience rises which is disadvantage for the audience but an advantage for the artists. 

FILM AND TELEVISION

Due to changes in the internet  you can stream movies online, on mobile devices and also if you miss out a show you can go on catch-up TV or go on I-player. Advantages for the audience is that you have a wide range of choices, it is exciting to sequels, it is also convenient, technology gives different screens to watch on, its easier to access and  also binge-watching. Disadvantages for the industries are that the traditional companies are not making enough money so they can get bankrupted but that's why some companies have a horizontal integration so they can widen their audience in an another way, and also the audience get bored of watching re-boots.   

PRINT (NEWSPAPERS)

As there are changes in the internet there is a thing such as citizen journalism where citizens can post things on the internet and those stories can become big news stories.

Also people can get there news sources digitally such as the social media. Advantages are that it instantly goes online, its convenient, its also free to the audience and it is easier to access. Disadvantages are that if we don't pay for the news then who will pay the journalists, we cant tell if the news if the news is telling the truth or not so we cant trust it, we cant tell if its accurate enough and sometimes it can be biased.   

CONCLUSION

In conclusion the internet has given power to the audience than before as they have a wide range of things to do but not as much as there are certain things that are restricted such as age restrictions on YouTube and also on kids YouTube there are certain things you cant see but it is normal for anyone to watch and also when you can not find an answer to something, sometimes the internet does not give the correct answer which is a bit annoying. Therefore the internet has given the audience much power than before.  


   

Ownership and control

1) Why did Facebook buy Instagram for $1bn in 2012?

They bought Instagram as they wanted to expand their business and to cancel out the competition.

2) What are the benefits for media companies of vertical integration? 

The companies can make more profit if they have an ownership with other companies and maintain control of the products.  

3) What are the benefits for media companies of horizontal integration?

It allows companies to widen their audience and find other ways to make money. Also  if one company goes out of business you will still be making money as you'll still have other companies.  

 4) What is a subsidiary?

It is a smaller company owned by a larger company.

5) Give three examples of media companies that have used synergy to maximise the profit from a brand (there is one above to help you).

 Harry potter- Theme parks, concerts and merchandise.
Star wars- merchandise, soundtracks and events.
Marvel studios- soundtracks, events and merchandise.   


6) Read this BBC article on Disney buying 21st Century Fox. List 10 companies that are part of the Disney media empire. This graphic may help you:

ESPN
Marvel studios
Lucas film
Pixar
Dreamworks
The Muppets studio
ABC entertainment
Hulu
A+E cable channel 
ABC news and radio

7) Why did Disney buy Fox - what are the benefits?

Disney bought fox to expand their global reach, widen audience and make more money. 

Audience effect theory

1) Passive audience: this is the view that the audience can take information on how other people can see things.

2) Active audience: this is the view that audience can interact with and make choices regarding the media.

3) Hypodermic needle: this is the suggestion that all audience is passive and take the intended message.

4)
Information/surveillance
News - tells you different information around the world.

Identity
Drama's - you can relate to them.

Diversion/Entertainment
Actions and adventure movies -  they are entertaining and makes you feel like your really there

Relationships
News - when they show people in war, people who where kidnapped or who were killed it makes us think about our family.

5)

The clip from 00:16-00:19 shows vicarious pleasure and shows us what the characters are experiencing.
The clip from 00:21-00:30 shows a voyeuristic pleasure as it is hidden camera in the ocean and we can see what the fish are doing.
When they go under the water it is a visceral  pleasure as it gives some people goosebumps and make them feel scared.

Extension :

The preferred reading is that science is developing and making it easier to find out about the ocean.

The negotiated reading is that scientists know everything about the ocean.

The opposite reading is that scientist still don't know everything about  the ocean.

Reception theory

1) The preferred reading of media text is  to tell people different things so they can keep up to date with all the news.

2) The opposite reading of a media text is that the media sometimes tell false information about different things.

3) The Harry Brown trailer makes the audience feel that teenagers are violent and disrespectful.

4) But young people will think differently about teenagers being violent as they are either not bad or they might think they are just having fun.
5)



The preferred reading for the McDonald's  Big Mac advert is to show the audience that it is a delicious meal so they can persuade costumers to come and buy one of them so they can make money. They also wrote a text so they can give what the audience better information about it.

The opposite reading would be that it is very unhealthy and it is not vegetarian or halal. Also some people are gluten-free or have other allergies so the Big Mac would not be suitable for these costumers. Its not as good as they say it is and they probably use a fake model so they can make it look nice. 

The negotiated reading is that the burger doesn't look as good as they say and they have made it look nice so they can make people come and buy it.

6)



The preferred reading is that the chicken is pure chicken and not mixed with any other type of meat so they can make it sound nice so the audience buy it. They also write the text so it catches people's eyes so they go and buy it. They also make the writing big and leave a lot of space for it so people can see and it stands out.

The opposite reading is that the meat is processed meat as it is a fast food shop so they would want it to taste nicer. Also they would put different chemicals so it would last longer.

The negotiated reading is that it is not healthy as there is a lot of fat. Also the chicken is mixed with all different chemicals to keep them taste nice, so they don't get rotten for a long time and it is deep fried which is very unhealthy. 

October assessment learner response

1) Total = 17 = grade 5

 WWW - A perfect start with good knowledge of terminology shown. If you work on a couple of aspects of exam technique you will push towards the top grades.

EBI - The high-mark questions are holding you back. You need to make more points and offer evidence or examples to support them .
-keep an eye on written English.

LR - see blog.

2)
Q1: 1/1
Q2: 1/1
Q3: 2/2
Q4: 2/2
Q5: 1/2 - I could have added a few one more point to show the effect of the placement why the title in the film poster such as the bold font to make it eye catching for the audience.
Q6: 3/3
Q7: 2/2
Q8: 2/4 - I could have talked about the room left for the text and how the blur was to make the poster focus on the boy.
Q9: 3/8 - I didn't talk about the denotation or the background.

3)

4) I done well on question 6 because I stated the correct features of a movie poster and used the correct terminology.

5) Question 8 was one of my weaker questions as I got 2/4./ This is because I only stated 2 points, I could have talked about the blur and the space for the text.

6)

Q9)
The denotation is a young boy whose clothes are ripped and off colour. This means that this boy is poor and doesn't have enough money for essential needs.
The producers (people making the advert) use children's pictures in charity adverts to make the
 consumers (people watching the advert) feel sorry for the children. This also means that if we do feel sorry for the children we will give money to the charities so people who need it can have it for water, food, shelter or whatever they need it for. They also put pictures of children to make the adverts stand out, make people look at it and to make the people feel sorry for it. They also make use of the child's colour as he is most likely from Africa this is because they have problems with not having enough water.  

 

Camerawork-photo storyboard

This is a wide/establishing shot (ws/es)  showing where the bullying is happening. We used this to show that something is going to happen here. 

This is a high angle shot. This is to show that the subject is weak and inferior.

This a mid shot. This is to show the subjects emotions that he is sad  or scared.

This is a low angle to show that the subject is weak and inferior. It also shows the villains POV.

This is also a close up shot to also show that the subject is crying as he is probably being bullied.

This is a over the shoulder shot to show the subjects POV and what he is doing to show the audience.

This is a crane shot and shows what is being done to the subject and ow it is being done. From this picture we can tell that the subject is kicked so he is being bullied.

Camera work analysis

1) Camera shots

POV shot- The shot from 0:37-1:25 shows the audience what the characters can see.

Crane shot-The shot from 2:00-2:05 shows a birds eye view and shows the audience what the zombies are doing and to give them a better view.

Tilt-The shot form 1:52-1:57 and shows the audience makes the character look weak.

2) Camera angles

High angle-the shot from 00:14-00:20 shows the audience that they make the characters look powerful and strong.

Low angle-The shot from1:52-1:57shows the audience that they make the character look weak and inferior.

3) Camera movements

One movement at 1:00-1:07 showed a sudden movement from a low angle to a POV shot. The Director might have done this to show us that something is going to happen.

Another movement at 2:00-2:01 changes from a high angle to a crane shot. The director might have added this in to show how the zombies are powerful and what they do to with the character.












   

Blog: LR

WWW: You made a phenomenal start in Media with achievement points for your first two pieces of work – well done! The way you’ve answered the extension questions in the opening 10-question blog task is just fantastic and equally the fact you are offering fascinating points on representation in Star Wars (and dominant masculinity!) is superb. The challenge now is maintaining that and then aiming for the very top grades – consistently writing in depth and detail will be crucial for this. 

EBI: One minor issue to pick up on – your denotation and connotation homework is incomplete as you haven’t analysed your own choice of advert. Make sure you complete this as soon as possible. As per the advice above, make sure you are writing about the connotations in real detail – discuss the different possible meanings in the texts you study as this awareness of alternative readings will help you reach the top grades.

LR: Complete the denotation and connotation homework. Then, reflect on your first month of Media. What do you feel is your strongest piece of work so far? What is your weakest? What specific skills or knowledge do you need to develop over the rest of the course? How can you improve the depth and detail of your media analysis?

My strongest piece of homework was my star wars poster analysis but my weakest was the denotation connotation and the analysis. one way I can improve is to go into depth with the knowing the meaning and how it effects the audience.

Mise-en-scene Stranger Things analysis

Lighting

Denotation: The lights were flickering

Connotation: This could mean that something bad might happen 

Analysis: This creates a scary atmosphere for the audience as it makes them get frightened. This also makes the audience want to know more.

Setting

Denotation: The setting was a laboratory for energy.

Connotation: This could mean that the problem happens because of the lab.

Analysis: This makes the audience want to know what is going to happen. This creates an eerie atmosphere for the students. This also links to the lighting as the lights flicker because the setting 

(a laboratory for energy) where electricity comes from.

Costume

Denotation: The scientist was wearing a long white lab coat.

Connotation: This could mean that the man was a scientist and worked at a lab.

Analysis: This makes the audience feel that the scientist done something wrong which is why the problem started in the first place. This effect creates a bad atmosphere because they know he has done something wrong.

Coca Cola blog analysis

Denotation:
There is some text on the side of the advert and next to it a coca cola bottle and a  field behind the product.

Connotation:
The image makes the reader feel happy because of the sunshine and the grass field.

Analysis:
The field and the the sun represents the happiness and makes the consumers feel happy looking at the the poster. The text means that happiness is just like opening a bottle of coke.

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation:
I see a boy who is about the age of 9.His face looks sad.In the background I see a wall some buildings and some trees.The meaning of the message is trying to say if you don't have toilets you will die because of diseases.You can see the water aid logo at the top of the screen.

Connotation:
His facial expression could suggest he is sad probably because he doesn't have a proper toilet.The location of this advert is somewhere in Africa because of his colour and the type of clothes he is wearing as the colour is off and looks old.
 
Analysis:
This effects the audience as they feel sorry and sympathise with him as he hasn't got a toilet or any clean water. 

Photoshop fruit bowl

In this lesson we made a colour pallet on a specific topic then got a picture of what we chose. We used a tool called eyedropper and used different colours to colour the fruit bowls in.

Key Concepts film poster analysis

Film Poster: Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi

Language: There are many ways we can see that this is a film poster. One way is because if the layout, it has a title, the casts, director info, release date, and company info- so we know its a film poster as it uses many conventions. They give the audience an insight on the genre and type of movie it will be. We can see that this is Sci-Fi because of the name and is from a well established movie chain already, it draws the audience in watching it. 

Industries: The film was produced by the company Lucasfilm (known for making franchises), they are gaining the money from box-office and the producer was Howard Kazanjian (Vice producer of Lucasfilm). It was directed by Richard Marquand and the story was written by George Lucas. The lead roles in the film were by Mark Hamil (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo). 

Audience: The film is targeted at people of mixed gender. However, the genre of the film is Sci-Fi/ fantasy so people who like those genres will be into this film. It is suitable for people at any age. 

Representation: It shows a dominant representation of male behaviour- the men in the film poster are quite masculine. Han Solo and Luke have weapons in their hands and Darth Vader has biggest face suggesting he is a dominant character. Also, the women are stereotypical, Leia is seen as wearing less clothing which makes her seem vulnerable and inferior, so links with how she is a Princess. However, she can be seen as powerful because of her determined and stern facial expression. 

First blog tasks!

1) Which part of the course are you looking forward to most?
The part of the course I am looking forward to most is filming and editing.

2) What knowledge and skills do you hope to learn in Media?
The skills I hope to learn in Media is editing.

3) What grade are you realistically hoping to achieve in Media?
The grade I hope in achieving is a 7, maybe 8. If I am lucky enough then grade 9 :)

4) What was the last TV programme or film you watched?
The last TV programme I watched was Monk.

5) Why do you think that TV programme or film appealed to an audience?
The TV programme I watched appeals to an audience because it is a mainstream genre (crime) so interesting and also the show is entertaining as you get to see criminal investigations etc.

6) What technology have you used to access the media in the last 24 hours? (Radio, TV, phone etc.)
I used the TV last.

7) What device do you use most to access the media?
I use my tablet to access the media most.

8) Watch this clip from acclaimed BBC drama series Doctor Who:


9) Why was the casting of Jodie Whittaker a significant moment in the history of Doctor Who?
It was significant meant in history as she was the first female Dr!


10) What aspects of this scene do you think an audience might enjoy? List at least three things and explain why the audience would enjoy each aspect. 
Audience pleasures:

• Diversion- Old Dr dying, giving instructions, new female Dr- learning the role.
• Personal relationship- sympathy for old Dr, he is dying, fans feelinf upset.
• New Dr is a female! Shocks the audiences.

Extension question: What can you spot in Doctor Who that you will find in most television dramas? (E.g. characters, dramatic music etc.) These are called key conventions - list as many as you can think of. 

• Costumes
• Lighting types
• Actors
• Movement of actor
• Props
• Settings
• Dramatic music
• Camera angles (facial expression)
• Dialogue

Extension question 2: What would a Doctor Who fan ('Whovian') particularly enjoy about this scene?
A new beginning! There is a new Dr, meaning that there is a new start to the series and they will learn a lot. Especially now she is a female so is a big and exciting change.