Thursday, 21 May 2020

Radio 1 launch CSP


Historical, social and cultural context

1) What radio stations were offered by the BBC before 1967?
BBC Radio home 1939-1967
BBC Radio light 1945-1967
BBC Third 1946-1967 

2) How was BBC radio reorganised in September 1967? What were the new stations that launched?
BBC Radio was reorganised because of piracy. The new stations launched were 
Radio 4
Radio 2
Radio 3


3) What was pirate radio and why was it popular?
Pirate radio was radio stations broadcasting from international waters. It was popular as there was a rule for radio stations playing only 5 hours worth of music but pirate radio played 24/7

4) Why did pirate radio stop broadcasting in 1967?

They were caught and sent a bill.

5) How did the BBC attract young audiences to Radio 1 after pirate radio stations were closed down?
They played music that was suited for all people. 

6) What was 'needle time' and why was it a problem for BBC Radio?
A law and rule for radio stations in Great Britain to only play 5 hours of music a day.

7) How did BBC Radio 1 offer different content to previous BBC radio stations?
At different times they would play  different types of music 24/7 rather than 5 hours a day and one type of music.


8) Who was the first presenter for BBC Radio 1 and why did these new Radio 1 DJs cause upset initially at the traditional BBC?
The first BBC Radio 1 presenter was  Tony Blackburn. This caused upset to the main tradition as it was not seen as cool, it struggled financially and they tried to make like a pirate radio channel but had to present it formally.  


9) Listen to excerpts from the Tony Blackburn's first 1967 broadcast - how might it have appealed to young listeners?
They made it sound like it was a pirate radio and put on pop music which appealed to the young listeners.

10) What conventions did Tony Blackburn's radio show borrow from pirate radio - which made it very different to previous BBC radio content?
They used an intro to the radio station and an intro to the radio presenter Tony Blackburn. They also talked about giving freebies.



 Audience and industry

1) What was the target audience for BBC Radio 1 in 1967?

Young mainstream audience as Pop music appealed to them.

2) Why did Radio 1 initially struggle to attract young listeners?
It wasn't as fun as the pirate Radio because they had to play all types of music but the youngsters liked to listen to Pop music. 

3) What audience pleasures did Radio 1 offer listeners in 1967? (Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory).
Personal Relationships - as it felt like you had a relationship with the Radio Presenters.


4) How is the BBC funded?
The BBC is funded by the TV Tax

5) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would the preferred and oppositional reading have been of BBC Radio 1 in 1967? 
   
The preferred reading of Radio 1 would be that its a radio station which is aimed at everyone, young and old. It is mainstream.

The oppositional reading of Radio 1 would be that it is for a young mainstream audience as it mainly plays Pop music.














Monday, 11 May 2020

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor




1) How do audiences generally watch music videos these days?
Audiences generally use YouTube to watch music videos.

2) What opportunities has the growth of digital technology and YouTube created for new music artists?
It is easier to get famous on apps like YouTube as you can self-promote yourself.

3) What is P2P and why did it cause huge problems for the music industry?
P2P was a sight where people shared music. It was a big problem as music companies didn't make money.

4) Do you think the internet has given audiences more power over who becomes successful in the music industry? Why? 
I think the music industry has given audiences more power as you can easily download and stream songs and movies for free and also you can self-promote yourself on YouTube.

5) How has Fortnite demonstrated the potential future for music videos and promotional opportunities for the music industry? You can read more on this event in this Verge feature.
Audiences where able to watch the show for free and had previously had posters and a Marshmallow skins which gave it the atmosphere of a real concert. 

1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase?
They where a group of friends and wrote their songs based on their lives. They built a huge fanbase by using the app Myspace.
2) Why was P2P file sharing an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success?
Because it gave a feeling of nostalgia to some viewers so they shared it.
3) How does the rise of Arctic Monkeys differ from how One Direction were formed and became famous?
Arctic monkeys where school friends and became famous by self-promoting themselves whilst one direction where formed when they went on X-Factor as separate acts when Simon Cowell so them and put them together to form a band. 
4) How has technological convergence changed the music industry?
It allows many forms of evidence to be used on the same device.
5) Has the internet been a positive or negative development for traditional record companies? Why?
The internet has been both positive and negative as one way is that it gets the word out of new bands but another way is that audiences stream songs for free which is piracy which results in the music companies making a loss in money. 

1) What is the main Arctic Monkeys audience - demographics and psychographics?
The demographics of Arctic Monkeys is White middle class people. The psychographics are Explorers.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor?

Nostalgia as it gave the atmosphere the 1980s and programs such as Top Of The Pops.

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments?
The shot at 01:03 when they zoom in on the drummers -it gives the atmosphere of a rock video.
The shot at 01:33 Gives the feeling of a 1980s video.
The shot at 02:33 I chose this as Fans would love. The girls would love it as they think he is god-like
and hero-like. The men would idealise him as they would want to be him so people think they are
Heroes like them.  

4) What is nostalgia and why is it a key audience pleasure for the Arctic Monkeys music video?
Nostalgia is the feeling or affection from the past. This is a key pleasure in the music video as it is set in the 1980s and makes people who where from those times remember their past

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the video? What does the artist want fans to take from their video?
Older fans would have a personal relationship with the artists and younger fans would get a sense of Going to a club and drinking whilst older fans would get a feeling of nostalgia from the 1980s.   
















Sunday, 3 May 2020

One Direction - History

Industry

1) How were One Direction formed and how is this reflected in the music video for History?

They were a group of friends who went on x-factor and made it to the top three. It's reflected by showing when they got through the auditions and shows their journey in the music industry.

  2) What is vertical integration? You may need to check your book for this (or remind yourself from this previous blogpost.)

Vertical integration is where one conglomerate owns different companies in the same chain of production.

3) What is horizontal integration? (See link above for help again!)
    
Horizontal integration is when one company buys other companies at the same level.  

4) How has technological convergence changed the way audiences consume music videos?

It has changed the way audiences consume music videos as it is easier to consume because of new and updated apps like YouTube where you can watch songs for free. Spotify is another way. 

5) As a manufactured band, what influence do Simon Cowell and the record company Syco (part of Sony) have over the content and release strategy of One Direction music videos? You may want to read this text from an article in The Inquisitr about the relationship between 1D and Simon Cowell.

One Direction were distancing away from Simon Cowell and wanted to do their own thing.
They felt like they didn't owe him anything.



Audience

1) What is the main One Direction audience - demographics and psychographics?

  • Young people age 13+ 
  • Mainstreamers
  • More girls than boys

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for History?

  • Nostalgia
  • Personal relationships
  • Personal identity
  • Diversion
3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to One Direction fans. Why did you choose those moments? 
  • When they go through to the finals-stepping stone/big break
  • Their concerts-fans.
  • The scene when they look of the balcony and see the massive crowd-fans.
I chose these scenes because they the main parts of their Music life which had the most impact on them.

4) What is nostalgia and why is it a key audience pleasure for the History music video?

Nostalgia: Feeling or affection from the past.
It is a key audience pleasure for the History music video as it makes them feel young and remember their good memories that they have had together.

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the video? What do the producers want One Direction fans to take from the video?

In the video it shows fans crying, which shows it is meant to be sad thing as it is the break up of the band. In the lyrics the say " We can make some more...We can live forever." This means no matter what happens they will always united and there for their fans.












Monday, 27 April 2020

Introdction to Music Video



1) What are the key conventions of music video?

The key conventions of music videos are typically feature movement such as fast paced in terms of actors, camerawork and editing. They feature intertextuality and designed to promote the band or the artists.

 2) What is intertextuality?
   When on one media product makes references to other media products e.g.
    The galaxy advert makes references to Audrey Hepburn's
     film "A Roman holiday".


3) When did music videos first become a major part of the music industry?
   In the 1980s
 


4) What launched in 1981 and why were music videos an important part of the music industry in the 1980s and 1990s? 

MTV was launched. Music videos were important because they had specific cultural references
and they were also made as mini films.

5) How are music videos distributed and watched in the digital age?

They where distributed by YouTube as it was easier to access and enjoy.
Now self promotion is common.


  6) Why was piracy (illegal downloading on the internet) a problem for the music industry?
It was a big problem as the music industry was making a loss in money as people were illegally downloading the songs for free which meant that the industries weren't making enough money.


7) What digital services did the music industry set up to combat the threat of piracy and illegal downloading? Give examples.
In the 2000s the rise of  streaming services with subscriptions such as spotify and apple music meant that they could start  making money again. 

8) What is digital convergence?
New platforms on smart phones mean that listeners re now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access.





Sunday, 19 April 2020

Advertising and marketing assessment



1) What does intertextuality refer to in Media Studies? [2 marks]

Where one media product makes reference to other media products. An example of this is the Galaxy advert- they make a reference to Hepburn's movie 'Roman Holiday' through the setting used.


2) Explain how the OMO advertisement reflects the social and historical context of its time. [6 marks]

The OMO advert suggests that only women do domestic works e.g. cooking and cleaning. This is because in the text it says "This'll shake you Mother." The fact that it references a "mother" reinforces gender roles of women as domestic goddesses. 

One way it reflects the social and historical context of its time is because it is driven by the societal belief that women are inferior. This can be seen in the advert as the female is being a dutiful mother and wife by carrying out her role. She isn't complaining and is smiling as she has to obey her husband by carrying out her duty. 

Another way it reflects the social and historical context of its time is because of her appearance. In the OMO advert the female is dressed up in a formal way and is wearing heavy make-up (lipstick, neat hair and nails). This reflects the stereotype of women being objectified as they had to look a certain way to please their husbands. 

3) How do advertisements reinforce and challenge stereotypes in the media?
Answer with reference to the NHS Blood and Transplant online advertising campaign Represent. [12 marks]

The NHS Represent Campaign reinforces stereotypes in the media in many ways. One way is because BAME people aren't as educated as white people. This can be seen in the advert where they show BAME people with jobs such as actors, sports people and fashion designers which don't require a qualification. In the media these roles are mostly done by black people or Asians- such as rappers (Stormzy), sports (Rashford, Asher-Smith, Kohli and Ding-Jun-Hui).

The NHS Represent Campaign challenges stereotypes in the media in many ways. One way is that BAME people can get high ranked jobs as white people such as scientists, authors and mathematicians. E.g. authors ( Malorie Blackman and Jawaharlal Nehru), Scientists ( C.V. Raman) and mathematicians (  Srinivasa Ramanujan ). In the video this can be seen in the video where there are black scientists, politicians, Chefs and CEO of companies.  

The NHS Represent Campaign Challenges stereotypes. Another way they do this by saying disabled people can be successful and do things. An example of this is the wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan. He subverts the stereotype of disabled people unable to do things as he is an active basketball player. 








Thursday, 2 April 2020

Galaxy 'chuaffer' advert


1) Who is Audrey Hepburn?

A Hollywood star in the 1950s associated with Hollywood glamour and style. She was also a fashion icon and a model.

 2) Why did Galaxy select Audrey Hepburn for this advert? 

Galaxy chose Audrey Hepburn because she provides the audience with pleasures such as nostalgia and intertextuality. This can be seen in the advert as they set it on a luxurious Italian Riviera which reflects Hepburn's hit film Roman holiday.

3) What are the connotations of Audrey Hepburn and celebrity in this advert? 

Audrey Hepburn:
  • Costume: She is wearing a dress and high heels which reflects her glamourous high end    roots and fashion icon.
  • Make up: She is wearing lipstick and eyeliner. Her hair is done up neatly.
  • Props: She has a handbag which suggests she is rich.
  •  Setting: A coastline in Italy which is high class because of the buildings and towns.

  • The tagline "Why have cotton when you can have silk?" suggest that why go for cheaper things when you can afford to buy luxuries.   
4) Why is the advert set in the 1950s? What audience pleasure does this provide?

It was set in the 50s because it provides the audience pleasures of nostalgia (this can be seen because that bis when her hit movie was made and intertextuality (Uses a set on the Riviera)

5) What is intertextuality?


Where one media product makes references to other media  products to interest and engage the audience.

6) What Audrey Hepburn film is suggested in this advert and how is this effect created (e.g. mise-en-scene - CLAMPS: costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props, setting)?

  • Roman Holiday.
  • C: Her outfit is high class and glamourous which reflects the type of actress she was.
  • L: High key, natural sun light, reflects the "holiday" theme.
  • A: Many actors, she stands out. Tourism, etc
  • M: Glamourous and stunning.
  • P: Handbag, car and hat suggests wealthy and luxury.
  • S: Italy coastline- wealthy and luxury.

7) Which of Propp's character types are represented in the advert? (Note: you will not find them all). 


  • Hero: Man in the car- give the lady a ride, her bus is stuck etc
  • Princess: Audrey

8) How does the advert's narrative (story) follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium?


  • Equilibrium: Bus is stuck and car is driving along the coast.
  • Disequilibrium: Man blocks the way of the coach.
  • New equilibrium: Hero gives lift to her.

9) What representations of gender can you find in this advert?
  • Man: hero, dominant, superior.
  • Female: protected, needed a chauffer.

10) Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted in the Galaxy advert? Give examples.

  • Female representation is subverted in the advert because she is in charge. Takes the drivers hat away to give to the other man and makes him her 'chauffer'.
Grade 8/9 extension tasks

How did they recreate an Audrey Hepburn film using location, casting and CGI?
  •  They used a computer and copied her face and got features and edited her face. They didn't do 100% CGI because they didn't want her to look completely robotic. 
What other background information do you learn here regarding the construction of the advert?
  • They got more than one picture of her and put it together feature by features.
What similarities and differences can you find by analysing the two products?

Similarities:
  •  Both have women
  • Advertise a product
  • Both have make-up on
  • Feminine qualities.
Differences:
  • One ad is for food and the other is chocolate.
  • OMO: dominant rep of women doing domestic housework which reflects the 1950s.
  • Galaxy: Subverts 50s women, she is in charge and has liberty.