Recap of year one theories-
Barthes’ Semiotics
The idea that texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification.
Signs can function in two ways:
- Denotation: The ‘literal’ or common-sense meaning of the sign
- Connotation: the meanings associated with or suggested by the sign
applying the theory: Kiss of the Vampire
The film poster depicts a vampire holding two women in his arms. The use of colour in the image has strong connotations to death and blood which is two common themes with vampires. There is also the use of the letter ‘V’ acting like a stake. Furthermore the vampire is represented as powerful and strong as he is holding two women with little effort.
Neale’s Genre Theory
- The idea that genres may be dominated by repetition but are also marked by difference, variation and change.
- The idea that genres change, develop and vary as they borrow from and overlap with one another.
- The idea that genres exist within specific economic, institutional and industrial contexts.
Notes- for example sci-fis change and adapt from other genres. They must conform to some elements of a genre, however theres a change as audiences would get bored of seeing the same thing.
Dr. No (1962): camera tracking, highkey lighting, camera pan out, use of glamour, theme music in the background,
Casino Royale (2006): focus on the table, lighting is on the table, scatters of red, more yellow toned,violin to create tension
Conventions in Dr No and Casino Royale have similar conventions in terms of there being a large focus on the casino table as well as the lighting to reduce distraction from other elements in the scene. The costumes in the scenes also include dark clothing with scatters of red particularly with women. The different conventions are seen in Casino Royale with more use of the violin to generate tension in the scene. There also more of a focus on the characters in Casino Royale with more close ups.
The pressures that force genres to adapt
- Social issues, reflects values of the time period
- Audience tired of the same thing
- Technological advances, effects
- Institutional changes, strikes,
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With Neale’s theory, you can discuss how the British cop drama went from the traditional 1970s TV shows like The Professionals and The Sweeney to the science-fiction-infused and more progressive Life On Mars.
Applying Todorovs Narrative Theory: Johnny English Strikes Again
Equilibrium: Johnny English is presented as a teacher in a boarding school
Disruption: Someone has hacked the MI6 database and revealed the identities of all the secret service agents
Recognition: Johnny English is called to serve as an agent and is sent out on a mission
Resolution: He discovers that the hacker was the same man working with the prime minister to shut down the internet. The hacker is arrested.
Re-Equilibrium: Goes back to normal life and he goes back to teaching at the boarding school.
The narrative does work as from the main characters point of view it is the equilibrium and then the disruption. However the plot is laid out to depict the disruption first.
Mainstream storytelling mainly suits this structure(e.g. shrek, Alien, The Matrix, Kingsman)
Gauntlett’s theory of identity
Asserts that the media provide us with the tools and resources that we use to construct our own identities. Advertising offers us role models, he suggests that we then pick and mix the aspects of the products they want to use in construction of their own identities.
He also argues that the media today, unlike the past, offer a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas.
Questions to consider when applying Gauntlett:
- Does the set product support Gauntletts claim that, in the past, the media representations offered singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities?
- To what extent do the representations in your set product differ from those found in similar products today
Gauntlett applied:
It almost counteracts the theory that audiences are affected by what they read/see. He suggests that audiences are active and use texts to satisfy their needs. They pick the bits of the text that are appropriate to them and their lives and ignore the others.
Hall’s Theory of Representation
Hall argues that all representations are constructed through signs and codes that are understood by the audience. He asserts that stereotyping reduces people and social groups to a few simple characteristics that are recognisable to audiences because they are reinforced over time.
He also argues that stereotypes tend to occur when there are inequalities of power.
https://www.dw.com/en/hollywood-movies-stereotypes-prejudice-data-analysis/a-47561660
Reinforce Stereotypes
Subvert Stereotypes
Both
Tide- Represents women being the stereotypical housewife and loving domestic products
WaterAid- Reinforces the general stereotype of African people being more vulnerable and oppressed. However it depicts her as optimistic
Kiss of the vampire- This reinforces stereotypes because it implements the dominant male character being very strong and powerful over the women. This is shown by him holding women in each arms.
Formation by Beyoncé- She tries to contradict the stereotypical image of the African American people in the video, however she also depicts these stereotypes in the music video.
What I remember from Audience theory from last year-
- Gerbner- cultivation theory:
- Halls- reception theory: how the decoder receives it (preferred, negotiated, oppositional)
- Bandura- Media Effect:(gaming/life on mars) How the audience copies behaviour from what they’ve learnt
Audience theories
Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory
Preferred:
- The audience accepts the messages contained within a product, as the producer intended.
- Usually the case if a product reflects the ideas and beliefs of the audience.
Negotiated:
Where the audiences accepts some of the products messages and disagrees with others.
Oppositional:
- Where the audience does not agree with the values, attitudes and beliefs of the product and its content.
- This may be related to the culture, gender, age or other factors affecting audience response.
Applying the theory- Im a celebrity get me out of here
Preferred
- Enjoyable- trials
- Challenging- motivational
- Celebrity- favourites- seeing human side of celebs
- Continuous- part of the day
- Funny, amusing (Ant and Dec)
Oppositional
- Animal Cruelty
- Representation of Australia
- Wealth- out of touch with the public
- Traumatic trials- mental health
- Waste of money
- Fake- not reality
Negotiated
Some elements of both and link them together
- The trials are fun, but there are elements of animal cruelty
- The trials look challenging however they can be very traumatic for celebs. Especially when its incorporating their biggest fears (claustrophobia, spiders etc)
- You see a more human side of celebs but it isn’t entirely real and some of it is fake.
Reception Theory applied- This is America music video
Apply reception theory to this music video in relation to the depiction of violence. Briefly discuss what factors may effect and or influence a viewers reception of the video.
Preferred
- Strong representation of African Americans in the video- diverse and seen as representing the violent crime in America and how it is ignored
- Contexts behind them- the innocent people being murdered
Negotiated
- Understand the context and story behind the video however it appears to be overly violent
Oppositional
- Extremely graphic and violent for a music video
- Without political context it can be seen as an unnecessarily violent video
- Aimed towards African American people- they understand the struggle. However to white audiences from other areas it may not be received the same
- Role Models? Donald Glover could be seen as glorifying violence
What effect and influence the reception of the video?
- Age- Older audiences are often less informed than younger ones on what is going on. Socially and politically
- Race-
- Ethnicity
Bandura’s Media Effects
Bandura’s ‘social learning theory’ suggested that audiences may learn aggressive behaviour from viewing others.
- The media implant ideas in the mind of the audience directly
- Audiences acquire attitudes, emotional responses and new ways of behaving through copying those they observe.
Criticised by many, including David Gauntlett, as being outdated and unhelpful as it assumes all audience members are passive and not actively engaging with the messages of media products.
Bandura in action:
- Donald Trump blames the internet and video games for atrocities
- Warner Bros responds to concerns about Joker inciting violence
Vue Cinemas and Blue Story Controversy
Gerbners’ Cultivation Theory
The idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representations over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people perceive the world around them.
The idea that cultivation reinforced often outdated values and stereotypes.
In other words, the more the media represents something, the more likely will believe in that representation.
Applying the theory- SpongeBob
Positions of power- Mr Krabs the wealth and rivalry between two males
Class power- SpongeBob is represented as more passive
Gerbner Applied:
Women are either sexualised or linked to the home
Set texts which reinforce this: Tide advert, Vogue
Set texts which challenge this: Life on Mars (Annie Cartright), Late Night Womens Hour, Assassins Creed Liberation
Curran and Seaton’s Power and media industries
- The idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit and power.
- The idea that media concentration general limits or inhibits variety, creativity and quality.
- The idea that more socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the conditions for more varied and adventurous media productions
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/03/disney-fox-merger-and-future-hollywood/585481/
Disney and Foxs Merge
The lack of competition- possible reduction of quality
Media Consolidation
The Illusion of choice, media has never been more consolidated. 6 media giants now control a staggering 90% of what we read, watch or listen to.
- GE owns Comcast, NBC, Universal Pictures, Focus Features
- Newscorp owns Fox, Wall-street journal, New York Post
- Disney owns ABC, ESPN, PIXAR, MIRAMAX, Marvel Studios
- Viacom owns MTV, Nick Jr, BET,CMT, paramount pictures
- Time Warner owns CNN, HBO, TIME, Warner Bros
- CBS owns Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, NFL.COM, Jeopardy, 60 Minutes
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