Unit 1 Media

Christian Metz - Ex(perimental)Cla(ssic)Pa(rody)De(construction).  ExClaPaDe Steve Neale - R&D. Strauss - Binary Opposition. Todorov - Every Driver Ram Raids Retail. Altman - Syntactic is Rules, Semantic is expectations. Adorno and Horkheimer - Hypodermic Syringe.

Media has an effect on a mass audience. Theorized that popular culture in the USA was like a factory producing standardized content which is used to manipulate a mass audience. The 'dumbed down' content of popular culture made people passive and false psychological needs, only met and satisfied by products of capitalism. Manipulating audiences into keeping capitalism going and being 'good consumers'. Like a 'hypodermic syringe' being pushed into somebody.  Packard's Theory (1957) -  In 1957, Vance Packard wrote an influential book called The Hidden Persuaders. The book suggested that advertisers were able to manipulate audiences into buying things that they do not want to buy or need to buy. Different Media Products -  Gaming -  Grand Theft Auto 5 -  For many years, people have labelled the GTA series as negative. This is because the game consists of a lot of violence, and illegal activities such as robbery and shooting. The audience of the game have critiqu...

Christian Metz Theory -  Metz believed that a film genre goes through a theory of stages throughout its lifetime. These stages are: Experimental stage - foundations of the genre are built and all the generic codes are too.,  Classic stage - Where the codes and conventions become 'iconic' and create genre guidelines.,  Parody stage - people use these stages and guidelines and mock them, based on understood codes and conventions.  Deconstruction stage - The genre can begin to evolve and merge with others; it becomes less clear, and the rules can be 'broken'.

Steve Neales Theory of Repetition and Difference -  Steve Neale believes that genres all contain instances of repetition, and difference is essential to the structure of the genre. How much it conforms to the genre's stereotypes and individual conventions. The stereotypes in the mind of the audience. Guarantee pleasure or meaning for an audience. How much a film subverts conventions and stereotypes.

  Explain how to concept of narrative can be applied to a specific media product? (Film) Drive (2012) In the film ‘Drive’ the concepts of narrative can be used . Todorov’s concept of the 5 narrative stages links to Drive, as at the start, the Equilibrium of the Driver’s normal life is present, as the film is introduced initially with a car chase, which is what Ryan works as by night. This is the ‘normal’ for Ryan, so is considered the equilibrium. The disruption in the film arrives when he meets the Woman who lives next door. This is where he finds out that he cares much for the mother and Son that live next door to him, and this takes priority in his normal day to day life. The Realisation point of the film is where Ryan finds out that the Family’s father has returned, and he needs Ryan’s help to rob a bank and pay off the debt he owns to a mobster, and he realizes that the family’s life and future may be in danger. The stage of repair in the film is not normal, as th...

Different genres of films - -Horror. -Thriller. -Comedy. -Action. -Romance. -Musical. -Romance Comedy. -Documentary. -Drama. -Science Fiction. -Fantasy. -Animated. -History. -War. -Mystery. -Superhero. -Road Movie. Key Components of Genre -  Actors, Dialogue, Lighting, Music, Camera Techniques, Diegetic effect. Rick Altman (1999) Semantic and Syntactic approach to audience pleasures. Syntactic - relating to syntax (something is right in its language), relations between these elements and the structure of the narrative in genre. Syntactic, meaning the rules of the narrative. Semantic, meanings in things you can see. Genre, location, horses and guns. Emotional Pleasures - make you happy or sad. Inflicts emotion. Visceral Pleasures - Physical reaction or feeling from audience, feelings of speed or feelings of revolution. Excitement. Intellectual Pleasures - Trying to 'unravel' a mystery to find out what is going to happen and following along with the characters. 

Claude Levi Strauss - (1958) -  A structuralist. structural anthropologist. He looked at the structures we have in society and stories told within different cultures. The most common means of structuring a story was through binary opposition. Can be imbedded into narrative and mise en scene, such as good and evil, black and white or young and old. Claude Levi-Strauss - created the idea of Binary Opposition. Binary Opposition - The Army that is invading are wearing full black, and their faces are covered. This supposedly represents Evil, making the scene feel like good versus bad. The lack of appearance of them also shows that they are not wanting to be seen, making the audience feel as if they have bad intentions. The people that are being invaded are wearing brighter colours, and their faces are exposed, showing that they have expression, and they can be referred to as good against evil. This also shows that they are more individual, as opposed to the mass army that all look the s...

 Todorov - 5 stage narrative theory. Equilibrium -> Disruption -> Realisation -> Repair -> Restoration. Todorov's narrative theory was created in 1969. Film example Drive (2011) - Equilibrium - starts out driving against the law, from a robbery. Then his normal life as a stunt driver. Disruption - Meets Irene and her child and spent time with them. Realisation - He cares for them. She has a husband, and he comes back and needs help in crime to get his family back. He gets killed in a robbery. Repair - The driver makes it up to Irene, by trying to help her get away from the place. Restoration - The people against driver are killed by him, and Irene and her child can get away. The Unsullied attack Casterly Rock -  This is an example of shot reverse shot. Used within conversation to show who the character is talking to and maintains an eyeline between the two. This is an example of both shot reverse shot and eyeline matching. This is an example of the 180-degree rule,...

3 roles in game design that are not in film – -            Game programmer. -            Customer service. -            Server creation.

Define conglomerate -  A certain corporation that contains many different companies that have been bought by one big company. For example, Disney. Horizontal and Vertical Integration -  Horizontal integration is where a company grows by acquiring similar companies in the industry. Vertical integration is where a company can take control in one or more stages in a products distribution. Within the supply chain. Define VOD -  VOD means Video on Demand. Synergy meaning -  increased efficiency and profit as a result of vertical and horizontal integration. Conglomerates are formed to create synergy in order to cross promote. Two companies merge together for mutual benefit. Two Advantages of Vertical Integration -  One advantage of vertical integration is that when these chains are bought, the supply and production process is cheaper, as this company no longer has to pay for the rights to use the productions they want to use as they own to business. For example, Disne...