His Dark Materials 'LIAR' blog task

 Language and close-textual analysis

1) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

It is often set in imagined worlds or time periods.

2) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into?  The hero which is Lyra who is on a mission to save the kidnapped children

The villain which is Mrs coulter as she abducts the children

3) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

The chase scene provides both action and enigma codes as of the fast paced camerawork and editing as well as the suspenseful diegetic sounds leaving the audience filled with questions and predictions as to what might happen next.

4) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

The different worlds all show binary oppositions as they all do things in a certain way different to showing eachother conflict but also power suggesting a fantasy genre.

Representations

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.

Women are presented with superior power subvertimg stereotypes as Lyra strangely eats the food will cooks for her and Mrs Coulter shows her power and manipulative dominance over the other men.

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

Men have their patriarchal influence as they downgrade women such as Mrs Coulter because of the fact that she is a woman, whereas they also show less power, for example Will has to cook for Lyra instead of the other way around suggesting the subversion of stereotypes even though some are reinforced.

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.

There is a generational divide as the adults have more power, however in this world shown, the adults are the more vulnerable ones whereas the teenagers are safer, subverting stereotypes.

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

Their is a more diverse cast of His Dark Materials in terms of race and ethnicity compared to Doctor Who as the witch is played by a black woman, however Doctor Who has a fully white cast.

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

They include talking animals (daemons), suggesting a fantasy world unlike real life because it seems like something that might happen in the future with all the new technology and creations. Also, the fantasy world and the abandoned city with the antiques and old fashioned settings and costumes suggest a past perspective and view.

Representations

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.

There is a mix of reinforcement and subversion of gender stereotypes.Her character subverts gender stereotypes by demontrating bravery,leadership and a fierce sense of agency.On the other hand Mrs coulter is reinforcing gender stereotypes as she is beautiful,charming and manipulative.However she also subverts as she is a powerful ambitious woman who goes against traditional maternal and nurturing stereotypes

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

Will Parry is depicted as a strong, compassionate, and responsible young man who takes care of his mother and proves his bravery and intellect as he navigates the complex and dangerous world of the series. His masculinity is not defined solely by physical strength, but also by his empathy and sense of duty.Lee Scoresby, a Texan aeronaut, is portrayed as a classic masculine figure with his adventurous spirit, loyalty, and bravery. also demonstrates kindness and a deep emotional connection with his daemon, demonstrating that masculinity in the series is not confined to traditional stereotypes.

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.#

The children in this series are shown to be quite independant at a young age any survival without any adult or help from them.Mrs Coulter is also subverted as a parent who does not care for her child

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

The actors in His Dark Materials are from a range of ethnic and social backgrounds and Will's character subverts stereotype of race and ethnicity aswell and gender.Some stereotypes are reinforced - the abandoned children in Cittàgazze are presented as working class in a very stereotypical way. 

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

I can find representations of a fantasy world as there are unsual things such as those little demons that lyra has but will does not and overall the impracticallity of an abandoned city with strange people.

Industries

1) Which companies produced this His Dark Materials series?

Independant company 'Bad Wolf' in association with BBC studios

2) What were the UK viewing figures for A City of Magpies? How did this compare to season 1 of His Dark Materials?

It was watched by an audience of 7.2 million in the UK and 423,000 on HBO.

3) What was American network HBO's role in making His Dark Materials and why is this important? Look at the notes above for more on this.

They had invested a lot so they accquired rights to broadcast it

4) What famous stars are in His Dark Materials and why do you think they were selected for the show? Watch the Comic Con panel video in the notes above to see the stars talking about the show.

We have Dafne Keen as Lyra and says i can trust no one and nothing

5) Who are Bad Wolf and what do they produce?

Bad Wolf was founded in 2015 to create ambitious, imaginative and relevant drama for the global TV marketplace.  From its headquarters in South Wales the company has built up an international reputation as one of the foremost independent production companies in the UK, producing over 50 hours of high-end drama for broadcasters and networks such as HBO,BBC,AMC and Sky

Comparison: Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child and His Dark Materials - The City of Magpies

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2020 His Dark Materials (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

Both series significantly differ from eachother in various aspects such as camerawork,editing,sound and mise-en-scene.Camerawork in doctor who was simple and straightforward and had limited movement as they had once chance for the perfect shot.In His dark materials is significantly more advanced and sofisticated and the sound is much clearer as technology has evolved over time.

2) What similarities and differences are there between Doctor Who and His Dark Materials in terms of genre and narrative?

Both series are sci-fi and fantasy also both include alternate worlds and time travel.A difference is a long running tv show while His Dark materials is a series of novels which have been adpated into a film

3) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

They are similar becuase there are people from different universes in both series and different as the video quality of His dark materials is advanced and clear

Magazines and music video assessment learner response

 1) Type up your WWW/EBI feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW-You've done well at considering the emotive side of these questions

EBI-Read the questions carefully to avoid going off track- only consider design/layout for Q2 

14/29 grade-4

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: 

Q1: 1/2
Q2: 6/12
Q3: 2/6

Q4:2/3

Q5: 3/6

3) Look specifically at question 2. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme for question 2 to write three connotations of the design and layout of Tatler.

The colours on Weymouth's dress has pastel colours in baby pink, blue and white giving her a natural glow.

These colours contrast with a classic background of nature to convey the idea purity and simple yet beautiful nature.

The designing specifically attracts audience with the font and colour contrast

4) Now look at question 3 - Heat magazine. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to write three ways celebrities are represented in Heat magazine

• Celebrities on cover tend to be reality TV or pop stars – celebrities generally from more working class backgrounds so again creating a point of contact with a working or middle class audience.

• Harry and Meghan feature prominently – the ultimate celebrity couple for Heat combining British Royalty with American actress. 

• Focuses on celebrities’ relationships – ‘double life’, ‘secretive star’, ‘baby daddy’, ‘Giovanna’s heartache’ etc. Suggests these are important developments audiences want to hear the latest on.

5) Look at question 5 - Arctic Monkeys and audience identity. This is a real AQA past question with lots of potential answers given in the mark scheme. Choose three answers that specifically refer to the Arctic Monkeys CSP and write them here. 

1.The audience can gain a sense of identity was the group is wearing standard teenage rock band garb of plain t-shirts, jeans and trainers that can easily be replicated by fans.

2.Also it is more of a jam session with friends rather than a music videos which fans can also do.

3.Music videos might offer behind the scenes which they mess up or break up which tells fans making mistakes and error is very normal.

6) BLACKPINK - How You Like That didn't come up in this assessment. If this CSP comes up in your end of Year 1 exam, what three things about BLACKPINK and How You Like That could you try to include in your answer? 

1.Blackpink have a very fast paced dancing, camerawork and editing

2.Footage is edited to match the music

3.The choice of props, location, costume and facial expression should relate to brand identity of the artist/band

Doctor Who-LIAR

 1) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of  Doctor Who? 

LANGUAGE AND CONTEXT

Todorov's Equilibrium :Everything is fine then the teacher's get suspicious of the girl and they try to resolute and investigate

Propp's character theory: The hero is the teachers and the villain is the grandfather  and the girl is a helper/sidekick

Barthes's enigma and action codes: For action codes it can be when the TARDIS takes off and an Enigma code is will the teacher's get home?

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: Good vs Evil, young vs old, human vs alien

2) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?

I think the most important scene is where the teacher's get stuck in the TARDIS because that is where the tension rises

3) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.

It is a Sci-Fi series due to the unrealistic events taking place with people who came to the future

4) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?

The 1960s saw a shift in British culture. There was more freedom for young people and a breakaway from traditions.

REPRESENTATIONS

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

 Ian is very physical when there is fighting or physical work to be done. Ian and Barbara are bonded by their human characteristics in their Space adventures.  They represent the caring, empathetic part of the human condition in how they look after Susan. It was subverted because Ian was asking more questions and became stressed when in the TARDIS which isn't expected for a man

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Barbara is represented in a more homely, caring role in the series.

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 

Young people in this case like Susan are knowledgeable and vunerable while the doctor is wise and secretive 

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

It features mainly a white cast of actors representing classic modern 1960s British actors but in current days Doctor Who has now drastically became more diverse and they had a black doctor

5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

Social class is represented through the knowledgeable middle class teachers and how they are interlectually curious.

AUDIENCE

1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Do you think it has changed since 1963?

This show appeals to a mainstream audience(10-40)

2) What audience pleasures are offered by Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: Other teachers may relate to Ian and Barbara as they are always willing to learn more

 

Diversion (Escapism):

escapism and being entertained away from your normal life. Science Fiction is a classic genre for escapism- It shows the impossible which is not possible in real life

 3) What additional Uses and Gratifications would this episode provide to a modern 2020s audience?

It can provide older audiences with nostalgia and younger audience detachment from modern stress as now there is colour, improved video quality and fast moving shows.

4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to An Unearthly Child?

Voyeuristic pleasure because this is something not every show displays for example the uniqueness of the TARDIS.

5) What kind of online fan culture does Doctor Who have? Give examples.

It has international online fan culture that are called the 'Whoniverse' 

INDUSTRIES

1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there?

There were two channels BBC and ITV and the space themed tv series was considered very brilliant for that time

2) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the level of technology in the TV industry in 1963?

In terms of technology, videotape had only been in use for seven years when An Unearthly Child was made. It allowed the BBC to create the space and time travel effects we can see in the episode which were considered amazing at the time.

3) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC? 

It was the most iconic franchise that the BBC and has generated huge income for the company

4) What other programmes/spin-offs are part of the wider Doctor Who franchise?

• K9
• Sarah Jane Adventures
• Torchwood
• Class

These spin-offs allow the BBC to target slightly different audiences while still taking advantage of the huge Doctor Who fanbase. 

5) Why does the Doctor Who franchise have so much merchandise available? Give examples. 

Due to its 60 year plus history  it is for fans who are 'loyal' and are in this somehwat cult

Artic Monkeys 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor'

 AUDIENCE-

1) What do we know about the Arctic Monkeys audience? Think demographics, psychographics and how they got into the band.

Majority of the audience are white, middle class and reasonably young. For psychographics it may be the Reformers and Explorers and recent global success pushed it into a bigger group such as mainstreamers.

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

Audience pleasures would include diversion-the song is upbeat and fast paced.

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 scenes in between where they play drums and guitars aggressively and fast would appeal to there young aged fans. Another where they say 'I bet you look good on the dancefloor' would attract fans as its the name of the song. Lastly when the teens start speeding up excites fans.

4) How did fans take a leading role in making Arctic Monkeys famous back in 2005?

They shared demo CD's at gigs which fans shared with friends

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the band? What does Arctic Monkeys want fans to think about their video?

A sense of nostalgia from the 1980s for the older fans

Industries-

1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase?

They played gigs and gave away free CD's

2) Why was P2P file sharing and MySpace an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success?

• Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, though this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out. It allowed their music to be heard by a much wider audience.

3) How does the rise of Arctic Monkeys differ from how BLACKPINK were formed and became famous?

BLACKPINK was made by a company and they set people in groups while Artic Monkeys were friends from school and made the band themself

4) Who is Arctic Monkeys record label and how many copies did they sell of their debut album? Why did they choose an independent record label?

The record label is Domino records and they sold over 350,000 copies. They chose an independent record label because it would undermine their creative control.

5) Looking at the wider music industry, has the internet been a positive or negative development for record companies and artists? Why?

The internet has been quite positive as people on social media have the power to blow up a song and get it viral and trending alerting more and more of the new song 

Extension-

1.People said they are the no.1 best guitar band in the UK and was unexpected

2.Read the records broken

Intro to music videos and BLACKPINK HYLT

 1) What are the key conventions of music video?

Music videos typically feature movement often fast paced in terms of actors, camerawork and editors

2) What is intertextuality?

When media text references another media text through genre and conventions

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

In 2005 YouTube made music videos popular

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 in 1981 and big budgets were spent on producing and innovative creative music videos.

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

Music videos were watched on YouTube and was promoted on social media

BLACKPINK: How You Like That Q's:

1) What are BLACKPINK fans known as - and what would the demographics / psychographics be for the BLACKPINK audience?

Their fans are knows as 'Blinks' which are largely teenage girls and young woman .The demographics would be age 10-19 females and psychographics are trend conscious and active on social media.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for How You Like That?

K-Pop global success where fans feel like they know them and audiences copying the look of K-pop members

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to BLACKPINK fans. Why did you choose those moments? 

I think the very first scene with all the members would appeal as they all are wearing similar clothing and some fand may be inspired and want the same. Another scene is the cultural scene with a animal in the background could appeal to show they don't only use expensive shooting places. Lastly the scene on the snow was very  pleasing and fans would lover the contrast to other scenes

4) How was the How You Like That music video marketed and promoted to the audience?

It had many teasers on the band's social media accounts.

5) Why is K-pop a global phenomenon and what has helped it to become so popular?

K-pop included English in their songs which attracted western culture teenagers

Industry

1) How were BLACKPINK formed and what records have they broken?

Formed in 2016 by a company called YG entertainment and became the most successful female bands in the world

2) What other successful artists have YG Entertainment created? You may need to Google this.

They have created the 'BIGBANG' and 'BABYMONSTER'

3) How has technology and the internet (known as technological convergence) changed the way audiences consume music videos?

Phone's, tablets and youtube are the way music is consumed

4) How do BLACKPINK and K-pop show that the media and music industries are now global?

They have fans from all over the world attending concerts and meet and greets and posting about them on social media.

5) How are UK-based music videos regulated and what types of content require warnings? 

Age over 18 require warning

Media assessment 2:Learner Response

 1) Add your score, grade, next step and positive (the question that you are the most proud of) to your assessment tracker, which is in your folder front sheet.

I got 20/34 which is grade 5- The question I am most proud of is the 20 marker because I actually got 12 on it which I think is quite good but can be better as it was about independent films and Hollywood blockbusters.

2) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

Consider the different goals of the film types. Are they trying to compete? What makes their aims different?

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this). Write down the mark you achieved for each question:

Q1:1/1
Q2:0/1
Q3:5/8
Q4: 0/2
Q5:2/2
Q6:12/20

Where you didn't achieve full marks, write WHY you think you missed out on the extra marks. Use the indicative content suggestions in the mark scheme to help with this. If you got any media terminology wrong in the assessment you can make a note of it here.

I need to learn media codes and vertical integration. Also for the 20 marker I need to talk about the end goal for the films and what they want to get out of it.

3) Look specifically at question 3 - did you successfully write about both the preferred and oppositional readings? Did your answers match any in the mark scheme? Copy in one answer from the mark scheme that you could have used.

I had a effective explanation of both readings. I could have used the rolling up sleeves connotation which is like getting ready for hard work.

4) Now look at question 4. Write a definition of vertical integration plus the benefits of it listed in the mark scheme to revise this key industry terminology. You may find the blogpost on ownership and control helpful here.

Vertical integration  means two or more stages of production operated by separate films. Two advantages are increasing profit and greater control

5) Finally, look at your 20-mark essay - question 6. Read this exemplar answer to help give you an idea of what a top-level response looks like. Then, write five points from either the exemplar answer or the mark scheme that you could have used in your answer. This will be excellent revision for a future film industry exam question. 

1.The title and key quotes were projected on buildings

2.I, Daniel Blake is not made to compete with Black widow

3.Recieved good replies and a word of mouth from fans

4.It is difficult to believe they are in the same industry

5.It could be argued I, Daniel Blake is more successful

Heat CSP

 1) Look at the Heat Media Pack. Go to page 2: the Heat mission. Write three things that Heat offers its readers under 'print'.

Heat offers readers a unique and quality experience. They also have contacts of the celeb to give readers an exclusive every time.

2) Now go to page 3 of the Media Pack - celebrity focus. What does the page say that Heat offers readers?

It offers readers conversation starters to talk about with friends and how there journalists answer all questions readers have about famous celebrity's and there darkest secrets.

3) Now look at page 4 of the Heat Media Pack. What other content does Heat magazine offer its readers aside from celebrity news?

It offers information on fashion and useful life hacks on food, fitness, travelling and overall wellbeing.

4) Look at page 5. What is Heat magazine's audience profile? Write all the key details of their audience here. 

The majority of the heat readers are 90% female, average age is 35, 57% are married and segment is 50% ABC1.

MEDIA LANGUAGE:

1) How are the cover lines written to make the audience want to buy the magazine? Consider the interest/intrigue they create.

The cover lines are all extremely juicy details on celebrities that have done something that people are not aware off and they have bright colours contrasting with for example dark colours and there is a picture to go with every single cover line.

2) What are the connotations of the Heat colour scheme on this particular front cover?

It is bright colours that jump off the page to attract audience's attention also pink is recognised as a feminine colour hinting this is mainly going to be read by women.

3) How are images used to create interest in the magazine? Find three reasons for your answer. (E.g. paparazzi images or aspects of mise-en-scene such props, costume, make-up, body position, facial expression etc.)

The image of Prince Harry and Meghan looks like they are extremely upset and possibly ashamed because Harry is looking at the ground and they have a really serious face. These pictures were taken when the celebrity was unaware (Victoria Beckham) creating suspense for the audience as for example Victoria is not wearing her outside clothes with makeup so she has been caught in her sport wear.

4) What differences can you find between the use of design and typography between Tatler and Heat? List at least three differences and explain the effect on audiences.

Tatler takes all photographs of celebrities with permission and professional cameramen while Heat takes it without them possibly knowing sometimes so that audience's will be interested in their private drama. Another difference is the colours as Tatler has very pastel and modern sort of colours for upper class rich audiences while Heat has bright colours and it is mainly targeted towards women of middle class. Lastly another difference is Tatler is read by older people above the age of like 40 while Heat can be read by teenage girls and older audiences.

MEDIA REPRESTATION:

1) What type of celebrities appear on the front cover of Heat? List them here. 

There is Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Victoria Beckham, Liam Payne, Cheryl Cole 

2) How are celebrities represented in Heat? (Positively? Negatively? Reinforcing or challenging stereotypes?)

Celebrities are mostly negatively presented as it is accusing Victoria Beckham of lying and it is reinforcing the idea that Harry and Meghan have just made there biggest mistake.

3) How are women represented on the cover of Heat? Think about both images and cover lines here.

Women are presented as the cause of the problem and are mainly the main objective of the front page

4) How do Heat and Tatler represent social class? What different social classes can you find in the features and celebrities on the cover? (E.g. middle/upper class / working class)

 Tatler is for upper class with a high income and posh lifestyle while heat is for average middle classed people who are interested in celeb gossip