SOPHIE BOSTON G325

Question 1B- Key Concepts and Theories

Genre

Why is Genre important? What does it do? Genre is very important, especially in the media, as what kind of genre you

choose to play with will determine the audience you are addressing. E.g. The genre of a romantic comedy will attract a different audience to a film of the horror film genre.

It’s also important because of the conventions we now expect to see in certain genres e.g. In a romantic comedy we may expect to see the slightly geeky boy try to get with the popular pretty girl. Therefore, it’s important to know what the conventions of your chosen genre are because if the audience don’t get what they expect the reaction may go two ways: they may be annoyed that they didn’t get what they paid for, or they may well be pleasantly surprised. Conventions of a genre are also helpful because they set up a template for media makers.

Lastly, genre is important as it is beneficial to actors and actresses in that they can identify themselves with constantly being associated with certain roles in a certain genre of film i.e. Liam Neeson is almost always in action films, maybe with the exception of Richard Curtis’s Love Actually.

=a style or category of art, music, or literature.

Genre 2

Theorists associated with GenreDaniel Chandler: is a British visual semiotician based (since

2001) at the department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University. He has a particular interest in the visual semiotics of gender and advertising.

John Hartley: argues that 'genres are agents of ideological closure - they limit the meaning-potential of a given text’.

Robert Hodge: defines genres as 'typical forms of texts which link kinds of producer, consumer, topic, medium, manner and occasion', adding that they 'control the behaviour of producers of such texts, and the expectations of potential consumers‘

Steve Neale: ‘genres are instances of repetition and difference’

Genre 3

How does genre relate to your music video? How will genre inform your production in terms of planning?

How can you apply genre to analysis of music video? Genre relates highly to my music video because all music has a genre too e.g. Pop, rock, indie

etc. As with films, music has artists that specifically produce pop music, country e.g. Katy Perry, Taylor Swift. They too, have conventions, such as the typical instruments you might find in their music e.g. Country music might have banjos, acoustic guitars whilst rock might have electric guitars and drums.

This means that when picking a song, I need to look at what genre it falls under, and what other songs the artist has done and see if there are any similarities between them. I need to watch the videos over and over and listen to the music over and over so I can fully analyse them – what instruments are in there? What are the costumes like? The setting? Props used?

I think the genre that I will choose will be pop/country because I am quite familiar with this genre and have watched many music videos from this genre. I think it would be quite a challenge to recreate a pop/country music video because there are many conventions involved within these two genres e.g. Country music videos usually consist of bright lighting, typically warm colour schemes whereas pop can be pretty much anything, but I’m thinking more specifically of pop/country songs like Taylor Swift’s, Gabrielle Aplin’s, Paloma Faith.

I will have to plan very carefully my genre, and look at many different music videos of different genres to make sure I pick the right one for me. I tend to listen more to country/pop music than rock based music so I think I will have more ideas for pop/country genre.

Narrative

Why is Narrative important? Narrative is important because, especially in recent years, more

and more music videos are employing stories and narratives hidden in their videos. These may be obvious or not. Narrative is also important because it adds a sort of structure to the music video i.e. Beginning, middle, end.

Typically with Narratives we also have conventions to go with it e.g. You’d expect a creepy, abandoned house/ graveyard if you were writing a horror story. Conventions we usually look out for are:

Genre Character Form Time Setting

=a spoken or written account of connected events e.g. a story.

“A narrative in its most basic sense is a series of events, but in order to construct meaning from the narrative those events must be linked somehow.”

Narrative 2

What theories or theorist are relevant to them?Tvzetan Todorov - suggests narrative is simply

equilibrium, disequilibrium, new equilibrium

Vladimir Propp - characters and actions (31 functions of character types)

Claude Levi-Strauss - constant creation of conflict/opposition propels narrative. Narrative can only end on a resolution of conflict. Opposition can be visual (light/darkness, movement/stillness) or conceptual (love/hate, control/panic), and to do with soundtrack. Binary oppositions.

Narrative 3

Propp's Narrative FunctionsThese 31 functions are as follows:

1. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced as a unique person within the tribe, whose needs may not be met by remaining)2. An interdiction (a command NOT to do something e.g.'don't go there', 'go to this place'), is addressed to the hero;3. The hero ignores the interdiction4. The villain appears and (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim encounters the villain);5. The villain gains information about the victim;6. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);7. The victim is fooled by the villain, unwittingly helps the enemy;8. Villain causes harm/injury to family/tribe member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance,

expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);

9. Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;11. Hero leaves home;12. Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);13. Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them);14. Hero acquires use of a magical agent (it's directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, is eaten/drunk, or offered by other

characters);15. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;16. Hero and villain join in direct combat;17. Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);18. Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);19. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);20. Hero returns;21. Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);22. Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);23. Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;24. False hero presents unfounded claims;25. Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);26. Task is resolved;27. Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);28. False hero or villain is exposed;29. Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);30. Villain is punished;31. Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

Narrative 4

Although the plot is driven by the actions and choices of the hero (the protagonist), these narrative functions are spread between the main characters. Propp also defined these character categories:

the villain, who struggles with the hero (formally known as the antagonist)

the donor, the helper, the Princess, a sought-for person (and/or her father),

who exists as a goal and often recognizes and marries hero and/or punishes villain

the dispatcher, the hero, who departs on a search (seeker-hero),

reacts to the donor and weds the false hero (or antihero or usurper), who claims to

be the hero, often seeking and reacting like a real hero (ie by trying to marry the princess)

Narrative 5

How does narrative relate to the music video/ short film? How will narrative inform your production in terms of planning?

How can you apply narrative to analysis of music video/short film? Narrative sort of links in with genre; once you have decided on the

genre, you can decide what kind of plots and stories you want in your video. I’m considering doing a music video to Gabrielle Aplin’s version of ‘The Power of Love’ and since it comes under a pop/country genre I will use narratives primarily based around love and what it can do to people, since it will then match the title and also fit in with the conventions of this genre as most pop/country songs tend to be about love. However, I will challenge the normal narrative conventions as I will be intertwining all different kinds of love, not just the love between a man and a woman.

Knowing what narratives I am going to include in my video will help during the planning stage because it allows me to then think about practically everything else; costumes, settings, lighting, props. I will apply narrative analysis by looking at other similar music videos and noting down what they used, what kept in with the conventions.

Representation

Why is Representation important? Again, representation ties in with the genre and the conventions.

Representation of someone/something will differ according to the genre and situation. Representations, in media texts, are important because

they are representations of reality- artificial versions of the world we live and perceive in. Without the media, we as an audience would not be

shown others’ perspectives of reality. Therefore “representation is a fluid, two-way process: producers position a text somewhere in relation to

reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship to reality.” Representations, particularly people, usually have ambiguous meanings,

representing more than one issue i.e. A surface representation and an underlying one that is often overshadowed and unacknowledged, spotted

only by a few. E.g. Curley’s Wife in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. She is the only woman on the farm and is portrayed as wearing red a lot. A surface representation is that she may be dangerous and ‘jailbait’ but

then if you look deeper and read context about the book, she can also represent the misogynistic society of the time.

Representations are also closely linked with stereotypes and semiotics..

=the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way.

Representation 2

Representations in the media especially include that of issues surrounding:

Gender

Age

Ethnicity

RACEDisability

Class/Status

Typically masculine Typically feminine

•Tough•Hard•Sweaty

•Fragile•Soft•Fragrant

Age Stereotypical Characteristics

Young

Immature, stupid, greedy, lazy, selfish, unfit, obese, violent, callous, gullible, unreliable, careless, self-entitled, never going to achieve anything

Old

Grumpy, out-dated, slow, weak, whining, unable to use technology, unhealthy, miserly, hard-of-hearing, ugly, never go anywhere

Representation 3

What theories or theorist are relevant to them?

Walter Lippmann: an American writer who first came up with the word ‘stereotype’. He tried to reconcile the tensions between liberty and democracy in a complex and modern world.

Daniel Chandler: is a British visual semiotician based (since 2001) at the department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University. He has a particular interest in the visual semiotics of gender and advertising.

When discussing representations, consider:

Who produced it? What/who is represented in the text? How is that thing represented? Why was this particular representation (this shot, framed from this angle, this story

phrased in these terms, etc) selected, and what might the alternatives have been? What frame of reference does the audience use when understanding the

representation?

Representation 4

How does representations relate to the music video/ short film? How will representations inform your production in terms of planning?

How can you apply representations to analysis of music video/short film?Representations are crucial to the music video. Particularly as I’m telling lots of different narratives I will have to think carefully about things like costumes = what do homosexual people typically wear? What does the colour purple signify? Are the representations quite easy to read or do they have ambiguous meanings? I want to create a music video that leaves the audience thinking about what they just watched. Therefore, representation will be crucial to my planning/production process as I need to think carefully about what some of the props, costumes, settings might represent to some people. As for analysis, I will watch several music videos similar to The Power of Love and see if I can identify any similar representations e.g. Props, costumes and to see if any of them mean something deeper to me of whether it’s just a surface representation.

Audience

Why is Audience important? Audience of is possibly one of the more important concepts when

considering it with any media product. When creating a media product, whether it’s a film or magazine, you constantly need to think about the audience. And of course, the audience is not going to be the same for every product. Audience research is so important because it can help us define what kind of audience we want to target our audience at. We can work out the demographic group they are, are they upper class people we want to target – where would they go that we can advertise our product in so they would see it? Same for Class E demographics, the students and the unemployed.

Audience is also important to consider in the aspect of what type of person they are – are they mainstream? Individualists? How are you going to appeal to these different type of people? Other factors to consider is the income, age, gender, ethnicity, race, and location of your audience. Audiences are important because without them, media wouldn’t exist; there would be no consumers. Without consumers, there would be no profit, and without profit, there would be no point in making media products anymore.

=The readership of a newspaper, magazine, book, or any other type of media

Audience 2

How does Audience relate to the music video/ short film? How will audience inform your production in terms of planning?

How can you apply audience to analysis of music video/short film?There are 4 main reasons why media products, in this case, a music video are

produced: Escapism/Entertainment Informing Personal Identity Social Interaction

I will try and make sure my music video fits into each of these categories. Mainly a music video is there for entertainment, but also to promote the artist and those involved with the video. I will apply audience to my planning and analysis by researching into my target audience (teenage girls mainly from the ages from 15+), researching what their demographic and psychographic age group does, what they’re into, how the best way to promote my product to them is etc. I will also be asking for feedback from my audience at various times as well, which will help me a lot when constructing my music video as it will allow me to see what extra things I need to add in or take out.

Audience 3

What theories or theorist are relevant to them?• Herta Herzog: was the first social scientist to come up with the idea of

the Uses and Gratifications theory. For her study, Herzog interviewed soap opera fans and was able to identify three types of gratifications. The three gratifications categories, based on why people listened to soap operas, were emotional, wishful thinking, and learning.

• Stuart Hall: was a very successful intellectual individual. He was also a writer as well as a sociologist, and some of his covered topics included: • Popular culture and youth subcultures

• • The CCCS and cultural studies• • Media and communication• • Racism and resistance• • Postmodernism and the post-colonial• • Thatcherism• • Identity, ethnicity, diasporaHe has helped develop more recent models of the Uses and Gratifications theory.

Media Language

Why is Media Language important? Media language is important because we can utilise it to

analyse media texts in a more sophisticated, adapted way e.g. Denotation and connotation. Media language is also important because when we use it e.g masthead, semiotics, low angle etc, we can communicate better with media colleagues and work together to create something fantastic rather than giving really long instructions – a cinematographer can shout out ‘high angle shot’ rather than say ‘place the camera up here then direct the lens down at the person’. Media language is also important because we can use it to persuade people, make them think.

=Media conventions, formats, symbols and narrative structures which cue the audience to meaning. The symbolic language of electronic media work much the same way as grammar works in print media.

Media Language 2

What theories or theorist are relevant to them?

 Ferdinand de Saussure: a founder not only of linguistics but also of what is now more usually referred to as semiotics. Signifier= what we actually see e.g. Black cat Signified= luck, witch’s cat

Roland Barthes: came up with the idea of denotation and connotation, similar to signifier and the signified. Denotation= what the object is e.g. Bread connotation (depends on who the audience is) e.g. Poor food, basic food, religious food, survival.

Media Language 3

How does Media Language relate to the music video/ short film? How will Media Language inform your production in terms of planning?

How can you apply Media Language to analysis of music video/short film?

Media language may not be the most prominent aspect in the music video, however it will be more useful for when I am creating the ancillary tasks like the digipak, poster etc , because I will have to use persuasive language then to intrigue the audience and get them to want to watch my video. Media language will have to be considered in planning as maybe if when actually shooting my video I may have a sort of assistant friend, I would try and get someone who also does Media Studies so they know what I mean when I say ‘pan tracking movement’ or ‘extreme close up.’