as_mediastudies_dlsa_2014
Thursday 29 May 2014
Friday 23 May 2014
Practice questions 22.5.14
Answer all three questions.
Study the screenshots from the BBC Olympics website.
1. Analyse the extract commenting on:
- Visual codes
- Layout and design
- Language and mode of address
(a) Identify two different audiences for this BBC website. Briefly explain your choices.
[6]
(b) Choose one of these audiences. Explore how the programme appeals to them. [9]
(c) With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the ways in which media texts are
constructed to target audiences. [15]
3. Using your own detailed examples, explore the impact of digital technologies on coverage of events.
[30]
Thursday 22 May 2014
Practice questions 21.5.14
Exams are 2 1/2 hours
You should spend approximately 50 minutes completing your answer to Question 1.
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
The number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question or part question.
You are reminded that assessment will take into account the quality of written communication
used in your answers.
Study the two film posters for Winter’s Bone (2010) and Unknown (2011).
1. Analyse the two film posters commenting on:
• visual codes
• layout and design
• genre. [40]
2. (a) Choose one of the film posters and suggest two different audiences for this film. Give
brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]
(b) With reference to the other film poster, explore how audiences are attracted to this
film. [9]
(c) With reference to your own detailed examples, which must not include the resource
material examples, explore why audiences may respond differently to the same media
text. [15]
3.With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media
today. [30]
Wednesday 21 May 2014
Conventions of games covers
after looking at a range of game covers from the same genre of game, that there was many conventions that are in each game cover.
Front Covers:
In an analysis of the front covers of sandbox games, we can see that the main conventions are:
- Protagonist in the centre of the frame
- Title of game shown
- The environment of the game in the background
- Form of weapon shown (iconic weapon)
- Enemy of the protagonist
- Logo of producer
- Platform of game in iconic place
- rating of game in bottom left corner
- bright colours (colour shown)
Back Covers:
In the back covers of sandbox games, the main conventions are:
- small description/ insight to what game involves
- between 3-5 images of game play/cinematic scenes
- range of in-game characters shown
- game details in the bottom 3rd of the cover
- creative scene to set the mood (example; joker with spray paint/ knife in water for far cry 3)
- Larger image in the cover that isn't in a frame
In the game image frames:
- unique feature of the game
- Characters in the game
- Action scene
- Enemy shown when obvious (example; joker in batman/ lizard in Spider-man)
Conventions of a DVD cover
Conventions of Newspapers
The Construction and Mediation of
Representations
A news photograph for example may
appear to be presenting us with a factual image but it has been through a
process of construction:
• the
photographer has selected his/her position, lens, angle,
exposure and framing before taking
the picture
• the
picture editor will decide if the image needs to be cropped, enhanced or in any
way altered before inclusion into the paper
• an editor will choose which, of
the many available photographs of the image, will be the one chosen for
inclusion in the newspaper and, importantly at this stage, the images
which do not meet the needs of the
text will be rejected
Even then, further mediation takes
place:
• Will the photograph be large or
small? • Will the photograph be on the front page or, less visible, on page
8?
Placement choices like this, along
with cropping and framing, act to focus the attention of the reader in a
certain way.
• What
headline and text will be used to accompany the
photograph?
• Will
the photograph have a caption?
• Will
it be positioned close to another photograph?
Anchorage is basically used in media to
attach meaning to something through either the matching of words to images or
the juxtaposition of two images which construct a meaning.
For
example in advertising, an image alone is polysemic open to a range of
interpretations. To clarify what the image means and so to make the image
relevant to the purpose of the advert, text can be added. Thus the image serves
as the 'hook' while the text anchors meaning. This can be said also for
photographs attached to newspaper articles. The same photograph takes on
different connotations with different accompanying texts.
Selection
Whatever ends up on the screen or in the paper, much more will have been
left out. Any news story has been selected from hundreds of others which the producers have decided were less interesting for you, any picture has been chosen from an
enormous number of alternatives.
Omission is knowing about something but
just refusing to focus on it or bring light to the facts.
In 2005, the
New York Times knew about the Bush Administration using Telecom companies
(Verizon, AT&T, etc.) to spy on Americans. The story was held back for over
a year as the Times received pressure from Bush White House to kill the story.
The Times didn't kill the story completely but they did wait until after the
November 2006 elections before they actually reported on Bush Administration
breaking the law
Mediation
Every time we encounter a media text, we are not
seeing reality, but someone’s version of it. This may seem like an obvious
point, but it is something that is easily forgotten when we get caught up in
enjoying a text. If you see a picture of a celebrity kissing her boyfriend, you may find it unsurprising that the picture has been altered and does not show the reality of the situation, but in fact we should bear this in mind whatever we encounter in the media.
The media place us at one remove from reality: they take something that is real, a person or an event and they change its form to produce whatever text we end up with.
This is called mediation. You should be looking for this with any media text.
What the BBC classified as ‘riots’ in London become ‘protests’ in Beitounya
Conventions of a CD Cover
Everything on your CD cover for production needs to be considered and based on your research.
Give consideration of the connotations of the visual codes on the covers and the intended effect on the target audience:
Costume.
Facial expression.
Colour.
Body language.
Graphics.
ALSO:
Note any links between the visuals ion the cover and the album content.
What are the creators inviting the target audience to do?
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