Statement of Aims

I have though very carefully and have decided that i will go for brief one television. I have looked at a few shows to get inspiration for the show that i would like to create.  i first wanted to create a show inspired by the TV show "euphoria" starring Zendaya. "Euphoria" follows the troubled life of 17-year-old Rue, a drug addict fresh from rehab with no plans to stay clean. i got draw to this poster and TV series as it had an element of what i would like for my TV series to look and feel like. the idea of the series i have is to have the idea of a teenager in high school with a dysfunctional family with drug awareness in it. seeing that the brief is aimed at ages 18-34,i thought it would be relevant to touch on important subjects while keeping the series slightly light hearted. i also then looked at the TV series "the fosters" which follows the lives of Stef Foster and her life partner Lena Adams and their struggles to raise their children Brandon, Jesus and Mariana in San Diego, and "shameless" which follows the life of a dysfunctional family trying to get by on what they have in life by also making and getting into trouble with others. This is because i wanted to merge the ideas of dysfunctional families and drug awareness in my TV series. I finally looked a Netflix series called "insatiable". i took inspiration from this poster as the series is based on a teenage girl in high school which is exactly what i was going for in my series. i still had to think of a name and decided to go with the name "Bliss" which means perfect happiness; great joy. i got the inspiration of this title from "euphoria" as that means a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness however, the poster and atmosphere of the TV show is quite dark. For my magazine front cover, I am thinking of having either one or two people from my show to fully introduce the target audience to the show and the people behind it. I am thinking of mimicking the Euphoria poster by taking the pictures on low light settings. The models will cover their faces with their hands on order to give the effect of their identity being secret until people read the double page spread that I compose.

Explain how the radio industry targets audiences. Refer to Late Night Woman’s Hour to support your points. [ 10 marks ] 

Late Night Woman's Hour is a BBC Radio 4 show that is a late night edition of Woman's Hour. The main demographic are females as it is implied in the in the title of the show. The stereotypical audience listener is a middle class woman likely to be over 30 and mothers. This would be due the sophistication of all of the topics that are discussed in the show. There are many ways in which radio industries are able to target their audiences.

One way in which the radio industry targets its audiences is through their choice of presenter on the radio show. In Late Night Woman's Hour is presented by Lauren Laverne on Radio 4. She is known to be youthful and have a reputation for being very outspoken. Laverne is also known as a DJ, model, television presenter author singer and comedian. Due to her being known for all of her jobs, she is able to attract younger female listeners who are interested or are fans of her work. This will also lead to audiences tuning into the show to listen to their favourite presenter which will make them stick around to listen to the show. This also links to the fact that she is associated with BBC Radio 6 where she was apart of an alternative music band called "Kenickie" which appeals to a young audience for a variety of audiences to listen 

Another way in which the radio industry targets its audience is through the topics that they discuss in the show. Late Night Woman's Hour is centred on female topics that women can relate to. For example in the episode "Home", Lauren Laverne discusses the topics of home, hygge and domestic norms. Other topics discussed on the show include things such as: culture, moral issues as well as politics. Due to the main target audience of the programme being female, the programme focuses on more female oriented topics, however, they also talk about broad topics to suit for their niche male audience. The stereotypical listener is mainly interested in topics including affairs, family, home and crafts. This allows a wider range of topics to engage different audiences.

An alternative way in which the radio industry targets radio audiences is through the availability across a variety of platforms. Before the mid 1990s, radio could only be listened to on one platform. Now thanks to things such as digital transmission, many more radio stations can be broadcast to different people. As there has been a change from analogue radio to digital audio broadcasting which allows access to a wider range of audiences. People can also listen to the show on multiple devices such as phones, tablets, laptops and more as people can listen to podcasts live or can download them if the time the show is live is inconvenient. This allows for more people to access the show due to convergence.

History of games consoles

History of Gaming

1972- Atari Pong and Home Pong
1977- Atari VCS 2600
1978- Magnavox Odyssey 2
1978- Mud Gaming
1978- Space Invaders
1980- Pac Man
1980- Space Invaders Championship(first competitive gaming tournament)
1982- Commodore 64
1983- Game Crash
1985- Nintendo Entertainment System
1986- Sega Master System
1986- The Legend of Zelda
1989- Nintendo Game Boy
1989- Sega Genesis
1989- Nintendo Game Boy
1990- Windows PC games
1991- Nintendo Super NES
1993- Atari Jaguar
1993- Doom
1995- Sega Saturn
1995- Sony Playstation
1996- Nintendo 64
1996- Pokemon
1997- Grand Theft Auto
2000- The Sims
2000- Playstation 2
2001- Nintendo Gamecube
2003- STEAM/Call of Duty
2004- Nintendo DS
2005-Xbox 360
2006- Nintendo Wii
2009- Minecraft
2011- Skyrim
2012- Wii U
2013- Sony Playstation 4
2013- Xbox One
2013- GTA V
2017- Nintendo Switch

MMORPG- Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game
Augmented Reality- interactive experience of a real world environment where the objects in real life are enhanced by computer generated perceptual information
Persistent world- a world in which still exists even if the player is not logged in or no players are there
CRPG- Computer Role Playing Game

The PSVita was a handheld video game console which was developed and manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. it was released on 17th December 2011 first in Japan and the released in places such as Europe, North America and other international territories on 22nd February 2012, Sony has discontinued the production of the console as it was the least successful console to be made. Due to it being a part of the 8th generation of video game consoles, it competed with Nintendo's 3DS.

How do mainstream films target or maximise their audience?

How do mainstream films target and maximise their audience? Refer to Straight Outta Compton to support your points ( 10 marks)

In the media industry, there are many ways in which films target their audiences as well as attempt to expand it. In the mainstream film "Straight Outta Compton", there are many ways in which this is done.

One way is through the use of storyline and actors. Straight Outta Compton is a biographical film based on the group of N.W.A which consisted of members such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy E. The storyline would maximise their audience as many older individuals may recognise them and remember listening to their albums and music as they made quite a big impact in black urban music. the storyline can also contribute to maximising audiences as many people can relate to and remember their journey towards now. In the movie, there are real life events that are presented such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots which is a very memorable event that occurred where 2,000 California Army National Guardsmen patrolled the city to attempt to restore order in the city. The 1992 L.A riots was a serious riot that lasted five days which was described as a civil disturbance. This maximises audiences as they will be intrigued to learn more in depth what exactly happened for the people who have never heard about it to help educate young people about the kind of problems people faced in past and present times. This relates to the social context of guns and violence in society.

Another way in which mainstream films maximise and target their audience is through the use of product placement promotions. In Straight Outta Compton, there are many brands and companies that are implicitly being advertised due to what the actors are either wearing or using. The most noticeable promotion comes at the end of the film when Dr.Dre starts his own music label. As it shows the future of Dre's venture into the music world alone, it shows viewers that he created Beats by Dre. This is a promotional act as it allows people watching the film to recognise what his company and hopefully persuade individuals to purchase the product because it is being advertised by a big company itself. Due to the age certificate of the movie being 15, teenagers are most likely to ask their parents to buy it for them.

On the other hand, a different way in which mainstream films maximise their audience is through the use of promotional marketing campaign. Straight Outta Compton has done this successfully as the promotion poster has become a viral trend where people are recreating the poster with their own twist to it. This allows audiences to get more involved in the promotion of the movie as it allows others who are not aware of the film to be influenced to check where the trend started fro and make them interested in learning about the film. This is a good way to maximise their audience as many celebrities such as athletes, musicians actors and models have also taken part in the marketing campaign such as Serena Williams, Jamie Foxx and many other celebrities. They put a tool on their website straightouttasomwhere.com to allow users to upload a picture and a step saying "Straight Outta" then putting their city. This was first started by Dr.Dre's company Beats.The involvement from audience got the campaign a Shorty Award.

An alternative way in which mainstream films target their audience is the genre  of music. Straight Outta Compton is about the beginning of black urban music such as rap. Individuals that are interested in this the of music are more likely to listen watch the film as they may want to know how exactly rap music started to become a genre. It can also appeal to people that do not listen to or are unfamiliar to rap music. This would allow them to want to take interest in the movie as it will help them to better understand the genre and may even influence them to become interested in listening to that genre and maybe even listen to some of the music produced by some of the artists that the appear in the movie.

Mainstream films can also maximise their audience through the trailer. Unlike many other films, Straight Outta Compton took into consideration the diversity in audiences so they decided to make three different trailers for the movie to target black, white and hispanic people to be persuaded to watch the film in the cinema. The use of different trailer to appeal to different audiences allows the film to be more appealing to others as it does not subject itself to a specific demographic. This pursues others to talk more openly about the film as it is not aimed at a certain group, but instead it involves every group and does not isolate anyone as it spreads the message that fils should not be subjective of their audiences.

Water Aid ad

in the water aid charity advert, there are many technical codes to provoke responses as well as emotions to connect with the target audience.
the main target audience for the wateraid advert is mainly middle aged older people. this can be obvious to the audience as at the ending, it promotes the advert by telling viewers to text sunny to the number to donate £3 a month. this is clearly targeted at an older audience since they are more likely to be able to donate. in the advert, the landscape in Africa in the beginning is represented as dry due to the close up of the crops. then following that, the colours start to brighten as the overall tone of the advert begins to become more positive.
the song sun shine on a rainy day presented in the advert links to the target audience which are adults in their 30s. the song was made in 1990s which is when the target audience was younger which we give them a sense of nostalgia. The director of the advert uses warm colours/tones in order to speak with the audience. To audiences, these warm colours connote a sense of safety which makes them feel happy for the community. The directors of the advert have decided to name the main character as it allows the audience to feel a personal connection to the person as if they know them personally.
the use of camera shots allows audiences to focus more on what the advert and director is trying to show us. an example of this is in the beginning of the advert when they use a wide shot to give audiences a good look what the landscape looks like. another example is when they use a close up on the main characters face which allows audiences to see the emotion in her face. one other way they use close up in the advert is to show the main focus. in the Water Aid advert, iconography is used a sweater is presented as a motif in every scene. nearing the end of the advert, sun shines on the water which allows audiences to realise not to take advantage of water as people in poorer countries see it as a necessity as well as valuable and precious.

Vance Joy's Riptide

Vance Joy's Riptide is an indie music video which has an intertextual genre of horror implemented into it. there is a key representation of genre in the music video mainly focused on women. the women in the video seem to be sexualised. for example, in the beginning of the video, the woman seems to be at the dentist fearing for her safety. later on, we then see another woman at the seaside removing her bathing suit while the audience is in the view of someone looking at her from behind. this can be said to be the male gaze as each woman in the video can be seen in either a vulnerable state or sexualised. another thing is that it also gives slight glimpses of women being abused by most likely, men. this can be a reference to David Lynch's Blue Velvet where the woman is a famous singer and she is continuously abused by her "lover" while someone is watching from a hiding place. this is a directly referenced in Riptide as the female singer progressively becomes more traumatised and distraught. Another use of intertextuality in the music video is reference from the work of director Wes Anderson.

Representation in the media

Representation in the media

In media, representation is the way that different forms of media portray and shape various social groups or issues in a certain way whether it is based on prejudice, bias or stereotypes. Representation can be shown in either a negative way or a positive one. The different social groups that are categorised in media are gender, age and ethnic background, race and identity. However, these groups can be portrayed in a positive or a negative way.

Ethnic backgrounds, race and identity is another main social group that people around the world are put in due to their representation in the media. The difference between ethnicity and race is that ethnicity is normally defined by language, cultural and national customs as well as beliefs whereas race can be defined by physical attributes and characteristics that could link to skin colour. Media and society today can make representation of ethnicity powerful whether it is good or bad. Certain ethnic groups are seen more positively. One predominant racial and ethnic stereotype for Muslims and Arabians is that they are terrorists, but they are only seen as this because the media has swayed people into believing that this is true by striking fear into society’s eyes by labelling them due to the previous events of terrorist and bomber attacks such as 9/11. Other stereotypes include things like the French are the best chefs and are very romantic or that black people are violent are normally apart of gangs which all of these stereotypes can easily be debunked but due to the media picking certain ways to portray these people, it is affecting how society sees them in general.

The first example of representation in the media is through the music video of Childish Gambino’s (aka Donald Glover) “this is America”. It is said to be a narrative video as it displays the various problems that black people in particular have had to face over the years. This music video is well known for its subliminal messages and meanings behind the work. The first representation is through the stance he does at the beginning of the video while holding a gun. This is known as “Jim Crow”. The stance is named after a racist fictional character which labelled African-Americans as stupid, lazy and inhumane while being performed and created in the early 1800s to represent the ethnic minority. Another representation is in the background. As Glover is singing and dancing in the foreground, many people do not notice the events occurring behind him such as riots and even a man jumping off a railing. This is to show that society is so fixated on good things that they fail to come to terms with reality and that we don’t focus on details. 

Also in the beginning when Glover shoots the man, we soon see that the gun he used is taken with a red cloth and treated with care. However, the body of the deceased man is dragged off to the side. This makes audiences believe that in America, guns are more valued for than individuals. Another intriguing representation is through the choir scene where the choir begin to sing and then get shot by Glover. This is a reference to the 2015 Charleston church shooting performed by white supremacist Dylann Roof while killing nine innocent black people in South Carolina. Glover put this in the video to raise awareness about the situation as well as to show people that black people are mistreated daily due to the colour of their skin. The final way that representation is shown through the video is at the very end where you see Glover running from a group of white people. This represents the fact that black people in America particularly are still living in fear while running away from the social injustices in society today. This can also be viewed as a slave running away from their slave owners as Glover, a black male, is running away in fear from white people. All of these representations relate to Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory and George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory as the video uses media language and concepts in the narrative to convey meaning. It also helps to tackle some of the various problems people are dealing with in society.

In media today, men and women are noticeably different in the way that they are portrayed. The portrayal of women in the media has changed progressively in the years to view them in a more positive and acceptable light. However, women are still seen in a negative light due to what the media called “the male gaze”. The male gaze is how different media texts visualise women through the perspective of a male and their attitudes towards women. This also plays in with the typical stereotypes of a woman which are to be submissive and inferior to men, domestic, infatuated with looks, feminine and vulnerable. This also pals on they are meant to dress. In the 20^th century, women were seen as housewives and are expected to be seen in dresses, heels and skirts with their hair done whereas now, women are sexualised more than ever as they are seen with heaps of makeup and hardly any clothing to wear at all. Due to social and cultural aspects in the media, this is how society sees women now. Just like women, the representation of men has also changed over the years. The traditional stereotypical attributes of men are to be athletic, dominant, superior, independent, heroic and highly intelligent. However, metro sexuality is slowly emerging into the media where a man gets in touch with his femininity while being into fashion, health and fitness and romance.

The second example of representation in music videos is in The Weeknd’s “Earned It”. The main representation that is predominant through the whole video is gender. Throughout the whole video, audiences can see that he is wearing a black suit which gives connotations of a strong, powerful and authorial man. Linking to this, he is sitting in the audience while a group of women who are wearing a minimal amount of clothing are dancing for him. This reflects on the view that in media, women are seen as inferior to men who are seen as dominant and superior. Later on in the video, the audience see a woman descending from the ceiling while being tied up. This makes viewers seem as if she and the other women in the video as objects which plays on the “male gaze”. This is when the director makes a media product through the male’s perspective. This relates to Liesbet van Zoonen’s Feminist theory where men and women are represented differently in the media while women are normally objectified due to media these days in society.

In conclusion, even though representations of certain groups of people may not seem wrong, the media can be manipulative as it can paint anyone as good or bad without really knowing who the person they are targeting or talking about personally or what challenges they have endured during their life. They may not always be negative, but it may not give audiences a true look into the social group and could really damage our society which can influence someone’s knowledge of the group and actions as well as behaviour towards them.