Questionnaire

YEAR 12 MEDIA STUDIES
STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE

NAME: Madeleine Jones

GCSE RESULTS:

ADDITIONAL SCIENCE (B)

ART & DESIGN: FINE ART (C)

ASTRONOMY (C)

DRAMA (B)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE (A)

ENGLISH LITERATURE (A*)

MATHEMATICS (E)

MEDIA STUDIES (A*)

RELIGIOUS STUDIES (C)

SCIENCE (B)

SOCIOLOGY (C)

HOBBIES:

Acting, listening to music, photography, playwriting and creative writing, and reading.

I especially enjoy photographing nature and wildlife in natural environments

PRINT MEDIA:

I occasionally read the newspapers i and The Guardian. I like i because it is pitched at a level more associable with my own age, and The Guardian simply because it isn’t Tory. I often opt to watch the news on TV instead, both in the morning and evening – I really enjoy keeping up with national and local politics, my government and most other articles that make it onto national news, as all stories aired are affecting me ultimately, holding the capacity to shape my life aims and decisions. I sometimes browse the Daily Mail Online, primarily for amusement, despite the website and the printed version of it being dominated by Conservative opinion. I dip in and out of beauty, fashion and lifestyle magazines here and there, too.

RADIO MEDIA:

Once upon a time I listened often to the radio, however I no longer tune into any station. This is because I accessed the radio primarily to listen to music, and now that YouTube comes as an inbuilt app in phones, I have a faster, more satisfying way of consuming albums and songs - there are no annoying adverts or presenters or music to tolerate if you search for a piece on YouTube.

MUSIC INDUSTRY:

I can listen to most music and find myself enjoying what I’m hearing, but my favourite genres are acoustic, ambient, bluegrass, classical, Celtic or Gaelic folk, jazz, piano, reggae, rhythm and blues and soft rock and I access compositions and songs via the Internet, opting almost always to use YouTube. When listening to songs, I prefer to listen to ones sung in another language, like French or Italian or Spanish, old Irish and Scottish folk songs, too. I also like soundtracks to television shows or films that I enjoy, or have enjoyed, watching.

Previously, I used to purchase albums and tracks on iTunes, but stopped after realising that – with the aid of Wifi – it is far cheaper (YouTube is free, for example) to listen to music online. When travelling and internet connection is not so reliable, I’ll probably tune into radio stations instead. I do intend to start using iTunes again, however, as this can prove frustrating when you can’t consume the pieces you want.

My opinion on illegal downloading of music remains rather neutral; I mean, of course, breaking the law should be wrong, but I also regard it unfair to forbid people accessing something that informs our opinions and is categorised a norm for so many – music – when not everybody can so easily access money. What I’m getting at is, if a person illegally downloads content because buying it is out of the question, I don’t really feel that they’ve done much wrong, perhaps only in the eyes of the law.

Although as a young person I’m inevitably influenced by segments of social media, I detest popular chart music, so definitely don’t actively draw inspiration for the way I choose to dress – amongst other personal identity idiosyncrasies – from the mainstream music industry. Nor do I derive ambition and attitude from the industry, or at least I certainly don’t do so consciously.

VIDEO GAMES:

I’m not exactly an experienced gamer. I play often on my Nintendo DS and the Wii, however, when online video games become too boring, and occasionally borrow my brother’s PlayStation and Xbox. Minesweeper is a slight guilty pleasure of mine, but I don’t think that counts as a video game. I used to consume a lot more video games when I was younger, but they’re something I’ve either grown out of as I’ve got older or struggle to find time to play, again, as a result of getting older.
Violent behavior, in my opinion, correlates not so coincidentally to the amount of time an individual consumes video games. The majority of popular game designs accessed by young males are almost always patriarchal in nature, often featuring ‘negative’ concepts, such as physical violence and weapons, of which appeal, stereotypically, more to males. This results in game content frequently being inclined to marginalise females, ultimately allowing young audiences to internalise socially unaccepted norms and values, especially ones held toward women.
Although negative effects to video games exist primarily in relation to gender, due simply to inaccurate or outdated portrayals, other consequences to playing video games, like ethnic discrimination, misleading representations of foreigners and age exploitation, all hold equally bad connotations.
I think such internalisation is wrong, however I also think it to be positive; the fact that video games are capable of impacting attitudes so drastically is rather incredible. If media texts offer negative influences, there is the possibility that they can alter public perception positively as well.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES:

New technologies have, without doubt, completely shaped my understanding of the world.It is hard to imagine a life for myself not dependent upon such inventions and devices as the internet and mobile phones.
Technological advancement, since my parents were my age, has seen so many introductions and upgrades that I struggle to comprehend how different their upbringing must have consequentially been. To me, my ability to communicate with others – other people who belong to other cultures and live on the other side of the globe – is not only a privilege, but one I absolutely take for granted on virtually a daily basis. Answering the phone, composing an email, sending a text message, activating Bluetooth, opening Twitter, creating this blog post – all these things were once impossible! The fact that finding out about new films, old films, new television programmes, old television programmes, music and any separate media texts I may wish to investigate is as easy as it is definitely aids in better informing me as a young learning person and my understanding of the world I’m both a part of and the world we are either yet to see or have seen.

TELEVISION:

Television has to be my most consumed media text, and I rely on channels such as BBC One and ITV to supply me with good quality fabrications. Recently, some of the dramas both have been seen airing are of such good quality; the writing, the filming and the acting alike are all examples of very near faultless performances.
In the past, I’ve appreciated watching series like Call the Midwife, Broadchurch, Doctor Who, Foyle’s War, Sherlock, Whitechapel and Spooks, the latter of which I now enjoy re-watching all ten series of on demand.
My favourite genres include action, adventure, comedy, crime, mystery and thriller. When I’m not being enthralled by the latest British drama on my screen, I hold an interest in the film industry, this time preferring American productions. In particular, camerawork and cinematography fascinate me, especially in action-adventure thrillers or horrors. Although I know I want to write and act in the future, journalism, marketing design, representational issues within modern contexts as well as older ones, and video games could be classed as extra media passions of mine.

Spooks finished in 2011, but remains my favourite television show

FEATURE FILM:

As previously mentioned, my favourite genres are action, adventure, comedy, crime, mystery and thriller. Whether watching a film in the cinema or an episode of a television series at home, these are my preferred genres to consume. If I had to pick just one, it would be crime, as this genre is so open to evolvement; Scandinavia is currently pioneering the ways in which crime dramas are produced. Locations are constantly changing, making performances set in this genre highly exciting to follow – I like the fact that the genre is able to adapt and survive in almost any given environment, and maintain a pacey, usually unpredictable narrative no matter what the setting or context.

Three films I regard as outstanding are The Italian Job (1969), Back to the Future (1985 – although the entire franchise impresses me) and the Bourne films.

I probably consume very little of what the film industry has to offer, only visiting the cinema intermittently throughout the year and watching few DVDs. Occasionally I’ll view a work on the computers within my own household. My preferred way of viewing films depends upon the film itself; some productions are clearly designed for maximum success on the big screen, as others cater to smaller scale consumption as well. Personally, I enjoy watching films from the comfort of my home. Going to the cinema to consume something automatically makes a production more spectacular, more outstanding; when taking a step back and consuming from a more familiar position, I feel I’m better able to develop an accurate perception of how good or not a composition truly is. I also favour the fact that other opinions aren’t able to mingle with mine (in a cinema I’m inclined to feel what those surrounding me do) when I’m deciding if I like or don’t like a piece. Having said that, I enjoy watching material with both my family and my friends because it’s a fun way to spend our time together.

My favourite cinema is Cinema City, which is fortunately situated within my city. I think the stone architecture inside the building is beautiful, and take an interest in the place for its uniqueness. I know of no other cinema close to me that screens plays live from theatres – an experience I find to really enjoy – as well as new films being shown in more popular haunts in the heart of the city. Additionally, Cinema City is great because whilst attending, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in courses and workshops relating to all branches of media, such as cinematography and filmography, acting and creative writing. As a young person, it’s so refreshing to be offered such possibilities when education is esteemed as important as it is, and academic failure is deemed not an option.

CONCLUSION:

The most interesting media text available to me of which I’ve consumed is definitely Spooks, the expired television show. Politics, spies and of course, human interaction, combine to create a consistent, seriously addictive narrative. With intense action unfolding all over the world on a weekly basis, characters to love and hate, trust and distrust, comedic and tragic additions and eerily realistic rendering of the contemporary struggles our world is confronted with, the show should never halt to grip the viewer. Phrased simply, there’s such a rich mix of themes, totally applicable to the life we know and live in, that the division has something to offer and appeal to everyone.

The timelessness of the series is worth noting also, as it mirrors the innovative idea behind the script. The dilemmas imposed upon our favourite protagonists each week were spookily reflective of the current affairs and global horrors within the news when aired, and are still applicable to societies today.

Virtually all age groups can derive enthrallment from this brilliant thriller; a perfectly balanced cast throughout the series saw all ethnicities, sexes and ages proportionally represented, with youngsters and elders both saving the day, blacks and whites both experiencing cultural, national and racial prejudice and females kicking-ass just as well as their male equals, I hesitate to think of a thing to dislike about the perpetually exciting production!

Identifying a media text that has altered my attitude to any of the following; myself, my family, my friendships, my community, my country, my values, my inspiration and my creativity is rather difficult, as in a sense, all media formulations have an over-arching purpose – to edit individual and public opinion – that sees the above altered in one way or another. However, I would perhaps pick Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s 1992 speech, made at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a piece of media that significantly altered most of my views toward those referenced above. Below is a recording of a then 12-year-old Severn, of whom I respect ridiculous amounts for doing what she does in the video.

Practice makes perfect

Over the summer, aware that I was to return to Sixth Form and start my Media Studies A-level in September, I decided to experiment with camera angles whilst on holiday in the south-west of England.

Below are a few of the results.

The image above follows the same rule as an over-the-shoulder shot; the subject at closest proximity to the camera lens is blurred, like the shoulder, neck and back of head of a person, and the second subject, which in this instance is the sea and the ships upon it, is in focus.

Rotating the chosen focal point of the picture from the background to the closer subject, this second snap captures the stonewall with a higher quality finish than the ocean behind it. In filming, this concept of blurring the ‘less important’ subject within a scene is employed in one-on-one conversations and evidences a nice, easy way to show audiences who is speaking, or who is conducting something of particular interest in comparison to their secondary subject.

The photograph of the seagull perched on the wall is a low angle long shot. The primary subject, the bird, is empowered by the low angle and rendered more significant. The fact that I chose to take the photo at a distance from the predominant focus of the composition and make it a long shot results in the subject being the clear central point of the image and established its location (resting on a stonewall).

The next two images may appear a little amateur, as they are so blurred. The subject is simply sunshine reflecting off water. Once again, I wanted to explore this idea of depicting scenes in such a way that they become blurry. I currently wish my thriller opening to incorporate flashbacks, in which recording must come across as unclear, or hazy. Blurring environments ensures success in achieving this somewhat distorted feel and shall assert the cut to the past with much needed clarity.

The medium close up shots, featured above, can be best defined perhaps as angles which settle half way between mid shots and close ups. The subjects in each image are presented to their viewers with detail, but the pictures do not concentrate upon exclusive regions of either focus in particular depth. This camera shot type plainly provides an outline or overview of subject and situation.

This photograph depicts a boat as the primary subject. The shot type is that of a medium close up. Medium close ups are commonly used to bring objects or characters into focus.

This picture, similar to the one before it, is a medium close up of a boat. Although no particular qualities differentiate it from the previous photo, I thought the snap above was rendered more interesting, solely through the composition, of which includes more water. I think it’s important to remember how minute alterations, much like the one demonstrated here, can enhance a scene and make a shot type appear uncommon, and therefore more creative.

Embed a video from YouTube

Casino Royale vs L.A. Noire

Media Studies Summer Task

What are the similarities and differences between two clips?

1. Casino Royale opening scene, http://youtu.be/HNvzNWuzI9Y

2. L.A. Noire Upon Reflection, http://youtu.be/HQyWNFBK94Q

The opening scene to Casino Royale sees a long shot establish the somewhat luxurious, overseas location of Prague, Czech Republic, immediately connoting an upper-class mise en scene to the audience. The clip has been rendered black and white, again adding to the obvious classical sophistication of the occasion and the events that we expect to follow. By quickly asserting a classy, elitist, more intellectual setting – through chic costumes and modern props – the viewer will be enabled to grasp the archetypal representation of James Bond, the protagonist. Although a man of action who frequently finds himself exposed to the hidden uglier side of life, he maintains great refinement and elegance, reinforcing the upmarket genre at which the film is pitched. The perpetual tastefulness of Bond’s world that is consequentially created helps an audience indulge in escapism, which perhaps heightens audience appeal.

In a similar sort of way to which the greyscale filter featured in Casino Royale addresses connotations of high-class living and wealth, the voiceover introduced at the start of L.A. Noire forms an equal environment of much desired stylishness, culture and riches, but allows the gamer to acknowledge the nasty side of the city as well. Though arguably Hollywood and the majority of Los Angeles are lathered in more glamorousness than Casino Royale’s still-very-plush set, combined with the opening soundtrack of casual jazz and expensive attire, James Bond deals with deviants and rogues in situations enveloped in extra class and quality. The lighting in the villain’s office in the first video is heavily shadowed, making the antihero appear enigmatic, mysterious and unpredictable. Once more, L.A. Noire’s mise en scene shared shadowy scenery, alluding to comparable dark connotations of evil and the unknown.

Stereotypes are never challenged in the short duration of either audiovisuals. For example, when Bond confronts the antagonist in his office, he both outsmarts and outwits the older man with smooth ease, and in doing so does not oppose conventional archetypes of ageism and the young beating the elderly due to the relative aid of faster physical and mental capacity. The generic views reinforced instead of broken in L.A. Noire are probably more subtle, but still exist. Like many action-adventure thrillers (games as well as films) in the media, women are marginalised massively. Whilst the Casino Royale clip achieves this by excluding female presence virtually entirely, L.A. Noire depicts the female inhabitants of the city as ‘dreamers’, which, when contrasted beside hard-boiled male cops and fearless male criminals, becomes almost discriminatory, as it advocates the female population to be perceived as obstructions – maybe to male success – as well as trophy figures for after they have ultimately succeeded.

Uniting all women negatively and categorising them as one absolute is a pattern that lots of patriarchal media copies. Underestimating a woman’s capability to perform tough, often physically demanding challenges, and ability to handle weapons of destruction implies that the route most scenes in L.A. Noire descended into are simply too difficult and too violent for females to endure, which isn’t wholly accurate. Likewise, the beginning of Casino Royale’s opening sequence entails little speech and a lack of sound, but falls hastily into violence, reiterating to its viewers that the films target audience is male-dominated. Each exotic set – Prague, and Lahore in Pakistan – contain patriarchal populations and offer as much opportunity of danger as they boast luxury and glamour. This yet further states the predominant gender orientation of the film and suggests that men are somewhat socially superior to women, who cannot be found so readily experiencing the finer things in life within the extract. Alternatively, L.A. Noire paints an unfair image of females by applying a parallel concept; the ladies in Los Angeles appear to be the only residents with enough freedom from duties to indulge in acts requiring little responsibility, such as watching movies at the cinema. This results in them seeming careless and serving no greater purpose than that of distracting hardworking men from advancing as they deserve.

Both extracts utilise rather differing camera angles and shot types. Casino Royale cuts straight to a low angle shot of the antagonist, from roughly the shoulders up, after the long establishing shot referenced previously sets the scene. By cutting practically instantaneously to the primary source of threat, the audience can gain insight into the power and superiority of Bond’s opposition. He is, because of the shot type selected, portrayed taller, stronger, almost omniscient, and omnipotent, enforcing from the off the jeopardy he can impose and place people in. Even in latter scenes, in which he can be seen conversing with Bond, low angle shots are still used in order to remind the audience that at the present time he still has the upper hand over the protagonist.

Violence and representation: Fighting commences in a public toilet,
resulting in the death of a foreign man

Rockstar Games, publisher of L.A. Noire, opted to install fewer close up shots on the other hand. Their absence meant that despite the player actually undergoing a more interactive experience while playing the game, it doesn’t feel it in comparison to watching Casino Royale, which incorporates close ups to include the audience in the action as oppose to ones positioned farther away to see situations as a bystander. Viewers might feel that they are experiencing at the same time as James Bond, but observing their character in L.A. Noire, despite the latter being the game of the two.

Another feature that differs between Casino Royale and L.A. Noire, distinguishing James Bond – our known and loved, loyal protagonist – from the cop characters in the second clip is the fact that he leaps into the heart of the action while they piece together what remains of it. Bond, who global audiences are familiar with, believe him to do the right thing almost always and automatically – we know him to be brave and good, but the cops you are to play as in L.A. Noire are less reliable and trustworthy.

With the addition of fast-paced editing, the fight scene in which Bond catches the man fleeing him produces even more archetypal roles for the audience to internalise. As the discord unravels and develops a tendency to get messy, more hand-held filming is included (jumpy camerawork was previously present as the pray took off running, trying to escape his predator – the protagonist – as he pursued him upstairs and through a hall of doorways), constructing a chaotic, hazardous sense of panic as the conflict continues to death. The compositions resume balance after the captor is killed. The defeat, however, further reinforces traditional stereotypes of foreigners in action-adventure thrillers. While the native protagonist exits the scene as more of a hero than he was when he entered it, the foreign man drowned in the attack dies having been outsmarted and outwitted by Bond, just like the elderly villain he later goes onto beat also. A birds-eye-view angle is inserted in amidst the battle too, placing viewers in ‘control’ of the hectic scene, for they can see both parties involved with more

Escapism and reality: Gun possession is glorified in both extracts,
as handling weapons becomes normality

clarity than either parties can make out one another. Contrastingly, in L.A. Noire, when one out of the two protagonists is ambushed by a suspected murderer they are questioning, medium close ups are the only shot type employed. As the section reaches disequilibrium, the viewer remains at a distance from the action – only when the disagreement is resolved are close ups used again.

Introduction

Hello, I'm Madeleine. Welcome to my AS Media Blog.