The Killing exam questions

The production, distribution and exhibition (how it was received) of the killing shows how audiences can be reached, both on a national and a global scale, through different media technologies and platforms. To what extent do you agree with the statement? (25 Marks) 

PRODUCTION: DR( danish broadcasting corporation). they have a number of channels similar to the BBC's. It is funded with a licence fee under a public service contract. This means that amongst other things, DR is required to provide programming to that reflects and caters to various groups within wider society. it is required to reflect diversity and variety as well as make it's output accessible for everyone. It is obliged to promote Danish cultural output and provide educational material. The killing was broadcast ed on DR1 in 2007.

EXIBITION: The killing season 1 was broadcast in the UK on BBC 4 in 2011. It was a success and got 500,000 views per episode. Gained an active fan culture. Viewing numbers almost doubled for season 2 and maintained its audience for season 3 released in November 2012. It won many international awards including a BAFTA for best international TV programme and an International Emmy for 'best drama series' and 'best performance by an actress' in 2008 after its initial broadcast run. Became global success and shown in over 100 countries 

DISTRIBUTION: Shown on BBC4 which is known for international shows to be aired on there ( a lot more on the sheet) 

DISAGREE POINT: However the show was remade in America by Fox Television and was broadcast on AMC and later on Netflix. It still followed the same plot of the killing with a Danish women Sarah Lindel but was relocated to Seattle. shows how it cant be fully reached by Americans recreating their own version 

Also on BBC 4 they have less view ship than compared to BBC1 

Steve Neale suggests that sophisticated narrative subverts stereotypes. How true is this in the Killing? 25 marks  

Agree paragraph-  Sarah Lunds Character

Disagree- Nana Birk Larsen's character 

Exam question example: Butler (Score and Maybelline)

Judith Butler describes gender as 'an identity instituted through a stylised repetition of acts'. In other words it is something learnt through repeated performance. 

How useful is this idea in understanding how gender is represented in marketing and advertising products? Refer in detail to the Close study product Maybelline 'That boss life part 1' and Score hair cream advert. 

Judith Butler's theory suggests gender is something learnt through repeated performance. In both CPS score hair cram and Maybelline, Butler's theory is useful for understanding CPS.

'Scores hair cream' slogan is 'get what you've always wanted' with an image of a toned man in Khaki, cameo styled outfit holding a gun between his legs. The slogan suggests the man is a stereotypical  mans presentation of what they would want to be in 1967 (when the AD came out). The man plays on this and sets a lifestyle (by the use of a desired, attractive, powerful man). The gun between the mans leg created a phallic image of the man being attractive and desired by the women around him. To a man this would be persuasive as the advert sells the hair cream to do this for them. 

The year the Score AD was released was the same year that the law against homosexuality was abolished. However being homosexual was still frowned upon. Score is in line with Gelfer's masculine theory and refers to hyper masculinity. By placing the man in a circle of women who's attention is focused on him suggests traditional masculinity is desirable in the eyes of women. 

However the woman who's focus is on the camera could hint towards homosexuality as she is not his interest. It also reflects the social standing of some women 3 years after the score ads release and Equal Pay Act was enforced. the women could represent the strong independent woman who's focus is not a man by potentially a career 

Maybelline's 'That Boss Life' reflects gender fluidity as the main male figure is gay and of ethnic minority decent who is placed as the focus rather than a white heterosexual male. This challenges masculinity with the coverage of  gay people in the media. By placing 'MannyMua' with a female, black lead 'makeupbyshayla' encourages cultivation theory- the more people see it the more socially acceptable it becomes. 

Like 'Score', 'That Boss Life' is selling a lifestyle for the consumers. the advert is set in a NY hotel room which reflects sophistication. The mascara packaging is gold and shiny which suggests wealth and power. The producers are showing how this product can bring wealth and power to your life- you can live lavishly in an expensive apartment with a butler. 

Mark Awarded- 16/20 

Trailer coursework (2nd draft)

https://youtu.be/KPDCwbmI_fo

Semiotics: icon, index, symbols

One key aspect of our introduction to A Level Media Studies is developing the language to analyse media products.

Semiotics: the study of signs.

Semiotics: icon, index, symbol notes

These terms were coined by the American philosopher and scientist Charles Sanders Peirce in the 1800s.

An Icon has a physical resemblance to the signified, the thing being represented. A photograph is a good example as it certainly resembles whatever it depicts.

An Index shows evidence of what’s being represented. A good example is using an image of smoke to indicate fire.

A Symbol has no resemblance between the signifier and the signified. The connection between them must be culturally learned. Numbers and alphabets are good examples.

Source of these definitions: Vanseo Design Blog

A brief introduction to icons, indexes and symbols:

 https://youtu.be/0JtJu9HdQVM

Icon, index, symbol: blog task

1) Find three examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.

Icon: photo of a dog 

Index: smoke represents fire 

Symbol: has no resemblance between the signifier and the signified. The connection between them must be culturally learned. Numbers and alphabets are good examples. There’s nothing inherent in the number 9 to indicate what it represents. It must be culturally learned.

2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts?

its a way of straight forward communication without actually speaking 

3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing?
Global brands may try to avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing as symbols are things that are culturally learned, for example numbers and alphabet. This means that global brands would avoid using symbols as different countries may have different meaning for different symbols- this may cause confusion and prevent a direct message from being correctly understood. 

4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail? (This web feature on bad ads and marketing fails provides some compelling examples).

This media text is very controversial as it seems to be sexualising women and uses some sort of sexual humour. The icons in this media text are the woman and the burger. The index in the text is the copy which can be viewed as sexual humour, mainly sexualising women in a disrespectful manner- linking to the image portrayed. The icon shows the woman with her mouth wide open supposedly about to take a bite from the burger however this image can be seen in a sexual manner, degrading and sexualising women. The copy on the text both in the centre and at the bottom of the ad can be interpreted in the wrong way as it uses a sexual pun which could be interpreted as referring to the central image. The symbol on this print advertisement is the burger king logo.This advertisement was supposedly meant to come across as humorous however this media product has failed in doing so as it comes across as degrading towards women as it sexualises them in a negative light. This advertisement is also sexist.

5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.

 media giants 

The past decade's wave of media mergers has produced a complex web of business relationships that now defines America's media and popular culture. These relationships offer a massive opportunity for cross promotion and selling of talent and products among different companies owned by the same powerful parent corporation. Examine the charts breaking down what each of the five U.S. media giants now control (as of February 2001). Also included on this list is Bertelsmann AG, which in globalizing has bought up several large American media divisions. Click on each one to see their holdings It is the second largest global media conglomerate, after AOL Time Warner. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation Ltd. has media holdings in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia. This privately-owned German media conglomerate has interests in 600 companies in 53 countries. It's the third largest global media conglomerate. FY 2000 revenues topped $25 billion. This giant's subsidiary Universal Music Group is the number one music company in the world, with roughly 22% of the 1999 global market. The $165 billion mega-merger between AOL and Time Warner, approved by the FCC in January 2001, is the largest media merger in history. The new company promises to offer a powerhouse of integrated communication, media and entertainment across all platforms -- computer, phone, television and handheld wireless devices. Sony made its name with electronics, but it now has more than 1,000 subsidaries worldwide, many of them key media partners.

1.) What are your opinions on the tactics and techniques of the marketing media who are targeting our teenagers? Have they gone too far?

No I do not believe they have gone to far but think that it's actually very clever by digging into the minds of teens in order to find what they like and therefore market according to the their findings

2.) How has the internet changed this?

The internet has changed this because now you can find everything anywhere and more and more people are selling merch making it harder of other companies to advertise 

3.)  RESEARCH AND SUMMARIZE CONDE’ NAST.

Who are they? What do they own? How do they make money and manage customer data?
Condé Nast Inc. is an American mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, based at One World Trade Center in Manhattan and owned by Advance Publications.they produces many of the world's best known magazine brands, including Vogue, Glamour, Gentleman's Quarterly, Architectural Digest, Wired, House & Garden, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler and Vanity Fair.

Jenkins- fandom and participatory culture

Henry Jenkins is an expert in fandom and participatory culture. Key to this idea is the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – audiences that create as well as consume media. This culture has revolutionised fan communities with the opportunity to create and share content. It also links to Clay Shirky’s work on ‘mass amateurisation’.

Participatory culture has been an encompassing concern of much of Jenkins' scholarly work which has focussed on developing media theory and practice principles by which media users are primarily understood as active and creative participants rather than merely as passive consumers and simplistically receptive audiences

Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who).

https://youtu.be/ZCKoLB1kUsY

Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences.

Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support.


EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture?

A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.

Henry Jenkins - fandom 

1) What is the definition of a fan?
A fan, or fanatic, sometimes also termed aficionado or supporter, is a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something or somebody, such as a singer or band, a sport or a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie or an entertainer.

2) What are the different types of fan 
book fan 
movie fan
sport fan
entertainer fan 

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. ... The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like an individual celebrity, or more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions.

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
fandom is mainly the middle class who can afford all its merchandise and attend conventions. they are devoted to buying and supporting fans. 

5) What are examples of fandom broadening audience?
introduction of merchandise? 

6.) CAN YOU FIND SOME FANDOM OR EXAMPLES OF PROSUMERS FOR EACH OF THE CSP’s?

First list ALL your CSP’s. Then find an example!

https://lbbonline.com/news/sarah-lund-stars-in-save-the-children-xmas-viral/

Or literal music videos?

score ad-  http://komalsmedia.blogspot.com/search?q=score+
Billie jean- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqm0nOUi3Qg&safe=true
letter to the free - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZhnubYeswo&safe=true
Boss life- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzV_lMQaBic&safe=true
No offence- 

Fanatic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal - shortened to fan.

·         Hard core fan: identify themselves as the ‘insiders’ within any given fandom and consider themselves to be aficionados of their chosen media text. They spend a lot of time and often money in becoming hard core fans. They take pride in how long they have been a fan and also the quantity and quality of the knowledge they have amassed whilst being a fan.

·         Newbies: new fans of any given text and do not have the longevity of devotion or depth of knowledge that hard core fans have and are initially viewed as the ‘outgroup’ within fandoms.

·         Anti-fans: those which identify themselves with media texts but negatively so; they loathe or hate the text but unlike ‘true’ fans they do not form their relationship with a text through close readings, they develop their emotional attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers. Hills argues that the ‘anti-fan’ seems to be a negative stereotype of a text or genre such as ‘all people who watch chick flicks are dim’ or ‘people who watch horror must be sick in the head’.

Fandoms exhibit a ‘passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.’ Fandoms are subcultures within which fans experience and share a sense of camaraderie with each other and engage in particular practices of their given fandom. Fandoms can be narrowly defined and can focus on something like an individual celebrity, or be more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions.

Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.

Fans use the original media texts and get creative and innovative with the material. Crawford suggests that it is this which distinguishes fans from ordinary consumers. They engage in diverse activities such as ‘the production of websites, mods and hacks, private servers, game guides, walkthroughs and FAQs, fan fiction and forms of fan art, fan vids’ all of which have been aided by digital technology. Digital fandoms use technology in multiple ways and Fiske sees this as the ‘cultural economy’ of fandoms, one that is focused not on making money but on expressing the complex ideas and value systems behind fandoms.

Trailer coursework (first draft)

https://youtu.be/UNSSF1feJ8A

Battle of Brixton

What is Diaspora?

The definition of a diaspora is the dispersion of people from their homeland or a community formed by people who have exited or been removed from their homeland. ... An example of a diaspora is a community of Jewish people settled together after they were dispersed from another land.

Summarize this article;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4653360.stm

The way that people are portrayed in the media depends on the popularity or interest of that particular story and if it will sell. for example a white British lawyer was murdered and that was all over the news, news people went to the house to get as much info as possible- compared to this Asian man that was killed, it was not mentioned a as big deal or not that much. newspapers argued this was because people don't buy into certain stories. they like female victim stories more than make victims. even children victims are more interesting. this is the same thing with colour stories. 'The way the media portrays people of colour is in a much, much more negative light than they do other people'

What is the value of this news site?

https://www.voice-online.co.uk/

it is Britain favourite black newspaper- dedication to black news 

Answer the following exam question- (25 mins - 25 marks)

To what extent has the internet changed the relationship between producers and audiences and given way to the resistance of stereotypical representations?

the internet has changed the relationship between between producers and the audience by giving the audience a voice so they are now the producers as well. an example of this is social media where people can write their comments and voice there opinion, allowing a wide range of opinions and suggestions. Before there was a distinct distinction between the audience and the producer where typically the producers make the content and we just consumed it. This predates back to newspapers when the internet did not exists and there was no comment section or newspaper of our own. they were controlled by big businesses. now it is much easier to make content through recording and uploading a quick and easy YouTube video. This links to the cultivation theory(Gerbner) where people see others voicing their opinion and see an opportunity and are influenced to hence do the same. furthermore, this gives a resistance of stereotypical representation as by becoming the producer you can be quick to prove your opinion and point, compared to before (using the cultivation theory), we were just the consumers unable to resist and prove wrong the stereotypes represented through old media. Gilroy argues that black people tend to be unrepresented in society and so, an example of a resistance through the internet of stereotypes is the voice newspaper- the most read black British newspaper where they can put black stories that may otherwise be left out of mainstream news. 

on the other hand, arguably while people can voice their opinion on the internet at the same time we are still the audience to big budget news outlets which inevitably drowns our voices. not only does that drown our voices but also there are so many opinions on the internet that most will just be ignored or forgotten and drowned out as many people are talking at once. For example, whilst the voice news website does raise issues about racism, it is still not enough resistance as the big budget ones such as teen vogue will still be heard louder and clear due to it's mass followings and popularity. Furthermore, recording and uploading to YouTube is yes quick and easy but it is still incomparable to the style and format of teen vogue which would be sure to captivate larger audiences. the internet is so saturated with content that there is too much competition. This follows on to cultivation theory where if the news is always given by racist industry's then we begin to belief and follow that ideology-almost as an indoctrination. race in media is nit seen in the eyes of the producers. tho the internet usage is increasing, newspapers are still popular in today's age 

questions about trailer

                                    

1.)    What is unique about this show?

It centers around 2 people and it changes between happy and sad

2.)    How does it target a family audience?

Older sister taking care of a younger sister

How will you show sophistication in sound?

Background noise and various songs with dialogue

3.)    How will you show sophistication in editing?

Different editing types- quick cuts, slow cuts etc

4.)    How will you show sophistication in cinematography?

Various shots in different locations

5.)    How will you show sophistication in Mise en Scene?

Different clothing that matches the scene, different places

10.5)  how will the font and animation of your titles reflect the style of the character?

It will be elegant to show the elegancy of the older sister and how she has much potential in life even though it was taken away from her

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/dec/21/kermode-favourite-family-film

If you are going for a higher-level mark, you MUST answer these...

6.)    Stronger candidates have intertextual references… what will yours be?

7.)    Stronger candidates subvert stereotypes… how will you do this?

The stereotype that brown families have 1000s of relatives is subverted here with these sisters having no body

In addition, how teens cannot be good parents because of their age. It shows how the older sister does her best to give her sis the best life possible while working hard and not living of benefits

8.)    Stronger candidates create a direct appeal to target audiences… how are you doing this?

Emotional appeal between sisters

9.)    Stronger candidates communicate a clear point of view and ideological message appropriate to the ‘industrial context’ how do you do this?

Family will always be there for you when no one else will. Everybody makes sacrifices. It doesn’t matter who you are or where your from but true talent always shines in the end

Script

Shot	Audio eg. Dialogue	video
Establishing shot	Warm song	Angle: Movement: Just London Description: overview of London
Establishing Shot	Warm song	Angle: high Movement: still Description: restaurant
Indent- Netflix		Music starts playing
Over the shoulder shot	Mum-‘we need to celebrate! It’s not every day we get a daughter going…	Angle: mid Movement: smiling Description: camera facing me and Freya who are sitting next to each other
Cut to Harvard	To Harvard…	Angle: straight Movement: Description: Image of Harvard
Mid shot	‘…and one with a future…	Angle: straight Movement: Description: SAME AS BEFORE
cut to her dancing	…of dance!’	Angle: straight Movement: dancing Description: Freya dancing
Back to over the shoulder shot	Dad- ‘we are so proud, you girls are going places!’	Angle: straight Movement: Description: everyone’s happy At the restaurant
Cuts to black	Writing says ‘but not everything goes as planned’
Low shot	Like a DUN	Angle: low Movement: walking down the stairs Description: me, Freya and mum walking down the stairs to get into the car
High shot	DUN	Angle: high Movement: getting in car Description: getting in car
Mid shot	Silence then dun	Angle: medium Movement: having fun Description: whole family in the car and laughing then DUN
Black screen	Car crashing sound
Mid shot zooming out slowly	Pause then Freya- ‘what are we going to do now’ Me- ‘ don’t worry, I’ve got you’	Angle: mid Movement: standing still Description: 2 tombstones and zooms out to see Freya and I holding hands
Black screen	A critic review (song)
Wide shot		Angle: straight Movement: wiping floor Description: Wiping floor with mop in sorrow
Over the shoulder shot		Angle: low Movement: flipping through overdue Bills Description: I am flipping through Bills and see a dance school letter
Low angle	Song   (voiceover) ‘it says here that you got into the top dance school in the…’  (cuts )	Angle: low Movement: Freya and me messaging around happy and playing Description: we are happy in the park and are messing around playing (happy dance)
Close up	‘…country’	Angle: mid Movement: still Description: it’s of Freya’s face and her reaction is pure happiness and excitement
Mid shot	(voiceover) I’m so sorry but we can’t afford it’	Angle: straight Movement: another shot of me and Freya playing Description: another shot of me and Freya playing
Black screen	‘when times are tough’
Pan shot of an over the shoulder shot		Angle: high Movement: Freya running and so am I Description: we are running towards the door and she slams it in my face
Switches to another mid shot but on the opposite side as soon as the door slams	‘I HATE YOU’	Angle: high Movement: Description: my hand is on the door as the door slams and she screams and my hand scrunches in anger.
Black screen	All you need is
Over the shoulder shot	‘I wish mum and dad were here!’	Angle: high Movement: hands waving around Description: Freya is angry is telling how terrible her like is to me
Wide shot		Angle: straight Movement: sitting on phone Description: on the floor meant to be cleaning but on my phone
Over the shoulder close up		Angle: high Movement: flipping through phone Description: I am on my phone looking at Harvard demonstrating its still on my mind
Over the shoulder shot	‘Well there dead, IM the only family you’ve got left’	Angle: low Movement: moving down and grab Freya’s arm with both hands Description: I’m trying to explain to her by holding her that I’m the only family she has left
Black screen	Family
Montage		Of us being a family, doing more fun silly things, Freya going school (POV shot), getting told off for doing a bad job at work (over the shoulder shot of my boss screaming at me with arms in the air and my stressed facial expression) and also a piece of Freya dancing in front of the mirror and practising
TITLE	Orphan sisters (idk about the title yet)
Over the shoulder shot	‘C’mon…	Angle: high Movement: hand moves up reaching for Freya’s hand Description: Freya is on the grass and I’m bending my knees and I reach out for Freya’s hand
Full 2 person shot		Angle: straight Movement: walking Description: camera to our backs and we are walking towards the sun which makes us look shaded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djL3WWJeQ0E-  Harvard university 4:28 (or 4:57) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKsP-8g_5aQ&safe=true – restaurant establishing shot 0:00                                                                                                                           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBZPI7If14&safe=true-  London overview 4:54- 4:59 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSlIXg1qzps&safe=true London overview  0:33- 0.36