Videogames: Kim Kardashian

Language:

1) The objective of the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game is to create your own star, with the ability to customise your look and outfit with a vast array of style options. You can star in a huge interactive adventure as you encounter other celebs, dedicated fans, persistent paparazzi and even hang out with Kim herself. Climb up the social ladder to become an A-list movie actor, cover model, fashion designer and more. Take over L.A. in a virtual world complete with exclusive clubs, upscale boutiques, and luxury homes; you can also travel to New York City and Miami.

2) An A-List celebrity is a movie star who is very well known and who is usually considered extremely bankable by the movie industry, whose name is frequently recognised and associated with success and fame. This is important to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood as the primary aim of the game is to achieve that status.

3) The narrative of Kim Kardashian Hollywood involved working your way up the celebrity scale from Z-List to A-List. As you play you will interact with a range of real and fictional characters in the United States and around many of the world’s most glamourous and famous locations. As you progress, there are collectibles and missions that will allow you to develop the status of your customisable character. Your ranking is determined by your position on the Top Stars list in Hollywood. They are sorted into six different lists, with 'Unlisted' being the lowest rank to the 'A-list' being the highest rank. You rise up in ranks by gaining fans. The goal of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is to gain as many fans as possible by doing well on projects, getting attention from StarNews, and dating to get to the A-list.

4) Characters are NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) that appear in goals, locations and the storyline as you progress in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. These exclude NPCs you meet in the game that you can date or network with. These types of contacts are randomly generated according to each individual game. The characters in Kim Kardashian Hollywood are a mixture of real VIP characters and fictional characters.

5) In your pursuit of becoming an A-List celebrity, some of the fictional characters work with you and some actively try to ruin your journey by beating you to A-List. Special Events are temporary goal arcs that are available only during Weekend Events in the game. By completing them, players can not only earn Cash Cash, XP XP, Energy Energy and Star Stars, but also Special Event stars. These regularly happen and keep the game fresh.  It also means established players keep coming back to the game to see what the latest updated events are. By collecting Special Event stars, players can unlock exclusive rewards and Kustomize items. The Kustomize screen, also known as your wardrobe, is the screen where you can customize your character to your liking. You can purchase tops, dresses, pants, skirts, shoes, hairstyles, facial features, nail colours and fashion accessories like bags, jewellery, and tattoos.

Representations:

1) Representations of women in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood are perceived as quite controversial - it has been criticised for offering a representation of women focusing on appearance, modelling and dating as a way to be successful, rather than raw talent.

2) The game has been praised for its representation of race, ethnicity and sexuality – with the game offering a diverse range of characters many of whom are a part of the BAME community.

3) Representations are reinforced in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood through the idealistic, excessive manner in which women are conveyed, for example having prominent body figures and being interested in clothes and make-up. Another way is through the flirtatious and provocative depiction of women, as one of the main motives of the game is to develop intimate relationships with A-List celebrities. A way in which representations are subverted is through the fact that members of the BAME community prove to be famous and successful, which serves as a stark dichotomy to the formerly white Caucasian-dominated industry.

4) In Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, celebrity is represented as something to aspire to even without an obvious talent or ability.

5) The representation of celebrity may be criticised as it suggests that obtaining that lordly status requires minimal effort or hard work - rather it is entirely built upon the manner in which you present yourself outwardly rather than your actions.

Audience:

1) The intended audience for the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game may be pre-existing fans of Kim Kardashian and her work, which serves as brand loyalty as this may cause people to be more interested in the game. Also, the game may appeal to a female audience more due to the fashion, make-up and lifestyle aspects that the game has to offer.

2) Audience pleasures offered by the game includes personal relationships, as some may feel as though they have developed a friendly bond with Kim Kardashian. Also, it may provide diversion/entertainment through the glamourous Hollywood celebrity lifestyle, which may be fascinating to the audience and unlike anything within their usual daily lives.

3) The game could perhaps be addicting towards an audience due to the glamourous, wealthy lifestyle that serves as one of the most notable aspects of the narrative. As well as this, audiences could become rapidly fascinated with choosing new outfits or styles and meeting new characters, as well as playing with others if they wish.

4) James Liu believes that star power plays a huge part in the overall success of the game. This is because Kim is a major brand-name and she has a curated and sustained following which allows this game to have a significant advantage in visibility.

5) James Liu believes that people continually come back to the game due it being a

completely self-paced game. Also, it works hard to satisfy the need for social recognition and fantasy adventure in being a celebrity. It has good retention because it doesn't break emergence.

Industry:

1) Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is free to download, therefore making it accessible for everyone.

2) It makes huge amounts of money from in-app purchases and subscriptions. Players need to buy energy to complete tasks (or wait 30 minutes for energy to replenish). They can also buy subscriptions.

3) Subscriptions that are able to be purchased in-game include:

Gold: 49.99 USD / month (or local equivalent)

Silver: 19.99 USD / month (or local equivalent)

Bronze: 4.99 USD / month (or local equivalent)

4) Kim Kardashian: Hollywood was developed by Glu Mobile, a highly successful mobile game developer and publisher. It was released in June 2014 and was marketed heavily using the Kim Kardashian brand. With social media promotion, the game quickly shot to the top of download lists and iTunes app store charts.

5) The game design means that there is a large amount of media convergence. For example, social media channels are referenced in the game. The player is encouraged to engage online and gain bonus items for sharing on Facebook etc. The game appears on Kim’s actual social media platforms. The game features in Keeping Up with the Kardashians episodes. The TV Show is also referenced in the game.

Videogames: Lara Croft Go

Language:

1) Lara Croft's initial appearance was in the 1996 Eidos Playstation game Tomb Raider, which was the first computer game to feature a female protagonist rather than as a supporting role.

2) Tomb Raider's narrative and the creation of Lara Croft as a character was significantly influenced by the classic Indiana Jones films.

3) Lara Croft has long since moved past being just a videogame character. She has featured in blockbuster films, the original was released in 2001, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara; the character was rebooted with the release of a new Tomb Raider movie in 2018. As well as this, Lara Croft has been featured excessively upon magazine covers, to the point where she has appeared on them more times than any supermodel. There have been advertising tie-ins, merchandise, comic books and  spin-offs featuring the character. The franchise has had numerous incarnations before Lara Croft Go in 2015. 

4) Lara Croft Go was released in August 2015 for Android, iOS, Windows and Windows Phone devices. Versions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Steam were released in December 2016.

5) Lara Croft Go comprises of many action-adventure elements, therefore it's a hybrid genre. Also,  this game is a ‘turn-based puzzle’ which involves by-passing enemies and unlocking paths in a sequential manner which suits the ‘short timespan’ that people can sometimes commit to mobile gaming. It faithfully preserves element of original Tomb Raider game and brings the original adventure up to date.

6) The three-act narrative structure proceeds from an orientation stage through various complications and blockages to a simple resolution.

7) Lara is depicted as athletic with brown eyes and hair, frequently tied back in a plait or ponytail. Her costume is usually a blue tank top, light brown shorts, calf high boots and long socks. Accessories and props include gloves, a backpack, a utility belt with holsters and two pistols. Most stories feature her being stranded on a mysterious, far away island, therefore emphasising the action-adventure genre.

8) Lara comes across opponents including lizards, snakes and spiders. There are not many different enemies as memory is key.

9) Lara Croft Go explores the ruins of an ancient civilization in the Amazon Jungle. This differs from previous games, which are set in four different zones: Peru, Greece, Egypt and the lost continent of Atlantis.

10) Originally, Lara Croft was depicted as a sex symbol in an attempt to appeal to young men, who made up most of the videogame fanbase. She was shown to hold an unrealistic, over-exaggerated standard of beauty which some believed defied the entire point of her being an independent, strong female protagonist. Now, Lara Croft has grown to become much more than an object of sexual desire, but rather her own individual, fearless being.

Representations:

1) Women in videogames are typically presented in an excessive, sexualised manner in order to appeal to the male-dominated fanbase. Their body features and figure are particularly exaggerated to make them appear more desirable and they are rarely perceived to be independent, strong-willed characters but rather a source of attraction.

2) Lara Croft reinforces stereotypes as she is conveyed to be an object of sexual desire. Her body features were particularly exaggerated in early versions of games. She is also deliberately designed, from her body figure to the revealing clothes she wears, to appeal to a wide male fanbase by having features which most men would perceive to be "perfect".

3) Lara subverts stereotypes through her being an action hero, which is usually typical of male characters in videogames. She is also an empowering female heroine who solely operates independently, which is atypical of most female representation within the media.

4) A reason as to why many believe that the video games industry is overtly sexist and requires change is due to the representation of women within these games. They are typically portrayed in unnecessarily revealing clothing, as well as their figure and body type being made very prominent. Contrastingly, male characters within video games are almost always covered and their bodies are not depicted in an exaggerated way in order to draw attention to them as opposed to the design of female characters within videogames. This is seemingly representative of how male-dominated the industry is as female characters are intentionally designed to appeal towards the likes of men, therefore the industry must change and become more inviting towards new female fans.

5) I feel as though Lara Croft serves as an empowering, inspirational woman towards the minority of females in the video game fanbase, however due to the superfluous, sexualised way in which she was designed in order to appeal towards the male-dominated fanbase, some may perceive her to be an object of sexual desire.

Industries:

1) PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information.

2) PEGI is a European video game rating system established to help consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps, through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors.

3) Lara Croft Go was created by Square Enix in 2014.

4) Lara Croft Go is the combination of two successful franchises - Lara Croft Tomb Raider and the Hitman Go mobile game.

5) Tomb Raider is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Square Enix developed Hitman Go in 2014 based on the successful Hitman game franchise.

Audience:

1) An audience may enjoy playing Lara Croft Go due to the imaginative and elaborate storyline. Also, the fact that you can play it from your phone may be appealing to some players as it allows them to play at any time, whenever they desire.

2) An aspect of Lara Croft Go that makes it immensely appealing towards consumers is its phone-based gameplay. They would be able to play the game whenever they feel like it, whether it's after work/school, whilst travelling, or before bed. This eradicates the need for a gaming console e.g. a PlayStation in order to play the game; they have complete liberty to do so from the comfort of their own phone which can be moved around, meaning that they can play the game outside of their home.

3) Acrobatics and platforming are key features of a Tomb Raider adventure, therefore her animation is based upon the adventure genre of the game, in order to align with the abundant settings and complex narrative. She was also designed to have a provocative figure and dressed in overly revealing clothes in order to appeal to the male-dominated videogame fanbase.

4) Personal relationships applies to Lara Croft Go as audiences may feel as though they care for Lara's character and may be concerned about her outcome and survival. Lara Croft Go also offers diversion/entertainment due to the captivating narrative of the game which may deviate an audience away from their normal lives. Surveillance could perhaps be a prominent aspect of the game as it educates the audience on survival skills and allows them to view exotic settings.

5) The target audience for Lara Croft Go consists of the following: those interested in the quality of the innovative gameplay. those with brand loyalty to the Hitman Go series, those with brand loyalty based on the feminine empowerment displayed, those with brand loyalty based on nostalgia or even the sexualisation of Lara Croft (especially if they played older Croft games when at a formative age). Brand loyalty contributes to the overall target audience as many may feel more inclined to play the game if they have a pre-existing connection towards it.

History of Videogames

1) The first videogames were designed for rapid codebreaking, based on post-war mainframes. They were fairly straight-forward and consisted of relatively simple gameplay.

2) Over time, videogames have changed immensely. This includes high-quality graphics, advanced narratives, diverse representation, a vast range of genres, different consoles used to access these games and the many ways in which they are played.

3) Most successful videogames offer a captivating and exhilarating experience; from the gameplay to the narrative as well as the genre. A lot of these videogames also include a main protagonist, such as Mario or Link. This provides an array of audience pleasures, such as personal relationships (caring about the game characters), diversion/entertainment (being drawn away from real life). As well as this, the complex gameplay is something which may also appeal to audiences as it requires them to properly think and use their mind to progress in the game.

4) It is argued that videogames desensitise players to violence, reward players for simulating violence, and teach children that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflicts. Many believe that playing violent video games causes more aggression, bullying, and fighting - as well as quickly becoming a form of addiction.

5) At the time of which the article was published, there were more than 200 million players worldwide on Fortnite. It has now amassed over 500 million players in more recent times.

6) Fortnite is popular due to its gameplay which may be different and not have been seen previously. This includes 100 players partaking in a mass online brawl, using weapons and resources to survive until only one winner triumphs. Audience pleasures may include diversion/entertainment, due to the captivating and daunting experience of trying to become the last one standing, personal identity as much of the audience may have been pre-existing fans of fighting games and surveillance, as it may teach audiences survival skills.

7) People could perhaps criticise Fornite due to the obsession of which young children quickly developed with the game. It could instil a strong addiction into the minds of young people and deprive them of more worthy, efficient activities that they could be doing instead. Not only this, it could cause an added increase of violence within children.

8) "I've watched my 14 year old play this. It's like Minecraft meets The Hunger Games with a touch of Laser Quest chucked in. It seems straightforward and enjoyable. They at least learn to be strategic and adaptable from it." I agree with this comment as I believe that though videogames may prove as detrimental towards the wellbeing of children in some instances, it also allows them to develop a tactical way of thinking as well as the ability to use resources to stay alive.

"Games like this are good for developing social and emotional intelligence along with a glut of other valuable skills to develop in to adulthood." I disagree with this comment as I believe that some videogames which include fighting aspects may desensitise children towards violence and deprive them of developing social and emotional intelligence as they are glued to a screen a lot of the time.

Newspapers: Final Index

My Newspapers Final Index:

1) Introduction to Newspapers

2) December mock exam: Learner Response

                    

3) Daily Mirror: Language and Representations

    

4) Daily Mirror: Audience and Industries

5) The Times: Introduction

6) The Times: Language and Representations

7) The Times: Audience and Industries

The Times: Audience and Industries

Audience:

1) The primary readership demographic for The Times newspaper is older with over half the audience aged 55+. In terms of social class, they are overwhelmingly in the ABC1 social classes - 62% from social group AB. This means that The Times readers are likely to be professionals, managers or company owners. They are inclined to be in the "succeeder" psychographic group.

2) This is evident due to the front cover consisting of mainly more text than images, which talk about serious news such as climate change (hard news), using more advanced language. This means that readers are more interested in reading up on hard news rather than soft news, e.g. gossip or scandals.

3) The Times readers are typically over the age of 55 due to the type of news they showcase on their newspapers, which is usually hard news like politics, which may not interest younger people. Also, most younger people access this news online through social media and so they have no need for print newspapers.

4) Surveillance/Information - allows us to find out what is going on in the world around us, including news, different opinions, or information about current affairs. This includes British politics and Britain's place in world politics and economics (patriotic). The Times focuses on hard news that we expect from a broadsheet newspaper - politics, economics, world news etc.

Diversion/Entertainment - one of the main reasons newspapers are read is for entertainment. The Times has evolved over recent years to contain more stories that provide entertainment or diversion. It also targets people with disposable income and an interest in culture/status and how they are perceived.

Personal Identity -  The Times newspaper seems to endorse the Conservative party and show their strong affiliation with the political party by the way stories are constructed. The way businesses are represented also shows that The Times values private companies over working class people.

5) A reader may enjoy this edition of The Times newspaper as it openly exhibits its support for the Conservative Party, which most readers would likely also support. This is an example of how The Times offers personal identity to its readers. As well as this, it educates readers upon worldly issues, therefore providing surveillance/information.

Industries:

1) The Times is owned by News UK (a subsidiary of News Corporation). News Corporation is a conglomerate mostly owned by Rupert Murdoch, an Australian media mogul with many business interests worldwide, for example the Fox network in the USA.

2) In 2019, The Times' circulation was 376,000, which was down 12% in a year and much lower than the high point of over 800,000 during the 1990s.

3) In order to counteract the decline in print sales and growth of the internet, the Times has moved towards a multi-platform landscape. This means that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms. Some newspapers (e.g. The Times) have a paywall on their online content. The Times has had a hard paywall since 2010, but it often experiments with making content available for free. It also created a social media strategy in collaboration with the digital team to drive growth of their Twitter and Facebook profiles. In 2018, Times and Sunday Times hit 500,000 subscribers as digital outnumbered print for the first time, at an initial cost of £1 per week for a digital subscription.

4) Newspapers are regulated by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation). The role of IPSO is to: regulate 1500 print and 1100 online titles, listen to complaints about press behaviour, help with unwanted press attention, advise publication editors, provide information to the public, provide a journalist whistleblowing hotline.

5) Some people argue that the newspaper industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself using IPSO and that stronger, statutory regulation should be introduced instead. This would also implement the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry which followed the phone-hacking scandal of the PCC (Press Complaints Commission).

The Times: Language and Representations

Language:

1) The main story on the cover of The Times CSP edition is about the risk of climate change and political leaders at COP26. This may appeal to readers as they are in favour of these political leaders and support their beliefs and ideas.

2) The kicker focuses on the super rich and their struggles to find staff. This is sympathetic to very rich people, also suggesting to Times readers that the upper-class are important and should feature on the front cover. It also reflects the Times' position as patriotic and a traditional supporter of the Conservative party, with a story about a row with French President Emmanuel Macron.

3) The climate change story is surprising and subverts what is usually expected of the Times. The headline is commiserating to young people and suggests that they are 'right to be angry'. The image depicts Alok Sharma (Conservative) as powerful and authoritative with a low-angle shot and the globe in the background. The second story is about travel delays due to a storm - a link to extreme weather and climate change. The main image has an advert in the background saying 'No time for delays' - this is satirical (the passengers are all delayed) but also a reference to Boris Johnson's message to COP26.

4) The Times front cover and inside pages reflect a typical broadsheet newspaper through the distribution of text and images. For example, the page is dominated with miniscule text and fewer pictures, as opposed to that of a tabloid newspaper. This is because it focuses more on hard news, and it also includes more advanced language.

5) The news stories convey The Times newspaper as right-wing and in favour of the Conservative Party. This is evident due to their clear support of the political leaders such as the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as many others.

Representations:

1) The Conservative Party is represented on The Times front cover through the pug (the image of Boris Johnson), which portrays him as reliable and authoritative, as well as the article which follows it displaying support of his speech.

2) Britain is represented on the front cover of The Times through the kicker, which demonstrates those higher up in society. Aside from this, there is also a small section about the Queen along the bottom, which serves as familiarity as it is culturally close to us in Britain.

3) The super rich are depicted on the front page through the kicker which speaks upon the crisis of the lack of staffing for upper-class families. This further accentuates the desired target audience for The Times.

4) Climate change is represented as an issue in both The Times and The Daily Mirror, though they are expressed relatively differently. In The Times, Boris Johnson is commended for speaking out upon the issue and is made to appear as dependable, though The Daily Mirror proves to do the opposite; opting to convey him in a hostile manner. Also, The Daily Mirror includes the views of non-political leaders, instead showing environmental protestors such as Greta Thunberg, which implies that The Daily Mirror is more concerned about the interests of normal, lower-class people rather than upper-class members of society.

5) Representations of young people are conveyed through the inside pages of The Times newspaper. Their resentment is openly expressed through the voice of Alok Sharma, due to many flight delays which may have impacted them immensely.

The Times: Introduction

1) The Times newspaper was founded in 1785. It was renamed The Times on January 1st, 1788 - three years later.

2) John Walter suggested that the paper "should contain something suited to every palate". This includes politics, foreign affairs, matters of trade, legal trials, advertisements and “amusements”. Walter reserved the right of the newspaper “to censure or applaud either [political party]” and to cover contending issues with respectful “fair argument”.

3) Today, The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch following 1981. It is a part of News UK.

4) In 2010, The Times introduced digital subscriptions to help ensure a sustainable future for their journalism.

5) In 2018, The Times was named Britain’s most trusted national newspaper by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at the University of Oxford.

6) In terms of newspaper regulation, The Times is committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) regulations and the Editors’ Code of Practice that Ipso enforces.

7) The Times is published by Times Media Limited, wholly owned by News UK & Ireland Ltd. The current editor is Tony Gallagher.

8) The average daily readership of The Times is 1.04 million. The Times readers have a mean family income of £55,885 and 62% of readers are social grade AB.

9) The different range of sections of the newspaper outlined on the page (e.g. entertainment, travel, education) indicates that The Times audience are perhaps wealthy and interested in many aspects of lifestyle.

10) Entertainment - 280,000 Times readers visit the cinema more often than once a month.

Travel - 342,000 Times readers went on 4 or more holidays in the past year.

Education - Times readers are twice as likely to have a university degree of doctorate.

Daily Mirror: Audience and Industries

Audience:

1) The Daily Mirror's audience typically consists of predominantly older people, with almost half of the audience being over the age of 65. Most would be in the C1, C2 DE social classes. Their psychographic groups would likely be the "struggler", the "resigned" or the "mainstream".

2) The Daily Mirror stories may appeal to its audience as they focus on social, left-wing values and issues which affect the working class, therefore readers may feel as though their struggles are being addressed through this newspaper. They also do not hold members with higher statuses in society - the Royal Family for instance - up to a high standard, instead portraying them in a bad light which may please people who do not support them.

3) A reader may enjoy reading The Daily Mirror due to surveillance. This means that they are able to educate themselves on worldly issues and events taking place within the UK and around the world, whether it is politics or celebrity gossip (also serving as entertainment).

4) Print adverts are usually read more by older audiences as younger readers are now able to access stories and video content online or through social media, allowing new generations to personally engage with the stories.

5) The inside-page story of the CSP pages are specifically constructed to appeal to The Daily Mirror readers through the distribution of text and images. For example, images dominate most of the page, leaving little space for much text. The text is also bold and large in size, which is typical of a tabloid newspaper as they are usually read for entertainment and gossip. This may attract The Daily Mirror readers, who tend to be a part of the lower classes. The pictures provided of government leaders and the Royal Family are also quite unflattering, therefore indicating that The Daily Mirror and its readers are not in favour of them.

Industries:

1) The Daily Mirror is owned by a conglomerate named Reach. More recently, they are struggling due to the influx in usage of the internet; The Daily Mirror audience is much older now for this reason.

2) From 2018-2024, The Daily Mirror editor was Alison Phillips. The Daily Mirror exposed the Partygate scandal, which brought down the ex-PM Boris Johnson. This is when a series of allegations indicated that a party was held in December 2020, during a time in which COVID-19 restrictions were still viewed as a necessity in order to prevent a mass outbreak. The public were outraged due to Boris publicly issuing a ban on large gatherings, as a result "cancelling Christmas", though he ended up going against his own words.

3) The Daily Mirror's circulation has decreased immensely since 1990, from selling 3 million a day to 250,000 a day in 2023.

4) In order to counteract the gradual decrease in print sales and the growth of the internet, The Daily Mirror has created the mirror.co.uk website, as well as social media accounts on all major sites. The move towards a multi-platform landscape means that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms, providing this online content for free.

5) Familiarity - it is culturally close to Britain as the effects of climate change will have an immense impact on Britain.

Amplitude - it involves a large number of people as the whole world will be affected by the effects of climate change.

Elite nations and people - it depicts a number of political leaders and their efforts to overcome the issue of climate change.

Negativity - the story is quite saddening and may upset people, as it is a crucial issue, however these stories tend to grab the attention of audiences more.

Balance - the front page includes multiple other stories, e.g. the 'Pride of Britain Awards' in order to balance the stories upon distressing issues such as climate change.

Daily Mirror: Language and Representations

Language:

1) Masthead: the title block of the newspaper

Pug: something to catch reader's eye

Splash Head: the lead story

Slogan: sums up ethos of newspaper

Dateline: date newspaper was published

Kicker: story at the top of the newspaper to draw interests in the content

Byline: gives the name of the journalist/writer

Standfirst: introductory paragraph usually in bold

2) A copy of the Daily Mirror costs £1.20 to purchase today.

3) The main stories on the CSP edition of the Daily Mirror revolve around the issues of climate change, and how time is running out to prevent it. They also focus on Boris Johnson and his warnings about it; following the UN's indication that the last 7 years have been the hottest on record.

4) The news choices and content on the Daily Mirror is specific to a typical tabloid newspaper as it provides a distinct balance between hard news and soft news. It also portrays many different images which take up most of the space on the newspaper, and it does not include as much writing as opposed to a typical broadsheet newspaper, which includes more advanced language.

5) There is an unbalanced distribution of images, headlines and text on the front page of the Daily Mirror - with the images dominating most of it. This is typical of a tabloid newspaper, which usually includes less writing and more photos. As well as this, the splash head headline is purposely written in huge, white sans serif font, in order to make it appear all the more captivating towards the reader and stand out in the midst of the other stories on the page.

Representations:

1) The Daily Mirror is in favour of the Labour Party. This is evident through the way in which they voice the problems of the working class and criticise the rich - including the Conservative Party - shown by the unflattering photos displayed of Boris Johnson, the ex-leader of it.

2) The Daily Mirror 'Pride of Britain Awards' represents ordinary British people by presenting awards to members of the British public for their inspiring and extraordinary efforts, which provides a sense of community within British society.

3) Climate change is represented as an issue within The Daily Mirror through its splash head - which demonstrates an extensive article which revolves around the risk of climate change, as well as the pug which depicts a forest fire with the phrase 'Heat is on' in bold, white, capitalised sans serif font - captivating the eye of the reader.

4) Environmental protestors such as Greta Thunberg are represented in The Daily Mirror through articles which are included within the inside spread, conveying their concerns regarding the issue of global warming and climate change, as well as criticism of politicians and government officials across the world for their incompetence on tackling this issue. She is shown to almost be more superior than these politicians for speaking up on issues which they remain quiet about, therefore indicating that she is respected by The Daily Mirror.

5) Political leaders are dishonoured within The Daily Mirror, an example of this being the pictures provided of the ex-PM Boris Johnson, which portray him in an unflattering right, suggesting that The Daily Mirror does not support him or his ideas. The same goes for King Charles II, which implies that The Daily Mirror are not in favour of the royal monarchy, which subverts typical representations of aristocratic British society shown in the media.

Introduction to Newspapers

1) A tabloid newspaper would typically consist of soft news, e.g. showbiz gossip, celebrities, sports and lifestyle - primary sources of entertainment. They tend to include more photographs and headlines as opposed to a broadsheet newspaper.

2) A broadsheet newspaper usually contains articles about more serious and important national and international issues. They are much more formal and traditional with less use of photos, more advanced language, smaller fonts and tend to focus on more solemn news.

3) A left-wing person would likely support the Labour party, which promotes social democracy, and read newspapers such as the Daily Mirror which focuses more on socialism.

4) A right-wing person would support the Conservative party, which promotes British conservatism and unionism, and would read The Times newspaper - which is biased towards these views and influences their readers to share these same ideologies.

5) There has been an immense decline in newspaper sales within the past 20 years due to news now capable of being accessed through TV programmes and, more recently, due to the growth of digital news on websites and on social media.

6) In a democracy like the UK, free press is essential in providing accurate and non-biased information without being limited and controlled by the government. This is because democracy has been challenged due to the decrease in trustworthy news sources and the rise of fake news and misinformation.

Extension tasks:

1) Many newspapers suffered at the expense of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some of the most notable being City AM, JPI Media, the MK Citizen in Milton Keynes and the News Guardian in North Tyneside. The Metro, Britain's biggest newspaper, was also badly hit - with 2/3 of its audience disappearing.

2) The Daily Mail and The Sun are encouraging their readers from print to digital in more recent times, due to the changing ways in how news and information are received by the public - with social media being a fundamental part in the process.

3) Over the next decade, I believe that newspapers will gradually be printed and used less and less, due to the ever-growing development of social media and digital reading and how it will only continue to increase. This is because more people may move to consuming news online rather than through newspapers.

Blog tasks: Marcus Rashford CSP

Language

1) Website conventions:

• brand identity (logo)
• navigation bar (menu)
• central images 
• multi-media features (e.g. videos, pictures etc)
• links to other social media sites (integration)
• biography
• sponsored partners/ambassadors
• book club

Social media conventions:

• logo (profile picture - brand identity)
• bio (personal information)
• images/videos
• online engagement

2) Rashford's website promotes his brand through the perpetual use of his logo throughout, and also consisting of an "about" page outlining the main aspects of his career and charity work, a timeline of important events of his career, as well as convergence - through links to different social media feeds, his book club and video content which are all available to view on his website.

3) An example of a connotation which can be found on the homepage of Marcus Rashford's website include pictures of his football kit which are consistently used throughout; the red colour may be symbolic of power, strength or dominance and it is also representative of which team he belongs to (Manchester United). Another connotation can be found through the pictures of a football, which exerts the idea of sportsmanship and displays an idea of his athletic ability; whilst simultaneously indicating what his main career is (being a footballer).

4) Rashford posts a vast variety of promotional videos, photos and tweets in order to promote his brand and campaigns, and to uplift his social media presence. Examples can include the TV adverts he features in, his documentary-style videos and his very vocal comments about the charities he supports on social media.

5) Rashford's online presence highlights the narrative of his childhood upbringing in order to create a positive brand identity. He is very vocal of how he grew up in a working class background, and how he was raised by a single mum, which emphasises his passion for hard work. This also builds up a narrative of success against the odds, as well as using his huge platform to campaign on food poverty and aid for the children suffering from it, due to his own experience having had been in that position himself as a child.

Representations

1) The use of mise-en-scene on Rashford's website is shown by his football kit (costume) to represent his football career on social media. Another example of costume being used is through a close-up of Nike trainers - perhaps to signify endorsement and to promote the brand to the public - whilst presenting himself as an ambassador of the brand Nike.

2) Some representations of footballers is evident through Rashford's online presence; which both reinforce and subvert stereotypes. A way in which stereotypes are reinforced is by the fact that footballers are traditionally known to be very athletic and competitive, which is shown through the various snippets of videos of Rashford scoring goals displayed on his website's homepage. A way in which stereotypes are subverted is through the idea that footballers are sometimes thought to be arrogant and violent, however Rashford counters this through his charity work and the way that he endeavours to aid the less fortunate (such as providing free school meals to children during lockdown), therefore conveying the fact that he is very down-to-earth and cares deeply for others.

3) An example of a website page which creates a positive representation of Marcus Rashford includes his section the FareShare website. This emphasises his campaign on the crisis of food poverty and depicts him as a philanthropical and compassionate person, which is further shown by the way in which he raised enough money to ensure that over 21 million meals could be distributed amongst children and adults who would have otherwise not been able to eat over lockdown; this displays Rashford as a positive role model through the way he was capable of influencing government policy with his #MakeTheUTurn campaign.

4) Representations of masculinity are simultaneously reinforced and subverted in Rashford's online presence. A way in which they are reinforced is through his immense involvement in football, which is commonly thought to be a more male-dominated sport. Another way is by his language, which includes more masculine slang. However, these representations are also reinforced; he doesn't censor his love for his teammates and football, which is evident by the way he posts photos of his team hugging as well as openly expressing his compassion towards them, subverting stereotypes as men are traditionally thought to not be as sensitive and caring since they are usually seen to be putting up a bold front.

5) Representations of race and ethnicity are challenged in Rashford's social media by the way he vocally expresses his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, especially being a part of the BAME community himself. This subverts stereotypes due to the way he is very outspoken about this movement and has the platform to do so, when traditionally it had been barely spoken about at all and many did not have the resources to do it.

Audience

1) The potential target audiences for Marcus Rashford's online presence include those of a working/lower class background, as they may be able to resonate with Rashford's campaigns. The target age group could be from 8-40, through his book club and work with children's books and also his involvement within charities, as well as his footballer persona. The target gender group can be both but more likely mostly male, due to him mainly posting football and "manly" brands. The target ethnicity may be the BAME community, specifically Black British, as they can relate to what he posts which offers a sense of personal identity. The target psychographics groups may be "the mainstream" and "the aspirer".

2) Rashford uses social media to engage with his fans by posting consistently and always posting things which can appeal to both young people and older people alike.

3) Marcus Rashford's Instagram engagement rate is 6%, which is considered to be extremely high. This emphasises his power as an influencer and how people enjoy and engage with his brand identity.

4) Relatable person, campaigner, celebrity footballer.

5) In terms of Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory, Rashford provides a sense of information/surveillance through his campaign work and raising awareness upon problems that many may not have known beforehand. He also offers personal identity by being vocal about the hardships of those with a working class background, or those within the BAME community, by talking about their problems on his platforms. His work on football may provide diversion/entertainment and his online presence can also offer personal relationships by making audiences begin to care for him and his teammates.

6) The preferred reading for Rashford's online presence may be people who are in support of his campaigns and charity work, as well as his work in football. The oppositional reading may be people who believe that he abuses his fame and only posts about the working class struggles in order to be in the limelight or stay relevant, which subsequently leads him to receive a lot of hate online.

Industry

1) Rashford's net worth of £16 million proves to be a vital component in regards to his online presence. He earns money through £200,000 per week from Manchester United (£10.4m a year).

2) Rashford has a £2M endorsement deal with Nike and additional deals with Burberry, BT Sport (now TNT Sport), Coca-Cola and others. These link to the Rashford brand as many revolve around sport, which is what his main job is all about.

3) Twitter, now X, is owned by Elon Musk as of October 2022. Twitter generated a $4.4 billion revenue in 2022, which was an 11% decrease on 2021 figures. Twitter makes most of its money through advertising – promoted tweets or ‘trend takeovers’. In 2012, Instagram was bought by Facebook for $1 billion. Facebook and Instagram’s parent company is now called Meta – a global conglomerate. It is estimated that the platform generated a revenue of $51.4 billion in 2022.

4) The primary concerns surrounding Instagram's negative effects include the fact that recent research deduced that Instagram is detrimental to young people's mental health - in particular, teenage girls. The research suggested that one in three girls felt bad about their bodies and Instagram made this worse. It is also linked to increased anxiety and depression.

5) The government put forward the Online Safety bill in 2022 to change the law and add regulation of the internet to Ofcom’s role as media regulator. This assured that sending threatening posts was made punishable by jail sentences, platforms like Twitter and Instagram had to actively prevent users from seeing harmful material – or risk being fined by Ofcom and platforms paid Ofcom to regulate their content. This may change in the future as critics of the law say that it is impossible to regulate the internet in its substantial entirety.

December mock exam: Learner Response

1) Feedback:

Score: 65/84

Grade: 8

WWW: Wajiha, excellent paper from you - really impressed with your 20 mark responses, lots to credit.

EBI: Naturally, very difficult to pick up on these but for Q5 you need to draw more of a comparison between the CSP and MR.

2) 1.1 - all sounds generated within the world of the drama, 1.2 - any example of dialogue from the extract such as ‘When Lyra says, “So you’re a kitchen boy then?”

3) The opening shot in the extract focuses on the omelette in Will’s hand – almost a close-up – with handheld camera movement following the plate to the table. This focus on the food Will has cooked seems to establish him as the less dominant person in the relationship. The medium shot of Lyra suspiciously looking at the food reinforces this power imbalance in their relationship.

The wide shot and slow dolly/tracking through the open doors shows both characters together sitting at the table. This deliberately places both characters in the same frame as the conversation becomes more friendly and less guarded. The camerawork is communicating the growing friendship between Lyra and Will and helps to foreshadow the suggestion (in the very next shot) from Will that they team up and work together. The slow dolly/track at this point signals to the audience that something important is happening; their relationship is changing. It works in a similar way to a zoom.

As Lyra walks into the house, the camera moves backwards with her – a faster-paced dolly shot to signal to the audience that things are changing, the relationship is moving on. Will is left out of focus and trying to keep up – once again communicating to the audience the power imbalance in Lyra’s favour.

4) Lyra’s costume subverts feminine stereotypes. It is blue, practical and does not emphasise her figure or draw attention. It helps to establish Lyra as a practical, confident character who is used to surviving on her own.

Will’s expression and body language is very timid which subverts masculine stereotypes. In contrast, Lyra’s movements and expressions exude confidence. This can be seen in the extract both outside at the table and later when discussing which beds they will take.

5) There are also positive representations of teens in which attributes such as freedom, independence, creativity and social awareness are likely to be emphasised. Some frequently represented characteristics of teenagers may be seen as positive by younger audiences but as negative by older audiences. These include rebelliousness, openness to change, liberal values on matters such as sexuality and a much stronger commitment to friendship groups than to family or country.

A notable difference between the two CSPs can be found in the approaches to diversity. There is no evidence of diversity at all in DW (unless you count the presence of aliens). The teens and younger characters in HDM are drawn from a more diverse background with Will being mixed race.

Susan is clearly in touch with popular culture. As a stereotypical teenager, she is engrossed in pop music on her radio and her modern clothes differentiate her from the teachers. In spite of her intellectual superiority, she is polite and deferential to her teachers. She is not afraid, though, to challenge her ‘grandfather’, the Doctor, in order to defend Barbara and Ian.

6) User-generated content is content created by regular people, rather than brands. An example of this includes a video I post on TikTok.

7) By the end of 2019, the influencer marketing industry was worth some $8bn a year. One recent report by Insider Intelligence predicted that it would grow to $15bn globally by the end of 2022.

There is an army of influencers: social media users and celebrities with large, devoted followings, who give their followers access to a carefully curated version of their lives. In this “authentic” context, sponsored content, known as “sponcon”, has proved a potent tool for selling products.

Some media theorists have suggested that in the digital age it is audiences that have the power rather than companies, industries or traditional celebrities. Social media and YouTube levels the playing field and gives ordinary people the chance to create and share content. This would suggest that celebrities and influencers do not have more power than ever before and in fact the internet is a democratising force giving power to normal people.

8) The nature of media production, including by large organisations, who own the products they produce, and by individuals and groups.

How the media operate as commercial industries on a global scale.

The ways in which the media re-present the world and construct versions of reality.

9) 8/10.

10) Magazines (specifically Heat), social and cultural contexts and Stuart Hall's Reception theory.

Pre-production

SCRIPT

INT. INSIDE HER HOUSE 

VIA IS SITTING ON THE SOFA, A BOOK IN HAND, QUITE ABSORBED IN HER READING.

VIA'S SISTER, REINA, ENTERS.

REINA (SITTING DOWN BESIDE HER): 

Mum said dinner's almost ready.

VIA (WITHOUT LOOKING UP):

 Alright, coming, just let me finish this chapter.

REINA:

What are you reading, anyway?

VIA:

A book some woman gave me at the shop today. Got it for free, too.

REINA:

Bit sketchy.

VIA:

Maybe. It's good though so far - it's about some girl running away from some evil mystical creature that's trying to catch her.

REINA:

That sounds boring.

VIA (THROWING A PILLOW AT HER):

To you. Go away.

VIA TURNS OVER A PAGE, CONFUSED. SHE SEES THAT THE REMAINING PAGES ARE BLANK.

VIA:

That's weird. The book just finishes here, the last chapter is empty.

REINA (THROWING THE PILLOW BACK):

Makes sense why you got it for free. Anyways, Mum said that we have to set the table.

VIA:

Fine, I'm coming.

SHE SETS THE BOOK ON THE TABLE, LEAVING IT OPEN ON THE FIRST EMPTY PAGE.

EXT. A PARK

VIA'S EYES SLOWLY OPEN. SHE LOOKS AROUND, CONFUSED BY HER SURROUNDINGS.

VIA:

Where am I?

SHE IS BRIEFLY DISTRACTED BY A RUSTLING IN THE BUSHES. SHE WALKS CLOSER TO IT.

VIA:

What-

A PAIR OF EYES STARE BACK AT HER.

VIA BEGINS TO RUN, WITH SOMETHING SPRINTING NOT FAR BEHIND. SHE FINDS HERSELF RUNNING INTO A MAZE.

SHE LOOKS AROUND DESPERATELY, WARY OF WHATEVER IS AFTER HER.

SHE ENDS UP IN A DEAD END, BREATHING HEAVILY, THE CREATURE CREEPING CLOSER.

JUST AS SHE ATTEMPTS TO RUN, SOMETHING SLASHES HER ARM. SHE CLUTCHES IT, LOOKING DOWN TO SEE A CLAW-SHAPED SCRATCH THAT'S BLEEDING.

SCREEN GOES BLACK.

INT. INSIDE HER BEDROOM

VIA WAKES UP, BREATHING HEAVILY. SHE LOOKS TO HER BEDSIDE TABLE AND SEES THE BOOK OPEN THERE. SHE SIGHS HEAVILY, RELIEVED.

VIA:

Thank god, I was just dreaming.

SHE FEELS A SUDDEN PAIN ON HER FOREARM, AND WINCES SLIGHTLY, ROLLING HER SLEEVE UP.

SHE LOOKS DOWN AT HER ARM, AND SEES A CLAW-SHAPED MARK. HER BREATH HITCHES.

THE PHONE ON HER BEDSIDE TABLE STARTS TO RING.

VIA (TAKES A DEEP BREATH, HER FACE PALE, AND ANSWERS IT):

Hello?

(STATIC IS HEARD FROM THE OTHER END)

VIA (WHISPERS SHAKILY):

Who is this?

(CALL ENDS HASTILY)

SOMEONE RINGS THE DOORBELL. VIA HEARS THE SOUND OF THE LETTERBOX SLAM SHUT. SHE RUNS DOWNSTAIRS.

SITTING ON THE MAT IS A NOTE, WHICH READS A SET OF WRITING.

UNKNOWN VOICE (VOICEOVER):

TO VIA. THANK YOU FOR FINISHING MY STORY! KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR THE SEQUEL. IT MAY COME SOONER THAN YOU EXPECT...

VIA OPENS THE DOOR AND CHECKS OUTSIDE, TO SEE NO ONE THERE. PERPLEXED, SHE SHUTS THE DOOR, FROWNING.

SCENE FINISHES.

FADE TO BLACK

END

SHOT LIST

Living room

LONG SHOT - displays Via reading her book

TWO SHOT - Via and her sister talking

CLOSE-UP - of the book

Park

CLOSE-UP/HIGH ANGLE - Via waking up

WORMSEYE VIEW - Via checking the bushes

OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT, CLOSE-UP, EXTREME CLOSE-UP, LONG SHOT - chase scene

Bedroom

CLOSE-UP - of the book, and Via's wound

LONG SHOT - Via running down the stairs

CLOSE-UP/EXTREME CLOSE-UP - the note

MISE-EN-SCENE

Costume: light coloured clothes for Via, dark coloured clothes for antagonist, creates a sense of juxtaposition or binary opposition (light vs dark, good vs evil).

Lighting/time of day: chase scene happens when it is somewhat dark, reinforces a sense of eeriness.

Actors: two teenage girls and an actor (miscellaneous age and gender) for the creature.

Make-up and hair: neutral

Props: a book, a candle, a telephone, a note

Setting: a house and a park

Coursework: Statement of Intent

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Title: The Debt of Time

Genre: Fantasy

Extract: Final two minutes of the pilot episode 

My extract will follow the story of a teenage girl who discovers a diary which appears to be other-worldly, unaware that the same diary is being pursued by a corrupt society which intends to use its power for evil. The ideology of the society is to convey the unscrupulous nature of an arbitrary government, representing real-life issues of today's day and age. She later discovers an ominous lamp on her doorstep (use of Barthes' enigma codes) which, upon opening, transports her to an unfamiliar room where she meets a girl who looks eerily identical to herself, clutching the very same diary in her hands.

To create a disruption in the narrative, I will include a chase scene between my protagonist and an antagonist (both contributing to Propp's character theory), which will be the disequilibrium - an example of Todorov's equilibrium theory. A physical conflict will ensue, resulting in her being injured. She then wakes up from her sleep, believing it was a dream, and comes to realise she still has her injury.

Camerawork:

• establishing shot: to provide a view of the setting
• over-the-shoulder shot: to capture the perspective of each character
• close-up shot: allows the audience to focus all of their attention on a particular person/object
• low angle: to convey a sense of authority
• handheld camera movement: provides an authentic, first-person view

Mise-en-scene:

• setting: four different locations to maintain the flow of the narrative
• lighting: dim and dreary, which connotes eeriness
• props: a diary, telephone, lamp
• costume: protagonist wearing light colours, antagonist wearing black attire (binary opposition - light vs dark, good vs evil).

Sound:

• diegetic: characters' dialogue, footsteps, telephone and doorbell ringing, distorted phone call
• non-diegetic: background music to create a sense of tension and build up suspense

Representations:

My protagonist will be a 13-year-old teenage girl named Via, who discovers a majestic, unearthly diary - a distinct portrayal of the fantasy genre. Typical gender stereotypes are subverted as the main character is a young, independent female, as well as a member of the BAME community (South Asian descent), which is severely lacking within the mainstream media. My antagonist is younger, subverting the stereotype that villains comprise of predominantly older people.

Audience Pleasures:

To appeal to my target audience (family with teenagers), my media extract will explore darker and sinister themes. The targeted psychographic groups are "the explorer" and "the mainstream", as well as those interested in TV series revolving around adventure and discovery.

• visceral pleasure: audience experiences the physical thrill and anticipation of watching a chase scene
• vicarious pleasure: audience is exposed to elements of fantasy, unlike anything within their daily lives
• personal identity: teenagers may relate to the characters as they are of similar age
• personal relationships: audience cares about the fate of the protagonist, they will be concerned about what will follow

Introduction to OSP: Influencers

Influencers

1) YouTube first launched in February 2005, Instagram launched in October 2010 and Twitter initially launched in March 2006.

2) An influencer is a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media. They typically have a large amount of followers on different social media sites, predominantly Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok.

3) An example of an influencer is Bella Hadid, who currently has 61.1 million followers on Instagram. She is the ambassador for a number of different brands, which include: Charlotte Tilbury's, Versace, Bulgari's, Swarovski and Fendi.

4) According to the article, the influencer industry is very huge. By the end of 2019, the influencer marketing industry was worth some $8 billion a year. It was predicted to have grown by as much as $15 billion globally by the end of 2022.

5) Influencers are required to spend endless hours preparing for photo shoots, editing photos, and posting regularly - as well as having to re-shoot countless photos daily for particularly demanding clients. There is also the added pressure of always having to increase their follower count, in order to drive up revenues.

6) It can be suggested that audiences actually like being sold products by influencers due to "engagement fraud", which means fake followers are able to be purchased online, from people who operate bot accounts. This means that influencers appear to have received a lot of engagement from audiences when in reality this is not always the case.

7) The representation of beauty portrayed on Instagram and other influencer sites include having a look known as “Instagram face”. This means having “a young face, with poreless skin and plump, high cheekbones”, "long lashes and full lips" - generally white but with a hint of “rootless exoticism”. This is due to the increase of cosmetic procedures, as well as filters found on Instagram which modify the face.

8) In my opinion, I believe that influencers can have both a huge positive and a negative impact among society and culture. Firstly, they can be seen as a great source of entertainment as well as be an important aspect in which audiences and followers can find and purchase branded products. However, I also feel that they have a far too lordly status in society for what they do, and that they are also paid an immense amount for doing little physical work - as opposed to people like teachers or doctors, who work much harder, and for a longer amount of time, and yet they are severely underpaid. Also, I believe that the influence that they have especially on younger people in society is acutely detrimental towards their mental health, as they feel as though they are to follow bizarre beauty standards due to the way that they are promoted by influencers on social media.

Grade 8/9 Extension task:

Authenticity and originality became important in 2020 as brands struggled to find meaningful ways of staying relevant without coming off as insensitive or appearing to capitalize during a critical crisis. Many of today’s digital creators focus their content on the specialized topics they know their followers are interested in. Food, DIY, tech, parenting, fashion, beauty and lifestyle are all examples of popular niche categories, with subcategories that can be incredibly specific while still appealing to large audience numbers. This shows that influencers are becoming more creative and open-minded in regards to interacting with their audiences.

Paper 1 assessment learner response

1) Feedback:

Grade: 7

Score: 30/42

WWW: Wajiha - superb overall effort on this paper. In particular, your Q7 and Tatler (Q4) were brilliant!

EBI: You need to explain less of the theory (e.g. Q3) and apply it. Also more greater analysis for (Q2) analysis of unseen advert.

2) 

- No direct address but the subject’s eyes are focused on pushing the heavy tyre (physical exertion) which connotes determination and power in the face of adversity. This is reinforced by his facial expression which has his mouth open in a roar which connotes supremacy and effort.

- The brand name ‘Under armour’ has connotations of battle and war being connected to sport.

- The use of the spotlight (through the flood lit logos) links to sports matches and connotes drama/excitement but also shines on the main image connoting his power.

3) The use of locations in the narrative suggests a version of reality for the audience: Italian Riviera has connotations of romance, upper class and the old Hollywood era is evoked, suggesting the luxurious nature of the chocolate and reinforcing the ‘silk, not cotton’ message. Message of the narrative: Galaxy is a more sophisticated, classier product than other chocolate bars and, as such, needs time and relaxation for it to be enjoyed properly. The audience can also experience this luxury and a happier time (nostalgia) if they buy the product. The use of intertextuality: The narrative references Roman Holiday so rewards audiences who have knowledge of the glamour of old Hollywood. The narrative is a parody of the original film where Audrey Hepburn’s character steals Gregory Peck’s Vespa motorcycle and he jumps on the back whilst Italians shout at them, a bus goes past and a lady drops fruit.

4)

- Use of green colour scheme (fresh and new) with white text (style, class, sophistication).

- ‘Blond Ambition’ shows link to Prime Minister Boris Johnson (interview with his brother). Reflects Tatler’s focus on power and influence in Britain. This is also seen in cover line ‘Inside the new British establishment’.

- Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath, cover star – reflects changing attitudes towards race and ethnicity in Britain and the influence of campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

5) Black Widow was marketed towards audiences through specific IMAX promotions with 22 minutes of the film shot in 1.90:1 aspect ratio, especially for IMAX cinemas. Social media was a huge factor - YouTube advertising was also heavily used by Marvel to promote the film, including using tweets from audience members on massive billboards, along with profiles on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. A section of the Marvel website also provided a gallery, story synopsis, character posters and opportunities to buy or stream the movie.

6) Before my next mock exam, I'm going to revise as much media terminology as I can and constantly implement them in my answers. I will also work on time management and stop including unnecessary background information about the media and narrative theories whenever I answer a question.

Summer Project: coursework planning

Fantasy TV Drama extracts

Clip 1: His Dark Materials

Narrative and genre:

This is a disclosing scene between two characters, Lord Asriel and Mrs Coulter. This scene immediately comes across as tense and unnerving, in which Lord Asriel lashes out at Mrs Coulter, after informing her that he is no longer interested in searching for Lyra, who is their daughter. Mrs Coulter, Lyra's mother, is constructing machines which are designed to strip children of their daemons (a physical representation of one's soul). Lord Asriel attempts to reason with her and put a stop to it, resulting in an alarming sequence of him throwing her against a door out of his own anger. This communicates narrative to the audience through the use of Barthes' enigma and action codes, along with the intense dialogue passing between them. It fits the fantasy genre through the mention of supernatural, unearthly beings named daemons.

Technical codes:

A vast range of camera shots and angles are used here, to depict the scene to the audience in a clear light. This includes medium close-ups and over the shoulder shots, to demonstrate the passing dialogue between the two characters. There is also the evident use of high and low angles, the high angle of Mrs Coulter conveys her to be quite impotent as opposed to Lord Asriel, who is shown through a low angle - portraying him as dominant and powerful. The profound background music further dramatises the whole scene, creating an almost eerie and uneasy atmosphere. The use of mise-en-scene is explicitly used throughout the entirety of the scene, from the old-fashioned costumes, dim lighting, and frightening setting.

Representations:

Gender stereotypes are represented in an interesting way throughout the scene. Firstly, the stereotypes are reinforced as the woman is displayed as inferior and much less powerful than the man, as Mrs Coulter was relatively helpless under the firm grip of Lord Asriel's hand. He is also shown to be yelling in her face, again conveying signs of dominance, which supports certain stereotypes that involve men being superior as opposed to women. However, at the same time, the same stereotypes are subverted. This is shown through the way Mrs Coulter quickly sets her foot down and regains her composure, portraying presiding attributes. The roles are suddenly reversed and it's Mrs Coulter who adopts the assertive figure again, whereas Lord Asriel is now the weaker one.

Clip 2: Charmed

Narrative and genre:

In this scene, there is a healer, two sisters (who presumably may be linked to the supernatural world) and a demon. The sisters, Prue and Piper, are frantically warning the healer that a demon (Shax) is after him because he uses his abilities for good, and saves lives. The healer first perceives this revelation as a practical joke, however this quickly changes when Shax, the demon, makes an entrance and attacks the three, ultimately resulting in the death of Prue. This communicates narrative to the audience through the continued use of Barthes' action and enigma codes, as the lead-up to the demon's entrance creates a sense of eeriness and mystery - along with the amount of action which takes place immediately after when he attacks them. There is also the evident use of Propp's character theory here, what with Prue and Piper as the heroines, the healer as the donor and the demon as the villain. This constant use of narrative techniques further highlight the fantasy genre of the show - along with the repeated references of demons and other-worldly creatures.

Technical codes:

In this scene, there are many medium close-ups which focus on the character's faces in order to portray their emotions fully, which lets the audience know how serious the matter is. There is also a persistent use of high and low angles, in order to make the two girls and the healer look weak and helpless under the dominance of the demon.

Representations:

There are many reinforced gender stereotypes within this scene, with the male healer looking down on the two female characters in a way which implies that he views them in an almost unimportant, dismissive way. However, the female characters appear to be much more intelligent and judicious as opposed to the healer - which subverts many certain stereotypes about the how the roles of men and women should be portrayed in the media. There is also representation of terrifying, supernatural creatures such as the demon Shax.

Clip 3: Shadow and Bone

Narrative and genre:

This is a revelation scene in which a girl named Alina is brought to a man called 'The Darkling', where she is severely questioned by him. Alina is accused of having the power to summon light, which makes her a 'sun summoner', after she was seen having left the scene of a 'searing light'. The Darkling then uses his ring to cut her arm, revealing her to be the true summoner of light, which may have put her in grave danger. The narrative is communicated to the audience through the use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound (the confrontation scene and the background music), emphasising the fantasy genre. There is also the use of Propp's character theory, with Alina as the heroine and The Darkling as the villain. Barthes' action and enigma codes are used throughout - particularly during the build-up to revealing Alina's ability. The use of binary opposition is also conveyed throughout the entirety of the scene (light vs dark, young vs old, good vs evil), which further highlights the fantasy genre of the show.

Technical codes:

There are a range of camera shots used throughout the clip, including medium close-ups and a two shot. This creates a sense of tension for the audience, as The Darkling appears as the dominant figure and Alina is portrayed as inferior to him, further supported by the use of high and low angles which convey them in this light. The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound further emphasises the eerie intenseness of the scene, which fits the fantasy genre. The dark lighting makes the atmosphere all the more frightening, and the costumes worn by The Darkling and the people inside the tent suggests that they are other-worldly or abnormal people, again consistently highlighting the conventions of a fantasy TV drama.

Representations:

This scene evidently reinforces stereotypes about gender roles - given the fact that The Darkling, who is portrayed as a dominant, supreme figure, has power over Alina who is a meek, young girl. This is shown through their exchange, in which Alina is clearly being restrained and nobody believes her, taking advantage over the fact that she is a helpless, adolescent girl.

TV Drama planning

Title: Lost & Found

Logline – one sentence that sums up the plot of your TV drama and hooks people in (25 words or fewer): One girl. Two prophecies. Three days. A race against time. To the rest of the remaining civilisation, Via has simply gotten lost. Except now, she's been found...

Other successful TV dramas are similar to yours:

His Dark Materials

Stranger Things

Harry Potter

Narrative – what is the main storyline in your TV drama:

My TV drama takes place in a dystopian, futuristic world which has been overrun by a ruthless, power-hungry villain, mostly known by the name Cassiopeia - a name that is feared by all. Along with her rapidly increasing army, Cassiopeia develops a plan to seize control of the entire universe itself - ridding it of "something that the world has too much of" - humans. However, all is not lost. There is a spark of hope for the remainder of human civilisation, a chance for them to overcome the darkness and despair that they find themselves trapped in. A prophecy has been made which involves both Cassiopeia, and another girl - Via Sheridan. The prophecy in question states that Via is the only one who holds the power to vanquish Cassiopeia and defeat her once and for all. Except, a second prophecy has been made that says that Via must first find the weapon which will allow her to do so, which is hidden in the depths of an unknown location, with only a map to aid her and only three days to do it, before the weapon disappears forever. Via must face multiple hardships along the way - including coming into contact with bloody-thirsty creatures who are on Cassiopeia's side - the most infamous one being a cinth, entities that feed on jealousy and rid a person of their sane mind. To make matters worse, Cassiopeia has been relayed the prophecy by one of her most faithful followers and is now personally targeting Via, in order to destroy all chances of her apparent downfall, and now Via and her family are in grave, imminent danger. She must flee, in order to keep them safe, to make sure they stay alive - as Cassiopeia has ordered her army to locate Via, and to assassinate anybody who interferes or gets in her way, in order to find and eliminate her so that she can hinder all chances of the prophecy from ever ringing true. So she runs, runs far away where she hopes that nobody will ever find her, setting on her journey to seek the desired weapon. Unless someone has gotten there before her...

Genre – how will your TV drama fit the fantasy genre?

I will use a vast range of props and different locations to fully enforce the fantasy genre, as well as the mention of mythical, other-worldly creatures.

Narrative disruption – what will happen in your scene to develop the narrative? What will the audience learn about the characters or story?

Via will have arrived at the location of the weapon, sleep-deprived, but also relieved and bursting with excitement. But, someone is already waiting for her there. As soon as she walks inside the maze, Via comes face-to-face with Reina, Cassiopeia's most faithful servant. Two other Ophidians (members of Cassiopeia's army) are slowly creeping up from behind her, cornering Via and leaving her with no means of escaping. Just as Via has resigned to her fate, believing that she is done for, there's a shout from ahead - distracting all four of them. It is Viktor - the former Ophidian Via so selflessly rescued from a cinth (mythical creatures which feed on jealousy) the day before. He distracts Reina and the others just long enough for Via to make a daring escape down the side of the maze, resulting in a chase scene between Via, Reina, the two other Ophidians and Viktor. Just as Via believes she and Viktor have made it out safely, he suddenly drops to the floor, unconscious. Via drops to the floor in shock and despair, violently shaking Viktor in an attempt to revive him. But, before she could do anything, a voice speaks out, piercing and evil. There, looming above Via, is Cassiopeia herself, laughing manically.

Information about the two locations/settings that you are using and why you have chosen them:

Southall Park - contains a maze-like area which supports the fantasy genre.

Canal - quite eerie and unsettling.

Information about the main character e.g. character type (hero/heroine) their desires, the conflicts they encounter etc.:

Via is the heroine of the TV drama and is a very resolute, skilful and sarcastic character. She currently faces the hugest threat any teenager would ever have to face; an entire nation depending on her to save them all from the cruel antagonist, Cassiopeia. Despite the huge weight which resides on her shoulders, she remains determined and intent upon defeating the villain and restoring humanity, even though she faces many hardships and conflicts along the way, including face-offs with powerful villains whose main aim is to get rid her. She is selfless and compassionate, altruistic and unfailingly generous, and would do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones - even if it means putting her own life in danger.

Costume/props that you require for filming:

- masks

- a map

- a weapon

How you are aiming your product at the specified family target audience:

My TV drama will involve dark, frightening themes which aren't suitable towards younger children, but families with older teenagers may enjoy it due to the mysterious, enigmatic plot and captivating characters.