Introduction to TV drama: Blog Tasks

1) The 'His Dark Materials' trailer meets the conventions of a TV drama series through the use of dramatic narrative, or narrative arc, which is when a specific story or plot line goes across the entire series. It also consists of an ensemble cast, meaning a range of different characters each with their own unique story lines or backstories. There are a variety of technical codes displayed throughout the trailer, including realistic lighting, different settings, point of view shots, dialogue voice overs, enigma and action codes throughout. Additionally, there are a number of stereotypical 'stock' characters which help to get story lines across quickly.

2) The genres that are suggested by the 'His Dark Materials' trailer include fantasy, as it seems to be set in an eerie and dystopian world filled with sinister characters including somewhat supernatural beings. It could also be perceived as a mystery, for there are many scenes portrayed in the trailer which have a mystifying and unnatural tone revolving around it; this means that it could also be classified as a 'hybrid genre'.

3) The trailer for 'His Dark Materials' introduces a young girl named Lyra, who lives in a world where people's souls exist outside their bodies as animals called daemons. The trailer also shows the mysterious organisation called the Magisterium, and a parallel universe filled with danger and adventure. The narratives revolve around Lyra's journey to uncover the truth about her world and her own identity, whilst navigating the dangers of the Magisterium and other uncanny forces.

4) The trailer conveys a variety of different settings in which the show takes place in, including a somewhat remote-looking island in the vast ocean, forests, fortresses, cathedrals, city streets, prisons and cavernous places. Each one of these settings connote to a typical dystopian genre, what with the gloomy and peculiar effect they give off. This may be in order to emphasise the supernatural nature of the series, and to link back to the ongoing 'other-worldly' theme which is highlighted throughout the entirety of the trailer.

5) I think that the target audience for 'His Dark Materials' is primarily teenagers, young adults and adults. This is due to the complex themes the series convey, such as religions, politics and morality. They also feature much darker and mature content than that of many other supernatural fantasy series. As well as this, the books are well-known for their intricate world-building and sophisticated storytelling, which may appeal to older readers who enjoy immersive and captivating fantasy novels.

Grade 8/9 Extension Tasks:

1) The reviewer believes that there are clear distinctions between the series and the books, including the use of smartphones in the series (which was not in the books), they also seem out of place in a what's meant to be supernatural alternate reality. Similar things were said revolving around the inaccurate representation of characters and plots which did not stay true to the book trilogy. They also comment upon the music composer's choice to use a melodic tune during a dramatic and captivating scene, which they quote to be a 'shame', given the fact that they believe the two lead stars, Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson as Lyra and Will, are such good actors that they would be better off without that specific choice of music which was used in an attempt to convey dramatic tension. There are mostly similar opinions in the comments left by readers, with many stating that it's 'an excellent first episode' and plead for another season to release, as they were left impressed by the acting, production, design, CGI, wardrobe, photography and soundscape with another reader describing it to be a 'perfect escapist TV for the times'.

Music Video: Final Index

My Music Video Final Index:

1) Music Video: Introduction

2) Music Video: BLACKPINK - 'How You Like That' CSP

3) Music Video: Arctic Monkeys - 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' CSP

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor: Blog Tasks

Audience

1) The main demographics for an Arctic Monkeys audience may include a predominantly white, middle class and reasonably young group of people. They may also fit into either the "reformers" or "explorers" psychographic, although in the light of more recent global success, means that the band was pushed into a wider range of audience; whom are which to be likely made up of those in the "mainstreamers" psychographic.

2) Audience pleasures which are offered by the 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' music video would include diversion, as the song is upbeat and fast-paced. Another would be personal relationships, as fans who followed the band and listened to their music from the earlier days may feel a personal connection to the band members and lastly personal identity, because some young people could probably relate to the lyrics of the song (which revolves around going out to a club and drinking). Older fans would also enjoy a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s-style performance video.

3) 

• 0:09 - this is the beginning of a long and catchy electric guitar riff which captivates the audience and almost immediately draws their complete attention on to the music video and the song in itself.
• 0:53 - this is the start of the first chorus which then repeats later on in the songs. This may appeal to audiences as it is one of the main parts of the song given the fact that there was a shift in tone and because of the repetitiveness, it also includes the title of the song in the lyrics.
• 1:17 - the long shot clearly portrays all four band members and their positions; such as the lead guitarist or the drummer.

4) Back in the early 2000s, social media had began to be introduced, providing the pleasure of chatting to people with similar interests in chatrooms or forums or communicating with friends through AOL and MSN Messenger to talk to friends, send emojis and share pictures and music. In 2003, MySpace was released and became one of the first major social networking sites. It was used by bands and music artists in order to gain fans and popularity without the need to be signed to a record company. Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, and although this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out, it allowed their music to be heard by a much wider audience. The sharing of their music encouraged people to talk about and share their music on a much larger scale, which created a buzz about the band (word-of-mouth). Their fan base moved online, creating online communities where they could share songs and information about the band.

5) The 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' music video was designed to look like a 1980s TV performance, for example Top of the Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was filmed using old 1980s Ikegami 3-tube colour TV cameras and this was to create a sense of nostalgia for fans and give it an authentic effect. Arctic Monkeys purposefully did this in order to make a sentimental reference to 1980s-style music videos.

Industry

1) Arctic Monkeys first became successful and rose to fame through the power of the internet and their music being shared across social media, bringing a wider audience to the fan base and encouraging others to listen to their songs - eventually resulting in more and more people discovering them.

2) The use of MySpace and P2P file sharing was an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success as it caused them to gain a larger fan base without having to be attached to a record company. Because of this, Arctic Monkeys became more famous over time through their music being shared across a number of different platforms.

3) Arctic Monkeys formed in a way which was much more different to BLACKPINK, who were put together by an entertainment company. The members of Arctic Monkeys were all friends from high school who formed the band in 2002, writing songs based on their lives or what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They first played in pubs and small venues, in and around Sheffield, and gained many fans online through the use of the social networking site MySpace.

4) Arctic Monkeys got signed to a niche, independent record label called Domino. They sold over 350,000 copies of their debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' which became one of the fastest-selling debut albums in the UK of all time. Though they got many better offers from other record labels, Arctic Monkeys chose that specific independent record label as they took a liking to the owner, Laurence Bell, and were attracted to his work ethic.

5) I think that the internet is a very positive development for record companies and artists across the wider music industry due to the fact that on social media, things spread around and get to other people very quickly which ensures a wider audience and fan base, using word-of-mouth. However, this may also be taken as a negative, because if a piece of music from an artist or band is taken harshly from the audience, it will be known as a bad thing rather than something to spend time engaging with; which is why the internet is such a fundamental factor towards record company development.

Grade 8/9 Extension Tasks:

1) In June of 2004, iTunes had released in the UK and downloads went on to make up 17.9% of that year's singles chart, which later more than doubled to 36.6%, therefore becoming a huge development for the music industry. Singles began to gain more popularity, and so Arctic Monkeys' idea of giving away free music benefitted them greatly.

2) When they were first starting out, Arctic Monkeys would play in pubs and hand out free CD's of their music to small audiences during their gigs. This act further went on to establish a solid fan base which later moved online, creating a community in which fans could share music and information about the band. This fan base was largely on the Arctic Monkeys MySpace page, which allowed them to release music and information online without having to be signed to a record label. The band embraced this online community and revamped their Myspace page with forums, tour information, photos of the band and online streaming of their music - further expanding their fan base and helped them to gain more recognition.

3) This article suggests that the internet is a huge influence towards the band's success and that, major record labels that are attached to mainstream artists, lack the engaging and relatable aspect towards music-lovers as opposed to more independent bands such as Arctic Monkeys. It implies that through the use of the internet which consists of an enormous amount of people from all over the world, sharing and downloading music helps to develop the industry more, without the need to be signed to a major record label company. Arctic Monkeys included on their website: "It dawned on me that there are no leaders in all this or no plan or scheme, other than what's unfolding. People understanding it, relating to it, not relating to it but dancing to it, whatever." which indicates that they didn't have to be assisted and guided by a major record label company, and in fact, it was possible for them to grow as a band within the music industry by themselves without having to be under the control of somebody else; perhaps showing that they care more about their music reaching other people, helping them and giving their fan base something to enjoy rather than making more money (all of which they succeeded independently).

BLACKPINK - How You Like That: Blog Tasks

Audience

1) Those that are a part of the BLACKPINK fandom are most commonly known as 'blinks' and they consist of predominantly teenage girls or younger women. Although BLACKPINK have many fans across the globe, they are particularly big in the Philippines or Indonesia, as well as other western countries - for example the UK and the USA. They would most likely fit into the "aspirer" or "mainstream" psychographic.

2) Some audience pleasures offered by the How You Like That music video includes the use of the Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory. This includes diversion (typical music video conventions - performance, effects, fast pace etc), personal relationships (fan interaction through social media plays a huge part in the success of k-pop globally, as fans feel as though they 'know' the members), personal identity (the k-pop fandom often involves copying the look or appearance of band members and seeing their own style reflected on screen) and surveillance (it also helps western audiences gain knowledge of Korean music and culture).

3)

• 0:41 - the first beat drop and start of the chorus which is one of the most important and captivating aspects of the music video, along with the carefully choreographed dance routine, which appeals to BLACKPINK fans as it is the most memorable part and also includes the title of the song itself.
• 1:12 - it includes one of Lisa's rap solos, which are very iconic as she is the main rapper of the group and blinks watch out for one of these moments in every music video, again captivating the audience.
• 2:26 - follows a series of solos from each member of the group revolving around their strengths (e.g Lisa's as rap), there is a sudden beat drop and dance number which fully appeals to BLACKPINK fans, along with the flashing lights, editing and the many different camera angles.

4) Before the release of the music video, it was promoted by a series of teasers on the band’s social media accounts (which consisted of posters and photos focusing on individual band members and videos) and a reality show (24/365 with BLACKPINK). A “dance performance” video including the choreography for the music video was released in July 2020, in which by March 2021 this had achieved over 600 million views and was placed in the top 20 videos of the year by Billboard magazine.

5) K-pop is a huge global phenomenon and has acquired enormous success because it consists of a wide audience all from different parts of the world. It has become increasingly popular over time due to the way they educate people on different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. Social media and streaming devices are huge factors involved within the growing popularity of K-pop as well as the many different bands and solo artists who constantly bring in a larger fanbase of the K-pop industry.

Industry

1) BLACKPINK was formed in 2016 by the Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment; by 2020 they became one of the most successful K-pop bands in the world. By 2021, they were the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act and Asian act on YouTube.

2) As well as BLACKPINK, YG Entertainment have created other big names, with some being: BigBang, AKMU, Treasure and BabyMonster.

3) People nowadays mostly engage with music videos through phones, tablets and computers with access to YouTube, also known as technological convergence. It displays the fact that music videos are now a media form in its own right and not just a way to sell an album. This earns a lot more money through advertising, for example the billions of views BLACKPINK earn on YouTube.

4) BLACKPINK and K-pop shows that the media and music industries are now global through BLACKPINK selling out arenas across the UK and USA as well as the East. They performed at Wembley Arena in 2019 and also at the huge US music festival Coachella.

5) Most UK-based record companies get their music videos rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The sort of problems the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include bad language, dangerous behaviour presented as safe, drug misuse, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.

Grade 8/9 Extension Tasks:

1) The Guardian describes the songs as "unrelenting three-minute bombardments of hooks" in other words, they believe that each sequence is fully immersive which makes it hard to not sing or dance along in time with the melody. They mention that the quality control has been set very high and that the writers and producers didn't fail to bring their "A-game". This implies that they are talented individuals who serve exactly what is wanted of them, however they also comment on how the possible exception are those behind the lyrical aspect of it all.

2) The problem in question is that in the music video of 'How You Like That', Hindi deities were portrayed in a pop music context. This offended many international fans, who did not approve of the use of their religious deities portrayed within a music video. The image was then quietly edited out, although most feel felt that they deserved an apology. The video included a statue of the Hindi deity Ganesha, the elephant-headed god flashed in the background during Lisa's solo rap performance. Though this image was only shown for several seconds, it was still enough for many fans (specifically in India) to express their discomfort and disapproval with the choice that was made. BLACKPINK was accused of cultural appropriation, and for using a sacred religious object as a music video prop and placing it on the floor which showed a level of disrespect towards the Hindu community and culture. A petition was made with over 4,500 signatures of fans demanding YG Entertainment to erase the video and provide a public apology, they were soon bombarded with angry emails. YG Entertainment then posted a new version of the video without the use of the deity this time, a YG representative expressed to the New York Times that "It was immediately edited when we became aware of it," - although fans still requested a formal apology.

Introduction to Music Video: Blog Tasks

1) Some of the key conventions of music video includes movement, which can be fast or slow paced in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many of them contain a performance element, narrative, or general storyline. They can also consist of many visual effects, mise-en-scene (CLAMPS), imagery and intertextuality.

2) Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text; this can be through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references. Music videos commonly use intertextuality which can be by referencing other music videos, classic films, television, pop culture, news or videogames.

3) Music videos began to become a major part of the music industry in the 1980s, they slowly started becoming more popular as more broadcasting services were created.

4) In 1981, MTV was launched as a platform for music videos and was the first music channel on television. Programmes such as the BBC show 'Top of The Pops' also showcased music videos from the charts, along with 'live' music performances. In the 1980s and 1990s, big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos - for example Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films). Beforehand, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis).

5) Nowadays, in the digital age, music videos are watched and distributed using a number of streaming devices - a main one being YouTube. When YouTube launched in 2005, the way that consumers access and enjoy music videos changed significantly and self-promotion became more common. Some of the most famous artists today were able to make it big due to YouTube, word of mouth of the fans and digital media. Other services such as Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Spotify are also ways in which music and music videos are shared and distributed throughout the media.

Extension:

1) In my opinion, YouTube is amazingly beneficial and helpful for the music industry as it is a way to stream, share and watch music videos on a much grander scale. Also, it helps promote different artists and their music, which wouldn't have been possible without it, along with the use of word of mouth which helps to boost music videos and encourage others to watch and listen to them. Additionally, YouTube is a huge reason as to why many previously rising stars made it big within the music industry today.

2) I don't believe that videogames are more influential than music videos as not only do music videos stream the specific song, they also consist of a narrative and depth in which videogames do not use with their music. Music videos help to support breaking new artists more than videogames do, as they mainly have a clear focus on the artist whereas videogames do not.

Magazines: Final Index

My Magazines Final Index:

1) Magazines: Tatler magazine CSP

2) Magazines: Heat magazine CSP

3) Advertising assessment learner response

Advertising assessment learner response

1) Feedback:

Score: 24/32

Grade: 7

WWW: Wajiha, another solid performance here! Lots to credit and comment on - focus on Q4 (Galaxy) is developed!

EBI: For NHS (Q3) identify key figures from the advert who represent ethnicity/race and subvert/reinforce.

2) Marks:

Q1: 2/2

Q2: 8/12

Q3: 4/6

Q4: 10/12

3) Some points that I didn't include in my answer to Q2 (the OMO 12 mark question) were: adverts would be taken at a face value in the 1950s and believed to be true; encouraging women to have a competitive 'winning' approach to washing with the use of the phrase 'whiteness alone won't do', a mundane task is made to seem exciting and rewarding - ie the image and the way it is anchored with 'This'll shake you, Mother!'.

4) One way in which the NHS Represent advert subverts stereotypes of race and ethnicity is by the use of Kanya King, CEO of MOBO, who is presented as a powerful black woman in an open-plan office behind a MacBook with mise-en-scene emphasising her power and authority (e.g. costume, pose, expression, setting). A way in which they reinforce stereotypes of race and ethnicity is by the producers using an urban music video shot on the roof of a car park starring rapper and MC Lady Leshurr to target a black and minority ethnic audience. This reinforces stereotypes of race and social class with regards to the black community and other minority groups.

5) The reference to classic Hollywood films is reinforced by the logo, slogan and pack shots: the Galaxy packaging uses light brown and gold to create connotations of luxury. The smooth, handwritten-style typography also offers connotations of class and luxurious quality. ‘Why choose cotton when you can have silk’ encourages the audience to reward themselves with a treat and capture their own brief moment of Hollywood style. Intertextual references to Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s help to create the Hollywood glamour that Galaxy are trying to communicate through the CGI Audrey Hepburn whilst the ‘chauffeur’ looking similar to Gregory Peck also reinforces this. The use of ‘Moon River’ is another intertextual reference to Audrey Hepburn’s films, and the style of music also helps Galaxy establish their key message of ‘silk over cotton’.