As media revision
- 1. AS Media Revision Textual Analysis question You will need to have an understanding of the various CODES that are used to communicate the media texts messages to the AUDIENCE. TECHNICAL CODES Camera Shots – Close-up/Mid-Shot/Long Shot etc Camera Angles – High Angle/Low Angle/Eye level Editing – Transitions Camera Movement – Tracking Shots/Zoom/Panning Shot/Tilt Shot AUDIO CODES Diegetic – Within the scene Non- Diegetic – Mainly music or sound that has been added later Dialogue – mode of address of speaker, use of technical language Sound effects – help add to realism of the film Music – conveys narrative information and can help set the scene Voice-overs – can give extra information and sometimes anchors (anchorage) the visual images. VISUAL CODES Connotations – what is the secondary meaning of the Visual codes Clothing – What does the clothing communicate about the person wearing it. Expression – facial expression help communicate a lot of information to the audience Gesture – gesture can also communicate a lot of information to the audience. Use of Colour – colours can transmit messages and can be interpreted by the audience in a number of ways Iconography – objects or settings. The use of Big Ben in the news at ten signifies we are in London and the setting of a Lab become iconic in Forensic crime drama Graphics – graphics can give us ‘other’ information and helps anchor the meaning of the visuals. MODE OF ADDRESS
- 2. Informal mode of address – this is where the text is very informal and the audience feel like the text is speaking to them on a very personal level. Formal mode of address – this is where the text is more formal. News programmes and documentaries adopt this style if they are discussing serious and sophisticated issues. Direct mode of address- this is where the presenter communicates directly with the audience. For example Ant and Dec on ‘Britain’s got Talent’ Indirect mode of address – most films we follow the action, but the characters do not directly address us as an audience. GENRE Narrative – what plot situations are shown, these become iconic to certain genre’s ie Family argument in a soap opera. Characters – some programmes use STOCK characters like rebellious teenagers or nosy OAP, this helps establish the genre and narrative. Iconography and Setting- CSI New York uses iconic images of New York and crime laboratories to help establish the setting and the genre of the programme. Enigma codes- these codes keep the audience interested in the text as they set up questions, only answered if they keep watching the text. When answering QUESTION 1 it is important to IDENTIFY the various codes AND JUSTIFY why they have been used Representation Question You must ensure you have examples of the following Gender Ethnicity Age Issues Events Regional and national identities You will need 3 examples for each, except Events and Issues where you will need 2 examples. Your examples should come from different types of media texts, for example 1 newspaper article, 1 Television programme and 1 music video.
- 3. Your examples need to be contemporary, within 18 months. Structure your answer and start with an introductory paragraph demonstrating an understanding of representation. Make sure your examples are relevant to the question. Audience Question The areas related to audience you must prepare for are Ways of defining and categorizing audience -age, gender, socio-economic model etc What affects the way audience responds to media texts. age, gender, ethnicity, culture and cultural experience How texts construct audiences – men’s health constructs it reader through the enigma codes on the front cover, making assumptions about the lifestyle of the reader How audiences are positioned by media texts -Preferred/oppositional/negotiated How media attract and appeal to audiences – through the use of different codes ie technical and audio codes, language and mode of address, construction, context and audience positioning. You will need to apply the Audience theories – Uses and Gratifications/Two Step Flow and opinion leaders. You will need to support you answer by referring to three media texts, for example Men’s Health magazine, Sun sex and suspicious parents and the Daily Mail newspaper. Refer to a particular scene or the front cover of a magazine and say how it appeals to it’s chosen audience. Using Examples Watch the trailer for Sherlock Holmes a Game of Shadows. Target Audience? Fans of the stars, Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law
- 4. Those intereseted in the original stories of Sherlock Holmes Fans of Guy Richie and his other films Those who saw the previous Sherlock Holmes film and liked it The action elements may attract some audiences Categories defined by demographic profiles How is the audience positioned by the text? The camera positions us to empathise with Sherlock Holmes and defines the villain clearly to the audience The humour in the film positions the audience as co-conspirators The camera positions the audience as part of the action Audience Theories? The Uses and Gratifications (PIES) theory is useful here as an audience may watch this film for escapism and diversion. If they saw the film when it was released then it may have been subject to social interaction Audience responses and what might affect that response? A younger audience, with no experience of Sherlock Holmes films or stories, may enjoy the Hollywood treatment and the action elements of the film. The will therefore accept the preferred reading A negotiated response may come from an audience that accept the different depiction of Holmes, but may not like the Hollywood treatment An oppositional response may come from an older more traditional element of the audience who may question the casting of Robert Downey Jnr as the lead role. This section of the audience may be more familiar with older version of the Sherlock Holmes films.