Higher Media The Key Aspects

This lesson... Covering the main ideas of the course Discussing our understanding of media so far Don’t worry if it doesn’t all sink in today if this is your first time studying Media – just do your best TAKE NOTES

Course content reminder Assignment – 50% Done in/around class time Starts just before or after Oct break Question Paper – 50% Sat during exam diet Two essays – one on media content and context, one on role of media

An idea to start with - All media content is constructed

Key aspects split into two areas: Content The codes, techniques and structures contained within the text Context The time/place/conditions in which a text is produced

Key aspects split into two areas: Content Categories Language Narrative Representation Context Audience Institutions Society

Media content Categories - How media content is categorised based on Genre (sci-fi, fashion glossy, tabloid...) Purpose (to entertain, to inform, to persuade...) Tone (ironic, serious, comedic...) Style (e.g. documentary – fly on the wall, interactive...)

Media content LANGUAGE Technical code – camera angles, sound, special effects, mise en scene... Cultural codes – signs and symbols that have cultural associations (red rose = romance)

Media content NARRATIVE Structures – the order in which events are presented – the beginning, middle, end. Points of conflict. Codes – setting up of recognisable structures, for example binary oppositions such as good vs evil, youth vs age.

Media content REPRESENTATION How people, places, groups are represented in a media text. Consider: selection and portrayal (non-fic), stereotypes, non-stereotypes, cultural assumptions, ideologies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOecpti7Qf8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_CWXOQNGIk

So far... Media content Categories Language Narrative Representation

Task Watch the following opening sequence. Analyse the media content, using the key aspects we have looked at so far.

Media context Remember: context = The time/place/conditions in which a text is produced

Media context AUDIENCE Target audience – who is meant to consume Preferred reading – how the producer wants the consumer to read the text Differential decoding – how others may read text differently

Media context Task Identify the target audience, preferred reading and differential decoding of each of the home appliance adverts we just watched.

Media context INSTITUTION Internal institutions – the company structures, policies and procedures that inform the production – for example finance and reputation External institutions – organisations or legislation that control media content – for example health and safety law and regulatory bodies such as Ofcom, BBFC.

Media context SOCIETY Time, place (e.g. Facts, ideas, history, circumstances, events, politics, technology) Task: discuss how society informs the two similar but distinct representations in the adverts discussed previously.

Case study Think about media texts that you are familiar with. Describe how these media concepts relate to this content. Write something for each key aspect

Consolidating our understanding Lesson 2

Key aspects CATEGORIES REPRESENTATION NARRATIVE LANGUAGE SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS AUDIENCE

Task Look at the media texts provided. What can you say about them in relation to the CONTENT-BASED key aspects we have looked at? Be as in-depth as you like – you are giving me an idea of how much you have grasped. You should be able to do this mostly without research. Use a PEE structure as you would in English. Once finished, do this with the CONTEXT-BASED key aspects. In this case, you will have to look up details of ownership etc.

LANGUAGE Technical codes – font, layout, lighting, composition, headline, sub-headline Cultural codes – colour, associations with objects…