MIGRAIN Index

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions

2) Media consumption audit

3) Language: Reading an image - advert analyses

4) Reception theory

5) Semiotics: icons, indexes and symbols

6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions

7) Narrative: Factsheet questions

8) Audience: classification - psychographics presentation notes

9) October assessment learner response

10) Audience theory 1 - Hypodermic needle/Two-step flow/U&G

11) Audience theory 2 - Bandura and Cohen - moral panic

12) Audience theory: Media Effects factsheet

13) Industries: Ownership and Control

14) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

15) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting

16) Industries: Regulation

17) Industries: Brand Values and Lines of Appeal

Genre

Read Media Factsheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

• The X Men Franchise
• The Avengers
• Spiderman
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Agents of Shield

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

In every different time period they start to develop new ideas of the narrative.

General: Analysing teen Wolf Season 1-Episode 1

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I feel like that the text has a lot of connotations and convention that teenagers may be able to relate themselves to.

2) In what context did you encounter it?

I encountered this because this was a popular show that many teenagers watched including me after it was trending.

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

I feel like there is a lot of Propp's theory being used.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

This text I think is a romantic, mystery, thriller and action. 

5) What is your experience of this genre?

I am very fond and like these types of genres.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

It starts of with a crime as there is a murder in the town right at the beginning of the text.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

It is a very typical genre for the target audience and the context.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

They will be at a very different pace throughout the story.

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?

The mystery as it starts of with a suspense for the audience and leaves it hanging. 

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

I feel like the text explores goes beyond the conventions and experiments as well.

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

The crime is connoted by the dead body used in the text.

Index

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions

2) Media consumption audit

3) Language: Reading an image - advert analyses

4) Reception theory

5) Semiotics: icons, indexes and symbols

6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions

7) Narrative: Factsheet questions

Hypodermic needle model

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model?

Young teenagers tend to be a lot more violent because of the violent video games they play. This links back to the hypodermic needle as what you see is what is injected in your brain.
2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case (see Daily Mail front page below) link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 
The hypodermic needle model links to this very well because this paper is suggesting that the video games made him like this. The hacker got his hacking skills from playing too much video games. Linking back to hypodermic needle the media put things in to the brain of the 15 year old teenager.

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

The two-step flow model is relevant today an example of this would be Kylie Jenner after she got lipp fillers an increase number of people started to get lip filers by getting influenced by their celebrity.

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

This youtube blogger has a very huge amount of increase so anyone that likes the youtuber is most likely to be influenced by the person. He is a very opiniated and influential leader.

3) How this this Telegraph feature on Britain's most popular tweeters fit the two-step flow model? Do you think these accounts genuinely have an influence over their audience?

Uses and Gratifications theory

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points.

Diversion: 

Love Island.

Personal Relationships: 

Liar the audience builds a connection with the characters. They connect to the feelings and emotions of the characters.

Personal Identity: 

Educating yorkshire the school teenagers can relate to it.

Surveillance:

BBC weather news

Dependency theory

1) Do you agree that audiences have become dependent on the media? What evidence or examples can you provide to support your view?

The audience have become dependent on the media as they use it on a daily bases. The leaders that influence people now are very good at doing that.
2) How has the growth of new and digital technology in the last 15 years changed people's dependency on the media? Is this a new problem?

This is not a problem as now there is a decrease in obesity as there is fitbit watches now that makes people exercise. This is healthy as this helps them keep fit and healthy.
3) Reflecting on your own media use, how does your media consumption impact on your emotions? Does the media have an overall positive or negative impact on your health and wellbeing? Why?

( Linked back to question 2)

Reception Theory

Reading:
Oppositional or ‘Counter-Hegemonic’ Reading- The producer intends to show that everyone and anyone should embrace their culture.
Dominant, Preferred or Hegemonic Reading- They have used celebrity endorsement of 50 cent and in the advertisement it says 'i am what i am' this encourages drug usage as 50 cent has gotten a lot of drug abuse charges. This is giving them a lot of bad reputation to the brand.

Reading:

Oppositional or ‘Counter-Hegemonic’ Reading- This advert suggests that if you wear nike your speed in running increases.

Negotiated Reading- All of the nike products are clearly being shown in the advert. This increases the promotion of the brand.

Dominant, Preferred or Hegemonic Reading- The speed of the player is very fast as clearly grass is being ruined in the image. By wearing the shoes you can damage the surrounding is what they are suggesting.

MIGRAIN October assessment learner response

WWW: There is almost nothing I can credit here. This is either a massive wake-up call call or the useful early sign that  this isn't the subject for you. Put simply, this is the level of assessment that results from failing to complete any of the set work (at time of writing, no blog post for the whole of October).
EBI: This is so far short of where you need to be that it is difficult to mark... you are 14 marks away from simply getting an E.
No narrative theory for Question 1.
No analysis of the Nike advert despite the fact we analysed it in class and set repeated blog tasks on reading an image and connotations.
No application of reception theory: a 20 mark essay question.

2)
Question 1: I did not link it back to the question
Question 2: In did not analyse it enough.
Question 3: Not related to the question.
Question 4: Did the wrong interpretation of the question.

3) For all of the answers i have there is no relevance to the question whatsoever.

4) I got the Todorov theory and analyses all wrong. This suggests to me that i have to revise the two things a lot more.

5) I do not think i have got a strong question.

6)I think all of the questions are my weakest as none of the answers have the relevance to any of the questions.

7)  Question 3:
Genre is important for both media producers because they need to know what they are doing. To get profit from the audience watching.Genre is what the producers will use as the arrangement of how they want the story line to be around. This would help the producers to make the film or the programme this would make them get the profit as the producers made what the audience would like to watch. The genre is what would attract the audience. 

Genre is important for audience because they would only pay for a film to watch the cinemas if they like the genre. The genre is the reason why the audience would like the characters. The genre for the audience is going to be what the story plot is going to be based around. So that is why the audience will go to watch the film or watch the programme.

Psychographics

 The psychographic group you are researching:
Mainstreamers

1) Make up their names:
Kyle and Kasey2) Where do they work/study?
 Kasey is in college and Kyle works in KFC. Kasey works part time at KFC as well and Kyle works full time.
3) What do they do in their spare time?
 They are more likely to go out shopping or to go out and eat. This would be what mainstreamers are likely to do in their spare time.

Now suggest their media consumption:

Print: What newspapers/magazines does your group read (if any)? Is this on paper or tablet? 
 They are more likely to read The Daily Mail. This is because it is a free newspaper and this would be because the paper would have everything a family person would like to read such as celebrity news, sports, recent world news and other news reports. 

Broadcast: What TV programmes/channels do your group watch? Radio stations? TV package – Freeview or Sky? Films?
The TV channels they would watch is ITV and BBC. They would have sky as these are a family associated brand. 

Online: What technology do they own? What websites do they visit (if any)? What social media do they use?
The technology they are most likely to own is windows that is more of a family brand. The social media the mainstreamers would use is facebook or twitter.

Media Factsheet 14 - Telling Stories: The Media's Use of Narrative

1) Give an example from film or television that uses Todorov's narrative structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. 

Equilibrium: A commoner and the princess live a normal life.
Disruption: Princess Jasmine does not want to marry the evil Jafar as he just wants to marry her for the status she has.
Recognition: Aladdin finds out.
Repair: Aladdin saves her.
Restoration: Aladdin becomes her Prince.








2) Complete the activity on page 1 of the Factsheet: find a clip on YouTube of the opening of a new TV drama series (season 1, episode 1). Embed the clip in your blog and write an analysis of the narrative markers that help establish setting, character and plot.

3) Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.
In Shrek the hero is Shrek as he saves Princess Fiona. He saves the princess and falls in love with the princess.
The princess is Princess Fiona. She gets saved and falls in love with the hero.
Lord Farquaard is the villain as he sends all of them to the swamp.4) Give an example of a binary opposition.
In twilight the first film it is a binary opposition. They have a very complicated plot. As vampire and warewolves do not get along as that is the stereotype in films but in twilight it is very opposite the stereotype in the first film.

5) What example is provided in the Factsheet for the way narratives can emphasise dominant ideologies and values?
The example provided is when the policeman captures the criminal in a crime drama the ideology of the value and order is emphasised.
6) Why do enigma and action codes (Barthes) offer gratifications for audiences?
The enigma and action codes offer gratifications for audience (Do not understand)7) Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:

• Episodic narrative (the series); it is a story told though series.

• Overarching narrative (the serial); it is a big narrative that unites all individuals stories and themes.
• Mixed narrative; a story written or spoken to an audience.
• Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative); the narrative story continues a period of time.

8) How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?  
(Does not have on factsheet)

My media consumption

Newspapers

• Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read?
• What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why?
• What sections do you never read, and why?
• What kinds of stories do you usually read and why?
• Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read?
• Do you look at the online versions of any newspapers? Which newspapers? Why do you visit their website and not others?

Magazines

• What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why
• What sections of the magazines do you read and not read, and why?

Television

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?
• What times of day do you usually watch television?
• What programmes do you like best and why?
• Do you watch alone or with others? If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?
• Do you watch 'live' TV or on-demand/catch-up? Do you use any other devices to watch TV (such as laptop or tablet?)

Radio

• Do you listen to the radio? No
• If yes, what stations do you like best and why?
• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio?
• What times of the day do you usually listen to the radio?
• Where do you listen to the radio?
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening to the radio?
• Does anyone else in your house listen to the radio? If so, when do they listen?

Cinema

• What films have you seen in the cinema in the last month? 
• What films have you seen in other places – for example, through Netflix, Amazon Prime, satellite/cable film channels (free or otherwise) or streaming? I watched The Kissing Booth I watched it through Netflix.
• Who else watched the films with you? I watched it with my sister
• Who decided what films to watch? I decided to watch it after hearing from my friends that the film is. really good and interesting story.
• What devices do you typically use to watch films: TV, laptop, tablet, phone etc.? I am technically using laptop and phone to watch films

Online

• How often do you access the internet? I use the internet a lot.
• Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work? I access the internet at home and anywhere I am.
• What are the main sites that you access? I mainly access the internet when I need to go on social media or to watch a film.
• What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment? I mainly access these sites either for entertainment or to contact my family or friends.
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet? I play online games sometimes when I access the internet.
• What different devices do you use to access the internet? What is your primary device for accessing the internet?I use my phone mostly if not my phone I use the laptop otherwise.
• What social networks do you use regularly (e.g. Twitter, Instagram)? Why do you belong to these networks in particular? I regularly use snapchat and instagram. They are easier and more fun to use.

Reflection

• How can you develop the amount and variety of media you consume? In my free time I can do something different from what I did in my previous free that includes media.
• What will you change in your media consumption habits this year as a result of studying A Level Media? I have to at least do one of the three media consumption at least a month.
• List three sources of media (websites/newspapers/apps/TV programmes etc.) that you will start to access this year that you haven't engaged with previously. I will have to listen to radio, I have to read the newspaper and go on different websites that may have new or other current affairs.

Media Blog 1

1) Why did you choose A Level Media Studies?
I chose A level Media studies because I did GCSE media study and really enjoyed the subject the most. So therefore I would like to go in to a media industry.

2) Did you take GCSE Media Studies (either here at Greenford or a different school)?
Yes I did GCSE media study at a different school called The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls.

3) If you answered yes to Q2, what grade did you achieve in GCSE Media? What coursework tasks did you complete? What would you say your strengths and weaknesses were in GCSE Media?
For GCSE media I achieved a B. 

4) What grade do you hope to achieve in A Level Media?
The grade I would like you achieve for A level media is an A*.

5) What are your current thoughts about your next steps after A Levels - university, apprenticeship, work?
My current thoughts about after A level is to go to university.

6) What do you think the biggest media story of 2018 has been and why?
The biggest media story of 2018 

7) What media sources do you use to find out about news and current affairs?
The media source I use is the daily mail to find out about the news and the current affairs happening.

8) What was the last film you watched?
The last film I watched was the nun but stopped watching it halfway because of how scary the film was.

9) What is your favourite ever TV series?
My favourite TV series ever was Luther. The show is a hybrid genre. When you watch Luther first episode it then makes you want to watch more and more of the episodes of Luther.

10) How many hours do you spend online in an average day? Is this too little, too much or about right? Why?
I spend at least 1 hours a day online which is a little too much time to be spending online.

Icon, Index, Symbol

Icon:

Index:

Symbol:
Dog

Icon:

Index:

Symbol:
Fire

Index:
 
Icon:

Symbol:
Iphone

Icons and indexes are important because they are what gives the media text a meaning without symbols. They make the media text easier to understand.

Global brands will try to avoid symbols because different countries have different languages so the audience may not understand what is being advertised to them because of the language barrier. So to avoid this global brands do not include symbols.


This media text was a failure because this advertisement was after the 9/11. Everything in the image connotes the idea of 9/11. Which was taken very offensively by most people. This is because maybe they had family members in the 9/11 accident and Starbucks putting this advert up made the situation even worse. The symbol "collapse into cool"  connotes the 9/11 building. The grass connotes the buildings that were around the 9/11 building. The dragon fly connoting the plane that was there that attacked the 9/11 building. Overall, this advertisements index, icon and symbol was not the best after what happened in the 9/11.


This media text has used icon, index and symbol very successfully. The index is the tick of the brand nike this brand is very well known so it will be known by many people when they see this advert. The icon is the women herself. What this advert does is when they put a women in the advert with gloves on connotes the power of women have and how strong they are, going against the stereotypical idea of how most adverts present women as naive and weak. This advert empowers women as to who they are. The symbol 'make yourself proud' is very powerful and once again goes back to the idea of how strong women are.

Print Advert Analysis

This is the RBK 50 Cent advert. This advert uses very dark and dull colours. They have a male protagonist in the advert. This connotes the target audience that RBK might be targeting that are males around the age of 30s. The shot is a medium close up shot. They have used a celebrity endorsement who is 50 Cent. They have used fingerprints which give the connotation that the quote that is in the advertisement links to a lot of people. As there is a lot of fingerprints.

This is a Coca Cola advert as seen in the advert that includes the logo of the brand. This advert I think is mostly targeted at young women this is because there is a lady present in the advertisement drinking the coke. The lady in the frame is a celebrity so this could attract her fans. Which could help the brand as this will create more awareness of the brand. The way the advertisement is composed is very good because if a person walks by they always look from left to right at the advertisement so if they see the celebrity first they will be more likely to look at the whole page rather than just the left side. The left side is a medium close up shot. The colour theme is a good choice as it all is very similar and has a nice flow. The pose 'Lana' has, is very creative as the product that she is being paid for, to advertise is clearly being shown as she is holding it. The sentence they have written on the advertisement "I've kissed Lana" it connotes that the drink that is being advertised, "Lana" has drank it therefore it has been touched by her lips. It also has been written under the brand name "100 years of the Coca Cola bottle" this suggests to the audience that this brand has been in the market for so long so obviously the drink is gonna be amazing as they are experienced. The subject matter is clearly being shown which is the coke bottle as they have shown that a lot on one page of the advertisement. It addresses the audience by the celebrity endorsement as the celebrity is a female which could tell the audience that the drink is aimed at young females.