Fish Tank (2009) is very typical of the social realism genre.
Fish Tank was filmed in Tilbury, in Essex, in a run down estate called Mardyke. This area was renowned for its high crime rate and anti-social behaviour, as it is an underprivileged estate. Since Fish Tank was made, the estate it was filmed in has been renamed to Orchard Village and it has been given funding for re-generation. With the knowledge of where the film was made and the type of reputation the area has, helps Fish Tank to be successful in the social realism genre.
In the scene where Connor gives Mia the video camera, Mia fiddles with the camera and learns how to turn it on and work it. This is followed by Mia filming Connor getting dressed, and smelling Connors aftershave - giving him her opinion of it. Subsequently, Connor pulls Mia over his knee and playfully slaps her on the bum. This is foreshadowing what will happen later on in the film, when Mia and Connor end up having sex. This is typical of social realism because it is all filmed with a hand held camera, and it is all very raw and natural. Flirting between a teenager and her mothers boyfriend are not something that is seen in mainstream happy-ever-after films, and so this means that it is a gritty, social realism film as it is very real life.
Fish Tank is not a film that fits into the Propps theory of narrative as there are no clear heroes or villains. Mia is the protagonist who wants to get away from a dysfunctional, down-ward spiralling world of anti-social behaviour and no future. Mia is constantly walking very fast, as if she is trying to get away, but is going nowhere. In the opening scene where she confronts a group of girls that are dancing in a park with some bare-chested boys looking on, she is filmed on her own, isolated away from everyone else.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Monday, 29 April 2013
Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts. [30] LOST
Lost appeals to it's target audience by using common conventions such as music. The non-diegetic music in Lost is used as an indicator for when the audience should feel certain things. For example, the music in the scene where the group that go on a hike to get signal for the radio come across a threat, that turns out to be a polar bear, in the jungle that is running towards them, the music indicates when the audience should react in which ways. The music gets gradually louder as the conflict between Sayid and Sawyer builds as they are arguing over whether they should turn the radio on or not. As the argument develops, the music starts to focus on shots of the polar bear when it is charging towards them. As the shots from the polar bear cuts to shots of the group, who are running away in opposite directions, the music is quieter when the group are in the shot. The music builds up as the group are running away, with the assistance from screams from the group. Alongside the quick cuts and the fast editing of the scene, the music builds a considerable amount of tension and fear within the scene as it progresses.
There is never a full shot of the polar bear on its own, the audience only ever see quick shots of small parts of the polar bears body - this appeals to its audience as an enigma code because as there is a shot of the polar bears head, it is left to Kate to confirm that it is in fact a polar bear. As soon as Kate confirms what the audience already knows, there is a straight cut to adverts, which will make the audience feel a need to know more. This will mean that the audience appeal is successful in the way of keeping their audience interested.
Tracking shots of the mise en scene while the group are walking through the jungle will make the audience aware of where they are and the degree of which they are lost and in the middle of nowhere. The crane shots allow us to get a high view of the location, and also allow us to get a sweeping view of the group and the order in which they are positioned - with Kate being a clear leader. The camera works makes the characters a prominent part of the programme, with it highlighting their fear when the polar bear comes charging towards them. The characters fear is made clear as the camera switches from smooth, tracking crane shots, to a hand held camera, which appeals to the audience in the way that they are likely to feel in the scene. The hand held camera builds tension as it allows us to get a feel for the scene as if we were there, or as if it is from a characters point of view. This appeals as it indicates that the camera work allows many different interpretations of the programme, with different points of view, which allows depth and involvement for the audience.
Sawyer is the character who stands aware of the bear and shoots it point blank. Before Sawyer does this, he is portrayed as a bad guy, an antagonist, which makes the action very important and changes our opinions of Sawyer. This part of the scene will appeal to the audience in many different ways. Sawyer will appeal to females as he is a strong, attractive man who is brave and fearless and stands up to the polar bear and saves the group. He will appeal to a male audience because they may want to be like Sawyer, attractive, brave, fearless, and so they will watch this in admiration.
There is never a full shot of the polar bear on its own, the audience only ever see quick shots of small parts of the polar bears body - this appeals to its audience as an enigma code because as there is a shot of the polar bears head, it is left to Kate to confirm that it is in fact a polar bear. As soon as Kate confirms what the audience already knows, there is a straight cut to adverts, which will make the audience feel a need to know more. This will mean that the audience appeal is successful in the way of keeping their audience interested.
Tracking shots of the mise en scene while the group are walking through the jungle will make the audience aware of where they are and the degree of which they are lost and in the middle of nowhere. The crane shots allow us to get a high view of the location, and also allow us to get a sweeping view of the group and the order in which they are positioned - with Kate being a clear leader. The camera works makes the characters a prominent part of the programme, with it highlighting their fear when the polar bear comes charging towards them. The characters fear is made clear as the camera switches from smooth, tracking crane shots, to a hand held camera, which appeals to the audience in the way that they are likely to feel in the scene. The hand held camera builds tension as it allows us to get a feel for the scene as if we were there, or as if it is from a characters point of view. This appeals as it indicates that the camera work allows many different interpretations of the programme, with different points of view, which allows depth and involvement for the audience.
Sawyer is the character who stands aware of the bear and shoots it point blank. Before Sawyer does this, he is portrayed as a bad guy, an antagonist, which makes the action very important and changes our opinions of Sawyer. This part of the scene will appeal to the audience in many different ways. Sawyer will appeal to females as he is a strong, attractive man who is brave and fearless and stands up to the polar bear and saves the group. He will appeal to a male audience because they may want to be like Sawyer, attractive, brave, fearless, and so they will watch this in admiration.
Monday, 22 April 2013
Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts. [30] MADMEN
Mad Men is a cable programmed made by AMC in America, which is showed on Sky Atlantic in England, which is a paid for view satellite channel. Mad Men does not get billions of viewers for every episode, it gets around 2 million viewers per episode, compared to the 20 million viewers that watch American Idol for example. Although it does not get the most viewers, Mad Men has won numerous Emmy Awards, including the Best Drama 4 years in a row. John Hamm, Elizabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks (Don Draper, Peggy and Joan) all submitted Episode 11 of Season 5, 'The Other Woman', for the Emmy Awards, with the intention of winning Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. The Advertising for Mad Men included a line saying 'the four time Emmy winner is back', which shows that although the programme doesn't get the most views when compared to its competitors, it has won awards and has a strong fan base behind it that appreciate the programme for it's representations of the 60's, its nostalgia and its stylish approach.
Mad Men appeals to its audience by being sophisticated and stylish. With it being set in the 60s, Mad Men will attract an audience that may have been from that era or are interested in history for example. The 60s has been very influential in television, with the 60s being iconic. It was also the time that women rose up, and started fighting for equal rights, and it was also the time of great change, with Martin Luther King fighting for 'black rights' and feminism, as well as JFK and many other things. Mad Mens audience will also be interested in the style of the 60s, as the style is coming back into fashion.
Mad Men could also be critically analysed along the lines of Propps theory. Propp theorised that there are certain roles in films and programmes - there's the hero, the villain, the femme fatale etc. Don Draper, portrayed by John Hamm, is certainly the hero majority of the time. Especially in the episode i am referring to - episode 11, season 5, The Other Woman. Draper is portrayed as chivalrous and heroic when he tried to persuade Joan not to go through with her plans with the Jaguar dealership. By trying to stop Joan from selling herself, Draper comes across as respectable and a gentleman. But when his wife, Megan, goes for an acting job that involved travelling for long periods of time, he becomes very much a dominant male, and tries to throw his weight around. Draper also comes across as respectable when he trusts Peggy to land a deal with a company for him. Although Peggy is a very important part of Drapers company and his life, he takes her for granted and treats her terribly. When Peggy stands up for herself about the campaign she landed, and why she can't help with the Jaguar campaign that Draper throws money at her. This belittles Peggy and makes her feel unappreciated and taken for granted and so she takes an offer of another job at a rival company. It is when Megan stands up to Draper, and when we find that Joan has already gone through with her plans and when Peggy leaves the company that it is clear that women are gaining strength, and rising up, becoming feminists. This rise in 'girl power' will attract a female audience in the way that they will like to feel empowered and they will appreciate watching how feminism came about as they are the product of feminist campaigns and equal rights. Men will be interested in Mad Men because the women are all very attractive and strong and dress to their advantage, they look appealing and nice at all times and they will like to look at them. Men will also want to be Don Draper, in the way that he is strong and powerful and successful.
Mad Men appeals to its audience by being sophisticated and stylish. With it being set in the 60s, Mad Men will attract an audience that may have been from that era or are interested in history for example. The 60s has been very influential in television, with the 60s being iconic. It was also the time that women rose up, and started fighting for equal rights, and it was also the time of great change, with Martin Luther King fighting for 'black rights' and feminism, as well as JFK and many other things. Mad Mens audience will also be interested in the style of the 60s, as the style is coming back into fashion.
Mad Men could also be critically analysed along the lines of Propps theory. Propp theorised that there are certain roles in films and programmes - there's the hero, the villain, the femme fatale etc. Don Draper, portrayed by John Hamm, is certainly the hero majority of the time. Especially in the episode i am referring to - episode 11, season 5, The Other Woman. Draper is portrayed as chivalrous and heroic when he tried to persuade Joan not to go through with her plans with the Jaguar dealership. By trying to stop Joan from selling herself, Draper comes across as respectable and a gentleman. But when his wife, Megan, goes for an acting job that involved travelling for long periods of time, he becomes very much a dominant male, and tries to throw his weight around. Draper also comes across as respectable when he trusts Peggy to land a deal with a company for him. Although Peggy is a very important part of Drapers company and his life, he takes her for granted and treats her terribly. When Peggy stands up for herself about the campaign she landed, and why she can't help with the Jaguar campaign that Draper throws money at her. This belittles Peggy and makes her feel unappreciated and taken for granted and so she takes an offer of another job at a rival company. It is when Megan stands up to Draper, and when we find that Joan has already gone through with her plans and when Peggy leaves the company that it is clear that women are gaining strength, and rising up, becoming feminists. This rise in 'girl power' will attract a female audience in the way that they will like to feel empowered and they will appreciate watching how feminism came about as they are the product of feminist campaigns and equal rights. Men will be interested in Mad Men because the women are all very attractive and strong and dress to their advantage, they look appealing and nice at all times and they will like to look at them. Men will also want to be Don Draper, in the way that he is strong and powerful and successful.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Explore the impact of digital technology on your selected industry. [30]
Lady Gaga was the most viewed artist on YouTube until Justin Bieber took over.
Lady Gaga is also the most downloaded artist in the world.
She calls her fans her Little Monsters and interacts with them on Twitter on a regular basis.
Her most viewed video is Bad Romance with nearly 510 million views.
Her debut album, The Fame, was released in 2008, with 14 songs on it and 5 singles to be released - one of which was released before the album.
Just Dance was released before the album to raise awareness of her debut and to market and build a fan base for her. The video was released virally on YouTube and has obtained 156 million views. This was her cheapest video.
The game title Just Dance was derived from Gaga's Just Dance, however, none of Gaga's songs are in any of the games.
Google did an interview with Gaga called 'Google Goes Gaga'.
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Radiohead released an album called In Rainbows in 2007 and they stated that fans could pay whatever they wanted - some paid nothing, some paid £20, this album was only for download until they brought a CD out later on.
Radiohead released King of Limbs in 2011, 20 years after Nirvana's Nevermind. They released King of Limbs a day early on February 18th as a download only, at a set price of £6.
King of Limbs was later brought out on CD, and then a special edition where they sold posters, miniature artwork, vinyl, CD and download.
Radiohead released King of Limbs without a recording label and proved that you don't need a label to make it.
They released the video for Lotus Flower a week prior to the release of the album, on their YouTube channel and website. This meant that their viral fans would see their song and then realise an album is due.
The video for Lotus Flower was directed by Gareth Jennings, and was the only video they have done for any songs on the album.
Gareth Jennings directed Son of Rambo and also directed videos for Sound Garden and many others.
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Nirvana was a Grunge band from the 90's.
They released Bleach in 1989 under the record label that was Sub Pop. Due to the time that this album was released, downloads were not available - therefore there was no technological interaction.
They later released Nevermind under DGC in 1991.
This album was also not available for download until about 10 years later.
Since then, Nevermind has been re-released on it's 20th anniversary, re-packed and re-mastered on CD, vinyl and download.
_______________________________________________________________
Technology has had a positive impact on Lady Gaga in the way that she reaches most of her fans and she markets herself with a strong use of technology. Gaga maintains a strong and loyal relationship with her fans, which she calls her 'Little Monsters'. She feels strongly about fans and she feels as though without fans, she'd have not made it as far as she has. She was the most followed person on Twitter until Justin Bieber took over. Lady Gaga also manages to maintain a strong bond with her fans by making lots of television appearances and addressing her fans in the audience directly. When Google did an interview with her, she walked on stage and someone shouted that they loved her, she said she loved them back. This is the kind of relationship she likes to have with her fans which is rare as many other stars are very cold towards their fans.
Lady Gaga is also the most downloaded artist in the world.
She calls her fans her Little Monsters and interacts with them on Twitter on a regular basis.
Her most viewed video is Bad Romance with nearly 510 million views.
Her debut album, The Fame, was released in 2008, with 14 songs on it and 5 singles to be released - one of which was released before the album.
Just Dance was released before the album to raise awareness of her debut and to market and build a fan base for her. The video was released virally on YouTube and has obtained 156 million views. This was her cheapest video.
The game title Just Dance was derived from Gaga's Just Dance, however, none of Gaga's songs are in any of the games.
Google did an interview with Gaga called 'Google Goes Gaga'.
_______________________________________________________________
Radiohead released an album called In Rainbows in 2007 and they stated that fans could pay whatever they wanted - some paid nothing, some paid £20, this album was only for download until they brought a CD out later on.
Radiohead released King of Limbs in 2011, 20 years after Nirvana's Nevermind. They released King of Limbs a day early on February 18th as a download only, at a set price of £6.
King of Limbs was later brought out on CD, and then a special edition where they sold posters, miniature artwork, vinyl, CD and download.
Radiohead released King of Limbs without a recording label and proved that you don't need a label to make it.
They released the video for Lotus Flower a week prior to the release of the album, on their YouTube channel and website. This meant that their viral fans would see their song and then realise an album is due.
The video for Lotus Flower was directed by Gareth Jennings, and was the only video they have done for any songs on the album.
Gareth Jennings directed Son of Rambo and also directed videos for Sound Garden and many others.
_______________________________________________________________
Nirvana was a Grunge band from the 90's.
They released Bleach in 1989 under the record label that was Sub Pop. Due to the time that this album was released, downloads were not available - therefore there was no technological interaction.
They later released Nevermind under DGC in 1991.
This album was also not available for download until about 10 years later.
Since then, Nevermind has been re-released on it's 20th anniversary, re-packed and re-mastered on CD, vinyl and download.
_______________________________________________________________
Technology has had a positive impact on Lady Gaga in the way that she reaches most of her fans and she markets herself with a strong use of technology. Gaga maintains a strong and loyal relationship with her fans, which she calls her 'Little Monsters'. She feels strongly about fans and she feels as though without fans, she'd have not made it as far as she has. She was the most followed person on Twitter until Justin Bieber took over. Lady Gaga also manages to maintain a strong bond with her fans by making lots of television appearances and addressing her fans in the audience directly. When Google did an interview with her, she walked on stage and someone shouted that they loved her, she said she loved them back. This is the kind of relationship she likes to have with her fans which is rare as many other stars are very cold towards their fans.
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