This blog page is where I will summarize about what I learned in Media Studies class with Mr. Nick.
Term 1
Genre ⋆｡°✩
Definition of Genre
Genre is a way of categorizing media. This includes movies, songs, art, etc. For example, in movies, genres include action, comedy, romance, sci-fi and many more. In songs, genres include rock, classical or pop. Genre helps people know what to expect.
Definition of Genre Convention
Genre conventions are features that show up in a specific genre. For example, in horror movies, you often see jump scares and hear creepy music. Whereas in romance movies, you'd usually see couples being in love.
Long Legs by Osgood Perkins
This movie has a hybrid genre, that being a combination of horror, thriller, crime fiction and mystery. The genre conventions are as the following:
Setting
- An eerie looking, secluded white house in the middle of a forest, surrounded by tall trees with no one else around.
- A mysterious FBI hideout decorated by dim lightings with no one else other than the main characters in sight.
- The antagonist’s gloomy secret hideout under the protagonist's house that nobody else knows about except the protagonist's mom
- FBI special agent (Lee Harker)
- Lee's single mom (Ruth Harker)
- Serial killer, also satan worshipper (Long Legs)
- FBI leader (Agent Carter), etc
- Scary music
- Loud sound effects for jump scare
- Creepy singing
- Screaming, etc
- Murder
- Case investigations, etc
This movie does a great job appealing avid horror enjoyers who are looking for a unique plot, because it is different from typical horror movies with predicted story plots. You really can't predict what's about to happen next with this movie. I highly recommend it!
Mr. Nick also gave us a link to a YouTube video about genre that we can learn from:
Camera ᯓ★
In this lesson, we studied about how important camera work is in media. Camera work is important because it helps tell the story without words. In movies, they are very careful and precise about their camera work, because it will greatly affect how the audience feels and helps them understand what is happening.
Different camera angles
Here are the different types of camera angles. Each camera angles has their own effect towards the audience:
- Long shot: shows the entire scene from a distance. Often used to show a character in a big setting, or to show multiple things happening at once
- Extreme long shot: shows an extremely wide shot of a large area, e.g. a city. Often used to show how big a place is
- Medium shot: shows a person from the waist up. Often used to focus on a character's action and expression
- Cowboy shot: shows a person from mid-thigh up. Often used in American or old Western movies to show cowboys
- Close up: shows a specific detail very closely. Often used to highlight emotions or important details
- Extreme close up: shows a small detail very closely, e.g a person's eye or mouth
- POV: shows what a character is looking at. Often used to help the audience understand things from the character's perspective
- Over the shoulder: shows a character from the back (shoulder and head) and another character in front of them. Often used to show two characters interacting with each other
- High angle: shows something from a high angle, as if it's looking down on them. Often used to make the character seem smaller or weaker
- Low angle: shows something from a low angle, as if it's looking up on them. Often used to make the character seem stronger and intimidating
- Dutch angle: shows a tilted landscape, so the scene look slightly slanted. Often used to make the audience feel uneasy
- Establishing shot: shows a wide or long shot, usually at the start of a movie. Often used to show the audience where the story is taking place
After learning about all 12 camera angles, we were all given a task as a group of two to draw and describe a camera angle that we were assigned to:
Me and my teammate, Lamiya, made our own on over the shoulder shot.
Mr. Nick also gave us a Youtube video about camera angles that we can study from:
Different camera movements
Mr. Nick also taught us about different camera movements used in media. Camera movements make scenes look more interesting:
Storyboard ͙͘͡★
Mr. Nick gave us a lesson on storyboards as well. He said that this will be needed for our tourism ad project.
Storyboards are visual plans that will help us organize how our advertisement will look. Mr. Nick made us practice on making storyboards in class based on a short clip. Here's an example of a great storyboard that I found on the internet:
Sound ⋆.˚𖦹⋆✮⋆.˚
We also learned about the importance of sound as well as their types. Sound is important because it adds emotion to the scene. For example, when a movie shows a scene of someone crying, it will be accompanied by melancholic or depressing music.
Other than music, sound also includes sound effects. Sound effects can make a scene look more realistic. For example, in fight scenes, dramatic sound effects are usually added after every action (punching, hitting, kicking, etc) to add more tension.
Here are the different types of sounds and their effects:
Non-diegetic tones
Additionally, non-diegetic sounds are broken down into three other categories:
Mise-en-scene ‧₊˚✩彡
Mise-en-scene refers to the arrangement and design of visual elements within a frame or a scene. It is important because it involves everything you see in a scene. A good mise-en-scene are able to give the audience clues about the character and their backstory. For example, characters who carry guns and are dressed in a police attire can easily be distinguished as a police officer.
This is what's included in mise-en-scene:
Mr. Nick also made us practice drawing a scene and then highlighting the mise-en-scene in the scene. I wasn't there because I was sick, but here's an example of what my classmates did in class:
Mr. Nick also gave my classmates another class activity, where they had to label the mise-en-scene of different paper cutouts and explain the feelings each category creates:
Lastly, Mr. Nick gave us a link to a YouTube video about mise-en-scene that we can use to learn from:
Edit ⋆⭒˚.⋆
We also had a class about editing. However, I wasn't present throughout the whole lesson because I had to leave early. This summary will be based on Mr. Nick's presentation and what my friends told me.
Editing is the process of selecting, arranging and manipulating footage to create a cohesive and engaging story. It is important to movie makers because it helps control the pacing and the mood that they're trying to aim for.
Here are two types of takes and their effects:
Other than that, there are two types of editing, which are continuity and non-continuity editing:
Continuity editing
- Straight cut: a simple transition where one shot immediately changes to the next without any special effects used
- Eye line match: when a shot shows a character looking at something, and the next shot shows what they are looking at
- Shot/reverse shot: when it shows a character looking at something or someone, and then the shot after that shows what they are looking at. Often used in conversations
- Cutaway/insert: a shot that shows something related to the main action, like a closeup of something. Often used to highlight something important or to add information
Non-continuity editing
- Cross cut (parallel cut): when two or more scenes are happening at the same time but in different locations. Often used to add tension
- Flash back: when a scene jumps back into the past to show what happens then. Often used to add background information
- Flash forward: when a scene jumps into the future to show what's gonna happen. Often used to create suspense
- Jump cut: a sudden change between two shots of the same scene. Often used to create a dramatic effect
Last but not least, my classmates told me that Mr. Nick told them to do a practice on making our own timeline edit.
Here is an example of one of it made by my classmates:
Making this blog page definitely helps me keep in track of what I've learned from every media class I have with Mr. Nick. A lot of these lessons are very useful to me, because I can apply most of these into my first tourism ad project. Additionally, I can also start applying the knowledge I've gained from these lessons into my daily life, for example when I'm watching movies at home or at the cinema. I will continue updating this blog page for future lessons.
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Term 2
Genre theories✧˚.⋆𖧧
Steve Neale
A text must be SIMILAR enough to be recognised as a particular genre. But it must also be DIFFERENT enough to be new and exciting.
Because:
- It provides the audience with expectations
- It provides the writer/director with a blueprint
- It provides distributors with a target audience
This gives the audience variety to enjoy, also it diversifies the financial risk for the production company.
Let's take the Batman franchise as an example. Both of these shows are about Batman, but portrayed in different ways. In the original Batman (mostly targeted towards older audiences) the themes are serious and explicit: murder, crime, death, etc. On the other hand, Batwheels are targeted towards younger audiences who are familiar with Batman and his friends. The characters are portrayed in different ways (using super cars). This way, they made it unique and different enough to attract a wider range of audience.
David Buckingham
David Buckingham’s theory says that genres change over time; they are not always the same. He thinks that genres are influenced by the audience, creators, and society. As things like culture and technology change, genres change too, to keep people interested. So, genres like horror or comedy may look different as people’s tastes and interests change.
We can use the Spiderman franchise as an example. As we can see in Spiderman 2004, Tobey Maguire as Spiderman is seen wearing a simple, fabric suit, almost like normal everyday clothes. On the other hand, Tom Holland in Spiderman 2022 is seen wearing an incredibly high tech suit. His suit is obviously better than Tobey Maguire's, as it possesses incredible features, such as: spider legs, can be tough and act as an armor,
Narrative theories*❆ ₊⋆
Binary opposites
The 5 narrative codes
A code is an aspect of a text from which the audience can derive meaning. We can do this through decoding or deconstructing the text. Here are the 5 narrative codes:
Hermeneutic codes
Hermeneutic codes are clues or mysteries in a story that make the audience curious and keep them watching. These codes raise questions, like “Who did it?” or “What will happen next?” By revealing answers slowly, they build suspense and keep the audience engaged. In the poster above, people might think about several questions that the movie might slowly answer as the audience watches. The explosions and planes crashing helps the audience predict that a war/fight might happen.
Proairetic codes
Proairetic codes are clues in a story that create suspense and make the audience curious about what will happen next. They are usually small actions or events, like a character hearing a strange noise or reaching for a weapon. These moments keep the audience interested by hinting that something important is about to happen, building tension and moving the story forward.
Semantic codes
Semantic codes are hints that help us understand what’s happening in a scene. These hints can be things like colors, symbols, or objects. For example, a red rose might show love, or dark lighting might show danger. Semantic codes give extra meaning, helping the audience feel or understand things without being told directly.
Symbolic codes
Symbolic codes are simple things that stand for bigger ideas. For example, in the picture above, the red light saber indicates that the character holding it is evil and strong. These things help the audience understand the story better without using words.
Cultural codes
Cultural codes in media are signs or symbols that show ideas or beliefs in a culture. These can be things like clothes, music, colors, or how people act, which help explain a story. For example, in the picture above, we can see Islamic symbols mixed in with fonts that look similar to the Arabic letters. This indicates that the picture is leaning to the Islamic culture. These codes help the audience understand what’s happening based on what people know from their culture.
Stages of media texts‧₊˚𖤣 𖥧‧₊⚘ ❀༉˚.
Production
The production stage in media texts is when ideas are turned into actual recordings. It includes filming scenes, recording sound, setting up lights, and creating sets and costumes. The director leads the actors and plans each shot to bring the project to life. Here are some examples of media production companies:
Distribution
The distribution stage in media is when the finished product, like a movie or show, is shared with the audience. This includes deciding where to release it, like in theaters, on TV, or online, and promoting it so people know to watch. Simply put, distribution is about getting the media to viewers. Here are some examples of distribution companies:
Exhibition
The exhibition stage in media is when the audience finally watches or views the finished product, like a movie, show, or ad. This happens in places like cinemas, on TV, or through streaming services or platform. Exhibition is all about showing the media to the public. Here are some examples of exhibition companies:
During this lesson, we also had a debate about which and why each stages of production are the most important and crucial. I was in the production team and I'm happy I was, because I personally think that production is the most important stage.
Practice
Media consolidation࿐ྀུ ❀ꦿ֗
Definition
Media consolidation is the concentration of ownership of our media sources (news, film, TV, radio, video games etc) into the hands of fewer and fewer corporations. It is also when big media companies buy smaller ones, so a few large companies control most of what people watch, read, or listen to. This means a small number of companies have more control over what media people see.
Theory: Curran & Seaton
The Curran & Seaton theory says that some of the big companies control most of the media, which affects what people see, hear, and read. These companies focus more on making money than giving different opinions or information. The theory shows that big companies have the power to affect and change what people think.
Example
Here are some examples of media consolidation by different companies in different aspects. In the example above, we can see that Disney owns a lot of companies, even video game and printing companies.
Advantages & disadvantages
There are advantages & disadvantages for both the audience and the company. To the audience, it's all about the service they receive. To the company, it's all about the profit they gain.
Media funding⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹
How is content influenced by the ownership/funding of a media company?
This is a practice we did as a class in our joint classroom notes. We were told to answer this exam question. To answer this question, Mr. Nick advised us to use "Bluey" as a reference to our answer, because we have just learned about the show in class.
Marvel Comics
This is an example of how media ownership can affect how media is distributed. Ever since Disney took ownership of Marvel Comics, some aspects of the comics have been changed to appear more family friendly. These aspects include: violence, alcoholism, sexualization, etc. In order for their younger audiences to be able to read the Marvel Comics, numbers of inappropriate factors need to be altered.
Deadpool
Deadpool is also a similar case. Due to it being heavily violent, Disney would have to put effort into altering some aspects of the franchise to make it more appropriate to younger audiences.
Vertical integration⋆˚✿˖°✧˖
As explained in the picture above, vertical integration is when a company owns more than one stage of the media chain. Let's use the Deadpool & Wolverine franchise again as an example. The franchise was produced both by Marvel Studios and 21st Century Fox, indicating their collaboration. Disney then distributed the franchise themselves, and later exhibited as well through their own platform (Disney+) and the cinemas.
Advantages
In the world of media ownership, bigger is always better. To what extent is this true in the media area you have studied?
We also practiced answering an exam question in our joint classroom notes. Mr. Nick told us to follow a certain structure in order to get full points. We also helped each other improve by checking each others' work at the end of the lesson using highlights for different informations.
Horizontal integration❁༺ ˎˊ-
As the picture states, horizontal integration is when a company owns more than one stage within the same level. Let's take Warner Bros. Discovery as an example. They produce different content with the different companies they own. They create games, comics, animated shows, etc.
Example
Advantages
Just like vertical integration, horizontal integration also has many benefits to both the company and the audience. For the company, it's all about allowing them to make more unique/interesting content. For the audience, it's all about how entertaining the contents are and how it can get more interesting in the future as they expect for more.
Classroom notes
This is another practice that we did in our joint classroom notes. As a group, we were told to select a property and list down the different media texts that they have. We chose the Black Widow from Marvel as our property.
Synergy⋆˚✿˖° 𐙚
Definition
In media, synergy means that different parts of a company work together to make a bigger impact than they could alone. For example, a movie company, a music label, and a toy company might team up to promote a movie, so they all reach more people and become more successful together.
Synergy in James Bond
Cross media convergence is when different kinds of media (like movies, music, and games) work together to promote one product. For example, a movie might also have a video game, songs, and social media posts, all helping to reach more people and make the product more popular.
Let's take James Bond as an example. As we can see on the picture above, James Bond was marketed in many ways. You can even see him pasted on a random bus, allowing a large amount of people in the streets to notice him. This was done to attract peoples' attention and let them know about the existence of the media. They also have official social media accounts for James Bond on different platforms, such as their own Instagram, Twitter, website, etc.
Synergetic relationships with other brands
Heineken partnered up with James Bond in order to be featured in the movie. This is a form of synergetic relationship as Heineken has the chance to become more popular when associated with a well-known character that a lot of people look up to. It's also good to the James Bond company because they earn a lot of money for agreeing to these partnerships. Due to this, they can be featured in more markets in the future.
Synergy with other media
Advantages of synergy
This is a table showing the advantages of synergy for James Bond and the companies collaborating with them. In conclusion, synergy is good for the James Bond company because it increases awareness and helps make the franchise more widely known. For other companies, they get to make use of the characters from James Bond to promote more of their products.
Classroom notes practice
Reflection໒꒱ ‧₊˚
This blog was so time consuming. Thank god Mr. Nick told us it's okay to continue the theories on industry next term. I managed to finish the genre theories, guided by his classroom presentation. Overall, I'm proud of my layout and the hard work I put into this blog.
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