Creating a Question Paper

Compare the ideologies conveyed through the representation in the Daily Mirror and the Times (front page)

Potential Answers:
The Daily Mirror
 - the statue is seen to be weeping into her hands which creates meaning for the audience and is intended to be read as connoting despair.
- the background of the image contains dark clouds which can be interpreted as foreshadowing future events
- the front page of the DM has juxtaposed the image with the bold headline "what have they done?" which positions the American voters as to blame for Trump's victory. The bold headline at the top of the page "It's President Trump..." with the use of ellipsis again suggests foreshadowing.
- this article likens the US election outcome to Brexit by highlighting immigration concerns and loss of jobs as central to voters' decision to vote for Trump.
- the use of American iconography throughout the front page and the colours of the American flag in the article will have immediate cultural significance for the reader who will be able to create meaning in the associations they have with these signs.
- the use of the pronoun 'they' in the front-page headline "What have they done?" creates an immediate binary opposition of 'us and them' and lays balme on the American people for Trump's win and creates the suggestion that this has a global impact and therefore particular ideological significance.

The Times
- Trump and Mike Pence are positioned in a medium close up shot on either side of the frame with Trump in the foreground.
- their code of dress connotes a business approach with both men dressed in black suits but wearing a red and blue tie which reflects American iconography.
- the body language of the two men demonstrates an emotive response with Pence applauding Trump and the president clenching his right fist in celebration.
- the use of the headline 'The New World' positioned over Trump's jacket invites readers to question what the impact of Trump's presidency may be, which is reiterated through the use of the subheading "Donald Trump sends shock waves around the Globe". His body language suggests determination and jubilation. This statement is powerful but maintains a neutral approach which encourages readers to establish their own viewpoint. The use of a quote by Trump on the back page again suggests a neutral stance but could be interpreted as offering as offering readers an insight into Trump's characters and need for acceptance.

Media Language and Representation - The Sun Newspaper

The main image is of Putin who is shirtless, wearing a crucifix chain and a builders tool belt. This creates stereotypes of a European builder who are considered cold, confrontational and aggressive. This is supported by Putin's facial expression where he is sternly looking straight at the reader and stress lines run straight across his forehead. We can see anchorage between the main image and headline which states "Come 'N have a go if EU think you're hard enough" this supporting the idea of Putin being portrayed as confrontational as this is supposed to seem a quote from him which is a play on words of a classic aggressive challenge, associating with his common field as a politician. The play on words from you to EU is a direct relation to politics as Putin(The Russian President) is challenging the European Union and further anchorage is displayed here as we can see the background is the EU flag. The stand verse "Putin squares up over Crimea" is further anchorage to the idea of Putin being confrontational as squaring up is a common term for confronting someone and this can be seen further by the square body language of Putin, with his arms at a right angle. The conventions of the newspaper front page work in a relay to strongly portray the idea that Putin is a bully. The preview of the article then states that as he is described as macho and it tells how he tried to justify an invasion of Ukraine territory. A caption beneath the headline says "Russian bare Putin..." which is a pun on the fact that Putin is shirtless and that his large physique resembles a bear, a stereotypically aggressive and impulsive animal.

Comparison of The Sun and the Daily Mirror 

The main image of the The Sun newspaper shows Putin in an aggressive stance which gives the impression that he's not happy with the politics around the world which is evident through the headline "Come 'n have a go if eu think you're hard enough". Similarly, the Daily Mirror displays a fearful statue of liberty with her hands over her face to suggest she is ashamed of the political event (Trump's victory) that occurred. In The Sun newspaper the message conveyed is more suggesting they are ready for the issues that could be possibly occur whereas in the Daily Mirror newspaper there is more of a sense of panic and uncertainty. This is further emphasised through the headline "come 'n have a go if eu think you're hard enough" which can be interpreted as a pun as it shows that they are able to joke about the situation. In contrast the Daily Mirror headline conveys more of a complaint or a concerned statement. In addition to this the use of ellipsis conveys a level of uncertainty that they are unsure and aren't for what is to come. Both newspapers make reference to the EU, mostly due to it's high political standing. In the sun it bears the EU flag in the background behind Putin as it is 'the new team' that he is challenging and in the daily mirror on the first page the title states "America's Brexit". Both papers display a controversial view towards the EU. The Sun is questioning the strength of the EU whereas the Daily Mirror is suggesting that Britain's exit from the EU was a mistake by associating it with the election of Trump which they believe was a bad choice. 

Trump Documentary - Notes

BBC  One Nation Under Trump
"Make America Great Again"
Trump's Promises:
- 'education run by the locals'
- he called women he doesn't like 'fat pigs' & 'disgusting animals'
- repeal Obama's care
- wall in Mexico
- immigration laws
- he's going to make everything rich
He kept saying that America is losing at everything like trades etc. which correlates to his slogan. He wants America to be the best at everything socially, economically and politically.
He always talks about how bad America is and how he's going to make it great again. "What has our country come to?"
He 'bad mouths' the press
Wants to make America rich
Insults Cruz - candidate for President / his rival

Introduction to Newspapers

Tabloid and Broadsheet
- A tabloid is a newspaper with a page size smaller with more focus on topics like sport and TV. 'Soft news'
- A broadsheet is a new paper with a larger page size with more focus on topic like politics and education. 'Hard news'

The Sun - Tabloid
The Daily Mirror - Tabloid
The Daily Express - Tabloid
Daily Star - Tabloid
The Guardian - Broadsheet
The Daily Telegraph - Broadsheet
Morning Star - Tabloid
The Times - Broadsheet

Compare and contrast the front cover of a tabloid and broadsheet featuring the same event.
The image in the tabloid is bigger than the image used in the broadsheet and it uses a lot more of the front page. The headlines also have larger text in a tabloid compared to a broadsheet and the language  used to more over exaggerated.

Mid-market Newspapers
- draws an audience through the entertainment happening in the world.
The amount of text is minimal
The number of visuals is also minimal but the size of the image is relatively big
The tone in a mid-market newspaper is informal
The content and types of stories headlined are stories that have become popular in the media especially social media.
The language is also informal.

The reaction by the newspapers' about England's victory against Panama was all the same. They were all bias and the language used in the headlines was over exaggerated.

Newspaper Branding
How does the newspaper create brand identity?
In the Daily Mirror and The Times newspaper headlining the story about Theresa May. The Daily Mirror from their headline "How can we ever trust Mrs U-turn?" has a completely different view on Theresa May compared to the The Times whose headline was "Mainstream May reaches out to Labour heartlands". Daily Mirror is opposed to Theresa May and what she says and The Times is in support of Theresa May. The tone that the Daily Mail uses is quite negative but the tone The Times' uses is quite the opposite.

Media Language

Newspaper Conventions
Headlines
"So what the hell happens now?"
- the paper is questioning the politics of the prime minister based on Brexit.
- hyperbole
- curious
"Blood on his hands"
- murder/crime
- mystery
" World Cup of Fraud"
- about the World Cup/fraud

Vance Joy - Riptide - Representation of Gender

Instances when women are presented as 'objects'
There is evidence of voyeuristic treatment of the female body as in one shot a woman with her body to the camera undressing out of her swimming costume and there are a number of instances where we see disembodied, isolated sections of woman's bodies such as bare feet running away or feminine hands being dragged out of shot. This voyeuristic treatment supports Andrew Goodwin's theory that there is frequent reference to voyeuristic treatment of the female body. The video relates to the idea of the male gaze, which is a theory by Laura Mulvey. The male gaze is a concept of second wave feminists in which the camera are put into perspective of a heterosexual man, thus allowing for the objectification and the sexualisation of women. This is evident in the video as one of the female actresses fit the stereotypical view of beauty. Additionally, the lyric supports the visuals (Andrew Goodwin's theory) "I was scared of pretty girls". The music video doesn't challenge the sexuality of women in this industry. bell hooks' can be used as a stimulus to explore the seemingly contradictory messages about gender in the video. 

Lip-sync section of Riptide 
Throughout the music video, there is a repetitive scene which shows a woman performing. After every shot, the face and the scene created changes. We see her make up smudging across her face. Also, the lighting which is low key becomes dimmer after each scene. We can argue that after every shot the pressure builds up in her life or the stress in her life increases which is reinforced by the smudging of the make up on her face. Also, whatever she is going through probably has negative connotations because of the low key lighting. In the first shot, the woman is supporting social norms of beauty and glamour but after she challenges the gender norm after the first still shot because she's not viewed as an object in a western patriarchal society (Van Zoonen - feminist theory). In terms of the progression of the facial expression in the still shots, she becomes more and more distressed. The lip-synching woman also clothes at her own neck and we see what seems to be blood over her hand. 

What other representations of women are featured in the music video?
In the opening line of the music video "I was scared of dentists and the dark" there is a close up of a female looking scared with a metallic contraception in her mouth that suggests she is in a dentist's chair. 
In one shot a woman with her back to the camera undresses out of her swimming costume. The video supports the view of a patriarchal world and reinforces the stereotypical objectification of woman. 
Along with the representations of women the music video also present a number of scenes that offer images of violence, such as a female hand being stabbed by a knife and a gun being pointed off screen. 

Representation of Men
"I wanna be your left hand man" is a corruption of the well-known phrase "right hand man". While the right hand is considered more steady and dependable, the left hand is more a wild card that always keeps things exciting. This is also an allusion to marriage, as you wear your wedding ring on your left finger and hold your wife's left hand when walking down the aisle. The man clearly wants a closer connection with her. The visuals following the lyric "I wanna be your left hand man" as a whole come across as aggressive. In the first shot, the use of the whip pan emphasises his aggression towards the microphone. The shots showing the action of cutting, grabbing and holding a gun all relate to this idea of man dominating something. The shot with the female hand and the knife shows that the woman is self-harming herself. The male hand is different from the female hand because the male hand is dominating where as the female hand is being hurt and is not in the position to fight back so the hand is basically giving up. 

Vance Joy - Riptide - Montage

Riptide - Narrative Codes and Conventions

1. Are there any elements of coherence in the narrative? (Potential theories/ideas to use: Todorov and Postmodernism)
Todorov's narrative theory basically states that most story's or plot lines follow the same pattern or path. The music video does this in the chorus because there is a pattern of a women singing next to a standing microphone. After every chorus the performance with the lady progresses. This is the only part of the music video which is consistent. The rest of the music video is linked to the lyrics of the song. The music video for the most part rejects a clearly defined narrative. There are some coherent narrative structures but for the most part the sequences deliberately lack narrative coherence.

2. What 'message' does the video contains?
 The video can be interpreted according to social convention. One example being the pile of dollar bills which relates to the lyric "oh, all my friends are turning green". Barthes view that constructed meanings can come to seem self-evident through the connotations of the colour green in relations to money. This has achieved Barthes' status of myth through a process of naturalisation which might allow for complicated readings of the image.

3. The opening line "I was scared of dentists and the dark" is interpreted explicitly with a shot of a female looking "scared" with a metallic contraption in her mouth that suggests she is in a dentist's chair and followed by a shot of a light swinging in a darkened room.

4. "Oh, all my friends are turning green"
"I want to be your left hand man"
"I was scared of pretty girls"
"Running down to the riptide"

5. "Lady, running down to the riptide/taken away to the dark side". Both these lines are metaphors, that come together to imply one idea. A riptide is an offshore current that often traps beach goers and causes them to drown. The set of metaphors is telling us that the girl is starting to get herself into bad situations and embracing a new one.

6. The music video is presenting itself as a short film. The song is sending its listeners a message about the inevitability of a relationship, and how you cannot rely very much on an acquaintance that you have, as you will probably be let down and disappointed. It's saying that we shouldn't rely too much on something.

7. Feature films
Western films (cowboys)
Horror films
Baywatch - when the woman is turned away from the camera and is undressing.

Vance Joy Riptide - Postmodernism

To what extent could this music video be considered postmodern?

Vance Joy Riptide music video is a postmodern music video. There is an example of intertextuality in the music video. The mise-en-scene suggests the conventions of of a western film and also supports Barthes' referential code. There is a long shot of a desert-like setting and a cowboy wearing stereotypical costume associated with a cowboy for example a cowboy hat. Also, the use of the horror imagery deliberately positions the audience in a distressing situation. There is a close up of a woman being dragged out of bed. The woman looks very distressed (evident from her facial expression) as her eyes and mouth open extremely wide to emphasis the emotions she is feeling. Also, just before the scene finishes she reaches out to the camera to suggest that she's looking for help. Another example of a horror film convention is when the stereotypical attractive 'horror film' victim breaks free from being tied up to a tree. This connotes the event of a kidnapping or a violent threat. There is a medium shot showing the woman escaping from the rope. This event of a woman repeatedly being dragged off the screen by unseen forces and a character going missing in a dark graveyard. There is an example of voyeurism when there is medium shot showing a blonde woman removing a one-piece yellow swimsuit. There is also a slow zoom on to her naked back. This is also an example of intertextual reference to some of the early James Bond films and the film 'Baywatch'. It positions the audience in a voyeuristic perspective which forces the audience to consider Van Zoonen's notion of a male gaze.

Applying Goodwin's theory to Riptide

The first point made by Andrew Goodwin was that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. Vance Joy Riptide is under the genre of indie folk. Most indie folk music contains a frequent use of long shots which often show the artists performing in a concert or playing an instrument. This music video challenges this point because we never see the artist Vance Joy as an important character in the music video. Also, in most indie folk music video there are a lot of establishing shots showing scenery (an example being the country side). In this music video there are various establishing shots one being the establishing shot at the beginning of the music video showing a blue sky. The second part of Andrew Goodwin's theory is the fact that there is frequently reference to motion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. There is evidence of voyeuristic treatment of the female body as in one shot a woman with her body to the camera undressing out of her swimming costume and there are a number of instances where we see disembodied, isolated sections of woman's bodies such as bare feet running away or feminine hands being dragged out of shot. The third part of Andrew Goodwin's theory is that there is a relationship between music and the music/lyrics. This music video supports this point and is why this music video is so unique. Everything shown in the music video relates to the lyrics being sang. The opening line "I was scared of dentists and the dark" is interpreted explicitly with a shot of the female looking "scared" with a metallic contraception in her mouth that suggests she is in a dentist's chair and followed by a shot of a light swinging in a darkened room. The overt graphical representation of the lyrics is largely repeated throughout the video. The fourth part of the theory is that the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across the work. This part of Andrew Goodwin's theory is challenged by the music video as the artist Vance Joy is only shown in the music video a few times and when he is shown the shot used is a medium shot. The final part of the theory is that there is intertextual reference. This music video references feature films. The opening shot makes use of cinematic style credits about the music and is presented with a title at the bottom of the screen. This title is graphically similar to a "billing block" or "credit block" which is often seen on film posters or in trailers. The video also frequently references the western and thriller genres but most notably uses horror genre iconography. One example being females repeatedly being dragged off screen by unseen forces and a character going missing in a dark graveyard. 

Introduction to Vance Joy Riptide

Steve Neale's theory
- genre is dominated by repetition
- difference in a genre can evolve the genre

They contain live performances of the band
Concert performances
The band is usually performing in the music video
Instruments are a common prop used in Indie Folk genre music video
In some of the music video there is sometimes an emphasis on nature or the environment
These music videos are a mixture of narrative, concept and performance based.
Some videos don't include live performances which is example of how genres change and develop.
During some music videos like Bon Iver's Holocene the main character is a young child. This is done is some music videos.

Surrealism and Montage (Soviet)

Key elements of surrealism:
- unconscious mind
Freud
- dreams
- human emotion and desires
- inner worlds of sexulaity

How is sexuality a key part of surrealism?

Surrealism adopts the view that women are made to represent higher values and of objects of desire.

What is a montage (soviet)?

The term 'montage' is loosely used to mean any sequence which combines images in a way that doesn't depict continuous action. 'Soviet montage' was born out of both ideology and necessity. Montage = editing.
Montage: combining shots that are depictive -- single in meaning, neutral in content -- into intellectual contexts and series. - Eisensteins


What is the purpose of a montage?

Montages can be edited to a song also they use montages from several different episodes, or from different periods of a character's life, as a kind of shorthand. 'Rhythmic montage' - where shot durations become flexible and take account of movement within the frame. 'Tonal' montage - where the emotional content of the images are also taken into account. 'Overtone montage' - combines all of these kinds of montage techniques. 'Metric montage' - in which the duration of each shot was worked out according to strict mathematical ratios. 'Vertical montage' - refers to how different aspects of the content of images work in combination with the soundtrack.


What role does sequencing and juxtaposition play in montage?

Sequence of alternating shots create tension that produces emotional response in the audience. A filmmaker creates a rhythm in film through juxtaposition. Like Eisenstein he employed 'intellectual montage': in one sequence he compares commuters on an escalator to sausages being extruded from a machine.


What is intellectual montage?

Cutting according to the shots' relationship to an intellectual concept.


Exploring Surrealism with Peter Capaldi
- begain in 1924, Paris
- 'unconscious mind' - codes
- bring objects not really associated with each other together
- Freud


Eisensteins Methods of Montage
Explaned Russian Montage
- Metric montage is cutting according to exact measurement
- Rhythmic montage is cutting according to content of shots
- Tonal montage is cutting according to emotional "tone" of the shots.
- Overtone montage is cutting according to the main tone and the overtone of the shots.
- Intellectual is cutting according to intellectual concepts and ideas.


Montage Notes
- Sergei Eisenstein, famous for this theories of montage.
- Eisenstein takes this principle of alternating shots even further, bringing it to a sort of orgasmic conclusion.
- Djiga Vertov applied these principles to his films
- He had to stop his work due to the prevailing demands of the "social realism"
Tom Barrance Notes
The Rules of Continuity
- 180 degree rule, which states that the camera has to stay on one side of the main 'axis of action'
- looking space
- eye-line match
- 'editing on the action' so that action seems smooth and continuous
Montage
- Eisenstein was the great theorist of montage in books such as 'Film Form'
- He developed a hierarchy of montage that increases in sophistication.
- Vertov used montage to and depict reality in a transparent way, as an alternative to the illusion of reality created by the continuity system.

The History of Cutting - The Soviet Theory of Montage
 Lev Kuleshov Workshop
Kuleshov Effect
- facial expression (3 shots)
- progession of the characters emotion
The meaning of film was not only in spatial composition but in the arrangement of shots
Creative Geography
D.W. Griffith - developed continuity through practice, film as enhanced threater within real space and time.
Sergei Eisenstein - developed montage through theory, breaking confines of space and time to make film a unique language.
Thesis + Anti-thesis = Synthesis

Beyonce = Role Model

Beyonce is a Feminist Icon
Beyonce is a feminist icon and it is evident in not only Formation but also in her other music videos and her live performances. According to David Gauntlet's view on role model, Beyonce would fall under the 'challenging stereotypes' role model. The reason is because Beyonce goes against the idea of 'feminine' women. In the Formation music video in terms of body language, uses a lot of aggressive gestures when dancing. Also, there is a scene in front of the church where we see Beyonce positioned in the middle of two men and in front of them. This shows that instead of following the stereotype that women need men instead in this scene we see the men needing women.

Formation is groundbreaking
The political and social messages in Formation have made the music video extremely popular and very influential. The inter textual reference about Hurricane Katrina was a political message put forward by Beyonce. She emphasised the fact that there are still victims suffering from the hurricane. The reason why Formation was so groundbreaking was because of the historical parallels with references to racism and slavery.

Beyonce is a star
Beyonce is an extremely well acomplished, successful female artist. She has become a star through her many music videos which bring awareness to man popular political and social issues. There is evidence of Beyonce being a star as Formation was one of her most watched music videos and the most talked about at the time especially as it was released the day before Beyonce performed at the Super Bowl final.

What gender ideologies are evident in the music video of formation and what message is provided for the female audience?
Formation uses stereotypes such as sexualised images of black females that could be interpreted as positive (strong and empowering) or negative (objectified). The dance sections where she wears short/tight or revealing outfits as well as some of the sexualised lyrics.

How does the representation of Beyonce differ from other female music artists?
Beyonce differs from other female music artists because she is mainly represented as a person of strength and power. In the music video, Beyonce makes direct address to the audience by gazing directly at us, also she stands in a strong and powerful stance.

How is ethic stereotypes supported or challenged in Formation?
The music video challenges traditional inequalities of power by placing a black woman in a position of control. Antebellum dresses seem to reference slavery with stereotypical "pop" signifers such as tight fitting/revealing costume in some of the dance sections.

Beyonce Essay

Exam Feedback Sheets

Feedback sheets

Peer Writing Task - PDF

Compare and contrast the ways in which the music video uses codes and conventions to communicate the music genre and reflect social context from Ju-at-BSix

Compare the choices that have been made in the representation of ethnicity and region in the advert and the music video from Ju-at-BSix

Compare the choices that have been made in the representation of ethnicity in the film poster and the music video from Ju-at-BSix

Beyonce Debate

Beyonce - Context

Black feminism is a school of thought stating that sexism, class oppression, gender identity and racism are inextricably bound together

Intersectionality is a concept often used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another

Antebellum - occurring or existing before a particular war 

Black is beautiful is a cultural movement that was started in the US by the African Americans

Black Girl Magic is a concept and movement that was created in 2013

Dizzee Rascal 'Dream' - Editing

 1. The editing insert we see Dizzee Rascal sitting on the edge of the piano then cuts from Dizzee Rascal to two hooligans stealing a Tv this could suggest that its so regular he turns a blind eye to the crime and mischief that is happening this connotes black crime representation.

2. The editing technique used is action match and we see Dizzee Rascal rapping in his house or studio and a police man is outside knocking on the window. This is showing how black people feel when they are trying to get their point across as they constantly muted before they say anything.

BREAK DANCING SCREENSHOT.

3. The editing technique is Shot reverse shot as we see Dizzee Rascal and a person doing break dancing in the background and this is stereotypical of black people as this relates to Hall theory of Entertainment as this is what black people are idealized to.

Dizzee Rascal's Dream - Andrew Goodwin's theory

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

Dress codes
- red tracksuit with a 'hoodie' top and trainers.
Challenge authority reinforced by the lyrics "reckless with no shame".
Rebellious.
Youths are constructed as irresponsible e.g. skateboarding, graffiti, stealing a TV.
- the period setting of the sitting room is established through mise-en-scene of the striped wallpaper, coral curtains and grand piano, connoting a middle-class environment that contrasts dramatically with the contemporary setting of the narrative. The stereotypically socially deprived, inner-city environment is constructed though the set and props on the piano e.g. off licence building with graffiti.
Police officer - brutal e.g. beating up a youth.
Binary oppositions of: black vs white - hierarchies of power in society.

There is frequently reference to motion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body

Opposition - overcome it because they are now famous.
Police officers are looking at them.

There is a relationship between music and the visuals

Dizzee Rascal uses the microphone at the point where sings about discovering music and gaining air time. The microphone connotes power because his voice can be heard which signifies a move away from deprivation and rebellion towards achieving his dream and becoming a respected member of society.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lot's of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work

Dizzee Rascal performs and directly addresses the audience, also commenting on the narrative and actions of the puppet characters.
Dizzee Rascal performs of the piano and interacts with the puppets.

There is intertextual reference

References to 1950s children's television, use of direct address by the pianist, ironically position the audience as children being told a story.
- the use of this iconography of childhood establishes a sense that the video is a fable with a clear moral message. The iconography and the juxtaposition of the 1950s references, helps to distance the audience.
The puppet characters are interwoven into the narrative e.g. Muffin the Mule.
Captain Sensible, who recorded 'Happy Talk' in the 1980s, when Rascal says "This is too sensible for me, man" as he climbs out of the musical box.
- creates a sense of nostalgia and pleasure for viewers who recognise them.

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals

The pianist is singing lines from Happy Talk while directly addressing the audience.
The images are highly illustrative, often featuring a literal interpretation of the lyrics e.g. 'off licence', 'young baby mothers'. This adds to the sense that a vivid story is being told. 
Many of the images illustrate the lyrics but connote deeper meanings in relation to the more abstract notion of working to achieve a 'dream'.
He appears to be a stereotypical defiant youth who challenges authority at the beginning of the video, reinforced by the lyrics e.g. 'reckless with no shame'. 

Venn Diagram - Dizzee Rascal