Change of Exam Board

I have now changed from OCR to WJEC exam boards for AS Media Studies.

Media Ownership questions

1. What is horizontal and vertical integration in the media industry and can you provide an example?

Definition of 'Vertical integration' - When a company expands its business into areas that are at different points on the same production path, such as when a manufacturer owns its supplier and/or distributor. Vertical integration can help companies reduce costs and improve efficiency by decreasing transportation expenses and reducing turnaround time, among other advantages. However, sometimes it is more effective for a company to rely on the expertise and economies of scale of other vendors rather than be vertically integrated.

Examples of vertical integration include:

- A mortgage company that both originates and services mortgages, meaning that it both lends money to homeowners and collects their monthly payments.

- A solar power company that produces photovoltaic products and also manufacturers the cells, wafers and modules to create those products would be considered vertically integrated.

- The merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster created a vertically integrated entertainment company that manages and represents artists, produces shows and sells event tickets.


Definition of 'horizontal integration' - The acquisition of additional business activities that are at the same level of the value chain in similar or different industries. This can be achieved by internal or external expansion. Because the different firms are involved in the same stage of production, horizontal integration allows them to share resources at that level. If the products offered by the companies are the same or similar, it is a merger of competitors. If all of the producers of a particular good or service in a given market were to merge, it would result in the creation of a monopoly. Also called lateral integration.

Example of 'Horizontal integration' - Disney, which creates movies and television shows, uses the characters to create toys and market other products to kids, etc. would be an example of horizontal integration. However they do not own the institution that manufactures the toys etc.

2. What does Melody (1978) believe happens to the 'Media market'?
According to William Melody, the biggest threat to freedom of expression in the United States or elsewhere is the possibility that private entrepreneurs will always tend to monopolise the marketplace conditions or circumstances, access to the marketplace of ideas is restricted to a privileged few. 

3. What does Newman (1991) believe happens to media content? Why is this a problem for the audience? 
Media content will come standardised and uniform in content, this is a problem for audiences because they get boring and repetetive films and advertisement.

4. What does Sterling think about the level of research?
He believes that there is suprisingly little research has been done, only marginally more than we could draw on 20 years ago. He argues that too much is assumed or anecdotal, merely suggesting results from ownership changes.

5. What does the media reproduce according to Gomery (2000)?
The mass media is crucial for the creation of of reliable information, knowledge, ideology and propoganda in contemporary Capitalist societies.

6. The media industry and corporate power from a powerful cartel. What does it do to local cultures (Meier)?

7. How media corporations influenced the law? What impact does this have on new buissness entering the market?

big media corporations have been able to manipulated the law so that they can control more companies hich restricts the market place and limits audience enjoyment

8. What threat does convergence pose to media ownership?
cross media laws have been relaxed which means that a film company can buy a video game company which means that less companies can get into the industry

9. what does the FCC believe about programme diversity? 



   

Opening sequence to Anna Karenina

The opening sequence of Anna Kareninare resembles a live play set in a theatre. When the sequence begins, the audience feel like they are about to see a recorded live performance. This makes the sequnce seem more rustic, like 18th Century Russia, and makes the audience almost believe that the sequence will contain more emotion as it is theatrical. This traditional like set and costumes make it lappear it is set in 18th Century Russia. The music throughout the opening sequence is traditional to the era and up beat which makes the audience feel safe and that thre are no shocks coming. As the scene progresses, the music changes key, this change, alteres the feeling of secuirty and lets the audience know that there is a mystery between the characters. in the secene where the man is getting a shave, of the scene raises and puts the audience on edge, this too removes the feeling of security and instead makes the audience worry for the man and the razor shaves him out of shot. The volume of the music increases and the camera shot go from mid to close up shots, allowing the audience to see the emotion on characters faces, like they would in a real theatre. As the opening sequence finishes, a sillouette of a mother and son behind a sheets is shown, this is a common convention in many films and connotes that they are keeping a scret or hiding. For example, in childrens films, 'building a fort' is often shown like this to represent that the characters are in private.After this scene, a match cut of a toy train, transitions to become a real train to reoresent the journey of the characters.

Representation and 'The male gaze'

The male gaze
The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man. It may linger over the curves of a woman's body, for instance. The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: as an erotic object for both the characters within the film, as well as the spectator who is watching the film. The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. This adds an element of patriarchal order and it is often seen in "illusionistic narrative film".

I have also embedded this slideshare that i found online. It is not mine and i did not make it. It is just a secondary source of information on the male gaze.

The Male Gaze Laura Mulvey from Mr Smith

Reresentation

Defenition - is the construction in any medium of aspects of reality such as people or places. These representations may be in speech or writing as well as still and moving pictures.

Representation in the media may be bias, especially in  soaps or entertainment as they are directed at a certain audience with a specific purpose.

 

 Media institutions such as the press, represent youth culture in a very negative way because it is  more appealing and striking to and audience to see negative language and representation than to see a group represented positively.

Audience

When looking at UK cinema audiences there is a clear decline in the number of 15-24 years olds since 1997, when it was 43% of 15-24 year olds attending annually, to 31% in 2011. The figure of 25-34 year olds fell from 29% in 1997 to 18% in 2008, but has risen to 21% in 2011. A similar pattern has occurred with 35-44 year olds, rising from 14% in 1997 to 20% in 2001 and 2002 and dipping again until 2011 where it is at 20%. the age range of 45+ in 1997 was 14% attendance, like 35-44, however it gradually rose and fell until resting at 28% in 2011, surprisingly close to the age range of 15-24 year old at 31% in 2011.


From this graph we can conclude that cinema attendance in 15-34 year old has fell significantly since 1997 and 35-45+ has risen by at least 6%.

The social class of the audience for a certain film depends highly on the social class of the film. A more sophisticated film such as "The King's Speech" attracted a 47% AB class group because of its more formal nature and the complexity of its lexis and semantics of the script. Also its purpose was to inform and entertain whereas a less sophisticated film such as "Johnny English Reborn" which purpose it to purely entertain as a comedy and has less mature humour and attracted a 28% DE class group.

How have audiences been constructed for three films?

Finally, I will be analysing how the audience of three recently released film was constructed; these films will be, 1. The Dark Knight Rises, 2. Life of Pi and 3. Les Miserables.

1. The Dark Knight Rises;  

Age - I assumed that the age range for this film would be very wide in range because of the history that Batman has, going back into the 1940's and early television series, an older generation may want to see the latest film as well as the 15-24 year audience that will view the film.

Gender - I assumed that the audience for this film would be predominantly male as most action/thriller films, however there is a smaller, female audience with couples or genuine fans.

NRS Social Grade - I assume that the social grading of this film is quite diverse because the two extremes of society are shown. On one hand, the rich and powerful are shown as evil, which would attract a DE group, but on the other, the poor are also portrayed as evil which may attract an AB group.

Characteristics and Values - The audience to The Dark Knight Rises are probably working to middle class and so I would assume that their characteristics are that of the contemporary person in western society, such as working full or part time and living in a suburb. Their values would also be typical of western society such as wanting to make a family and have a house.

1. Life of Pi;

Age - I feel that this film is aimed at an audience of an age range between 15 to 24 years old because although it has conventions of a typical fantasy adventure type film, such as the colorful animals and fictitious landscapes, it has a deeper meaning to do with religion which would be difficult for anyone of an immature age to comprehend.

Gender -  I believe this film to be suitable for an audience of males and female because it has action and adventure conventions for attracting typically male audiences, but it also has a side to the film that could attract a typical female audience with its side story of love and the links to religion and sensitivity.

NRS Social Grade - I assume that the social grading of the audience to this film would be of a DE social grade because the characters portrayed in this film are seen as poor and dependent on richer people that themselves. It could also attract a higher social class such as an AB because of the religious connotations shown in this film.

Characteristics and Values - 

Convergence

Convergence is when film producers use other types of media such as websites, 

On the hobbit website, convergence has been used to attract potential and previous viewers, with a recognisable aspect/scene of the film. In this instance, it is the scene where Bilbo and Gollum exchange riddles with each other. 

Another example of convergence of this film, is the hyperlink that leads you to either a game, a recipe section, or a 'make-your-own-poster' section.

This type of convergence allows people who are interested The Hobbit to get more involved in the film and will attract more attention to the film.

Another example of convergence is the ability to share the content of a film website such as The Hobbit on social networking sites. This action is a form of 'word-of-mouth' but more virtual and online so is easier to access and more viewed on sites such as Facebook and twitter.

Sound presentation