Representation.

In the exam you could be asked to analyse the use of 'representation' on one of your media texts.

It is important to remember that representation mean to RE-PRESENT, that is, the media show us things as a version of the truth, they can never show the truth.

TASK 1 

On your blog select the 'characters' from your video and screen shot each main 'character'

TASK 2

Next you you need to decide what 'type' of character you have represented, generally there are just three 'types' as described below

Character Typing

There are three different kinds of character typing:

1    An archetype is a familiar character who has emerged from hundreds of years of fairytales and storytelling.

2    Stereotype is a character usually used in advertising and marking in order to sell a particular product to a certain group of people. They can also be used ‘negatively’ in the Media – such as ‘asylum seekers,’ or ‘hoodies’.

3    A generic type is a character familiar through use in a particular genre (type) of movie.

Explain which type of character(s) you have used and connect to existing texts (i.e. music videos or films)

TASK 3

Annotate you character screen shots with answers to the following questions (the codes referred to are narrative codes) 

Key Questions about Specific Representations:

1    What is being represented?

2    How is it represented? Using what codes? Within what genre?

3    How is the representation made to seem 'true', 'commonsense' or 'natural'?

4    Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect? How do you know?

5    At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know?

6    What does the representation mean to you? What does the representation mean to others? How do you account for the differences?

7    How do people make sense of it? According to what codes?

8    With what alternative representations could it be compared? How does it differ?

A reflexive consideration - Why is the concept of representation problematic?

POMO, plan for essay.

"Postmodern media manipulates time and space" to what extent does this definition apply to texts you have studied.

-Topic
-Viewpoint
-Instruction
-Aspect

5 paragraphs:
intro- what is POMO?
P1- film and how POMO? (Django)
P2- Music and how POMO? (Kanye)
P3- TV program and how POMO?
Conclusion- predict the future/sued for sampling (blurred lines)

P1:
Django references-

• Scrolling Mississippi text on screen, Pastiche, mocking the love film of how slavery really was like 'Gone with the wind' 1939 and how the owners of slaves were really like, having that very well know reference its obviously mocking the film and how it presents slavering compared to Django. From different genre of film and time era. (time, space)
• Franco Nero actor appearance, he was original Django from 1966, hes talking to him self effectively, paying homage to original Django film by having him appear, also inter textual reference of original film. From a different era. (time)
• Mr Ed the talking horse, Mr Ed's horse is based on the series about a talking horse called Mr Ed 1950s, homage. The genre for this series is very comical and silly conspired to Django the film. This an intertextual reference of another text from a different genre and time this an example of. (space and time)

(hierarchy of only paying homage to the low cultural films such as Mr Ed and common spaghetti western films)

P2:

Kanye West references-

• Mercy song, samples songs 'super beagle, Dust a sound boy' and 'reggie stepper, Cu-onnuh' example of bricolage different genre 'African reggae' of Kanye as well as different era (time and space). Paying homage as previously in other songs uses the genre of music, respectfully using this style of music. Reports show that Kanye produced this song, super beagle found his song and himself had renewed their fame thanks to kanyes sample in this song, bringing himself and this genre of music back into the current lime light.
• Bound 2 song, sampled by Brenda lee called 'sweet nothings' from 1959, bricolage a sample from a different era and genre, he uses a lot of older forgotten sounds to bring back current. (Time and space)
• Bound 2 song, Seth Rogen and James Franco created a Micky take version of the video to this song. Used pastiche to mock Kanyes music video, (time)

Essay:

Postmodernism is the rejection of modernism which offered truth, improvement, hierarchy and order. Postmodernism rejects grand narratives which are known as truths such as scientifically, religiously and politically. But industrialization created the possibility for postmodernism to exist because everything became identical, songs were copies of previous songs made and films were copies of movies already made before which created the loss of identity, simulacrum. 

An example of a post modern film is Django unchained which is a black spoliation, spaghetti western film released in 2012. The story is set in early winter and the following spring where the film follows Django, an African/American slave, and Dr. King Schultz, an English-speaking German bounty hunter pretending to be a traveling dentist. Schultz buys and then promises to free Django in exchange for his help in collecting a large bounty of three outlaws. Schultz then promises to teach Django bounty hunting, and split the bounties money with him, if Django assists him in hunting down other outlaws throughout the winter. Django agrees – on the condition that they also find and free his long-lost wife from her cruel plantation owner.

The film portrays many elements of post modernism and in relation to time and space. For example when the scrolling Mississippi text appears on screen with all the same elements from the film 'Gone with the wind' from 1939, this an inter-textual reference of that film done purposely by the director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino is mocking the film by having this appearing due to how 'gone with the wind' represents slavery in a completely different light to how it is portrayed in Django, pastiche. As this film is a historical romanced and made in 1939 this inter-textual reference is from a different genre and era to the Django film, therefore backs up that post modern media manipulates space and time as Tarantino has done this in Django as he has taken an element from a different film of a different older era and genre to the film.

Another example post modernism in Django is the Franco Nero appearance in the bar with Django, as he was the original Django in the original Django film in 1966 so the director is simulating that he is talking to himself and knows how to spell the name Django which most people don't know how to. This is an example of paying homage, having this inter-textual reference hes respectfully showing something from the previous Django film. But as this film is very a different time and era the films post modernism is manipulating time into the work of the film.

Then finally Django shows a reference from the Mr Ed series about a talking horse in the 1950's which the director bases the actors Mr Ed horse on. This is paying homage to that series that is very comical compared to Django, of a completely different genre and time era. This film also shows hierarchy of mainly paying homage and respect to the more low cultural films and programs, like Mr Ed the talking horse and the other spaghetti western films, and when linking back to time and space Django respectfull references films of this low cultural style instead of showing reference to the more expensive popular references.

Post modernism is also shown through in a different light of media, in music, for example like Kanye West who is a very well known Hip Hop American artists. He's known as a rapper, songwriter, record producer, director and fashion designer. His style of production originally used high pitched vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. He later broadened his influences to include 1970's R&B, trip pop, arena rock, house, folk, alternative, eletronic, synthpop, industrial and classical music.

One of Kanye's well known songs is called 'Mercy' which was made from the samples of the songs 'super beagle, dust a sound boy' and 'reggie stepper, cu-onnuh'. These samples are an example pf bricolage as these songs are of a completely different genre of music 'african reggae' to the hip hop and R&B music Kanye produces, these samples are also of a much older era to the current songs of what people listen to now a days. Linking to time and space, these samples are post modernism and being as they are of a different genre and time to Kanye's style of music, this makes time and space part of pos modernism, Kanye's samples are different and out of the box to what you would accept his songs to originate from. Kanye i also paying homage to the style of music as in other previous songs he also uses the genre pf music, so this isn't the only time he's used it respectfully. Reports also showed that after Kanye produced this song, super beagle found his song and himself had renewed their fame thanks to Kanye's sample in this song, bringing himself and this genre of music back into the current lime light.

Another popular song by Kanye is Bound 2 thats form his newest album, Black skinhead. This song included a sample of Brenda Lee's song called 'sweet nothings' from 1959, this is another example of bricolage using a sample from a different era and genre to the song being produced. Kanye is known to use a lot of older and unforgotten sounds and bringing them back into the current limelight through his songs. This is another example of when post modernism manipulates time and space, as Kanye being post modern using time and space, samples from a different genre and era to create a sound and song thats current but post modern. 

This same Bound 2 song by Kanye West also made papers and news due to Seth Rogen and James Franco creating a micky take version of the video to the song Kanye and Kim made. This is using pastiche to mock Kanye's music video and by them mocking his video this made him money as his songs sales went up and came more popular but also put Kanye into the lime light, post modernism.

To conclude, i do think postmodern media manipulates time and space, as everything thats modern now a days has become what it is due to taking ideas and inspiration from media in the past and of a different nature. However i do believe in the future based on sampling taking sounds and ideas from other pieces of media text could lead to some people or companies taking things from other media without the right as it is so common now a days and leading to being sued for sampling pieces of text without the right to, for example like with blurred lines in the news now, illegally sampled a song of a dead man without the right too, causing the producers to be sued for it. This i believe will become more common happenings in the future as people will take for granted whats available to them to make a media product, even without the right because its what everyone else does to be modern and viewed by the audience. 

Narrative task.

Establishing shot 0.01

The enigma code- the question of where the band are and what they are doing at this moment in time of this shot?

The action code- the audience will know that this shot is at the start of the video and will be expecting more to happen and appear of the band and instruments.

The cultural code- this shot would attract the audience members who follow the indie/alternative trend because they would be aware of instruments presented in this shot. 

The symbolic code- this shot symbolizes the musical talent within the band due to presentation of the instruments being used in the video.  

The semantic code- in this shot the showing of the drum kit represents that the sound of a drum will be heard in this song, also the drum kit its self is a representation of indie/alternative music.

Random shot 0.41

The enigma code- when the lead singing will be singing the lyrics?

The action code- because of the lyrics in the song being sung at this point of the shot here there must be a shot next or within the next couple of seconds of the lead singing singing that line within the song.

The cultural code- an indie/alternative person with musical style would understand that the band member is playing the guitar in time with the sound of the music.

The symbolic code- the fact that you can hear the sound of the as base guitar being played and you can see from this shot that the base is being played by a band member.

The semantic code- 

Chorus shot 0.46

(Star image, lead member, show style of band)

The enigma code- no question to be answered.

The action code- because this member is seen in the chorus singing the chorus you expected him to been seen again for the chorus singing the same line again later in the video within the song.

The cultural code- 

The symbolic code- this shot symbolizes that because he is singing into a mic the bond hold lyrical talent in that they can sing in time with a song. 

The semantic code-

Final shot 3:18

The enigma code- no question to be answered.

The action code- because the band in their movements have slowed down and so has the music you believe that the song and video will finish now. 

The cultural code-

The symbolic code- 

The semantic code-

Narrative task, theory definitions.

All texts have a 'narrative', as media producers you construct these narratives using certain tools. Here are some of the tools which you will have used to construct and which your audience will have used to decode.

Task 1

Print screen FIVE  shots from your music video

Shot 1 MUST be the establishing shot for your video

Shot 5 MUST be the final shot of your video

The other 3 shots MUST contain at least one shot from your songs chorus.

Task 2

Annotate each image identifying as many of the following as possible

Roland Barthes narrative codes.

The Enigma code is a question within the narrative which must be answered

The Action code is an event in the narrative which means a further action will occur.

These first codes are reliant on ‘time’, they only work if you read a book or view a filmtemporally, i.e. from beginning to end.

The next three codes tend to work "outside the constraints of time" and are, therefore, more properly reversible, which is to say that there is no necessary reason to read the instances of these codes in chronological order to make sense of them in the narrative.

The cultural code is an element within a narrative which can only be decoded if you are a member of the culture responsible for creating the text

The symbolic code is an element within a narrative which represents a political, moral or symbolic point

The semantic code is an element of a text which has both a literal meaning and a series of associated meanings (e.g. a drum kit is a drum kit, however it has connotations of rock music)

Task 3

Apply music video theory

Now annotate your images to indicate as many of the following as possible

Star Image

Amplification

Illustration

Disjunture.

Question 1A creativity.

In question 1(a) you need to write about your work for the Foundation Portfolio and Advanced Portfolio units and you may refer to other media production work you have undertaken.

1 (a) Describe a range of creative decisions that you made in post-production and how these decisions made a difference to the final outcomes. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time. [25]

Notes- 
Music video: from story board to final editing, 360 degree shot already planned in story board when filming had to be re shot a number of times to accurate, in editing post-production tried using effects to make the more distorted look to audience, ending up not looking good and we didn't like that editing, so went back to normal filming without any extras with editing to distort it, creative decision. This made the final outcome of the video look like all the shots flow well all together and that none look out of place with completely different effects and look better for the audience as its easier to follow. 

digipak/advert: the decision of using the images paneled across the back sides of the digipak, was my initial idea which changed to being images of the band and random images from the filming in a grid like shape filling the whole 3 back panels in a black and white effect, to then being those same images but edited to very dark black and white effect so the images are very faint in seeing what they are of, to then creating a bold white border around these images to help make them stand out to look more organised and professional to give that sophisticated clean look i wanted. 

magazine: Originally my draw out plan for my double page spread was to place my article across the two pages with an image on the second page in the middle, when Clash then influenced by designs of having a full image on second double page a some of the article towards the bottom of the first page i had to then decide whether to keep this style and layout and make a second page for my article to fit in or keep with my original idea, so i create a single page to place the rest and most of my article on, the design of this had to fit with the design and layout of the double page spread so alterations had to made to fit the whole article on all the pages with the best presentation and style i wanted. This made the outcome of my magazine like clean, sophisticated and simplistic the way the wanted it to be without having to make too many alterations to style of Clash magazine i wanted my magazine to feel and look like. 

30 minuet timed essay-
The projects i conducted that tested my creativity where the music video i created for my own made up band that i drafted, directed and constructed to produce. There was also my digipak and advertisement where i designed and made for my made up band to show their music video song and album as well as a product to advertise and help market my digipak. I also have my magazine that used a range of creative skills that included a front cover, contents page and double page spread. All these products tested my creativity and skill in the making of them in a wide range of ways in post production.

My music video involved various creative decisions that developed in the making of this product. For the planning of the video we designed a story board of how the video would look and included from props to shot styles and timings, which this story board was the base to designing of the video and these ideas soon changed in the processes to the final editing of the video. Originally we planned to do a 360 degree shot of the whole band, that was planned in our story board, however when it came to the filming this shot had to be re-shot a number of times. In editing in the post-production i tired using effects and edits to make the shot more distorted to make the audience feel disorientated by the shot. However this editing of over laying the shot over its self ended up not looking very good and i didn't personally like the editing. So i decided to use the normal filming without any extras of editing to make the shot more distort, this was my main creative decision in the editing of the music video as i ended up not using much editing and shot effects so my skill was not portrayed in that area. This made the final outcome of the video look like all the shots flow well all together and that none of the shots looked out of place with completely different effects and also look much better for the audience as its easier to follow.

The designing of my digipak went through a number of different creative decisions to create the final outcome of the product. The decision of using the images paneled across the back sides of the digipak was my initial idea from the inspiration of one of the Kings of Leon digipak inside covers. This idea turned into images of the band and from the filming in a grid like paneled shape filling the whole back panels in a black and white edited effect. But after my draft of this idea it then changed to the same concept but that the same images were edited in a much more darker black and white effect to make the images look very hard to make out what they are of. I then wanting the paneled images to look bolder a more organised and professional, so i a created a bold white border around all the images to make them in line and give that sophisticated clean look i wanted back to the digipak back design in the final product outcome.

I feel i showed a great deal of creativity throughout all my media products from start to finish in all stages of the progress to the final outcome. I feel all my skills have been developed through these processes to create my media products into some fantastic pieces of work. 

Question 1A layout.

Question 1a is always about how your skills developed. Here's how the chief examiner recommends you tackle the question.

This was requested from the e-community; there are other versions elsewhere, but this is probably the simplest!

Paragraph 1 should be an introduction which explains which projects you did. It can be quite short.

Paragraph 2 should pick up the skill area and perhaps suggest something about your starting point with it- what skills did you have already and how were these illustrated. use an example.

Paragraph 3 should talk through your use of that skill in early projects and what you learned and developed through these. Again there should be examples to support all that you say.

Paragraph 4 should go on to demonstrate how the skill developed in later projects, again backed by examples, and reflecting back on how this represents moves forward for you from your early position.

Paragraph 5 short conclusion

1B Genre analysis basic questions.

D.I.Y. Generic analysis-

The following questions are offered as basic guidelines for students analysing their coursework in relation to genre. This is a potential question in Section B of your summer examination. Note that an analysis of a text which is framed exclusively in terms of genre may be of limited usefulness. Generic analysis can also, of course, involve studying the genre more broadly. This is something we simply don't have time to do in class so you will need to spend time outside of class doing this (although you will hopefully have done lots of this when planning your production).

General-

In what context did you encounter it? (web, film, TV etc) 
I used the web for research for my music video, magazine and ancillary texts and examples of that genre of work i was aiming for as well as sources of inspiration and ideas. Film helped with the making of the music video how realistic it will need to look for the audience to think of it as a real music video, as well as help with shot ideas to use and how to conduct shots together to create a film/video. TV again showed examples of text and how professional mine should have to look, as well as inspiration and ideas from real life texts.

What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?
Whether the piece of text i have created is realistic to real life examples of the text and if my text would sell compared to other products that have been influenced on this text and how well it would do in the real world as a product.

To what genre did you initially assign the text?
Indie/alternative genre.

What is your experience of this genre?
I listen to this genre of music myself and from this i would believe i have the indie/alternative fashion style as well which gives me a good idea of what the indie/alternative genre should be look and come across as but also what the audience of this genre want and look for in texts of this genre.

What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
A very simplistic but stylish and clean look that is different to other main stream common designs of magazines, music videos, digipaks and adverts. The music video had the idea of a four piece boy band just playing their song as if in a studio hanging out together jamming a very chilled out and natural setting.

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

What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
That the texts would be very stylish, simplistic, cool and should show that real care had been put in to make it look presentable as this is the style of genre and the way the audience of this genre also present them selfs. also that the texts are different from other mainstream and common styles of these texts as thats what indie/alternative is looking and being different to everything else thats out there and standing out. 

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

What generic labels have others given the same text?

Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?
The mono tonal colour schemes, a simplistic and minimalistic style, bold fonts, alignments of text to look clean and neat, music video well planned and thought through, music videos shots very basic, a chilled and relax vibe. 

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

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

Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
There are no other conventions of a different genre because i didn't want to use and be influenced by any other genres. 

What familiar motifs or images are used?
Colour and style of clothing and the simplistic and clean cut style of the texts.

Which of the formal/stylistic techniques employed are typical/untypical of the genre?

What institutional constraints are reflected in the form of the text?

What relationship to 'reality' does the text lay claim to?

Whose realities does it reflect?

What purposes does the genre serve?

In what ways are these purposes embodied in the text?

To what extent did your purposes match these when you engaged with the text?

What ideological assumptions and values seem to be embedded in the text?

What pleasures does this genre offer to you personally?

What pleasures does the text appeal to (and how typical of the genre is this)?

Did you feel 'critical or accepting, resisting or validating, casual or concentrated, apathetic or motivated' (and why)?

Which elements of the text seemed salient because of your knowledge of the genre?

What predictions about events did your generic identification of the text lead to (and to what extent did these prove accurate)?

What inferences about people and their motivations did your genre identification give rise to (and how far were these confirmed)?

How and why did your interpretation of the text differ from the interpretation of the same text by other people?

Mode of address-

What sort of audience was your text aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?
An age group between 16-27 which is both male and female who are interested in indie/alternative music and fashion and like to be different from the crown and stand out from others in their personality and style. This is a very typical style of audience being as the genre is indie/alternative, as this is what indie/alternative people are like and how the express them selfs as. 

How does the text address your classmates?

What sort of person does it assume they are?

What assumptions have you made about their class, age, gender and ethnicity?
That the audience are middle class young students between the age of 16-27 being both male and female and fitting into the stereotype of a 'white' different, unique styling, young adult. 

What interests does it assume they have?
The audience would be interested in music festival of indie music bands, as well as simplistic but stylish fashion from vintage and unpopular stores, as well as listening to older cool music with a chilled out style to the sound, following trends from the past of the older generations, regularly reading unpopular music magazines to find new and smaller styles of musicians.  

What relevance does the text actually have for you?

What knowledge does it take for granted?

To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the text seeks to position you as?

Are there any notable shifts in the text's mode of address (and if so, what do they involve)?

What responses does the text seem to expect from your audience?
A positive response showed that the audience wanted to view these texts and even buy them, due to the genre and audience being met in the design and making of the texts.

How open to negotiation is their response (are they invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?

Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways (think in terms of enjoyment for the audience or consequences for the institution)?

To what extent did people find themselves 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre?

Which attempts to position your audience in this text do they accept, reject or seek to negotiate (and why)?

How closely aligned is the way in which the text addresses you with the way in which the genre positions you (Kress 1988, 107)?

Relationship to other texts-

What intertextual references are there in the text you have created (and to what other texts)?
My magazine design was influenced by Clash magazine, the music video was inspired by The 1975's music video Sex and Girls and my digipak was design with the thought of Jamie xx's album covers, Kings of Leon digipak panel, The XX and Arctic Monkeys album design, then my advert was design with the inspiration from The XX and Arctic Monkeys poster simplistic design.

Generically, which other texts does the text you created resemble most closely?

What key features are shared by these texts?
My magazine and Clash magazine a lot of the style and layout has been followed through into my own magazine design copying and taking their magazine design forward into my own work, like the contents page the whole design has been copy and inspired my clashes contents page.
My music video and The 1975's music videos sex and girls influenced being in a plain white room with just the band playing and singing the song, some of the shots where copied shot for shot by then placed different in the whole frame work of our own music video, the clothing style was influenced by those videos too the plain simplistic style of mono tonal colours used in our video. 
My digipak cover having that one symbol came from Jamie xx's album cover the same with his, then the Kings of Leon grid photo design across the panel inspired my grid of images on the back panels too.
My advertisement using the simplistic and minimalistic style of having not much text giving much information away and keeping it short and snappy the same with The XX and Arctic Monkeys advertisements.

What major differences do you notice between them?
In all these similarities i placed my own ideas and styles into my products so nothing was a exact copy of any of texts that influenced my designs. In the magazine i used my own text style as well page number location on the page and actual contents in the magazine was all made up not copied. 
Then my music  video i used some of the same shots used in those music videos but i replaced in them in different parts of my music video as well as made up some shots of my own, but also the actors in my video look different and have their own style to the video that makes it seem different. 
My digipak is different to the Kings of Leon grid panel digipak design because i used my own images of the band and random elements as well as a different front cover thats different from Jamie XX's album cover because i used my own shape design and placed it in a different direction and positions to his covers. 
Then my advertisement is different from my inspired advertisements because of my black and white colour scheme as the others have a bit more colour to them unlike mine design, also my text font and style is my own idea that fits in with the genre and look of the package well.