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.