P2: Tv Drama

 Tuesday 31st October 2023

LO: Long Form TV Drama

For the exam I will need to consider representations, media language, the industry, audiences and context (economical, historical, etc)

I will be examined with one long, 30 mark question using academic concepts and then a shorter 10 mark one regarding one theory. 

Better Call Saul- Series 6 Trailer

https://youtu.be/PjElOuIECdE?feature=shared

Flexi-Narrative characteristics

-The central character of this series is Jimmy McGill, aka "Saul Goodman". Initially within the series, Jimmy starts off as an honest, struggling lawyer, which emphasises the development of his character and motives. Throughout the show, Jimmy's criminal, conning past is referenced, which helps the audience to empathise with the fact he has seemingly started living a good and honest, if not unfulfilling, life, and also causes the audience to root for him as a protagonist. However, through the series Jimmy begins to be motivated by money and success, which causes him to start taking bribes, using dirty tricks, working for the cartel, etc, until he has essentially done a full 180 and turned to a criminal lifestyle again. Jimmy's descent into his "Saul" character after initially rooting for him would likely have been upsetting and almost traitorous, which adds to the drama and tension of the show.

-The main storyline is essentially a set-up, being that it is a prologue to Breaking Bad. It sets up and explains plot-points for Breaking Bad, while also having an individual storyline with new characters. While the main storyline is simply an explanation of how Saul Goodman came to be, it also contains many subplots, such as the introduction to Nacho and Lalo Salomanca, or Jimmy's relationship with Kim Wexler.

Homework: Last of us

A protagonist of this show is Joel Miller. The audience follows Joel Miller's story, and is briefly introduced to his daughter who is killed. We then follow Joel Miller's grief, and watch as he is introduced to a girl called Ellie. A character progression I noticed in this narrative is how Joel changes from cold and trying to keep an emotional distance from Ellie, to being deeply caring and protective of her and seeing her as a daughter figure, and vice versa.

Tuesday 7th November 2023

Genre- war, politics, spy, crime, mystery

Characters- Wife (Jess)

Brody, 

Dana (daughter), 

Chris (son), 

enemy (surveillance- spies?), 

army guys, 

deputy director cia (david), 

Carrie (one of spies, actually cia)

BBC America

8 April 2018

The production team were mainly women

Inspired by Kim Jong Nams death, etc

Monday 13th November 2023

Killing Eve: Narrative Task

Main narrative quest/conflict set up: The main narrative is following both Eve and Villanelle on their very differing lifestyles, as Eve is an MI5 operative and Villanelle is an assassin. It sets up the fact that Eve is trying to hunt down Villanelle after her killings are starting to be investigated. Marriage subplot?!?!??!?!?!?!?

Eve- Bill, Kirby, Niko, Carolyn, Frank, Dom

Villanelle- Konstantin

Conventions:

formal clothing

Travelling worldwide

sidekick character

lead- competent, skilful

male lead

HQs sometimes

serious with some humour

female supporting role

sad backstory

Tuesday 14th November 2023

which conventions are applicable to killing eve?

formal clothing

Travelling worldwide

sidekick character

lead- competent, skilful

male lead

HQs sometimes

serious with some humour

female supporting role

sad backstory

equilibirum- eve introduced, maintaining her job as an operative/detective, murders begin tostart, she takes an interest in it due to her obsession with female killers. she is adamant that the murderer is a woman, interviews suspect, finds out killer was infact female

disruption- villanelle continues to kill, her boss says there was vhs evidence of thee killer being male to discourage eve from her interest in the case

recognition of disruption- eve gets in trouble for going against orders

attempt to resolve- eve is fired

new equlibrium- eve is hired by carolyn from m15 who wants her help in tracking down villanelle again

Monday 20th November 2023

Genres have recognisable imagery and themes, e.g darkness and ominous music in horror. Genres aren't fixed and can be a mix of different themes. They evolve constantly when conventions are changed or added to.

Killing Eve-

What genre is it?

Spy thriller

What similar programmes does it follow in terms of genre?

Jack Ryan, Spooks, Homeland, etc

How has Killing Eve played with Generic codes and conventions of the genre it has followed?

It has female leads and moments of comedy- not the usual norm within spy thriller programmes.

Where do we see the "intertextual relay" for Killing Eve?

MI5, conventional office and conversations seen in other media, tracking down antagonist, etc

Killing Eve: Industry & Context

Historical: Representing time periods or events in history

Economic: Budget size, marketing distribution, etc

Political: Representing political perspectives 

Social:Demographics- society, gender, sexuality, etc.

Cultural: Nationalism, patriarchy, family, religion, etc

• The series was developed by BBC America and BBC 3
• Target audience between 16 and 34
• Leveraging technology and "new talent"
• 90% of BBC 3s output from UK
• Released April 2018 in America
• All female writing team & female executive producers
• 168 nominations for awards and 44 wins from Emmy's, BAFTAs, British film design Guild awards, Golden Globes and more

Tuesday 21st November 2023

LO: Social and Political context

How important is thee context in influencing the themes in Killing Eve as a media text?

Throughout the production of killing eve, many factors contributed to the overall content and perception of the show. There was a number of terrorist attacks in 2017, which would have emphasised the fear of potential threats and attackers from foreign countries, such as Villanelle- especially as she is Russian, which is a country the UK has had tension with for centuries. 2017 was also a big year for the METOO movement and challenged cases of misogyny, sexual assault and harassment that had been normalised in day-to-day life, such as the Mafia boss in the show assuming Villanelle was a "gift" for him and proceeding to lay hands on her.

Barthes- how the simplest things can have connotations to society, culture and events. e.g a rose- romance- man giving woman rose- heteronormative relationships and male superiority.

Levi Strauss- hidden rules that create fundamental structure and myths. binary opposition- hot/cold, male/female. there has to be one to show the other.

assassin v mi5

childish v mature

powerful v subordinate

neat v messy

old v younger

innocent v scorned

Monday 27th November 2023

LO: To explore the narrative and characterisation of Eve in set products

Colonialism- e.g north America being colonised and taken over by England

Clothes are plain, dishevelled and creased

Hair messy

Body language and expression are anxious

Looks as if she is being scolded by her superior in one image

Egotistical- late, disorganised, eats food in meeting

Confident- defiant

Lighthearted

Scene- office + police interview, translation

Persistent- phone call, chasing down her leads, going out on her own accord

1.) Eve is represented as determined, lighthearted, rebellious and resourceful. She is deeply flawed and relatable despite being a strong, intelligent female lead.

2.) One of the scenes is an office- there is a table of high-status agents and individuals all dressed neatly and professionally, which emphasises Eve's disorganisation and unprofessional behaviour in the meeting.

3.) An example of textual detail is the camera panning on Eve when she is checking that the police officer has left the room. This reinforces the fact that she is breaking the law by conducting an interview on a witness, and she knows what she is doing is illegal which is why she is being cautious, however that doesn't stop her from doing what she wants, which shows her determination but also her rebellious side.

4.) A link to the social context of female roles regarding Eve's character is that she is a leading female with a high-status job. Her rebellious, authoritative and lighthearted nature are typically "masculine" traits within media, along with having a powerful government job which would be expected of a man. However, this is combatted by her nurturing and friendly side, which is typically perceived as more "feminine", as it's clear she cares about her friends and husband.

6.) Eve's representation in the show contrasts Bell Hook's theory of stereotypes. Eve is a minority, being both Asian and Female, which makes her status and personality so "unexpected" within media, and creates a positive representation.

Eve is represented as a relatable and real female leading role. She does not play into any stereotypes, and the audience would find her likeable due to this.

Tuesday 27th November 2023

LO: To explore the narrative and characterisation of Eve in set products

Stands up to Bill- office

Sound- dialogue, persistent + accusatory, voices increase in pitch and volume as argument progresses.

Camera- low angle, mid shot- Eve powerful, respected + see her facial expressions. Close-up on Eve's face when she puts across her argument. Shows her serious side

Props- papers, shows her large amount of research and emphasises obsession/determination. Resourceful.

She becomes rebellious and less respectful towards her authority figures, obsessively determined and maybe a little psychologically unwell herself.

Gender performativity

Deconstructs and destabilises fixed identities based on gender and sexuality

Eve in a masculine job role, etc

Gender roles depend on cultural and historical context

Gender is our actions rather than who we are

Female characters being "masculine", assertive and argumentative, etc

Should oppose stereotypes and expectations by identifying with the exact opposite.

Neither Eve or Villanelle fit these stereotypes

Monday 4th December 2023

LO: to explore the narrative and characterisation of Villanelle in set products.

Throughout episode 1, Eve is represented as a massively determined character, and the plot follows her as she makes it her goal to hunt down the assassin Villanelle. An example of her integrity would be when she breaks the law in order to question a witness. The fact that she is willing to rebel against authoritative figures in order to find out more information about Villanelle shows the extent she is willing to go, and how she is truly set on finding the assassin at any cost. The camera work within this scene further emphasises this point, as it pans to Eve checking around the room to make sure everyone is gone before she questions the witness. This suspicious behaviour shows that she is aware that she's breaking the law, but does it regardless. Eve's behaviour directly contrasts the usual expectations of female roles, especially within the "Spy/Thriller" genre. In this genre, women are typically only there as "eye candy", for example in the James Bond movies. They are usually submissive, respectful and dependent- the exact opposite of Eve who is rebellious, sharp witted and takes initiative, all while being in a powerful, "masculine" job. This links to Van Zoonen's feminist theory, where ideas of femininity and masculinity are constructed within the performance of these roles, and how Eve is playing a stereotypically "masculine" character.

Powerful, feminine, wealthy, cocky

Scene 1- Ice cream shop

Doesn't smile when catches child staring- (Not usual adult reaction), shows she may lack empathy or humanity

Sees waiter smiling at child, mimics the smile- she doesn't understand usual social reactions so has to copy people

Knocks ice cream onto child- shows spitefulness and maliciousness

Shopping and apartment scene-

Kind and human- picks stuff up for guy on tube

Feminine- makeup and shopping bags

Humorous- bantering with her old neighbour

Dark- Pretending to OD

Childish- asking Konstantin to "play" with her and watch a movie

Throughout episode 1, Villanelle is represented as cunning and manipulative, and puts on a charismatic facade to hide the fact that she is an apathetic killer. A scene that portrays this is when she is talking with Konstantin. She asks if he would like to "stay and watch a movie" with her, and later goes on to say that she needs someone to "play" with. Her dialogue in this scene seems childish and innocent, which is then juxtaposed by the fact Konstantin gives her her next target, reminding the audience that she is not innocent and naive at all, and is in fact a capable murderer. This shows that the facade she is putting on is just a method of manipulation, as it makes her seem sweet and vulnerable when she is not. Villanelle plays into the expectations of female roles as part of her manipulation, as within the social context she is expected to be kind and innocent. She uses this to her advantage and gets people to underestimate her so she has the element of surprise.

Tuesday 5th December 2023

LO: to explore the narrative and characterisation of Villanelle in set products

How is she also subverting that?

She exhibits typically masculine behaviour by being malicious and a capable killer. She is very athletic, and is almost authoritative in some scenes.

How do the audience feel about her?

She is likeable despite her murderous actions, as she exhibits a blend of personality and humour and is shown to kill some "dislikable" people. 

How does she come across to the audience?

Initially she would have been likeable.....................

Establishing shot of countryside

Close up shot of food

Shot of V tying her hair up

Full body of scaling gutter, low angle

Music playing

Wide shot of garden party from above

High angle, emphasises her intellect and power- observing

Shot angled away from her hiding place, shows she is unpredictable

Mid shot of her in new clothes

Close up of man looking her up and down

Close up of hairpin and poison being injected

Close up of his face, pained

Close up of her face- taking joy in it

Music playing again, soft song, juxtaposition.

Close up of her writing designer name on hand- nonchalant

A feature that makes Villanelle difficult to like would, for most, be her blatantly malicious nature. The man she murders in this scene exhibits some automatically dislikable traits, showing predatory and entitled actions when asking Villanelle if "she is the gift" and touching her without permission. Due to this, the audience likely wouldn't feel much empathy towards his death. However, Villanelle goes onto showing a sadistic level of exhilaration upon killing him, for example, all while he is dying, she holds onto him to look into his eyes, nonchalantly takes note of a designers name, and smiles a little when he finally dies. While some viewers may have initially been able to relate to her and like her due to her feminine side and darker sense of humour, this psychotic and apathetic version of her may deter some of the audience from her, and make them realise that she is an irredeemable murderer. 

Gauntlet- pick n mix identities from media

Hall- lack of representation

Monday 11th December 2023

Killing Eve: Representations

Compare and contrast the techniques used to represent Villanelle in Episode 1 of Killing Eve.

You could mention:

    -Media language

    -Narrative

    -Representations

    -Stereotypes

In the first episode of Killing Eve, Villanelle is shown as a very varied and deep character, presenting a range of sides to her personality, with some being likeable and some not. In the opening scene, she is immediately shown to be quite "feminine", as she is presented carrying multiple shopping bags, and in her apartment she has lots of makeup on her vanity dresser. These typically girly interests are contrasted then by her dark sense of humour. She is shown taunting her elderly neighbour, and then almost immediately afterwards, she pretends to overdose to scare her handler, Konstantin. These factors immediately make her likeable and probably quite relatable to some, as unlike the antagonists in most spy thrillers, she is immature and has a sense of humour. The scene where she is joking around with Konstantin has other moments that further emphasise this initial impression the audience would have made of Villanelle. She asks him if he'd like to watch a movie with her, says she needs someone to "play" with, and predicts the end of his sentences. This dialogue, especially due to the tone she uses being playful and unserious, re-establishes the fact that she is perhaps immature or childish. Another textual detail that supports this fact is her facial expression- she is shown to be smiling throughout the most of the opening scene. The fact that she is smiling highlights her friendliness and light-heartedness, and tells the audience that she likely has a close and warm relationship with Konstantin, despite it being strictly professional. The casualness of their meeting, despite initially emphasising Villanelle's likability and humour, foreshadows her more apathetic and cold side, as she seems so nonchalant and accustomed to being assigned someone to kill. 

Continue comparison: start second paragraph about her dislikable side.

This apathetic side to her is shown later in the episode. When shown on her hunt, she is immediately presented on a motorbike- a stereotypically "masculine" vehicle which is a direct juxtaposition to her first scene where she is carrying shopping bags and looking more "feminine." The opening presentation of her being more masculine would instantly connect to a stereotype of her being more capable and athletic. This is re-established by the scene of her scaling the side of the building.

I found time management/ linking to theorists the most difficult.

Tuesday 12th December 2023

Representations

Konstantin - authoritative figure, father role, older

Dom - supportive, polite, eager to help, innocent, young

Male victims - misogynists, sleazy, older, predatory

Niko - less traditional, cooks, looks after Eve

Bill - caring, humorous, supportive, older

Frank - cold, professional, older, deceptive

Niko and dom as thoughtful

Niko: submissive, makes sure Eve is okay, makes dinner for her, seems fine with the rejection of sex. Seems devoted to making her happy. 

Dom: Polite and helpful, immediately translates for Eve, says "they're lovely" to avoid hurting Eve's feelings when talking about her chest. 

Monday 8th January 2023

LO: To explore the theory and representation in products

How does Baudrillard apply to Killing Eve?

Killing Eve has minimal intertextuality. Establishes a "real" world. Has verisimilitude, lack of bricolage and fragmented narrative. In a lot of ways its not a traditional post modern text. Grounds narrative in real world settings, London, Paris, Vienna, Tuscany.

However, representations of MI5 and secret service is a simulation of the real, designed to create a simulation of the real, designed to create a simulacra in its version of MI5. It attempts to create a hyper reality of the secret service. Parody/homage to M in James Bond via Carolyn.

How does Gauntlett apply to Killing Eve?

Killing Eve offers diverse and contradictory representations that audience can use to think through their identity as they have the time and resources to develop implied representations through Eve, Villanelle, Carolyn and the several male roles.

Killing Eve offers local representations that resonate with the international audiences. Spy and espionage is a genre that is popular worldwide and each country has its own version of the service. This increases the diversity of representations to reach an international audience, Killing Eve was successful in several international locations as a series.

This assumes the power of the audience as active agents so may underestimate the power of media conglomerates in shaping culture and identity.

How does Hall apply to Killing Eve?

Killing Eve attempts to create a dominant meaning through the use of ideology of Good vs Evil to support the preferred reading of those who create the laws and social norms in society.

Looking at the stereotypes of gender, race, class, the representations are created by what is there but also by what is missing, economic struggle, sexism, racism the characters and situations are not faced with the reality of these struggles in the episode.

Looking at the stereotypes that are created, what does this tell us about the ideology that is created within the programme and wider industry.

An example within Killing Eve of equality in society, especially relating to contexts of the time, would be Eve's societal role and expectations. Killing Eve is set in a 21st century, first world country. Due to this, equality is much more developed than if the show were set earlier in history. Eve works in a traditionally "masculine" job role as an MI5 agent, which is never questioned or doubted. The fact that there is a woman in such a powerful and high-level job wouldn't have even been a possibility a few decades prior, which showcases the level of equality our current society is at. Eves personality is also normalised, despite being strong-headed, resolute and independent, which defies old-fashioned expectations and stereotypes of women being meek and submissive.

Tuesday 9th January 2024

Theory and Audience and Industry

Hall:

Producers encode meaning (the preferred meaning) through shared codes (such as technical codes and genres). Hall argues audiences respond to the preferred reading in one of three different ways. Audiences either accept the preferred reading (the dominant position), reject it (the oppositional position), or accept some elements but modify aspects to fit their own views or experiences (negotiated position.)

"Producers encode preferred meanings into media texts, which audiences respond to in one of three ways."

The Dominant Hegemonic reading is patriotic duty

Dominant: Eve is committed to saving lives due to her job and goes beyond the call of duty to find the truth.

Negotiated: Agree with the need for patriotic duty but find Eve and her methods unrealistic.

Oppositions: British Propaganda-Demonising those from Russia as others and promoting the rule of British Law.

Producers deliver their views/a preferred meaning into their work. Audiences can have one of three responses to this: Dominant (agreeing), Negotiated (kinda agreeing), Oppositions: (disagreeing)

Bandura: media effects

The media can influence people directly- human values, judgement and conduct can be altered directly by media modelling. Empirical evidence best supports direct influence rather than the alternative models of media effects: two-step flow, agenda-setting, no effects, or the media reflecting existing attitudes and behaviour. More physical. Instant.

Gerbner: Cultivation theory

Violent media encourages violence. "Mean world syndrome"- develops mistrust and cynicism of world due to violence in media. More mental. Gradual. 

Example: hospital supposed to be safe space, still has a mass murder. Villanelle seen briefly, casual exchange where she helps Eve with her hair- shows how no one can be trusted, etc.

Monday 15th January 2024

Theory: Industry

Curran and Seaton: Power and media Industries

Media ownership is a significant aspect in how the media industry works. The concentration of media ownership causes the media industry to be ran by conglomerates, meaning viewpoints and representations within media are massively limited. Although online media is developing, it is still arguably ran more by established media organisations.

Diverse representation of Race

Diverse representations of Britain

Diverse representations off gender

Diverse representations of sexuality

Huge conglomerate companies like Google, Disney, Apple and Facebook seek further control over their operated sectors. They buy out or bankrupt the competition. For example, Disney acquired Pixar Studios, Marvel, etc, to remove the competition those companies previously posed, and also to massively boost their own profit.

Hesmondhalgh: Cultural Industries

Industries typically increase the concentration and integration within a product so that the production is owned and controlled by conglomerates. This reduces the risk of things like high production costs and low success of a piece of media- risk is high because production costs are high. 

Vertical Integration: where one organisation owns more than one stage of the industrial process (production, distribution and circulation) of media product creation.

Jodie Comer is a less known actress so they lowered risk by additionally starring Sandra Oh, who is a more nationally known actress, and therefore they would be bringing in a larger audience.

Livingstone and Lunt: Regulation

Consumers are individuals who seek private benefits from the media and require regulation to protect them. Citizens are social, seek public or social benefits from the media and require regulation to promote public interest. Traditional regulation is put at risk: increasingly globalised media industries, the rise of the digital media, and media convergence.

Tuesday 16th January 2024

LO: To apply theory in exam responses

Contrasting representations:

Dominant - Submissive

Assassin - MI5 agent

Mature - Childish

Determined - Passive

To what extent do TVD create contrasting representations in contemporary media products?

I believe that the representations in Killing Eve significantly contrast one another. This is done to emphasise each characters individual traits, by creating direct juxtapositions between each person and their qualities. One character that proves this point is Villanelle. Villanelle, as a character, is represented as malicious through the narrative and through visual aspects. This is shown in the scene where she has been sent to assassinate a mafia boss. Within this scene, Eve stabs the mafia leader in the eye with a poison-filled hairpin, but seems to physically enjoy and relish the man dying in her hands. Her sadistic and cruel side is shown through the use of mise-en-scene, audio and camera work, where, for example, there is a close up of her face when she smiles at the mans death, and another close up of her hands holding the mans head as he dies. Her expression and actions show that she is unaffected by the man dying, and even seems to take a morbid enjoyment in it. The use of dark lighting in the room also highlights the darkness of her actions, and the light music playing in the background further emphasises just how unaffected and nonchalant she is about taking a life. Following Zoonen's theory, Villanelle is shown to be objectified by the mafia boss, being viewed as an object or in his words, a "gift". The man speaks to her as if he is entitled to "having" her, emphasising the patriarchal mindsets that are still present today, even towards women as powerful as Villanelle. This scene also links to the social and political context of the time, in regards to the threat of Russian forces, and Villanelle, being a Russian character, may have been used as a representation of the malice and violence that Russia was perceived to exhibit in 2018.

A theory that is applicable to this scene is Butler's gender performativity theory, and how Villanelle's cold and violent actions directly challenge gender norms and the traditional expectations of women being warm and nurturing.

Monday 22nd January 2024

LO: To explore the narrative, theme & characters in set episode.

Central characters whose motives develop with them:

-Tokyo

-Professor

-Rest of them lol

A main storyline with interwoven subplots:

-A group being set up to pull off a huge robbery heist

-Interwoven subplot, Tokyos family/past??

-Tokyo and Rio love plot

A combination of complex characters that are ambiguous or enigmatic, creating tension and questions for the audience:

-Stereotypical characters within group, brains, brawns etc

-Mysterious main character with sad backstory!!

Season 1 Overview:

Assane Diop plans the theft of an expensive diamond necklace, once owned by Marie-Antoinette, which his father Babakar had been accused of stealing from the wealthy Pellegrini family 25 years earlier. He enlists the help of a group of loan sharks, to whom he owes money.

Tuesday 23rd January 2023

LUPIN WATCHING

Main narrative quest/conflict set up-

Getting rich, pulling off heists

Enigma codes-

How main guy got into stealing

Why he owed money to loan sharks

What happened to his mum

Why did him and his wife divorce

Individual character narratives-

What happens to loan sharks afterwards
What happens to his son when he grows up
Does he get caught
What happened to the necklace before

Monday 29th January 2024

LO: to explore the narrative theory and genre theory

Todorov: Narratology: Media follows a set narrative structure-

1.)  Equilibrium

2.) Disruption of equilibrium

3.) Recognition of the disruption

4.) Attempt to resolve the disruption

5.) Return to a new equilibrium

Narratology in Lupin:

1.)  Equilibrium - Introduction of characters, divorced man + woman

2.) Disruption of equilibrium - Lupin owes money to loan sharks

3.) Recognition of the disruption - Heist planned and completed, Lupin gets betrayed

4.) Attempt to resolve the disruption - Loan sharks get arrested, Lupin gets away

5.) Return to a new equilibrium - Lupin successful with heist, gives book to son

The non-linear narrative structure, filled with flashbacks and red herrings, serves two purposes. It provides an overview of Assane's plan and explains how Babakar's mistreatment led to the central conflict of the narrative. The linear narrative is also used to misdirect the audience, which adds to the tension in the first episode.

Neale: Genre Theory: What genres are, how/why they are created, change, endure or decline-

Genres within media often follow set themes and conventions, repeated in multiple pieces of media products. Genres aren't fixed, but they change and evolve with every addition under the genre. Genres are always changing, as conventions are challenged or combined with other genres.

Tuesday  30th January 2024

Lupin - Context

LO: To explore the context of the production, and contextual themes in set episode.

Lupin was written by an English writer and scripted in English, it was then translated by a French writer who co-wrote some of the episodes into a French setting and situation.

Internationally it has been very successful and this could be down to the fact it appeals to both audiences through the joint writing and fitting to the context of both cultures accurately.

Style:

Lighting:

Camerawork:

Sound:

Editing:

SOCIAL: Context of class and race. Lupin is underestimated his whole life  due to these factors, and he uses this to his advantage. The depiction of black immigrants creates pathos.

Location shooting - Paris

ECONOMIC: Killing Eve production had higher funding, which is evident through the variety of countries the show is filmed in.

Lupin also has a lower budget due to the fact that it was a series in the French language- but it won 2 awards and was the most successful French media on Netflix.

CULTURAL: gender equality but a racial divide

Historical: Time periods/moments in history reflected through media.

Economic: The production budget and how it is reflected through cast, locations, etc.

Political: How political messages/issues are represented through media.

Social: Things like gender/race

Cultural: Economic class, religion, etc

Race and economic status are represented as two of the most divided factors in Lupin. Those in power are still white and rich, as the majority are represented in 

Monday 5th February 2024

Male Characters

What representations of men do we think we might see in Lupin?

Strong, determined - Assane

Cheat, manipulative - Mr Pelegrini

Criminal, negative - Loan Sharks

Stereotypical male appearance - Muscular gang member

Skilled - Assane, Jeweller, Police man

Weak, inadequate - Smaller gang member (lack of education)

Assane - 

Crafty, cunning, skilfull, unassuming, resolute

Gang members - 

Greedy, violent, criminal, lower class, rude

His father (Babakar) - 

Polite, chivalrous, intelligent, socially aware

Men are represented in a number of ways in the show Lupin. The first example of this would be greedy, violent and criminal. This representation is shown through the gang of loan sharks. The scene in which they are introduced is through a low-angled shot of a council estate building, making the building look imposing, along with a dark and ominous ambience noise. These details immediately reinforce that these characters are the "bad guys" and are deemed as dangerous, while also reinforcing the fact that they are lower class as they live in a rough looking estate. This factor could perhaps emphasise the characters criminal and violent ways, as stereotypically, poor people have to resort to crime in order to survive, e.g scamming or stealing. This highlights the clear social and economical divide in Paris at the time, with the poorer people struggling significantly. We can apply Van Zoonens theory, as these characters all perform very masculine roles, with one of the gang members being massively muscular, and all of them seeming quite malicious and violent, which are stereotypically traits that are deemed more masculine and feminine.

A contrasting way in which men are represented in Lupin is through the character Babakar, who is seemingly opposite to the gang members in his polite, chivalrous and gentle nature. We can see this through the scene

Tuesday 6th January 2024

What happens in this scene?

• Takes on a high class role, goes to the auction (cleaners physically below)
• Flashbacks, car scene and pool scene (racial/class discrimination)
• Establishes characterisation, negative rep of Peligrinis
• Gang enters with cleaners, sets up their positions

How is Assane represented?

• Confident - suit 
• Successful - suit
• Outcast - awkward, silent, segregated from rich white people

Why this scene is effective and significant for the plot in Episode 1?

• Establishes characterisation of Peligrinis
• Pieces together Assane's motive

How does this highlight the class differences in French society?

• Glorifies rich white people
• Peligrinis have pool, chauffeur, treat people disrespectfully

How is the Mise en scene used to show this?

• Camerawork around necklace
• Bright and saturated lighting for rich, cold and dim for poor

Black cultures blend elements of different cultures like African, American, Caribbean and European. Colonial history influences attitudes to ethnicity- "superiority of white western cultures"

Transatlantic culture that is a fusion of African, American, Caribbean and British -  the "Black Atlantic".

In media, immigrants are criminalised and white western individuals are represented as superior.

Gauntlett:

The media has a complex relationship with identities

Diverse and contradictory messages that individuals can use to shape their identities and express themselves.

Postmodernism : Baudrillard

A contextual issue that is clearly represented in Lupin is class differences, especially in French society. This is shown through the scene in which Assane poses as a high-class bidder. His body language shows him immediately to be much more confident, and this image of success is emphasised by the tailored suit he wears. The lighting throughout the auction scene is bright and saturated, and the camera shots are typically low-angled, looking up at the rich bidders. This reinforces the idea of them all being powerful and "above" normal people, especially when contrasting the shots of the cleaners and janitors, whose workspace is physically below the auction, and where the lighting is much colder and dimmer and generally stresses a feeling of unhappiness.

Monday 19th February 2024

Lupin - Race and Class

Villanelle - Full face of makeup, expensive looking dress. She can afford to buy nice things and glam herself up, which indicates that she is well-off for money.

Loan sharks - Cheap/ lower class clothes like tracksuits, unstyled short hair. They don't focus their money on their appearance, which means they are more likely prioritising it on things like rent/living necessities. This shows that they may be struggling for money, or can't afford expensive and glamorous lifestyles like Villanelle. 

France has a more right-wing view of immigrants. One of the policies of the new French law is that people born in France to foreign parents will no longer be automatically granted French nationality upon reaching the age of majority. They will now have to apply for it between the ages of 16 and 18. Foreigners born in France who are convicted of a crime will not be allowed to obtain French citizenship. This stricter view against immigration has a negative impact on immigrants, as it weakens the rights and benefits that asylum seekers receive within France. 

Multiculturalism is very normalised in Killling Eve. There is a large range of ethnicities and cultures represented living harmoniously, with Eve being Korean and American, Niko being Polish, and Villanelle being Russian. These ethnicities are all represented both positively and negatively, which denies there the chance to be positive discrimination or just discrimination. However, the antagonist being Russian may be a reference to the tension between Britain and Russia.

Immigration and multiculturalism are both represented a little more negatively in Lupin. People from different classes and race both face negative discrimination. There is explicit racism shown in flashbacks, and the lower class characters are represented as violent and scummy. These representations create a negative and discriminatory impression of France.

Class issues in Lupin

• Video games
• Grafitti
• Baby crying
• Tracksuits/cheap sports clothes
• Concrete buildings
• Police siren
• Violent, aggressive, money-greedy
• Council estate
• Incompetent

These factors all create an impression of lower class people being rough, violent and stupid. These negative ideas created about the poor therefore create a contrasting representation of the upper class wealthy people, making them seem superior. Things like video games have a denotation of a simple form of entertainment, however it is a known stigma that people that play videogames are less intellectual or more violent.  

Tuesday 20th February 2024

Representation - Gender

Van Zoonen - Feminist theory, no set gender roles, objectification in media

Gauntlett - People are shaped by media and representations within media, pick nd mix

What representations of gender do we find in Lupin?

Sexualised female, "traditional" female

Morally/emotionally supportive female

Snobby discriminatory men

Violent and reckless men, "traditional"

Main male, smart and efficient

Who are the women that are represented?

One of the women that are represented is Juliette Pellegrini. She is objectified from the start, shown when she is younger in  a bikini by a pool and saying flirtatious/suggestive things. She is then shown when she's older, wearing a glamorous dress, wearing the auctioned jewellery, represented essentially as a "showcase" for the necklace.

Another woman that is represented is Assane's ex-wife. She is shown to be a single mother, and also morally and emotionally supports Assane in his efforts to build a better life. This maternal, sensitive and supportive nature is also a very traditional representation of femininity, as women were expected to be caretakers, even for their husbands.

Women are underrepresented in this show, and they are also represented negatively, with powerless and dependent roles reflecting very traditional, old fashioned values and expectations of women.

Producers of media use stereotyping to "fix" representations to one meaning. However, meaning is also created by what is absent. Stereotypes, or lack thereof, should be deconstructed to identify what ideologies they represent.

Lupin-

Racial inequality - flashbacks to Pellegrinis, auctioneer

Class inequality - Janitors, loan sharks, Pellegrinis, auction

Killing Eve-

Gender Equality- Eve working a high power job, Villanelle being a skilled killer

Multiculturalism as part of everyday life- range of ethnicities

Career focused women- Eve cares more about her job than her husband, others are single

Demonisation of Russia- Villanelle and Konstantin

How are the lead protagonists in Lupin and Killing Eve used to reflect societal issues?

The protagonist of Lupin represents a number of societal issues, showing the struggles faced by lower class individuals and ethnic minorities. Lupin, despite being set in Paris, was created by a white British man, and therefor leads people to doubt whether the representation of the mistreatment these individuals face is entirely reliable. Throughout a series of flashbacks, and even current day events, Assane and his father are discriminated against due to their race. Mr Pellegrini repeatedly mistreats Assane's father despite his hard work and kind nature. This is shown through the scene where Babakar is dusting the shelves. The use of the duster in his hand as a prop, when paired with the surroundings of an expensive, large and clean house, represents his role working an "inferior" job, like a cleaner, in comparison to the Pellegrinis, who can afford such a large home. The reinforcement of Babakar being an inferior and lower character is likely a representation of racial inequality at the time, and how they don't have access to the same opportunities as white people.  Mr Pellegrini eventually falsely accuses Babakar of theft, in which the police officers arrest his father without hearing the whole story. Police brutality and discrimination against black people is a massive issue in todays society. Similarly, at the auction,  Assane is shown to be the only black man there, and when winning the auction, the auctioneer doubts his credibility and says he wasn't expecting "someone like him" to win. This obvious comment regarding his race also emphasises the discriminatory nature of upper class white men, reinforcing the idea of a capitalist, white patriarchy . This follows onto the representation of class inequality in Lupin. This links to Hooks' racial theory, and how white, capitalist, patriarchal societies are predominantly represented in media, and that these individuals need to challenged and addressed to defy these norms.

The attitudes towards lower class people in Lupin represents France's class sections, and how upper-class people seem very separated from the lower-class society, and hold biased and unjust views regarding poorer people. The Loan Sharks in Lupin are the epitome of a "lower lass" stereotype. They are in a rough council estate, and all wear cheap "chavvy" clothes like tracksuits. They are also represented as violent, conning and incompetent, and despite being poor like Assane, represent a more harmful ideology of this class. As previously mentioned, the upper-class in Lupin are all represented as snobby, discriminatory and right-wing. This representation could be a jab at the right-wing individuals of France that set up things like the Immigration Law. The immigration law states that rules against asylum-seekers should be tightened, and that individuals born to immigrants, even in France, do not get French nationalism. Despite the negative representations of some poor people in Lupin and the dramatisation of other instances, overall, the show does a good job of addressing real societal issues and instances of discrimination, especially within France where it is set.

Monday 26th February 2024

Media Language and representation analysis

How are the gang represented? In their attempted suffocation of the security team, what camera work is used to show this?

The gang are represented as incompetent and violent. When the chloroform spray fails, birds-eye shots and fast moving camera work are used to emphasise the fight scene and show that the action in the scene fast-paced and violent.

How are the upper class represented in the auction hall?

The upper class, apart from Assane under the pretence of being a bidder, are almost entirely white and middle-aged. This emphasises the idea of a white capitalist society, where there is almost no diversity within the upper class. They are also represented as discriminatory through the auctioneer, who doubts Assane's credibility as a rich man and says he "wasn't expecting" someone like Assane to win the auction, showing the biased and right-wing views that this class typically have.

What camera shots are used, what Mise en scene is used?

Low angles are used of the upper-class people at the auction, establishing a sense of authority and "power",  reminding the audience of their high status and power. This also makes the viewer feel "below" the bidders. Vibrant and saturated colours are used, which create a feeling of richness and positivity, and directly contrasts the dull and cold colours of the janitors workspace.

How is Mr Pellegrini represented?

Mr Pellegrini is represented as impatient, busy and unkind. He is almost always in a rush to get to a business meeting of some kind, and speaks harshly to Babakar, treating him in a discriminatory and forceful way, saying he "doesn't pay him to read", etc.

How is Mrs Pellegrini represented?

Mrs Pellegrini is similarly snobby and impatient, and is shown to be wary of minorities in the scene where she doesn't unlock the car for Babakar, but she is kinder than her husband, as she lets Babakar borrow a book and refers to him as a gentleman.

How is Babakar represented?

Babakar is represented as very polite and hardworking, and despite being very aware of the mistreatment he is faced with, he tolerates it simply for the sake of having a job. He never challenges the discrimination or rudeness he is treated with, and remains quiet and kind.

Structuralism - Levi Strauss

Underlying binary opposition of poor-rich, represents the lower class as incompetent and useless, and by default the upper class seem more intelligent and superior. This makes the audience want to challenge this balance, and therefore drives empathy towards the misrepresented lower class.

How are the gang represented in comparison to Assane?

Assane is more dignified and morally good than the loan sharks. He is committing the heist for a more defendable reason, and is more fuelled by justice than greed. He doesn't hurt people unnecessarily throughout the heist like the gang do, and executes the plan perfectly, showing he is more strategic and intellectual than the gang, since they mess up repeatedly.

What shots are used to highlight Assane's mistrust in equality?

A mid-shot is used, which shows off Assane's expression and body language clearly, which allows the viewer to see his defensive stance and tone.

How is the editing used to emphasises his link to the necklace and the severity of the racism his father experienced?

The scenes cut between Assane being handed the necklace after winning it at an auction and his father being dragged away and arrested after being falsely accused of stealing it about 30 years prior. The difference in how they are both treated in regards to this necklace emphasise class difference, and how since Babakar was a lower class black man, he was treated horribly.

What camera shots emphasise the injustice?

The shot of Babakar surrounded by officers and investigators emphasises this. The shot is a mid-shot, which makes the characters all on eye-level with the viewer and makes it seem more personal and emotional. Everyone except from Babakar is also out of focused, which creates a sense of him being crowded around and ganged up on.

Tuesday 27th February 2024

Semiology: Barthes

Semiology is the study of signs - Signs consist of a signifier (a word, an image, a sound, and so on) and its meaning - the signified. The denotation of a sign is its literal meaning (e.g the word "dog" denotes a mammal that barks.) Denotations signify connotations - the associations of the denotation (e.g "dogness" - the thoughts and feelings associated with dogs). Denotations and connotations are organised into myths - the ideological meaning. These make ideology seem natural. For example, a Bulldog might activate a myth of Britishness.

What camera shots and sounds are used to establish the scene and fill in the narrative?

Establishing wide-long shot and ominous ambience used to show the run-down prison and change of scenery, and the background noise infers that it is a bad place.

How is the prison represented?

Cold, dull lighting is used to reinforce a sense of misery and helplessness. The fact that Babakar would rather be dead than stay in that prison also shows how severe it must have been.

How is French Law and Justice represented in these scenes?

Harsh, prejudice, biased, cold

How is sound and music used to set the mood?

Ambient noise creates anxiousness

How is Dialogue used to mock the idea of being a gentleman?

The repetition of "sir" and "ma'am" was used frequently by Babakar when referring to the Pelegrinis, and when at Babakars grave, Assane calls Mrs Pelegrini "ma'am", but still tells her to go to hell, which juxtaposes and mocks the gentlemanly and polite titles that Assane's father addressed these people with.

How are the genres represented? What mise en scene is used to show this?

A theme in criminal shows are scenes where the main character/ thief almost gets caught but gets away, evidence is bagged and taken away, etc.

Monday 4th March 2024

Model Class Paragraph

Tuesday 5th March 2024

Media language and representation analysis

How are the genres represented? What mise-en-scene is used to show this?

What elements of crime drama are shown?

What conventions of police procedural are shown?

Captain of police - leather jacket, casual costume

Tight body language, more confrontational and cold, doesn't fit in with the suits 

What camera shots are used, what mise-en-scene is used?

Close up shots of gang being arrested

Over the shoulder shots of interrogation of Assane

Social realism - text/character reflects the issues with society

Real life - apartment is basic and functional, not completely unliveable but not lavish

Fact of the single birthday present being wrapped carefully, cared for, not a lot in terms of material possession.

1.) Through the use of the apartment, which is basic but completely liveable, and is a typical lower-class environment that a lot of the viewers would find familiar and realistic. When contrasted directly to the lavish, huge, decorated mansion that the Pellegrinis live in, it emphasises the class divide.

2.) A use of mise en scene used is the moment where Assane opens his birthday present, a book. He only has one, due to being lower class, however it is very carefully and thoughtfully wrapped, and he seems massively grateful for it, likely knowing that his father couldn't afford any more. This closeness between Assane and his father and the love shown, despite their class status, juxtaposes the coldness and the luxury of the Pellegrinis lives with one another.

3.) In the lower end of society, people are shown to be more appreciative of little things, and more empathetic, kind and hard working, through the characters of Babakar and Assane, who carry on with their lives despite the challenges they face.

Bandura - 

1.) The media influences people directly

2.) The media can influence directly or indirectly

Gerbner -

1.) TV should be regulated, creates "mean-world" syndrome 

How is Assane's real life shown in the flashback?

Wealthy, can afford tailored suits and a big apartment, has criminal connections, suggests that he has robbed before.

What mise en scene reveals his true identity and class?

Costume, environment, voiceover

How do his roles/characters show the difference in French society?

He is treated with much more respect by his peers when in a suit and being upper-class, but is treated more disrespectfully when playing as a janitor.

Monday 11th March 2024

Viewpoints and ideologies

Baurdrillard - media is a key tool for identifying and challenging cultural norms. Also used hyperreality. Representations are "realer" than real.

Lupin - Postmodernism:

Irony - It shows it was his plan all along

Homage - Pays homage to Lupin, gentleman burglar

Bricolage - 

Intertextual references -

Fragmented narrative -

Self reflexivity -

Common themes - what if? -

Loss of reality -

Lack of Verisimilitude (the appearance of being true or real) -

Equilibrium - living with his father

Disruption - father falsely arrested, dies

Recognition of disruption - necklace on news

Attempt to solve - heist

New equilibrium - resolving family relations

Individualism - independent from a group

Consumerism - need to buy unnecessary things or things in excess.

Tuesday 12th March 2024

Realism

Events : Babakar falsely arrested and treated with discrimination, Pellegrinis  getting away with stuff due to class, criminals and janitors vs bidders and auctioneer.

Characters : Immigrants (Babakar and Assane) being kind and hard-working, Mr Pellegrini being discriminatory and racist as a rich man, Loan Sharks being violent and aggressive.

Ideologies : Poor - violent, Rich - discriminatory

Narrative : Mistreatment of characters that are minorities/poor

American Tv used to have few options and prioritised profit over creativity and quality. In the 90s, subscription and satellite TV was introduced and meant better quality.

Media industries are capitalists. Fewer people have ownership of broadcasting companies.

Big stars/franchises pull in viewers - Vertical integration risks a loss of money but could boost it massively too

Monday 18th March 2024

Audience - Lupin

LO: To explore the audience theorists and how these can be applied to the set text.

The show runner - 

• An individual or small team, usually a writer or a producer who places a personal stamp on the drama and gives it "authored" quality.
• Killing Eve - featured different female writers who already had critical acclaim and recognition of their successes. (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, S1)
• Lupin - George Kay - wrote/co-wrote all episodes, collaborated with Francois Uzan, a Parisian, who translated the international themes into a glamorous national French context. This is the possible reason for the success.

Participatory culture - development of new media lets the audience and fans to be active and creative participants rather than passive consumers.                                                                                                                              Textual poachers - taking aspects from media texts to create new individual content.                                                                                                                                                                 Convergence culture - media is shared, adapted and consumed constantly on a range of different platforms.                                                                                                                   

Spreadable media - content that is adapted by the audience members for their own purpose and shared with others.

Jenkins' fandom and audience theory applies to the range and diversity of representations offered by LFTVD to textual poachers who wish to use these products to create their own culture in fan sites. Many LFTVD achieve cult status adding to their value for fans. The optimistic view of the power of audiences underestimates the power of the oligarchy (a small group of people having control ) of media conglomerates in shaping and controlling the media produced.

Technological developments have changed the relationship between media producers and audiences.                                                                                                    In the past media producers created content for audiences, now content can be created BY audiences.                                                                                                                    Prosumers have different motivations to professional media producers. This can create cognitive surplus, where potentially large numbers of people give their time and expertise to create something. (e.g Wikepedia).

Audiences can no longer be seen as a single mass of people. Audiences engage differently with media products across different platforms, with some audience members now creating or adapting media products themselves.

Shirky's "End of audience" theory draws attention to the way that LFTVD can provide value to each other by using websites to offer comments, parodies, merchandise, etc. (Doesn't apply to broadcast TV.) HOWEVER! Streaming series do not reflect the view of the online media proposed by Shirky in so much as they primarily operate like the old media, offering centrally produced content. This optimistic view of the power of audiences underestimates the power of the oligarchy (a small group of people having control ) of media conglomerates in shaping and controlling the media produced.

Tuesday 19th March 2024

Lupin - Exam Practice

- Judgement must be made - How far do you agree, etc

- ALL of the influential contexts must be covered (Historical, political, social, cultural)

- Analysis of the texts and applied theories

- REFER TO THEORIES, MEDIA LANGUAGE, AUDIENCE, REPRESENTATION + INDUSTRY

^^^^^^^^^^^!!!!MARK SCHEME! DO ALL THESE THINGS IN EVERY PARAGRAPH!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A - Audience

I - Industry

R - Representations

L - Language

H - Historical

S - Social

C - Cultural

P - Political

E - Economic

T - Theory

Theorists - Zoonen, Gilroy, Gerbner, Strauss

I believe that Long Form TV dramas represent most social groups differently. Between Lupin and Killing Eve, social groups such as race, class and gender are represented in contrasting ways, typically due to the production team, budget, target audience or even the sub-genres of TV dramas the two fall under.  However, due to the characters of both of theses shows being a similar age group, the way that age is represented is quite similar.

In Lupin, race and the issue of racism are both represented very clearly. This is shown through the mistreatment of Assane's father, Babakar. He is shown to be treated with little respect by Mr Pellegrini, the white man he works for. In the scene where Mr Pellegrini tells Babakar to move the car out of the rain, a mid shot is used to emphasise Babakar, stood alone in the rain with no coat, and the use of dialogue insinuates that the car is worth more than him due to Mr Pellegrini caring more about its state than Babakar's wellbeing and health. The political and social context at the time of filming was that in France, where Lupin is set, anti-migration laws were enforced and the right-wing government that set up these policies were very popular. It is implied that Babakar and Assane are both immigrants themselves, which emphasise the cruelty and apathy that immigrants in France were facing.  This also ties into Hall's theory, in which creators of media encode their own views into their creations, and George Kay, being a British, left-wing writer and producer, was likely raising awareness and criticising the anti-immigrant views in France.

In comparison, the topic of race and racial inequality is never acknowledged or raised in Killing Eve. Both the cast and production team of Killing Eve are racially diverse, and no one is treated differently due to their ethnicity. This is a positive representation of the UK, as it conveys the idea that it is a country in which no one is discriminated against, however some theorists and analysts would argue that

Monday 25th March 2024

LO: To explore format for Q4 and prepare a planned exam response

Shorter 10 mark question - you have to connect your case studies to a particular theory.

1.) Barthes - study of signs and semiology - signifier and signified meaning                                                                                                                    2.) Signs create denotation - literal meanings. Connotations are created from these to create meaning                                                                                                                                 3.) Connotations create myths in society and ideological meanings that are natural.

Evaluate how effective Hall's theory of representation is in understanding long form TV drama.

1.) Define theory -

No true representation of people or events, but rather many ways that they can be represented. Producers try to force a meaning and understanding of these people or events in their texts.

2.) Why is it useful and relevant? What does it help us understand? -

When a producer tries to fix a representation, it will typically show their political stances or biases based on their representation of a certain social group. 

3 + 4.) Second and third reason. Link to set product.

Can counteract any demonising representations of social groups! Positive representation!

5.) Limitations and weaknesses of theory

Producers may be completely biased and represent a person or event completely wrong.

6.) Conclusion

When looking at long form TV drama, Stuart Hall's theory of representation is quite effective at promoting understanding within the audience. Hall's theory is that within media, there is no true representation of people or events. Instead, there is a multitude of way's that they can, and have been, represented. Producers of media will try to "force" a meaning or understanding of social groups or events in the media they produce, and this ends up building a stereotypical or biased reflection of reality.

This is shown throughout Lupin. From the beginning, stereotypes of almost every social group are portrayed. Although the class division in France and the hostile attitudes towards minorities and immigrants is likely based off of true events and news, the representation won't be entirely plausible, as it has been dramatised for television purposes. Similarly, the audience will interpret the text and representations in entirely different ways. This is an example of dominant, negotiated and oppositional readings. A dominant reading is where the audience fully understand the intended message behind the media. A negotiated reading is where the audience partially agree with the intended messages, but alter it based upon their own experiences and beliefs. This is common in TV dramas due to the diversity of viewer perspectives. An oppositional reading is where the audience understand but disagree with the intended message. This, similarly due to the negotiated reading, is often down to personal beliefs and experiences. 

Tuesday 26th March 2024

Media Language Theory

I need to correct the reception theory to representation theory. Reception is encoding/decoding biases and ideas in media. Representation is constituted by what is present, absent, and different in media. For example, a lack of diverse representation can be a representation on its own. Creating deliberate anti-stereotypes is still trying to fix a "preferred meaning". 

Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Q3 Exam Practice

- Explain contexts of production        

- Conventions, viewpoints and ideologies influenced by context  

- Make judgements and reach a conclusion. How and why is media language used to construct conventions and ideologies?

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE -

• Question
• Describe scene
• ML analysis
• Theory
• Context

KEY AREAS TO COVER -

- Context of production and consumption

- Link to contextual points and a theorist/theory 

- Conventions in Killing Eve compared to Lupin, vice versa

- Link to contextual points and a theorist/theory

- Viewpoints and ideologies in Killing Eve compared to Lupin, vice versa

- Link to contextual points and a theory/theorists

- Conclusion : Judgement

What are the context of  production and consumption?

L: White British man, may be biased, Gilroy's post-colonialism theory. Audience are likely also English as Netflix is a primarily  english broadcaster, even though the show is French. 

KE: A diverse and mainly female production crew. Van Zoonen. Cast is also primarily female and defy stereotypes. Audience would be diverse - BBC, British?

L:  Gilroy

KE: Hesmondalgh. Sandra Oh, big star

What dominant conventions are followed?

Genre conventions. Neale's genre theory.

L : Heist, thugs, snobby rich, montage of plan, flashbacks, underdog as protag

KE : Cold war/anti-russian views. Stubborn/rebellious protag. Assassins. British spies. 

What viewpoints and ideologies are explored?

Monday 29th April 2024

LO: To plan a comparative response to Q4

Intro - Context produced and consumed -

- KE context of production and consumption

- L context of production and consumption

Context - Realism -

- KE context and realism

- L context and realism

Audience response -

- KE audience response

- L audience response

Conclusion - Judgement -

- Differences in realism of social/cultural/historical context

Theorists I can use!!!!

(Baudrilliard - postmodernism)

(Gilroy - postcolonialism)

(Hall - representation)

(Neale - genre theory)

Killing Eve was produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, a British comedian and writer,  in 2018. Many social factors affected the production of this show. Throughout 2018, a number of historical events seem to be influential factors within the plot. The first of which is the "Me Too" movement, which was a movement that raised awareness regarding the sexual harassment and abuse that women face. This empowering, female oriented campaign can be seen through the  consistently strong female characters in this show, who all exhibit fierce independence, and the scene in which even a character as empowered as Villanelle faces sexual harassment and objectification. This could defy Van Zoonen's feminist theory, in which women in media are presented as objects or as co-dependent, and therefore these female characters and their aversion to objectification challenges norms. The writers and producers being nearly all female also ensures reliability and depth in these characters and scenes. Another factor that also could have influenced the production of this LFTVD could be the tension between Russia and other countries. The Ukrainian-Russian war was approaching at the time of production, and historically, events such as The Cold War may have also had an effect on the way the show was written. The antagonist, Villanelle, is Russian, along with her handler Konstantin. The main villain of the show being Russian could be representing some of the wariness many people regard the country with, or could express its historically violent approaches to politics. 

Similarly, in Lupin, which was produced by George Kay, a British writer, in 2021, there is a clear representation of relevant social events throughout the show. The main example of this would be the anti-immigrant political policies that were released by the French Democratic government in 2021. French is a generally xenophobic country, and this is shown through the mistreatment of the protagonist, Assane, and his life in France. Assane and his father are repeatedly treated with discrimination and cruelty due to their race, especially by the upper class such as the Pellegrinis and the bidders, who depict the prejudice that the rich, white people, especially in France, typically hold. This factor is also clearly representing the significant social and economic divide in France, where in which "The richest 10% hold almost 80% of the total wealth, while the poorest 90% share the rest of the wealth". The harmful stereotypes of the lower class emphasise this gap in Lupin, with the lower class being represented as violent, incompetent and conning. However, due to the writer, George Kay, being a white British man, the authenticity and reliability of these representations could be biased and questionable. These representations link to Gilroy's post-colonialism theory, in which white people are depicted as "superior".

In conclusion, though both of these LFTVDs depict the struggles of some social groups and minorities, the context in which they were produced, and events that took place during this process make them very different. For example, in Killing Eve, racial prejudice and economic gaps in society aren't addressed, and most issues seem to revolve around gender, due to the female production team and historical factors, whereas in Lupin it is vice versa, showing the influence of historical, social and cultural context during production.

Tuesday 20th April 2024

Exam Format

P1 - Introduce theorist and key points of theory

P2 - Why is it relevant to the set products? How is it useful?

P3 - Second reason why it's useful, LINK TO PRODUCT (KE)

P4 - Third reason why it's useful, LINK TO PRODUCT (L)

P5 - Limitations of the theory, what DOESN'T it cover?

P6 - Conclude and briefly evaluate how useful it is overall!!!

P1 - Jenkins fandom theory - convergence culture, sharing and adapting media; spreadable media, media that has been adapted BY the audience FOR the audience

P2 - KE, fanart and fan edits made to alter the ending/ reality of the show (textual poaching)

P3 - convergence culture, fan pages made to share this fan content, theories made from canon content (L)

P4 - idk

Conclusion - useful since it shows fans devotion and passion regarding the LFTVD

In Jenkins' fandom theory, it states that consumers of content become "textual poachers", where the take elements from media to create their own content. Audiences have become active participants rather than passive consumers. Within this, convergence culture is created, in which platforms are created specifically to share this "poached" content, or "spreadable media", with other fans and consumers. Jenkins theory emphasises the passion and devotion of some fans, showing that they go to the extent of making their own content because of this.

The Killing Eve fandom is a very active and creative one, with masses of fan-made content and textual poaching. An example of media poaching that is used frequently in this fandom is the altercations that people make to the ending of the show, creating video edits, fan art, and written fan fiction in order to create a new, preferred ending of the show. 

On the other hand, the Lupin fandom is a lot less active, with very little fan art or fan edits. This fact disproved Jenkins' fandom theory, and the statement that fans enjoy a piece of media so much that they use it to make their own content, since Lupin is still a massively popular and enjoyed show, however its audience is made up mainly of passive consumers than active participants. This factor could be don to the audiences demographic, accessibility to creative technology or applications, etc.

In conclusion, Jenkins' fandom theory varies in its usefulness and reliability, often due to the fact that some fandoms have more active creators than others, and that the popularity and enjoyability of a show is not defined by the amount of fan content surrounding it.

Marking - 

Lvl 2,

4 marks

- Need to finish

- Need to analyse the LFTVDs more 

- Need specific examples of fanpages, edits, etc

Thursday 14th May 2024

Exam DIRT

I need to have more historical knowledge so I can go into detail about influential events on the LFTVD. I also need to evaluate how useful other contexts would be, such as social and cultural, so I can argue why the historical context is most influential. I also need to describe examples from the set media, such as particular scenes. APPLY THEORY.

1st para - The way in which the Pelegrinnis are depicted as authoritative and "better" than Assane and his father could link to Gilroy's postcolonialism theory, in which white western cultures are still presented as "superior"

Intro - detail the theory and the 3 elements/ideas that make up the theory.