Revision/Feeback

Wednesday 4th December 2024

What is LIAR?

What contexts are being covered?

What is intertextuality? - Reference to media products

What theorists could you include?

Targets -

1, 2, 3, 5

1.) Cover all areas of liar

2.) Cover contextual issues

3.) Cover theory

5.) Answer the question - IS INTERTEXTUALITY NEEDED

Intro - Respond to question

1.) Contexts of production and consumption of set texts (use theory)

2.) Intertextuality (in regards to audience, genre and context) ((USE THEORY))

3.) Judgement

PLAN -

1.) Context of production (social, political, historical)

LP - British, white producer, was created during the anti-immigration policies and significant pay gap in France

KE- Mainly female, diverse production team, created during a height of Russian military tension and women's rights activism movements

2.) Intertextuality (settings and imagery)

LP - Paris, iconic imagery of Eiffel tower, similar heist scene to movies such as Oceans 11 and clear link to book that the series is based on

KE - Britain, grey and rainy, obviously London, links to spy MI5 content like James Bond while obviously defying genre

Thursday 5th December 2024

DNT -
1.) Butler - Gender performativity
2.) Butler - Heteronormativity 
3.) Gilroy - Post colonialism (demonisation

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

1.) Element 1 of the theory

    - Apply to KE

    - Apply to LP

2.) Element 2 of the theory

    - Apply to KE

    - Apply to LP

3.) Element 3 of the theory

    - Apply to KE

    - Apply to LP

4.) Conclusion : limitations of the theory, and then if it does work, analyse LFTVD

Butler's theory of gender performativity emphasises the way in which gender roles are performed subconsciously and repetitively in society, and that gender is made from an individuals performance, or lack of performance, in these gender roles. Through the performance of these stereotypes, whether feminine or masculine, gender roles are naturalised even more, and people that fail to perform these binary norms create "gender trouble" and subvert ideas of heteronormativity. Butler's theory deconstructs gender roles and challenges stereotypes.

Lupin - age

Assane - in 40s, still modern and resourceful with his methods and strategies, but has old-fashioned gentlemanly morals and ideals with his way of dressing and talking. 

Assane's dad - older generation, emphasises historical divide between France in the 70s and how minority groups were treated. Also emphasises vulnerability due to older age.

Loan sharks - all quite young, might be used to emphasise naivety and incompetence amongst younger generation with their mistakes during the heist

Lupin - history and culture

- Racism and class divide, e.g loan sharks and assane and his father vs pelegrinis

Lupin - key reps -

- Class and social divide - The wrongful accusation of Assanes father, Assanes knowledge and wealth despite immigrant upbringing, pellegrinis and prejudice due to their wealth and high-status, loan sharks being incompetent and violent in their council estate

Gender rep - portrayal of women is undermined, in supportive or secondary roles. traditional gender dynamics, e.g women objectified or maternal figures.  Men are varied but shown in significantly more power

Ethnicity-  Assane constantly faces discrimination, e.g from the auctioneer, his father being accused of a crime he didn't commit and receiving prejudice and racially targetted comments. White pelegrinni family always at an advantage/top of the food chain

Killing Eve context - 

#METOO movement in 2018, women facing lots of sexual assault and protesting, villanelle represented through villanelle and her aggression and violence towards men, particularly the mafia leader who objectifies her and acts as if he has possession of her

Growing tensions with Eastern countries, e.g Russia, and the portrayal of Villanelle and Konstantin as violent and murderous

Broader diversity throughout cast and production team, nearly all-women team with ethnic diversity, 2018 being a time of growing inclusivity. The push for women into more leadership-oriented roles is also represented through the roles of Villanelle and Eve

Skripal poisoning and the revolt against political/militant figures 

Industry - 

• Oligopoly in 1930s - Paramount, Metro, Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Bros, Fox, RKO
• Hollywood studio system wasn't really regulated, relied on vertical integration
• These studios owned and controlled every element of film production
• Disney's content was distributed by RKO
• This system of studio ownership broke down in the late 40s/50s
• 
  
• 
  
• 21st century Disney is an international conglomerate that makes films as a small part of its overall operations
• More media platforms and forms = increased consumer choice and more competition
• Big budget films must offer visual spectacles and an immersive experience
• 1970s introduced "blockbuster" films - large budget designed to appeal to mass global audiences, huge marketing efforts, saturated distribution (goes everywhere)
• 
  
• 
  
• Production companies now bring together a script, cast, producers, directors and other key staff as a "package" to promote to distributors.
• Stars are still important in the "marketability" of a film but are no longer "owned" by studios, which makes their agents more powerful
• Hesmondhalgh - minimise risk with a high budget and good cast
• 
  
• 
  
• Production was quicker then, but distribution was slower. 
• Celluloid films had to physically travel from cinema to cinema, with reels gradually declining in quality, losing their picture and sound quality.
• Snow White was the first ever animation to use technicolour
• Cel animation
• Multiplane camera
• 
  
• 
  
• Premiered in LA in December 1937, then shown in two cinemas in New York and Miami in January 1938 (limited release)
• RKO then decided on a general release in February 1938 due to good box office and positive response from the audiences
• Massive success in both US and overseas, ran for 6 months in one London cinema
• This reflects the slow pace of distributions in the 1930s
• There was also a lack of competition, meaning cinema attendance was higher
• 
  
• 
  
• Cinema re-releases - 1995 to boost money for Disney during the war, then every 7 years. A special 100 year anniversary cinema release in UK in August 2023
• VHS release in 1994
• DVD release in 2001
• Blue-ray in 2009
• Further blue-ray/4k editions in 2011, 2016, 2022 and 2023
• International distribution - seven foreign versions released
• 
  
• 
  
• Premier with orchestra
• NBC Radio reported nationally
• Glowing review in Time Magazine
• Print poster campaign
• "Trailer"
• Merchandise (first film to do this!)
• Tie-ins with other brands
• 
  
• 
  
• CGI, motion-capture, and blue screen technology are synonymous with Marvel
• Complex choreographed fight scenes
• Pyrotechnics and stunts
• 
  
• 
  
• Vertical integration - Released in cinemas May 2021, then Disney+ November 2021
• Destin Daniel Crettin, Japanese-American director wanted Asian actors to self rep
• Film didn't do well in Asian market and was banned in China
• Budget was $150-200 mill
• Made $432 mill in box office
• In 4300 cinemas in US
• 
  
• 
  
• Global distribution was easier in 2021 due to the speed and economy in digital distribution.
• Trailers of the film showed the power of Marvel as a brand - Producers are named but not cast members. 
• Trailers had to appeal to a general, global audience
• MCU fans with theories and promotions
• Extensive global print campaign, 6 posters
• Simu Liu released first teaser poster, followed by Marvel
• Shang Chi in Disneyland
• Merch - clothes on Disney store (synergy), etc
• 
  
• 
  
• Historical context (Only snow white) -
• Attitudes to people with dwarfism is patronising
• Produced by white men 
• Gender representations reflect an uncritically patriarchal society
• Hays code of 1930s is considered now racist and homophobic
• The Great Depression and Wall Street Crash were rarely represented in Hollywood, and it was mostly used as escapism
• German expressionism and filmmaking
• 
  
• 
  
• Economic contexts -
• Free market capitalism, the pursuit of profit through selling products to audiences, can also be used as political control over what audiences can/can't see
• Globalisation, both films were successful in global markets, pace of globalisation accelerated at the end of 20th century, representing a fictionalised Chinese culture

STRUCTURE -

INTRO - generally answer question

P1 - text A and context

P2 - text A and context

P3 - text B and context

P4 - text B and context

Conclusion

INCLUDE - 

- Context (social, historical, political, economic, etc)

- LIAR (Language, Industry, Audience, Representation)

- Applicable theory 

- Killing Eve/Lupin, examples

- JUDGEMENT

Bandura - aggression created via influence of aggressive media

Barthes - semiology, denotations and connotations

Baudrillard - Hyperreality, postmodernism, simulacra

Butler - Gender performativity, repeated performance of these roles

Strauss - binary opposition, opposing ideologies/rep drive the narrative forward

Curran and Seaton - concentrated amount of people have power over media

Gauntlet

NEWS Q1 - PPE FEEDBACK

P1 - Define the theory

P2 - Source A : Apply example 1 of the theory

P3 - Source B : Apply example 1 of the theory

P4 - Source A : Apply example 2 of the theory

P5 - Source B : Apply example 2 of the theory

P6 - Briefly conclude

P1 - Define the theory (Hooks - feminism, intersectionality, focus on race, sexuality, etc)

P2 - Source A : Apply example 1 of the theory (Lack of racial representation in Daily Mail, no intersectional approach, all white members of team)

P3 - Source B : Apply example 1 of the theory (Intersectionality approached somewhat by The Mirror, whole team pic and some racial diversity)

P4 - Source A : Apply example 2 of the theory

P5 - Source B : Apply example 2 of the theory

P6 - Briefly conclude

Q3

MORE ON economic factors and their influence on production, cost of printing, ownership impact on economic factors

- Advertising revenue varied through traditional/new media

- Shift to online dropped sales of physical papers, income via online needed more

- BBC funded by license fee and challenges newspaper sites that need ads for funding

- Guardian doesn't publish circulation figures so they must be low

- No paywall, but Guardian asks for donation and Mail asks for a membership

Q4

DAILY MAIL AND THE GUARDIAN - media theorists

Bandura - the idea that the media can directly 'implant' ideas into the mind of audiences. He also believed that audiences acquire attitudes, emotional responses and new styles of conduct through modelling.

(APPLIED TO THE GUARDIAN) -  liberal, progressive stance, the Guardian tends to promote social justice, climate action, equality, and progressive political views. Readers of the Guardian may observe and internalize these perspectives, adopting them as models for their own views or behaviors. E.G , coverage on social issues like refugees, climate change, or LGBTQ+ rights might influence readers to take more empathetic stances.

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) -  tends to focus more on conservative viewpoints, with an emphasis on traditional family values, nationalism, and often negative portrayals of political figures or groups that don't align with these views. Readers might observe this and adopt more skeptical or critical views toward social changes, government policies, or certain groups (e.g., immigrants).

Gerbner - “cultivation theory” which explains that “viewers cultivate television information by integrating it into their perceptions of real world phenomena.”4 The more exposure one has to media images, the more likely that his perceptions of reality will be distorted.

(APPLIED TO THE GUARDIAN) - The Guardian might cultivate fear about environmental degradation, inequality, or social unrest, often portraying crises in ways that urge immediate action. Readers might become overly concerned about climate change or inequality due to the frequent coverage of these issues.

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) -  focuses on stories involving crime, immigration, or social change that could be threatening to traditional values. This can create a sense of heightened insecurity, especially when it comes to issues like immigration or the state of law and order in the country. Readers may develop a perception that crime rates are higher or that immigration is a greater problem than it might actually be.

Hall - every media text has a preferred message which a producer wants to get across (encode) and that three ways in which the audience might be positioned to receive (decode) that reading.

(APPLIED TO THE GUARDIAN) - The preferred reading of The Guardian is progressive, liberal, and socially aware. The newspaper frequently advocates for issues like social justice, equality, climate change, and human rights. The intended audience is expected to interpret these messages as an endorsement of these values. If someone with a right-wing stance were to read these issues, they would likely have an oppositional reading. 

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) - conservative, nationalistic, and focused on traditional values. Articles often frame issues like immigration, crime, and national identity from a critical or cautionary perspective. The intended audience is expected to read these messages as a call for stronger security, nationalism, and a return to traditional social structures. For example, a Daily Mail article that criticizes immigration might expect the reader to accept that immigration poses a significant threat. Someone more liberal would read this and have an oppositional reading.

Jenkins - fans are among the most active, creative, critically engaged, and socially connected consumers of popular culture and that they represent the vanguard of a new relationship with mass media.

(APPLIED TO  THE GUARDIAN) -Readers of The Guardian are often very active, especially in their comments sections or social media platforms. They don’t just accept the news at face value—they interact with it. For example, readers might discuss articles, share them on social media, or even engage in online activism, supporting or critiquing the topics covered, such as environmentalism or social justice causes. Readers may also participate in creating related content like blogs, podcasts, or tweets about articles, deepening the engagement.

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) - Similarly, Daily Mail readers engage with the content by commenting on stories, especially on controversial topics. The paper’s audience often participates in debates around national identity, immigration, or crime. On social media, Daily Mail stories get shared and commented on, where readers might add their own perspectives.

Shirky - audiences are no longer passive due to the way social media operates. Technology has changed our behaviour; instead of just consuming media passively, we also contribute to it. In his argument, no audience is passive.

(APPLIED TO  THE GUARDIAN) - Guardian readers often contribute to the media through crowdsourcing, participatory journalism, and social media activism. For example, The Guardian has been involved in projects like open journalism, where readers contribute tips, photographs, and insights that lead to new stories or enrich ongoing coverage. Readers might also participate in fundraising campaigns or collaborate on online petitions that stem from the issues the paper covers.

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) - social production, especially on the platform’s comment sections and through the creation of memes or viral social media content. Many readers share and engage with MailOnline articles that reflect their viewpoints, particularly on issues like national identity, security, and traditional family values. These readers help amplify the paper’s influence by resharing and remixing the content in ways that resonate with their own social networks.

Barthes - all narratives share structural features that each narrative weaves together in different ways. Despite the differences between individual narratives, any narrative employs a limited number of organisational structures (specifically, five of them) that affect our reading of texts.

(APPLIED TO  THE GUARDIAN) -  In The Guardian, the language used in articles is crafted to create certain meanings for readers, often signalling progressive, liberal viewpoints. For example, headlines like “Climate Crisis: A Global Emergency” use powerful words (e.g., “crisis,” “emergency”) that signal urgency and position the issue as a global concern, guiding the reader toward an environmentalist interpretation.

(APPLIED TO THE DAILY MAIL) - The Daily Mail uses emotive language to appeal to its primarily conservative audience. For example, a headline like “Immigration Crisis: Britain’s Security at Risk” uses strong words like "crisis" and "risk" to provoke a sense of urgency and fear, directing the reader to view immigration in a negative light.

Wednesday 26th February 2025

Exam DIRT

Q1 FEEDBACK - 9/15

- Specific examples 

- More explicit for contexts 

Q2 FEEDBACK - 8/15

- Snow White demographic NOT particular/narrow

- Think about "general" answer first

Q3 FEEDBACK - 6/10 , 13/20, (19/30)

- Refer to Neale - codes/conventions, heist and spy followed subverted conventions, repeated conventions, hybridised to evolve for audience interests and needs

Q4 FEEDBACK - 5/10

- Specific example from TVD case studies

- Limitations

Intro - Codes and conventions do/don't reflect audiences values....

- Context of production + consumption (Killing Eve)

- Context of production + consumption (Lupin)

- Context influence in codes + conventions (Killing Eve)

- Context influence in codes + conventions (Lupin)

Conclusion - judgement - differences in C+C for KE and L

Codes and conventions presented in long form TV dramas are typically directly representative of the ideologies and beliefs of its audiences.

Context of production + consumption in Killing Eve -

- All female production team - MeToo movement - Historical context, reflect societal values and issues at the time via MeToo, societal context - audience attitudes and beliefs

- BBC America - shown in USA, then moved to BBC3, then Netflix

- Big budget, Sarah Oh well known, appealed to US audience

- Consumption - BBC America - Pay for view. BBC3 Free License fee. Netflix subscription. Gradually moves to binge watching as available for all episodes to watch. 

Context influence in codes and conventions? (Killing Eve)

- Russian Villain

- MI5 (spy genre) - popular genre over time

- Female protagonists

Q4 Targets -

What are the applicable points on the theory?

How does the theory apply?

How does the theory work for TVD?

Give examples from the TVD

Limitations covered as well.