Friday 25 March 2016

AUDIENCE

The 'Key Concept' of Audience is introduced through Assignment 1, and needs to be addressed in all 3 assignments!

Media coursework, and real-world media production, always requires a clear definition of the target audience:

  • marketing a media product requires carefully selected advertising
  • the audience of a TV show/channel (the ad breaks between programmes), or a movie (trailers), magazine (posters) etc needs to be similar to that targeted by the movie otherwise a LOT of money will be wasted!
  • (TIP: magazines especially will offer detailed breakdowns of their readership [audience] on the publisher website as otherwise advertisers wouldn't pay - it would just be a random gamble without that information!)
  • the text's media language + production choices will be shaped by target audience: you won't cast a mainly 40+ cast if you want to appeal to a youth audience; you won't include sexual or violent content or swearing that would lead to a UK BBFC age rating of 18 if you want to target a wide mainstream audience
  • audience will always be split into two: primary and secondary (a secondary target audience is often older)
  • we can also consider mainstream or niche appeal
  • we would usually define at least an age range, gender(s) and social class (ABC1C2DE) - sophisticated, complex texts are often aimed at ABC1s, while simpler texts might be aimed at a less educated and less wealthy C2DE audience
  • applying specific terms and theories like uses and gratifications, or linked narrative concept such as narrative enigmais important
  • media productions always reflect business thinking, so we get terms like the four quadrant strategy




Here's a more detailed BBC summary



...


...

Wednesday 23 March 2016

SCIENCE FICTION FILM books



You can also find a complete online course, with videos of lectures, at http://virtual-sf.com/.

6 classic sci-fi films. Reading is important ... but so is VIEWING!!!
I'll be adding more online sources you can access.
Some of the following will be available through the Library shortly.
You can find a huge list of books and articles at this US university's Library website.



Used for fictional works that rely on advanced technology, scientific development, or encounter with alien life, to make the narrative possible. Stories frequently have a prophetic nature, forecasting how technological changes may impact society in the years to come. The likely future is often seen as dehumanized, dystopian, or post-apocalyptic. May be set on both Earth or in outer space, and (most often) in the future, although sometimes set in the present or past. Horror may overlap with Science fiction when advanced technology or alien life prove malevolent and terrifying. [WorldCat]
One of your key research tasks is to come to a clear, detailed definition of the genre ... but you will find that there are many opinions on this ... The above quote is a good starting point. Start to consider which films provide examples of fitting this ... and any that might challenge it!!!




ONLINE

GENERAL
The monomyth ... see Carl the Critic link!

The Wiki. (History of the genre here)

FilmSite guide.

Sci-fi sub-genres.

BFI (British Film Institute) - detailed and not an easy read, but very useful. You will also find detailed reviews of many sci-fi films linked along the right.

BBC: sci-fi is very hard to accurately define!
More on the BBC site.

Quotes on defining the genre (not a great source, but some useful quotes)

Carl the Critic - detailed guide including useful narrative theory: Campbell and the monomyth (hero's journey)...

Discussion on the genre.

Popmatters - problems with the genre and what you can learn from the film Moon.

3 reasons why sci-fi is the greatest genre.

Friday 18 March 2016

FILM poster AND teaser analysis examples

Thanks to Euan for passing on a link to this vid:




Thanks to Ismini for passing on this link, a very useful example that contains analysis of multiple posters and trailers, and also breaks down much of the planning involved in creating these texts too.

https://shannoncotton2.wordpress.com/author/shannoncotton/page/4/
(magazines analysis here; POSTERS analysis here; trailer - NOT teaser- here)




Tuesday 15 March 2016

TRAILERS Cloverfield redefines teaser trailer?

Benjamin Lee discusses how the unconventional marketing for 10 Cloverfield Lane has broken all the rules of film promotion ... and succeeded - on a low budget, (major) star-free production. You could reflect on this as part of evidencing your grasp of (Key Concept) Institution - the article explores both the industry typically works and the countertypical approach for this JJ Abrams movie.

Here's a sample:
The roll-out of a new trailer has become a tiresome exercise. Ten-second teasers precede a 6o-second teaser, which is followed by a two-minute trailer, accompanied by another two-minute international trailer, and perhaps finished off with some TV spots and a final internet-only trailer.

Monday 14 March 2016

Film Assignment 2 Yr11 teaser trailer research

The results of your initial analysis of a range of teaser trailers (in 3 parts - click on the read more link):


Aubrey and Orla


IN 3 PARTS - CLICK READ MORE BELOW FOR NEXT TWO