COMPONENT 1 - SECTION A & B - MEDIA STUDIES (EDUQAS)

What are visual codes?

The elements that we see in a media product. It relates to the images in the media products but also to backgrounds, logo and graphics.

What is the mise-en-scene?

The manner in which all the visual elements are placed within a frame or product (incl. setting, background, props, costume, gestures)

What are colour palettes?

The use of certain colours in a product to convey meaning.

What do certain colours connote?

Red = Evil, passion or danger

Blue = Calm, Tranquility

Orange = Warmth, Energy

Yellow = Tropical, Vibrant

Green = Nature, Wild

What can location communicate to any audience?

Not only where the scene is taking place but also can communicate meanings or symbolism.

What are gesture codes? What can they convey?

How people express themselves through their postures and body language. They can convey emotion.

What is an example of a gesture code and what does it imply?

Shaking a fist implies anger, aggression or an intent to hurt / harm.

What can facial expression help the audience to understand?

It allows the audience to better understand the character and their emotions, as it is easily recognised.

What can certain props signify?

They can communicate messages about people but also reinforce or signify the genre of the text.

What are dress codes?

These include clothing, hair, make up.

What are some examples of dress codes?

- Dressed smartly suggests they are neat and tidy or care about apperance.

- Business suit connotes a persons status and responsibility.

- Certain clothes reinforce a stereotype.

- Wild hair could signify their troubled mind or frantic lifestyle.

What is a closeup shot? What does it show?

The subject takes up most of the frame, a close up of the face shows their feelings and can help

What is an extreme close-up shot? What does it suggest?

The subject is very large and shown in detail, it suggests their importance.

What is a medium close-up shot? What does it replicate?

This shows a person from the chest upwards. It replicates the way we see people when we are close to them.

What is long shot? What can it help establish?

This shows a person, group or location. It can help establish information about the character and / or their location.

What is a low angle shot? What does it show?

The camera is placed at a low angle and shows the character as superior.

What is a worm's-eye-view?

An extremely low angle shot looking directly upwards.

What is a high angle shot? How are they presented?

Where the camera is placed at a high level and looks down on a character / object. It makes them appear small and insignificant.

What is a key light and a filler light?

Key Light = Main direct light on person / object

Filler Light = Light around person / object to reduce shadows

What is high key lighting?

Use of a key light and filler lights to create bright light with few shadows. Often highlights the cover model on magazines.

What is low key lighting? What can it create?

Use of key light but with fewer filler lights to create shadows and contrast. Can create a sense of mystery.

What is artificial lighting?

Use of electrical light, studio or indoors.

What is natural light?

Use of daylight, outdoor setting or by window.

What is the difference between written and spoken language?

Written is used in print (e.g. headlines) and Spoken is used in audio-visual (e.g. dialogue)

What 4 repertoire of elements can help define genre?

- Visual Iconography = Visual codes associated with a genre.

- Technical Codes = Camera Shots, Lighting, Colour Palettes

- Narrative = Way in which the story is told

- Characters = Set of character types.

What is Steve Neale's theory?

A product in a particular genre will usually use familiar conventions as well as some unexpected elements.

What do the unexpected elements added with the familiar conventions create?

Make the product unique and ensures the audience don't become bored with the same conventions.

How do audiences benefit from genre conventions?

They know what to expect and can decide whether they will enjoy the product or not from previous experience.

How do media industries benefit from genres?

They help appeal to a specific audience to guarantee the success of a product.

What three reasons mean that Genres don't stay the same over time?

1. Need to develop to keep interest

2. Technological developments allow new visual and technical codes. (e.g from hand drawn to CGI)

3. Social and Cultural context allow genre to develop to reflect current issues and events.

What are sub-genres?

A more specific genre in a broader genre.

What is a hybrid?

A combination of two or more different genres in the same product.

What was Todorov's Theory?

Todorov believed there are 5 stages to every narrative.

What were the 5 stages that Todorov said were in every Narrative?

- Equilibrium = everything is normal/calm

- Disruption = a threat/setback to the equilibrium.

- Recognition = that the disruption has occurred.

- Repair = an attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.

- New state of Equilibrium = a return on calm often for the better

What was Levi-Strauss's Narrative Theory?

He claimed that every narrative has 2 opposites, which causes a conflict. A narrative can't progress without a form of conflict.

What was Strauss' view on binary opposition?

One side of the binary pair is always seen by a particular society or culture as more valued over the other.

Name 3 Binary Opposites

- Man vs Woman

- Light vs Dark

- Young vs Old

- Hero vs Villain

- West vs East

- Good vs Bad

What were Roland Barthes narrative codes?

He suggested that there will be one or more of the 5 codes that describe the meaning of a text.

What is Barthes' action codes?

Understanding/meaning is created by the action which takes place in a text (e.g smiling, punching)

What is Barthes' semiotic codes?

Understanding is shaped by the semiotic devices we see in the text (e.g. colour, intertextuality, non-verbal communication, mis en scene, lighting etc.)

What is Barthes' symbolic codes?

Understanding comes from recognition of metaphorical and allegorical references (e.g. Animal Farm = metaphorical representation of the Russian Revolution)

What is Barthes' cultural codes?

Understanding comes from the cultural context (e.g. In Britain we get more understanding from an American Film than one made in Middle East due to cultural similarities/differences)

What is Barthes' enigma codes?

Unanswered questions, riddles, mysteries strategically place to achieve 2 goals - keep an audience interested and reveal indirectly information which will later be needed to allow the pieces to drop into place.

What did C. J. describe?

Several Archetypes that are based in the observation of differing but repeating patterns of thought and action that reappear time and again across people, countries and continents.

What are C. J. Jung's story archetypes? What do they represent?

- The Hero = Rescuer, Champion

- The Maiden = Purity, Desire

- The Wise Old Man = Knowledge, Guidance

- The Magician = Mysterious, Powerful

- The Earth Mother = Nature

- The Witch / Sorceress = Danger

- The Trickester = Deception, Hidden

What are C. J. Jung's family archetypes? What do they represent?

- The Father = Stern, Powerful, Controlling

- The Mother = Feeding, Nurturing and soothing the child: birth, salvation, beginnings

What is a non-linear narrative? What might be used to help structure this narrative?

A narrative where the events do not happen in chronological order. Flashbacks and flash forwards reinforce this.

What is Laura Mulvey's Gender Theory called?

The Male Gaze

What is the Male Gaze?

In cinema and advertising we are led to view a media text as if we are a heterosexual male, viewing the female body to be desired.

What is R.W. Connell's Gender Theory called?

Hegemonic Masculinity

What is hegemonic masculinity?

There is a set way a man should be; dominant, not cry, fearless, strong

What is Judith Butler's Gender Theory called?

Performative Gender

What is Performative Gender?

Gender is seen as a performance and is knowingly acted out. Gender is not as an expression of what one is, rather as something that one does.

What is Erving Goffman's Relative Size theory?

In advertising women, generally, are seen as smaller and lower than Men, in terms of height and girth. He believes it used to convey power or authority in social situations.

What is Erving Goffman's Feminine Touch theory?

In advertising, the women are depicted touching objects or people. They are seen softly touching the object, barely touching it. It portrays her as if she is sexually available, weak and vulnerable.

What is Erving Goffman's function ranking theory?

In advertising, men are always portrayed as having the highest and most important role, while women are seen as more inferior and taking the least important roles.

What is Erving Goffman's family theory?

In advertising, the parent in a family show the parents being closest to the children of the same Gender. Or the Male Father is seen as slightly separate to the family and is being portrayed as protective

What is Erving Goffman's Ritualistion of Subordination theory?

Where Women are shown as having a knee bent or a hip out or lying down. It is to show them as submissive.

What is Erving Goffman's licensce withdrawal theory?

Where a Woman is shown looking away from the camera and having lots of strong emotions. While a man is standing stern and looking straight at the camera.

What does Erving Goffman believe about the male and female voice?

The male voice is used more than women within voice-overs, due to the authoritative tone they possess.

What was Vladmir Propp's Stock Character Theory?

Vladmir Propp came up with the idea that there are set character roles in a narrative.

What were the 8 Stock Character Roles proposed by Propp? What is their role?

- The Hero = Has to fulfill their destiny, often through a quest.

- The Villain = Seeks to stop the hero.

- The Princess = The reward for the hero.

- The Dispatcher = Sees something needs to be done sets up a quest for the hero.

- The Donor = Provides the hero with as special device to fulfill their destiny

- The Helper = A side-kick who helps the hero in the quest

- The Father = The person who rewards the hero for their achievements

- The False Hero = The person who lays claim to the princess but is unsuitable and causes complications.

What does David Buckingham argue?

The media does not simply present a picture of the real world but re-present versions of reality by selecting and combining different elements.

What are the jobs of the 'A' demographic?

Higher Management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals.

What are the jobs of the 'B' demographic?

Middle management, teachers, creative and media people (e.g. graphic designers etc.)

What are the jobs of the 'C1' demographic?

Office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff - white collar.

What are the jobs of the 'C2' demographic?

Skilled manual workers, plumbers, builders - blue collar.

What are the jobs of the 'D' demographic?

Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers.

What are the jobs of the 'E' demographic?

Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers.

Who are Mainstreamers psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Security - tend to be domestic, conformist, conventional, favour value for family brands - nearly always the largest group.

Who are Aspirers psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Status - Materialistic, orientated to image and appearance, persona and fashion - attractive packaging over contents - typically younger people (clerical/sales jobs).

Who are Succeeders psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Control - Strong goals, confident, work ethic and organisation - supports stability - brand choice based on self-reward/quality - typically higher management.

Who are Resigned psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Survival - rigid and authoritarian values - prefer past/tradition - brand choice based on safety, familiarity, economy - typically older people.

Who are Explorers psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Discovery - Energy, Individualism, experience - values difference + adventure - brand choice shows instant effect and satisfaction - first to try new brands - younger demographics (students).

Who are Strugglers psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Escape - Disorganised - brand choice involves impact and sensation - buys alcohol, fast food, lottery - D and E demographic

Who are Reformers psychographic? What do they seek?

Seek Enlightenment - Freedom of restriction, independent judgement, anti-materialistic - attend higher education - products for quality

What is Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory?

It suggests that media users contribute and have an active role in the media.

What are the 4 simple needs, from the Uses and Gratifications theory?

1. Diversion = The need to relax or escape.

2. Personal Relationships = Using the media to fulfill their personal relationship with friends, becoming part of a social group.

3. Personal Identity = Using media to find out more.

4. Surveillance = Using the media to find out what is going on around us.

What is Stuart Hall's theory of preferred reading?

What the producers intend for you to read

What is Stuart Hall's theory of negotiated reading?

Partial acceptance / Partial Rejection of the preferred reading

What is Stuart Hall's theory of oppositional reading?

Complete rejection of the preferred reading

What is at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Physiological Needs - Food, warmth, water, rest

What is above Physiological Needs on Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Safety Needs = Security and Safety

What is above Safety Needs on Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Belongingness and Love Needs = Intimate Relationships, friends

What is above Belongingness and Love Needs on Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Esteem Needs = Prestige and feeling of accomplishment

What is above Esteem Needs on Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Self-Actualisation = Achieving one's full potential, including creative activities

What is Advertising and Marketing?

It is:

- Selling a product

- Increasing Sales

- Creating Brand Awareness

- Making Money

How is 'Advertising and Marketing' part of Media?

It is part of the media because (typically)...

- It is in our everyday lives

- It influences us

- It sets up and uses Stereotypes

What are the conventions of 'Advertising and Marketing' (13)?

- Main Image

- Brand Logo

- Iconography

- Mode Of Address

- Typography

- Disclaimer

- Title / Subtitle

- Colour Coding

- Structure and Design

- Anchorage

- Tag Line

- Secondary Images

- Action / Enigma Codes

What is the layout?

How the visual arrangements are arranged.

What is the design of the advert?

The combination of the visual and technical elements that contribute to the style.

What are technical and visual codes on the advert?

- Technical Codes = Camera shots, lighting, editing.

- Visual Codes = Colour, Costume, Gesture, Setting.

What is typography?

Font type and size. It can carry messages about the brand identity or product.

What are the language codes?

Whether the text is formal or informal, has specialist lexis, or makes us of language techniques or emotive language.

What is the mode of address? How can it make the audience feel?

How the advert communicates with the audience whether it is direct or indirect. It can make the audience feel more or less involved.

What is anchorage?

When the text is used to secure or solidify meaning (e.g. caption)

What is Iconography?

A colour or image specific to their brand (e.g Cadbury - Purple)

What is Iconography in the Tide advert?

The red coulour of the font

What is the Main Image on the Tide advert?

The Main Image is the biggest one and is the one with the woman hugging the Tide box

What are the Secondary Images on the Tide advert?

The Secondary Images are the women in the corner talking about tide