Ryan Wilson Media Studies Year 1

Discuss how the representation of gender, class or age would appeal to a target audience in one of the media products you have analysed this year. Chosen media products: Million Reasons + Perfect Illusion and John Wayne Music Videos (MVs) Lady Gaga released Joanne, her fifth studio album, in October 2016. The first single was Perfect Illusion, followed by Million Reasons, and then closing off the singles releases with the title track. The music video for Perfect Illusion blends seamlessly into the beginning of Million Reasons, and then Million Reasons into John Wayne. These MVs do not necessarily follow one story, but thematically, they provide the audience with a greater understanding of Gaga’s life and give an insight into her struggles as a female musician. The target audience of her music specific, but widely diverse. Although her core demographic is primarily women between 12-24, her image and music appeals to many audiences outside this age bracket. She mainly targets the y

  Explain how different newspaper audiences might interpret the same content in different ways. Refer to the front covers below to support your answer. Newspapers have a political bias and positioning. They fall under either left or right wing, and the politics of the paper will determine the way they will present context in a story. The same stories can be portrayed in different ways by newspapers with different political points of view. If the audience do not agree with the politics of the newspaper, then they would not likely purchase and read the articles in the newspaper. If they are not reading the paper, they are not cultivating the views demonstrated. Readers of a newspaper will interpret one story in a different way depending on the way the newspaper chooses to present the story. In the Daily Mail cover, Britain is portrayed as good, with Europe being presented as the oppositional evil. This binary opposition makes sense with the right-wing ideology that fuels the Daily Ma

  Multiple narrative strands are the key convention of long form television dramas. Discuss how far you agree with this statement in relation to the set episode of the long form television drama you have studied. Long form television dramas have many conventions that make an effective product. When looking at Stranger Things, multiple narrative strands are a key convention throughout the show, but there are also others which can be considered vital to create an enjoyable experience for audiences. The classic Hollywood narrative involves moving through an initial equilibrium, a disruption to the harmony, a recognition of the disruption, working through a resolution, and a new equilibrium at the end. Long form television dramas work through these stages in a slower pace than films, usually reaching the first few stages in the opening episodes and remaining in the resolution stage for the majority of the show. In Stranger Things, there are 3 primary narrative strands that stand out in

  Explain how magazine front covers represent social, cultural and political events. Refer to Source A to support your points. The Big Issue is a left-wing publication which discusses UK issues, global politics, and many other events. This issue is focused on politics – demonstrated via the front cover, but other issues may have more of a focus on celebrity interviews. The magazine publication caters to its educated, middle-class, middle-aged audience. Since the magazine is left-wing, then the intended audience – who are also left-wing – would view the publication with a preferred reading. On the other hand, the right would take an oppositional view, and would likely not purchase and read the magazine. Those who take a more centred viewpoint would probably take a negotiated reading, agreeing and disagreeing with parts of the publication. The cover of the magazine demonstrates the image of an elite person: right-wing American (former) president Donald Trump. He is not presented in a

  Explain how economic contexts are linked to the production and distribution of films. Refer to Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016) to support your points. Disney is a diversified mass media conglomerate company that was founded in 1923 with the sole purpose of creating animations. Its first major feature film was Snow White in 1937, and since then the company has grown, diversified, expanded, and become much more financially powerful than ever before. Disney is easily one of the best-known companies in the world, with a far and wide reach from the place it started. The production cycle of a film begins with investing in a product, then marketing and advertising it, and finally selling the product to the cinemas to be shown to audiences. The success of the film depends on the company and their financial position to produce and distribute it. Due to its massive profits and ability to make money, Disney controls both production and distribution, being able to eliminate any chances of ex

  Explain how ongoing audience interaction influences the production of video games. Refer to Minecraft to support your answer.   Minecraft is a virtual world of Lego with simple instructions and a vast amount of room to allow creativity and exploration. Due to its simplicity, it is fun for all ages and has easy entry for new and prospective players, with no punishment for those who are just starting out. With its humble beginnings in 2009 as a tool for programmers, it grew over time and worked its way into many facets of the internet and pop culture. Ongoing audience interactions are vital for video game production, and Minecraft makes a clear example of how it works. Minecraft started as a niche product for people like developers and programmers; it was not a commercially viable product. Since then, it has become a franchise worth billions and is very accessible due to how it converges across many platforms and editions. The success comes from the simplicity of the sandbox form