YEAR 12 MEDIA STUDIES HOMEWORK BOOKLET 2013

LUTTERWORTH COLLEGE

2013

Audience and Institution 25% of your media grade requires you to understand how films are made. Youll need to be able to compare US films and British films at every stage of production from pitching an idea, gaining funding, casting, filming, editing, advertising and finally distribution. Task: Watch a film at the cinema this summer and complete a case study on it. Some titles are suggested below: This Is The End Man Of Steel Pacific Rim The Wolverine World War Z The Lone Ranger

Below is a list of the basic things you must write about 1.) An explanation of the films plot 2.) The films genre (who do you think would want to watch it? Teens, Adults, Males, Females etc) 3.) The films rating (e.g, is it 15, 18, PG?) 4.) The films budget (i.e. how much it cost to make) 5.) Who directed the film (is this film typical of their work?) 6.) Who starred in the film (are they major stars or relative unknowns? What films have the previously been in?) 7.) Which Studio(s) produced the film (and more importantly WHO owns them?) 7.) The technology involved (was it filmed on film or digital, is it 3D? Does it use CGI? etc) 8.) Which studio(s) distributed the film (and once again who owns them?) 9.) The films release date in the UK and the US 10.) How many screens was the film shown on? (This is a tricky one) 11.) FIVE different examples of how the film was marketed (e.g. Posters, trailers, premiers etc). Useful websites: imdb.com (general film info) wikipedia.com screendaily.com/ (website dedicated to films) makingof.com/ (site dedicated to how films are made) the-numbers.com/charts/today.php (US Box office figures) ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/weekendboxoffice (UK Box office figures) cjr.org/resources/ (Find out who owns the companies who make your favourite films) http://eleanorwatsonlcmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/case-study-kings-speech.html (an example of the standard of research required at AS level)

Representation By definition, all media texts are re-presentations of reality. This means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written, framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us. When studying the media it is vital to remember this - every media form, from a home video to a glossy magazine, is a representation of someone's concept of existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which can be read by an audience. The study of representation is about decoding the different layers of truth/fiction. In order to fully appreciate the part representation plays in a media text you must consider: Who produced it? What/who is represented in the text? How is that thing represented? It is worth thinking about each of these for a moment- the first one is the more straightforward - the media are in the business of describing things to us- they represent people and types of people to us so that we end up feeling that we know what they are like Any representation is a mixture of: 1 The thing itself. 2 The opinions of the people doing the representation 3 The reaction of the individual to the representation 4 The context of the society in which the representation is taking place. Representation of certain groups is very common, for example, age, sexuality, gender. This makes it easier for media producers to get their message across and we recognize the clues quicker.

Representation in TV Drama or Soap Opera Learning Objectives: To ensure an understanding of Representation within television programmes and how programme makers achieve this through narrative and mise-en-scene. Task 1: Choose a character and think about how they are represented in the show in which they appear. Make notes on the following points: Tv drama/soap

TV Drama- The Walking Dead

Genre of tv drama/soap Apocalyptic/Post Apocalyptic Fiction , Thriller, Drama, Horror

Actor/actress name

Andrew Lincoln Character name Rick Grimes Ages of character and actor

Age (Andrew)- 39 Age (Rick)- Mid to late thirties Ethnicity Caucasian-American Regional identity Sheriff Costume usually includes Season 1 and half of 2- Sheriff uniform Season 2 (half) and 3- Tattered shirt and jeans (dirty) Sum up lifestyle in 5 words Struggling to protect his family. Friends include Glenn, Maggie, Carl, Lori. Interests Staying alive, keeping everyone safe

Motivation in most situations Put everyone before himself. He would rather save the group and lose his life than lose someone from the group.

Love life Married to the now deceased Lori

Problems in life All the problems that come with a zombie apocalypse including the loss of loved ones and knowing that life wont ever be the same.

Key moment in drama series / soap Death of Lori Carls near death experience Birth of Ricks Daughter

Prediction for future narratives(storylines) Rick carries on surviving but moves to multiple other places, losing and gaining people along the way.

How is the audience supposed to react to them? Explain view. I feel that the audience are supposed to react in proud way to Rick. I say this because he does multiple courageous acts that makes the human race proud to who they are. He does things to save people that no-one should ever go through.

Task 2: Design a new narrative that is suitable to your character within the show they star in. Involve known character/s. Write a script of dialogue, stage directions and description of how characters should appear. Make this about 10 lines long in total.

Explore a: Confrontation/ argument about an issue A revelation about something (where they learn something important)

Plan a scene with care, make notes, discuss with a friend, think about you want the audience to receive them and how their actions / dialogue reflect the notes you made above.

Set your script out correctly:

Scene:___________________________(e.g. pub/launderette/park) Character 1: (stage directions in brackets) ______________________________ Character 2:______________________________________________________

Scene: Prison Block B- An argument breaks out between Rick, Carl and Glenn Rick: (Walking towards Carl) What do you think Im meant to do! Two people have just died and were running low on supplies! Carl: I dondont know! Glenn: Dont shout at him! Rick: What are you going to do about it! (Rick comes face to face with Glenn) Zombie 1: (Unseen in the shadows) Aurrrgh aurrrhgh! (Rick and Glenn simultaneously look towards the sound) Zombie 1: (Lurching forward towards GLENN and RICK) Aurrrgh! Rick: Oh god! Glenn: (Grabbing Carl) Run! Carl: Wait! (The men look towards Carl) Carl: Hes slowing down, hes getting weaker

Task 3:

Look at the representation of age in your chosen TV drama/soap. How are old or young people shown? Is that how they really are in life? Why have the programme makers shown them in the way they have? Comment on the following and whether they are typical of how young/old people are shown. Fill in the four boxes below. Character Age (approx.) Type of clothing (costume) Example of behavior/actions

e.g.: Tom Clarkson (Waterloo Road)

Mid 30s

Shirt and tie, blues and greys. Smartly dressed.

Lively. Can have a fiery temper. Has students best interests at heart

Rick Grimes

Late 30s

Sheriff Uniform Tattered clothes Tries to be as smart as he can be.

Aggressive when people in his group are threatened.

Glenn Rhee

Early 20s

T-Shirt- Khaki Trousers Baseball Cap Often smart.

Caring and willing to risk his life for his girlfriend and the group.

Hershel Greene

Late 50s- Early 60s

White shirt, Braces, Black/Brown Trousers.

Very vulnerable and tends to just try and keep himself alive. Helps in medical emergencies.

Daryl Dixon

Late 30s-Early 40s

Leather Jacket, Shirt, Jeans.

Willing to risk his life for anyone. Strong willed and used to the wilderness.