Representation of women in thriller movies Blog Post #16

Representation of women in thriller movies

Blog Post #16

Similarly to the previous blog posted I created a video using PowToon, this one explains the representation of women in thriller films and again examples are given from the films and related to the characters within the film.

               

Representation of men in thrillers #15

Representation of men in thriller movies

Blog Post #15

Below is a video I created using PowToon, which explains the representation of men in thrillers and gives examples from existing characters in current thriller films.

             

Film Rating #14

Film Rating

Blog Post #14

Film ratings are used to age limit a certain type of film depending on what the content is.

The most common films rating which are available for films are: U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, 18 and R18.

The categories of film rating

U: Suitable for all

PG: Parental guidance

12: Video release suitable for 12 years and over

12A: Cinema release suitable for 12 years and over

15: Suitable for only 15 years and over

18: Suitable for only adults

R18: Adult works for licensed premises only.

How the different rating systems have changed over the years

PG-13 rating was actually conceived in 1984 at the suggestion of Steven Spielberg: His film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was suggested that it was a tad too graphic/violent for kids, but not so bad to be classified as an R rating.

Synergy #13

Synergy

Blog Post #13



Equation for Synergy

Introduction:

Synergy is the term used to describe a situation where different entities cooperate beneficially for a final outcome. In a much simpler form; it means that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The term synergy can be put into an equation such as '1+1=3' the equation itself is referring to the fact that if you combine something with another factor the final outcome will be much more significant. 

How does synergy work?

Synergy works when different elements of companies (a media conglomerate does this best = media group or institution that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the internet.

Theatrical Poster for 'Ill Manors'

Each distinct elements promote each other which means that the revenue of the business will increase.

For example, SONY can use Synergy much more as it is a conglomerate which owns various smaller companies which is often referred to as 'subsidiaries'.

Key Terms:

Synergy and Cross media convergence: Two or more products being released together to gain exposure from each others audience.

Plan B's Single Cover for 'Ill Manors'

Tie ins: This is really synergy as products are released which have been produced by other companies (other than the production/distribution companies) which are related to the film.

For example the term synergy can be applied with the film 'Ill Manors', this is because it is a film which has a soundtrack recorded by Plan B and it also has a website and is available on Blu-Ray player.

                             Below is a useful presentation on synergy created by 'jphibbert1919'

                               

Synergy in the Film Industry courtesy of jphibbert1979

Research Method Blog Post #12

Audience Research Methods

Blog Post #12

How do we measure media audiences?

We measure media audiences in various ways, some methods can be to analyse sales, subscriptions, rating and figures.

Who measures audiences?

National Readership Study: The National Readership Study (NRS) was established in 1956 and today provides the most authoritative and valued audience research in use for print advertising in the UK. The survey itself covers 250 of Britain's major newspapers and magazines, showing the size and nature of the audiences they achieve.

Broadcasters' Audience Research Board: The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) is the organisation responsible for providing the official measurement of UK television audiences. BARB is responsible for providing estimates of the number of people watching television. This includes which channels and programmes are being watched, when they are watched and the type of people who are watching at any one times.

http://www.nrs.co.uk/
http://abc.go.com/
http://www.barb.co.uk/

Considering Audience:

Audience engagement - This describes how an audience interacts with a media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.

Audience expectations: These are the ideas the audience have in advance of seeing a media text. This particularly applies to genre pieces. Don't forget producers continually play with or shatter audiences expectations.



New Media:

New media is often used to target audiences so that they can measure the audience itself for example;
Facebook 'Like' and Twitter 'Retweet' and 'Trends'
Online forums - Comment tools
Views on YouTube & Google +1

Methods of Research:

When it comes to research there are two main types of research:

1) Quantitative Research: This is mainly focused on statistics and numerical data which means that it is number based, the questions are closed which means that a person can give a certain type of answer, this is to generate exact answers which furthermore means that it is very factual.

2) Qualitative Research: This is mainly focused on description and verbal communication, this can include various methods such as interviews and focus groups, this can mean that they can analyse existing products to see if it will fit in the market. It also consists of open questions which means that there can be multiple types of answers if the same question is asked to different people this gives us an assumption and to generate answers open to interpretation.

Comprehending Time #11

Comprehending Time

Blog Post #11

In movies, very rarely do we seen screen stories taken in real time. In feature films whole lives can be dealt within 90 minutes, with a 60 minute TV documentary it can take around 8 months. There are many conventions to denote time passing, from the time/date information typed up on each new scene of 'The X-Files' to the aeroplane passing over a map of a continent in 'Raiders of the lost ark'.

Flashback from 'The Vampire Diaries'
In Katerina

Other devices to manipulate time includes:

• Flashbacks - For example in 'The Vampire Diaries' there is various flashbacks to 1492, showing Katherine's back story with Klaus and Elijah and how she became a vampire.                                             

Dream Sequences occur in
'Inception' quite significantly

Dream Sequences:

Dream sequences is a technique used in storytelling. It is mainly used to set a brief interlude from the main story. The film 'Inception' (2010) consists of dream sequences as they are tiered in a dream within a dream, this is also referred to false awakening; which is a false vivid and convincing dream about awakening from sleep.



Flash forwards:



Two corpses outside W.W's driveway

Flash forward is a scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point in time. Flash-forwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future; for example Breaking Bad uses flash-forward throughout its second season showing a mystery regarding debris and corpses outside Walter Whites driveway, which revealed to be the result of two planes crashing overhead.

Other time manipulation in films include:

• Repetition
• Pre-figuring of events that have not yet taken place
• Reverse motion
• Freeze frame
• Ambiguous time 

Audiences Blog Post #10

Audiences

Blog Post #10

What is an audience?
An individual or collective group of people who read or consume any media text.

Mass Audience: Often termed 'broadcast audience', those who consume mainstream or popular texts such as soaps or sitcoms. Media and communication that targets a very large group of people (women, men, children, adults etc.)

Friends would be categorized
as a Mass Audience

Welcome to the punch (2013)
Theatrical Poster

Niche Audience: A niche audience is much smaller but very influential. A niche audience is small, select group of people with a very unique interest. An example of a film which is aimed towards a niche audience is 'Welcome to the punch' - (2013), which is about an ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood who is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong.


Why are audiences important?

Audiences are important for various reasons, firstly without audiences there would be no media, secondly the mass media is becoming more competitive than ever to attract more and more audience in different ways in order to stay profitable. Also media organizations produce media texts to make profit this means that no audience will result into no profit which could potentially lead a company to bankruptcy.

How audience use media and the gratifications they receive from it:

The belief that audiences passively receive messages is long gone.

Theorist Katz and Blumler discovered from researching into audiences that there were three main elements that provided audiences with either gratification or encouraged the use of

1) Information
Using sources such as newspapers to retrieve information about current events which satisfies curiosity gaining a sense of security through knowledge.

2) Personal Identity
Reinforcement for personal values, this is to find models of behaviour, insight into one's self. For example Twitter can reinforce your own values by only following that certain criteria in which you are relating to.

3) Integration and Social interaction
Insight into circumstances of others; social empathy, identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging, interaction,  enabling one to connect with family, friends and society. For example someone may tune into a TV drama so that they can relate and reinforce into their own lifestyle.

Impact of technology to audiences:

Old media: (TV, Print, Radio) which used to have high audience numbers must now work harder to maintain audience members.

Modern media: Digital technology has also led to an increasing uncertainty over how we define an audience, with the general agreement that a large group of people reading the same thing at the same time is outdated and that audiences are now 'fragmented'.

Demographic: - Audience, however relating to age, race, gender, class/status and nationality.

Psychographics: This is more to do with audience pleasure; such as interests. hobbies and beliefs.

Audience Research:

Audience research is a major part of any media company's work. They use questionnaires, focus groups, pre-film screenings and spend a great deal of time and money finding out who would be interested with their product.

Audience and groups:

Group A:

• Doctors
• Scientists
• Lawyers
• Well paid professionals

Group B:

• Teachers
• Middle management
• Fairly well paid professionals

Group C1:

• Junior management
• Bank clerks
• Nurses
• 'White collar' professions

Group C2:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Carpenters
• 'Blue collar' professionals

Group D:

• Manual workers such as;
• Drivers
• Post sorters

Group E:

• Students
• Unemployed
• Pensioners                              

Source(s); http://www.thinkbox.tv/server/show/nav.914