17 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Assessment task)

Learning Objective:

You will consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs and how to apply this in your textual investigation.

Key Words: 
5 stages, motivation, target audiences

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a theory which suggests that there are 5 stages that people go through in life. 
The theory says that at each stage we have different motivations to drive us. 
If we apply these stages to media then we can use them to try to understand the motivations behind our target audiences as well as another piece of evidence to support our arguments.

Think of the levels as relating to growing up. 

When you are a little baby your only motivations are food and sleep. (RED) 

As you become a toddler your motivations are to feel safe and loved. (ORANGE) 

As a teenager you want to be accepted by your peers and you might start to have feelings of intimacy for others. (YELLOW) 

As a young adult you are career driven and want to achieve things for yourself. (GREEN) 

As a middle aged person (and possibly a parent) you start to concern yourself with the bigger picture the world and how you might have an impact. (PURPLE)

Task 1: 

Classify the images provided by sticking them next to the appropriate stage according to Maslow.

Task 2:

Explain why you think the images match the motivations for that stage.

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Uses & Gratifications Theory 

focuses not on the product but on what people do with the media. 

This theory suggests that audience members actively seek out media products to satisfy their needs. 

It also suggests that, since the audience are being active, they pick and choose the messages and ideas that suit them from a media product and ignore the rest.
Uses & Gratifications Theory can link very well with Representation and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Task 3 (Homework to be submitted on Monday): 

Write a paragraph on the text that you are investigating assessing which stage of Maslow's hierarchy you think the audience for that text is at and why.

Remember to consider primary and secondary audiences.

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication

17 Richard Dyer Stars theory

Learning Objective: To apply Richard Dyer's Stars theory to a celebrity of my choice.

Key words: Manufactured, constructed


Richard Dyer's Star Theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for financial gain. 
He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' experiencing real emotions. 
Stars are manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose; to make money out of audience, who respond to various elements of a star’s personality by buying records and becoming fans. 

• Dyer proposes that: A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (eg advertising, magazines etc as well as films music).
•  BRIEF DEFINITION OF A STAR 

Icons and celebrities that have been constructed by institutions for financial gain and to target one specific audience/group of people.

• This persona of this star is a fictional identity thus  not restricting the star to musicianship, many ‘STARS’ introduce new aspects to their brand such as fashion trends or charity work.
• DYER’S THEORY CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SECTIONS:

1. The making of a star
2. Constructions
3. Audience and Institutions
4. Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs)

5. Character and personality

• Rihanna is a prime example of Richard Dyer's idea of a star
• MAKING OF A STAR

Pop star Rihanna/RiRi is known for her identity which is not bound by her singing career. 

She was formally a pop performer only. Record label Def. Jam RocNation transformed her into a pop star after her album‘Good Girl Gone Bad’.

She had a celebrity boyfriend who became present in most magazine shoots and attended premiers and famous parties. These are known as pseudo events. 

People now recognise her not just for music but for her behaviour which they find out about through social media. She now has a huge star identity.

•  MAINTAINING STARDOM

Richard Dyer insists that true pop stars have lasting significances if they make sufficient sociological or cultural impacts if not they will be forgotten by all but their most avid fans within a few years.Rihanna has a charity what has made impact. The Believe foundation (founded by RiRi, 2006)outlined goals of aiding 10,000 people in need of bone marrow transplants, the foundation also wants to recruit and register donors; with the help of Rihanna the foundation raises brand awareness. The foundation would leave a lasting affect on people after her fame making her a ‘true pop star’.

•  AUDIENCE AND INSTITUTIONS

Stars are made fundamentally to make money. The music institution then models the stars image around the target audience.Rihanna is modelled on what trends are being set, her persona’s character and personality are based on what is the ‘right now’ trends

• CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY 

Dyer's theory suggest that stars are made to make money and that purpose aloneAlthough the star starts as a ‘real’ human in institution they are transformed so they can provided a image of their time and culture. Audience can see how Rihanna went from being curvy to skinny as the trends have changed.The audience tend to read them as not-entirely-fictional, as being are very much of their time and culture, the product of a particular generation. The star provides audiences with idea of what they are meant to be like.

• CONSTRUCTION OF A STAR

The star is built solely for an audience, not the person. Rihanna was constructed by Def.Jam Roc Nation (her record label) with hair-dos, fashions and other USP’s to differ from othersFor example you can see how she has changed in time to be different

• HEGEMONY (CULTURAL BELIEFS)

Hegemony in Star theory is that we (as the audience) can relate to the star as we admire or share what they are experiencing. This develops into idolisations. 

Rihanna has a massive following in magazines, social networking sites and so on so the audience can see her actions everywhere. Some attempt to replicate what they like about the star, but this can be negative to the stars as they are seen as role modes. Rihanna can be seen as role model to 13+ females, but as a ‘bad girl’ she isa bad influence because she is spotted smoking drugs, abusing alchol and taking nude photos as well as staying in a relationship with a alleged abusive boyfriend. 

Rihanna is seen to deal with young people's issues and so appeals to a young target audience.

Task 1:

Use the handout to name your favourite star.

Choose one only.

• List 3 reasons why they are your favourite star. What gives them star status?

Possible reasons could be the genre of the texts they work in, the type of character they are seen to be, what do you like about how they appear in interviews?

• Write a paragraph on how the star has changed over the course of their career; ask yourself if you did not used to like them and do now? Vice-Versa? Why is this?
• How has the star been constructed? 
• Do some research to find out how they have promoted themselves and the texts they have appeared in.  Are there any interviews or do they use social media extensively?
  

16 Connotations of colour

Learning Objective: To apply colour theory to texts

Key words:

Color surrounds us everyday of our lives.

Each color conveys a feeling.

The psychology of color evaluates what each color portrays.

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It's suggested that the color red creates the feeling of excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, and danger.

RED

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While green gives more of a relaxing feeling.  Green is also suggestive of nature and freshness. The colour of new beginnings.

Symbolizes nature, calming, refreshing, growth, harmony, fertility, safety, healing, and freedom. 

Green is easy on the eyes and non-invasive. 

Darker hues of green tend to be more masculine and conservative. Dark greens are often linked to the financial world (wall street, wealth, money). Lighter hues of green (aqua, olive) are good for healing or peaceful purposes.

GREEN

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Blue suggests trust, security, reliability, belonging, and coolness.

The police are known as the boys in blue.

Holds mostly positive connotations: peaceful, calming, tranquility, loyalty, nature (sky, ocean), depth, stability, trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, spiritual, productivity, cleansing, and health. On the flip side, blue can also be representative of cold and depression.

Blue is considered a masculine color, and is more commonly preferred by men over women. It’s a good color to wear to job interviews and a wise choice for promoting high tech products, as it suggests precision and strength. Tests have shown that people in blue colored rooms tend to be more productive. Weight lifters have also been shown to be able to lift greater amounts of weight in blue colored gyms.

It’s advised to not use blue in association with anything food or cooking related, as it suppresses the appetite. Blue, when combined with warm colors like yellow or red, can create high impact and vibrant designs. Blue is often considered to be the safest global color.

Darker blues tend to more represent depth, expertise, stability, power, seriousness, and integrity. Dark blue is commonly used in the corporate world. 

Lighter hues of blue are often used for anything relating to healing, tranquility, Freshness and softness.

BLUE

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Violet is the color of dignity, spirituality, wealth, royalty, and magic.

Combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. 

Terms associated with purple include: royalty, ambition, wealth, sophistication, femininity, creativity, mystery, nobility, magic, independence, and romance. Because purple appears little in nature, it can often appear artificial. Because of this; it’s advisable to not use purple in designs trying to portray a sense of “natural”.

According to surveys, about 75% of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. 

Lighter colored purples tend to evoke romantic and nostalgic feelings while darker purples more commonly convey gloom, sad feelings, and frustration.

PURPLE

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Black can suggest hate in some cases, but on the other hand it can suggest sophistication, elegance, seductiveness, and mystery.
Black is used commonly to advertise luxury cars.  This has to deal with the fact that black symbolizes authority, sophistication and power.  So someone who wants to feel in control of their car and important would probably lean towards a black car.It is a formal colour, worn to black tie dinners.


 The black leather jacket is a symbol of rebellion.

BLACK

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The opposite of black is white which is considered pure, virginal, clean, and youthful.

The feeling can also coincide with light and hope.

Innocence, purity, goodness, cleanliness, perfection, safety, positive, faith, cleanliness, cold, virginity, safety. A wise color choice for use with charitable organizations, hospitals, and anything trying to show safety or purity. A neutral colour.

WHITE


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Yellow, a color that obviously suggests the sunshine and the warmth the sun provides.  It's also a very happy color that conveys hope.

The exciting colour of health and happiness.

YELLOW

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Another bright color is orange which is a very playful, warm and vibrant color.  

It is a dynamic cross between red and yellow, the colour of movement.

Estate agents use orange as ado parcel delivery companies.

Also a healthy colour like... er oranges!

ORANGE

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All these colors and more are used in marketing and media because of all the different feelings they are able to convey. 

Task 1: List the  Colour symbolism summary below in your orange books

Red – importance – passion – love - danger

Orange – health – movement -dynamism

Yellow – warmth – permanence

Green – freshness – beginning- youth– newness

Blue – cool – sad - authority-trust

Purple – wealth - luxury - power

Black – evil – formality - mourning - simplicity - sophistication

White – innocence – purity – formality - sophistication

Neutral – urban - sophistication


Task 2:

Create a mood board using Adobe Photoshop to show how colours have connotations.

• Red
• Yellow
• Blue

Below is an example of a mood board.

Flatten each image and save as a jpg which will be included in a Power Point presentation.

E-mail this to Mr Ealey when complete.

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication

16 Textual Investigation 2 - Sound analysis

Learning objective: 
To identify the technical codes of sound within moving image texts
To develop analytical skills in examining audio in a media text

Key words: 
Diegetic, non-diegetic, voice over, sound bridge, synchronous, asynchronous, contrapuntal.

It is important that you can identify the different sounds within the text you are investigating using media terminology.

Task 1: 

Orange books, note down  Sound Terminology and meaning as discussed in class.

DIEGETIC

A sound that is part of the film world and usually heard by those in it. Music on a jukebox in a cafe or doors opening for example.

NON-DIEGETIC

A sound which is added later during editing for effect and therefore cannot be heard by those in the film world. Voice over narration, soundtrack or theme tunes for example.

MUSIC

A soundtrack added during editing and the sound and tone can affect the meaning of the scene and appeal to audiences of that genre.

ASYNCHRONOUS SOUND

Sound which is in the world of the text but the audience cannot see it being produced therefore it has greater significance. The sound of footsteps but we are not shown the feet walking.

SYNCHRONOUS SOUND

Sound which is directly matched to a moving image. The term is used in two ways in different sources:

-    Sound recorded at the same time as the images – for example, dialogue spoken by the actors on set. This does not include any sound added in post production.

-    Sound which appears to the audience to come from the scene, whether or not it was actually recorded with the images. Thus includes post-synched dialogue, sound effects and Foley. Also known as parallel sound. Footsteps for example.

SOUND EFFECTS

Usually added to film in post-production, they may be used to build up ambience or reinforce action.

SOUND BRIDGE

Film and TV editing technique in which visual cuts are deliberately not matched with audio cuts. For example, the editor may cut to a completely new scene, but allow sound from the preceding scene to run on for a short time. Alternatively, we may hear the sound of the next scene before we see it.

VOICE OVER

A type of non-diegetic, asynchronous sound in which the audience hear a voice that does not have a source either within the frame or within hearing distance, and which is not heard by the people on screen. Voice overs allow us to see things from a particular character’s point of view

CONTRAPUNTAL SOUND

Sounds that do not easily match the images they are accompanying, or even go against them. This can have a disorientating effect upon the audience and make them question what they are seeing.

Task 2:
Using the handouts provided, identify and analyse the sound types within the text you are investigating for your essay. 

Task 3:
Complete the Audio Technical Codes Test. (homework to be submitted on Thursday)

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication

16 Textual Investigation - Key terms

Learning objective:
To apply key terminology and words to a written investigation based on Narrative or Representation.

Key words:   linear narrative, Split-screen narratives: Three-strand narratives: 
Flexi-narrative: Flashbacks, Point-of-view shots,  Apparently impossible positions,  Privileged spectator position, Enigma codes,  Action codes

With linear narrative, the audience is introduced to the hero/heroine and the world in which he/she lives. Then that world is disrupted. Linear narrative was an idea considered by the theorist Todorov; he decided that the narrative progressed through certain chronological stages:

Split-screen narratives: this technique often occurs in television drama whereby the screen is split into three or four sections with different narratives going on in each small screen

Three-strand narratives: this is a common narrative technique of regular television crime dramas.
At the beginning of the programme three narratives will be introduced, e.g. continuing tensions between colleagues, the investigation of a case that started in a previous episode and a case that is new for
that particular episode. As the programme develops the narrative strands interweave until the final conclusion. One of the strands may continue into the next episode and the others may finish in this episode. This will attract both loyal and ‘one off’ viewers.

Flexi-narrative: this is a more complex narrative structure with layers ofinterweaving narratives. This technique challenges the audience and keeps them watching. There will be twists and turns andsurprises, and characters will become more complex. A good example is The Killing where the audience is led along various narrative lines. At the end of each episode, there is always a surprise or a narrative twist which challenges what the audience assumed. This use of a cliffhanger encourages them to watch the next episode

Flashbacks are used to give the audience additional information. They may also involve viewers with a
character by showing them aspects of the character’s past which contribute to their understanding of the narrative. They are also a means of manipulating time and space within the narrative, for example, Life on Mars.

Point-of-view shots allow the audience to see the action from different perspectives. The camera may position the audience as the eyes of the murderer or the victim or may move between the two in order to
build tension.

Apparently impossible positions give the audience a view of the action from an unusual position, for example, in the air or from behind a wall. Audiences tend to accept this view if the narrative itself is believable, as this enhances their involvement. In crime dramas you may be watching the crime from above.
This clearly increases the tension of the scene.

Privileged spectator position places viewers in a superior position within the narrative. The audience is shown aspects of the narrative that other characters cannot see. For example, a close-up showing a character taking a knife out of her pocket. The audience can then anticipate the action that follows later in
the narrative.


Enigma codes are used in both moving image and print texts. In television crime dramas the camera may only show some of the narrative, leaving the audience with unanswered questions. This is part of the
appeal of a crime drama, as the audience will enjoy solving the crime.

Action codes are shorthand for advancing the narrative quickly. The packing of a suitcase signifies a journey; the placing of a gun in its holster suggests action.

Voice-over is used to move the action on or to fill in missing information. 

15 Textual Investigation 2 planning Spidergram

Learning objectives:
To plan successfully for the second textual investigation by creating a spider diagram.

Key words:

The exemplar work that we assessed should be your yardstick for this aspect of your coursework.
Consider the structure and content of the successful work and create a spider diagram which incorporates your ideas.

For example, the piece on Katy Perry's website concluded that it conformed to conventions as the mainstream target audience was young women who would aspire to be like to image portrayed of Katy on the site. The concept for this piece is Representation.

The structure of the piece (400 - 850 words):

Intro to KP's work
Description of her personality/behaviour (mischievous)
Description of her appearance

A quote from a theorist was used to clarify a point.

Codes and conventions of websites described using media terms; masthead, font, connotations of colour.

A description of the visuals indicated how the text tries to attract the target audience.

Mise en scene, iconography included.

Organisational issues discussed. Advertising on the site.

Comaprison with eminem's website

eminem's target audience discussed with the work of eminem.

Contrast of the two sites KP and eminem

Conclusion that KP's target audience is women so women are represented positively through conforming to genre conventions.

Narrative concept applied to CSI New York

The textual investigation based on narrative is equally successful with a relevant comparison and good use of media terminology.

The structure of the piece (400 - 850 words):

Media terms are used to describe the opening of the show which includes a wedding.
Equilibrium - Todorov's theory
Camera shot types for audience positioning

The disruption of the wedding provides an enigma which will hook the audience
Audience appeal is defined with how this can lead to revenue through advertising.
(organisations).

CSI New York is compared to Hustle and another description of how the show will bring in revenue.

Audience theory is used (Uses and Gratification theory)

The type of narrative used for Hustle is explained. Multi.

A description of the camera work is followed by a suggestion that it is conventional for the genre.

Crime drama conventions in general are described.

Iconography within the genre is explained.

The conclusion discusses how conforming and challenging the conventions of the narrative structure for the genre can be equally successful.

Task 1:
Create a spider gram which explains your ideas for the textual investigation.

Consider the points raised in the above investigations and show what texts you will analyse and compare with.

Here is a spider diagram. Yours should look like this.