Flowers in Chania

Tuesday 28 November 2017

Newspapers, Online and Print

Clay Shirky

2008 Election Some concern that there may be vote suppression. Video the vote, and document the voting purposes, with citizen observations. To ensure the sanctity of the vote.

Innovation can happen everywhere, and in media, moving from one spot. Largest increase of expressive capability. Only 4 periods in 500yrs where media can revolutionise.

The Internet is the media which has native supports for individuals AND groups. Media is natively good at supporting this. All media might move to the net, and every medium is available to everyone. Groups which see/hear can talk.

In a way, we can build our own news story. The media used to come from many different places and sources. Now, the Internet can do all of this! Every time a new consumer joins, a producer does too. Reporting as it happened. No choice these days. The media allowed for many different sites during Chinas 2008 Earthquake. The great firewall of China, and they can filter the news.


More amateurs than professionals


Monday 6 November 2017

BFI Introduction to Media Industries and Audience

Link to Study Day Student Resource Pack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ctHa5AFQHDu6_d5O_v5qV7oaf4GVgfVE/view?usp=sharing


FILM
The Jungle Book 2016
WHAT MAKES THIS MAINSTREAM FILM?
-          It is much more true-to-life than the original film.
-          Much more mature, very ‘dark’ and tense.
-          From a large film studio
-          Famous, familiar directors and actors. (star marketing)
-          Disney
-          We could not know that it was a Disney film. Wide and saturated distribution. (goes to a lot of U.K. cinemas)
-          Technology – More modern and live action.
-          Sound – Lots more depth. Lots of LFE used.
-          High production values. Connected to an older familiar, an already present audience.
-          Safe genre (Sci-Fi, Comedy, Action)
-          CGI used in it, it isn’t cheap.
-          ‘Geek’ appeal – IMAX, 3D
THE BIG SIX – CONSTANTLY CLICHÉ DISTRIBUTORS OF FILM
-          Warner Bros
-          Disney - They own Marvel, LucasFilm (Star Wars)
-          Paramount Pictures
-          Columbia Pictures (Sony)
-          Universal Studios
-          20th Century Fox
KEY TERMS FOR THIS
-          Mainstream Film
-          Independent Film
-          Production/Production Values
-          Distribution and Marketing
-          Exhibition /Exchange
-          Critical Success
-          Commercial Success
-          Digital Technology
-          Convergence – This is when film is available and can be marketed on a wide range of different platforms. What DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA can we link to some RICH MEDIA.
-          Synergy – Several different companies and studios working together on one product, or it can be compatible and suitably marketed products. (Straight Out Of Compton – The music sold the film)
Making people aware is a vital part of this. How much do we spend on MARKETING?

What makes ‘I, Daniel Blake’ different. Why is it INDEPENDENT?
-          It is a British-made film, this is not common.
-          Low production value. Grainy mise-en-scene etc.
-          Social Realism, NOT a safe genre.
-          Real-life relationships, some audience members can relate to this.
-          This film has a different purpose.
-          Part funded by the BBC and BFI
-          CROWD FUNDING is a way that some people use to make films today. This can help get across a good deal of attention towards it.
-          Sometimes, these films are critically acclaimed to a high degree…
-          REVENUE STREAM vs REVENUE DRIP
Straight Out Of Compton
What makes this a mainstream film?
-          It has star marketing. (Screen text)
-          Big-Man vs Little-Man battle within the film.
-          Maybe the start of the hip-hop genre?
-          Big 6 and global distribution.
-          An iconic pioneering 1988 N.W.A. money.
-          Star Marketing of Compton
-          Conflict and Violence does sell, and there is a major appeal to this.
And this ended up being the highest grossing music biopic of all-time! $50mil budget (medium).
VIDEO GAMES
David Gauntlett’s Theory – Video games do not have an audience.
The idea of how audiences have changed over the years. It’s not new media! A 50/50 gender split.
People play games in all sort of places! – Smartphones and Apps. Mobile devices are getting as powerful as gaming consoles. We have access to games if we’re bored almost!
OLDER GAMERS – There is a significant growth in the older gaming demographic.

-          CASUAL GAMERS – dip in/dip out of the gaming industry.
-          SERIOUS GAMERS – someone who spends lots of time on video games.
AAA games are the big ones! Huge marketing and sales. Games in the form of apps mostly appeal to the causal gamer.
-          COD: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1, The Division, NBA 2k17, Madden NFL 17 etc.
Publisher vs Developer. Publishers push out and distribute the games. Developers build and make the game itself.

KEY TERMS
-          Platform
-          Publisher
-          Oligopoly – A group of companies which dominate the market.
-          Developer
-          Digital Distribution
-          Engine
-          PEGI
-          Designer
-          RPG
-          FPS
-          Event Release
-          AAA Games
-          Open World
-          DLC

Some AAA games can have up to 200 designers and programmers.
-          RPG
-          FPS
-          Action
-          Sports
-          Puzzle
-          Simulation
-          Horror
-          Strategy
-          Construction Open World

NEWSPAPERS
! This is one of the most weighted areas on the OCR exam! Pay attention!
Does anyone actually read newspapers? Physical?
            The main issue is that this figure is on a decline thanks to technology. Online will save money, be more convenient and offer enhanced, media rich multiplatform content.
Lots of news is breaking on Twitter now, and it can be described as a news platform. Some newspapers have been reporting steep print declines, and must therefore move their news platforms digitally.

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ARE DRAMATIC, particularly if they are within tabloid newspapers. This is largely opinionated.
NEWS VALUES – How does the newspaper deliver its content? What makes it considered interesting to the audience.
THE TYPICAL CODES OF A TABLOID
-          Smaller size
-          Shorter and more brief articles for the audience
-          Very loud, opinionated and dramatic. (titles)
-          Messages hidden in the title areas of the newspapers.
-          Celebrity news, not much seriousness.
-          C2 VP
-          Restricted language code, this is helping to set the reading age. I.E. The Sun has an age of 9yo.
-          High ratio of photography to text.
-          Varying fonts, it is all over the place. Large, small, serif, sans-serif.
-          Subjective Epistemologies – Different and emotive way of reporting the story.
-          Can be known as a ‘red-top’
-          Direct Addresses
The Sun is the leading selling newspaper in the U.K, and they are all decline in print form, and each title suggests its own areas.
Advertising is the most common way for newspapers to gain a revenue stream, and this is providing the main revenue. If there are less advertisers, then there will be advertising pulling out. The main reason for this is obviously declining circulations.
THE TELEGRAPH is the last remaining broadsheet newspaper, and a lot of broadsheets are being printed in tabloid size
-          Local – Regional News
-          Broadsheet – Hard News
-          Mid-Market Tabloid – Soft with some hard news
-          Tabloid – Soft news
WHAT IS SOFT AND HARD NEWS?
This is a good way of categorising news. Soft news is lifestyle and gossip. (thanks, Carys) Sport too. Hard news is politics, things which can affect you. Boring in some cases, but vitally important. (thanks, Mia!)
VOYEURISM – The pleasure of looking at other people. The choice of imagery which can make it personal and emotive. In crime cases, it can be invasive. What can we do to create a third meaning?
WE LIKE TO READ ABOUT CRIME!

I.E. The Sun and draw a line on immigration.
The Sun is the most popular newspaper in the UK. It has a C2,D,E profiling code.

HOW DO ONLINE NEWSPAPERS DIFFER WITH THEIR VERSIONS.
Online are a lot more interactive, and you can add comments and visit social media pages about them.
Immediacy, you can see the news in a fast way. The printed version can be delayed. We Media – This is where we via smart technology report news before companies get to it. Much more advertising content available. It is much more invasive. This is in addition to newspapers.



RADIO
The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show…
The audience for the above program is declining. Why do we think this is?
- Very ‘zoo’ format. This is presenter-led content, with music, phone-ins etc all coming in for a little bit.
-          Spotify ,YouTube, iPlayer have all risen whilst this happens.
Inane chatter, playing around. It is a little bit tedious. The most competition is coming from Kiss FM’s Breakfast.
RAJAR gives us these audience figures.
PSB – Public Service Broadcasting. This must inform, educate and entertain the target audience. This is a vital and key role.