Hi From Home

 

Hi guys,

Main takeaways;

- have a plan to finish classwork including time-consuming practical filming 

- be working on representation homework which is due  on Monday  

- publish work updates each day so I can see where you're up to

Week 3 - 4 Classwork & homework

  Hi class,

Welcome to week 3 & 4!

Please watch the briefing video below and get on with your checklist for the week, it's a busy one! :)

1. Decide on an idea you're going to run with (pick a song  & a genre) 

2. Do a visual brainstorm with a few inspirational shots of what 'look and feel' you're wanting, ideas you're thinking of etc. Scan this and upload to your blog. This needs to look like a mood-board / vision- board and be very visually informing.

3. Film a PITCH for your music video (either via I-phone / camera). Upload this to your blog. (Pitch your film as though you were seeking investment for your project).

4. Audience research - Show your pitch to 10 people and gather initial feedback on the idea. Create a blog post that outlines the main thoughts about the idea from those who watched the pitch. 

Questions to ask (along these lines)

- What genre do they listen to most?

- What do they expect out of your genre when considering a music video for the music? (what conventions / elements do they expect to be included)?

- Why do they watch music videos (if at all)?

- How often do they watch / consume music video content? 

- What is their initial thoughts of your pitch and what critique (if any) do they have of your initial idea?

5. Create a CONCEPT and TREATMENT (using template documents provided) for your choice of music video. Upload this to your blog

6. Create a blog post that highlights some ideas for locations. You will want to include the following;

- photos/ stills from music videos whose look and feel is what you're using as inspiration

- a rationale behind your creative choices for location (remember to comment on location as a huge factor of mise-en-scene, perhaps how your location will influence your lighting options (is it set outside in natural light? Are you wanting shadows and artificial light? Are you wanting a bright 'sunny' day?)

- Options for your first, second and third choices of shooting locations. Put up photos, maps and a brief description of each location as well as pros and cons for each one. What may be a foreseeable hindrance (is it a public place with lots of people in the background? Is it subject to rain / weather? Would you need permission for specific buildings?)

7. Plan a reccie to get location shots and include these in this blog post. Get some footage and photos of the types of shots you envision getting at these locations. Include in this post how you feel the reccie went and what you feel will work well verses what may be an issue.

(example of  reccie footage with practise shots CLICK HERE)

4. Read through the Codes and Conventions handout for this week (refer to week 2's link). Include these in your concept and treatment, highlight codes and conventions you are choosing to use (or thinking of using) for your music video. Think about codes and conventions of your particular genre and then include some details and pictures for what you're planning on doing for the different technical elements that would all be the codes and conventions of your product.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT  (due Fri week 4)

Representation Assignment 

- Create a blog post labelled 'Representation Research'

- choose a group in society and analyse how they have been represented in particular music video genres.

- You may choose to look at something broad like 'women in hip-hop music videos ' , something like how a specific ethnic group/ race is portrayed or something more specific like love and romance in pop music videos. 

- Find articles that have been written in response to the portrayal of these groups in the media. 

- Analyse 3 - 6 music videos and provide examples that confirm or challenge stereotypes.

- Summarise your findings in a research presentation.

- Include at least one theorist and apply the media theory to your findings, commenting on and describing how it is relevant to your findings.   

Week 1 - Genre Studies

 Hi,

Today is all about GENRE research! Watch the video then proceed to the tasks below;

PART A of Genre Research

Your task is to;

1. Read through THIS DOCUMENT which presents the different codes and conventions of music videos

2. Watch the video below to start

2. Make notes into a blog post about what the genres are in this video and some characteristics of each

3. Choose 3 different music video genres and at least 2 music videos in each genre , embed clips of them from Youtube into your blog

4. Analyse technical/stylistic elements (filming, editing, mise-en-scene and sound) - refer to that first document for ideas of what to look for!

5. Present your findings in a presentation blog tool 

6. Explain what your genre preference is for creating a music video and why

PART B of Genre Research  

Start looking into those 3 genres you discussed in part A and answering the following questions in a blog post;

Look at

-  what record labels tend to produce artists in those particular genres

- who is the target audience for those genres (what demograhic is mostly consuming that genre / downloading / watching on Youtube etc)

- How the brand / Artist represent themselves on album covers

- What cross-media-convergence opportunities have been utilised for those artists/ bands in those genres? (newspaper / magazine articles / front covers / TV interviews with celebrity shows / news media)? 

Week 1 - Welcome Post on your blog

 Hi,

Your task today is as follows;

1. Create a post with a photo of yourself and write a short blurb that contains some info on who you are, what country you're from, how you found the AS Media course, what you're looking forward to this year and what you're a bit apprehensive about for this year. It's basically just a short introduction to who you are before we launch into the work ahead.

2. Take a look at some other A2 music videos on Youtube and post them on a blog post (along with the ones I posted for you to check out yesterday). Write a paragraph under each one with some thoughts about what impressed you about them. What did you like? What did you not like? What techniques did you notice that you'd like to try? 

have fun! :) 

Music Video exemplars

Photograph - Ed Sheeran

LAST I HEARD 

Welcome to A2 Media 2022!

 Welcome to A2 Media Studies!

It really is going to be a blast, SO glad to have you guys :) 

Here is your task for the first week;

1. Watch this clip to get an understanding of what to do

2. Create an A2 Blog on blogger 

3. Create your first blog post with an 'about me' post 

4. Research some A2 blogs, include the links in your blog post

examples;

https://ladafranulovic.wordpress.com/

http://stma2mediastudies.blogspot.com/p/example-blogs.html

https://sulliemedia2.wordpress.com

5. Document your thoughts on the course, the blogs you've looked at (what you liked/ didn't like), ideas off that bat that you think you may be interested in for your upcoming film task, provide examples of work you want to use as inspiration for your advanced portfolio

6. Take a look through the syllabus. Read the pages that outline your course and highlight the parts we are doing (e.g. 

First things first,

Media regulation - More information on argument for / against Internet regulation

Media Regulation - Concept : 

Media Regulation – the big idea – Gatekeeping v Freedom of speech

The key concepts that should be on your radar are:

GATEKEEPERS:

- A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to something, for example via a city gate or bouncer, or more abstractly, controls who is granted access to a category or status.

So in terms of Media Regulation – they are either the officially recognised bodies that regulate the media or the individual groups elected by the Media platform themselves.

About the current content regulatory system

New Zealand’s current content regulatory system is made up of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, the Broadcasting Act 1989 and voluntary self-regulation (including the New Zealand Media Council and Advertising Standards Authority). The Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Broadcasting Standards Authority are statutory regulators under their respective regimes. 

New Zealand’s content regulatory system seeks to prevent harm from exposure to damaging or illegal content. It does this through a combination of classifications and ratings to provide consumer information, and standards to reflect community values. These tools are designed to prevent harm from people viewing unwanted or unsuitable content, while protecting freedom of expression

(check out link here for more info)

The main debate about Gatekeepers is that:

• They regulate content and therefore the contributors – they are powerful!
• The Internet promised to allow free speech and expression – and has now come unstuck because of this – ‘move fast and break things has become move fast and fix things.’
• Gatekeeping is dependent on many external factors that relate often, to the culture, politics, country, religion where the media is produced – in other words – gatekeeping is culturally reactive.

How do you resolve the ever present argument of:

• REGULATION OF SPEECH v FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

“Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech.” — Noam Chomsky

KEY CONCEPTS AND DEBATES:
Freedom of Speech vs Protection from Harm
Pluralist vs Moralist
Gatekeeping vs Democratisation (the action of making something accessible to everyone)

• Media Regulation will never be watertight – it has to react to technological advancements/convergence.
• Media Regulation changes over time – historically it reacts to technology and cultural zeitgeists.
• Media Regulation is closely linked to:
  • • Moral Panics
      Censorship
      Desensitisation
      Self-Regulation
• Media Regulation can be covert, subversive and ‘invisible’ – think of Chinese interference with internet access
• Media Regulation has to determine the minefield of:
  • • Public v. private
• Postmodern society is built on the foundations of ‘no absolute truths’ and mini- narratives and Regulation contradicts this zeitgeist (the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.)
  • • Self Regulation
    • Begs the question that perhaps China has got it right – the re-introduction of the absolute truths/the grand narratives through the back door of covert and subversive regulation of its citizens accessing the internet, may in fact make life simpler, safer and easier to navigate?

THEORY

To achieve a higher grade you need to include reference to a specific theory & associated theorist. 

Freedom of Expression

Theorist(s): John Milton (1608-74) and John Locke (1632-1704)

An enlightenment idea, which holds that in order to be truly free in a liberal democracy, the  powerful should be held to account via a free press (The Fourth Estate). This principle was enshrined in The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights in America (1791) and is held to be a fundamental principle of liberal democracies.

Harm Principle

Theorist(s): John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

Was also a enlightenment liberal thinker who tried to define the limits on the freedoms of the citizen. He suggested that people should be free in all things, and ‘…that this freedom should only be restricted if their actions may cause harm to others.’ Applying this to freedom of expression, he famously said, “You cannot, without good reason, shout, ‘Fire’ in a public theatre.”

Moralists and Pluralists

Moralists hold that collectively defined rules should regulate and limit media consumption available to the public, especially to protect vulnerable groups.

Pluralists believe in self regulation.

Mark Kermode & Owen Jones assert that people should be given the tools to regulate their own media  consumption. The most obvious being, the power switch or block button.

If you don’t like it, don’t watch it!